Etiquette for a Lady

Modesty isn't always overrated. A little mystery goes a long way

They were waiting in the hall for the Transfiguration classroom to be emptied of third years when he saw her.

"Who's the new girl?" Sirius nodded to the other side of the hallway where Lily, Mary and a mystery girl were chatting. The girl had chestnut hair that curled around her shoulders. She wore a hint of dark makeup around her eyes, not enough to make her look like a raccoon, but enough to make her seem mysterious. Her lips were painted a lovely kissable pink. Sirius couldn't stop staring at her lips, wondering if they tasted as good as they looked.

"We've been back a week and you're only just noticing her?" Remus laughed.

"He and Jane only just came up for air," James teased.

"That's Katherine Fielding," Peter supplied. "She's new, sixth year. Used to be home schooled."

"Hmm, rooming with Evans and them?"

"No, she sleeps on the common room couches," Remus rolled his eyes.

"I've done that. They're actually really comfortable." The Marauders laughed. They all remembered Sirius's couch phase.

Sirius ran his hands through his hair. "How do I look?"

"Like someone about to be shut down," James said, earning him a smack in the shoulder. The Marauders had a rather abusive relationship.

Sirius sauntered over to the Gryffindor girls.

"Evans, MacDonald, how were your summers?" he asked, eyeing the new girl.

"Fine, thank you for asking a week late," Mary said, the sarcasm dripping from her words. She clearly knew exactly why he was here and it wasn't to talk about the summer.

"Well better late than never," Sirius dismissed. "Are you going to introduce me to your friend?" She was about 5'8", still shorter than him but taller than Lily and Mary.

"This is Kate. She's new," said Lily. "Kate, this is Sirius, who is anything but."

"She's right, I'm an old soul."

"Not what I meant," Lily muttered, but Sirius wasn't listening.

Sirius took Kate's hand and raised it to his lips. "Welcome to Hogwarts."

"Thank you," she let him kiss her knuckles but pulled her hand back when he tried to hang on to it.

"Where do you come to us from?"

"Home school."

"Oh? Do you have some deep, dark secret that kept you from our humble institution?"

Kate looked at him from under dark eyelashes. "Something like that." She smiled. Her eyes seemed to laugh at him. Something in her eyes made him start to sweat.

The third-years in the room before them were dismissed and the hall was suddenly filled with thirteen-year-olds. Kate followed Lily into the classroom.

The Marauders came up behind him and Sirius felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Was that as fun to experience as it was to watch?" James asked.

"I think she just beat you at your own game, Padfoot," Remus laughed. Peter and James joined in. Sirius didn't. She had indeed beaten him at what he thought was his game. Instead of getting her hot and bothered, he found that he was.

They sat down at the back of the class and he stared at the back of Kate's head. She sat in front and to the right of him and he could see the curve of her jaw. He watched her pale hands caress her dark hair as she swept it into a ponytail. A few tendrils in the back had resisted capture and they curled and teased at the nape of her delicate neck. She turned to talk to Mary and he stared along the curve of her neck to where it met her shoulder.

As if she felt his gaze, she looked over her shoulder at him. She didn't smile, but he felt like her eyes were laughing at him again.

Something hit him in the head and Sirius gasped back to reality. James had flicked paper at him. James smirked.

"Shut up," Sirius muttered.

James chuckled. "She's pretty."

"So is Lily," countered Sirius.

James grimaced. "Shut up."