A Parental Guide

By xXxFluffy-Pink-Socks

a.k.a Miss Willow

A/N: Sorry for the shortness. Please R&R anyway! I'd really appreciate it and it gives me the inspiration I need.

-x-

I watched Madame Pomprey bustle around Sirius' bed in a complete flap, muttering darkly under her breath and shooting me disapproving glances. Everyone knew that Madame Pomprey wasn't what you would call a quidditch fan and, as Sirius had told me, there was nothing that seemed to anger her more than the more than frequent injuries caused by the game. When we'd first appeared in the doorway of the Hospital Wing, she had been completely sympathetic... until she discovered that Quidditch was the cause and then she consented to glaring instead.

"Sorry..." I mumbled again, looking at Sirius. He'd only hurt his eye but Madame Pomprey had insisted on him lying on one of the Hospital Wing beds for half an hour before leaving, and I, being the dutiful wife I am, had agreed to stay with him.

"Bit late for that," Sirius replied bitterly. I frowned.

"It's not my fault... ok, maybe it IS my fault, but it's yours as well!" I tried to explain.

Sirius opened his mouth in disbelief, "How did you manage to come to that idea? Please tell me how you think you blacking my eye was my fault, I must say I'm actually interested in what you're going to say for once."

"If you'd just missed the Quidditch practice then none of this would have happened. You knew I was terrified of heights and flying!"

"Excuse me? Not go to Quidditch Practice?"

"Yes, Sirius, NO Quidditch Practice! I'm sure you would have been able to miss one practice out of god knows who many you have every year!" I argued. Sirius was still staring at me with a look of disbelief so I decided that he was a boy and that's simply how they acted about Quidditch.

We sat in silence for a few seconds, Sirius eating the chocolate that Madame Pomprey had given him and me staring thoughtfully over at the boy on the other side of the room who was currently having his fingers stitched by a wand hovering in mid-air. The boy looked up from his hand, caught my eye and grinned. I grinned back stupidly for a few seconds, before quickly turning away, feeling like an idiot.

"What's going on between you and Larry?" Sirius asked suddenly.

"Larry?" I repeated, confused.

"Yes, Larry, the guy sitting on the bed over there, currently grinning over at you."

"He's grinning at me!" I exclaimed, craning my neck to see. "I mean... erm, I don't know what you talk about."

Sirius was staring at me now, an unreadable expression on his face. "I hate it when you do that." I said.

"Do what?"

"Look at me like that."

"I'm not looking at you like anything."

"Yes you are, you have those looks on your face sometimes and I can't understand what you're thinking."

"Why would you want to know what I was thinking?" Sirius said, frowning.

I shrugged, "I don't know. It would make life much more simpler, you know?"

"... not really."

"Never mind then." I went back to the important task of staring aimlessly round the room, this time making sure that I avoided looking over at Larry, as I was almost positive I would end up doing something to embarrass myself.

"Mr. Black! Miss. Willow! What are you two doing here?" Professor McGonagall walked briskly over to us, stopping on the opposite side of Sirius' bed from me. She was surveying us with open suspicion and obviously thought that Sirius had gained his black eye from 'muggle brawling'. "Mr. Black, not again..."

"No, Professor! I attacked him!" I jumped in.

"What?!" McGonagall's eyes looked ready to pop.

"No, it wasn't like that. We were both at Quidditch practice and, well, I'm a rubbish flier and I'm scared of heights and I had to play beater with Sirius and I missed the bludger and got Sirius' eye instead..." It was after I had explained this that McGonagall seemed to remember that we were infact bound at the hand, due to her doing.

She sighed. "I suppose I'll have to unbind you after this."

Sirius sat up so fast that my arm was almost yanked from its socket. Who could blame him, though? It was the best thing I'd heard all day. "Really Professor?" I asked eagerly.

"Yes, though don't think that means you two are to go unpunished. Besides, I think you have learnt your lesson and the next task will definitely be sure to put you both in your places if you are already not there."

"Next task?"

"You'll find out more when you get back to the common room."

"So, we don't have to have that awful room anymore?"

"No."

"YAY!" I shrieked, jumping out of my seat and jumping up and down with joy. I stopped in a hurry, after I saw the looks McGonagall and Sirius were giving me.

"OK... thanks, Professor." Sirius said, grabbing onto my arm and pulling me back into my seat. Professor McGonagall pulled her wand out of her pocket and tapped our joined hands twice. They were surrounded by a pale blue glow and then we were seperated. It was over. We weren't holding hands. I could get dressed without thinking Sirius was watching. I could.. I could...

"I've never felt so happy!" I screamed at the top of my voice and hugged Sirius in my elated state. I grinned at him and saw that Larry was watching the two of us. I hadn't realised how cute he was... probably because of the stress the hand situation had been causing.

"Me neither." Sirius admitted, also grinning.

"We should probably get back to the common room, though," I said grudgingly, tearing my gaze away from Larry's.

"Why?"

"The task McGonagall mentioned."

"I dread to think what she has in store this time..."

"So do I, Sirius, so do I."

-x-

Please R&R!