Chapter Sixteen

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Mauve's furious face came into their vision. Hermione broke away from Sirius, horrified.

Sirius jumped up, and Hermione saw by Mauve's glare that she believed it was Hermione who started the kiss.

"Mauve, darling, this isn't what you think."

Sirius' plea bounced off from the walls, and Hermione stared down at the floor, wishing she'd disappear.

"It's exactly what I think," Mauve sneered, and Hermione looked up. Mauve didn't look beautiful anymore.

Her nose was too long and pointed; her hair seemed to be as if it was run through her fingers. Mauve's dainty posture that she kept so well was tense and rigid, damaging her model-like look.

Sirius tried to hug her, but the sound of the earth-quaking slap stopped him. A flaming handprint was stamped on his left cheek.

"I hate you!" she screamed. "You're just like how the girls described you: a mean, manipulative, insensitive womaniser! And you -" Mauve turned to Hermione, "are a cow! The song was right about you! You're a cold, back-stabbing monster!"

"Honey, don't exaggerate-"

"Exaggerate! I never knew you knew that word! Obviously added recently to 'Sirius Black's Dictionary' by that nerd!" shrieked Mauve, and for the first time Hermione heard the hysteria in her voice. "Don't call me 'Honey', Black! Never, ever! We're over!"

Mauve turned around and ran, her hands flinging madly in the air.

Sirius twirled to stare at Hermione, rage in his eyes.

"See what you did!" he spat.

Hermione got up, but was scared by Sirius' dark anger. "I did nothing," she spoke quietly, her hands nervously touching her neck.

Sirius looked like as if he was about to kill. "Don't deny it, Hart! You and your stupid problems got us into this predicament!"

That one sentence sparked up Hermione's own temper. She noticed the atmosphere between her and Sirius had suddenly dropped by several degrees.

"Me and my problems, Black?" she hissed.

"Yes," countered Sirius, his hands into balls by his side. "If you hadn't swarmed here in Seventh year, pulling pranks on me, then kissing me, I wouldn't be in this mess!"

"You hypocrite!" yelled Hermione, making Sirius jump. "You mean it was you who was pulling pranks on me, and you kissing me!"

"You-you-you…" Sirius trailed off, at a loss for words.

Hermione was thrown off guard when she remembered Sirius saying these very same words to Mauve, before she demanded that Dumbledore have the Gryffindor minds' wiped. Although he did not know it, Hermione eavesdropped on their shouting match until Sirius accused Mauve of being a 'stinky Slytherin'.

"Don't judge someone by their appearance, but instead their inside," Hermione commented, trying to cool off her temper.

"As if your appearance is worth anything, Hart. You wouldn't even be accepted by the bin dump."

That was when Hermione hit him.

000

Throughout the day, Sirius wasn't very happy. Students he passed in the corridors and lessons pointed at him, laughing at his flaming cheeks. He cursed underneath his breath at Hart and Mauve for slapping him on different cheeks.

So he was glad when the day ended. He and his fellow Marauders were sitting on a Gryffindor Common Room table, discussing their next prank.

"We'll prank Snivellus," Peter repeated, writing it down in the Marauder Prank Book.

"We- I know!" James said, his eyes brightening behind his glasses.

"What?" asked Sirius.

"We'll stuff our dear Padfoot and Hart in the vanishing cupboard!"

James, Remus and Peter roared with laughter. Parts of the cheeks that didn't have a hand on burned with embarrassment.

"You aren't funny," Sirius huffed.

"Why do you hate Hart so much?" questioned Remus.

"She made me break up with Mauve," replied Sirius, deciding to leave out the more important details.

"Lindon was a snotty snob, anyway," James announced.

"She isn't!" flared Sirius. "Mauve is a lot nicer than that hypocrite, Hart!"

"Um, let me just prove my point: 'I'm not going to sit there, as that was where that filthy Mudblood sat'," James mimicked, his voice replicating Mauve's.

"And she was vain," Peter said, quietly.

"Mauve wasn't!"

" 'Oh gawd, how does my hair look? Do I smell of lemons, like my shampoo said I would? My robes are the perfect size for me, aren't they?' "

"Stop using that voice!" Sirius thundered, trying to drown out the loud giggles from his three friends.

James looked at him with sympathy. "That's how she sounds, dear Padfoot. You're in denial of the flaws in Lindon."

"Mauve," Sirius corrected James, sharply.

"Whatever her name is, she's less perfect than she is."

Sirius got up suddenly. "If you can't accept the girl I love, Prongs, then you can't accept me."

Sirius stormed his way up to the Boys Dormitory.

"Jeez, he sure can act like a drama-queen sometimes," James muttered, to him self mostly. Remus groaned.

"She's here," Remus informed him, softly.

James looked to the direction of the Gryffindor Common Room entrance, and saw Hart with Sandie.

"Talk of the devil," James murmured, and both Remus and Peter wore sheepish grins. Hart's eyes snapped to James', and she walked directly up to him. Sandie followed her, confused.

"What do you want, Angel?" James called to Hart, loudly.

"I want to speak with you in private," Hart snapped. James blinked, but then smirked.

"Me? Don't you want to talk to Sirius?"

"It's about Black," Hart stressed. Then, as an afterthought, added; "please?"

"Oh, Hart learns her manners, fascinating," James sneered, and Hart winced.

"Civilly," she threw back, and James burst out laughing.

"I am being civil to you, darling."

"You remind me of Snape," she said, her eyes dancing with malice. James got up, his anger flaring, his laughter and amusement ebbing away.

"Excuse me?" he breathed, dangerously. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Peter making a dramatic line across his neck to Remus.

This time it was Hart who smirked. "Honestly, Potter, you don't see the resemblances? You're both rude, insensitive, jump to conclusions, refuse to act civilly…oh, my list is endless!"

"First," began James, through clenched teeth: "you compare Sirius to Malfoy, then you compare me to Snivellus?"

"Yes," said Hart, looking pleased that James had got her point. Then, as quickly as his anger came, it drained away.

He nodded. "Okay, I'll talk with you."

A/n: another Cliffie! Well, sort of. Anyway, I hope next chappie longer, as it's the holiday!

Hogwartsgirl52: lol, thanks Pafootssidekick: thanks CrystalShard: Well, it was slightly in those lines… HannahCimsGwendolyn: I love when Sirius' evil, yeah, I wouldn't be happy either, I guess. LunaLovegoss: yeah, I guess it was sorta random, but I didn't want to bring the kiss in the beginning of the next chappie, cuz it sorta ruins it, y'know? Enchantedlight: will do BexyLou: lol, well here's your wish ;) Kates Master: There's HARIETS around there? Jeez…what does people come UP with these days? (by da way, I liked that phrase: S&Sing lol!) prettigurl7: lol, I MIGHT make Hermes prank him…not sure… yourheartsdesire: yeah, it WOULD be kinda pervy if Siri was older (shivers) DarkPegasiKnight: well, the kiss wouldn't turn out very big, if you know what I mean. You have to read the LATER chappies to get to the ACTUAL romance… cenawolf: potatoes? POTATOES? Wear-undercover! Lol. Thanks girlknight: the flashy things will continue as I feel I need for it to stop ;) (I hope that makes enough sense!) EvilHeart89: really? Coolness. Will :hopefully: update soon bubble: lol, is this quick enough? Joeyandpaceyforever: thanks Serendipity-England-1922: lol, will do Dina: I guess she was, but anyone WOULD be a little emotional if you were in her place NO such things as HAPPY songs: I will do. How did you get your penname? It's very interesting Skadesake: lol::accepts cake: thanks and toodles Kasndra: yeah, perhaps they were kinda childish. Anyway, with the chapters…I will TRY to make them longer. The Gryffindor Drummer: thanks vonn: thanks ben 'n' jerry: lol, I wonder if your dream will come true ;) JTBJAB: will do JUST ME MYSELF AND I: LOL, thanks amrawo: I guess it was kinda strange FredWeasleyLover1126: will do