Day One [Monday]
I woke up the next morning and smiled. Today was day one. Tonight, Emma would be in bed with me.
As I got up, stretching and running my hands through my shaggy hair I thought of what sort of man Emma would want. She was a classic ditz, as dumb and girly as they get. She would want a well-groomed, sensitive, handsome boy to serenade her and listen to her whine. I can do well groomed, sensitive is an easy act, and we all know I'm dazzlingly good-looking.
I went to my closet and retrieved the one formal shirt I had, the one Mrs. Potter had sent for me because she knew I wouldn't ever pack my own and my mother doesn't give Peter's ass.
"I believe in you," came a small and random squeak from behind me. I turned and peter was standing, holding his books and fully dressed, some crumbs from breakfast on the front of his robes.
"Oh hey, wormtail," I said. "Did I miss breakfast again?"
"I said, I believe in you," he repeated.
"Alright, you little girl" I turned back around and extracted my Gryffindor tie, the nice one, not the well-worn one I wore every day or the Slytherin one I sometimes laced around my shoe. I also pulled out a clean-cut pair of black jeans, thanking heavens that they were clean. As I began to compile my look, Peter said, "You didn't miss breakfast, I was just early... Prongs and Mooney are waiting for you in the common room."
"Alright, thanks," I said, tucking in my shirt and adjusting my tie. I went to the mirror and washed my face into he basin before coming my hair down. It was stills lightly unruly, but that would make Emma think she was dating a boy with "edge". Heh. She wouldn't know edge if it hit her in the face.
On my way out, I caught sight of myself in the reflection of the window. I looked well behaved and sensitive without looking geeky (I carried only a notebook and a quil anyway). Now I pounce.
I walked downstairs, Peter trailing behind me. When we reached the common room, I spotted James and Remus standing in the corner, chatting animatedly and punching each other.
"Will you tell them I'll be there in a sec?" I asked the twitching boy at my shoulder. Honestly, he acted as if I was gonna hit him every time I spoke to him,
I spotted Emma then, sitting by the fire with a cup of tea. She had a transfiguration book open in her lap and she had a thuroughly baffled expression on her face.
I went and sat next to her.
"Oh, hello, Sirius," she said, smiling as she looked up at me. She knew my name. That's a start.
"Hi, Emma, what are you working on there?" I asked.
"Oh, just some transfiguration. I was supposed to be studying last night, but I forgot. I'm so silly sometimes," she smiled at me. I smiled back in a winning manner.
"Gosh, Sirius, I guess I haven't noticed before, you're quite hansome," she said, playing with her hair. Aha. That means she likes me... messing with her hair is a classic trait of somone INFATUATED with the Sirius-bug.
"Why thanks, Emmy. Can I call you that?"
"Sure! Gosh, no one's ever given me THAT nick-name before. I like it... its cute!" she said.
"So, EMMY, I knowyou don't really know me, but I'd love to talk to you a bit more, even though I should eat something before class so I should go now."
"Oh," she said looking disapointed. Strike one.
"Would you like to eat lunch with me?" I asked. "I can arrange a picnic by the lake? My free-period's right after lunch..."
"Mine too! I'd love to Sirius!" she said, moving her leg so it touched mine. I tried to surpress a grin. She's WAY into me.
"Alright. We'll talk then, yeah?" I asked, searching the room for James' eyes. He was shaking his head slowly, but he looked impresses despite himself.
"Yeah!" she said happily. I leaned forward and kissed her cheek, lingering just a touch longer so she could smell the musky scene of the cologne I'd splashed on (last nigh of course so It wasn't too overpowering).
I departed then, taking her teacup because that's the kinda guy I am.
I joined my friends and we said not a word for the next minute or two until we were outside of the fat lady and headed towards the great hall. We wouldn't want to jinx it.
"I gotta hand it to you, mate," James said once we were a safe distance away. "That was pretty smooth. Still.... if you want all 70 galleons you need a girl a day and I sorta doubt--" but he was cut off because he was shoved a side.
By Lily Evans "Unbelievable," she muttered, loud enough for all of us to hear as she stormed like she did every time when she was mad at James or I. Which was often, actually.
The one question I always ask her that she never seems to be able to answer is if she hates us so much why does she always hang around?
***
Finally the bell rang. About time. I was sick of potions and that suck up Severus Snape.
I gathered my books and went to wait on Remus. He was talking to professor Slughorn about something or other. I was getting impatient. I only had so long before she lost interest. Good god, there's only so long you can talk about the correct way to brew a sneezing bought. Finally, he sailed and shook Slughorn's hand before turning and scowling at me.
"What?!"
"Could you tap your foot ANY LOUDER, Sirius?"
"Sorry, you were--"
"You could have left!"
"Never," I grinned, slapping his back and handing him his books. "Now lets get out of here."
As we made our way to the great hall, I scanned the room. As I was looking for Emma, I spotted someone else. Someone entirely different.
She was sitting on the end of the Ravenclaw table, making some sort of poster. What caught my eye about her was her hair-- she had white blonde hair like Narcissa, but somehow it looked good on her. She was curvy and when she looked up, I could see she had really beautiful hazel eyes. I scanned the room one more time for Emma, muttered something to Remus about meeting them later, and made my way over to her table.
As I drew closer, I saw the poster she was bent over so intently. It said, "equal rights for muggle-borns". What, is she mental? Protesting as if it would change death-eater's minds?
"Hi, there?" I said, using one finger to peek under her curtain of hair. She started a little bit then used a ribbon to tie her hair in a loose bun. She looked up at me, not saying a word, just studying me.
"You're Sirius Black aren't you?" she asked.
"Yes, I am..."
"Asshole," she said, bending over her work again.
"What?!" I asked, sitting down across from her, slightly ruffled even if I hate to admit it. "Are you friends with Lily Evans?"
"No..." she said. "What the fuck are you talking about?"
"Oh.. Never mind.... why won't you give me a chance?"
"A chance at what?" she asked, looking at me, a challenge in her voice.
"Uh--"
"Uh huh," she said, bending over again. "You just wanna shag me..."
"Just answer the question," I said exasperatedly.
"Because I know you!"
"Excuse me," I said, putting on that voice that makes Evans so mad. "We've never met."
"Yeah, but I've seen you mackin' on girls and they walk into the great hall the next week with red puffy eyes and shoulders hunched," she replied. "What, you just get them in bed and then dump them?"
"No.." I said, swallowing. "I--"
"Whatever." she said.
"Oh come on, will you at least tell me your name."
"DiDellis," she said. "That's my last name."
"Uh... okayyy??" I said, unsure how to react.
"Because I'm not gonna cry for you like all those idiots," she explained.
"Alright, calm it the fuck down," I said, suddenly feeling a little angry despite myself. Generally rejection didn't really ruffle me... there are plenty of fish in the sea. But something about this total and complete isolation, the way she cut me off had me confused. But then I spotted Emma walking into the great hall. I'd already had the house elves prepare the picnic and leave it at Hagrid's.
"Well by DiDellis" I said. She simply huffed at me and muttered "you look stupid with your hair like that" and continued to sketch her poster.
I hurried over to Emma before she could notice that I was talking to another girl. When I reached her, she smiled at me radiantly and said "I was starting to think you were playing a prank on me!"
"No..." I lied. "I was just making the necessary arrangements."
I took her by the arm and lead her out to the lake where the house elves should have left the basket. Sure enough there was a wicker basket with a checkered cloth laying under the tree me and my friends usually ate at. Today they knew to steer clear, though.
We made our way over to the edge of the lake. As we drew closer, the giant squid reached its tentacles out of the water and splashed about a bit. It was stretching, like it usually did about midday when the weather was nice; every Hogwarts student expected and knew about it. But all the same, Emma clutched my hand and squealed. This is going to be good.
We sat down and she began investigating the hamper. Ah, so she's bulimic. Right? There's gotta be something wrong with her. Everyone's fucked up a little bit, right?
But that girl that was sitting with me on the Hogwarts express told me I should kick that mentality. I thought back. I was sitting by myself in the compartment... I'd told my friends I was going to find someone, but I really just needed some alone time. I was sitting staring out of the window and she showed up and started talking to me. Her eyes had pierced me- they were amazing tawny amber, just like a wild lions. She had crazy blonde hair and high cheekbones. She was wearing a simple black dress and her eyes were rimmed in thick black liner. She looked a few years younger than me. 3rd year, maybe even 2nd.
I was about to tell her to leave me alone but she just sat, no invitation. It startled me, so I just sat in silence. We had talked... I dunno how it started but we were talking about... life. It was one of the most profound things that have happened to me. I told her my theory-- everyone's fucked up somehow; I just need to figure out how before I care about them too much. She told me to stop thinking like that, that it was probably a product of my family. There was this 13 year old telling me how to live my life. But I believed her...
After telling me that, she had reached forward and hugged me tight then pulled away and left the compartment. As she was leaving I'd said, "Wait! What's your name?!"
And she'd replied in a voice that reminded me once more of how mature she was for such a little girl "Carlindah Gray."
"Sirius?" Emma snapped me back to the present.
"What? Sorry." I replied, shaking my head.
"This is amazing... thank you so much"
"Yeah. Cheers." I said, thrown off a little by the vividness of my recollection.
We sat back and ate then, flirting and laughing until I was snapped to of my funk enough to make a move.
"Hey, Emma?" I asked, wiping the crumbs off the corner of her mouth.
"Hmm?"
"I noticed you were having a little trouble with that transfiguration..."
"Yeah," she said, ducking her head so her hair fell over her face. I had a flash of "DiDellis" then. What the hell is wrong with me?! This is the hottest girl in our year here...!
"Hey, hey,"I said in my most sensitive, sweet voice, tucking her hair behind her ear. "Don't be embarrassed Let me help you. Tonight?"
"Sure," she said, smiling again, showing off those cute dimples. "Meet you...?"
"Library," I said. "8ish?"
"Yeah!" she said smiling just as my watch chirped, indicating that it was time to clean up.
"Perfect," I said, grinning wolfishly.
***
"That night, I ran up to my dormitory before I got a went to meet Emma. This was going perfectly. When I got there, James was sitting on my bead, waiting for me.
"I hope you got the money ready, mate." I said.
"Peter cried again earlier," he said, interrupting me.
"...Why?" I asked, stopping dead in my tracks.
"I dunno... I don't think he realized I saw him." James said, shrugging.
I thought back over the day, trying to remember if I'd done anything to make him upset. He'd been going away on his own more and more recently, crying and screaming to himself. Me and James and Remus were worried but the problem was that he had no clue we knew about it. Most of the time we worried, but some of the time it just got old.
"Hm... Well do you suppose we should talk to him about it tonight?"
"What about Emma?"
"Peter's more important."
He studied me for a moment and then said "You know what, I can't believe I'm saying this, but go shag Emma Maddison.... Peter will talk to us when he's good and ready."
"Okay," I said, grinning again. "If you insist!" I grabbed my wand and my transfiguration book and busted ass over to the library to be there before she was.
When she showed up, she was wearing her gray Hogwarts pleated skirt and white oxford shirt with the Hogwarts mascot in the corner. But was it I, or was her skirt hitched up a little high on her thighs, and her shirt unbutton a few too many buttons than was exactly decent. Also, unless I was mistaken, are those the click clack of high eels on the polished library floor?
I peeked downwards and sure enough she was wearing high-heeled oxfords, completing the sexy schoolgirl look.
Goddamn, she's practically throwing herself at me.
"Hi, Sirius," she said, and I noticed immediately her voice was different than earlier. Lower, sexier. What a slut!
"H-hey," I said, my pants already feeling a little too small.
"Lets get started..."
"You know what? Forget studying," she said, backing me up against the table and bringing her face inches from mine.
"Uh... okay... well, what do you wanna do?" I asked.
"You," she replied, grinning like a maniac.