"Sirius, don't be stupid! Get under the cloak."

"Why? It's not anyone else is around and I'm way too excited to crouch down like you idiots."

"More like you just want to strut,"

"I learned from the best, Antlers."

Sirius Black, James Potter, and Peter Pettigrew were sneaking through the corridors of Hogwarts past curfew. However, only Sirius was visible and he was in fact, strutting. Until a well-aimed kick came his way.

"Ow. That's not fair, I can't see if you're about to attack."

"Why the hell did you call me Antlers?"

"Seemed fitting after tonight's discoveries." Sirius grinned in the general direction, the other voice was coming from.

"Shh! I think I hear something."

"Who cares, Peter? No one can touch us after tonight." Sirius began to walk backwards, staring at where his two friends were hidden. "You do realize how amazing this is, right? We can do-"

"Sirius shut up and turn around." One of his friends muttered and Sirius spun on the spot to see whoever was standing there staring at him.

"Skylar? May I ask a favor of you?"

Skylar gave Dylan Bast, her fellow hufflepuff fifth year prefect, a skeptical look. They had been mostly silent on their rounds until this moment. It wasn't that Skylar didn't like him but he easily got on her nerves or anyone's nerves for that matter. Any sort of favor he wanted had to be something odd.

"Um, I guess."

"I know you're good at potions and close to professor Slughorn and-"

"I wouldn't exactly say we're close." Skylar said embarrassed.

"You're in the Slug Club aren't you? The only Hufflepuff from our year." Dylan said slightly affronted.

Skylar knew that to Dylan, the fact that she was one of Slughorn's favorites and he wasn't was a deep insult.

"He only likes me because my great aunt something or another created some potion."

"Nevertheless, he likes you. I was wondering maybe you could ask him if it was possible to use the dungeons to study once a week. I've started my O. study guide and I really do think it be benefit me greatly if I practiced making potions outside of class. If you'd like, we can start some sort of study group-"

"Dylan, it's January. The O. are months away."

"You know Skylar, you should take your studies more seriously. You're a prefect, people look to us to guide them and set an example. Frankly Skylar, I don't think you try. I heard that you've been in detention this year. This is why we haven't had a Hufflepuff head boy or girl since Amos Diggory. And that was our second year! I plan to follow in his footsteps."

Skylar was growing increasingly annoyed with his tirade and before she could stop herself she said: "You think you'll be the first Hufflepuff head boy in years?"

"What is that supposed to mean?" Dylan asked now clearly offended.

Guilt rushed through Skylar. She didn't mean to be so rude but she felt like Dylan was the longshot. Seventh year was still a long way off but Skylar imagined that it would be Remus Lupin or maybe even Severus Snape.

"I meant, I thought, maybe Michael would get Head Boy next year. That's all." This wasn't a lie, Skylar truly did believe that Michael could be head boy.

"Michael," Dylan contemplated. "I suppose he could be. He's an excellent prefect and-"

Dylan and Skylar both heard a clatter in the corridor behind them.

"I bet it is Peeves again." Dylan said, his eyes narrowed. "I'll go investigate. You keep patrolling."

"Yes, sir" Skylar muttered under her breath, completely fed up Dylan's behavior. Skylar turned the corner and was surprised to see Sirius Black, walking backwards and talking to himself. She stood for a moment, puzzled at his behavior but then she heard footsteps and noticed Dylan at the far end of the hallway, walking back in her direction. She turned towards Sirius again, who had finally noticed her and he grinned. Before he could say anything, Skylar rushed forward and said:

"You have to get out of here."

"Not tonight, I don't."

Skylar considered this for a second, confused before continuing: "No, you do because I won't give you detention but Dylan will."

"Dylan?" Sirius laughed. "What can Dylan do?"

"He will bring you to McGonagall! He's in that kind of mood. Just hide somewhere!" Skylar whispered frantically.

But before Sirius would listen, Dylan came around the corner and began to glare.

"Mr. Black, making a ruckus again I see."

"I'm not exactly sure 'ruckus' is the proper word."

"Right you are, Mr. Black. Detention is the proper word."

Skylar looked at Dylan is surprise. "Wow, Dylan that was almost clever."

Both of the boys looked at her with very different expressions. Dylan looked taken aback, Skylar was sure he hadn't heard many compliments from his schoolmates. Sirius was looking at her strangely.

"That wasn't clever, that was-"

But before Sirius could finish a clattering came from down the hall. Dylan looked infuriated.

"Skylar, give him detention. I'll go see what Peeves is up to now."

As Dylan ran down the hall, Sirius scrutinizingly stared at Skylar: "Well, are you going to give me detention?"

"No," Skylar said returning his stare. "Why are you so dirty?"

Sirius went back to looking smug. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Try me."

"Let's just say, I've been doing some extremely advanced and impressive magic. The sort of magic that-" Sirius gave a little jerk, like someone had walked in to him and he glanced behind him. "...that makes one tired. So off to bed with me." Sirius said turning around, hissing something under his breath.

"Hang on," Skylar said grabbing his arm and staring at him. Why was he acting so strangely? What sort of advanced magic was he doing? "Is everything okay?"

"Of course," He said staring at her hand on his arm.

"I mean everything. Like your Christmas holiday at home." Skylar placed emphasis on the word home, remembering their conversation in Hogsmeade.

The smug expression finally left his face: "It doesn't matter now that I'm back here."

"But,"

"Skylar," Sirius said firmly, shaking his arm slightly. "Let me go before Dylan comes back."

Skylar hadn't realized that she was still holding him. She let go quickly noticing that some dirt from his robes had smudged on to her hand.

"Of course," She said suddenly embarrassed. Sirius began to walk away. But Skylar called out:

"Hey Sirius! Our plan worked you know. Meg and Peter were sending owls to eachother all during the holiday."

Sirius smiled and from somewhere behind him there came a sound of a little squeak.

As soon as they were out of earshot, he reached behind him and snatched off the cloak. James and Peter were crouching awkwardly underneath it.

"So Mr. Pettigrew, you've been sending owls?"

Peter turned red and James and Sirius exchanged amused glances.

"N-None of your business."

"Oh, I see how it is, Peter," James said with a smile. "You and I can watch Sirius have a deeply personal moment but you can't tell us anything about your love life?'

Now, Sirius looked red and without realizing he clutched the spot that Skylar had been touching on his arm.. "Deeply personal moment? What exactly were you imagining there, Potter?"

James only laughed and threw the cloak around the three of them and began to walk back towards the Gryffindor common room.

Not far away, Skylar stared at the smudge of dirt on her hand while standing before the mirror in the girl's bathroom. She looked up into the mirror, back to the spot on her hand, and then with a shake of her head, she turned the faucet on and washed the dirt down the drain. Too cocky, too mischievous, who knows what he was up to tonight and who he had been doing it with she thought as she tried to scrub the skin right off her hand.