Chapter 9: Kiss and Tell
"Mr. Potter?"
"damnit.." James muttered to himself. He had been caught. Professor Keifer curled his lips into a frown.
"Accio"
The scrap piece of parchment that lay on James' desk flew to the front of the classroom and landed in Professor Keifer's hands. "Now," he said, unfolding the parchment, "Let's see what Mr. Potter has been writing...shall we read this out loud?"
"Oh no sir...I don't think that's"-- But Professor Keifer held up his hand at James to silence him.
"Oh...this looks like a dialogue between Mr. Potter and Mr. Black! Well, well...I've got the perfect idea...why don't you two step up to the front of the class?" he said, as more of an order than a request.
Sirius and James looked at each other momentarily before walking to the front of the class.
"Alright boys, you two are known to be the comics of your year...why don't you two humor us and read your notes out loud to the class...put on a little show for us, eh?" Professor Keifer smiled slightly and handed the paper back to James, who held it out to Sirius so they could read together.
"Well, go on boys!" Keifer said, standing over them.
Sirius cleared his throat uncomfortably and looked at the parchment. "This class is such a waste of time...the only thing that keeps this class interesting is knowing that Dominique's sitting behind me, probably checking me out" Sirius muttered, as he heard everyone in the class burst into laughter, except Dominique.
"And Potter..?" Professor Keifer said.
James bit his lip and glanced down at the parchment. "Sorry mate, she isn't...I just checked for you...She's passing notes with Kierra right now...and she just glared at me...there goes all your reasons for taking this class..." Once again the class fell into laughter, but Professor Keifer now looked at Kierra and Dominique. "Hand it over." he said.
Kierra pulled out a piece of parchment from underneath her notebook, and handed it to Professor Keifer, all while glaring at James and Sirius.
"Well, we'll see if we have time to go through this one...carry on, Mr. Black..?" Professor Keifer smirked and had walked back to the front of the class and stood behind Sirius and James.
"umm..." Sirius looked back down at the parchment, "well...I'll bet you she's writing about me..." Sirius stammered, looking back at Professor Keifer, who only nodded at him to continue. "Anyway...something I don't get...yesterday...after our date...when I kissed her...she actually backed away from me, like she was scared or something...Can you believe it? I mean, we're talking about me here...I don't get it...maybe she just couldn't handle all my charms..."
"I'm sure that's it, Padfoot..." James read, "Listen, I need to figure out a way...to get...back with Lily...I got to go out with her on one date...and I blew it...I am such a moron..."
"Well," Sirius said, folding up the parchment and ripping it. "That's where you caught us. Happy now?" Professor Keifer only smiled.
"Well, take a seat boys...now, Miss Nakofsky, Miss Fiore...why don't you two come up now? We've got a good two minutes before class ends, I daresay we'll be able to fit you guys in as well..." He said as he handed them back their note. "Now, let's see if you two were indeed writing about Mr. Black, as he hypothesized."
Dominique threw a glare at Professor Keifer as she unfolded the note. "Kierra," she started in an icy tone, "you've got to tell me about yesterday...I can't believe you got kissed by two guys in one day..." This time, nobody laughed, but rather, many of the students straighened up in their seats and perked up their ears, including Kyle, who looked a bit startled.
"Three, actually..." Kierra read, in an almost whisper. The whole class fell into excited murmurs. "Well you know there was the one with Remus...and then with Kyle of course...and then there was James..."
Several students let out gasps, but none so loud as the ones Lily and Kyle gave.
"Continue, Miss Nakofsky..." Professor Keifer said, smirking more than ever now. Kierra gulped and looked back down at her piece of parchment, but then turned around to face Professor Keifer.
"No.."
"What did you say to me, girl?" One of the veins in Professor Keifer's forehead seemed to bulge out slightly.
"I said no...I won't continue..." and with that, Kierra ripped her note into halves, quarters, and then eighths, before tossing the shreds onto the floor. The class stared in awe as she did so. No one had ever seen Kierra stand up to anyone, let alone a professor...let alone Professor Keifer.
Fighting back tears, Kierra marched to her desk and grabbed her things. Just as she stormed out of the class, Professor Keifer called after her; "You'll be serving detention with me, Miss Nakofsky, every night this week at 7 o'clock!"
"Fine!" Kierra shouted as she slammed the door behind her.
"What a slut..." Bellatrix Black muttered under her breath.
The class stared at the door but then immediately shifted their stares to Professor Keifer and continued to look at him for several seconds. "Well," he said finally, "Miss Fiore, Mr. Black, and Mr. Potter, of course, you all will be serving detention with her tomorrow as well." Moments later the bell rang to dismiss them.
"I can't believe she kissed him!" Lily shouted. She was pacing around the girls' dormitory. Alice and Dominique sat on her bed, looking anxious.
"Listen Lily, Kierra never finished that note. There was more...she just didn't read it, remember? I'm sure she's got an explanation...just don't blow up at Kierra until you hear her out, ok?" Dominique said.
"Yea, ok...she better have a good reason"--
"Wait a minute Lily," Alice interjected, "Why are you so pissed? I thought you were through with James...you said that first date went horribly and you won't go out with him again...and you called him an idiot! You shouldn't care then if he kissed someone else..."
"Well...I don't! I just...I mean..." Lily stammered. She could feel herself going pink. She hated it when she was speechless.
"You like him!" Alice screamed, jumping off the bed. "You're pissed because you like him! You care about him!"
"No I don't!" Lily could feel herself getting redder by the second.
"Oh, you so do!" Dominique squealed, getting off the bed as well. "Awww...and you're mad that you don't have James all for yourself"--
"SHUT UP GUYS!" Lily shouted. And they shut up, though the couldn't stop smiling. Just then, Kierra came into the dorm; she was out of breath.
"Guys! There you are! I've been looking all over for you!" she huffed, "Guys...Lily...listen to me, I didn't kiss James...he kissed me"--
"See!" Alice exclaimed, "she never would've done that to you Lily.."
"Look, let me explain to you guys the whole thing." Kierra interrupted. Lily exchanged looks with Dominique and Kierra before they all sat back down on Lily's bed to hear Kierra out.
"Alright," she began, "so you know how Remus had kissed me...because he thought I was Elaine?" The girls nodded. "Well..I got really embarassed and started blushing...and James noticed...so when Remus had gone, James confronted me and started taunting me about it...saying that I enjoyed it and stuff and that I like Remus..."
"Woah, he knows..?" Alice asked.
"Yea..either that or he just has really high suspicions...I denied it though...and said that I would've blushed if anyone kissed me in circumstances like those, you know?" The girls nodded in understanding once again.
"Well, just to disprove me...James kissed me, just to see if I would blush...which I didn't...and he pointed that out...only to further prove his point that I like Remus...sooo...that's the whole story..." Kierra said, looking at the girls anxiously, hoping that they would believe her, and at long last they did.
"Well...James is an idiot...but I'm glad to know that neither of you had...other intentions..." Lily said.
"Yea..well...glad we've got that settled now..." Dominque said.
"Wait...there's something else.." Alice said, turning to Dominique, "about Sirius' and James' note...when they were talking about you two kissing...what was that about...?"
"Oohh...right...that..." Dominique said nervously. She looked at her friends who were now watching her with anticipation. She could tell them. She trusted them, and they'd understand. "Ok, so that stuff that Sirius said in the note, he was right, I pulled away from him and everything"--
"Because you were scared?" Kierra asked.
"What's the big deal?" Lily said, "I mean, it was your first with him, wasn't it? Of course you'd be nervous..."
"Well...yea...I guess...but...ok, there's something I have to tell you guys...but promise me you won't breathe a word to anyone?" Domnique said. The three girls made their promises and agreed.
"Ok, well...last year, at Beauxbatons...I was going out with this one guy, named Kyle...anyway, on the last day of school...he sort of...made me...do it...with him..." Dominique had said the last few words so quietly they were barely audible.
"He raped you?" Kierra said so loudly that Lily and Alice turned to her and gave her harsh glares. "Sorry...just shocked.." she said apologetically to Dominique.
"It's ok..."
"So he just...did it...like that?"-- Lily stammered. The girls were looking a Dominique questioningly.
"Look, I don't want to go into the details of it...I just wanted to tell you that's what happened to me, that's all..." Dominique snapped, suddenly annoyed that they were all gaping at her.
"Sorry...yea that's ok...whatever you want.." Alice said quickly.
"Did you tell anyone about it?" inquired Lily.
"Well...just Remus...and Dumbledore"--
"Dumbledore knows?" exclaimed Kierra.
"Of course...I had to tell him...he can see right through me, you know...anyway he's the one who got it out of me..."
"He knew something was wrong when you came here?" asked Alice.
"Yea...he can sense those things...plus I think he knows legilimacy...so it wouldn't be that hard for him to figure those things out..." Dominique answered.
The girls nodded again. "So...this whole thing..." Lily said slowly, "affected you...with Sirius...?"
"Yea..." Dominique nodded, "It's just the way he kissed me too...it was so...I dunno...he did it...forcefully...it reminded me of Kyle..." Dominique cringed slightly at the memory of him.
"Aww..it's ok Dominique..." Alice said, putting a comforting arm around Dominique. "Just give yourself some time. And despite whatever any of us ever say about him, deep down, Sirius is a really good guy, and I don't think he'd ever try to hurt you" she smiled at Dominique.
"yea...I hate to admit it, but she's right" Lily grumbled.
"Well, good as he may be...I still can't believe he thought I was writing about him" Dominique said, raising her voice upon remembering her anger. "I mean, does he think that my world revolves around him or something?"
"Look, we said he was nice, not smart" Kierra said.
"You're awfully quiet, Moony" James said as he helped himself to some more chicken.
"Oh..." Remus said, as he was picking at his food.
"So, you going to tell us why you kissed Kierra?" a voice said behind them. They turned around to see Sirius, who swung a leg over the bench and joined them for dinner.
"Ohhh that...right..." James laughed. "Well...you know how Moony here snogged her?" He, Sirius and Peter broke into laughter, while Remus glared at them.
"Sorry mate...but you got what you deserved...when you choose to drink...you've got to be responsible..." James said through his laughs. (a/n: a lesson for us all, right? wink...)
"So what does this have to do with you kissing her?" Remus said testily.
"Oh right...well, when you kissed her, I noticed that she blushed," Remus looked up at James so quickly that his neck cricked. "Anyway, I pointed that out to her and started taunting her about liking you, and she kept denying it..she made the excuse that she was embarassed and that she would've blushed if anyone had done that...so..."
"You kissed her to disprove her?" Sirius finished for him.
"Yep!" James said happily. "And she didn't blush a jot! So Remus, while she is dating Kyle, I daresay that she's got the hots for you"--
"Wow...Dominique would never forgive me if I went and kissed someone for that...wow you've really screwed over a lot of people, Prongs."
"What are you talking about?"
"Well, Lily seemed quite peeved in potions today, and of course Kyle was pissed at you too...for kissing his girlfriend and all...I bet he'll break up with her...then I imagine Kierra would be pissed at you if that happened..."
"Ohhh shit I've really messed up now..." James moaned.
Sirius raised an eyebrow at his despaired friend but then glanced over to see Dominique getting up to leave. "Later, boys" and Sirius strode off to catch up with Dominique.
"Dominique! Love!"
But Dominique only cast a glare at him and passed right by him. "Dominique!" Sirius grabbed her wrist and pulled her around to face him. "Playing a little hard to get, are we?" he grinned devilishly at her.
Dominique rolled her eyes and writhed free from his grip. "Right, Sirius...because I obviously have nothing better to do with myself than to sit around and fantasize about you, you know, since my world revolves around you! If you'll excuse me, I'm just going to go and write a book about you now.." she said nastily as she turned on her heel to leave.
"Wow, you've screwed up as much as I have, Padfoot!" James had come up behind Sirius and was grinning.
Kierra was finishing up her dinner when she saw Kyle pass right by her, glaring furiously at her as he did so. Kierra immediately threw her napkin onto the table and frantically grabbed her things.
"Kierra," Alice said, "where are you"-
"I needa talk to Kyle, see you guys!" Kierra shouted as she sprinted out the great hall.
"Kyle, wait! KYLE!" Kierra panted as she finally caught up with him. 'I am sooo out of shape...' she thought. "Kyle listen, I know you must be hating me right now...and you've got every reason to...but please...hear me out...it's not as horrible as it sounds"-
"Yea, I'm sure...I mean, you only went and snogged three guys in one day...THREE GUYS IN ONE DAY, KIERRA! AND..." he said, his face now red, "we were on a date too that day!"
"I know, I know! But please Kyle, let me explain. I swear, you can break up with me and say whatever you want to me, but listen to me first, please?" she pleaded.
"Fine..." Kyle said, as crossed his arms over his chest.
As Remus drained the remainder of his pumpkin juice from his goblet, he looked over at Kierra's now vacant seat, when suddenly something dawned upon him. He could hear Dominique taunting him in his head about some girl liking him...some girl who really deserved him, it was from the conversation they had what seemed ages ago. Dominique had to have been talking abou Kierra...If she and James were right about Kierra liking him...and if Kyle did break up with her...maybe...
"Hey I've got to go do something Peter, I'll see you!" Remus said as he dashed out of the great hall. 'I could comfort her...' he thought he as sprinted up the stairs, two at a time. 'maybe...ask her out...' he thought as he reached the portrait hole. 'well, it's now or never...stay calm...be cool...' "Carmina Burana..." Remus said nervously, as the portrait hole swung open.
Remus quickly stepped through, determined to say what was on his mind, but stopped dead in his tracks when he reached the entrance of the common room. There was Kierra, crying softly in Kyle's arms.
"I'm sorry..." she muttered.
"I told you, stop apologizing...I still want you to be my girlfriend..." Kyle said, running his hands down her back.
Kierra sniffed and smiled at Kyle. "I still want to be your girlfriend too..." she said. Kyle smiled back at her and hugged her, kissing her on the cheek.
There seemed to be a permanent sticking charm on the carpet. Remus couldn't seem to move his feet. They were just grounded into the floor.
"Oh! Remus...hey..." Kierra said, slightly startled, she had pulled away from Kyle.
"Hey!" Remus said a little too brightly, "I...uh...heard you were mad," he said looking at Kyle, "I was going to tell you not to blame Kierra...but uh...you guys seem o.k...glad to see that..."
"thanks man" Kyle said, then turning back to Kierra he said "Well, I'm going to go finish my transfiguration homework, I'll see you in the morning, alright?"
"Ok...good night Kyle"
"Good night Kierra" he said, pulling her in for another kiss. It seemed to Remus that Kyle had made that kiss extra long as to show Remus who Kierra belonged to. Sure enough, as Kyle retreated up the stairs, he looked over his shoulder and gave Remus a look that automatically confirmed his thoughts.
"Well, it's official," Sirius had just entered the common room with James. "Dominique is mad at me..."
"Yea, well, she's got reason to, hasn't she?" Kierra said, smiling.
"You look awfully smug for someone who's got an angry boyfriend..." Jame said as he grabbed a first year by the collar and pushed him out of his usual seat by the fire.
"He's not angry at me though...I just talked to him and explained everything..." Kierra replied.
"Well, good for you" James said, "So that's two less people I've screwed over by kissing you...alright, all I have left to worry about now is Lily..."
Kierra and Dominique sat silently in Professor Keifer's classroom, who was pacing around slowly. Suddenly, the door flew open and Sirius and James appeared. "Sorry Sir!" James said quickly, "Peeves you know...he"-
"I don't want to hear your excuses, Mr. Potter, take a seat." Professor Keifer said in a stony voice. Sirius shrugged and took the seat next to Dominique and smiled weakly at her, and she in return, only glared at him, while James took the seat next to Sirius, looking excited.
"So, what are you going to have us do, sir?" James asked eagerly.
"You four will be cleaning up the classroom, without magic. I want every last cauldron cleaned up as well as all the spills that are on the counters and on the floor...and as you can see, this will be quite a task, considering that the first years are my last class of the day" Professor Keifer smiled evilly. "When I return, I want to find this room spotless, understand?"
"yes sir" the four said in unision.
Within minutes, they were all hard at work, scrubbing dirty cauldrons.
"Dominique," Sirius began, as he passed her a sponge, "look, I'm sorry about that whole note...I was just kidding you know...I know your life doesn't revolve around me..."
"uh huh..." Domnique said dully, not looking up from her work.
"Really...I know it doesn't...even though I think my world revolves around you..." he said slowly. Dominique glanced at him momentarily; her expression had softened slightly, but then she returned to scrubbing her cauldron. "I doubt it..."
"Really, it does...I think about you all the time, D..."
"I'm sure you do..."
"You don't believe me?"
"Not really...I'm inclined to think that you're just saying that so I won't be mad at you..."
"Well then...Hey, James, come here.." Sirius called over to James, who was on the floor scrubbing off green stains from the stone floor.
"What's up?" James asked.
"Dominique thinks that I never think about her"-
James started to snicker.
"What?" Dominique demanded.
"Are you aware that Sirius spends half his meal times staring at you...because he likes to watch you eat...?" James said, now laughing even harder. "Yea..." he nodded at Dominique, who had raised her eyebrows at him, "and he just loves to watch you chat with your friends over dinner...and watch you giggle...apparently he finds it cute..." James said, with a tone of disdain.
"What's so funny about that"- Sirius began, but James continued.
"And...whenever you guys are together and you leave...he gazes off into space for like a full five minutes before transitioning back into our world..." James said, grinning.
"THANK YOU, JAMES!" Sirius said, pushing James away, "Go back to work..." Sirius turned back to Dominique. "He exagerates a lot, you know.." he said sheepishly.
"No I don't!" James said, as he squatted back down to the floor to continue scrubbing.
At long last, Dominique smiled at Sirius. "You are too cute for words..." she said, as she returned to work.
Two and a half hours later, the potions classroom was spotless. After Professor Keifer examined the bottoms of every cauldron and seemed satisfied, he dismissed them. "You, Miss Nakofky, will be returning the rest of the week of course, don't you forget that." he said.
"Don't worry, I won't" she said, as she followed Sirius, Dominique and James out of the classroom.
As the four of them headed back to the Gryffindor common room, Dominique and Sirius walked several feet in front of James and Kierra, holding hands and talking quietly, while smiling shyly at each other every now and then.
"They're so cute" Kierra said to James, as they trudged behind the couple.
"Yea...whatever..." James said, as they went through the portrait hole. "They're so lovey dovey...ugh..." As Kierra sighed happily, James was reminded of something he kept in his bag. "Oy, Kierra, I just remembered, I've got your notebook from runes..." he said as he began digging through his bag. Dominique had just gone up to the girls' dormitory, while Sirius had retreated up to the boys', leaving James and Kierra alone. Just then, James pulled out a tattered notebook from his bag.
"gee Potter, thanks for taking such good care of it..." Kierra said sarcastically as she took her notebook back and shoved it into her own bag.
"And thank you, Kierra, for taking such good notes!" James replied, as he stalked up the steps to go to the boys' dorm. When he reached the top of the stairs, James turned around and spoke up again. "By the way, Remus' middle name is John..."
Kierra's eyes shot up at James, who stared back at her with his hazel eyes, with much amusement.
"Ok..." she said uncertainly.
"I just thought you should know...so next time you draw little hearts around his name, you could include that part of his name in there..." James replied with a grin. And with that, he disappeared into the boys' dorm, leaving Kierra alone in the common room, quite startled.