Title: Girl of His Dreams
Disclaimer: I don't own the Marauders, but I sure wouldn't mind if I did. ;P They belong to J.K. Rowling. I do, however, own Leah Matthews and the other OCs. Don't steal, please!
Girl of His Dreams
Chapter Seven: Receiving Hope
Leah was walking down the hall to the Transfiguration room, where she was supposed to meet Sirius so they could walk to lunch together. She hummed softly to herself, her eyes on her feet, when she turned the corner and heard a feminine voice.
"Sirius, let's go snog a little in the broom closet!" Leah jumped back around the corner in surprise, though she didn't know why she was hiding to begin with. With a sneaky glance around the stone pillar, she watched Sirius and a girl, whom she remembered to be called Melaina, converse.
"A-Actually," Sirius said, looking around, "I'm waiting for my girlfriend, Leah." Leah huffed in surprise. Since when were they a couple? Though, judging my the blatant look of dislike on his face, Leah guessed he would make any excuse he could.
"A girlfriend?" Melaina huffed, her arms on her waist as she stared up at him seductively, a twisted smile on her face. "Come on, Sirius, what she doesn't know won't hurt her."
"Yes," Sirius agreed, "But what she does know will hurt you. And me. Quite the violent type, she is." Leah snickered at what she considered to be a compliment.
"Sounds like a charming girlfriend…" Melaina flipped her dark hair over her shoulder and dragged her finger along his abdomen, and as Sirius gently knocked her hand away, Leah decided it was time to act. With her Potions exam in her hand, she sprinted toward him, a huge smile on her face.
"Sirius!" He turned to her in relief, and she leapt into his arms, nearly tackling him, and wrapped her legs around his waist as his arms wound around her to catch her. "I aced my Potions exam!" She exclaimed, hugged him, and she heard him laugh as he pressed his lips against her ear in a rough kiss.
"Of course you did! I knew you could do it, babe. You're the brightest witch I know!"
This is pretend, Leah told herself sternly. Stop getting so worked up! But it felt so real, and she didn't have to fake the smile and laughing that came after his remark. She turned to see Melaina staring at them with a shocked and disgusted look on her face.
"Oh, hi, Melaina. Sorry, did I interrupt something?"
"No, of course not… I just didn't know you two were actually dating."
"Of course," Leah said, smirking playfully at Sirius. He grinned up at her in response. "Who in their right minds could keep their hands off the handsome Sirius Black?" The anger returned in Melaina's eyes and Leah continued, as Sirius hid his laughter in her shoulder. "I know one thing, he certainly can't keep his hands off me!" Melaina stammered something about having to meet someone and stormed off, and Leah smiled down at Sirius.
"You owe me," she said firmly. "Now put me down."
"Look, they are dating!"
"I knew it!"
"You owe me two sickles, Dane!"
Leah blushed and they turned to see a large group of people standing in the doorway of the Transfiguration room, all staring at the couple. She glared at Sirius half-heartedly.
"This is your fault. Put me down, please."
"I don't know, Leah, I think I'd fancy keeping you up here a little longer." He smiled innocently at her, but set her down all the same. "Alright, alright…" While he collected their scattered belongings, Leah turned to the crowd of fourth years in the classroom.
"Oi, what are you looking at, you little brats?" They scrabbled back to their seats and she laughed, turning to Sirius. She stopped when she realized he was frowning at her. Her smile faded at his troubled expression, and she almost felt guilty for something. "What?"
"Oh, sorry!" He laughed lightly and handed her the book bag she had unceremoniously dumped at his feet when she pounced on him. "Here you go. I was just thinking."
"About?"
"Nosy today, aren't you?"
"I was just wondering!" Leah folded her arms across her chest in indignation. "Sheesh, this is what I get for doing you a favor?"
"Yeah, yeah…" He ruffled her hair affectionately and rubbed his arms as they took the outside shortcut to the great hall. "Blimey, it's getting really cold…"
"Christmas is in a month, of course it's going to get cold. It'll start snowing soon." Leah hugged herself for warmth and Sirius wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close against his side.
"Here, I'm hot enough," he teased. "You can have some of my body heat."
"Oh, thank you," Leah said sarcastically. They quickened their pace until they were inside again, and the heat from the castle seemed to thaw them immediately. "Oh look, there's Remus!" She waved and sat beside him, greeting Lily and James as Sirius sat beside her.
"How was your Potions exam?" Remus handed her plate of toast. "I'm sure you got a perfect score as usual."
"I did," Leah said, accepting a piece. "I didn't think I would, though, some of the recipes were switched around to trick me!"
"Look, that's Sirius' new girlfriend." Leah heard the hushed voice and turned her head slightly to see Melaina pointing at her. The girl beside her laughed.
"No way! That's his flavor of the week? What's so special about her?"
Remus watched Leah's smile fade and her eyes narrow sadly as her fears were confirmed. It had always been Leah's thoughts that she wasn't good enough to be with a popular man like Sirius. He pretended like he hadn't heard the girls, but Sirius seethed silently beside her. Before anything else could be said, there was a loud screech, and a swarm of owls swooped through the windows, delivering assorted mail to the students. Leah blinked slowly when a letter dropped in front of her.
"Look, Leah! You have mail." Remus smiled hopefully at her. "Maybe it's from Heather?"
"It is," Leah said, unable to keep the grin from her face. She tore open the envelope and unfolded the letter, eager to hear (or imagine) her best friend's voice.
Leah!
You're such an idiot! Why'd you have to go and get yourself expelled? I miss you. It's so boring here, and you're having all the fun in the world. I'm so jealous! Maybe I oughta go to England, too, and meet this Remus guy. He sounds very nice.
I'm fine, so stop your worrying. My transformations are still a little rough, but I'll make it, okay? Just have fun while you're there. This is your last year in school, make some nice memories! That way you can tell me all about them when you get back. I'm sure, like always, I won't be able to get you to shut up.
At this, Leah laughed, and everyone looked at her in question.
"She's making fun of me," Leah said. "It's funny." Sirius shook his head and returned to making his egg-on-toast sandwich, while everyone else all went back to what they were doing as Leah continued reading her letter.
So, now to more 'Sirius' matters… That's such a cool pun, you should use it more. Anyway… I have reasonable suspicion that you, my dear friend, are in love.
Leah blushed and leaned back slightly to make sure no one else was reading over her shoulder, though the current topic of the letter was stuffing his face, oblivious to her embarrassment.
It's obvious. And you've never really had a boyfriend, so why not go for it? I haven't heard much about him… Tell me more! I want to know how he acts around you, what he's into, everything! He might be my brother-in-law someday. Ha-ha. Just kidding… Maybe… Tell everyone I said hi, and thank them for taking such good care of you, okay? I'm sure you're babying Remus the same way you spoiled me, so stop it! He can take care of himself, he's a big boy. And before you start- I know. You can't help it. Oh well, I'm sure he enjoys it anyway.
Write me back or else I'll take a leaf out of your book and hex you into oblivion!
- Heather
Leah shook her head, smiling, and turned to Remus. "Remus, do I spoil you?"
"More than anyone," he replied immediately, laughing.
"What's so funny?"
"Nothing. I was just wondering if you did the same with Heather."
"Yeah. She's really shy, you know? But I think I changed her a bit… She's threatening to hex me into oblivion if I don't write her back…" Sirius snorted into his pumpkin juice.
"Sounds like someone I know," he said. Leah placed the letter in her bag and rolled her eyes at the boy.
"You know, I'm actually quite nice. It's rumors you tell those other girls that make me seem awful," she pointed out.
"You're the only girl they won't mess with," Sirius said in his defense. "Besides, you're the only girl I actually trust in this school, besides Lily. And I really only trust her to get angry at me and James, so that still leaves you." James laughed at the indignant look on her face.
"It's true, Evans."
"Maybe if you two weren't such bullies!"
"Alright, alright." Leah sighed and glanced at her pumpkin juice. "What you said to Melaina was pretty funny, though, Sirius."
"I'm glad you were entertained," Sirius grumbled. "If you hadn't shown up, she probably would have attacked me and had her way with me in the hallway."
"Sounds kinky," Leah replied jokingly. Sirius' eyes widened as he inhaled a large bite of egg, and he started choking. Leah snickered at his reaction, while Remus just reached around and smacked Sirius on the back until the egg flew out of his lung… and hit Melaina in the face.
"Ew!" She incinerated it with her wand and sent a threatening glare at Leah, who was laughing uncontrollably. Sirius was laughing as well, but he covered it up with coughing.
"I'm going to go write Heather back," Leah said. "I'll be in the common room if you need me, guys!"
"Alright," they agreed. Leah waved to them all, and cast Sirius one last smile before disappearing into the main hall.
"If you don't see it by now, you never will," Remus said suddenly. Sirius scowled and pushed his plate away.
"I know, I know… I'm just waiting for the right moment."
--
A/N: Yay, the next chapter is up! Also, this next chapter is mostly Leah's letter to Heather. Stay tuned and find out what Leah truly thinks of Hogwarts! Thanks, and PLEASE review!