Darleen? Dorothy? Darla?

"I have a new favorite spell."

"Should we be worried?"

"Maybe..."

"I'm worried."

"I think I am, too."

"I'm not."

"Well no, Mine, he wouldn't dare-"

"I would, too."

"Nu uh"

"Nu huh"

"Nu uh"

"Nu huh"

"Nu-"

"Boys!"

Sirius and Peter stopped their bickering and stared wide eyed at Hermione. As she took a deep breath, the other three boys took a few steps backwards alienating the two. When she let her held breath out slowly while counting backwards from ten, the three relatively innocent boys effectively moved towards safety behind the couch and Hermione leveled a look at Sirius, "What is your new favorite spell?"

"Glisseo?"

Hermione's smile slowly spread and she giggled. "Nice."

The five boys visibly relaxed when she giggled and everything was once again right within the Gryffindor common room. Hermione tilted her head and blinked at the three behind the sofa, "What are you three doing?"

"You had that look. We were just getting out of the line of fire."

"What look?"

"That look... you know, the one that says that you're about to hurt someone."

"Hmm..." Hermione shrugged and picked up her book to start reading.

"So, what's Glisseo?"

"My new favorite spell."

"What does it do?"

"Makes something slippery!"

"You'd cast that at Mine?"

"Sure."

"Nu uh"

"Nu huh"

"Nu uh"

"Nu huh"

"Nu-"

"I'm giving you that look!"

Sirius blinked and stared at Hermione. "What look?"

"That look!"

Peter wrinkled his nose at her and shook his head. "That's not the look."

"Well, I'm giving you a look." She harrumphed and went back to her book.

"Effective." Harry smirked before the boys fell over laughing.

"No."

"Reeeeemus, why can't I go ask Alice if she wants to go to Hogsmeade with me? It's not like Frank is going to ask her. She's pretty and maybe -"

"Stop right there, Sirius," Remus rubbed his eyes tiredly and Hermione snuggled into his side, having no desire to jump into the conversation. "I don't want to know where you were going with that sentence. Of course Frank hasn't asked her yet, they're a couple so he doesn't have to. It's a given. Either that or she's asked him. Knowing those two, she has."

Sirius huffed and plopped onto the ground. Hermione giggled at him from her spot on the couch. "What about that Ravenclaw you were with the other day?"

"She's too clingy," Sirius waved his hand dismissively, though his pout disappeared. "But there is that Hufflepuff bird I can ask. Darla, or something of the like. Maybe it's Dorothy. Or Darleen. I can't quite remember. I'll ask her."

Hermione rolled her eyes, "Must you go with someone?"

"Of course! It's a matter of pride, Mine! You and Remus are going as well as James and Lily. I have to take someone!"

"What of Peter and Harry?" Remus asked mildly.

"Uh... no, Remus. They're like brothers, I'm not gonna ask them to go to Hogsmeade with me. No way."

"What he meant was that neither of them are going with someone."

"Neither of them care, Mine. There's a difference. I care!"

Hermione nudged him with the toe of her shoe, "I'm sure you'll live, Sirius."

"No, I won't! Girls won't want someone who can't get a date to Hogsmeade!"

"He'll figure it out. At some point." Remus patted her shoulder as Sirius shot to his feet and raced out of the common room, muttering under his breath. "Maybe."

The group of eight made their way towards Hogsmeade, all carefully bundled while the snow fell down in thick flakes. Hermione was under Remus' arm, Lily had her arms wrapped around James, and... Dorothy was glaring at Sirius for some reason.

"No, Darla, we're going to Hog's Head first. We have to meet someone."

The tiny, olive skinned girl huffed and shook her dark brown hair behind her dainty shoulders. "I still don't understand why we couldn't meet him at the Three Broomsticks." Her voice was lilting and soft, but had the faint hint of annoyance.

Harry inwardly cringed when Sirius uttered, "You don't know this bloke. If you don't like it, don't come. You can just go to the Three Broomsticks until we're done."

Darleen's hazel eyes narrowed, but before she could make a retort, Peter was there to act as a buffer. "Don't mind Sirius, Karen, we don't want you to go anywhere you're not comfortable with."

Karen blinked for a moment before she smiled at Peter. Her arm hooked around his, and she said, "It's fine. It's just that he sounded rude. Will you walk with me instead?"

Peter didn't get a chance to give an answer as Karen started to lead the way to Hogs Head. Harry followed behind while he scratched his head in confusion, "What just happened?"

"I think she insinuated that Sirius is a jerk."

"Well, there's that, but that Peter came to her rescue."

"I am not!"

Hermione grinned over at Harry, "He does have a habit of saving damsels in distress."

Blushing, Harry ignored her comment, but James and Remus were curious. "What's she on about, Bolt?"

"Why did she look at you when she said that?"

"It was nothing," he muttered. "Aunt Poppy and Hermione were crazy."

"That explains nothing!"

Lily laughed and walked over to Hermione when James released her and jumped at Harry, "Tell us! Tell us!"

"What?" Harry tried to escape, but Remus appeared in front of him with a large grin.

"Don't try to run away, Harry," Sirius whispered as he hooked an arm around Harry's waist to keep him from bolting.

"What? I didn't want to keep shopping with Hermione and Aunty Poppy. They were making me try on clothes and then there was Peter! He went shopping with the rest of us. I don't know why she said the whole thing about damsels in distress."

"Riiiiight, Bolt." James threw his arm over Harry's shoulders as they followed closely behind Karen and Peter.

"Besides," Peter called over his shoulder, apparently pulling himself out of his shock, "You looked like a damsel when you tried to hide behind me."

"Awww."

"Shut it, you two."

Remus chuckled as he walked back towards Lily and Hermione, holding his arms out for his girlfriend and James'. The two latched on, but Hermione leaned in and kissed his cheek.

"And stay out!" An old, grouchy voice demanded. "If I ever see you near my property again, I'll turn you into a goat!"

Before Harry could see who had yelled that, a door slammed and his attention was on the man who was sitting in front of Hog's Head. Before Harry could move, Karen was rushing over and knelt by the man, "Are you ok?"

"Fletcher?" Sirius asked. "What'd you do?"

"I'm fine, lass. Apparently selling things in there was a bad idea," the bald man grinned up at Sirius before letting the slender girl pull him to his feet - which was a feat in itself as she was barely five foot and he was almost five foot five inches.

Fortunately Peter was there to help and Mundungus was once again on his feet. James snorted and said, "Were any of those things stolen or illegal?"

"It's Hog's Head, I thought it'd be ok," Mundungus snapped, dusting himself off.

James pulled Lily over to him and wrapped his arms around her. "You've only been out of school three years and you keep putting yourself in dangerous territory."

"It's only Aberforth. It's not like he can kill me."

"But he'll turn you into a goat," Peter pointed out, carefully dragging Karen away from the dumpy man.

"Meh, he would eventually turn me back. Probably."

Sirius snorted, "Anyway, were you able to get the trinket I asked for?"

Mundungus grinned and dug into his pocket before pulling out a ring encrusted with the Black seal. "It was easier to steal than other things I've taken in the past. What's the point in this?"

Sirius grinned and traded the ring with a pouch of coins, "It's mainly to spite Mother and Regulus. Thanks, 'Dung."

The man gave a salute and half jogged and half tottered down the street before apparating away.

"Alright, Darleen, we can go to the Three Broomsticks," Sirius turned with what he thought was a winning smile. "My treat, of course."

"Karen," Peter said, crossing his arms. "Her name's Karen, Sirius."

Sirius shrugged, apparently uncaring, "Eh, semantics. I'll remember eventually."

Peter sighed and pulled out his wand and muttered, "Rictusempra," under his breath.

There was a large guffaw as Sirius fell to the ground, laughing hysterically. His scarf tangled around his body as he rolled back and forth, his already red face turning brighter when he couldn't control his laughter. "Mickey!"

"What's her name, Sirius?"

"Karen! Karen! Just stop!"

Peter just watched for another few seconds before releasing the spell with a sigh. "Three Broomsticks, then?"

Karen gave a huge smile and nodded while Harry and Remus chuckled. Sirius pulled himself to his feet and snorted, "How'd you end up with the girl, Pete?"

"Because you're an idiot."

"Am not!"

"Are too."

Sirius blinked as everyone said the words at the same time. "Oh." But then he grinned and made some silly pose. "But you all love me."

Everyone laughed and headed into the warmth of the Three Broomsticks.

A/N AJ Freas: I just wanted to say that the scene with Hermione and 'the look' actually happened with daughter #1 and her father, where daughter #1 gave him 'the look', but it wasn't really the look, it was simply a look. We laughed so hard that daughter #2 and I had to put it in the story the same night. Hope you enjoyed the look or, at least,... a look.