No One Does It Better

Chapter 20

When we go crashing down, we come back every time

Cause we never go out of style.

The only problem about wanting to fly after school hours in December, is that it is dark by 4pm in the afternoon. I cast a spell to ensure that a ball of light was by my side at all time so I could see where I was going. I wasn't even sure how long I had been flying for at this point. It felt like seconds but I knew it must have been for an hour, at least.

I was constantly trying to find out a perfectly reasonable explanation as to why I could now smell dog instead of wet pavements when I got a whiff of amortentia. I was a cat person – cats were my go to, my number ones. I wasn't naive enough to think that it wasn't because I was around Sirius a lot more than I have been for years, but I didn't love him. I loved him as a friend, yes, and obviously I found him attractive – you would need to be blind if you didn't. Amortentia only reminds us of what we find attractive or what we are fond of anyway. I'm getting ahead of myself, I know that. But Sirius smelled a litter tray – that was because of me, wasn't it?

'Can I join you?'

Speaking of the devil, Sirius was on his own broom flying up to me from the pitch.

'Sure,' I replied, but kept flying for him to catch up. I was still sour that he believed Regulus over me.

'We're lucky Slughorn loves his Slytherins so much. One week's detention for us all.'

I nodded, still not willing to forgive him just yet.

'I am incredibly sorry for acting like a child earlier,' he started. I waited to see what else he had to say for himself before I decided how I was going to tackle the dispute. 'I was annoyed this morning because I sat and watched him looking for you and when he actually spoke to you and you entertained it-'

'I said three words to him.'

He ignored me. 'I just wanted to know what he had been saying to you, so I pulled him up. He started to tell me that you always talk to each other in the common room and you were discussing Christmas-'

'And you actually believed that?' I asked in disbelief.

'I know now that I shouldn't have.'

'Too right,' I agreed, my eyebrows raised in disgust.

We flew in silence for a while. I wondered if he knew how much it actually hurt to be suspected as a liar to the person you are closest to.

'Did he tell you what we actually spoke about?' I asked eventually.

'Scorpio.'

'Exactly – do you see why I was so irate now? In my head you were pissed off at me over a bloody cat!'

'Again, I apologise profusely.'

I saw him place a hand over his heart and I turned my head away so I could hide my smile from him.

'You're not forgiven,' I told him. 'It was a shit feeling knowing that given the chance, you would believe Regulus over me. Even if he is your brother.'

'I'll make it up to you,' he flew closer to me, so much so, I could feel the heat radiating off him. 'Are you coming to the match tomorrow?'

'I'll think about it.'

I probably could go. Gryffindor were up against Hufflepuff and the points were tight between all of the houses now – tension was high.

'I'd like for you to be there.'

'I bet you would,' I smirked at him and he grinned back but it faltered slightly. If Gryffindor won, it would put Slytherin second, anyway. It would be okay to stand in the Gryffindor end then, wouldn't it?

'Have you spoken to Zabini at all today?' he asked me wearily.

'No, not since second period. Why?'

'Well, I obviously know why now, but when you were out with Moony, she asked me to go to Slughorn's Christmas-do with her.'

I blinked at him stunned.

'And because I was angry with you when she asked, I said yes.'

He rushed the words out of his mouth, almost as if I would not hear what he had to tell me. I don't know what he expected me to do, but I burst out laughing. My head was unable to compute it – Adaline had asked Sirius Black to a party. I had to be losing it, I must be losing it.

'You're kidding me?' I asked.

His face was straight now as he shook his head. 'No. Is – is it okay if I go? With Adaline? As friends?'

'You don't need my permission,' I said and began to lower myself to the ground. I needed this day to be over. I wasn't jealous but just, what in Satan's hellhole was going on? Adaline did not like Sirius that much – friend or no friend. Last time I checked, she had been the one verbally abusing me for being friends with him not that long ago.

'You could ask Moony to go? Make it fair-?'

'I'll probably be going with McLaggen,' I said, more so to myself than to Sirius. I tried not to pay attention to him dropping his broom to the ground as I spoke.

'Are you two a thing?'

'No,' I scoffed, a little too quickly. 'I should go.'

I began to walk into the stadium to leave when Sirius shouted back over to me.

'Will you be there tomorrow?'

I threw my arms in the air but kept walking. 'You'll have to wait and see!'

I headed straight for the girl's dormitory when I couldn't find Adaline anywhere else in the castle. She was lying on her stomach, on her bed, flicking aimlessly through one of her textbooks. I chucked my broom on my bed.

'You're going to Slughorn's party with Sirius?' I asked, trying to sound blasé.

'Who is?' I heard a gasp coming from the toilet and watched as Cecilia nearly tripped over herself to join the conversation.

Adaline looked at the girl and then back at me, rolling her eyes. 'Seriously?'

'No, Sirius,' I replied with a small smirk.

'It's just to make you-know-who jealous,' Adaline told me, squinting her eyes at Cecilia who had now taken it upon herself to sit down on my bed.

'I know,' I nodded with a small sigh of release.

Cecilia looked between the two of us in anticipation. 'So?' she asked.

'What?' I said and shrugged my jumper off and threw it over my bed post in an attempt to reclaim my bed.

'Well, are you both shagging Black then?'

'Excuse me?'

'What?'

Adaline and I both spoke at the same time and Cecilia grinned like a Cheshire cat.

'Ohmygod, you both are!'

'We are absolutely not,' Adaline scoffed. 'As if.'

'Well why is he your date to Slug Club?'

'Because you can go with friends,' Adaline retorted. 'And to be honest, Cecilia, it's actually none of your bloody business.'

'Fine,' Cecilia huffed but kept the sly smile on her face. 'See you both later.'

I sat back down on my now vacant bed and watched as she left.

'Can't wait to hear the rumours tomorrow – best friends sharing Sirius Black. It'll be a good 'un,' Adaline said disdainfully.

I sighed. 'We do love a bit of drama though, it will be good to have a laugh about it.'

'You're not angry at me, are you?' she sighed back at me.

'I was surprised,' I admitted but now wasn't the time to talk about it. 'So, Nathaniel?'

'Don't,' I watched as she shook her head. 'I can't talk about it right now. Fuming is an understatement.'

'We've not had some fun in a while,' I said thoughtfully. Seventh year had sucked the excitement right out of Hogwarts. All we had done since we got here was bicker and study with each other. 'Will we go to the quidditch match tomorrow?'

Adaline raised an eyebrow at me. 'And afterwards?'

'I'm sure we will find a party somewhere,' I smiled.

We woke the next morning and got wrapped up warm for our day at the quidditch pitch. I had planned on wearing red and gold to shock Sirius but red just wasn't my colour, so I didn't have anything Gryffindor-ish to wear. I played it safe with jeans and a woolly jumper – I would change if we had somewhere exciting to go after.

'I wish we had planned this earlier - I would have supplied alcohol. Quidditch bores me,' Adaline whined whilst brushing her hair.

I laughed whilst applying my mascara. 'I'll ask the boys at breakfast if they have anything.'

'The boys,' Adaline laughed and shook her head. 'What would our parents think if they knew?'

'We'd be on our way to Beauxbatons.'

'You look pretty,' Adaline sighed watching me put on my bottle green beanie hat. 'Who are we trying to impress today? McLaggen or Black?'

'Shut up,' I replied, rummaging for my lipstick and trying to hide my blush.

'I feel terrible about asking Sirius to the party,' she told me. 'It's okay to tell me you don't like it.'

'Why wouldn't I like it?' I asked, putting the lipstick on and watching Adaline through the mirror.

'I'm not blind, Nova. It's obvious there's something between you both.'

'Yes, ten and more years of friendship,' I nodded. I got a pointed look in return. 'Honestly, I don't like him like that, and I can almost guarantee he does not see me like that in the slightest.'

'So, what happened in the dungeons before your party where I almost caught you both snogging – that means you are both just friends?'

I rubbed my lips together trying to think of a comeback but there was none. What could I say to it? Sirius and I hadn't even discussed that afternoon, never mind talking to Adaline about it. I knew when I liked guys. My flirting just ramped itself up without me purposely doing it. Had I ever loved a boy? I don't think so. I never let them stick around long enough and usually that meant I got bored quickly. I knew how I felt about Sirius Black. He was my best – sexy, attractive, attentive, loyal, funny, edgy, smart – friend.

Fuck.

We got to the Great Hall later than anticipated and were called over almost immediately by James. Hesitantly, Adaline and I both looked at the Slytherin table and then each other before heading over to them.

'My two favourite Slytherins!' James declared as we walked over. I grinned back nervously at the unwanted attention from all the other students. 'Are you coming to watch us annihilate Hufflepuff this fine Saturday?'

'Yes,' I said. My eyes fell on Sirius who was smiling playfully at me, making my stomach jump. 'What?'

'Nothing,' he said, sipping his pumpkin juice.

'The important question here is,' Adaline said. 'Quidditch is painfully boring to me. Who has the booze?'

I had never seen James with a bigger grin on his face. 'That's the attitude, Zabini! Moony?'

Remus pulled a bag out from under the table and opened it. We both peered in to see numerous hipflasks.

'Are you supplying the whole school?' I asked.

'Just whoever is interested,' James answered. 'What you looking for?'

I looked at Adaline to take the lead. 'Cider to start me off nicely.'

Remus nodded and handed her a random hipflask and then looked to me.

'Oh no, I'm okay right now,' I saw Sirius raise an eyebrow out the side of my eye. 'I'll get something later – if you win.'

'We absolutely will!'

'Will you sit with us in the stands?' Lily asked. She stared at me hopefully, it was very difficult to say no to Lily Evans and those damned pretty green eyes.

I nodded and smiled 'Sure.'

'We should eat up before I get any more of this down my throat,' Adaline screwed the lid on the hip flask. 'Does it just automatically refill?'

'Indeed it does,' Remus smiled.

'You're my kind of people,' Adaline said smirking, and begin to walk towards the Slytherin table.

'See you guys later,' I made to leave with a small wave.

'Not going to wish us luck?' Sirius asked with an amused smile.

'I think you forget where my loyalty lies,' I tapped the green beanie hat I had put on before leaving and winked.

'They can change.'

'Try me.'

I turned away from him without waiting on a response and felt my face heat up. I could usually flirt with confidence, but with Sirius I felt like defenceless, like he was always going to do it better than me. I was always the one leaving boys speechless. I was never the one to be lost for words. I found Adaline at the Slytherin table and took a seat.

'You know, everyone used to say that you were the female version of Black,' Adaline slurred slightly, and I began piling toast onto her plate to try soak up the alcohol. 'Don't be the one to fall in love first.'

Style by Taylor Swift.

Hope you are all still enjoying this and thank you so much for the lovely reviews the past few chapters! They have really brightened my day up.

xx