Late on Sunday night, one week after Hogsmeade, all four Marauders commandeered the two couches near the fireplace in the common room to discuss business. Their victims for 'Winter Wonderland' were, of course, none other than Slytherins. Everything was planned for the final day before Christmas holidays for two reasons. One was so that the Marauders would be remembered over the festive period, and the second was very simple. No detention.
"We're running low on those Chinese red dragons fireworks," James whispered urgently. "Could you pick up some more, Padfoot, when you're not 'busy'?" James gave a sly wink indicating what kind of busy he meant.
"I might be enjoying myself," pouted Sirius, gaining a couple of laughs from the group. "But I'm sure I can find time between the dates. Why can't you go yourself, Prongs?"
"Hello," James waved his hand at the silver badge pinned to his robes, "I can't be seen incriminating myself. Besides," James grinned mischievously, "I'll be keeping a certain red-haired Head Girl entertained while you guys are off causing trouble."
"Lily will kill you if she finds out," mentioned Remus, who was still quite pale from the last full moon four nights ago.
"Don't remind me. I'm hoping that she won't find out this time," James glared at Peter as if to convey the horrible images of what would happen if Lily was told.
"I won't tell her, I promise," Peter said, squirming slightly. "She just caught me out last time with her cleverness."
"I know what you mean," James became transfixed, staring absently into the fire. "She's so beautiful, kind, honest…Merlin, I even love her temper - it's just amazing!"
"You have it bad," burst in Sirius, pushing dark locks out of his eyes and grinning at his best friend. "You think that her insulting you is cute?"
James just glared at Sirius for interrupting his daydream.
"Well, at least Lily tries not to make them public outbursts, as Raine seems to have a habit for," commented Remus with a definite twinkling in his grey eyes.
"Yes," said Peter, "She called you a moron in front of practically the whole of Hogsmeade."
"Will you please shut up about it," complained Black. He threw a pillow at Remus when he noticed Moony's face suggesting something Sirius did not want to consider and for bringing up the topic again.
"Ooh, I think you hit a nerve there, old Moony," smirked James as he watched his best friend become increasingly uncomfortable.
"There is no nerve to hit, just an annoyance at my friends believing that I need to deflate my ego every ten minutes," said Sirius exasperated.
However Black's mind drifted back to the glimpses of Raine he saw when going between classes. She had completely tried to avoid him this week, which was fine by Sirius, because he needed the time to think. The old lady in the dress shop had puzzled him. It was obvious what kind of trouble he getting himself into, but with whom? Surely she hadn't meant Raine. But the memory of Raine in the green dress, breathing gently on his neck and the soft feeling of her hair nearly convinced him otherwise. Damn it! For once I felt obliged not to act on my urges. When did I become the gentleman? Another voice spoke, When you decided that you were falling in love. Bloody hell!
"Did you even prank her like you'd planned?" asked Peter
Sirius stuttered his answer, "I…I forgot…to…and now it's … it's too late."
"How," Peter asked, "did you miss the opportunity of pulling a prank on her?"
"Please explain," chorused James and Remus together. An idea had formed in both their minds about their dear Padfoot and his "student".
"I got preoccupied looking at the girls changing," shrugged Sirius. Not all the girls - just one whispered his traitorous mind.
"Poor Padfoot." James patted Sirius heartily on the back. "Being distracted by allthe girls in the world".
"Was Raine trying a dress on?" probed Remus.
"Ye-es. I walked in when she came out of her cubical," said Sirius, uneasy as to where Remus' questioning was taking him.
"I see."
"See what, Moony?" Sirius was beginning to get testy.
Only because, the voice echoing in his head said, he's getting closer to the truth, and he's not as thick as you are!
"I see that maybe the distraction was the person who was suppose to be the prank target," Remus gave a smug smile while James looked on thoughtfully. Peter stayed confused in the corner.
Sirius could feel his cheeks getting warmer and warmer, which meant he was blushing. For Merlin sake! He hadn't blushed since fifth year! James and Remus were waiting for an answer to their friend's discomfort, but luckily, at that very moment, Sara saved him. Thank God for Sara, exclaimed Black to himself.
Sara skipped nervously to where the Marauders were sitting. She was lucky that Raine hadn't appeared after dinner and couldn't be found in the girls' dormitary as this gave Sara the perfect excuse to look good in front of Sirius Black without being worried about someone else stealing the spotlight away from her. Raine's advice at Hogsmeade had made Sara a bit tougher despite rejection, and when Sirius had been standing by her in the dressing room, she realised that she had to make him fall in love with her. Now here she was, standing in front of the Marauders with her hair and make-up done, ready to converse, though it did annoy her that they were already talking Raine and not herself. But the opportunity of speaking to Black outweighed all trivial matters.
"Erm…sorry to interrupt." Sara gave a dazzling smile to them all and then focussed on Sirius. "But do you know where Raine is?" She gazed down at Sirius, taking in his good looks. He was tall, dark and handsome. Just like Prince Charming should be! she mused.
"No," replied Sirius, who was a little put out because James was giving him the knowing wink and pointing to Sara with thumbs up.
"Well, I though you might have tutored her earlier." Sara sighed dramatically. "I haven't seen her since her last class when she was talking to Snape…" Sirius' ears perked up at this "…and I haven't seen her in her usual spots – the Great Hall or the library or by the lake."
"Why would she be speaking to Snape?" growled Black at the thought of those two…the image was too horrible even to think about.
"It's weird," agreed Sara (she would agree with anything Black had to say),"but they're really old family friends."
"Snape would never voluntarily befriend a muggle," mentioned James.
"Oh no, Jenkins is her stepfather's surname – he's the muggle. Raine's actually a pureblood. Her mother remarried some years after her father was murdered," Sara explained, then her face fell. "I wasn't suppose to tell you. In fact she never told me herself, her mum did"
"I'll help you find her," said Sirius picking himself up off the couch in one fluid movement.
Sara face filled with happiness; she was going to spend time alone with the Sirius Black. All the other girls will be jealous. She would have done a dance of celebration with Raine, but that would be embarrassing in front of Black. "Thank you," she managed to gush out.
"No problem," Sirius said, waving Sara away since she was trying to attach herself to him, "I can't have Raine breaking her wand or something. The test is next week."
Black really hoped this serious reason would convince James and Remus of the unlikelihood of him and Raine becoming an item. Unfortunately it didn't - both Prongs and Moony were grinned themselves silly as if Christmas had come early.
Merlin's beard! screamed Black inside his head.
A few hours later Sirius was contemplating hitting his head on a hard wall. Sara had talked none stop about herself, and while he had to admit that she was very charming and pretty and if he wasn't going through this strange period of girl trouble he would have had no problem whisking her away to the astronomy tower. But Raine kept popping back into his head whenever such an idea presented itself. And another thing; Sara didn't seem that upset at not finding Raine in the last two hours of searching. They had double-checked all Raine's favourite places and even stayed in the transfiguration classroom for twenty minutes. All this was annoying Black, so that he stopped in the middle of the corridor.
"What's wrong, Sirius?" Sara asked apprehensively.
Merlin help me, thought Sirius, she sounds as if she thinks this is a date and I'm dumping her.
"Look, we've spent two hours searching and no Raine," he waved his hands about as if to prove a point. "I suggest we pick different routes and search. That way we cover more ground quicker."
"But how will I know if you find her?" pouted Sara. She was quite displeased with his idea and would try anything to stop him.
"Let's meet up …say, in an hour …by the Fat Lady's Portrait," said Sirius.
"Okay," agreed Sara, though her face told of her disappointment. "Good luck," she called when Sirius started to walk in the opposite direction.
"You too."
If I was Raine and hadn't appeared all days at the Great Hall- or any places with a large number of other students - where would I need to go? Sirius pondered this for a few minutes, then the solution came to him. The kitchen. Raine would need to eat, and hadn't he shown her where the kitchens were? He raced down several other halls, only once nearly being caught by Mrs Norris. Reaching the painting with the fruit bowl, he tickled the pear and walked into the kitchens.
At once a house-elf appeared at his elbow bowing deeply. "Master Black," he squeaked, "how can I serve you."
"I was wondering if you can tell me if a girl with messy brown hair covering most of her face and blue eyes has been eating here recently," asked Black politely.
"Yes, yes, Miss Raine has been coming in here all week," answered the house elf. "In fact she is eating right now at the table at the back."
"Good," voiced Sirius, showing triumph at finding Raine at last. "Then could I have a mug of hot chocolate? I'll be sitting with the girl."
The elf smiled and bowed again, disappearing into the large kitchens of Hogwarts. Sirius walked quietly over to the hunched figure that was sipping tea, and slid in next to her on the bench. Raine only notice the other person when he brushed some hair behind her ear.
"Hullo Raine," Sirius said amicably.
If she could jump higher than ten feet she would. Sirius had scared her deeply so much that she had managed to pour her tea down the front of most of her clothes. "Don't do that that to me!"
"Sorry," he held his hands up in defence, trying to look apologetic, but his lips were twitching.
"Go ahead and smile, Black," fumed Raine. "You're basically halfway to hysteric laughter".
Sirius outwardly grinned at a dripping Raine, who busied herself by dabbing most of the tea off herself.
"Let me help," Sirius said softly as he removed her hand and took out his wand.
"You're not going to do anything embarrassing…like…like removing all my clothes or something?" questioned Raine.
"I wasn't, but now that you mention it…" Sirius trailed off. At Raine absolute horrified expression, Sirius burst out laughing. He had never had so much fun with anyone outside the Marauders.
Raine's hand was heading quickly to cuff Sirius' head but he caught it easily in mid action. "Surely you are not going to hurt your kind-hearted saviour?" stated Sirius.
"This saviour hasn't done anything yet except to laugh," grumbled Raine.
"Well, my dear lady, I will rectify the situation".
And with that he bowed over Raine's hand that he was still holding and lightly kissed the top of it. The simple action made Raine turn deep red, and kept her silent while Sirius quickly performed a quick drying spell on her.
As they left the kitchens, Sirius offered his arm gallantry to her, making Raine chuckle, the kiss forgotten. As they made their way to the Gryffindor tower, Sirius retold the recent event of Lily trying not to strangle James when he was being too secretive about perfect meetings. This ended in disaster - James being threatened in a corner with Lily's wand between his eyes. Before they turned the last corner, Black stopped them.
"Stop hiding in the kitchens, Raine," commanded Sirius. "I promise I won't prank you."
"Ever?" asked Raine in disbelief.
"Ever."
"Not even if I get you…. or embarrass you… or humiliate you again in front of everyone…."
"Okay, maybe then I will have to resort to something," Sirius smiled down at Raine who returned the look. "But you have to promise me something in return."
"Okay," said Raine. "What?"
"Don't hide your lovely face behind that hair of yours," Sirius grinned outwardly as Raine fingered some wayward strands back from her pale face.
"Better?" she asked.
"Much better."