Hey look! A new chapter up kind of quick. Don't get too excited. It won't happen that often.

Thanks for everyone who added this to story alert and favorite stories, it makes my heart happy. I'm glad you're enjoying it.

Disclaimer: i own nothing.


When they got up to the Astronomy Tower and started setting up their telescopes, Laurie felt a nudge and turned around. What she saw confused her. Remus was setting his equipment next to her and trying to be nonchalant about it.

"Hello Remus." Laurie knew something was going on, he never stood next to her.

"Oh, hello," he finished setting up and started taking out his charts.

Laurie looked at him then turned to her other side watching Amber do the same exact thing. This was pathetic.

"A fine night for a little stargazing, wouldn't you agree?" Laurie was trying to start a conversation that she thought would probably never occur.

"Yes, it's beautiful." Remus looked at the stars and Laurie felt a pinch on her arm.

"Ow," she turned and saw that Amber was looking at her with something amounting to panic. "What?"

Amber pulled Laurie closer and whispered fiercely. "What is he doing?"

Laurie decided to play dumb. "Who?"

"You know who! Why is he next to you?"

Laurie smirked. "Because I'm just such a wonderful conversationalist of course, why else?"

Amber rolled her eyes.

"Come on," Laurie said seriously. "He's only there to be closer you. Why else would he drift from his friends?"

"He didn't drift from his friends, they're right next to him."

Laurie turned around and sure enough the whole gang was lining up next to him on his other side. Laurie let out a longsuffering sigh. As long as she didn't have to speak with anyone but Remus she'd be fine.

Hopefully.

She saw Sirius was on his other side and James was next to him with Peter at the far side. She turned around and looked at Amber. "Well, maybe they're just back-up. I mean, Remus doesn't seem like he would just walk up to a girl and ask her out. He needs support and his friends are there to help him in that arena."

Amber looked scared. Her eyes were wide and her face was white. "He's going to ask me out?" Her voice was barely a whisper.

"Eventually, if not tonight. He'll think you're sick if you continue to get paler though." Laurie looked at her friends as she blushed. "Much better."

Class started then and Laurie was busy labeling her star charts when she felt someone watching her. She tried to ignore it, but it sent a tingle down her spine in awareness. It could only be one person and she was definitely not looking back at him. She was very aware of Sirius despite his overbearing attitude and arrogance. She had a crush on him and so was aware of him every time he entered a room or every time his eyes found her, even if just a glance in her direction. The hair on the back of her neck always stood up and she always felt the tremor go down her spine.

Laurie looked through the lens of her telescope, trying to concentrate, and marked where the North Star was on her chart. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Amber's gaze flicker past her to Remus every few minutes. She smiled to herself. Hopefully Remus would act soon.

"Laurie?" a voice behind her said quietly.

She turned and saw Holly standing behind her with her chart in one hand and her quill behind her ear.

"Yeah?" Laurie looked around and noticed a few students were quietly conversing.

"Can a check my chart with yours? Nancy keeps changing her mind and marking out the names so I have no idea if I'm right."

Laurie smiled. "Yeah, of course. I still have three left to mark, but if you'll wait just a moment, I'll give it to you."

"Sure, alright."

Laurie turned back when Holly returned to her telescope. She had to find the stars making up the crux constellation. Finding stars really wasn't her thing, she decided. They all look more or less the same and seem to be constantly changing position only to annoy those who have to mark them down. It seemed rather unfair.

After five minutes of searching and finally finding the MIA stars, she waved Holly over to match them up.

Amber came over a minute or so later on the pretense of checking her chart as well. But she pulled Laurie somewhat to the side and away from the male foursome that were checking star positions.

"Has he talked to you?" she whispered urgently.

"No. Not anything besides the banal how-do-you-dos. He seems rather discomfited and I think it's because of you."

"Me!" Amber exclaimed, making a few heads dart in our direction. She quickly turned away and looked out over the grounds of Hogwarts. "I haven't done anything."

"I think that's what's making him fidgety. He doesn't know whether or not to approach you or if you'll approach him. It's confusing the daylights out of him and Nancy's probably not helping him when she keeps encouraging him. That puts more pressure on him to act and he wants to do it at his own pace." Laurie paused and absorbed what she said. Yes, that was good advice and warning.

"So, I should wait?"

"For now. If he doesn't do something soon, we'll figure out something."

Amber nodded then paused. "Who do you mean by 'we'?"

Laurie smiled cunningly and shook her head. "That's for me to know and you to find out."

Amber made a face and walked back to Holly who was talking, or rather being subjected to talking, to Peter about something or other. He kept making sniveling noises and murmurs of what was sure to be appreciation and awe and Laurie was just about to figure out a way to disengage him from freaking poor Holly out too much when she tripped over a loose stone on the tower and almost kissed the ground, but a pair of strong arms had caught her.

"We really must stop meeting this way," a smooth voice said quietly in her ear. "People will get the wrong impression."

Laurie thought she would faint. Yes, he was abhorrent in all things but her heart was trying to break out of her chest and she couldn't seem to catch her breath. She didn't even hear Amber turn around and ask if she was alright. She especially didn't hear her squeak and run off.

Laurie tried to stand up fully, but Sirius held on tightly to her, seeming reluctant to let her go. Laurie tried to shove his chest so that she could back away from him, but he wasn't letting her gain an inch.

"Get off of me." She gritted out, still struggling to get away. Still nothing. "Would you please get off me!"

Sirius let go of her and she realized that he had held her off the ground. He didn't even say anything about her weight. She stumbled a bit and he grabbed her elbow to keep her from crashing again. Laurie glared at him. He gave her a look that was complete innocence and slight hurt. Laurie was beyond confused. This wasn't normal Sirius behavior.

"I was just trying to help."

"Well, you could have stopped helping the moment I had recovered my appalling balance. You didn't have to lift me from the ground and you should have let go of me when I asked."

He looked somewhat contrite but there was a strange glimmer in his eye and I wasn't sure if he was truly sorry. Probably not.

"Well, I apologize for the inconvenience. I thought my assistance was required, but I guess the next time you wish to give your regards to the ground I'll let you."

And he was back being a snob. Way to go, Laurie. He seemed so nice for approximately 2.4 seconds and now he put the wall of arrogance back up around himself.

Laurie turned back to her telescope to start disassembling it when she saw Amber and Remus talking. Wait! Hold on! They're talking? To each other? Mark it on the calendar!

She watched for a few moments, seeing Amber blush and giglle at something Remus said. Remus was looking really nervous and was relieved when Amber laughed. Laurie saw Nancy across the tower notice the exchange as well. She winked at Laurie and smiling, turned back to her telescope. Laurie wanted to do a jig, but decided not to. She wasn't that great of a dancer and she didn't want to embarrass herself. Casey could probably do a jig though, since she's Irish. She decided to see if she could learn one for future reference.

After a few minutes of waiting, Laurie packed up Amber's telescope too and turned both of their star charts in to the professor. Holly came up to her as she handed her chart in as well.

"Next time you see Peter, tell me so I can hide."

"I tried to rescue you, but I got blocked."

"Yeah, Black is always causing problems. Of course, he seemed to regard you differently tonight."

Laurie blushed. "I insulted him. He probably hates me more."

"I don't think so. He's probably annoyed with himself and is trying to figure out how to reconcile things between you two. You know, you would be a really cute couple."

Laurie let out a nervous giggle as she picked up both Amber's and her own telescopes. "Oh, yeah. Me with Mr. Male Perfection. Well, physically anyway."

Holly laughed. "True. He is cute."

"You should find a guy so you don't try and play matchmaker. Nancy's doing a fine job of it herself."

"Yeah, I saw. Do you think he asked her out or are they just talking?"

Laurie glanced back before she started down the Astronomy Tower stairs. "We'll probably find out tonight or tomorrow at least. She won't be able to keep it hidden for long."

Holly smiled. "Yeah, with a room full of girls, witches no less, nothing's a secret."

Both laughed as they joined the others further down the stairs. Amber and Remus were still talking on top of the Astronomy Tower.


Leave a comment or suggestion. I like them almost as much as I like Sirius Black and Tristan Thorn and Fitzwilliam Darcy. Almost.

Ever yours.