"Morning, Sirius," Zarya said cheerily, walking into his office and seating herself on the edge of his desk, legs hanging dangerously close to his own. Her voice had a slight lilt to it, a remnant of her Irish heritage, and Sirius had always found her words to be soothing. Right now, though, he wasn't in the mood to be soothed.
"Do you have *any* idea what time it is? I called you over two hours ago. This is simply unacceptable."
"Well, I'm sorry, Sirius, but some of us have lives to attend to."
He sighed. "Malfoy?"
A sheepish grin spread across Zarya's face, and he shook his head.
"Well, you shouldn't be talking," she countered.
"What's that supposed to mean?" he began, but his voice trailed off as he followed her gaze to his untied robes. "No, you don't understand... it's not..."
"Well, if I don't understand, I'm sure Joanne would be happy to explain," she said coyly.
He threw his hands up. "All right. I won't report you – this time. But you know how Charlie feels about that man--" he paused as Zarya shot him a deathly glare "—Malfoy," he conceded.
"And why should how Charlie feels about him be of any concern to me, Sirius? I love Draco. I've never even *seen* Charlie."
"I understand that. But just – keep your eyes open, all right?" She looked as though she were about to speak, but Sirius cut her off, murmuring softly. "For me, if not for Charlie. You know I'd hate to see anything happen to you."
She looked up at him, nodding silently, and he smiled, rising out of his chair and coming to sit on the desk beside her.
"So, why *did* you call me then? I'm assuming you didn't just tear me away from a rather interesting—oh my god," she broke off.
"What?"
The horrified look on Zarya's face turned to one of amusement, and she broke into great peals of laughter.
"What?" he repeated, more insistently this time.
"I – oh, god, Sirius, I can't believe I've done this--" she dissolved into laughter once more, and Sirius shook her rather violently, trying to get her to sober up.
"I've left Draco alone at my place--"
"Well, that is a disturbing thought, but--"
"No, no," she cut in. "You don't understand. He's – well, he's tied up. And I don't think he'll be able to untie himself."
Sirius looked at her slowly, and the two began to grin once more, falling to the floor with paroxysms of laughter.
"Poor Draco," Sirius mused.
"Yes," Zarya agreed. "However will he get untied?"