….

"I have detention today after the Quidditch game." Taryn said to Sirius as she continued to paint her nails with red or orange nail polish and gold glitter.

They were in the common room. It was 5 AM in the morning. Sirius had woken up Taryn. He claimed James needed some Quidditch help but once Taryn was in the common room, he had confessed that he just wanted to see her face, that he was dreaming about her and wanted to see her for real, where she looked way more beautiful.

"What'd you do, babe?"

"Something." She grinned, putting down the nail polish and grabbed her wand to make a drying spell on her wet nails.

"Yeah." Sirius grinned, twirling a strand of Taryn's long hair on his finger.

"Black, I have a question."

"Yeah?"

"I know I told you already that I don't want to be your girl friend, and that I still hate you but… Doesn't it seem like we're going out?"

"Of course not…."

Taryn raised an eyebrow. "Yes it does."

"What do you suppose we do about it?"

"We can only kiss on special occasions then…"

"Or you can just be my girlfriend…"

"No way Black." She grinned.

"Fine then." He sighed.

….

"And don't forget to try as hard as you can. Work 110! And try not to faint if you get hit by a bludger at full force!" James said to the team. It was 3 minutes before the game.

"Are you serious?" asked one of the chasers.

"He is." Muttered Taryn as she tied her left shoe.

"Wow…"

James ignored their comments and said. "Good luck." He ruffled his hair.

Taryn grabbed her broom and beater bat, then followed the team onto the Quidditch field. The game started and they flew up into the air.

The stupid Ravenclaw beater kept hitting the bludger in her direction and she had to waste her time dodging the stupid thing. "Summers, a bludger just hit Johnson. WHY AREN'T YOU WATCHING OUT FOR BLUDGERS?" Called Potter.

Taryn grunted, flying over to the other bludger and hitting it away just before it hit the chaser. She smiled and sighed in accomplishment, and kept looking around for bludgers.

She heard a bludger coming up from behind her and she leaned down, letting it fly right over her back.

Taryn leaned back up, and then the other bludger hit her back, and she passed out….

"WHY DID YOU FAINT?" Potter screamed at her.

"We won didn't we?" Taryn asked.

"Yeah, but only by 10 points! You may have costed us the cup!"

"Well I ain't my fault! The stupid Ravenclaw beater kept trying to get me hit!"

"You should've tried to dodge the bloody things!"

"I tried…" Taryn muttered, closing her eyes and falling back on the bed, listening to Madam Pomfrey scolding Potter for disturbing the peace in the Hospital Wing.

….

Since she spent the afternoon in the Hospital Wing, she was excused from detention. She slowly walked into the common room, looking around for someone remotely interesting. A few first years were playing chess, and a 7th year was beating up a 3rd year girl. Nothing new at all.

Then she noticed Sirius sleeping on the couch. She walked over and poked his left shoulder. He jumped up and grabbed her arms, frightening her slightly. "Don't scare me like that Black. Never pretend to sleep again." She said quietly as he hugged her tightly.

"Sorry babe. I saw you get hurt. You okay now?"

"Yeah." Smiled Taryn. She sat in his lap and looked up at him. "Very okay."

"Good… I'm bored." Sirius sighed.

"Hi Bored. I'm Taryn."

Sirius laughed. "And I'm tired too."

"Then go to sleep."

"But…"

"But what?"

"I don't want to leave you alone."

"I won't be alone."

"But then I'll be alone." He said, making a puppy dog face. He was good at that, probably because he's actually been a dog before.

"Okay, okay, okay, I'll come with you, Black."

She followed him up to his dormitory and smiled at him. Sirius climbed into his bed and Taryn laid down next to him. He held her close in his arms, smelling her greatly scented hair. "Good night Taryn." He whispered.

"Good night Sirius."

"I love you."

"I love you too."

….

She woke up early the next morning, and turned around to look at Sirius. He was still asleep, and she knew he wasn't just pretending.

Taryn kissed his lips, then crawled out of his bed and out into the common room. She suddenly ran back up to his dorm and kissed his lips one more time. It was a long kiss and as she walked back down into the common room, she was surprised that he didn't wake up. Taryn laid down on the couch and went back to sleep….

Sirius woke up later that morning and sat up. When he noticed that Taryn wasn't there, he walked down into the common room and saw her asleep there. He wondered why she had left….

After failing to wake her up, Sirius walked back up to his dormitory.

Lily was the one who succeeded in waking up Taryn. She came down into the common room 10 minutes later and asked her why she was suddenly hanging out with Black so often.

Without opening her eyes, Taryn said, "Because I love him."

"Why?"

"Because he treats me better than any other girl he's dated. Because he says I'm beautiful whenever I'm uglier than usual. Because even though I've drilled the idea of hating him into my mind, I can say I love him and I don't have any doubt in my body."

"Well… Don't you ever worry that he might be acting?"

Taryn smiled, her eyes still closed. "You make it sound like I've loved him for years."

"Just answer my question. Yes or no?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because I know he cares." Taryn rolled over so Lily was facing the back of her head.

….