Chapter twenty one.

"I can't believe I managed to get the Dragon Blood with you two slowing me down, significantly." Lara said as the three of us exited the classroom. She held the phial in her left hand like a trophy.

"You couldn't have done it without us." I grumbled, pressing my textbook towards my chest. Sirius nodded in agreement.

"She's right."

Lara shook her head and put her small phial of dragon blood into the pocket of her robe.

"I will find Sarah before dinner," she looked at Sirius and then me, "I'll catch you later?"

"Okay." I answered, and she made her way up the stairs. The instant she left us alone, the tension between us got an awful lot more intense. I could almost touch it with my hands.

"Do you have anywhere to be right now, or?" Sirius broke the silence.

"Not really." I replied, nerves tingling in my tummy.

"No boyfriends to go seek before supper?"

"No, not today," I breathed. "Quidditch practice."

It was painful to be alone with him. There were so many things I desired to do to him that I absolutely couldn't.

"Care to keep me company when I drop off this book at my dorm?" he held his potions book up, raising an eyebrow at me.

Say no, say no, say no.

"Sure." I nodded, making him smile widely.

We strolled in silence up from the dungeons, both taking a deep breath of fresh air as we reached the top of the stairs. His arm seemed unpleasantly close to mine when we walked towards the Gryffindor Common room, I simply had to reach my hand out an inch to touch his. I swallowed hard and kept my concentration on looking straight forward to prevent me from doing something bad.

"Have you been friends for a long time?" he spoke after a while, trying his best to appear undisturbed by the fact that our robes almost touched each other.

"Lara and me? Yes, since first year." I responded.

"She seems like a great friend." he looked to the side and smirked.

"She is the best friend you could ever ask for."

He peered at me and suddenly grimaced.

"Agree to disagree, okay?" he argued.

"Hey, I am under the impression that you hate your friends."

He chuckled, causing me to almost roll my eyes at the sound. Why did he have to be this appealing?

"There's a thin line between love and hate, you see." he remarked, in a kittenish voice, winking with his right eye.

We arrived at the portrait of the fat lady just in time as he finished his sentence. He spoke the password, and the portrait swung open, allowing us to enter. Right before we got through the narrow hole, another student rushed past us into the aisle causing the both of us to jump aside. My back collided with the wall and Sirius almost collapsed right into me, his body pressed against mine in the shallow area of space. His breath hitched, letting out the familiar scent of cigarette smoke, our faces only inches apart. A wave of lust spread through my entire body, and it didn't help that Sirius' briskly looking eyes stared into mine.

I realized this friend-thing was a bad idea and here was the proof. Because if Sirius hadn't been the strong one this time, moving himself away from me and into the common room, I would've kissed him. I would have intertwined our bodies together, clasped my lips upon his, dragged my fingers through his hair making him moan my name...

Stop that immediately, Alissa. You're turning yourself on in the middle of a crowded common room.

"Are you coming?"

I cleared my throat and followed him through the room, I could sense several eyes watching us when we moved up the steps to the boys dormitories. Maybe this was a dreadful thing to do, to follow him back here. It would make people talk and I obviously had a problem with keeping my hands to myself.

The biggest question was, did I care enough to not follow him? The answer was no. Being with him got my mind of all the things I didn't want to think about. Exams, how bored I was by Casper, Christmas break and most importantly my sister.

Spending time around Sirius had made me realise that there was more to life than perfect grades and a safe but mediocre existence. I had been stuck in my secure bubble for far too long now, I needed to break free from that boring Alissa, and become more like... well, Sirius.

"I'm only giving you a head's up, it's a mess in here." He looked back at me before opening the door to his dorm.

A mess was an understatement, this room was chaos. Clothes everywhere, books, candy wrappers and an awful lot of empty bottles. All the beds were unmade apart from one that was neatly bedded. My guess was on Remus, he seemed like a guy with good manners.

I whistled at the sight of the room, how could they possible live like this? They were wizards for crying out loud. It's not like they need to clean the room by hand.

"Just so you know, this mess isn't mine." he let out, walking over a pile of clothes to get to the fixed bed. He laid the potion book down on the night stand and then threw his robe of him, tossing it on the wine coloured bedspread.

I could never have thought he was the neat one out of those four, and that he was, made me laugh in amusement. He continued to surprise me.

"What?"

"I didn't picture you as the neat one." I smiled, still standing in the doorway.

He smiled and unbuttoned the top button of his shirt.

"So," he spoke. "This is my bed." he casually let out, and grabbed the tie around his neck, adding it to the robe on the bed.

Smooth, Black.

"There's your bed, yes." I raised my brows, and he laughed, looking terribly appealing in his wrinkly shirt, and his cheeks flushing in a light pink shade.

His intentions by mentioning his bed, unfortunately took the effect he probably had hoped for. Yes, I was currently imagining him shirtless and him throwing my lousy ass upon his clean sheets. He wasn't being a good friend right now, not at all.

"I'm simply addressing it, in case you would need to come see me here. I wouldn't enjoy it if you accidentally jumped into Remus or James' bed, or even worse, Peter's."

My eyes grew wide, and I looked at him as if he had gone completely mental, but he just smirked and took a look at himself in the mirror before joining me by the door.

"Are you ready for some dinner?" he asked, still smirking at my expression.

When I didn't answer he pushed past me and went down the stairs, back into the common room. When we got down a voice called his name, and I saw Mary McDonald sitting in one of the sofas closest to the entrance.

"Black! What're you up to?" she asked, and soon after she looked at me. "Oh, hi Alissa!" she said in surprise.

"Hey Mary." I spoke, a feeling of being caught doing something forbidden grew in my stomach.

"We've dropped off some books, and now we're heading down for dinner." Sirius jumped in, sounding as careless as ever.

"Oh I see. Well, I'll meet you later tonight?"

He nodded, and she smiled our way before returning to the book she had been reading.

Was it totally wrong of me to feel a bit jealous at her comment? Yes, probably.

I hoped she would believe him, because even if what he had said was true, it sure looked like something else. The two of us, alone in his dorm after what happened two weeks ago. It didn't look good.

"Don't worry about Mary," he leaned in to whisper. "She's like, the coolest, she won't tell anyone she saw you here."

'She like the coolest',... Okay, Alissa, calm your horses.

"Great."

He gave me an unreadable gaze, and then he grabbed my arm to drag me out through the portrait a second time.

We were far from alone walking towards the great hall when we got down the stairs from the common room. It didn't bother me at all because the chance of anybody noticing us walking together was far less likely.

I could sense his eyes upon me from time to time while walking in silence but I didn't have the nerve to look back, there were too many thoughts floating around in my head.

What is he thinking about? Is he hooking up with Mary or am I being paranoid? And if he is why do I care?

When we were just a couple of seconds away from the Great Hall, he stopped me.

"Are you pissed at me again?"

I shook my head in confusion.

"What? Why would I?"

He brought his hand up in his hair, peering down at me with his lips pressed together.

"I just, got that feeling."

"Sirius, I can't believe I'm saying this, but no, I'm not pissed at you."

He exhaled a breath of relief, and just when he was about to answer, a loud voice called my name from behind us.

"Alissa!"

Merlin, no, do not let this happen.

"Hi Casper!" I turned around just in time to get myself wrapped inside two strong arms and his lips kissing me with impatience.

When he let go of me, he looked carelessly to the man on my right, but I knew what he was up to. Some ridiculous power act, trying to show his rival who's in charge. I felt the urge to yell at him right then and there. First that I wasn't his freaking property and second that this macho-style didn't fit him at all.

"Hello Sirius." he spoke, nonchalantly, with one of his arms still wrapped around my back.

"Oh, hello Ba-" you wouldn't dare, I thought and to my relief he corrected himself before Casper noticed anything. "Casper."

"What are you two up to?" Casper asked, eyeing us both suspiciously.

"We just came up from potions, heading for dinner. And you? I thought you had practise all night?" I was quick to answer, a hundred percent sure Sirius would have told another version of the story.

"Right, potions. We did, but we took an early night."

"I see. Are you eating dinner with us now then?" I asked, enormously uncomfortable because of the situation.

"I need to take a shower first," he said, and winked at me. "Perhaps you would like to join me?"

I almost choked on my own tongue. Why was he acting like someone he's not?

"Oh no, I need dinner first." I twisted myself out from his grip.

"Fine, then I'll see you later. Bye darling." He laughed, and kissed me again. This time I barely kissed him back, causing Sirius to hide a forming grin on his lips.

The minute Casper was out of earshot he mimicked Casper's words, making me grimace at him.

"Sirius Black, you're stretching the borders of this friendship." I said, finally back to being annoyed with him.

"Can you blame me?" he replied, looking into my eyes gravely. Oh, shit.

There was something in his gaze that told me that there was no way in hell he would be content with us just being friends.

"I'll see you around, Alissa." he said when I didn't answer and he walked inside the Great Hall without me.

What a day.