The next few weeks passed by in a flurry of homework and classes, and before the students knew it, an actually flurry of snow had coated the school. For every meal Minnie sat with her back to Sirius and his friends, not wanting to get caught staring again. She divided the little remaining free time she had left after her studies between her romance novels and hanging out with Anna.

Although she was trying to hide it, Minnie felt bitter disappointment at having received just one letter from Thomas in September and then nothing for two months. While she had never told him to write her while she was at Hogwarts, she had assumed he would just want to and the excuses she'd made on his behalf were starting to sound frail and tired to her own ears.

The evening before Christmas break found Minnie back at her favourite astronomy tower, with a tear streaked face and listless expression. She'd decided she had grown weary of the one-way communication with Thomas and it was time to get to work forgetting him. He was very obviously not her dashing hero, or it seemed even remotely interested in her. While it was chilly out, she wore her oversized cardigan and lay her hot, raw face on the smooth cold stone and huffed a sigh.

Minnie awoke with a start as a brisk wind blew her cardigan over her shoulder. Her heart sank as she ripped her sleeve back to reveal 11.48pm. She stumbled to her feet, heart racing in her ears, she would need lady luck's good favour to make it back to her common room without attracting the attention of the young, but sour caretaker, Mr Filch. Not detentions right before Christmas! Please!

It was with these thoughts in her head that Minnie hurtled around a corner and with an 'Oooohf' barged straight into something rather solid that sent her sprawling on the hall carpet.

'What the fu-' was all she got out before a long fingered hand shot out of nowhere, firmly grasped her own, hauled her to her feet and covered her with a material that was soft and velvety, like silk. Minnie ran her hands over it, enjoying the way the invisibility cloak (for that was what she was sure it was) slipped through her fingers like liquid. Between being entranced with the cloak and the fog of sleep in her brain it hadn't occurred to Minnie to wonder who was standing so close to her and it wasn't until she inhaled a whiff of smokiness, that she looked straight up into the collarbone of Sirius Black. Minnie squeaked and Sirius placed a finger on his lips with a glance her way, before watching the end of the hallway where Minnie heard the distinctive muttering of Filch.

They stayed like that for a couple of minutes or hours, Minnie could not say which, while they waited for Filch to move on. She spent the time trying to breathe deeply and calm the racket of her heart. Sirius eventually gave her a nudge and placed a hand on the small of her back to lead the way, reminding Minnie uncomfortably of someone else doing the same. She gently brushed him off and muttered a short thanks.

Sirius shrugged his shoulders with languid grace as they wandered back to the Hufflepuff common room. He was trying to read what looked like a map under the light of his wand and hold up the cloak at the same time. 'Give it here, I'll hold it for you,' Minnie commanded reaching out for the map.

Sirius flicked it out of reach, 'say please!'

'I don't need to say please; I'm doing you a favour!'

He chuckled, a low rumble that started deep in his chest. 'We're here.'

So we are, thought Minnie, looking at the barrels as the cloak was lifted from her, 'how did you know this is where our common room is?' She asked the dark hallway, but received no response. Sirius had gone.

Minnie crawled through the round hole into the 5th year girls' dorm and wriggled under the patchwork quilt on her bed. What a funny night, she thought and promptly fell asleep.

The next morning at breakfast in the Great Hall, Minnie plonked herself down across from Anna and pinches a piece of toast off her plate. 'Hey, that was mine!' Anna snatched her plate away and sent her knife and fork clattering to the floor. 'Look at all that toast in the middle of the table that belongs to nobody! Look at it, just waiting to be eaten and you choose mine!' Minnie threw her head back and laughed before she pinched another piece.

'He's looking at you.'

'Who?' Minnie asked, but she already knew.

'Sirius Black,' Anna said to her plate but with a sly glance through her fringe.

Minnie twisted back to pick Anna's fork up from the floor, sweeping her thick dark hair in front of her face as she peeked at Sirius.

'No, he's not!' Minnie kicked Anna under the table.

'Would I make that up just to see that look of longing on your face?'

'Fuck off!'

'Okay, I probably would but I didn't make it up this time. He was looking at you.' Anna looked at Minnie thoughtfully. 'Right, are you packed? Because the horseless carriages will be leaving shortly.'

'Uggh' Minnie groaned, she'd forgotten to do it last night after her after curfew run. She flicked him another glance as she left but he was laughing at an imitation James was pulling. She hurried back to her dorm to pack.