The next few days, everything went pretty well for everyone, without anything big or major happening. They went to class, studied, had fun... Simply enjoyed being young and happy, or as happy as they could be with Voldemort's shadow lurking in the outside world.
Sirius had quickly become the girls' favorite teacher and they always found a way to stay after class, asking him countless questions about the lesson he had just taught or even subjects they were supposed to learn during their previous years. Though, to be fair, pretty much every student liked him. He was competent, smart, and seemed to understand them all quite well, though he wasn't fooled by petty excuses. Even the Slytherin had a hard time finding something to hold against him.
He was also fair in the point taking and point giving department, which surprised Harry and disappointed Ron who had hoped Sirius would do like Snape does and favor Gryffindor.
The girls though, some of them were very persistant, to the point that they were always late for their next class and Sirius had to start getting a bit rude to get them to leave so he could start his next class.
"Hey Rose, Harry, did you hear what happened to these 3 seventh year Ravenclaw girls in Professor Black's class?" Neville asked them that day after dinner as he joined them in the common room after the Herbology club, before Rose helped him with his homework.
"What happened?" Harry asked, still getting used to hearing Sirius being called "Professor Black".
"They were always trying to hang out after his class to try and get his attention because they have a crush on him and since it didn't work they tried to get detention. It took a while because, well, he was apparently reluctant to give out detentions. They succeeded and he gave them the detention they so desperately tried to get. They were hoping it would be with him, you know, the four of them, alone at night in his classroom, but they didn't expect the surprise he had in store for them." Neville told them, amused.
"What did he do?" Rose asked while Serenity hung out on her shoulder.
"He sent them to have their detention with Snape! He had detentions with a few first years and they switched!" Neville explained before he laughed.
"Well, he probably wanted to make sure they wouldn't try again, he was hoping he wouldn't have to give detentions at all. This summer he said that Dad would never forgive him if he had to give detentions." Rose chuckled.
Before Neville arrived, she had been writing a letter to Remus. She wanted to feel as close to him as Harry was to Sirius and had spent a lot of her free time with him during the summer. Now, she wrote to him at least once a week, every time a letter that was long enough to sum up everything that had happened during the week. She even tried to understand how to make the wolf bane potion for him but it was extremely complicated and she needed to find a way to ask Professor Snape if he'd be willing to help her make it, maybe pretend that she had detention. She had prepared a note for him and while Hedwige would carry the letter to Remus, Serenity would give her note to Snape, making sure nobody could see it.
"It was genius of him!" Harry laughed.
"Poor girls, they expected to spend an hour alone with Sirius, whom they think is handsome and sexy as hell, their words, not mine, and ended up with Snape instead." Dean commented and soon, a lot of students were laughing at this story.
"Do you think he'd do the same thing to us if we tried to get detention with him?" George asked his brother.
"It'd be safer not to try it. Don't forget who he is, and most importantly, who he was. He knows how to handle teenagers, mostly because he used to be one." Rose warned them.
"According to Remus, he still is one most of the time." Harry added, making them chuckle.
"Best to just knock on his door during your free time and see if he'd allow you to hang out with him." Rose added with an amused smile.
While Harry was still laughing with a few schoolmates, Rose went to help Neville with his homework.
She had started a very useful board in the common room where people who could help others in their homework and people who needed help could write their names and find each other. It was in place for a couple of days only and a lot of people used it. She had convinced them all by using the argument that being better in class would earn more point to their house and so almost everyone had agreed to join in on her system.
"Fred's watching you again." Neville whispered to her as they worked on the latest potion.
"Really?" She asked him, surprised.
She turned her head to look at him but as soon as she did, he appeared in deep conversation with Lee.
"He's always watching when you're helping me, or any other boy, really. He even cornered me a few days ago to ask me if I had any intention towards you." Neville told her in a low voice, looking amused.
"He did? But why?" She was confused.
"He didn't say but even I know it's because he likes you. I told him that I didn't see you that way and he seemed relieved. I'm sure he would have reacted much differently if I had told him I wanted to date you" He replied, making her blush.
"If he likes me, why doesn't he try anything?" She muttered, annoyed.
"Maybe he wants to give you enough time to adjust to this new school and new life you have." Neville suggested.
"Anyway, let's get back to this. You know the plants and their properties well, Neville. It's the same plants you care for in Herbology. You just have to relax a little and think about their properties when you make a potion. Knowing that allows you to adjust the quantity of ingredients you put in the potion." She explained and he nodded.
Once she was done helping Neville, Rose started the poster she'd place on the board. Professor McGonagall had told her that she needed a few days to discuss her cheerleading team request with Dumbledore and she had gotten back to her that afternoon, telling her that she had permission to do so.
"Rose, is it true? Neville told us that you were allowed to start the cheerleading team." Lavender asked her, Parvati by her side.
"It's true. I was just working on the poster I'd place here to recruit members." She replied with a smile.
"Will you hold tryouts?" Parvati asked her.
"Of course. I was thinking of having them in a week, outside if the weather allows it. If not, McGonagall promised me a room we could use." Rose replied.
"Did she say that we could have members of other houses with us?" Parvati asked her.
"I mentioned it and she said that it was up to me but that if we did, she'd be very proud of us." Rose smiled.
"Good, because my sister is interested as well."
"Why don't you two help me make more posters then? We can put them in the girl's bathrooms and give to the prefects to place in their common rooms." Rose suggested.
"I've heard that sometimes boys join, is it true?" Lavender asked her.
"I've heard about it, yes. I don't mind if they want to join. If we want to do figures like the pyramid, having a few boys could help." Rose nodded.
Eager to join this new team and to befriend Rose more, they decided to help her and were soon joined by Hermione and Ginny.
"Will you two try out?" Lavender asked them.
"I'm not very athletic, but I'd be happy to help out anyway I can." Hermione shook her head.
"I'll try out for the Quidditch team first. I'd like to be a Chaser. But if I'm not chosen, then I'd be happy to join your team." Ginny nodded while her friend Demelza agreed to help them and decided to try out as well.
What did you think of this new activity?
So, what do you think their different house cheers should be? I already have one for Gryffindor, but am welcome for me ideas for the other houses.
Lorelei Candice Black