Time for Sirius to be jealous... and for some Marauders' pranks too! Hope you like this new chapter!
Jealousy
The school remained cloaked in sorrow and grief for a week. No one could really laugh or feel happy about anything in such circumstances. The students who had lost family members came back to school on Wednesday, and the expression on their faces was the same for all of them: something between anger, pain and misunderstanding. Why some people would attack some harmless, innocent Wizards, Witches and Muggles? People who had never done anything wrong, and would have never hurt anyone? The unfairness of life was suddenly revealed to all, and not only to the families of the victims. The whole school was suddenly aware of how dangerous the world was out of the walls of the Castle. There was not one student who didn't write to his family the night of the attacks, just to be sure they were fine, even if they were not Muggleborns. The children had suddenly realized how easily their world could fall apart, and how fast they could lose what they held most dear. Everyone sent letters, except the Slytherins. It was the only House who suffered no loss, and many were not surprised.
"No wonder they're not worried," said Caradoc at lunchtime, while the only laughs were coming from the Slytherin table. "I bet many of them had someone attacking in their family, rather than being attacked."
"It's crazy, they all seem to act like they don't care..." said Lily.
"Because they don't care. They are probably happy actually. Many of them support Voldemort, it's no secret Lils," replied Sirius, his voice low, a dark expression narrowing his eyes.
"At least none of us has been a victim," said Peter, trying to lighten things up.
"It doesn't mean that we can just ignore it Peter," said Clara.
"What did your father say about all this? About the Aurors?" asked James.
"They're completely lost. They have no idea how the Death-Eaters managed to get in some secured houses, how they got organised... They have arrested two or three wizards who were involved in the attack, or may be involved, but for the moment, they have nothing solid."
"Does your father work on the case too?" Sirius asked her.
She looked up at him, and chewed her lower lip, worried.
"Sure he does. I would rather have him control the illegal traffic of cauldrons though."
"I'm sure he'll be fine."
"He's reckless, I know he is. When it comes to his own health he doesn't give a damn. I can't blame him though," she added with a sad smile, "I'm just the same."
Sirius put his arm around her shoulders, and gave her a peck on the head. Feeling his heart racing in his chest, and his stomach going all crazy, he released her quickly and patted her shoulder. She smiled at him, finishing her meal. The sun, coming from the window behind them, was gently bathing her brown curls... He shook himself, taking a deep breath when he felt the urge to run his hand in her hair.
"We should do something," said Remus bluntly, half lost in thoughts.
"About what?" asked Peter.
"The school. We should do something to bring back the joy we had there before the attacks happened."
They all looked around them, staring at the painful expression of their friends.
"You're right Remus," said James, his voice shaking with anger. "We can't let them win Hogwarts too. We need to get it back!"
"Let's give the school a day or two of mourning," said Sirius. "But by Sunday, we must find something. A good old fashioned joke, like only we Marauders can make!"
They all smiled at the idea, and nodded.
"Do a good one boys," said Lily. "We all need a good laugh at the Slytherins."
James winked at her.
"Oh, don't worry Lils. Leave it to us, and you won't be disappointed."
The breakfast on Sunday was sad too. Only the Slytherins again were laughing loudly, as if they were daring the rest of the school to tell them to mourn as well. Lily and Clara sat side by side next to Frank and Alice, searching for the four Marauders throughout the Great Hall.
"Frank, do you know where they are?" asked Lily.
"Nope, but they didn't get so much sleep last night, that's all I know."
The girls exchanged a look.
"You don't think they are going to play a prank this morning, do you?" asked Alice.
"We'll see soon enough for sure," answered Clara.
The boys didn't appear at all through breakfast, and the Gryffindors were about to go back to the Tower, when Filch suddenly came rushing into the Great Hall.
"HELP! HELP ME!" he bellowed.
The teachers rose, and the students started to whisper, but none of them had long to wait before understanding why Filch was looking so scared. A broomstick came flying into the Hall, pursuing the poor man. Then another broomstick appeared, and another, and another, and soon no less than ten broomsticks started to chase Filch down through the Great Hall. He threw himself under the Hufflepuff table, and the brooms started to bump into the table to get to him. The students all stood up as one and took several steps back from their table, laughing loudly. The whole Hall was filled with laughter, for the first time since the attacks of the previous week-end, and it felt good to everybody to laugh again.
"Poor Filch... Well, at least he may understand why we hate cleaning his cupboards in detention," said a voice behind Lily.
The girl jumped, turning on her heels, to discover a smiling James Potter, mischief burning in his eyes.
"I can't believe you did that," she said.
"Who, us?" replied Sirius innocently. "But we were here the whole time, weren't we Remus?"
"Of course we were. I swear, as a prefect," the boy snickered.
"See, who could question the word of a prefect?" laughed Sirius, patting his friend's shoulder.
"You are all crazy, all of you," said Clara, laughing more than ever.
She took a look around her, letting herself be filled with the sounds of laughs and giggling.
"But I have to admit, that you did a pretty good job!"
She turned towards the boys again, and kissed Sirius on the cheek.
"Thank you."
The feeling of her lips against his skin set shivers down his spine, and he felt his legs weakening. He forced himself to look casual, and to resist the temptation of kissing her perfect red lips.
"Anytime," he merely answered, bending his head slightly.
"But don't thank us now," said Peter to the girls. "The day is only beginning."
Indeed, pranks lasted all day. The Library was banned after all the books had started to fly by themselves, without any of the teachers knowing which spell had been used. Some of the books had managed to escape from the Library, and here and there, students could come across books flying casually in the corridors, or even on the grounds. It took Hagrid four weeks to find two volumes of the History Of Magic that had flown all the way to the Forbidden Forest. One of the Centaurs even got one of the copies back to the Ground-Keeper. It took Dumbledore and Flitwick the whole day to finally find a counter curse.
All the students laughed when Avery and Mulciber were seen running through the corridors, followed by all the owls of the school, though no one could understand how the Marauders had managed to make a potion in so short an amount of time, and how they had managed to pour it over the Slytherin boys. But no one really cared about how the Gryffindors had done it, it was part of their own myth in the school, and the main purpose of their efforts was reached, for laughs echoed throughout the school all day long.
"Alright, alright, don't tell us about the potion," said Clara, before swallowing some chicken. "Just tell us how you managed to introduce the pixies into the Slytherin Common Room."
"And where the hell did you find pixies anyway?" asked Lily, still unable to believe what had happened that day.
"You can say thank you to our good old Hagrid, who so likes all creatures, that he also takes care of the poor little pixies that are found flying and messing around the Castle," answered James, laughing.
" I can't believe it!" laughed Lily.
"What I am the most surprised by," said Marlene, "is that everyone in this school knows perfectly well you guys are responsible for all the pranks of today, and none of the teachers punished you in any way."
"Maybe they understand why we did this, and what good it did to the school," answered Remus with a shrug.
"You did a great job guys, thank you," said Lily, patting James on the shoulder.
"You're welcome Ginger Sweet."
"Don't call me like that Potter."
"It suits you well though."
"Shut up James. You're such a pain in the arse..."
"Alright, Evans, you win."
They walked out of the Great Hall together, laughing. Liam and one of his friends from Ravenclaw, Simon, joined them on the staircase.
"I guess you are the ones we have to thank for all this mess," said Liam happily.
"You're welcome," answered Peter, a proud glint shining in his eyes.
They all doubled with laughter. As they were reaching the Gryffindor Tower, Liam kissed tenderly his girlfriend, her friends were heading for the portrait hole, and James literally fleeing before the scene. But Simon called out for Clara.
"Well... I know we don't know each other very well," the blond boy struggled to say, blushing, "but the truth is, I think you're beautiful, and I like you very much."
Clara blushed hard.
"Thanks," she whispered, not knowing what to say after such a bold confession.
"So, I thought, maybe you would agree to come to Hogsmeade next week with me. As my date I mean."
"Well... I don't know. I mean, we barely know each other."
"That's why I would like you to come to Hogsmeade with me, so that we can get to know each other better."
She fiercely bit her lower lip.
"Can I give you an answer tomorrow?"
"Sure, take your time. I understand, you'll give me your answer tomorrow."
"Thanks, that's very kind of you."
"No problem. I'd really like us to have a good a start. Just... just think about it, okay?"
"Okay."
The Ravenclaw backed off slowly to the staircase, and Clara entered the Common Room. Marlene and Alice whistled.
"How cute!" cried Lily.
"Oh shut up!"
Clara let herself fall upon the couch next to her ginger friend, laughing.
"And he's handsome!" said Marlene.
"Finally, someone to take care of your lonely heart!" laughed Shelley.
The blond girl cuddled in James's arms.
"I haven't said yes yet," replied Clara, a smile still curving her lips.
"How do you know this guy anyway?" asked Sirius.
He was apparently reading a book by the fire, but his eyes were still, and in reality he was listening closely to the conversation.
"I don't. I mean, we've talked once or twice, and we've worked on some essays together. But we're only on speaking terms, not friends or anything. That's why I told him I would like to think about it before giving him an answer."
"Oh come on Clearwater!" Shelley cried with a high-pitched voice, "we all know you're gonna say yes. You're just torturing the poor thing."
"That's not true! I'm still hesitant."
"Of course, I believe you!"
"Why are you hesitating so much?" Marlene asked the girl. "I mean, he's cute, and he's in Ravenclaw so he must be intelligent, he seems to be a quite nice guy... which makes him perfectly fitted for you."
"Because I don't know him well enough!"
"You should say yes," said Alice.
"I reckon you should all let Clara decide what is good for her," Sirius said. "And if she hesitates so much, maybe it's a sign, and maybe she shouldn't say yes."
"Thank you Sirius, at least one person thinks in this room!" Clara thanked him.
"Well, Sirius thinking... that's a first!" joked James.
Sirius threw a cushion at him, laughing with his friends nonetheless.
"But maybe you're thinking a bit too much about this. It's only a date at Hogsmeade," Lily advised her. "You should say yes."
Clara smiled weakly.
"We'll see," she merely answered.
"I'm knackered," Sirius said. "I'm off to bed."
He climbed up the stairs and closed the door behind him as he entered the bedroom. He only wanted one thing at this very moment: to punch Simon right in the face.
The next morning every Gryffindor in their year (or belonging to the Quidditch team actually) was talking about Clara and her possible date with a Ravenclaw boy. The girl didn't come down at breakfast, having to work hard in the Library on her Potions essay, and so everyone tried to make predictions.
"I'm sure she's going to say yes," Shelley assured James and Sirius. "And you'll see, in one week, we will have a new couple around!"
Sirius let his egg fall back into his plate, feeling suddenly nauseous at the idea of Simon kissing Clara.
"Well, I guess she will go out on a date with him, but I'm not convinced she's going to be his girlfriend," Lily replied, frowning slightly. "Not at the end of the first date at least, that's for sure. Clara's definitely not like that. "
Shelley rolled her eyes.
"She's asking herself way too many questions!"
"What is bad in trying to find a nice guy, and not jumping on every jerk who asks her out?" asked Sirius, still unable to eat anything.
"But Simon isn't a jerk. Or at least he doesn't seem to be."
"Doesn't mean he's not one. I think she's right to think about it before giving him an answer."
"It's only a date! That could probably end with some snogging, okay... but it's still just a date."
Sirius sighed heavily, clearly annoyed.
"I'm going to the Library, I'll give Clara a hand with her essay."
He stood up, and before anyone could reply, he strode out of the Great Hall. As he quickly climbed the stairs towards the Library, he tried to remain rational about everything that was going on with Clara. And one more time, he repeated to himself that what he was feeling was only a crush that would soon be over. He didn't have the right to feel jealous, because he was her friend, and nothing more, and it had to remain that way. She could go out with anyone she liked, why should he care? He could probably win the heart of any girl over in this school anyway. Why be jealous? He entered the Library, and spotted the witch he was looking for sitting alone at a table, fiercely biting her lower lip. Merlin, how lovely this habit was...
"Need some help?" he asked her casually, taking the seat opposite hers.
She jumped, making him smile, and then she looked at him, grinning.
"Sirius, my saviour!"
The boy laughed loudly, drawing several annoyed looks. She shushed him, laughing quietly herself.
"What can I do?" he asked her, once he had calmed down.
"I have no idea of what a Moonstone is used for."
"Nothing complicated really. Wait a minute, I'll go find the right book for you."
She propped up an eyebrow.
"You know which book is about Moonstones? I didn't know you loved the Library so much."
"How do you think we managed to do all these brilliant jokes over the years?"
He winked mischievously at her, standing up and leaving her laughing. He crossed the Library, found the right book, and hurried back to their table. But when he arrived, the girl was not alone anymore, and Sirius hid behind a shelf.
"So, have you thought about what I've asked you yesterday?" Simon asked her.
"Yes, and... I'm sure it would be very pleasant to go to Hogsmeade with you."
The blond boy grinned. She bit her lower lip before speaking again.
"But I've got to warn you that I'm not the kind of girl who can be... seduced after one cup of tea, okay? And I'm looking for a real relationship, not some snogging in a dark corner of the Three Broomsticks."
He smiled reassuringly at her.
"I understand, and I can assure you that I want just the same thing."
"Good, so I guess I'll see you next Sunday."
"Sure! Have a nice day."
"You too."
The Ravenclaw walked away, still smiling. Without even turning back on her chair in the direction of Sirius, who was still hiding behind the shelf, she spoke to him.
"Thank you for not interrupting."
"You're welcome."
Sirius sat back in his chair, looking for the right page. His blood was boiling in his veins, his head throbbing. He wanted to kill this bloody, idiotic Ravenclaw. He tried to breathe more deeply, but it didn't help. He finally found the right chapter, and threw the book quite violently on the table upon the girl's parchment.
"Wow, how violent!" she said, quite surprised.
"You've got everything you're looking for written there," he said, ignoring her remark.
His voice was colder than usual.
"Thanks. Sirius, are you alright?"
"Of course, why shouldn't I be?"
"I don't know, you look angry. Has anything bad happened? Did I do something wrong?"
Agreeing to go out with a jerk seemed a rather good start to him...
"Of course you didn't," he lied. "I'm just tired, I didn't sleep very well last night."
"Why? Nightmares?"
"I simply couldn't fall asleep."
"I see. Do you want to take a nap before our first class? I'm sure I can manage with your book."
He looked at her and felt immediately guilty. She was so understanding, while he was acting stupid. He shook himself, and when he spoke his tone was friendly again.
"I can help you if you want."
"I'm fine. It's already very kind of you to tell me which book I should use."
"Are you sure?"
"Of course, go on."
He sighed, smiled at her and stood up. He walked up several flights of stairs, before slowing down, and finally stopping in the middle of a deserted corridor. Suddenly, he punched the wall of stone next to him. He let out a moan and held his hand against his chest, but he didn't really mind the pain. He was angry, hateful even. He sat down against the wall, and started to whisper healing charms as he passed his wand back and forth above his injured hand. He cleaned up the blood, and kept staring at his fingers, his thoughts bumping into one another in his messy head. But in this chaos of thoughts and reflections, one thing was for certain. He was jealous, and he couldn't help it.
After intense thought on the matter, Sirius decided that only one possibility was available to him: he had to try to be with someone else. He had given this advice to Prongs after all, why shouldn't this work for him too? Sure, he wasn't in love with her or anything, but the remedy was probably the same in both situations. And so all day long, he started to hunt.
"Why are you so interested in birds today Pads?" James asked him at diner.
"It's Hogsmeade next week-end. Have you forgotten?"
Remus rolled his eyes, but James merely laughed. Sirius struggled to swallow the piece of meat he was chewing. He hated to lie to his friends, but he didn't want anyone to know. His feelings for Clara were crazy anyway, and he didn't need his friends' help to handle them. A Gryffindor in her fifth year entered the Hall, and went to sit at the end of the table with some of her friends. Though he couldn't remember her name, he knew he had talked to her once or twice, and she seemed nice enough. And a quite important detail for him, she was gorgeous. He had to pick up someone anyway, so he stood up and strode towards her. Clara propped up an eyebrow.
"Where is he going?" she asked James.
"Hunting," he merely answered, smiling.
She rolled her eyes. When he reached the girl, Clara couldn't help but glance towards the scene. Sirius came back quickly, looking satisfied.
"How did it go?" asked Peter.
"How do you think it went?" replied Sirius wryly , though he was smiling. "I've got a date of course."
They laughed, and Sirius took a huge piece of pie that he managed to shove into his mouth. He wasn't James after all, who couldn't forget Lily. He was going to get over Clara. But even with this resolution and a date set for the coming week-end, Sirius couldn't help but feel rage boiling through his body as Simon waved at Clara from the Ravenclaw table.
He was going to get over Clara, but for now, he was feeling more jealous than ever.
