CHAPTER 37

Anne had already planned to spend the Valentine's Day Hogsmeade weekend with Sirius. She hadn't even considered talking to Severus about it first. After he ditched her for the first Hogsmeade weekend, she wasn't going to bother hoping that Severus would spend time with her instead of those rotten Death-Eaters-in-training.

Sirius and James had spent hours together poring over owl order catalogs to find gifts for their girlfriends. In the end, they had both settled on gifts that certainly wouldn't be appropriate to present to the girls in front of anyone else.

So James had pulled Lily off to find somewhere relatively private to spend some quality time together. Sirius had done the same with Anne.

"I got you something," said James with a crooked grin.

"Oh, James, I feel awful! I didn't get you anything!" she cried.

"It's alright, I wasn't expecting anything," James told her. "Besides, this gift is mostly for me anyway . . ."

Lily considered him with a raised eyebrow.

"James, what did you get?" asked Lily suspiciously.

James thrust a wrapped package into her hands and she tore of the paper cautiously, half expecting some Marauder-style prank that would jump out at her. When she opened the box, she saw that it was definitely Marauder-style . . .

"James!" Lily admonished, though she was grinning. "You think I'm going to wear this?!"

"I know you will," he said against her ear.

Lily looked up at him coyly from underneath her eyelashes. James leaned down and pressed his lips against hers, pulling her closer to him.

"I love you," he whispered. "Happy Valentine's Day."

"I love you, too," replied Lily.

That night, James and Lily used the Marauder's Map and Invisibility Cloak to sneak away to whatever private place they could find. Lily had dressed in the 'gift' James had gotten her for Valentine's Day, and she felt incredibly naughty wearing something so scandalous underneath her clothes. And when he saw his present on her, he could hardly stop himself from attacking her right then and there.

"Nice choice in color," said Anne with a raised eyebrow.

"Thought you'd appreciate it," Sirius replied, shaking his long black hair behind his shoulders.

Anne was eyeing the burgundy getup with suspicion, but the mischievous glint in her eye betrayed her true feelings about his Valentine's Day gift. She stepped close to him and placed a kiss next to his ear.

"So when do I get to try it on?" she whispered.

Sirius gulped.

"Now is fine . . ." he croaked.

Anne laughed brightly and put her gift away in its box. She kissed him again.

"How about tonight? After the feast?" asked Anne.

Sirius nodded excitedly.

Since Lily and James had taken their two best tools in finding a private place, Anne and Sirius were on their own. They had a close shave with Peeves in the corridors, but managed to steal away to the greenhouses unseen. Sirius kissed her lovingly, his mouth moving in slow time with hers. Unbuttoning her shirt and gently teasing her jumper off her shoulders, he growled when he saw the dark red satin covering her breasts. Anne let him admire her, let him touch her, and it was far later than James and Lily had stayed out when Sirius finally dropped Anne at the suit of armor in front of the Slytherin common room.

The next morning, Anne woke and pulled on her bathrobe before trotting down the stairs to the Slytherin common room. Not hesitating a moment, she bounded down the stairs to the boys' dormitories and found just two of the Sixth year Slytherins still in bed: Brian Stanley and Severus.

"Well," said Stanley from his bed, with a smirk. "You could have just told me you wanted me. Not that I mind you barging into my bedroom wearing just a bathrobe . . ."

"Out, Stanley," sneered Anne.

"Don't think so," he replied, leering up and down at her.

Anne scowled.

"I got an owl from Lucius yesterday," she announced primly.

It was Brian Stanley's turn to scowl. He grumbled under his breath and stood from his bed, pulling on a shirt and reluctantly climbing up the staircase, leaving her alone with Severus. Anne perched at the foot of his bed and he rolled over to consider her with his dark eyes.

"How was your weekend?" asked Anne. "Spend some time with any friends?"

Severus's face darkened.

"Anne, you know who I spent it with," he said quietly.

"Of course," she replied.

Anne sighed.

"I would have rather spent it with you," said Anne quietly.

"Why?" asked Severus immediately. "Is it Black? What did he do to you?"

"Nothing!" said Anne, leaning back and letting a fanciful look cross her features. "He didn't do anything. He was lovely."

When Anne shifted into a more relaxed position, the shoulder of her bathrobe fell. Severus's eyes were immediately drawn to the flash of burgundy. He saw it. A dark red strap, satin, with gold trim that obviously led down to a matching bra.

Anne might as well have been wearing an enormous sign that read, "Sirius Black was here!" Severus felt nauseous. Just knowing that Sirius Black was buying something as intimate as lingerie for his cousin made him feel sick. Anne didn't seem to realize it. He supposed his face was usually pale, she might not notice that any remaining colour had drained out. She was gazing up at the ceiling, reliving her day, and obviously her night, with Black. Severus cleared his throat.

"I'm glad you had a decent time," he grumbled.

Anne cocked her head to one side when she looked at him.

"I did," said Anne. "And you're welcome to join me next time."

She stood from the bed and adjusted her robe. The "Property of Sirius Black" stamp was now covered, though the image would be seared into his mind for the rest of his life. She gave him a half sort of wave and a smile before disappearing up the staircase. Severus sneered and got dressed, not entirely willing to go to the Great Hall and see Black greeting Anne after what was obviously quite a night . . .