Ravenclaw 6th Year Girls' Dorm Room.

Just woke up abruptly from a nap due to a very bad dream. In it, my mum and dad were having their Annual Family Tribunal—though it escapes me as to why they call it a "Family" Tribunal when kids are Not Allowed—and betrothing me to Nicolai Lestrange, who is a third year Slytherin and not at all good-looking; unless you like hawk-noses and I do not.

I am feeling paranoid and very much aware of the fact that other people still have power to control my livelihood.

In the future, I have to learn to not let my imagination run away with me before I take my naps. It only leads to bad things.

How awful would it be, really, to be betrothed to a third year?

I think pretty awful.

Looking around the room, I see Mara Dice is giving me one of Her Ugly Looks and that is cheering me right up, so I am good to go this afternoon! If that fat cow has anything to be unhappy over then everyone knows the rest of the day is going to be sunny and bright. Par for the course, I know anything can happen today, really, just as long as it is good and just as long as it is…

Exciting?

Perhaps I will just settle for things being good. Exciting Things have lately been wearing me out.

Testament to this statement is the entirety of the last seven days.

Also Testament is the goings on of last night, because Sirius Black and I had a mini-confrontation after my Patrolling Shift.

The arsehole, after finding out from his Head of House and Head Girl Lily Evans that he now had to take tutoring lessons in History of Magic from me, sneaked up to the 5th floor during my Shift, and laid in wait to ambush me on my way back into The Common Room. Stealth Guy from the M15 could not have waited until the next day because the situation was Too Dire for that apparently and he needed to see me a.s.a.p.

I knew Black could not—and still cannot, because he is a stupid, dim boy!—actually get in to Ravenclaw Tower on his own merit, but it is Not A Nice Feeling to see him attempt to creep into an environment I am usually quite content and comfortable in. I was not content or comfortable standing outside, staring at him last night, that is for certain.

Black was leaning against The Doorway to Ravenclaw Tower looking like he owned it when I turned the corner. He shocked about five years off my life. And I was very tempted to take points away from him for this, but I did not.

That may or may not have been a big mistake. We shall see.

The Giant Bollocks had the audacity to Yell at me—who has done nothing to him! I dislike confrontation, so this did not put me in a nice place for bedtime dreams at all. I actually have not been in a Nice Place all this morning. Until of course Camilla coerced me into an after-classes nap. I have the bad feeling I will not be content or comfortable tonight—or the next night or the night after that—because I cannot be sure Black has not decided he wants to come back and try it a second time and Re-Convince me that tutoring him is an Awful Idea.

I already know it is an awful idea; but I'm still going to do it.

Our Conversation Last Night went as follows:

"Um, hello?"

"Are you Ransom?" Black asked, still leaning against The Doorway. He gave off the distinct impression that I would have to move him bodily away from it if I wanted to get by. "Lily described you as having dark hair."

"I do have dark hair," I said, pointing out the obvious.

Sirius shook his head. "No," he said. "It's more tawny than dark."

"Did you need something?" I said, wanting to move the inevitable along.

Black shrugged. "Lil-Evans…told me that you've been picked by McGonagall to tutor me?" He stared somewhere between my eyebrows; belatedly I realized that he was asking a question and wanted me to nod my head, so I did. Black unfolded his arms and gave me probably what he thought was his Winning Smile. "I'm here to tell you that I don't need a tutor! So really, you don't have to waste your time trying to cram Binns's notes into my head, because I know it won't take. I've decided I'm going to drop the class, anyway. I don't know why I took it last year to begin with."

"Well, okay," I said, and then thought of something: "Does that mean I can go into my Common Room?"

Black barked with laughter. I wanted to sneer, but knew I didn't have the stones it required to do something like that to Hogwarts' Most Popular Student. Once Black realized I wasn't laughing with him, he calmed down. "You're funny!" he said. "What was your name again? Raisin?"

"Ransom," I corrected. "My first name is Evelyn."

"Eee-valyn," repeated Black, looking amused, drawing out the syllables. "That's an old lady's name!"

"It's Traditional," I said.

Black shrugged again. "Another word for 'old'."

"Well," I said. "Your name's not too hot, either, Sirius."

"Seriously?"

"Merlin's Blue Balls! That's not at all funny. You need to get a new joke."

"I thought it was," said Black. "Apparently, you have no sense of humor at all since you don't think so too. Too bad! I had such high hopes!"

"You just said I did have a sense of humor though," I reminded.

"Well, I changed my mind."

"Well, go away." I pantomimed Brushing Away A Fly by flapping my hand at him. "You've said what you came here to tell me. And you're blocking the entrance. I need to get in."

I had made the decision to move around Black, but for some strange reason my body wouldn't cooperate. I was stuck in the spot I had stopped in. Black still stood by the door, and I still stood five feet away; close enough to talk to but deliberately affecting standoffishness lest he get it into his head to perform more Antiquated Gryffindor Intimidation Techniques.

"Excuse me!" I said, hoping that might jumpstart my nerve and Get Me Out Of This Hallway once and for all. Black continued to give me a blank stare, like he did not understand. "But I really do have to go inside," I explained. "I have, ironically enough, History of Magic at 0900 tomorrow morning. I need my rest. So…"

Black moved away finally and gestured me in front of him.

"Thanks."

I watched him with wary eyes.

"Don't look so shocked!" said Black. "I'm not an ogre!" His stare became Squinty. "I'm sorry I've been holding you back for so long!"

"It's okay."

"So, just to make sure…" I sighed, but met his eyes. "You're not going to tutor me, am I right? Because it really is a stupid idea. If I'm not going to be in the class anyway, then there's no point!"

I gave a shrug of my own—this one, in my opinion, was much more Arrogant and elegant-looking than Black's could ever hope to be, because I have had much more practice.

Not sure if that's a compliment or not.

"It depends on your Head of House," I said to him. "It looks like we're both just pawns right now so I doubt what we want has any sway whatsoever."

"That's shite," said Black. "You can just make everything easy by refusing to tutor me. I know that you know McGonagall won't go for it any other way. I've heard things about you. You're Every Teacher's Pet."

"How do you know?" I asked a bit testily. "You don't know me at all! You thought my name was, 'Raisin'not one minute ago."

"Raisin…Ransom."

"Arsehole…Asshole…" I had a second where I quelled under Black's stare but in the end I held strong. "You're right!" I said. "They sound remarkably similar! How extraordinary!"

"Take that back!" Black said.

I sighed. "You disappoint me! Where's all that venom I was so fond of in third year?"

For once, Black's face showcased a genuine emotion and that was confusion. "What are you talking about? I've been—."

"Nevermind, Black. I'll try to talk to McGonagall for you, but I have already had a similar conversation with her, and it turns out that if I help you, I not only get extra points in Transfiguration Class but I also get a long-winded recommendation for whatever career I want."

"But I don't want you to tutor me!" Black whined like a little boy.

"Well, all life can't be all flowery and peaches," I replied simply. "You get stung once in a while, and the juice turns sour, Black. This is putting me out too, if you haven't noticed. Before Evans told me you needed a tutor, I already had other Commitments I needed to handle." There was Quidditch, for instance. Try-outs were coming up and I had to practice.

Looking more shocked by me by the second, Black said, "So sorry I am inconveniencing you. But you know how to fix it!"

"I do."

"Then will you?"

"I'll think about it," I lied.

Black nodded. "See that you do. I am late for an appointment now…" I rolled my eyes. "But find me tomorrow during breakfast, alright? Tell me your final decision."

"Fine. Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

The Great Hall.

There are a lot of things I don't like about boys my age. Their Disgusting-ness. Their Arrogance (even when they are outwardly shy).

I think I hate Their Rudeness the most.

Sirius Black is a Rude Boy, and as such, I do not think I like him very much!

That last statement should be Unqualified and Obvious, but there are times when I feel that since he has ignored me so much over the past couple of years, Black no longer deserves all this animosity.

And then he does something like blow me off in front of everyone in The Great Hall, and I am reminded why I have stuck to my Disliking…ment of him since second-year.

"Well?" asked Lucille, as I grumpily sat back down at our Table. "What did he say to you?"

"He wouldn't even acknowledge me!" I said. "Wouldn't even look up. Kept giggling with his bosom friends."

"Oh!" said Tamara. "How mean!"

"Yes," I agreed. "See that I see he gets the worst time of it in the world after I talk with Flitwick. Thinks he can blow me off!" I groused. "Well, not likely!"

"Why not ask Black's Head of House?" Lucille wondered.

"Flitwick is nicer!" I responded. "And he doesn't like Black."

"And McGonagall does?"

I nodded, because this was something I had put some thought into. "I think McGonagall puts up a front of being offended by Black and Potter and the rest of them, but secretly, she loves all of it! Secretly, she loves the fact that while it's true Black and Potter are very annoying, they're still two of the smartest wizards in their year, and she loves that she has them in Her House."

Cam blinked. "I see you've put some thought into this."

I nodded at her then preoccupied myself with tapping my goblet with my wand so The House Elves would fill it with Pumpkin Juice. "I have!"

"Well, what are we going to do about him, then?" Lucille burst finally, acting like she couldn't wait any longer to hold the question in. "Are you still going to tutor him?"

"Fuck yes, I am." Black's Snub had annoyed me like nothing else could. Down The Table, I saw Mara giving me a chilly wink. I will qualify, and say Black's Snub Had Annoyed Me Almost As Much as nothing else could. "I am going to be on that boy like a burr! Like the white on rice. He will have such a good grade when I am done with him…"

"In third year, you swore that you would never help him ever again," Lucille said. "Remember?"

I did, but that was not important. "If I just think of Black as a regular student…" I began.

Lucille and Camilla started laughing. "Good luck with that!" they cried.

Tamara held out a serving dish to me. "Eggs?"

After breakfast, I said goodbye to my friends and decided to change my Course Of Action. First I would inform Professor McGonagall of her delinquent student's reticence to be around me, and then—if Minnie did not care or seem to want to change anything about it—I would go to My Head of House, Professor Flitwick, and complain.

See that that little goblin-man didn't do something to solve this problem!

I hitched up my bag and walked to The Head Table where most of the Professors, McGonagall among them, were still munching along. "Yes?" Professor McGonagall asked me, noting my presence. "What can I do for you, Miss Ransom?"

"Are you aware that Mr. Black does not want to be tutored?" I said.

Professor McGonagall took a moment to set down her eating utensils. Then she Really Looked At Me. "I was aware. But I confess that I had hoped you could change his mind about it. I am sad to see this is not so."

"I can't change his mind," I said. "He really doesn't want a tutor."

"It's unfortunate then that it is not up to Mr. Black whether he wants to fail History of Magic or not."

Still I tried. "Mr. Black told me that he wanted to drop the class," I confided.

"Oh, he will not do that!" Professor McGonagall exclaimed. Most students were leaving The Hall, so she rose from her seat, quickly searching, presumably for Black's distinctive animal magnetism (some of you might not get it, so again I feel I have to point out my sarcasm). "Mr. Black! Mr. Black!" she called. "Can you come up here for a minute?"

Sirius Black saluted her—though he did not move from his place on The Gryffindor Bench one inch. "Yes, Minnie!"

For a moment, Professor McGonagall's lips pressed together in a firm line. "Mr. Black!" she said. "Up this instant!"

Oh Merlin did I want to be here to witness Black getting yelled at!

A second later, Black joined us at The Head Table, and I re-thought my opinion. He looked especially angry at me for ruining his breakfast. Angry enough to duel me, even, and I am not sure I wanted that.

Though I guess it's not that hard of a stretch to note that Black wants to duel with someone! I hear Black tries to duel Someone every day—Severus Snape from Slytherin being of course his preferred victim of choice.

Just to be Annoying, I decided to wave at Snape.

Snape, in turn, tripped over his feet when he saw that a girl was waving to him, but I had succeeded in getting Black to frown harder at me, so Snape's momentary embarrassment was worth it.

"He's a Slytherin!" Black hissed like that was tantamount to The Worst Insult Ever. "He's a Death Eater!"

"Mr. Black!" Professor McGonagall remonstrated. "That is enough! You are up here to discuss with me about why, it seems, you feel you do not need a tutor! Not to gossip about other students!"

"Sorry, Minnie, my heart, it won't happen again!"

Professor McGonagall nodded before she could stop herself I think. "See that it doesn't." She paused, thinking over her next words. "…When I talked with you the other day about your grades, Mr. Black, and said that you needed to apply yourself more, I did not mean that you should feel free to apply yourself to dropping any classes."

Sirius pouted at her. "They are my classes to drop," he said. "I don't see why I can't drop them."

"Be that as it may, Mr. Black, I don't want you to drop History of Magic. It is a simple thing of not studying the material that has you so hung up—."

"Actually, Professor McGonagall," Black interrupted in what was an obvious show of characteristic mule-headedness for him. "Binns's class is just too boring for me. It's too boring for anyone to get a good grade in." Black glanced at me. "Except maybe Raisin over here. Why do you like the class, Raisin? Is it because you think ghosts are romantic?"

"No," I said, confused as to how Sirius Black could get up and dress himself in the morning if this was an example of how stupid he was. "It's because history is romantic." You dumbarse, I added silently.

"I agree, Miss Ransom," Professor McGonagall said. "Which is why, Mr. Black, Flitwick and I chose her to tutor you."

"I am going to drop the class."

"No, you will not!" McGonagall ordered. "History of Magic is an important class and you will not drop it!"

"I don't need it to become an Auror!" Black replied. "I already have five other NEWT classes."

"You will not drop it, Mr. Black!" Professor McGonagall reiterated. "If I have to talk to The Headmaster to make sure you don't, I will!"

"Well, fine Minnie," Black said obnoxiously. "You can go do that. Class is starting in five minutes though, so I think Raisin and I need to leave. As much fun as having this conversation was…"

"Two points from Gryffindor for your cheek, Mr. Black!" McGonagall said, though she looked a bit frantic that she might be late to her first class. The professor pushed back her chair and stood up. "Miss Ransom," she nodded at me, "I would like to finish this conversation later. I will send you a note sometime within the hour telling you when."

"Of course, Professor McGonagall. Have a pleasant day."

"You too, Miss Ransom." McGonagall gave Black One Last Quelling Look then went on her way out The Hall.

Wanting to be able to say I left Black standing there to other people, I started walking away, too.

"Hey!" Black called. "Wait up a moment!"

"No, no," I said, looking over my shoulder at him. "You were right! Class does start in five minutes." I swept my wand in a Tempus Spell. "Actually, four minutes."

"Minnie sure doesn't know how to take a joke, does she?" said Black, catching me up.

"What?"

"I mean, it is my class to drop," he told me. "I should be able to drop it."

Not wanting to believe that Regular Human Rights' Rules applied to Black when he so often flouted them for other people, I shook my head. "No," I said. "You shouldn't. Now I have History of Magic with the romantic ghost now so…you realize you are walking the wrong way, don't you, Black?" I said, absolutely gob-smacked that Black was still walking next to me. "I don't know what class you have, but I know it's not with the 6th years."

"I can miss a couple minutes," he said. "It doesn't matter."

"Well, it matters to me," I replied. "Don't get in trouble on my account."

"But I wouldn't!" Black said. "That's the thing! Everyone saw us talking with McGonagall, so they'll just assume that's where we are now!'

"Well, I still have to get to class."

"Oh, I see," Black nodded, "You don't want to skive off then? Join me for a little stroll?"

"That would be a 'no'," I said.

"No?"

I nodded, Inescapably Thankful that I saw my classroom in the very near distance. I was the only one of My Fellow Ravenclaw Girls who took it, so no one was waiting outside for me. No one to see that Black and I were talking. "That would be a 'hell no'."

Black looked like he Had All Sorts Of Things To Say To Me, but contented himself with only telling me "Goodbye."

I waved him off. "Goodbye."

Merlin!

Now you see why I needed a nap!