Chapter Ten: What Was Left After That
Olivia
So maybe we haven't gone public. Well it's not that people don't know, I mean Mary and Mars know, along with Remus and Peter, but I'm pretty sure James is in the dark (for reasons I'm completely unsure of: I mean those two are like brothers), and I'm getting revenge on Lily for withholding valuable information from me yesterday. But she has her suspicions. Lily's not stupid: I think she even figured out why I haven't told her. But it's not like I'm going to tell her and spoil my fun… If one can even call it that. And it's not that any of this even matters so much—now that Sirius and I are… together… everything just seems better: sweeter, less awkward, easier, better. Thinking of him makes me want to smile…
"You alright, Liv?" Lily asks from her seat next to me in the Great Hall. I snap out of my thoughts and realize that I have been staring at my breakfast without eating it (something quite uncharacteristic of me—usually if there's food in front of me, it's gone within the minute) for the past five minutes. I probably look possessed or something.
"Wha—Oh yea, fine," is my response. Lily cocks her eyebrow.
"Not thinking about someone, are we?" she says with a smirk.
"Like who?" I respond, playing dumb.
"A boy, maybe?"
"Oh really, Lils, who else? Of course it'd be a boy— you should know that by now," I retort sarcastically, a grin on my face.
"Hmm, want me to guess?" she banters.
"No, that's perfectly okay," I say with just a little too much haste.
" 'Cause you know I'd be right," she says, dropping her voice and standing up. "You coming, Liv? I'm gonna head to Arithmancy a little early."
"Sure," I respond, shoving toast piled high with eggs into my mouth and standing to follow after Lily.
"Cute," Sirius says in my ear having just snuck up behind me.
"It's why you love me," I tease lightly through my mouth full of food, shrugging my shoulders. I'm sure it sounded more like " 'S fye ooo yuff me."
"You know it," he winks as I jog after Lily, who has already exited the Great Hall. I catch up with her, and we walk to class together in silence, Lily smirking the whole way there.
*Dog Days Are Over*
"I'm disappointed in you, Miss Garrott," McGonagall says as she hands me my most recent test, a D written prominently in red ink. I slouch down lower in my seat trying to think of why my usually above average Transfiguration had taken a turn for the worst. Let's see—last Transfiguration exam? Nope, don't remember taking it. That could be my problem right there.
"Looks like you need help," Sirius whispers in my ear, tilting his own paper just so I can see the O written on it.
"Well if you're offering," I say sarcastically with an overdramatic eye roll.
"As a matter of fact I was," he smirks.
"I don't need help, Sirius," I groan, trying hard not to let him get on my nerves. He just raises his eyebrows.
"I don't even need to explain the degree of untruth in that statement," he responds, eyebrows still raised. "And I'm glad to know you can tell when you're being hit on." At this, my eyebrows go up, causing him to roll his eyes. "When have I ever studied?" As a response, I squint and stick my tongue out.
*Dog Days Are Over*
"What are you doing?" Lily asks me, taking her place next to me in the Great Hall for lunch.
"Studying," I respond without looking up, then shoving half of a sandwich into my mouth. Even with my head buried in my textbook, I can tell Mary's eyes are wide, and that spraying sound was Marlene spitting her pumpkin juice.
"I just assumed she was reading or something!" Marlene exclaims with hilarity.
"Chill, Lene, it's just studying," I say, finally looking up.
"Yea, but Liv, you never study. Like ever. And you still do so much better than me," Mary chimes in, sounding slightly envious.
"Untrue, Mare. You're like straight O's while I'm more straight E's with some O's and some A's. And I study for exams and stuff," I say somewhat indignant.
"Studying is a great habit—" Lily starts before being cut off.
"If you're failing Transfiguration," Sirius puts in, popping up from nowhere. I shoot him a dirty look.
"One test, Sirius, not the whole course," I snap, immediately regretting sounding mean. He doesn't seem fazed and just keeps talking.
"Which is why I've volunteered to teach her the material on said test," he says, sounding like quite the altruist.
"You're such a saint," I roll my eyes as I speak.
"I know, it's why you love me," he says, not bothering to lower his voice at all. Lily doesn't seem surprised at all, while Mary and Mars just smirk and stare at their plates.
"Fine, you can help me learn this stuff. Then once I'm doing well again, no more studying."
"There's the Liv we know and love," Mary says with a subtle eye roll. "Teach me how to not study?" I just smile and shake my head—my friends and I are all insane. And yes, I do include myself in that. I'm not kidding anyone.
*Dog Days Are Over*
"So basically you don't always have to use Evanesco to vanish something," Sirius finishes, the section we had been studying finally complete. I hate to admit it, but for someone who has no experience studying, he's an AMAZING tutor. I mean I actually understand the theory behind the use—ah never mind. You really don't care, do you? "So that's pretty much it," he trails off and leans back against the chair.
"Thank Merlin," I sigh. "That was excruciating."
"It wasn't bad," he smirks, "because I'm a good tutor and you know it." He leans in for a kiss, but I stop him.
"Not here, we're in the common room," I say, half regretting the words that come out of my mouth.
"It's midnight—there's no one even in here, and James and Lily are on rounds anyway. They have no reason to come back here with those head dorms of theirs," he reasons with me. I have to admit: his points are all entirely valid. I concede and allow his lips to meet mine. Time slows, and seconds seem like years.
"What are you two doing?" James's voice causes Sirius and me to snap apart. Shit! How did neither of us hear him come in?
"We were going to ask you the same thing," Sirius responds quickly, and for the first time, I realize that Lily is with James, her arm still looped through his.
"I asked first," James says, his brow cocked. Well, James, glad to see you matured past age five. Sirius glances at me as if I'm the one who had a problem telling James and… suddenly it dawns on me that Sirius didn't tell James because he knew Lily would find out immediately. Quite impressed at… my boyfriend's good thinking, I nod—we both know we can't hide this any longer.
"Well usually, when two people are dating, they tend to spend time together, doing things." James's jaw drops and Sirius just smirks.
"Like snogging," I distinctly hear Lily mutter under her breath. I shoot her a look and she smiles sheepishly.
"Your turn," Sirius continues cheerfully.
"Well, uh," James stammers, "Lily and I aren't dating—"
"Got that right," she mutters again.
"—just doing patrols, and Lily forgot her Charms book in the common room," James finishes hurriedly. It's the little things like patrols that make me infinitely glad I'm not Head Girl. And I'm sure there was a ton of patrolling going on anyway.
"As for dating," I smirk at James, "give it time, hun," I lean over and pat him on the arm. His face rather resembles a kid at Christmas, and he begins glancing at Lily, who merely gapes in shock, with eager eyes. We all know what's bound to happen next, so I prepare to make an abrupt exit. "Night," I say to everyone, turning to Sirius to give him a quick peck before turning and heading upstairs.
"Lily, will you go—" I hear from James before being cut off by Lily.
"Not gonna happen, Potter." But she didn't flip out or yell, and I can hear the trace of fondness in her voice as she lets him down gently (by her standards).
**A/N: Prompt! Yay! I deserve a prize—or at least a review. Yea that will suffice. I know this chapter doesn't exactly have much going on, and the tutoring thing is SO clichéd, but I had to, you know? I couldn't resist. And I needed to get this chapter over with so we could get into the drama of the next few chapters. Which you should all be excited for. SO BE EXCITED. Shout-out to my lovely reviewers Ivori, Nelle07, Hellfire Putten Ninja, Crazily Obsessed, essence of your spark, Rani Jashalithie, and Night Hawk 97, with EXTRA special thanks to HPN, CO, eoys, and RJ for the constant support. This story wouldn't be the same without you! Okay, now that I've sufficiently bored you to tears with my extensive note, I think I can pull this conversation to a close (that is if you've even bothered to read this far). iHasta luego, y leerén creo!