The Entrance Hall.

Down in front of The Great Hall for Dinner. I think it is a mark on how much I am getting used to Sirius Black being in my life, but I am surprised to find, not Black, but Lucille and Camilla and Tamara only standing outside The Doors waiting.

Up in our Tower, Lucille evidently felt that I was Taking Too Long (even though I was just in the process of leaving the dorm, I swear it), and gathered up Cam and Tamara and left without me. But Lucille is Impatient. I know this.

And so I greeted MFRG affably, still on my broom-purchasing high from a bit ago. "Hello! What have you ladies been up to while I was gone?"

Lucille waved a hand. "Not important."

Camilla coughed. "Um, Evelyn…"

We all looked to the blonde-haired girl. "Yes?" I asked. "Something to share?"

Camilla nodded. "Sirius Black left a note for you while you were gone." She started Smiling With Excitement. "We thought you should have it!"

I blinked. "As it's mine?"

"Right," said Camilla, nodding again. "As it's yours!"

"Well, where is it?" I looked at all the faces—Lucille started rummaging in the inside pocket of her robes. "Lucille?"

"I have it here," Lucille informed. "But you're going to have to read it aloud to us! Only fair. It's my One Condition. None of us got to escape Black and Potter today and all because they wanted to see you! So you're going to have to read it alo—."

"Well, I am sorry," I interrupted, "but I've been gone off The Grounds all day. No need to be Grumpy. Haven't been able to be here to receive most of The Looks, so, miss, you can just calm it down. And shouldn't we be going inside? I was under the impression that we were already running late."

"No," said Lucille obstinately. "You're going to read the note to us first."

"Here? Where everyone's staring?" Due to our Predilection for standing in front of The Doors, people, people I do not like, were beginning to Bleed Out Curiosity, and Look At Us. I know I am a side-show sometimes, so people can't help staring, but do they have to? "Why don't we just take it up to our dorm and read it?"

"Because then we'll be late for Dinner," Lucille answered. "And, in case you've forgotten, Tamara needs to eat."

"Oh," I said, deflated, glancing at Tamara. "True. Well, you're still searching for it?" I demanded, noting that a sufficient amount of time had already passed for us to have had our grandchildren. "Are you sure it's in your robes? Are you sure you haven't gone senile?"

"It's here," Lucille promised. "It's here! I just have to find it!"

"Well, please, take your time. There's no rush, really."

One more minute passed, and still no note. "Well, Lucille," I began, "we should carry on to the dining hall. It's obvious even to the rankest idiot that the note has disappeared."

"Here it is!" Lucille squashed the note triumphantly against my nose. "Read it!"

"Ow!" I yelled. "Mad woman!"

"Sorry," she said, not looking very apologetic. I considered for a moment that none of my friends seemed to ever want to feel such an emotion towards me (shame!). "Read it for us!" Lucille directed.

I started backing up. "Who says I have to now?" I questioned. Note now in my hand, I felt brave. "It's not your note, is it?"

"But we're your friends!" Lucille replied in some impatience. We deserve to know what Black has to say to you."

"No, you don't," I said, "if it's not any of your business!" Truth be told, I was surprised Lucille had held off on looking at my note until now. Hmm. Maybe she hadn't? Perhaps it was time to be vigilant.

"Evie," Camilla said calmly. "Stop walking away. Please."

"I can't," I told her sorrowfully. I gestured at my fist, folded note crumpled inside it. "This is obviously very important! None of you can read it but me. I need to go up to the dorm room for this."

"Evie," said Camilla again—this time, panic tinged her voice. Caught in my own slight panic that my friends might steal my private note away from me, I did not pay heed. "Please, stop walking!"

"I can't," I repeated. "No."

"Ev—!"

"Hush!" commanded Lucille, the very second my right heel hit the bottom of The Grand Staircase and I collapsed against it.

But not just against The Grand Staircase did I collapse!

Oh no! A warm body also cushioned my fall.

"Merlin!"

"I agree," I said dumbly, recognizing Sirius Black's voice. "Bloody Bollocks! Merlin's left foot!"

"Couldn't stand to not be on top of me, could you, Raisin?" said Black, maneuvering his front business against me. "Ooh, very nice!"

"Ugh!" I exclaimed, no longer paralyzed by my shock, and now moving desperately to get off the Gryffindor boy. "Sod off, you sicko!"

"With pleasure," Black said. "If you'd only stop squishing me. And I am obviously not the sicko here."

"Oh!"

"Offended you, did I?" Black said, with a smile in his voice. "Now that I have you here, I can ask you my question."

"Oh, that's not needed!" I assured quickly. "Not needed at all. I have already received your note, Black."

"Have you?"

"Yes, indeed." I looked for an escape. My friends (the Traitorous Bints) had already entered The Great Hall and left me by my Lonesome to cope with the Situation. No one in The Hall but us. Shite. "I was just about to read it, actually."

"Well, it is a nice note. Took me a while. So why don't you read it now?"

I turned and gave Black a confused look. "You want me to read it in front of you? Why? It's not…it's not going to do anything to me, is it?"

"Aside from give you Joy? I should hope not!"

"I see."

"Read it!" he encouraged. "It won't bite!"

"What will it do?" I wanted to know.

Black shrugged impishly.

"Oh my."

"Raisin, relax." Black laid a hand on my arm and squeezed, probably in some dim-witted attempt to comfort me. "It's harmless! Just an invite to The Kitchens tonight to go over my History homework. Nothing malicious, I assure you."

"Oh! Why can't we simply go to McGonagall's classroom? We've always met there."

"Because The Kitchens are cozier," said Black. "And you're right. We have always gone to McGoogle's classroom. But don't you want a change, Raisin? You've been to The Kitchens before haven't you? Five years here, I'm sure you must have. They have nice things in The Kitchens."

I nodded. "I know. Featherb—." At Black's Curious Look, I rephrased: "Featherhea—."

"You know Anthony Featherhead?" Black said. "I wasn't aware you two were acquainted."

"He's a fellow Prefect in my form," I answered. "Of course we're acquainted."

"Oh, I see," Black said with a grin. "He's a fellow Prefect."

"Yes." I didn't understand how Black could make "Prefect" sound dirty, but he could. "That's right. A fellow Prefect."

Black moved closer. "Why do you call him 'Featherbutt'?"

"We're both late for Dinner!" I said. "Why don't we go in?"

Black grinned at me. "Not before you read me my note, Raisin."

I frowned. "But you know what it says. You wrote it."

"Why don't we just say that I like hearing your voice?"

Becoming more confused by the second, I said, "But I am talking now, Black. Why—?"

"Why can't you just read it?" Black asked. "I took the time to write you a note. You should read it and be nice."

"But in front of you?" Black gave a nod. "It was my understanding that notes were private things."

"Well, they can be!" Black agreed. "But not in this instance."

"Well…"

Black Gestured Imperiously. "Read it!"

"Fine!" I said. The sooner I read it, the sooner Black would obviously go away. I was missing my dinner-time tea. "Here." I took a moment to unfold what was in my hand. "Uh?"

"Go on," said Black.

"It's blank," I said (somewhere there was a Question in my voice). "Did you spell it like this?"

"Tap your wand to it. It'll recognize only your signature and mine."

"Okay."

"Greetings, Raisin!" the note began, "Sirius Black at your service!" I snorted. "It just came to me yesterday that we've never been out on a proper date before." Here, I stopped reading to look at Black. "What are you talking about?" I said. "Of course we've never been out on a proper date before."

Black nodded. "And should we not rectify that?"

"What? No, Black! No, of course not. Why On Earth would we want to rectify that? We're not dating!"

Black made a very impatient and rude noise come from the back of his throat. "Continue reading, Raisin. It gets better, promise."

"You promise?" I questioned dubiously. "You promise?" Then I sighed. "Well, alright."

"That's the spirit!"

Again, I smoothed out the note in my hands and looked at it. "I know you're probably confused as to what I am talking about," Black's note said, "but Rest Assured that all will come clear in the end! Bottom Line: I fancy you! You're the cat's meow."

"Uh…"

"What?" Black said. "Didn't you know?"

The Great Hall.

No. I hadn't known. I had not known at all. I had had my suspicions, sure. But those were just suspicions, daydreams really, and Not Worth Any Merit when it came down to it at the end of the day. For the past three years, Black has been a boy so far out of my league in looks that he has been Unreachable. Now, simply because we have had a few conversations about History of Magic, I am allowed to touch him?

I don't think so.

Something Incredibly Fishy is going on.

And it is not just the smell of poached trout coming from The Table.

I did not run away from Black. I want that Made Clear Right Now. I gave a brisk walk in the opposite direction. Meals are almost like required classes, one has to attend them. And I was already late.

Very embarrassing, walking in late to Dinner with Black by my side, note forlornly stuffed in my hand, students looking on. Not that I hadn't tried to prevent such a thing from happening, but Black, as we know, is Stubborn and a Pill. He likes to accost women, and force us into doing nasty things. He is popular and obnoxious, and if he wants to embarrass you by putting his arm around you in front of the entire school, then by Merlin, he is going to put his arm around you in front of the entire school!

"What did he say to you?" Lucille asked, passing along the bread as soon as I had sat down. I received the tray from her and passed it onto to Camilla without taking anything. Camilla gave me a Look as well.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" I said childishly.

"Actually," Lucille said, Impertinent, "actually, yes I would."

"Well, it'll have to wait for a bit, then," I told her. "I still need to figure it out."

Camilla stared at me confused. "You need to figure out what Black said to you? But don't you know?"

"I was there for the conversation, yes. But Black could have been speaking in Gobbledegook for all that it processed it was processed."

"That's bad!" said Lucille. "I thought we talked about this, Evelyn! You need to be Aware Of His Every Movement. You need to be Vigilant!"

"I have been Vigilant!" I cried. After Glancing Around The Hall, I realized perhaps Crying Out at The Ravenclaw Table during Dinner wasn't the Best Course Of Action to take. Across the hall, Black gave me a wink. "I have been!" I repeated; this time quieter, letting everyone go back to their meals. "I have been onto his every move, just like we said. But it's hard to understand people when they are not making sense! It is hard, Lucille. I don't think I can do it!"

"Have you even tried?" Lucille asked.

"I've tried! I've just said I've tried! Of course I've tried. It's just not working! Black is a Being Unto His Own. He is nonsensical. It's sad, but there it is. No one can understand him!"

"Well!" said Lucille. "This gives us a dilemma."

"Yes," I said. "Another one."

"What was the first?"

I leaned in. "People are still looking, so I can't tell you, but trust me when I say, you want to know."

"Does this have to do with what you were prattling on about in Potions? Because I never did get a concrete answer."

"Yes, it does, Lucille. Yes, it does. It's Very Top-Secret. We may even get killed."

"Killed!" said Camilla. "You must be joking!"

"I don't know if I am or not," I told her in all seriousness. "It's very dangerous, Camilla. So, please, we can't talk about it here."

Lucille was giving me a shrewd look. "I see," she said finally. "I think I know what this is about."

"You do?"

Lucille nodded. "We'll find out after Dinner, won't we?"

"Unfortunately no," I said. "I still have a Tutoring Session with Black."

"Ooh!" Tamara cried, making herself heard. She had been Bouncing In Her Seat since I had come in and sat down. Poor girl was probably doped up on sugar. "Sirius Black is so handsome!"

The Kitchens.

After Dinner was over, I bade a sorrow-filled, anxious goodbye to MFRG, and made my way down to The Kitchens.

I made Black agree before we even entered The Great Hall to leaving at separate times after Dinner so no one would think anything of Extreme Lascivious Import would be going on between us. It was one thing, certainly, to be seen walking to a classroom together…or into The Great Hall. It was an entirely separate thing for me to be seen walking to The Kitchens with Black. Everyone knew Consorting Couples went to The Kitchens. Everyone.

Why Black and I should go to The Kitchens, especially directly after Dinner, is beyond me. But Black did say it was cozier.

Hmmph. Cozier my arse!

Black has probably enlisted the House-Elves to give me some poisoned tea and wants to see me kick it.

Well, Black, I have News for you:

I am not going to kick it in front of you.

If I have to die at sixteen, I am going to do it in the comfort of my own bed in Ravenclaw Tower with my friends about me holding my hand, not near Your Incredibly Hateful Presence.

"A Student-y! A Student-y!" the Elves cried, as soon as I had Tickled The Pear on the Fruit Portrait and entered. "What can us Elvsies do for youse?"

"Well," I said, used to their servile reaction since my family happened to have a couple House-Elves of our own at home. "I am meeting my pupil here for his lessons. Sirius Black. Do you know him?"

The Elves nodded enthusiastically. Two likely fellows pulled out a chair for me at a Large Table and pushed me into it. "We is knowing the Syrupy Black," they said.

"You call him, 'Syrupy?'" I said. "How delightful!"

"Yes, ma'am!"

"It's a lovely name! Syrupy! Syrupy! Syrupy! Syrupy!"

The House-Elves, happy that I seemed happy, started imitating me. "Syrupy!" they chorused in their squeaky voices. "Syrupy! Syrupy! Syrupy!"

"Syrupy!" I greeted Black, seeing him walk in. "You didn't tell me you had such a fine nickname!" Why so, Black Ho?

Black grimaced. "The Elves got stuck on it in my first year," he explained. "For some reason they can't pronounce, 'Sirius.'"

"Shame!"

"Is Mr. Syrupy and his guest wanting some things to eat?" the House-Elf who looked to be in charge asked an annoyed Black while I continued to giggle. "Dinner is just being over with. There was being enoughs foods for youse wasn't theres?"

Black and I nodded our heads—The House-Elves looked very concerned that our answer be in the affirmative. "No worries!" said Black, trying to calm them down. "We just thought this would be cozier than a stuffy old classroom!"

"We keep our Kitchens nice and sparkly!" chimed another House-Elf in agreement.

"'We'?" I asked Black, after The House-Elves had seated him in a chair. 'We' thought it would be cozier? Since when are we a unit, Black? I would have preferred our classroom."

Black grinned, Apparently no longer embarrassed I knew his secret cheesy nickname. "We, me," Black said. "Same thing!"

"Uh…"

"So, this is nice, isn't it?" said Black, glancing around. "No draft from the windows leaking in, no excessive sunlight…"

"All classrooms are charmed," I informed him.

Black ignored me. "Even no McGonagall! Why, Raisin, we don't even have to study! We could simply talk! Or snog!"

"But I don't want to talk," I said, deliberately only focusing on the first part of Black's statement. "I want to study."

"Well, fine, we'll study. But let's talk about Us first."

I stared at Black uncomfortably. "What do you mean?"

"What do you mean what do I mean?" Black said. "You read my note right in front of me, didn't you? Have I not been following you around like a lost puppy for the past week?"

I sighed. "Syrupy."

"Don't call me that!" Black ordered. "My name is 'Sirius'."

"Fine!" I began again, "Black…"

"Sirius," Black repeated. "Call me 'Sirius'."

"But Black has such a better ring to it!" I said.

"I want you to call me 'Sirius'!"

"That's all well and good, Black," I responded. "Only, since I'm my own person, I don't have to do everything you tell me to."

Black rolled his eyes. "If we're going to be dating—."

"Hold up!" I said. I raised my hand for Effect, because I was honestly curious. "Who told you we'd be dating? Who said anything about dating? We're not dating!"

"Why, me!" Black said, looking confused. He grabbed my hand. "In my note, Raisin. Look—."

I shook him off. "Oh, no! Oh, no! We are not dating, Black!"

"But we're on a date!" said Black in an Obvious Voice. "We're in The Kitchens!"

"We're on a Tutoring Session!" I corrected. "That happens to be in The Kitchens! Venue doesn't matter as long we both know that we're studying."

"But we're not studying!" Black said. "We're talking!"

"You make a good point, Black," I said. "So, let's get a move on it. Where are your notes? Let's get them out! I want to see them. We've lost valuable minutes already."

"My dog ate them again. Look," his voice was intense, "I just want to talk to you for a minute without you jumping down my throat about how I am taking up your time or about how I am bothering you or about how I am making you late to your classes. I want to get to know you, Raisin. The girl behind the books. Not the Tutor." I stared, and Black smiled. "Don't you want the same from me? Oh! Here comes our tea!"

"Thank you," I said numbly to The House-Elf who handed me my cup.

The Elf bobbed her head. "Missy is working to please, ma'am!"

"Thank you, Missy." I took a cautious sip of my tea, not really thinking that it might be dangerous to do so, only thinking that I didn't want my tongue burnt. "Mmm, Jasmine!"

"You like it?" Black asked.

It was delicious. "Jasmine's my favorite."

Black gave me a toast. "Mine too!" Black sighed. "If only they hadn't laced yours with Belladona!"

I spit out my mouthful of tea, and reached for my wand. "What?" I snarled.

"Joking!" said Black. "Only Joking!"

Black hadn't gotten The House-Elves to lace my tea with Belladonna, I'd find out soon. No, Not Belladonna.

An Expungent.

Black didn't like me! Of course, Black didn't like me! It was Impossible for Black to like me. I Was Such A Fool.

(And I would kill him.)