'Did you hear the news?'

It was a few weeks later and the Marauders were in the common room, lounging in their favourite armchairs in front of the fire. Sirius looked up at Peter who had spoken.

'What news?' Remus asked from where he was lying on the floor making the last few adjustments to his Transfiguration essay.

'Rumour is Clara and Aubrey broke up,' Peter said, looking intently at Sirius.

Sirius sat up a little straighter, a smile spreading across his face.

'Now that is excellent news,' he said, grinning.

'How'd you hear these things, Wormtail?' James asked as he screwed the lid on his bottle of ink. 'I swear you smell out gossip better than Padfoot smells out chocolate.'

Sirius threw a cushion at him as Peter shrugged. 'Overheard someone in the library. Apparently he'd got a bit too friendly with Jenny Atcastle.'

'Atcastle?' Sirius said incredulously, turning to look for the girl who had accompanied Aubrey to the hospital wing after he and James had hexed him, but she was nowhere to be seen. 'I mean, she isn't hideous but definitely leagues below Clara March.'

'Aubrey was always punching with Clara though,' James said. 'He's just settled for something a bit more realistic.'

'Well,' Sirius said, getting to his feet. 'I'm off.'

'Where are you going?' Peter asked in surprise.

'To be the shoulder to cry on,' Sirius said. 'No better time to swoop in than after a heartbreak. She'll be feeling all upset and hurt and I'll be there like a knight in shining armour to offer comfort and support.'

'Padfoot, that's terrible,' Remus said.

'Guaranteed results,' Sirius said with a wink. 'Anyway, see you all later. I'm going to take the map.'

He darted up to his dormitory to retrieve the map that was now very near completion and headed back down the stairs. He received rolled eyes from his friends and a cushion to the face from James as he crossed the common room and hopped through the portrait hole and began to make his way towards Ravenclaw Tower.

It took Sirius significantly less time than it might take a regular student to reach Ravenclaw Tower owing to his extensive knowledge of the school's secret passageways. Therefore, it was a mere ten minutes before he reached the foot of the spiral staircase that led to the Ravenclaw common room.

'Oi!' he hailed a passing Ravenclaw student. The boy looked at him quizzically, no doubt wondering what in Merlin's name a Gryffindor was doing there at this time of night. 'Would you ask Clara March to come down here?' Sirius asked. 'You know? The prefect?'

The boy nodded and headed up the staircase, casting Sirius curious looks over his shoulder. Sirius leaned casually against one of the pillars that flanked the staircase. He'd seen Clara around the school several times since the Slug Club, sometimes with Aubrey, sometimes without. He'd smiled at her each time he'd seen her and she'd smiled back, but they hadn't spoken. Aubrey looked daggers at Sirius each time he'd seen him, which Sirius found highly amusing.

'Sirius!' Clara exclaimed, stopping dead on the staircase as she spotted him. 'What are you doing here?'

'I came to see if you fancied a walk,' Sirius said. He noticed that her eyes weren't red or puffy; she didn't appear to have been crying.

She blinked in surprise and checked her watch. 'What, now?'

Sirius grinned. 'There's no time like the present.'

Clara glanced dubiously up and down the corridor. 'It's nearly curfew!'

'Ah, that doesn't matter,' Sirius said and he grinned in what he hoped was a persuasive and enticing way. 'You're a prefect, you could just say you'd caught me out and were dealing with it.'

She laughed. 'Just because I'm a prefect doesn't mean I won't get in trouble. In fact, I'd probably be in more trouble!'

'You'd be with me, though,' Sirius said, holding his arm out to her. 'I don't get caught.'

Clara raised a sceptical eyebrow.

'Well, maybe once or twice,' Sirius conceded. 'But definitely not this time, I can feel it.'

Clara glanced at her watch once more, though this time she was smiling and there was a glint in her eye. She was torn, but he knew he'd won her over.

'Oh what the hell,' she said, descending the last few steps and taking Sirius's arm. 'I happen to know that the curfew patrol won't be coming this way for another hour at least. I must be mad, but what the hell!'

Sirius grinned and gestured down the corridor. 'Shall we?'

'Lead the way!'

'I'm sorry to hear about Aubrey,' Sirius said as they walked down the corridor together.

Clara looked at him slyly. 'No you're not,' she said.

Sirius grinned. 'You're right, I'm not. But I am sorry he was such a prick to you.'

Clara gave a small smile. 'Thank you. But I'm not going to waste any more time on him, it's not worth the energy. Onwards and upwards.'

Sirius was not sure how to interpret the look she gave him. To be honest, this was not what he had been expecting. She appeared calm and determined rather than emotional and upset as girls usually were after a break up. Just as with her boldness at the Slug Club, he was intrigued.

'I've never heard a better sentiment,' he said, giving her a wicked grin.

'You weren't at the last Slug Club meeting,' Clara said as they made their way past a suit of armour. 'Get kicked out again?'

Sirius laughed again. 'I guess I wasn't invited,' he said. 'I wasn't supposed to be at that one in the first place. Slughorn must have felt we didn't really mean our apologies. How long have you been going?'

'Oh on and off for a while,' Clara said. 'They are a bit tedious but they're useful as he's so well connected.'

'I think part of joining the Ministry is having to suck up to people who think they matter,' Sirius said, resisting the overwhelming urge to pull a face as they turned a corner. 'It's good to get some practice in now!'

Clara laughed. Suddenly, they heard a voice behind them.

'Who's there?'

They froze. It was Argus Filch. He hadn't yet rounded the corner, but Sirius could tell he was only feet away.

'Shit!' he swore loudly and grabbed Clara's hand, dragging her along the corridor. Thanks to his frequent night-time wanderings, Sirius knew there was a secret passageway right ahead concealed behind a tapestry. Sirius skidded to a halt in front of it and yanked it aside, shoving Clara in before darting in himself and pulling the tapestry hastily back in place.

They stood in the narrow passageway before a rickety set of stairs, Sirius trying madly not to laugh.

'Shh!' Clara whispered, pressing her hand over Sirius' mouth. 'You'll get us caught!'

They dared not move. They could hear Filch down the corridor, muttering to himself under his breath, drawing closer. Sirius held his breath, his heart thumping loudly in his ears, still suppressing a thrill of mad laughter. Filch was right outside their hiding place now. Clara's eyes were wide with what looked like a mix of fear tinged with excitement, one shaking hand still clamped over Sirius' mouth, the other still gripping Sirius' own.

But Filch was drawing away; his muttering getting fainter and Sirius allowed himself a long sigh.

'Do you think he's gone?' she breathed. She was very close to him, almost pressed up against his chest. He could smell a hint of something flowery coming from her hair. She moved her hand slowly away from his mouth, letting it come to rest gently on his chest.

'He's gone,' Sirius replied. He was looking into her deep brown eyes that were alive with adrenaline. She made no attempt to move from their hiding place, she just steadily looked back at him. Again, he was struck by just how pretty she was. Slowly, he lowered his head towards hers, his lips parted...

'AHA!'

Once again Sirius swore loudly. Clara screamed in fright and they both whipped round to see Peeves the poltergeist. He had ripped back the tapestry and was floating above them, laughing madly.

'Canoodling are we?' he cackled with glee.

Sirius reacted instinctively. He plunged his hand into his robes and pulled out his wand.

'Langlock!' he cried, pointing his wand at Peeves. The poltergeist made several furious gagging noises before he turned and zoomed off, making several obscene gestures at Sirius as he went.

'Come on, this way,' he said, gripping Clara's hand again and pulling her up the narrow staircase. 'Filch will have heard all that. I know a shortcut; we'll get you back to Ravenclaw Tower.'

He led her along several passageways and down a set of staircase, all the while mentally cursing Peeves and his timing. After a few short minutes, they found themselves once again at the base of the spiral staircase that led to the common room. Sirius turned to Clara to see that she was smiling.

'Well,' she said. 'That certainly was an adventure!'

'Things are never dull when I'm around,' Sirius replied as he casually leaned against the flanking pillar once again.

'So I see!' she said with a laugh. 'I thought we'd had it there for a moment, my heart was going so fast!'

'I told you I don't get caught.'

'Well maybe I believe you now,' she said.

The near-kiss seemed to linger unspoken between them as they fell silent. Clara was still smiling, her eyes still alive with the adrenaline of their flight. Sirius stood upright and made to draw close to her once again, but it was Clara who stepped towards him, her hand once again on his chest as her other hand reached up and entwined itself in his hair. He lowered his head and, finally, their lips met.

'Clara!'

For the third time, Sirius swore.

He turned to see another girl coming down the spiral staircase. She stopped dead when she saw them.

'We wondered where you had got to,' the girl said, looking from one to the other, smirking.

'I just went for a stroll,' Clara replied without embarrassment. She turned back to Sirius. 'I should get back to the common room,' she said, smiling at him.

Sirius nodded, returning her smile, inwardly cursing both poltergeists and interfering friends. 'Wouldn't want to get caught out after hours,' he said with a wink.

She laughed. 'We should take another walk sometime,' she said. 'I'll see you around, Sirius. She gave him one more of her stunning smiles before turning and following her friend back up the staircase.

Sirius let out a long breath. He turned and pulled the Marauder's Map out of his pocket.

'I solemnly swear that I am up to no good,' he muttered and the map began to spread across the blank page.

He scanned the map quickly to check that neither Peeves nor Filch were lingering and to his relief saw they were both heading away from Ravenclaw Tower. He was about to stow the map back in his pocket when he saw, to his surprise, a dot labelled 'Regulus Black' only a few corridors away. Wondering what on earth Regulus was doing out past curfew, Sirius hurried along the corridor.

'Hey, Reg,' Sirius said as he rounded the corner to see Regulus hunched over something. Regulus jumped in surprise and hastily stuffed whatever it was inside his robes.

'Oh, it's you,' Regulus said. Sirius stared curiously at the place where the object had disappeared inside his robes.

'What was that?' he asked. 'And what're you doing up here after curfew?'

'Just sending a letter,' Regulus said evasively, not looking at his brother. 'Forgot what the time was.' He cast a furtive glance over his shoulder.

Sirius scoffed. He knew that look. 'Worried about all your pals seeing me talk to you?' Sirius asked. 'I wouldn't think they're about, probably all skulking in their dungeon.'

Regulus shrugged, still not looking Sirius in the eye.

'I hope I'm not rubbing off on you,' Sirius said, 'you being out after hours. You might get caught and poor old Mother would go ballistic. Probably blame me for leading you astray. Was that who you were writing to?'

Regulus shrugged again.

'I received a particularly admonishing letter from her myself the other day,' Sirius said. 'If you're writing to her could you mention to the old crow that I really don't care?'

'Was it about what happened with that Snape?' Regulus finally met Sirius' eyes. They were alive with a kind of shrewd curiosity. 'Do you know what's down that passage?'

Sirius laughed. 'Ask me no questions and I'll tell you no lies!'

Sirius had indeed received a rather reprimanding letter from his parents following the Whomping Willow incident a few weeks ago, though Professor Dumbledore kept his word and not told them all the details. Sirius had been amazed that there was no Howler, but maybe it wasn't so surprising; the last time his mother had sent him a Howler, he'd sent one right back. It had apparently arrived and burst open in the hallway just as his father was showing a very important member of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement out of the door. Sirius snorted.

'No, this was a long and completely boring tirade about how, even though I'm a worthless Gryffindor, I should still try and do well in my exams.' Sirius said. 'I may still be able to bring a bit of pride to the name of Black.' He spat on the floor in disgust. 'As if I care.'

'You wouldn't fail your OWLs just to spite mother, would you?' Regulus asked aghast.

Sirius snorted and flicked his hair out of his eyes. 'As much as I'd love to irritate the woman even more, this is one expectation I'll live up to,' he drawled. 'I couldn't fail if I tried.'

'You know, you could just do what they want,' Regulus said in a small voice, looking down at the floor. 'You don't have to annoy them at every turn.' Sirius looked at him, feeling a fleeting stab of annoyance. How typical of him to want to appease everyone, Sirius thought.

'Where would be the fun in that, Reg?' Sirius said. 'They deserve it, the bigoted arseholes.'

'They're –' Regulus began, but he was cut off by a soft mewing noise coming from further along the passageway.

'We'd better scarper,' Sirius said. He'd already escaped from Filch once this evening; he didn't particularly want to face him again. 'You sure you'll be ok getting back?'

'I know a way,' Regulus replied shortly.

'Fair enough,' Sirius said, shrugging his shoulders. 'I'll see you around, Reg.'

Regulus nodded curtly and turned on his heel and soon disappeared around a corner. Sirius hoisted himself into a hole concealed behind a portrait of a sappy looking witch and began to make his way back to Gryffindor Tower, his mind on his brother and exactly what he had been doing so far away from his common room after hours.