"Sirius," Remus said tiredly the following night, "isn't that Gemma's wand?"

"Why? You talking to me again?"

Sirius looked over at his mate once they'd gotten back from Honeydukes; James had gone off to jump in the shower first to get the dirt off him from the tunnel, so he was stuck with his much angrier mate alone. Looking down at his hand, Sirius had forgotten he had even picked up O'Malley's wand the night before and was just idly spinning it around in his fingers and rubbing his thumb along the engravings.

"Don't you think you should return it?" Remus asked, "She does need it, you know."

"No shit, Moony – I just forgot about it, okay? Lay off."

Remus sighed, rubbing at the scabs on his face as he laid back in his bed. "When are you going to stop being such a knob so I can try and be civilized around you again?" Sirius just rolled his eyes, hopping off his bed and pulling his shirt up and over his head.

"What? Not a fan of this beautiful mood I'm sporting?"

"Not my favorite, no. Why don't you go give her wand back and take the sweets too...apologize, Padfoot; be a man and grow a pair."

Sirius snorted, lying back on his bed and staring down at O'Malley's wand again. "Did Remus John Lupin just tell me to grow a pair?"

He snorted, lying back on his bed with a book. "Yes, I did, now go before I kill you."

"Do you really want me going down there half naked, Moony?" He laughed, his mate shaking his head. "This is probably too much gorgeous for O'Malley to take."

"More like your stench is too much for her to take...and I'd lay off all the asshole comments for once. She's not exactly in love with you right now, Sirius."

Sirius groaned, sitting up and half wanting to just hide her wand and pretend he never had it. "I don't even know if she's still up, Moony; it's eleven and O'Malley seems like the type to go to bed early and read something annoyingly pretentious...like you."

"Again, with the being a knob." Remus said, flipping through the pages of his book. "What is your problem, Sirius?"

"I have no problems – you're the one with his knickers in a twist."

"Merlin's beard, Sirius...are you even sorry that you made Gemma cry? You usually at least have some tact."

Sirius rolled his eyes and turned his face away from his mate; staring at the mirror across the room, he looked at his reflection that showed one too many family resemblances for his liking. The pitch black hair that fell past his jaw line, the cold grey eyes, even his nose was distinctly Black. He'd have thought with all the disgusting inbreeding his family partook in over the years would have left him slightly deformed, but he'd come out with all ten toes and fingers and nothing missing.

But Merlin did he hate looking like them.

Though, right now, Sirius was acting like them. Thinking he was above the problem, deciding that it would fix itself; it wasn't that he was even mad at O'Malley or thought it was her fault, it just hurt his pride too much to apologize. Especially because he hadn't even really meant it when he said it, and the fact that it was over a year ago when he did.

"Fucking Wormtail and his mouth," he swore, grabbing a clean Polyjuiced Pythons t-shirt off the ground and pulled it on, "I wouldn't even be in this bloody mess if it wasn't for his hurt feelings. Can't he just take rejection like the rest of you?"

"God," Remus sighed, "I can't wait until you finally have a real fancy, Sirius...and I hope she turns you down. Then maybe we can get your head back in check and you'll realize how normal people feel."

"Other than James, who wants to feel like that all the time? Seriously Moony; what's the point? We're young, we don't have any responsibilities – we don't need to chase after birds that don't want us or end up in a long term relationship that drags on until we hate each other," Sirius thought of his parents, promising he'd never end up trapped like them, "I'm not about to do that."

"Is that what you really think having a girlfriend means?" Remus asked curiously, "Does James look like he's hurting from having actual girlfriends? Or Fabian? Or Frank, whose been dating Alice for three bloody years?!"

"Whatever, Remus, why would I take advice from you anyway? You've never even snogged a girl properly!"

His mate turned a violent shade of red beneath his scars, Sirius regretting saying it as soon as it left his lips. "I have...you know. I've snogged a girl."

"What? When?"

Remus took a deep breath, looking back at him even though his face looked like it was on fire. "Over summer holiday...a muggle girl."

"And you didn't tell me?! Aren't we mates?"

"Why?" Remus groaned, "So you could take the mickey out of me? We may be mates, Sirius, but I didn't want the ribbing that came with snogging a girl."

Sirius looked sheepishly back at him, grabbing O'Malley's wand off his bed again as James came back in with a fluffy red towel around his hips. "Well...tell me when I'm being less of a dick, okay?"

Remus laughed a little. "Sure, I'll do that."

"Hey!" James stopped him as he moved towards the door, Sirius turning back, "Where are you going with my Peppermint Imps, Sirius? Those are G's."

"I know, I know, I'm just being the delivery boy, okay?"

Prongs nodded as if he realized what was going on and waved him off. "Whatever you say. Just don't act like you bought them, all right?"

"She wouldn't believe me even if I tried, mate." Sirius snorted, not bothering to put on his trainers before he headed down the steps. Halfway down he ran into Peter, his friend coming back up with a large tray of biscuits and they both just shrugged at one another as if they were fine and the issue was dropped between them.

"Gemma's still up...if you wanted to know."

"Yeah, thanks Pete."

Taking a deep breath as Peter left him behind, he walked slowly down the remaining stairs and made it into the common room. It was pretty empty for a late Saturday night, but Sirius assumed most people were out past curfew and messing around random corridors of the castle. In fact, he'd checked the Marauder's Map on the way back and well over half of Gryffindor Tower was out of their dorms tonight, so he knew he was right. In the end it was easy enough to spot O'Malley, sitting amongst only a couple first years and a random snoring fourth year boy.

She was curled up on the end of the sofa with, not surprisingly, a book. Her small frame was drowning in an oversized jumper that was practically a dress on her and her legs black in thick stockings. O'Malley's blue eyes were concentrating hard on whatever she was reading as Sirius just stared at her from across the room. He took the time to really look at her; the freckles dotted along her nose and cheeks, the dip in her bottom lip from where she must've chewed at it, and her long, wavy brown hair that practically tickled her hips when she walked.

She definitely wasn't useless, and if he was willing to admit it to himself, he thought she was fit. But she wasn't what he considered useable, and that was the point all along.

"Hey, O'Malley." He spoke calmly, being careful not to startle her and give her yet another reason to be cross with him.

"To what do I owe this nuisance?" She said back, not with half as much bite as the night before, but he could tell she hadn't forgiven him either.

"Yeah, I know," he sighed, sitting down on the other end of the sofa, "I'm a dick." O'Malley laughed a little, Sirius turning and glaring at her. "Think that's funny, do you?"

O'Malley shrugged, still not looking up from her book. "Just nice to hear you admit it, really; I'm simply overjoyed that you've finally figured it out after all these years."

"Cute, Leprechaun...really cute."

"Was there something you wanted, Sirius?" She finally looked over at him, her eyes still a little swollen as his heart clenched just a margin. He looked away from her face and saw she was reading a book called The Lord of the Rings; sounded dull. "I...well, I didn't mean what it sounded like I meant."

"Come again?"

"What Peter told you I said...that you were useless and shut off and married to your books; I didn't mean it like that." Sirius stared down at his hands, picking at a scar as he took a deep breath. "It sounds really terrible, and mean, I know...and I know it hurt you because I sounded like a complete–"

"Twat." She finished, her face no longer smiling.

"Yes, twat. First thing you need to know is that I said all that stuff last year," he spoke, looking up at her again to make sure she knew he was telling the truth, "It was after a row of ours, I wasn't in the best of moods, so I was already acting twatty to begin with."

"I don't want to hear a bunch of excuses for why you did it, Sirius, honestly I just–"

"Hear me out, all right?" He stared hard at her until she rolled her eyes and let him continue. "So we rowed, I think about a prank or something, and then me and the boys went back to the dorm. And I was pissed, ranting and raving about anything and everything and Remus asked me if I fancied you."

"Why?"

"I think he thought we...I don't know, you'd have to ask him. But anyway, so I go on this long spiel about how I'd never fancy you because you weren't the kind of girl I went after. You don't snog in random cupboards, you don't flirt during classes, and I doubt you've ever had to run away from McGonagall with your knickers in one hand."

O'Malley cringed. "I'm more than aware of your after hour activities, you know; no need to rehash them all and make me ill."

"Shut it, will you?

"Fine, go on."

"Right," he said somewhat snidely before taking a deep breath and starting again, "So I was basically saying how you were more suited for him or some pompous man with a book and glasses and I know, I know what I said was harsh and mean and I didn't really mean any of it...but I was angry and a twat and I just...I guess I'm sorry, okay?"

"So you said I was a closed off prude because you didn't want to snog me? I'm not worthy of a Sirius Black snog?"

Sirius clenched his fists to stop from pulling out his hair. "No! That's not what I mean at all, O'Malley! I just mean that...bollocks, you know you're too good for any of that. For what I do to girls and how I treat them; you know well enough that you're too far above that and wouldn't ever act like I do."

He stopped, heart racing somewhat from shouting as he tried to calm down his frustrations and chanced another look over at her. O'Malley looked a bit confused, biting on her bottom lip and a brilliant red blush in her cheeks that threatened to make him smile before she rolled her eyes.

"I'm too good for you; is that what you're saying?"

"Well...no, not exactly," he smirked now, relaxing back against the sofa, "No one's too good for me."

She scoffed and kicked a leg out at his. "Your head, I swear to God...if it gets any larger you won't be able to get your bloody broom off the ground."

"All I'm saying," he continued, getting back to his apology, "is that I was mad, and I was wrong, and I'm sorry you had to deal with it. Especially now with all the other shit going on; you really didn't need my idiocy piling on top of you as well."

"Didn't help much, no."

"Right...so, I'm sorry."

She looked at him for a few minutes, blue eyes so big on her face as he stared back and she seemed to just shrug it off and go back to fiddling with a page in her book. "I can't say I'm all better or anything, but I do appreciate the apology...and you know, who says I couldn't snog someone in a broom cupboard?"

"Really?" He laughed, biting it back when she glared, "I just...I can't see you and some bloke groping it out in a cupboard is all."

"You don't know everything about me, Sirius, no matter how much you think you do," O'Malley was blushing again, something he realized that he liked, "I could be shagging boys left and right and you wouldn't even realize it."

He chuckled, moving a bit closer and throwing an arm across the back of the sofa as they both finally relaxed. "Trust me, sweetheart; I'd know."

"Don't call me sweetheart or I'll give you a swift kick in the bollocks."

"You are a firecracker, you know that?" He said honestly, closing his eyes as he heard her laugh under her breath. "I bet most of the blokes in this school are intimidated by you...I'm surprised Peter had the balls to ask you out."

"Well I s'pose it's a good thing I'm married to my books then," she said it now like it was a silly joke, not something she was mad over, "Don't have to worry about them being twits."

"Are they even a good shag, though? I mean, I've read some filthy stuff in one of Remus's books, but I really don't see how you could get off on that."

"I...what...are you mad?" Sirius noticed the way her blush suddenly slid down her cheeks, along her neck, and down across her collarbone before disappearing beneath her jumper; it was a pretty sight to see. "Why – why the hell would you ask me that?"

"I'm curious is all. I was just wondering if you believed in all that fairy prince bullshit or whatever or if you realized guys like that don't exist? None of it does – it's too weird and unrealistic, in my opinion."

O'Malley stood up and seemed like she was leaving before she turned back to face him again. "For your information, Sirius, I used to dream about being a witch when I was a wee little girl. Someone who had magic and could transform pumpkins into grand coaches that took me to balls. I used to dream and read about them all the time...and look where I am now."

Thinking about it, Sirius suddenly saw her point of view a little bit clearer. She hadn't known that any of this existed; not their world, not the prejudices or pain that came with being here, none of that was even feasible. And it wasn't as if the muggle world didn't have their own problems, he was pretty sure they did, but she had walked into his world blind and full of hope.

Maybe dreaming a little bigger wasn't as bad as he thought.

"Why would you turn a pumpkin into a coach?"

"What?" She asked, pushing her hair back, "You listen to me rattle off and that's what you ask about?"

Sirius shrugged, looking back up at her. "I'm just wondering...if you could transform anything in the world into some for of transportation, why would you pick a bloody pumpkin?"

"It's in a fairytale, is all," she admitted, "My mum used to read it to me when I was three or four. It's called Cinderella."

"Cinderella?" It was such an odd word to say, fumbling a bit on his tongue. "That sounds like some kind of illness or something."

O'Malley sighed, sinking back down into the sofa as the rest of her anger seemed to disappear. "It's about a girl whose had no luck in her life, feels completely alone and hurt, and then suddenly finds herself swept up in the wild romance with a handsome prince."

"Sounds boring."

"Of course it would to you," she smacked him in the side with her book, "You'd want a story about some bloke who rides dragons and saves a half naked girl tied to a rock that's just hanging over some volcano for no reason whatsoever."

Sirius shook his head, smirking as he thought about it. "Yeah...that actually sounds brilliant, now that you mention it."

"Idiot."

"Why do you hate me though?" He asked suddenly, remembering how she'd said it yesterday and cringing at just how mad she was. "I mean, other than me being a total dick off and on for the past six years," she laughed as he went on, "Why do you hate me?"

"What's your fascination with calling yourself a dick all of a sudden?"

"Just something Remus pointed out to me upstairs."

O'Malley smiled, setting down her book on the table and then pulling her legs up under her body. "He's smart, that Remus."

"And he really had nothing to do with what was going on; James either! I was just, you know, being a–"

"A dick, yeah, I get it Sirius. I wasn't really that upset with them anyway; neither of them have ever been mean to me in the past, I didn't suddenly expect they were now."

"Good," he smiled at her, wishing he hadn't dragged his mates into this whole mess, "I'm starting to realize how much I suck though."

"Hallelujah."

Sirius laughed with her cheer, the sound always similar to a bark which had taken new meaning after his first transformation. O'Malley just sat there smiling, her body turned towards him and her hands clasped in her lap as she rested her head against the back of the sofa. He'd wondered sometimes why they had always rowed during school, why their heads always seemed to butt against one another, but he was starting to think that maybe they were more alike than he'd realized.

"You're a mean one, you are."

She shrugged. "I just say what I mean."

"Yep, cruel to the bone," she laughed again, smacking him in the arm, "But back to my question: why do you hate me, O'Malley?"

He eyes suddenly found her varnished fingernails very exciting as she picked at them instead of looking at him. "I don't...I know what I said, and I'm still dealing with you being an arse, but I don't hate you. Despise you now and again, sure, but I have never hated you."

"Good to know."

"We just...we've always had this knack for pissing one another off, haven't you noticed?" She looked back at him again, her blue eyes so unnerving. "There's never been a honeymoon period with us, it's always been bickering or somewhat friendly and nothing in between or otherwise."

"Honeymoon period?"

"Oh...well, when it comes to a couple, it means that time where they're having loads of fun and shagging and there's no fighting or anything; just simple fun and happiness."

"Yeah, we've never had loads of shagging."

"Stuff it...just, forget that example, all right?"

He snorted but agreed. "Done."

"I just meant, that...well, we've never been close enough to be mates, but never really far enough apart to be anything else. We're just...Gemma and Sirius; two people, forever rubbing each other the wrong way."

"I've never actually had the opportunity to rub you any way, Leprechaun," she swatted at him, hitting him hard in the shoulder as he laughed. "But I get it; we have no idea what to be to one another other than what we've always been. Housemates, I guess."

"Right, housemates. So, now that we've cleared up the matter of me not hating you, what did you really come down here for?"

"Well, that beautiful apology I gave," he smiled, reaching into his pocket and pulling out her wand, "and to tell you that you dropped this yesterday."

Handing it over, Sirius watch as her face lit up and saw her whole body relax all of a sudden. "Oh thank God, I thought I'd lost it forever. I looked all over the castle this morning."

"Ah, yeah...sorry 'bout that. I'd forgotten I had it."

"No, no – it's fine, really. I'm just so happy you had it and no one else found it."

"No worries, O'Malley. I also have," he smiled, pulling out the bag of Peppermint Imps from his pocket, "a special deliver from James Potter."

She looked at the bag oddly, taking it from him. "I'm not going to bother asking how you got these over the past twenty four hours."

"I wouldn't even tell you if you did."

"Well, thanks."

"No problem, O'Malley."

Watching as she opened them up, she took out a few of the sweets and popped them into her mouth. Sirius laughed, steam suddenly pouring out from under her hair and it made her appear as if she was slightly aflame somewhere beneath all those waves. Offering over the bag, Sirius dug in and popped a few into his mouth.

"I guess I should head to bed then...unless there was something else you wanted to talk about?"

"There is; why do girls think that blokes can read their minds?"

O'Malley just laughed, shaking her head as she stood to leave. "I'm not about to divulge one of womankind's secrets to you at this hour"

"Aw, c'mon O'Malley; I brought you sweets and a wand, now tell me."

"Not gonna happen, Sirius. Sleep well, yeah?

Sirius watched her leave, calling out again as she reached the steps. "I'm never buying you sweets again!"

"You didn't," she smiled, turning with a big toothy grin, "James did."

Giving one last grin, O'Malley jogged up the steps and left Sirius to pop the last few Peppermint Imps into his mouth. Thinking about the past hour, he wasn't so sure where they had gotten on the grand scheme of things, but he'd decided one thing at least.

Gemma O'Malley was a ball of fun.

A few weeks later and Sirius was almost hopeful to get in another row with O'Malley. After the homework that they were drowning under, James badgering him every five minutes about the upcoming quidditch practice, and McGonagall issuing him a detention after every breath, Sirius would welcome a bit of normalcy back into his life right now. Add in the fact that he was constantly checking the Marauder's Map to make sure no muggleborns were being attacked and he was pretty sure he'd just like to sleep for a month and wake up when it was all over.

"You look like death warmed over, mate." Frank Longbottom said sympathetically, sitting down with him after classes on Thursday afternoon.

"Yeah, thanks Longbottom," he groaned, "Much appreciated."

"Sorry Black, just being honest here."

He shot a glare at the older boy. "Not really helping me look less shitty, but thanks."

"C'mon, I was a sixth year once too; the professors like to rough you up a bit with the NEWTs is all, weed out the weak as it were."

"Well, I'm done. I figure I'll quit now and run off to become a wandering minstrel."

"Are you spouting nonsense again?" Remus asked, coming in the common room to join him on the couch across from Frank. "I don't know if you know this well enough Frank, but Sirius likes to have long conversations about things that aren't real."

"Oh I know Remus; last year at the Halloween party he kept up a very long conversation about how the world was going to be taken over by cauldron cakes."

Sirius looked at Frank oddly. "Did I really?"

"Yeah, but I'm pretty sure you were pissed so no harm, no foul."

He laughed, sinking down in the couch with a sigh. "I do get exceptionally wordy when I'm drunk."

"Speaking of which…and by which I mean Halloween – that's just in two weeks, shouldn't we get to planning?" Remus pondered curiously, getting out one of his books to study. "It is our tradition after all...no one's going to do it for us."

"Ah yes, who doesn't love dressing up in weird costumes like muggles and getting drunk of their arse?"

"I've always been a big fan." Frank smiled, standing up to leave with a crack of his neck.

Sirius nodded, turning back to Remus. "Well, now that we've got the Head Boy's seal of approval, I think we're set."

"Right, just drop me an invitation will you?" Frank asked, both of them agreeing as he waved behind him, "I'll see you boys later."

"Bye, Frank!"

"Later, Longbottom."

Sirius watched him leave, his girlfriend Alice Griffiths catching up with him before he left the portrait hole. He couldn't actually remember a time anymore when those two hadn't been connected by the hip, Frank always being the one bloke in this school that could keep a girl. Smiling to himself, Sirius threw his legs over Remus's lap and was about to lay down on the sofa before someone else sat down right where his head was supposed to go.

Letting out a groan, he looked back and up into the green eyes of Lily Evans as she stared back down at him. "Oh stop it, Sirius...I needed somewhere to sit."

"Go away, Evans – you're ruining my afternoon nap," he whined, pushing at her but Evans didn't budge a single bit.

"You have a bed, don't you? There's nowhere else to sit in here, so why don't you go upstairs? Oh, Gemma, over here!" Sirius looked across the room to see O'Malley walking in with her bag, noticing her mate and then heading over to sit with them.

"I hate you all for ruining my beauty sleep."

"Well now, somebody's Mr. Grumps," O'Malley said, sitting down flush beside him as Evans pulled her onto the sofa. "Not enough sleep there, Sirius?"

"What is sleep?" He asked tiredly, "I don't even know anymore... think I'm dying."

"I'll make sure there's plenty of handkerchiefs to hand out at your funeral."

"You are a good mate." He smiled woozily at her, his eyes feeling like they were being weighed down by sandbags. "James and Remus would just dump me in the lake for the giant squid to eat. You – you are amazing."

"Yep, you're off your rocker." She snorted, "Why don't you go up to your dorm and take a nap, Sirius? It has to be more comfortable than this old sofa anyhow."

"Of course it is, my bed is like heaven wrapped in a cloud, but stupid James is snogging someone up there and she's loud," he continued complaining to her, Lily and Remus lost in conversation.

"Well, I guess you're out of luck then."

"But O'Malley, I'm sleepy." Sirius whined, pouting his lip out at her.

"You're mad is what you are," O'Malley said, patting the top of his head, "Go lay on the floor if you're that desperate."

"I'm just going to lay on you."

"No you will not!" He ignored her, sliding down the couch low enough so he could rest his head on her shoulder. She instantly began wiggling it to try and deter him but it didn't work. "Sirius, honestly, I will hex you if you don't get off me!"

"No you won't, you're too nice."

"We're not even friends, remember? We're housemates...so get off me!"

"Nope, we're officially best mates now. Time for me to sleep."

O'Malley groaned, giving up finally as she stilled and opened a book. "I will kill you if you drool on me."

"Shh, Sirius Black isn't here anymore." He sighed happily, a soothing peppermint smell lulling him to sleep. "Send an owl to him and he'll be sure to get it when he gets back."

"Oh bugger."

"It's fucking cold out here, Padfoot."

James badgered later that night, both of them out and walking around the grounds as the first frost of the year covered the grass and leaves around them. He breathed the autumn air deep, a smile gracing his face as the cool air coated his lungs and was happy his favorite time of year was in full swing. Looking over at his best mate, he shrugged his shoulders and thrust his hands deeper in his pockets to keep them nice and warm.

"I already told you that you didn't have to come with, mate; just go back inside. All I'm going to do is have a quick fag." He explained again, his fingers fiddling with the pack in his pocket.

"No," James said, groaning a second later, "I wouldn't dare to leave you all alone out here...I know how afraid of the dark you are."

Sirius shot him a look, biting back a snide remark. "Stuff it, James."

"Why do you sleep with that jar full of blue flames all the time? I've never really bugged out about it before and I've always wondered."

Sirius was glad it was so dark suddenly, James unable to see the ashamed look that was most definitely written across his face. "I don't want to talk about it, okay? Just go back to thinking whatever you did before. Besides...it's just something to watch as I fall asleep. It's no big deal."

"Yeah, whatever," James replied, "But anyway, I've been trying to come up with a new plan to ask out Evans–"

"Bloody hell, James, just give it up already. I'm pretty sure Tessa is dying for another snog after this afternoon, just go out with her again and forget about Evans." Sirius sighed, taking out his fags and lighting one up with quick wandless magic that produces the flames from a snap of his fingers. "She doesn't seem like she's going to give in anyway, mate; it's time to just move past that."

James looked over at him, glasses slightly fogged up but he could still see the desperation clearly in his eyes. "She's been nice to me this year – haven't you noticed? And she hasn't smacked me yet, so that has to be a good sign."

"Maybe that's because you haven't been running after her like a lost puppy," Sirius said, fag dangling between his lips, "If you want some real advice, Prongs, stop chasing her, okay? Once you're not around anymore she might actually realize she liked having you badgering her and then bam! She's in love with you."

James seemed to think it over for a minute, scratching his chin in a philosophical way. "You might actually be a genius, Padfoot."

"I know, it's a surprise to the both of us."

They both laughed, blabbering on about random things for a bit longer until James decided that his balls were going to fall off and ran back inside. After Sirius bid him adieu and lit up his second fag, he leaned back against the wall and shivered a bit as the cool wind whipped beneath the collar of his coat. Staring up at the sky, he noticed that all the stars were out tonight and he could easily spot his namesake high up above him. Sometimes he hated being the brightest in the sky, as if the star was glaring down at him in the same way his mother always did.

Settling into the crevice in the wall, he blocked the wind better and knocked some ash off his cigarette before finally relaxing. He liked being alone sometimes; without James's crazy antics, Remus's dull book talks, and Peter's love of cheese, Sirius finally just got to brood and be as moody as he liked without worrying the rest of them. Which, he didn't do often because he was generally pretty happy, but sometimes the stress of everything got to him and he rather no one knew what was up.

Listening to the crickets, his eyes caught movement next to him and he held back a groan as Florence Dubois joined him in the small space. "Can't I bum a fag off you?"

Rolling his eyes, he grabbed another from his pocket and waited until it was between her lips to light it. "Happy?"

"Mmm, extremely." She smiled, a look he didn't particularly like. "So then, what are you doing out here all alone, Sirius?"

"Enjoying some alone time...well, I was."

"Aw, don't want my company?" Dubois blinked her brown eyes up at him, fluttering her eyelashes wildly as if that would put him under her spell. If Sirius knew anything about her though, it was that she was about the equivalent of him in a girl's body and he was slightly surprised they'd never snogged. But then she smiled again and he realized it was because he never wanted to. "I'm saddened by that, you know."

"Never mind that, you can have this space all to yourself, Dubois – I was just leaving anyway."

"Oh come now, Sirius...don't be so stand offish. We're both consenting people here, and I do love the taste of tobacco on my tongue." She grinned, finger running along the lapel of his peacoat. "Why don't we have some fun?"

"Because I don't fancy it, that's why." He pushed off the wall, leaving her pouting face behind as he walked back up to the castle.

Sirius really didn't care if he hurt her feelings, not after the way she'd treated people in the past. She'd been a pain in Gryffindor tower's arse since they met her in first year and it hadn't changed a bit. He knew he probably wouldn't have been so short with her if she'd come to him on a night when he wasn't exhausted and on edge, but he was past the point of caring. She knew what she was doing, she'd deal with it just fine.

Getting back into the castle, he let the heat sink into his skin and was soon able to feel his hand again as he flexed his fingers. Checking the map in his pocket and making a quick beeline for the common room, he made it safely through a few secret passageways and back to the Fat Lady.

"Flobberworm."

"How dare you call me that, you little...oh wait," the Fat Lady seemed to blush in her portrait, opening up for him as he shook his head, "Don't look at me like that, Mister."

Snorting, he walked into the common room and sat down next to MacDonald and McKinnon with a long sigh. "What's up, Sirius? Your nose is positively red."

"Yeah, it's a bit cold out tonight," he smiled over at MacDonald, relaxing his head back, "And my lovely evening was interrupted by your roommate, that's what's up."

"Ah yes, that's what the slag Dubois is best at doing," MacDonald said, shrugging her shoulders, "Well, that and spreading sexually transmitted diseases."

Sirius laughed, looking over at her as she stared back. "I can feel the hate, MacDonald, I can feel it in my bones."

"You don't have to room with her, Sirius," she said, sounding annoyed, "You don't understand what we put up on a daily basis."

"Maybe, but you'd don't have to live with James – his smocks smell of death and he's got an awful singing voice."

Both the girls laughed, McKinnon ripping into some licorice wands and sending glances over at Prewett who was sitting in the corner. Sirius shook his head, the two of them so obvious that he suspected a blind person could see what was clearly written on their faces. Sitting up and throwing off his jacket onto the back of the sofa, he got comfortable again before he felt a tap on his shoulder and looked behind him.

"Yes, Evans? What can I do for you this fine evening?"

"Gemma needs you to give this to Remus," she said, handing him a book, "Can you do that?" Sirius stared down at the cover, the leather embossed with a gold Moby Dick.

"You want me to pass along with disgusting book to Remus?" He playfully scoffed, "I can't believe people would just put 'dick' right there on the cover!"

Lily rolled her eyes, "It's the name of a whale, you arse. Just pass it along, okay?"

"Yeah yeah, no worries, but why didn't you just ask James?" He pointed behind her where his mate was sitting next to the stairs, playing wizards chess with Peter. "He would have been closer."

"Because," her cheeks lit up with a small blush, Sirius catching on quickly, "Potter would have ruined it or something before Remus even got the chance to see it."

"Okay then, Evans – whatever you say."

She glared at him and flicked him in the forehead. "I have no idea what you think you know but you're wrong. So so so wrong."

"So I'm wrong?" She flicked him again as he swatted her away, "Yeah, yeah, I'm wrong. But why didn't O'Malley just give this to him herself?"

"Remus is in bed, so it's not like she's just about to walk up into your disgusting dorm and hand it over. And anyway, she's in the shower and forgot about how badly he wanted this tonight. So please," she asked again, "be a nice boy and give it to him?"

"When am I ever not nice?" She went to speak up be he stopped her as he stood. "Yeah, I got it Evans...I'll go and give it to him now."

"Thanks!"

Grabbing his coat, he told the other girls goodnight and then jogged up the steps and into the dorm. Remus was sitting up in bed, already in his pajamas and his back hunched over his homework as he bit on the end of his sugar quill. Tossing the book down on his bed, Remus looked up at him quizzically and then back at the book.

"I brought some 'Dick' for you."

Remus groaned, shaking his head as he grabbed for the book. "I'm sure Melville hoped someone would describe his book in such an eloquent manner someday."

"Who the fuck is Melville?"

"A man who's rolling in his grave right now."

Sirius laughed, tossing his coat over on his trunk and then sitting down across from his mate. "What are you doing up here, Moony? It's only 10 o'clock, you could be a little more sociable you know."

"I missed classes last week because of the full moon, remember? I have extra work to do and the common room is too loud to concentrate."

"I thought O'Malley was helping you catch up?" Sirius asked, standing again to strip out of his clothes. "You were in the library all bloody weekend!"

"She could only help me so much, she has her own stuff to do too."

Sirius just shrugged, falling back on his bed face first and laying there exhausted. It was too painful to move anymore, all his muscles tired to the point of throbbing as he groaned and rolled over. He had half a mind to just skip all his classes the next day, but that would only result in falling behind and having more work stacked atop him.

"I fucking hate all the professors right now," he groaned, scratching at his chest as Remus snorted, "My eyelids feel like they're always about to shut for good and I'm going to end dying from exhaustion in the middle of Potions."

"You know," Remus sighed, "for once, I agree with you. I honestly don't know why we have to have this much bloody homework. It's not as if piling it on top of us is going to help up learn anything any better."

"Yes, write an angry letter to Dumbledore, Moony. You're a prefect after all, you can get him to lecture the lot of them until they stop bullying us with more essays."

"I don't actually have that kind of power, you know." Remus said tiredly.

"Well, create that kind of power, would you? I haven't had the chance to snog a girl in two weeks." He groaned, blocking Dubois out from earlier that evening.

"I'm sure they're all crying into their pillows without you around to suck faces with."

Sirius nodded, sitting up to look at him again. "They probably are, but I'm just too bloody tired to get it up right now."

"That's not anything I ever wanted to know." Remus replied, gagging jokingly until Sirius tossed a sock at him.

"I hate it Moony," he groaned again, falling back into his bed, "I hate it."

"Just go to sleep, Sirius."

"Yes sir, Remus sir."

Hauling himself up higher on the bed, he said goodnight and closed the curtains around him to block out the scratching of Remus's quill. Grabbing for his jar on the side table, Sirius lit up a ball of blue flames and carefully put them inside before closing it and setting it on the headboard behind him. Throwing his wand under his pillow, he settled into his blankets and felt safe with the dull blue glow enveloping him.

It may have been a childish and stupid to be afraid of the dark, but what made him afraid of the dark was far from it.