Thank you to the people who reviewed, favourited or followed this! I didn't really expect anyone to on the first day I posted it, so it was such a nice surprise! Without further ado, chapter three!


"Bloody Alexa Payne," Sirius grumbled as he stomped into the Gryffindor common room late that afternoon. "Bloody Violet Bryce."

"Hi Padfoot," James said cheerily from the armchair, as Sirius collapsed into a sitting position front of the fire. "How was your date with Alexa?"

Sirius glared at him. "I never want to see her ever again. All she does is gossip. And she dragged me to that bloody café where all the couples go for that disgusting coffee stuff that muggles drink!"

"I have to admit, I was surprised when Vi said you'd gone on a date with her," Remus added from his armchair.

"Bloody Violet," Sirius said, for what had to have been the sixth time since he'd said goodbye to Alexa in the Entrance Hall. "I told her that Alexa was just a one time snog gone wrong and Vi just goes and encourages her! Alexa was already making plans for our second date on the way back here! And her bloody fifth year friends followed us all the way back giggling and whispering and …" Sirius paused to compose himself. "I never want to do that again."

"Aw, poor Sirius," Violet said. Sirius jumped, and saw Violet had appeared, sitting on the arm of Remus' chair looking amused. "I'm sorry. I just couldn't help myself." James and Remus sniggered but stopped quickly when Sirius whipped his head around to glare at them.

"Why did you do that to me?" Sirius asked.

"Oh come on," Violet said, taking a seat beside him in front of the fire. "It was too good of an opportunity! You looked so awkward! And Alexa looked so eager," Violet laughed. "Besides, what was I supposed to do? She was glaring daggers at me because she thought we were on a date! I don't want to be dragged into some fifteen year old girls' drama!"

Sirius sighed heavily, rubbing his face with his hands. Violet felt a tiny twinge of guilt.

"I am sorry though," she said.

"Well now you have to help me fix … this …" Sirius trailed off, staring at her, a light dawning in his eyes. "I'll only accept your apology if you help me to fix this."

Violet pouted and frowned. "Fine, I guess. Since I really am sor-"

"Great! Pretend to be my girlfriend, every time we're around Alexa," Sirius said.

"WHAT?" Remus and James burst out laughing at the expression on Violet's face. "Did you not just hear what I said?"

"Well, I said I didn't want to go on a date with Alexa and you made me go off with her! If you do this we're even! Come on, it'll just be every time she's around, so maybe in hallways in between classes sometimes and at meals! It'll be easy!"

Violet sighed. "Merlin. Now I'M regretting making you go on a date with her."

"It's just to get her off my back," Sirius said. "It shouldn't take long. No longer than a week anyway."

"Oh merde," Violet muttered, swearing in French, a habit she'd picked up living nearly half her life in France. "Alright. Whatever. But nothing too touchy feel-y. Like snogging in corridors in front of everyone. Just … holding hands and things, right?"

"Right," Sirius said enthusiastically. "Although, if you're feeling up to a spot of-"

"No."

"Oh, fine."


Breakfast on Monday morning was when Sirius and Violet officially started fake dating. Violet hadn't told her friends about what was happening, so it was a big surprise to them when, instead of sitting sandwiched in between two of them, she went straight to Sirius's side. James dutifully moved over to make room, failing to suppress a grin. Remus, too, was shaking his head and smiling, while Peter (surprisingly) was the only one able to keep a modestly straight face. He broke out into an enormous smirk, however, at the girls' faces when Violet sat beside Sirius and he put an arm around her waist.

"I think I speak for all of us when I ask when this happened?" Amber said, as she and the others sat down themselves, staring open-mouthed at Violet and Sirius.

"You didn't tell them?" Sirius asked Violet, surprised.

Violet shrugged. "Slipped my mind, I guess."

Remus chuckled and Peter snorted.

"No, really…" Amber continued. Violet saw she glanced quickly at Lucy, who looked both gobsmacked and murderous. Something about her reaction clicked in Violet's mind and she hurried to explain.

"We're not really together," Violet said. "It's just to get some girl off of Sirius' back."

"The Hufflepuff fifth year I walked in on you making out with in that empty classroom on third floor? Alexa, or something?" Marlene asked. Sirius nodded. "Ah yes. Well, she's known to be a bit clingy. Did she expect it to be different for her? That you two would fall in love and get married and have mini Sirius'?"

"Something like that," Sirius shuddered.

Marlene tutted, before returning to her breakfast.

"That's a bit mean isn't it though?" Lily said. "Why don't you just tell her you don't want to go out with her?"

"Because she's not the kind of girl you can do that too," Sirius said. "She's the type who'll think you're joking and deny you're being serious or she'll get really mad and hex you into oblivion!" Marlene nodded in agreement.

"It's true, Lily," Violet interjected. "You should've seen the way she was glaring at me when she thought I was on a date with him!"

Lily sighed, shaking her head. "Maybe this will teach you not to choose girls at random to use when you feel like a snog."

"Hey, I don't do this kind of things that often! And I don't force them into anything!" Sirius exclaimed. "It's not my fault people can't resist my charm and good looks."

"Fantastic. People are going to think I'm dating this prick," Violet said sullenly.

"It's only for a week," Sirius smirked, leaning in closer. "Darling."

Violet looked at him in the eye with an exaggerated simpering smile and said, "I want to vomit."

"You brought this on yourself, babe."

"Well, I must hate myself."

"I know you told me all the way through the Halloween feast yesterday."

"Hey Lily, maybe we should try this. Violet and Sirius are already getting along like an old married couple and their relationship is fake," James suggested.

"We bicker enough already," Lily said. "So… no." She then proceeded to engage Remus, Lucy and Mary in a conversation, ignoring James completely.

"Well, I tried," James sighed. "There's always tomorrow."

"Keep believing, Prongs," Sirius told him, leaning across Vi too speak directly to him. "I have faith that one day you two will end up-"

Sirius was cut off by a shriek. Everybody nearby turned to look at a Hufflepuff girl with her ash blonde hair in two braids sprint out of the Hall.

"I think that was one of Alexa's friends," Sirius said hopefully.

"I think it was you two that made her shriek," Peter told him. "I saw her spot the two of you when she walked in."

"Excellent," Sirius grinned, squeezing Violet's waist gently, as if to say good job.

"If you get her to hate you earlier than a week, can we stop pretending?" Violet asked.

For some reason, Sirius' stomach did an unpleasant flip at her words. "If that's what you want," he smirked, leaning in closer, attempting to cover up his hesitation through confidence and flirting.

"Definitely," Violet replied, with a cheeky smile that drove Sirius mad – wait, drove Sirius mad? Sirius pushed the thought out of his mind, as Violet continued eating, unaware that a million thoughts were running through his head.

James noticed Sirius' almost shell-shocked face and sent him a questioning look. Sirius shook himself and reassured James with a smile, before returning to his own food.


"So, between every class we have to hold hands, in case she or one of her friends sees us?" Violet said, as Sirius swung their entwined hands between them as they walked to Divination.

"Yep," Sirius said. "We can't risk not looking like a couple where she might see us … even for a second."

Violet's hand felt particularly small in Sirius', and warm too. "You know I've been getting few looks from quite a few other people too," she said airily. Sirius was good looking, she'd admit that. With dark hair that fell into his clear grey eyes, a charming smirk and his confident stance, he was easily one of the most attractive people in the school. "One girl in the year above, a Ravenclaw, even came up to me after Ancient Runes and asked if I knew what I was getting into when I said yes to dating you."

Sirius frowned. "What did she look like?"

"Red hair, blue eyes, ridiculously tall… I think she said her name was Clara or something," Violet said.

"Oh I know Clara, sort of. Her friend, Jacqueline and I had a thing in last year."

"Hm," was all Violet said.

As they entered the heavily incensed divination classroom and sat down, Sirius realised there was something wrong. "Are you alright?"

"Fine," Violet said, a little quickly to be fine.

"What's wrong?" Sirius asked.

Violet turned and smiled, almost automatically. It was so well practiced, so scarily robotic, that it gave Sirius a small jolt. "Nothing, Sirius." Behind her eyes, Sirius could see wheels turning. He was going to speak again, but was interrupted by Professor Thenaider, who began talking about refreshing the "eye" by working on dream interpretation.

"Partner up!" He said, taking a seat in the red leather armchair. "Interpret each other's dreams – but try to use the book as little as possible! You're NEWT students now! Let your inner eye feel what the symbols are first … harness that potential … And then check your interpretation with the books to see how accurate your sight is."

"Vi-" Sirius began.

"Are we partners?"

"Yes, of course."

"Ok. Can you go first? I can never remember my dreams," Violet lied.

"… You really want to do the dream interpretation?" Sirius asked incredulously.

Violet couldn't lie about that. "Not really," she admitted.

"Can we talk about what's upset you?" Sirius asked.

"No."

"So there is something!"

Damn, Violet swore internally, though her face did not betray her.

"Please tell me!" Sirius begged.

Violet sighed heavily, almost angrily, but gave in. "Alright fine. Do you know how many people have come up to me today to tell me too watch out, because Sirius Black's girlfriends don't last long?" She paused and gave Sirius a moment to think. "Four. Since breakfast. Honestly, what you do with your time isn't my business, and if you want to go around snogging everything in sight, that's fine; but you've dragged me into it now!"

"Most of what people say is exaggerated." Sirius said. "I haven't even snogged half the girls people say-"

"It doesn't matter Sirius, because it's what people believe," Vi cut him off. "I know I said I'd help you but people are staring at me like I'm a cripple or something."

Sirius looked down guiltily. He'd be lying if he said he didn't know what people said. He didn't care most of the time but now ... he hadn't thought about how making Violet act as a fake girlfriend would affect her. "Sorry. I didn't think."

"I'm aware of that."

"There's no need to be nasty about it!"

Violet glared at him. "Just … can we do this whole thing quickly so I can deny we ever went out in the first place? And hopefully salvage my reputation and stop fourteen year old girls from glaring at me in jealously whenever I walk past?"

Sirius looked confused. "Fourteen year olds? Glaring at you because they think you're my girlfriend?"

"Yes," Violet replied stonily.

"What have you said to people so far?" Sirius asked. "When they come up to you and say not to date me?"

"I mostly just look confused and say 'um, ok' because that can be taken whatever way they want it too."

"Hey, that's smart because it means when this ends, you can just deny you ever went out with me in the first place!" Sirius said encouragingly. "Hopefully Alexa's friend told Alexa about this morning, and she finds us together soon. Today, even!" Sirius grinned.

Violet rolled her eyes, but smiled, in spite of herself. "You're so optimistic."

"You're so pessimistic."

"I am not." Violet replied, affronted.

"If you say so."


"We haven't seen her all day, Sirius," Violet said, as the pair left the Charms classroom together. They had a free period now, in the last class of the day, and they left their friends behind as they all headed to their own respective classes.

"It's odd," Sirius agreed. "Usually she'll just pop out of places all over the castle."

Violet sighed, wanting to change the subject. "Can we go outside today? I don't want to stay in the library or in a classroom."

"Sure. But can we go back to the dormitories first so I can grab my packet of smokes then?" Sirius asked.

Violet rolled her eyes. "I still can't believe you smoke, but ok. I can get my cloak then too."

They rushed up the stairs to Gryffindor tower, where Sirius bounded up the stairs to the boys' dormitory and Violet darted up to the girls' to retrieve her cloak.

They both came back down quickly and dashed down the many staircases, before exiting the castle, heading out onto the open grass by the lake. Violet chose an old twisted tree with widespread roots near the lakes edge to sit against, half sheltered from the chilly, early November wind. In the near distance, they could see Professor Kettleburn teaching a class by the edge of the forest.

Violet pulled the spare cloak over her legs and huddled against the tree, finding a place to fit perfectly comfortable against the root to her left, the tree trunk and Sirius, who sat beside her.

"We aren't pretending to be together now, are we?" Violet asked after a moment where they both sat staring, side by side, at the lake and the class in the distance.

Sirius shook his head. "Nah. Friends can sit like this, right? We can just be normal now."

Violet smiled. "Good."

Sirius pulled his packet of cigarettes and offered one to Vi, who said, "You know I don't smoke." He shrugged, took one for himself and shoved the packet back into the pocket of his robes. He took out his wand, tapped the end of the cigarette and muttered, "Incendio", lighting it up. Violet watched as he took a long drag, than breathed out a long tendril of curling white smoke.

"I feel like this is the first time I've slowed down and done nothing since I got here," Violet said, pulling her legs closer to her, in an attempt to get warmer.

Sirius nodded in agreement. "Time at Hogwarts flies. It's weird thinking that next year will be my last year."

"I haven't even been here a half a year and I feel like I've gone to school here for an eternity," Violet admitted. "And it's so far away from everything I've grown up with … it's nice."

Sirius gave her an odd look, but if Violet noticed she pretended not too. Instead, they fell into silence again, the class' chattering carrying along the water filling the space around them.

"Why do you smoke so much?" Violet asked.

"I don't smoke that much," Sirius protested. "I'm not addicted."

Violet rolled her eyes. "Why do you smoke then?"

"Have you ever tried smoking before?" Sirius questioned.

"Nope."

"Oh, ok. Well, I guess it just relaxes me. Not for very long though, unfortunately. But for a bit you do just really loosen up. Apparently there are muggle things you can smoke that are stronger. We learned about them in Muggle Studies."

"Oh."

"You can ... try this, if you want?" Sirius said, offering her his cigarette.

Surprisingly, after a moment, Violet took it from him and held it daintly between her thumb and forefinger. "How do I do it?"

"Here hold it like this." He moved the cigarette so she now held it between her forefinger and middle finger, his fingers brushing her fingers and the palm of her hand gently. "Just put your lips on the coloured bit … and then sort of … puff on it and then inhale and hold it for a second … and then breathe out."

Violet did and spluttered as the smoke unfurled from her mouth and nose. She looked at him with an annoyed look. "That tasted absolutely disgusting."

Sirius laughed. "You get used to it."

"Why would you want too?" Violet asked incredulously.

"I told you why," Sirius said, still grinning, plucking the cigarette from her fingertips.

"There are better ways to relax and loosen up," Violet said, and for a second Sirius thought she'd say something like 'having a bubble bath with two dozen scented candles'. "Firewhiskey, for instance."

"Well I don't see any firewhiskey around here, do you?"

"No, but I know you and James and Peter and Remus could get some," Violet retorted. "Don't pretend you don't know secret ways out of the castle, I know you do. I've overheard you talking about them."

That got Sirius' attention. "When did you hear that?"

"Never you mind. If you wanted firewhiskey, you could get it."

Sirius rolled his eyes. "I suppose. But I don't need firewhiskey right now. I need a smoke." And with that he promptly shut up and took another long drag.

Violet rolled her eyes and rested her head on Sirius' shoulder, closing her eyes. It'd been a long day. She was comfortable and warm and Sirius' shoulder made a surprisingly good pillow and she was just drifting off when she heard someone shriek "SIRIUS BLACK!" Violet started, struggling to open her eyes.

"Oh hello Alexa!" Sirius replied cheerily.

"What are you doing?" Alexa demanded.

"Where the hell did you come from?" Violet asked groggily.

"Shut up!" Alexa snapped.

"Whoa, hey … relax! It's a good question," Sirius said, pulling himself to his feet.

"I was on my way back to the castle from care of magical creatures class, if you have to know. Now why don't you answer my question Sirius … What are you doing with HER?"

"Oh, erm, well-" Sirius began.

"I can't believe you're sneaking around with her!" Alexa practically screeched. "We've only been going out for a week!"

Violet tried not to snort and she could see Sirius roll his eyes and protest weakly. "Technically we were never-"

"I am SO sorry I didn't listen to Jenny when she said what she saw this morning in the Great Hall. Because it would've saved me a lot of heartbreak," Alexa exclaimed angrily.

"What? A day's heartbreak?" Violet said.

"I thought I told you to shut UP?"

"Don't speak to her like that!" Sirius said, backing up to Violet.

"Why should I listen to you, you stupid GIT?" She took a deep, shuddering breath. "I can't believe I thought it would be different with you. But you used me just like you use everyone else!" With that, Alexa stormed off, to some friends waiting on the path up to Hogwarts.

Sirius and Violet stared after her in a stunned silence for a moment. "Well," Sirius finally said.

"Wow," Violet replied.

Sirius realised his limbs were, in fact, working, and he gathered Violet's cloak so she could stand up. "I didn't even have to say you were my girlfriend. She just assumed it."

"This is great!" Violet beamed. "Now we can stop being all loved up whenever we're with other people!"

"Oh yeah. That too," Sirius agreed. "The offer for a snog still stands though, if you ever want too-"


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