CHAPTER EIGHT

"A picnic?"

"Hahaha, no really? Are you serious?"

"Yes I'm serious!" Sirius snapped, "Now help me finish this fruit salad!"

James and Remus couldn't stop laughing. Sirius was desperately trying to make a fruit salad for his picnic with Emma in an hour.

"Why don't you just chop the strawberries with your wand, idiot?" James questioned with amusement.

Sirius put the knife down and looked at James, "I told you. Emma is a muggle. She is making her share of the food the muggle way. And I want to too. Besides, if it's all perfect then she might wonder if I really made it."

Remus rolled his eyes, "Well she is really going to wonder now; wonder why the orange slices are butchered and the cantaloupe mangled."

"The cantaloupes are not mangled you moron- OW!" Sirius pulled away from the counter holding his hand, which was bleeding freely.

"Oh Sirius I told you to be careful with that knife!" Remus moaned as he pulled out his wand and mumbled a spell. Sirius' hand stopped bleeding.

"Well sorry," Sirius said moodily, "I didn't mean to."

"Well does anyone really mean to chop their hand up?" James responded mockingly.

"You know what I meant."

"Oh yes. That you are a stubborn git."

Sirius gapped at James, "What?!"

"You heard me! You are stubborn! Come on Sirius, you're a wizard. Wizards use their wands." He said the last part slowly for emphasis.

Sirius just stood there. He knew James was right.

"It's not a sin or anything you know."

"Well," Sirius began, "I just wanted it to be fair."

Remus rolled his eyes, "Since when did you even care about being fair? Or when did you even care about a girls feeling?"

"I am always fair!" Sirius said defensively.

"Riiiiight."

"Whatever. I have to go soon anyways." Sirius took out his wand and said a spell as the fruits chopped themselves and fell with grace into the bowl.

"Why do you have to go now?" Remus questioned, "I thought your picnic wasn't until 12 o'clock?"

"Well yes," snapped Sirius, "But I have to walk there."

With that he snatched his fruit bowl and putting a lid on it walked briskly out the door.

Remus and James looked at each other a moment before saying in unison, "Why didn't he just apparate?" Then James spun towards the door.

"He was still wearing robes, wasn't he?"

"Crap. I think he was."

James ran to the door and shouted out, "Sirius! Get back here a sec!"

Sirius was only at the end of the driveway when he turned around. "What is it?"

"Your robes. Don't you need to change into muggle clothes?"

Sirius looked down at his black robes and quickly ran back to the house.

~*~

Emma sat on the ground looking at the grass. She wondered where Sirius was. Maybe he wouldn't show up, but that's stupid right? Emma glanced at her watch, only 20 minutes after noon- not that late? Not late enough to worry? The young girl shook her head and watched the sidewalk for signs of a person coming.

Then she felt a hand grab her shoulder. Emma stifled a scream as she jumped up and spun around to face the person opposing her.

She immediately relaxed as she recognized the dark hair and eyes of the young man standing before her.

"Sorry." He murmured, "I didn't mean to startle you."

"Oh. Oh no it's fine. I was just expecting you to come from the other way."

Sirius and Emma sat down on the blanket Sirius brought and laid out their food.

Sirius couldn't help but to feel slightly dumb having a picnic but he figured if Emma thought it was romantic, then who cares?

"Do you want a sandwich?" Emma asked, her eyes sparkling emerald

"Yeah, thanks."

They ate in silence a few minutes before Emma started up a conversation on some local band that everyone was hyping about. Sirius of course, had never even heard of it.

"And then there is a member named Dorian, he plays the bass. My sister is a friend with his cousin." she continued. "What type of music do you like?"

Sirius thought for a second. "I guess I'm pretty open to whatever I'm in the mood for."

"Yeah, I'm pretty much the same."

"Yeah"

There was more silence in which Sirius thought desperately for an interesting topic starter.

"So do um, do you have any hobbies?" Sirius immediately regretted starting such a cliché and boring conversation. It was like they were interviewing each other. What is your favorite kind of music? What about hobbies? Any sports?

But Emma didn't find anything wrong with the question. "Oh I write mostly. And play a little piano. How about you?"

"Oh I like to play Quiddi-" He stopped.

"What?"

"Um nothing," Sirius lied, "I like soccer."

Soccer? He thought to himself, what a completely boring game compared to Quidditch!

"So." began Emma scooting closer to Sirius.

Sirius looked at her. Her eyes were so big, green and bright. He could hardly look away from them, not like he wanted to.

Emma moved in closer still. She knew she was probably taking things a little fast, but it had been forever since she felt this way about somebody. And there was always Todd. but Todd didn't rule her life. she couldn't let him.

They were only mere inches apart now. She could see his gentle face and those dark orbs- pulling her in. She took in his casual clothes and the lake behind them before closing her eyes. But not without first noticing the odd-looking stick that stuck out of Sirius' coat pocket.

For a brief moment their lips met, but then Emma pulled away.

"What is that?" She asked quizzically.

"What is what?" Sirius was confused as to why Emma pulled back.

Emma pulled the stick-thing from his pocket, "This."

Sirius' heart skipped a beat.

Ohmygod he thought, my wand.