Chapter Seven

Sirius jogged back down to the Pitch, Wormtail's soccer ball tucked under his arm, talking with Frank. His Shooting Star was over his shoulder and a grin was lurking on his face at the prospect of playing Quidditch with Sarah. He had no idea, really, why he was so taken with Sarah Finn. He supposed it was because she treated him like a normal person, treated him exactly the same as all the other boys. Well, almost the same, he thought. She hadn't kissed all the other boys. His grin turned into a small laugh.

Frank went off to the field as Sirius grabbed a spare Beater's bat from the supplies shed. He met the rest of the group on the smooth green grass of the Quidditch Pitch, breathed in the soft scent of grass and earth, and rose into the air with the others. Sarah smiled at him and he felt his heart beat a little faster as her long dark hair streamed behind her and her deep blue eyes seemed to pull his grey ones into them. He blinked and swept his hair out of his face impatiently.

They tossed the soccer ball about, Sirius swinging at it with his bat once in a while, causing the others to duck hurriedly. After a bit, they tired of flying and landed in a huddle on the Pitch, lounging on the turf and talking. Sirius lay back on the lawn with his eyes closed, feeling the coolness of the ground seep into him. Sarah sat near Sirius with her knees tucked under her, chatting with Remus about Transfiguration, and smoothing Sirius' hair back from his face absentmindedly. Lily and Frank were still tossing the soccer ball back and forth, Frank quizzing the Muggle-born Lily about this odd sport the Muggles seemed to enjoy so much. He couldn't seem to understand why they would want to play anything that didn't involve broomsticks and small cannonballs.

The sun beamed down on the happy teenagers, all cloud cover gone now due to the warm breeze that had started up. Sarah swept her slightly damp hair back and tugged on Sirius's hand, pouting about wanting to get back inside the cool castle. He relented easily, after she said in a playfully threatening voice "Sirius Black, I am going to leave you here with these young ruffians if you don't come with me." He replied by way of gripping her hand and making her tow him off the ground, and then he held it delicately and kissed it in a very courtly manner before letting her tug him all the way off the Pitch, while he waved jovially to the rest of the group still sprawled on the lawn. He loved being with her, loved the way her eyes twinkled when she looked at him (even when she was shouting at him). He stopped her behind a nearby pine tree and pulled her into a hug, breathing in the cool, clean scent of her. She hugged him back before pushing away enough to give him a swift kiss on the cheek and run back up to the castle, her dark hair billowing behind her in the breeze.

Sirius doubled back to collect his broomstick as Frank and Remus walked toward the Entrance Hall behind Sarah. He grabbed his broom and spotted Lily shutting the battered door to the supply shed. Sirius strolled casually toward her; she waved at him and fell into step beside him as they walked back up the rolling green lawn. Lily tucked her red hair neatly behind her ears, and glanced at him before saying, "You really like her, don't you? Sarah?" she looked puzzled.

"Well yeah," said Sirius, slightly taken aback at her almost suspicious manner. "I do."

"Well, I mean, do you—really like her or is she just... just a girl? I mean, you're...er... popular, and you must have a lot of girls after you, and so I was just making sure..."

"—making sure I wouldn't break her heart." Sirius finished the sentence for her and she nodded, pulling out her little Puffskein again.

"Lily," Padfoot said seriously, turning her to face him squarely, "I have never liked another girl the way I like Sarah. Happy? But I'm afraid that you're not the only protective friend here. What of Remus? And James?"

She looked as though she would quite like to hit him. He gave her his most charming smile and brushed his hair back. She took a deep breath before answering. "I like Remus, Mr. Black. I don't intend to do anything to hurt him. And as for Potter, he seems to be acting a little less—conceited—lately... but why would you ask me about him?" she inquired shrewdly. He rolled his eyes at her, wondering how such a top student could be so stupid.

"He fancies you, obviously." he said, putting emphasis on the last word. She clapped a hand over her mouth and said, in a slightly muffled voice, "He does not."

Sirius assured her that he did, and wondered aloud what she intended to do about it. Lily said she didn't care in the least about who Potter liked, since he was such a show-off jock. Sirius's eyes flashed with a sudden anger, but he replied in a level voice. "You haven't bothered getting to know him." She couldn't seem to find a reply, and so he changed the subject.

"Well, I guess we have one thing in common... we're both the 'protective friends'. It would be a pity for the two 'protectors' to rip each other's throats out, especially one as pretty as yours," he grinned at her and she scoffed playfully before skipping up the stone steps leading to the Entrance Hall. Evans isn't so bad, thought Padfoot as he held the door for her. Maybe we could end up friends in spite of all this drama...

The two unlikely walking partners actually found themselves chatting normally as they strolled into the Great Hall for lunch.

"After you," he said, bowing ironically as she walked through the door. He swept his black hair out of his face impatiently again, grinning. "A woman can never resist a humble servant," he said. She laughed, deciding not to let his flirtatious personality bother her. They looked toward the Gryffindor table, and, spotting James and Remus, sat down next to them, debating now about who was the favorite for the Quidditch Cup this year.

Remus and James both seemed confused and amused by the sudden change in Lily's attitude toward Sirius, and Sirius saw Moony shoot Lily a puzzled glance. Evans shook her head and mouthed something at him. She turned the conversation to O.W.L.'s, inquiring about the amount of studying the boys had done. Sirius laughed heartily at the prospect of actually beginning his studying this early (and the idea of studying at all), but the moment was spoilt by a passing group of green-clad Slytherin girls who decided to throw a snide comment at them about Lily's Muggle-born heritage. Sirius subconsciously felt his protectiveness spreading to include Lily as one of his friends, as he rose to face the girls, his hand clasped around his wand in the pocket of his robes. He had opened his mouth to give them a telling-off, or better yet to hex them, but Remus spoke first. Sirius contented himself with glaring at the girls, and they sauntered off.

"Slimy gits, the whole lot of them," Sirius said to nobody in particular, sweeping his lengthy hair out of his face once more. He tired of having it in his face all the time, but he wasn't confident enough in his Severing Charm ability to try and trim it himself. Oh well, he thought, the girls seem to like it. He tried not to grin as a bunch of Ravenclaw girls sighed audibly behind him, not disappointed in the least that none of them was Sarah. He would despise it if she drooled over him.

They finished lunch and Sirius left the hall with James, talking lightheartedly about (go figure) girls. "So... what's going on lately between you and Sarah?" James inquired, a wicked grin on his face. Sirius grinned and said, in his most formal voice, "A gentleman wouldn't say." He smoothed the front of his robes, a haughty look playing across his handsome features. James snorted and Sirius shoved his shoulder playfully, his stately manner dropped.