Disclaimer: I own nothing familiar from the HP Universe. I only took many liberties with it and all its characters.
Thank you to all my reviewers! Please review again and if you haven't yet leave one now!
Chapter Eleven
Later that night, Artemisia found she couldn't sleep. She decided to go to the common room and sit by the fire. She was sitting comfortably in a chair when she heard the portrait open. She sunk deeper into the chair hoping that it was just some students coming in late. She relaxed when she recognised the four voices to be Sirius, James, Remus, and Peter. Since she had had a few hours to revert to her old Ravenclaw self, she simply reopened the book that she had sat on the floor by the chair and started reading again.
"I don't trust her." Peter sounded whiney to her. He reminded her o bit of a child that wasn't getting their way.
"Why not?" Sirius on the other hand, sounded defensive.
"Oh, get off it, Padfoot. You want in her pants, so bad, that you can't see that there is something that isn't right about your darling Fifi."
Artemisia's cheeks heated slightly upon hearing her name or at least the name she was going by and she curled further into the chair.
"Wormtail, I don't see anything wrong with her, either." She relaxed at James's words.
"Ha! She's had you wrapped around her finger, ever since she promised to get Lily to spend the day with you." Peter sounded angry. "C'mon, Moony. You've got to be able to see it."
"I don't see anything strange about Fifi. She does have her moments, when she acts a little shy, but she's new to the school." He paused. "Of course, we can easily say that she's rather intelligent. After all, she's refusing to have anything to do with Padfoot."
"That's not funny." Sirius still sounded defensive. "Just as I get close to closing the deal, she comes up with some way to avoid me. It's almost like she knows me."
Artemisias smiled lightly at this as she continued to listen to them argue as they walked away. She did know that Sirius better than she should. She might have only spent a day in his presence at Grimmauld Place, but she had always prided herself on having the ability to read people. She shut her book and stood up. Artemisia felt that she might be able to get some sleep finally.
"Hello, Fifi." Remus grinned from in front of her. Her eyes widened. She absently remembered his actions at the Three Broomsticks. The only thing she could use to explain his uncanny ability to know where and who she was, was that it had something to do with him being a werewolf. "Did you have a good time listening to us defend you?" His face held no sign of malice, but she was still cautious.
"Not really." She sighed as she tucked her book under her arm. "I would've hoped that after being here as long as I have that I would have been accepted." She frowned lightly. "At least on some level, by everyone. It makes me a little said to think that you still question, why I'm here."
"Peter was the only one of us that…"
Artemisia cut him off with a shake of her head. "No, all of you still think there is some ulterior motive to me being here. Lily and Shawny accept me for me. I don't feel like it's all some kind of game to them as it is to you." She gave him a sympathetic look. "The three of you felt the need to defend me because I'm a Gryffindor and because you feel bad because you still have questions about me. If you have questions, just ask them. It will save us all a lot of time." She started to walk away, when he grabbed her gently by the arm.
"I agree that James and I still might have questions about you, but Sirius doesn't. Maybe you should give him a chance."
Artemisia bit her bottom lip and gave a negative shake of her head. "I'm not ready to get that hurt." She said after a moment of looking into his kind amber eyes.
For a moment, the two stared into each other's eyes. "Who says that he'll hurt you?"
"Me." She replied before walking up the stair towards her room.
The next day, Artemisia looked up from her homework to find Remus watching her. He caught her eye and smiled at her. She smiled back before going back to her homework. The sound of a chair being pulled away from the table grabbed her attention and she looked up to see Sirius sitting down next to her. She eyed him warily, wondering why he was suddenly appearing around her so often. She knew that he'd flirted with her since she arrived at Hogwarts, but hadn't paid it too much attention. She had seen him flirt with numerous girls since she'd arrived. She had started to wonder if she flirted back if he'd leave her alone, but to flirt back would make her too open and acceptable to his attack.
"Hey, Fifi." Sirius smiled at her and she felt that lovely, tingly feeling that she had when she had first looked into his eyes.
"Hello, Sirius." Artemisia smiled back at him, then turned back to her homework.
"You're not in Ravenclaw, so stop worrying about your grades."
She looked up at him in surprise, unsure of what to say. Not worry about her grades? Was that physically or mentally possible? While she sat there gapping at him, he capped her pot of ink and shut her book.
"Will you go to Hogsmeade with me?"
It seemed that he was working on giving her one shock after another. Artemisia opened her mouth to answer him automatically with a yes, when she remembered the plans that she had to set in motion that day. Who said that Slytherins were the cunning ones in the school? "I'm sorry, Sirius, but I already have plans."
For a moment, Sirius stared at her with a sad sort of look, but when she was about to give in, she reminded herself that Lily was far too stubborn to give in for her and James's own good. Then he smiled at her, "Come with me." He didn't bother to wait for an answer. He was far to aware that the answer from her could easily be a resounding no. He pulled her to her feet and led her out of the common room. They walked for some time before Artemisia realised that Sirius was holding her hand and she had no idea of where he was taking her.
"Um, Sirius?"
"Yeah, Fifi?" He smiled.
"Where are you taking me?"
"The kitchens." At her questioning look, he elaborated. "I'm hungry."
"That's nice, but why am I going along with you?"
"Because all you do is study." He replied blithely as he stopped at a painting of fruit. "This is how we get into the kitchens." She watched as he reached out and tickled a pear. It chuckled and squirmed before turning into a doorknob. She told herself to remember this, so she would know it when she went back. Each day, she had to remind herself that she was not from this time and she didn't belong there, but each day the speech was getting harder to believe.
"What's wrong with studying?" Artemisia asked as she entered the large kitchen. She looked around as house elves start a commotion in the name of welcoming them to the kitchens. It was easy to see that Sirius was one of their favourite people. He gave her a look in answer to her question that said, 'if you have to ask that then you're hopeless.'
The two left the kitchens a few minutes later. Artemisia wondered why he hadn't gotten any food when he claimed to be hungry. He had explained that the house elves are going to deliever it.
"Are you sure that the hat didn't put you in the wrong house?" Sirius asked as they entered the hall.
"Well, if it did, how would I know?" She snapped as she started to walk back towards the common room.
"You're going the wrong way."
"No, I am not." Artemisia stopped and glared at him. "This is the way we came from."
"Yeah, but we aren't going back to the common room."
"You might not be but I am."
"If you go back to the common room, you'll start studying again." He stepped before her, blocking her path. "You've already finished your homework and have started working on learning this for your NEWTs. That can wait. They're month from now."
Her eyes widened. That was exactly what she had been doing. She needed to get good results to get into the Department of Mysteries. "How did you know that's what I was doing?"
"The books that you've been reading aren't exactly helpful with the homework that's been given out." He replied as if the answer had been obvious. "All you do is study. I've known people in Ravenclaw who aren't as dedicated to their studies as you. Now, let's go eat." He nodded his head in the direction opposite of the one that she had been walking in.
Artemisia sighed and gave in. "Okay." Sirius pulled her along through what seemed to her like an endless maze of corridors and staircases. "You're not getting us lost, are you?"
He chuckled as he opened a door and gestured her in. "No, this is it."
She walked into the room, then turned towards him with a frown. "Sirius Black, what are you up to?" The room was beautiful, elegant, and most of all romantic.
"Well, you won't go to Hogsmeade with me." He ushered her to the table. "You won't let me kiss you." His breath tickled the hair at the base of her neck as he seated her. "So, I thought we could at least have dinner and get to know one another."
"You are trying to seduce me, Mr. Black." She teased as he sat down across from her.
He gave her the rakish grin that sent tingles down her spine. "Is it working?"
"I'm not certain, yet." She placed her napkin lightly into her lap. "Ask me again later."
Sirius tried to kiss her when they had finished dinner, but she didn't dare let him win. She might be echoing Lily's sentiments about James, but one kiss would be her undoing. He looked disappointed at first. Sirius waited until they had entered the common room before moving close to her and whispering into her ear that he wasn't about to give up. Her reaction surprised him. She let out a laugh and told him good because she wasn't about to give in. Then with a quick wink she added the one word that gave him hope...yet.
The dinner led to an amusing trend. Before the dinner, the Marauders had travelled in their own group, while Artemisia was usually with Lily and Shawny. After it, the three girls seemed to be swallowed by the boys' group. James, Remus, and Peter constantly teased Sirius about how the two hadn't even kiss and yet he followed her around like a lost puppy. It was getting rather embarrassing for Artmeisia. Sirius had scared off a boy from Hufflepuff that had been on the verge of asking her out. Several of the girls around the school had started shooting her dirty looks. It wasn't until Lily pointed it out as jealousy that Artemisia gave it much thought. She had for once in her life become the enviable one. It was a heady experience.
Don't forget to review!
