The next time Sirius saw James was at lunch.
"So how was your piggy bank?" He asked.
James grabbed his goblet. "Um, it was fine." He looked to Remus for some sort of explanation for Sirius's mood, but none came.
"Is Lily a good teacher?" He said, leaning back in his chair.
"Well of course! She's so brilliant! She's got this great idea for a prank that I think we could use on Snivelly." James told him.
He nodded to himself. "So we're not going to use my pranks anymore, is that it?"
"What?"
"Never mind." Sirius said, turning his attention to the Daily Prophet.
"Okay then," James gave the aloof-looking Sirius 'the look', and then turned his attention to Remus. "So Moony, you were the only one with that stupid essay?"
He sighed. "Yes. I hope I did Uric justice."
"Don't worry I'm sure you did. Oh. . .you're not going to be here tomorrow." James remembered disappointedly.
"No, no I'm not." He sipped his Pumpkin Juice. "Are you guys coming?"
Sirius perked up. "I'll come Moony, I'm a good friend."
James instantly took offense. "What's that supposed to mean? I'm just as good! I'll be there Remus!"
"Oh, I though you'd have a date with Lily." Sirius said, putting pepper in the salt shaker.
James looked down at the table. "Well, I do -- but I'll cancel."
"You can't do that, James!" Remus told him. "She'll want to know where you're going."
James looked around. He saw Lily looking very happy and chatting with her friends. So he hadn't thought that she would want to know. . .
"Not to mention it would be very rude." Sirius asked, turning the pages of his newspaper.
. . .Or that it would hurt her feelings. But he was only a guy.
"Well I'll see you Wednesday then." James said and rose from the table.
"Why'd you do that?" Remus asked the almighty Sirius as James walked away.
"Do what? You brought up who was coming tonight." He answered flatly.
He rolled his eyes. "Why are you having such a problem with Lil?"
"Lil? You call her Lil?" Sirius scoffed as he turned to the Quidditch scores.
"It's a nickname Padfoot. And she didn't do anything to you." Remus said, packing his textbooks back into his bag.
"That's true!" He protested?
"What are you talking about?"
"Well she's definitely doing something to me now!"
Remus stared at him. "You're nutters. You really are."
"Well," He gesticulated to some unknown destination. "I have my reasons."
Moony patted him on the head. "I'll see you in Herbology."
Sirius mumbled and turned the page of his paper.
"Sirius?" Ugh, it was Lily. Couldn't she ever get the point?
"Yes Lovely?" He answered, hoping to deter her.
"In the Owlry, I'm really sorry." She said. She sat down next to him.
He sighed. "Don't you get it? I don't like you."
He heard Lily let out a small gasp. "I--I didn't know that."
"Are you going to cry?" He asked her with a 'Oh-God-How-Girly' tone in his voice.
"No." She poured herself a glass of juice. "Why would I do that?"
Sirius rolled his eyes. "Just because girls get their feelings hurt so easily, you know. I figured because you're a girl-oh wait, you are a girl aren't you?"
SMACK!
So he was expecting it, and now was just hoping she would leave.
"Sirius Black, get a grip! And you wonder why I hated you!" Lily stood up. Not to leave though. She poured her pumpkin juice over his head. "It's obviously useless to try to be friends! I give up!" She began to storm off. "Oh, and bye the way,"
"Yes Lovely?"
"ETOURDIUS!" She whipped out her want and pointed it straight at Sirius. And you know what he did? He laughed. A lot. For a long amount of time.
*
"You know what Moony, I love Herbology." He said cheerily.
Remus raised an eyebrow. "You're very happy." He said as the entered the green house.
Professor Sprout ushered them in, a concerned look on her face and her earmuffs on.again. They hadn't seen those since second year.
"Come along, the second years forgot their earmuffs today. Or at least a good half of them."
Sirius burst into a fit of laughter.
Sprout eyed him. "So the fifth years-which is you-will be transplanting their mandrakes.
"How wonderful!" Sirius yelled sincerely.
James, who was sitting with Lily on the other side of the room, rolled his eyes. Moony caught this and shrugged. Lily, however, had a very smug look on her face.
"So put on your earmuffs," Sprout began.
"Oh they tickle!" Another round of chuckles from no one but Sirius.
"And get ready to pull the root. I hope you all remember how to do this." She motioned for them all to begin.
Sirius tugged at his plant and the shriveled looking baby that was the plant howled out some unknown emotion. Sirius examined it. "Aw little root, you're just so pretty. Almost a pretty as-" He looked around the room. There were the Slytherins, but that would be a bit insulting. "-as Lily!"
Lily dropped her root.
"Miss Evans, your mandrake!" Sprout called. Thank Merlin the earmuffs only blocked out mandrake calls, or Lily's mandrake would be incredibly mistreated and abused.
"Hurry Lily, pick it up." James instructed her. She bent down and the plant bit her on the finger.
"Ouch!" She screamed pushing the shrub into a pot of soil.
Sirius looked over. "What's wrong with her? Is she okay?" He asked worriedly.
"You're joking, right?" Moony looked at him.
"What happened?" Sirius repeated.
"The mandrake bit her." Moony said, watering his own terra cotta pot.
"Bit her?" And yes, he laughed so hard that he almost hyperventilated.
Remus placed a bit more soil in his pot, keeping his eye on the hysterical Sirius who had now collapsed. "Maybe you should go to Madame Pomfrey."
Sirius laughed.
"Professor, I am bringing Sirius to the infirmary." Remus helped him get to his feet.
Sprout looked at the boys. "He didn't take of his earmuffs, did he?"
Remus shook his head and pushed the giggling Sirius out of the door.
"Why are we leaving?" He asked cheerily.
Remus grunted. "To Pomfrey."
"Why?! I'm feeling good!" He said, sort of dancing around.
"That's exactly the problem."
*
"Well..." Madame Pomfrey said, examining the grinning Sirius. "He's...very happy..." She shook her head. "I've never seen anything like it."
Sirius sat on a bed. He smiled and seemed to radiate happiness.
Remus gave a concerned look. "Will it . . .stop?" He sort of grimaced when Padfoot giggled again.
"I can't say. How did this happen?" She asked Sirius. He smiled. "Well, I was talking to Evans, and get this:" He leaned closer to his small audience of two, and immeasurably huge smile on his face. "I think she charmed me!" He threw his head back and laughed wildly.
Pomfrey shook her head. "This isn't good." She mumble to herself, searching through her cabinets. "Lily is an excellent charmer . . ." She tutted and pulled out numerous bottles of strange colored liquids, sighing at Sirius every now and then. "A very good charmer . . ."
Remus looked at Sirius. Then at the occupied Pomfrey who was still mumbling about Lily.
"Sirius," He whispered. "Why did she charm you?"
He cocked an eyebrow. "She did charm me . . ." He smiled. This was ridiculous. Remus thought it was getting worse. Just then Lily burst through the infirmary door.
"Madame Pomfrey! I can help Sirius!" She panted a little, obviously she ran to the hospital wing.
"Miss Evans, are you aware that charming someone with your own charm is against the rules at Hogwarts." Pomfrey attempted to tell her off.
Lily turned her head and dismissed her. Remus laughed inwardly at this.
"Okay Sirius, come here." Lily demanded.
"Anything for you." He told her. She rolled her eyes.
"Eat this." She shoved an apple-looking fruit at him.
He took it from his hand. "Sure." He took a bite. All of the cheeriness left his face and Remus was a bit taken aback by the sad face . . . at least it looked sad compared to what it was before. He coughed. "Thanks."
"You're welcome." Lily snapped, and left the infirmary-slamming the door behind her.
"So how was your piggy bank?" He asked.
James grabbed his goblet. "Um, it was fine." He looked to Remus for some sort of explanation for Sirius's mood, but none came.
"Is Lily a good teacher?" He said, leaning back in his chair.
"Well of course! She's so brilliant! She's got this great idea for a prank that I think we could use on Snivelly." James told him.
He nodded to himself. "So we're not going to use my pranks anymore, is that it?"
"What?"
"Never mind." Sirius said, turning his attention to the Daily Prophet.
"Okay then," James gave the aloof-looking Sirius 'the look', and then turned his attention to Remus. "So Moony, you were the only one with that stupid essay?"
He sighed. "Yes. I hope I did Uric justice."
"Don't worry I'm sure you did. Oh. . .you're not going to be here tomorrow." James remembered disappointedly.
"No, no I'm not." He sipped his Pumpkin Juice. "Are you guys coming?"
Sirius perked up. "I'll come Moony, I'm a good friend."
James instantly took offense. "What's that supposed to mean? I'm just as good! I'll be there Remus!"
"Oh, I though you'd have a date with Lily." Sirius said, putting pepper in the salt shaker.
James looked down at the table. "Well, I do -- but I'll cancel."
"You can't do that, James!" Remus told him. "She'll want to know where you're going."
James looked around. He saw Lily looking very happy and chatting with her friends. So he hadn't thought that she would want to know. . .
"Not to mention it would be very rude." Sirius asked, turning the pages of his newspaper.
. . .Or that it would hurt her feelings. But he was only a guy.
"Well I'll see you Wednesday then." James said and rose from the table.
"Why'd you do that?" Remus asked the almighty Sirius as James walked away.
"Do what? You brought up who was coming tonight." He answered flatly.
He rolled his eyes. "Why are you having such a problem with Lil?"
"Lil? You call her Lil?" Sirius scoffed as he turned to the Quidditch scores.
"It's a nickname Padfoot. And she didn't do anything to you." Remus said, packing his textbooks back into his bag.
"That's true!" He protested?
"What are you talking about?"
"Well she's definitely doing something to me now!"
Remus stared at him. "You're nutters. You really are."
"Well," He gesticulated to some unknown destination. "I have my reasons."
Moony patted him on the head. "I'll see you in Herbology."
Sirius mumbled and turned the page of his paper.
"Sirius?" Ugh, it was Lily. Couldn't she ever get the point?
"Yes Lovely?" He answered, hoping to deter her.
"In the Owlry, I'm really sorry." She said. She sat down next to him.
He sighed. "Don't you get it? I don't like you."
He heard Lily let out a small gasp. "I--I didn't know that."
"Are you going to cry?" He asked her with a 'Oh-God-How-Girly' tone in his voice.
"No." She poured herself a glass of juice. "Why would I do that?"
Sirius rolled his eyes. "Just because girls get their feelings hurt so easily, you know. I figured because you're a girl-oh wait, you are a girl aren't you?"
SMACK!
So he was expecting it, and now was just hoping she would leave.
"Sirius Black, get a grip! And you wonder why I hated you!" Lily stood up. Not to leave though. She poured her pumpkin juice over his head. "It's obviously useless to try to be friends! I give up!" She began to storm off. "Oh, and bye the way,"
"Yes Lovely?"
"ETOURDIUS!" She whipped out her want and pointed it straight at Sirius. And you know what he did? He laughed. A lot. For a long amount of time.
*
"You know what Moony, I love Herbology." He said cheerily.
Remus raised an eyebrow. "You're very happy." He said as the entered the green house.
Professor Sprout ushered them in, a concerned look on her face and her earmuffs on.again. They hadn't seen those since second year.
"Come along, the second years forgot their earmuffs today. Or at least a good half of them."
Sirius burst into a fit of laughter.
Sprout eyed him. "So the fifth years-which is you-will be transplanting their mandrakes.
"How wonderful!" Sirius yelled sincerely.
James, who was sitting with Lily on the other side of the room, rolled his eyes. Moony caught this and shrugged. Lily, however, had a very smug look on her face.
"So put on your earmuffs," Sprout began.
"Oh they tickle!" Another round of chuckles from no one but Sirius.
"And get ready to pull the root. I hope you all remember how to do this." She motioned for them all to begin.
Sirius tugged at his plant and the shriveled looking baby that was the plant howled out some unknown emotion. Sirius examined it. "Aw little root, you're just so pretty. Almost a pretty as-" He looked around the room. There were the Slytherins, but that would be a bit insulting. "-as Lily!"
Lily dropped her root.
"Miss Evans, your mandrake!" Sprout called. Thank Merlin the earmuffs only blocked out mandrake calls, or Lily's mandrake would be incredibly mistreated and abused.
"Hurry Lily, pick it up." James instructed her. She bent down and the plant bit her on the finger.
"Ouch!" She screamed pushing the shrub into a pot of soil.
Sirius looked over. "What's wrong with her? Is she okay?" He asked worriedly.
"You're joking, right?" Moony looked at him.
"What happened?" Sirius repeated.
"The mandrake bit her." Moony said, watering his own terra cotta pot.
"Bit her?" And yes, he laughed so hard that he almost hyperventilated.
Remus placed a bit more soil in his pot, keeping his eye on the hysterical Sirius who had now collapsed. "Maybe you should go to Madame Pomfrey."
Sirius laughed.
"Professor, I am bringing Sirius to the infirmary." Remus helped him get to his feet.
Sprout looked at the boys. "He didn't take of his earmuffs, did he?"
Remus shook his head and pushed the giggling Sirius out of the door.
"Why are we leaving?" He asked cheerily.
Remus grunted. "To Pomfrey."
"Why?! I'm feeling good!" He said, sort of dancing around.
"That's exactly the problem."
*
"Well..." Madame Pomfrey said, examining the grinning Sirius. "He's...very happy..." She shook her head. "I've never seen anything like it."
Sirius sat on a bed. He smiled and seemed to radiate happiness.
Remus gave a concerned look. "Will it . . .stop?" He sort of grimaced when Padfoot giggled again.
"I can't say. How did this happen?" She asked Sirius. He smiled. "Well, I was talking to Evans, and get this:" He leaned closer to his small audience of two, and immeasurably huge smile on his face. "I think she charmed me!" He threw his head back and laughed wildly.
Pomfrey shook her head. "This isn't good." She mumble to herself, searching through her cabinets. "Lily is an excellent charmer . . ." She tutted and pulled out numerous bottles of strange colored liquids, sighing at Sirius every now and then. "A very good charmer . . ."
Remus looked at Sirius. Then at the occupied Pomfrey who was still mumbling about Lily.
"Sirius," He whispered. "Why did she charm you?"
He cocked an eyebrow. "She did charm me . . ." He smiled. This was ridiculous. Remus thought it was getting worse. Just then Lily burst through the infirmary door.
"Madame Pomfrey! I can help Sirius!" She panted a little, obviously she ran to the hospital wing.
"Miss Evans, are you aware that charming someone with your own charm is against the rules at Hogwarts." Pomfrey attempted to tell her off.
Lily turned her head and dismissed her. Remus laughed inwardly at this.
"Okay Sirius, come here." Lily demanded.
"Anything for you." He told her. She rolled her eyes.
"Eat this." She shoved an apple-looking fruit at him.
He took it from his hand. "Sure." He took a bite. All of the cheeriness left his face and Remus was a bit taken aback by the sad face . . . at least it looked sad compared to what it was before. He coughed. "Thanks."
"You're welcome." Lily snapped, and left the infirmary-slamming the door behind her.