The next morning, when Sirius woke up he was the only one left in the room. It was Sunday morning – no, Sunday afternoon at 12:45pm he discovered as he glanced groggily at his clock – and he was not in any great hurry to get up. He was still pissed off at Remus for interfering, although his anger had waned quite a bit. He sighed loudly as he rolled over onto his back. The dorm room was filled with sunlight, and no matter how much he wanted to, it seemed impossible that he would be able to fall back asleep.
Sirius rolled lazily out of bed, and caught himself with his feet before falling to the ground. He ran a hand through his hair and stood up. Like a zombie, he made his way from the room after grabbing some clothes, and headed towards the showers. Maybe that would wake him, he mused.
After showering and dressing, Sirius realized something that greatly annoyed him. His resolution of last night was not working at all. All he could really think about was Circe, and he was desperate to find her so he could swallow his pride and apologize.
And even though the fight had not been entirely his fault, he knew that she blamed him anyway and he wanted to fix that.
It was clear that he was in no way over Circe Bloom.
When Sirius got down to the common room, there were only three people in there. Two second year boys and one first year girl. He ignored them and headed from Gryffindor tower in search of lunch.
He made his way silently through the halls, deeply engrossed in thought. What would he do when he got his chance to talk to Circe? He had no idea what he would say, and was sure that she would probably not even want to talk to him. He scowled. Since when did he need to think of something to say? He never had to think about what he would say to girls, witty conversation always came naturally to him. It was one of the reasons he was so popular.
Oh well, he mused. There was no hope for it. He was going to have to bite the bullet and talk to her, whether she wanted to listen or not.
Circe had finished her lunch quickly, anxious to get back to Gryffindor Tower and up into her dormitory. She had left her Transfiguration homework to the last minute and was frantic to get it done. She hated Transfiguration.
Another reason she had wanted to escape the Great Hall early was because she did not want to have to face Sirius Black when he finally came down for food, which he inevitably would. She foolishly wished that his attention towards her wasn't because of how she looked now. She had always had a little crush on him, and they had been friends. But the only reason he was even attracted to her now was completely superficial. And she was so angry with him that she was afraid she might physically attack him if they even came close.
Even though she knew that Seamus had been a real jerk yesterday, she had hoped that Sirius would be the better man and walk away. But he was far to conceited to do anything like that. If he had cared about her, he would have walked away. "Stupid prat" she muttered to herself as she rounded a corner, completely lost in her own thoughts.
SMACK. Circe fell backwards and landed on her butt after she walked straight into a strong, solid person. Christ! Didn't people ever look where they were going anymore? She got up off the ground and brushed her bangs out of her eyes, turning to look at the person she had walked into – the person who now stood stalk still starring at her.
"Watch where you're go-" she began to accuse angrily when she finally noticed who it was that she had bumped into. She stopped speaking and scowled darkly at the shocked face of Sirius. Why did it have to be him?
"Circe," he muttered, running a hand through his hair and starring at her apprehensively. His expression would have been comical if she hadn't been so mad.
"Black," she returned in the coldest voice she could muster. He narrowed his eyes in annoyance at her and she almost smiled in triumph. Good, she thought, be annoyed you arrogant berk. She started to walk past him but he sidestepped, blocking her passage. She glared up at him. "Let me get past," she growled.
"Why should I?" Sirius asked arrogantly, crossing his arms and sidestepping again when she tried to get past him again.
"Let me get past before I hit you," her tone was low and she crossed her arms so she wouldn't slap him.
He shrugged and a taunting smile crossed his face. "Hit me? All I want to do is talk to you Ms Bloom" his voice was condescending and her hand clenched into a fist that ached to slug him.
"I don't want to talk to you!" She said vehemently. Sirius's eyes flashed with an emotion she didn't recognize on him but she didn't analyze it.
"Come on," he teased in mocking tones, "sure you do. Everybody likes to talk to me. Except Snape."
Circe exploded. She was getting so sick of his arrogance and his self-assuredness! "No! I really don't! I'm sick of talking to you! You're constantly trying to ruin everything and I'm so sick of it! Just-"
He started as if slapped, a hurt expression crossing his features for an instant, but then his eyes narrowed dangerously and she wasn't even sure if the hurt had really been there at all. "You won't even wait to see if I apologize!" he interrupted her, his voice rising angrily. "You just stand there all haughty as if everything is entirely my fault! Well, your ass of a boyfriend deserved it and you know it! You're just too stuck up to admit it." He finished.
"I'm stuck up?" Her voice rose too and she glared at him, barking a mocking laugh. "You're the one who's too conceited to realize that maybe one girl in the world isn't madly in love with you! You won't leave me alone, and the only reason you have anything to do with me is because I'm not fat anymore!"
He opened his mouth to say something, but then seemed to decide against it at the last moment. He scowled at her instead. "That's not true."
"Yes it is!" She said, feeling a slight pang of hurt. "That's why you're jealous of Seamus!"
"I'm not jealous," he scoffed but she was unconvinced. His actions spoke differently.
Circe was seething and wanted to end this conversation now. "God-dammit Black! Must you ruin my life every chance you get? I wish you would just leave me alone! You're nothing but an arrogant self absorbed –"
"I like you," Sirius said calmly but with enough confidence to interrupt her. The anger and annoyance was gone from him, his expression was unreadable.
"Jerk who spends all his time" she stopped her tirade suddenly as if hit, "what did you just say?"
"I like you," he stated again with a shrug, as if it didn't matter.
"No - no you don't." Circe stuttered as a flush covered her face. She wasn't sure why, but those three words made her angrier than she had ever been.
Sirius raised an eyebrow condescendingly. "How would you know?"
"I just do!" He shrugged again as she yelled the words out.
"Think what you will," he began to walk away, his face impassive and a strange expression in his eyes. "I'm going to get some lunch."
Circe was left alone in the hall, flustered and confused as to what had just happened. Sirius Black, one of the most popular guys in school, had just said that he liked her. The same Sirius who she almost hated for his constant interference in her life since their sixth year had started. He constantly annoyed her, constantly harassed her, she should be disgusted that he had said what he had said.
And Circe realized that she was smiling.
Sirius didn't greet his friends as he took his usual seat at the Gryffindor House table in the Great Hall. James was the only one to notice his strange mood as both Peter and Remus were in deep discussion with Kelsey Smithettes. James nudged him in the shoulder and his expression asked Sirius what was wrong.
What was wrong? Everything. His discussion with Circe did not go at all as he had planned. He had had it all worked out in his mind. He was going to 'run into her' in the Dining Hall and than he was going to causally suggest that they talk. They would then go into a private classroom where she would start to yell at him. But he would say something witty and winning and she wouldn't be mad at him anymore. She would see that he was right in whatever argument he made and then she would break up with Seamus. And everything would be happily ever after.
But it hadn't happened like that. Instead, he had come off sounding even more arrogant. He hadn't meant to tell her that he liked her, it had just come out and after he said the words there was no way he would ever be able to take. And her reaction had hit him hard. She hadn't seemed happy ... she had seemed disgusted.
"Padfoot?" James elbowed Sirius pulling him away from his thoughts. "What happened?" James, who had known Sirius and was his best friend for years, knew precisely what the source of Sirius's moping.
"I ran into Bloom in the hallway," Sirius shrugged, trying to make it seem as though this meant nothing to him.
James gave him a pitying look. "I saw her earlier and she was still furious about what happened yesterday. Did she yell at you?"
Sirius barked a self-deprecating laugh, "Just a little."
James gave him a clap on the back and muttered "girls."
"Well Prongs, who needs them anyway?" Sirius said, attempting to sound like his cocky self.
James laughed and took a sip of his drink. "We do."
A/N: Thanks to everybody who has reviewed!! Hope you like this chapter ... there are better ones yet to come :P ...
