Chapter 2- Three Things
The next morning, Renee was in a good mood; they were having bacon for breakfast. She considered fighting her way through the throng of blokes that surrounded Tarin at the Hufflepuff table to tell her about her conversation with Sirius, but decided against it. If she did, Black would be the only thing she heard about for weeks. Instead, she made small talk with her dorm mates, Lily, Alice, and Mary. Lily, of course, was complaining about James.
Just as Renee was able to tune out her Potter-rant of the hour, Lily screeched, "Merlin, he won't leave me bloody well alone!"
She looked up; sure enough, Black and Potter were struggling through fan girls towards them. Renee had a bad feeling about this; Sirius didn't normally accompany James on his many endeavors to get Lily to go out with him.
While James attempted to get a date with Lily (again), Sirius somehow managed to grab a seat by Renee. "So, Renee, you ran off before I had a chance to properly ask; will you please help figure out how to get Tarin to take me seriously?"
She couldn't resist. "Seriously, Sirius? How could you be taken as any thing but serious?"
He laughed his bark-like laugh. "Ah, the name pun. I can just tell we're going to get along smashingly."
She narrowed her eyes. "Well, since we're so chummy, I'll give it to you straight: you are my teammate, and while we're on the pitch, I have complete faith in you, but off the pitch, I don't trust you as far as I can throw you, with girls in general, and especially not when it comes to my best mate."
"All right, I might've deserved that, but this is different, I promise." He said earnestly.
She sighed, exhausted even though she hadn't even finished her bacon. "Look, Black, I want to believe you. We've been teammates for over four years and you're a cool bloke. But this is Tarin we're talking about. She cries for a week over every guy she talks to, and I want to spare her a few extra tears if I can."
Just then, Lily stood up and yelled, "For the hundredth time to-bloody-day, Potter, I will not bloody go out with you!"
As she stormed out, the guys returned to their normal seats further down the table. Before they left, Black threw her a very obvious 'I'll see you later' look.
Not even commenting on the everyday occurrence that is James and Lily fighting, Alice asked Renee, "So, what did Sirius want?"
Inwardly groaning, she replied, "Oh nothing. He was just a little confused and I was clearing it up for him."
Seeing that they weren't buying her vague answer and not wanting to stick around to be interrogated, Renee bolted before they could stop her.
Over the next few days, it was a lot of the same thing; Sirius pestered Renee, she said no, and found a way to escape. By far the most interesting attempt was when he sent a house elf to serenade her, begging her for help. Lily, Alice, and Mary were under the impression that he liked her, even though Renee denied all such rumours.
Even Tarin, who was normally too swept up in her own boy drama to see anything outside of it, noticed. She came and found her Thursday night when Renee was hiding in the library.
"Hey, Nay-Nay," Tarin said, using her childhood nickname for Renee.
Renee grinned up at her. "Hey Tare-bear. How's life in Hufflepuff?"
Tarin groaned and flopped into a seat by her. "Sooo boring. Why are all blokes either arseholes or total bores?"
"Just because they can't keep up with you doesn't make them boring, hon." Renee said with a teasing grin.
Tarin pouted. "Does too. But anyway, that's so not what I came to you about. What's this I hear about you and a certain Sirius Black, resident sex god?"
"I thought you were the sex god?" Renee asked, trying to distract her.
"I'm the sex goddess. Merlin, get it right. And stop trying to change the subject, or so help me, I will tell your mom what happened last summer!" Tarin threatened.
Renee sighed. "Absolutely, positively, nothing is going on between Black and I. We've just been talking about the game this weekend."
Tarin narrowed her light blue eyes. "Don't even try to lie to me, Renee Marie Gray. You don't talk to resident sex gods about Quidditch. You certainly don't get serenaded by resident sex gods about Quidditch."
Renee pretended to swoon. "Fine, you've found me out. Siri-poo and I are in love and we're going to elope this summer and come back to school with bunches and bunches of adorable little Sirius Jr's."
Tarin wrinkled her nose. "Ew. That's just weird. And stop distracting me! Tell me what's going on!"
She sighed again. "Fine, spoilsport. If you must know, he's been talking to me about you. And I've been telling him to go away because I don't want him to hurt you!"
As usual, Tarin ignored Renee's concerns and squealed, "Oh my Merlin! No WAY! Sirius Black, the Sirius Black likes me? Eek!"
Renee rolled her eyes; this is exactly why she hadn't told her before. "That's great, Tarin. Now you can talk to him, instead of me having to."
That brought her up short. "Wait, no. We can't let him know that that I know yet. Please, please, please talk to him for me, Renee. Just until he starts talking to me himself."
"Not happening, Tarin. You know the only reason he likes you is because he wants to drag you off to one of the broom closets he practically inhabits." Renee said.
Tarin denied it, of course. "Nuh-uh! He's so much deeper than that."
Renee rolled her eyes, again. "Yeah, and you've talked to him what, for a whole five minutes? I've been his team mate and house mate for almost six years. I know him. He only pretends to be deep so he can shag more girls."
Tarin looked outraged. "That is so not true-"
Renee interrupted her, suddenly just not in the mood to listen to Tarin gush about the next guy who would 'break her heart'. "You know what? I give up. I'll talk to him. And when he breaks your heart, don't say I didn't warn you."
Tarin squealed and threw herself at Renee. "Thank you, thank you, thank you! I promise, it'll be perfect. Oh my gosh, Sirius bloody Black! He's sooooo fit."
Renee's eyes were starting to hurt from rolled them so much; Tarin was quite bothersome to listen to when she started gushing. "Yeah, yeah, sex god, blah, blah, blah. I've got Quidditch practice, I'll see you around." And she left the library before she had to listen to her go on more.
She ended up being early to practice and the only people there were James and Sirius. As soon as she entered the pitch she saw Sirius dive towards her on his broom, no doubt so he could ask her yet again. She stopped him before he could start. "Hey Sirius, let's go talk for a second before practice starts."
Looking surprised - lately she had done everything possible to avoid him, he followed her to the stands.
Renee took a deep breath before she just told him, flat out. "I'll help you-"
Sirius interrupted her with a triumphant "Yes!" and a quick bear hug. Laughing, she asked to be released.
When he obliged, she continued. "I'll help you, but I've got to be honest; I've got my doubts. She's been my best friend for years, so it's kind of hard for me to tell you exactly what will make her fall for you. I mean, how do I know you won't break her heart?"
He nodded soberly. "I get where you're coming from. But I promise you, I won't hurt her."
Then his expression lit up. "I can't believe you're going to help me!" he crowed triumphantly.
She smiled at him sadly, still not convinced that she was making a smart decision. He was oblivious to her torn feelings though. "I can't believe it. Tarin White! She's so amazing. Such a free spirit. Rules don't stand a chance with her. She's not like the boys and I, breaking the rules just because we can. It's like… Rules just can't keep up with her."
Something unpleasant twinged in Renee's stomach, a feeling she couldn't quite identify. She didn't say anything though.
Sirius went on. "And she's so smart." Here, she gave him a dubious look. He noticed this and laughed before explaining, "Well, maybe not in the way people normally think. But I know people who are geniuses in a book way, but they have no common sense, none. Tarin, though, she's amazing with people. I don't know a single other person who can make every bloke fall in love with them and not have every girl hate her for it. That takes intelligence, just not the type they can teach in a classroom. Not to mention a hell of a lot of charisma."
The twinge in her stomach had grown into a knot, and she could almost identify it, it was on the tip of her tongue. Still, she said nothing.
Sirius, oblivious as ever, continued gushing. "And her eyes! Now I know everyone goes on about them, because they're beautiful, but that's not all. People say that your eyes are windows to your soul, and with Tarin, I can actually believe it. She's so clear and open, and, well, beautiful. I would believe every word she said to me, because a person that innocent and honest just can't lie to you."
The knot was writhing now. She could identify the feeling now: shame. But not shame for herself, shame for Tarin. Why was she ashamed of her best mate, for the first time ever? She wasn't sure.
Trying to ignore the burning feeling in her gut, she said, "I think that's the most serious, pun intended, I've ever seen you, Sirius."
He grinned at her, his face so boyishly earnest and happy. He hugged her again. "Thank you, Renee. Thank you so much for helping me not make an arse out of myself."
Just then, the knot in her stomach felt like it erupted in flames. She gasped and tried to act normal again, but her gut made it difficult. "That's, er, great, Sirius. Er, find me tomorrow some time. I have to go. Tell James that I, er, got sick."
With that, she ran off, and kept running. She ran, trying to outrun the burning shame in her. When that didn't work, she ran while she sorted out why she was so full of shame.
AN:/ The ending was a little froofy, but I wanted to get those three things out there. It kind of sounded OOC for the Sirius in my head, so let me just explain it, in my head. Basically, Sirius has never been, well, serious, about a girl until now. But for some inexplicable reason, he's fallen head over heels for Tarin. And so it comes out that he's a closet romantic. SHH, don't tell the guys!
Ahem. Anyway, there's a couple little spin-off stories that I've been considering writing, based off of stuff brought up in this story. I could write something about what happened last summer, that Tarin mentioned. Or a different version of these three things, that will fit later...
Anyway, again. Thanks for the couple of reviews I got. I'd really like to get more this time, but I know just a single chapter story isn't much to go off of yet... So I hope to get more reviews this time. GR. But really, tell me what y'all think :)
-Nikky