Disclaimer: See Chapter 1.
"All we have is Divination, we can just pretend to work," Lily said, walking with Treasure to the Divination classroom. Treasure nodded her agreement and after a moment said, "Lily, did I just hear you right? You are going to fake-work?"
"Catch on quick, don't you?"
Treasure opened her mouth to answer but then yelped and shuddered as if feeling something crawl up her spine. She turned around and saw Sirius standing behind her, his hand out stretched. She glared at him and pulled out her wand. "You are really begging me to Curse you," she threatened, her lips twitching in an unwilling smile. Her hair seemed to crackle with energy, as if she wanted nothing more than to have an all out duel with Sirius right here in the corridor.
Lily stood with her arms across her chest, glaring angrily at Sirius. James came and stood next to his best friend defiantly. Pretty as Evans undoubtedly was, some broad would not come between him and Padfoot. It was against the Marauder's Code. But as Lily turned her icy stare on him, James half-felt the need to back down. Looking past Lily's shoulder he saw something to distract Sirius from torturing his girl's best friend…and maybe saving Sirius a trip to the Infirmary. Treasure looked murderous, and delightedly so.
Students had, as usual, gathered around to see what would happen next. James cleared his throat hastily, "Padfoot, look who it is. I'll be damned, its our dear friend Snivellus," James sneered. Sirius, looking away from Treasure with the alertness of a hunting dog, spotted the greasy haired Slytherin walking hunched next to Bellatrix Black, who was looking a bit lank herself.
Treasure started to laugh. "Oh, Bella, dear, what on earth did you do to your hair? Been hiding in the dungeons for too long? You look like a rat," she sneered. Lily bit her lip, she hated it when Treasure deliberately picked a fight. While Treasure's little spats with Sirius might be more fun and games than actually malevolence, it wasn't the case with Bellatrix. Then again, Lily thought, she, Bellatrix, really did have it coming. Lily let her wand slip comfortably into her hand from up her sleeves, ready incase the skinny Slytherin was going to pull something like she did on the Hogwarts express. Still, as a Prefect and with all those first years milling about, Lily thought it was her duty to prevent a massacre where she could.
"Come on, Treasure, don't cause trouble. We haven't even been here for a month yet! Quidditch didn't even start yet!" she begged, checking her watch. "Besides, we're gonna be late!"
Sirius eyed Treasure, wanting to see what she would do. Treasure sighed. "Oh come on, Lils, we have six whole minutes to get up to the Divination tower. And Professor D'yani doesn't say anything if we're late, except that she's 'Seen' it," she whined. "Besides," Treasure said angrily, "that little wretch got a spell on me last time I saw her. It's time I got her for it - except I wont wait until her back is turned!"
Lily didn't argue, but she really didn't need Treasure to have detention for the next week. It seemed she'd just have to watch this one out. Bellatrix's head would probably be set alight before this was over.
Meanwhile, Sirius was walking up to Severus. "Oh, found yourself a girlfriend, have you, Snivellus?" he said snidely. Lily rolled her eyes - apparently, Black wouldn't allow Treasure of have all the spotlight. If there was to be a duel, Sirius would have to have in on it too. Lily was getting more exasperated by the second.
"Who would ever want to be seen with a slimeball like him?" James taunted.
"You leave him alone, Potter!" Lily said loudly, pointing her wand at James. James, for his part, look mildly shocked. Severus, his eyes darting to Lily triumphantly, had his wand out in an instant.
"Oh, look - the Mudblood's got a crush on you, Sev," Bellatrix said snidely.
"Be quiet, Bella," Severus hissed.
"Don't tell me you fancy this ugly little worm, Evans?" James snarled angrily.
"He's a great sight better than you, Potter! At least he doesn't go running about jinxing third years to make himself seem more important! You're pathetic, James Potter!" Lily said angrily, hurrying to place herself between Severus and James.
"Stand aside, Lily," Severus said quietly. Treasure looked mildly disgusted, and more than a little mortified that Lily would go through so much trouble for a Slytherin. James looked enraged, and took quick advantage of the situation by snarling "Avis!" and gesturing violently with his wand. A flock of angry birds exploded from the tip and headed towards Snape, who brandished his wand quickly and had them fall, useless, to the ground.
"Potter!" Lily shouted, sending a stream of charmed bubbles at him. James looked surprised until the bubbles burst into a storm of hornets, which swarmed around him angrily. James roared in pain as the hornets attacked him ruthlessly. Bellatrix aimed a hex at Treasure, but Sirius shouted "Protego!" so quickly that his cousin was knocked over. Treasure grinned her thanks at him and Disarmed the other brunette, who shrieked in anger and Treasure Levitated her wand to rest on the ledges that held lamps along the walls. She then waved her wand at Lily's hornets, shrugged apologetically as the hornets transformed into harmless flower petals with tiny popping sounds.
Lily, furious, made her way to the Divination tower and James followed hastily, much to Snape's displeasure. He Summoned Bellatrix's wand down from the ceiling as the hallway began to empty. Treasure and Sirius turned to go, and Treasure yelped as the hot air of a jinx buzzed past her ear and hit Sirius, who instantly went ramrod straight and fell to the floor.
"That's for Potter," Snape snarled, his lip curling as Treasure knelt by Sirius to undo the hex. She sent a curse after Severus, regardless of Lily might say, and one after Bellatrix for good measure, but the two vanished around the corner of the corridor in a swirl of black robes and their only effect was to send the inhabitants of a few portraits screaming into other frames.
"Sorry," Treasure muttered, releasing Sirius from the Full Body-Bind. "That's the second time your cousin has run away from me without a scratch on her! It's a bad habit," Treasure groused.
"That good for nothing git!" Sirius snapped, seeming to not hear her and standing up to brush his robes off angrily. Treasure rolled her eyes and grabbed his arm as he made to go after Snape.
"C'mon, Black, we're going to be late for class. Lily's going to give me hell as it is, I'm willing to bet. Don't worry, I wont tell James that Snape got one over you," she said. Sirius grumbled angrily, but allowed her to lead him to the Divination tower anyway.
When Treasure and Sirius finally got to class - everyone else having gone on ahead -Professor Dyani was waiting in the stuffy room. She swooped down on them like a hawk, "I shall not ask where you have been, for I have Seen it," ("Huh, imagine that," muttered Treasure.)
"I will not have couples strolling leisurely in the hall," the Professor continued, her large blue eyes fastened on the four who had entered late. The class snickered. "Ooh, Treasure and Sirius," Violet McKenzie called out in a singsong voice. She and Isabelle Pearl, another Gryffindor fifth year, tittered away infuriatingly, and Treasure felt her face heat.
"Take your seats, five points shall be taken from Gryffindor from each of you," Professor D'yani snapped.
"Speaking of which, today we shall be studying the Zodiac, how it effects personalities, and its impact on compatibility between people," she said, her hostile manor dissipating with the smoke that filled the room, making it very difficult to breathe. "We shall only be doing this, however, until the crystal balls come in. There has been a delay in the order," she explained, as if people were dying to know why they were denied crystal gazing. Professor D'yani waved her wand and charts of the Zodiac flew to each table. The four who were late had no choice but to sit together. James was the only one who didn't seem to be too perturbed by this.
"So, Evans, what does it say about our compatability?" he asked cheekily. She rolled her eyes, and Treasure could see her sucking her teeth in an attempt to refrain from sending another horde of hornets after him.
"You think you're real clever, don't you James? It doesn't take any of this," Lily indicated the Zodiac charts, "to understand that our compatibility is zero." Treasure grinned, itching to push her friend's buttons once more, especially after her show of solidarity with a Slytherin.
"I don't know, Lily, James is a Pisces and you're a Leo…water and fire. They say that opposites attract, you know," she suggested. Sirius chuckled, "There's still hope, then, eh James?"
"Oh, and what about you, Treasure? Aries and…hmm, Sirius is a Gemini. Air and fire work out pretty well," Lily shot back.
"He wishes," she snorted. Sirius raised an eyebrow.
"You better be grateful you get me, Belle, you could be stuck with Pettigrew," he said. Treasure narrowed her eyes. "And who says that you are the better deal? Need I remind you of that awful prank you pulled on me in last period? Or have you forgotten?" she asked angrily.
"Have you forgotten how I saved your tail from a rather nasty curse of Bella's, Tres? What's the matter? Not feeling up to par, lately? Can't hold you own?" he taunted haughtily.
"As if I need you to protect me, Sirius Black! I could blast you to pieces right here!" she hissed.
"It's a promise!" she spat, not about to be intimidated into losing ground, and leaning in until they were nose to nose.
But before she could finish that thought, Sirius closed the distance between them and kissed her on the lips. Lily gasped, and since it was quiet in the room, others stopped to look. Treasure pulled away so quickly she tipped back and nearly fell off her armchair. The class burst into laughter, Isabelle and Violet not bothering to hide the jealous glances that they tossed Treasure's way. It was a well known fact that Sirius was perhaps the best looking boy in the school, preferred above even James and Remus.
"As I said, I have Seen this," Professor D'yani said loftily. Treasure was staring wide eyed at Sirius, her hand over her mouth in shock. James was grinning widely, and Lily was suppressing her own laughter.
"Another five points from Gryffindor, I thought this class would be a bit more mature with this topic," the Professor said. Treasure let out a breath; class couldn't end soon enough, but even when it did she would never hear the end of this one.