Chapter 10.
Time passes, as it tends to do, and the situation between Sirius and Lou calms down a little, and becomes accepted as the norm amongst their friends. They're cold towards each other, and don't speak to each other unless they have to. The silence between them has more of an effect on the group than they realise, though, and they spend less time all together than they recently did.
Lou finds herself in a jovial mood, one evening in mid-November. The main reason for this is that Gryffindor's first Quidditch match of the year was this afternoon, and Gryffindor won. The whole school saw - and laughed at - Lou's pointed glance in James' direction when Kingsley Shacklebolt's Bludger prevented the Hufflepuff Seeker from catching the Snitch.
There's also, of course, the celebration party in Gryffindor Tower, which would be enough to brighten anybody's day. The room is filled with alcohol, snacks and delighted teenagers. Muggle music is blaring from a record player in the corner. Lou stands at the food table, sipping from a glass of Elf-made wine, and absent-mindedly attempting to unwrap a mint humbug.
"Need some help with that?" asks a voice, and Lou looks up to see Sirius standing beside her. He's several inches away from her, despite the noise in the room which would, for most people, be an excuse to stand close together. Never has the air between two people seemed so solid. It's like there's a large, invisible balloon between them, keeping them at a safe distance.
"No, thanks," replies Lou, tearing the wrapper from the sweet with more force than is strictly necessary. "Where's Jess?"
"She's gone to bed."
"Why?"
"I think I bored her, I kept talking about Quidditch."
"You could have just changed the subject."
Sirius' eyes twinkle. "But then she wouldn't have left."
Lou laughs softly, and drains her glass. She wonders how she can get out of his presence without appearing rude.
"More wine?" asks Sirius.
Lou sighs, and holds out her glass to him. This is the most conversation they've had in weeks.
Several hours (and wines) later, and the Common Room has gone from heaving to almost empty (Lily and James, curled up on an armchair, dozing. Several younger members of the House, passed out on the floor. Sirius Black, leaning against a wall, drinking). Lou finds herself standing on a table, dancing happily.
But then, the music stops.
Lou continues to dance for several seconds before she realises it. "Who took the music?" she asks, confused.
"The record's finished," says Sirius.
"Put something else on! Put that song on, you know…the Stoning Rolls, or whatever they're called."
"What?"
Lou is dancing again. "You know! I can't get no - do do dooo! - sa-tis-fac-shun!"
Sirius laughs. "Shut up, you'll wake everyone up!"
"What are they doing sleeping? It's a party!"
"Actually, it stopped being a party about half an hour ago - since then it's just been a girl dancing on a table."
"And you've been watching? Pervert."
"Someone had to make sure you didn't fall off and hurt yourself."
"Oh, my knight in shining armour!" Lou mocks.
"I think you've had a bit too much to drink," says Sirius, aware that he's drank almost as much as she has.
"I have not! I just know how to enjoy myself."
Sirius laughs. "Course you do. Now, are you getting down from there?"
Lou bends her legs, ready to jump.
"No!" says Sirius, choking back laughter. He walks over to the table she's standing on, and takes her hands. "Slowly," he says, holding her carefully as she slides off the table. When her feet reach the floor, they're standing far too close, and it's like the invisible balloon between them has deflated. They both try to ignore the way they seem to just fit together.
His hand reaches up to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear.
"Don't," she says, hesitantly breaking the silence.
He steps away, she sighs, and the balloon re-inflates.
The next day is a Saturday, and Lou stumbles into the Great Hall just in time for breakfast. She looks pale and tired.
James chuckles. "Did you enjoy yourself last night?" he asks.
Lou grins, helping herself to a large mug of tea. "Would have been better if some people knew how to hold their drink."
James smiles apologetically, and turns to Jess.
"Where did you get to last night?" he asks her.
"I went to bed," she says, pulling a face. "I was bored of all the Quidditch-talk."
James and Lou look at each other, with outraged expressions.
"Bored?"
"Of Quidditch?"
"But how is this possible?"
They all laugh, and Lou flinches. "Laugh quietly, please!" she says, inducing more, louder laughter. She groans and buries her head in her hands.
James flicks a cornflake at her head, and thus commences what shall always and forever be referred to as 'The Great Battle of the Cereal'.
The next week passes without incident - unless you count Sirius finally beating Remus at chess, but it is agreed by most that that most certainly does not count - until Friday evening finds Lily, James and Lou all sitting in front of the fire in the Common Room, chatting comfortably. Professor McGonagall walks into the room.
"Evening, Professor," smiles Lily, and their teacher approaches them.
"Good evening," says Professor McGonagall. "I'm just bringing round the list for people to sign, if they're staying for Christmas."
James reaches for the list, but Lily taps his hand out of the way softly. "Haven't I told you?" she says. "My parents want to meet you, they want you to come to our house for Christmas?"
"Really?" asks James, looking hopeful.
"Really."
"Really really?"
"Shut up, or I'll take back the invitation."
Lou rolls her eyes, and signs the sheet.
Professor McGonagall leaves them and walks over to some other Gryffindors.
"You're staying?" asks Lily.
"Of course I am. I'm not going home if I can help it."
"But you'll be on your own!"
Lou smiles. "I'll cope, James, but thank you for your concern. I'm actually looking forward to a couple of weeks of peace and quiet."
"But what about -"
"- honestly, I want to stay here alone. Don't worry about me."
Lily and James exchange glances, but say no more.
High-pitched giggles - a sound that's quickly becoming annoyingly familiar - precede the opening of the portrait, and the entrance of Sirius and Jess. Hand-in-hand, they walk over to where their friends are sitting. They squeeze themselves into one armchair.
"What's McGonagall doing in here?" asks Sirius.
"Bringing the sheet round, for people who're staying this Christmas."
Sirius stands up, knocking Jess unceremoniously from the chair, and runs over to Professor McGonagall. James raises an eyebrow as Sirius returns.
"You're staying here for Christmas? What about the flat?"
Sirius shrugs. "To tell you the truth, the flat's kind of miserable when I'm alone. And I reckon it'll be worse at Christmas. At least if I stay here there'll be good food, and some company, even if it is just teachers and people I don't know very well. Jess here is going to stay with Kelly, otherwise we'd do something together. But I'm actually quite looking forward to a bit of time alone."
James laughs. Lou glares at him.
"What's wrong?" asks Sirius.
Lou speaks before James has the chance. "I'm staying, too," she says. "Don't worry, I'll keep out of your way."
"It's okay," says Sirius, "You don't need to."
Jess glares at Lou, who determinedly ignores her, and the following overenthusiastic kiss shared between Jess and Sirius.
A little while later, everybody retires to their dormitories, and Jess enters Lou's cubicle, brandishing her wand.
"Hi," says Lou casually, noting uncomfortably that her own wand is on her bed, closer to Jess than to herself.
"Don't you hi me," hisses Jess. "You'd better keep away from Sirius this Christmas."
"Why? Is he contagious?"
"Don't think I haven't noticed how awkward you two have been around each other these past couple of weeks, always ignoring each other, and avoiding speaking to each other."
"You've seen these things, and deduced that you still need to warn me away from him," says Lou, thoughtfully. "Evidently you're not as stupid as you look." You're MORE stupid! screams her brain, but she resists the temptation to say it.
"When people ignore each other," says Jess, as if she's talking to an imbecile, "It's because they have a past…because there's tension."
"Wow, I always wondered why James and Snape avoided each other, I always thought it was because they didn't like each other, but now you've shown me the truth. What blinding insight you have. Poor James, poor Snape. Their forbidden love…what a sad story it makes."
"Shut up. This is about Sirius. Stay away from him. Or you'll have me to answer to."
"Right. Of course. I'm very…intimidated, and all that."
"Good! Well…goodnight."
Lou sighs, "Night, Jess," and the girl returns to her own cubicle.
Lou grabs a quill and a spare sheet of parchment, and writes furiously on it. "Lily!" she calls.
"Yeah?"
"Are you going to say goodnight to James?"
"Yeah, I'm going now." Lily appears at the entrance to Lou's cubicle.
Lou lowers her voice. "Can you take a note to Sirius?"
"What? Why?"
"I just have a message for him, will you take it?"
"Of course I will."
"Thanks."
Lily, clad in pyjamas, dressing gown and slippers, leaves the dormitory, walks down the steps into the Common Room, and up the steps that lead to the boys' dormitories.
She knocks softly on the 7th-year dormitory door, and James opens it with a smile. He leans in for a kiss, but she pushes past him. "What -" he begins, but she shushes him, laughing. "I just have to give a message to Sirius, then I'm all yours."
"Why are you giving Sirius messages?"
"It's not from me."
James gives a questioning look, which Lily ignores. She makes her way over to Sirius' cubicle and pops her head round the curtain. He's lying in bed, facing away from her.
"Sirius?" she whispers, lighting her wand.
He rolls over and shields his eyes. "What?" he asks, confused.
"It's Lily, I've got a message for you, from Lou."
Sirius sits up, blinking his drowsy eyes. He picks up his own wand, mutters "lumos!" and takes the note from Lily, who smiles and leaves his cubicle.
Holding his wand to the ink-splattered parchment, he reads, in untidy, rushed handwriting:
Keep your girlfriend away from me, or I'll attach her face to yours with a Permanent Sticking Charm, and then you'll HAVE to slurp at each other (and be in each other's company) for the rest of your lives.
Sirius throws back his head and laughs aloud.