Sirius and Lupin were downstairs in the living room. Sirius had his feet up on the table and he was sulking. Lupin had the Daily Prophet open but wasn't reading it.
"I don't know why you had to shout at her like that," he was saying.
"Who?" Sirius glared at his feet moodily.
"Clara," Lupin rolled his eyes behind the newspaper, "you could have just asked her politely to turn it the music down." Sirius didn't reply and continued to glare.
"What is it with you anyway?" Said Lupin, putting down his newspaper, "I mean, ever since Rose and Clara arrived here you've been in a right mood."
"I'm not in a mood," Lied Sirius. Lupin suppressed a laugh,
"If you say so." He picked up the Daily Prophet once more.
"It's Clara," said Sirius eventually. Lupin lowered the paper slightly to look at him, "I don't know what she thinks she's playing at," Sirius continued, "telling me Harry needs looking after."
"She never said-"
"Me! Of all people! Harry's godfather! And then playing that-that racket just to annoy me."
"Actually Ginny asked-" Sirius ignored Lupin's attempts to intervene.
"Why do you keep trying to defend her?" He now glared at Lupin. Lupin sighed.
"You really are taking this was too seriously," he said, "besides, if you ask me I'd say you like her."
"What? Like her?! Oh, how did you work that one out? Was it because I shouted at her more loudly than anyone else?" Lupin was glad of the newspaper to hide the smirk that was creeping across his face.
"Well," he said innocently, "you are making all this effort to be in a mood with her."
"I'm not in a mood," repeated Sirius, "and I don't like her."
"Ok. so you don't like her. So stop being in a mood then." He looked sidelong at Sirius, who was glaring in front of him again.

The next morning Clara and Rose were making their way down the basement stairs to the kitchen when they passed Lupin on the way.
"Morning," he said.
"Morning."
"Oh, I wanted to ask," he turned to Rose, "do you want me to help you with this Defence Against the Dark Arts thing?"
"Yeah, Ok," said Rose, "erm, when?"
"Tonight?"
"Ok," Lupin smiled at her and continued up the stairs. Rose looked at Clara, who raised an eyebrow.
"Don't go looking at me like that," she laughed as they entered the kitchen. Much to Clara's satisfaction, she saw that Sirius wasn't at the table. Fred and George noticed Clara's smug look,
"He's taken his breakfast upstairs," said George.
"He was in a right mood," said Fred, "had a face like-"
"-a slapped arse," finished George gleefully.
"George!"
"Sorry mum."

Later that evening Rose was sitting in the living room on her own. She had her walkman on and was singing quietly to it.
"In my field of paper flowers, and candy clouds of lullaby."
"You can sing," said a voice approvingly. Rose almost fell off the sofa. Her eyes snapped open and her cheeks went slowly red. Lupin was standing at the doorway, smiling.
"How long have you been standing there?" she asked accusingly.
"Not long," he said innocently.
"Hmm, I bet," muttered Rose. Lupin shut the door behind him,
"Shall we start then?" He said.
"What?"
"Defence Against the Dark Arts," said Lupin patiently.
"Ohh right, yeah. Yes." Rose turned her walkman off and put it on the table beside the sofa, "so what first?" She asked.
"We can start with a stunning spell, it's easy enough." Rose got to her feet and Lupin showed her what to do.
"Got that?" He said. Rose nodded,
"I think so," she said, facing him.
"Ok, on the count of three. One. two. thr-" Lupin was knocked backwards by the spell and fell into the shelves by the wall.
"Woops," said Rose, hurrying over to him, "sorry," Lupin got to his feet and brushed his robe down,
"I'm ok," he said, "maybe not quite so much force to begin with." Rose looked apologetic. "Better put some cushions down next time too," Lupin added.
An hour, and many apologies, later they were both slumped on the sofa.
"I think that's enough for now," said Lupin. Rose agreed and looked around the room.
"We'd better clean up," she said. There were several cushions scattered across the floor and most of the thing on the shelves around the room had been smashed. Rose waved her wand lazily and the smashed ornaments flew back together and floated back onto the shelves neatly. With another wave the cushions piled them selves up neatly in the corner.
"There," she said, yawning, "good as new."
"You probably didn't need to bother with the ornaments," laughed Lupin, "I think Sirius was going to chuck them out anyway."
"Oh, well. He can chuck them out whole now." Rose got to her feet and stretched, "I'm so tired," she yawned.
"It does ware you out quite a bit," said Lupin, "you'd better go and get some sleep."
"Yeah, I think I will." Rose picked up her walkman and made for the door.
"Same time next week?" Said Lupin. Rose mumbled a vague agreement and made her way up to the bedroom.
As she opened the bedroom door she saw Clara laid on her back with a book open above her. She turned as Rose sunk onto her own bed.
"How was it?" She asked.
"It was all right," said Rose, getting ready for bed, "I hope I didn't hurt him too much," she added, "if it weren't for the cushions I think he'd be unconscious by now."
"Well, that's a good sign isn't it?" Laughed Clara, "it is supposed to be defence against the dark arts."
"Well yes," said Rose, "but even so." she climbed into bed, "anyway, we've organised a second lesson for next week." Clara grinned at her.
"What?"
"Nothing." Clara replied innocently and, smiling, turned back to her book.
"I see you've cheered up at any rate," said Rose at length.
"Oh," Clara stopped reading her book, "yeah," she said vaguely.
"You and Sirius, er, made up at all?" Hazarded Rose, already knowing the answer.
"No," said Clara quickly. A brief frown flickered across her face before she brightened up slightly.
"Anyway," she continued, "when he's not around there's no point in me being in a mood. He's not worth the effort," she sniffed. Rose made a sound of agreement some what muffled by her pillow.
"Because I don't like him," Clara added, just to make sure her point was understood.
"Obviously."