Chapter 7

Withering Heights, Three Things, and Tear Drops

A/N sorry i no its been 11 days! wow that seems so long! but fanfiction wouldn;t let me update! :(

So 5 reviews! not bad. but i no that lik4 20 ppl are on the alert list! I know 7ou are out there. Please review and tell me what you want to see in the story!

"So how'd it go?" Sam asked setting her book on the table next to her. It was about eight o'clock. She and Sirius had returned from dinner an hour ago. With no sign of James she had grabbed her copy of Withering Heights, found an armchair by the fire, and pretended to read while throwing looks at Sirius. Sirius himself was on the other side of the room, un-started potions essay at hand, he was playing catch with himself, a worn tennis ball bouncing merrily against any flat surface of the room. His eyes stared absent-mindedly at either the fire or Sam.

"Well good…I think." James replied, clearly confused about the evening.

"When you left did she tuck her wand behind her ear or put it away?" Sam said in a matter-of-fact way.

"What?"

"You heard me!"

"Why does that matter." James asked, his confusion growing.

"Because when she's interested in something, she practices and practices. (Because she's crazy! Sirius interjected). If she put the wand behind her ear, she intends to use it. If she puts it away, she's done with a subject."

"Well…" James murmured, trying to recall the nights event. "...she put it on the night stand next to her."

"Hrm…that's a new one. Well at least it means she hasn't written you off yet."

James sighed. "Well it's better than nothing."

"Ok so phase one complete!" Sirius said with a wide grin.

"Time for phase two!" Sam added.

"Ok, but how do we get her to let me tutor her instead of you?"

"Well if I'm not available she has no choice." Sam said smiling to herself.

"Well it's not like you can have practice every single hour of every single day of every single week."

"No, but if I'm being tutored then I may not have time to tutor her."

"But you're passing all your subjects." James protested.

"So we'll pretend I'm not."

"So which class are you failing? She'll know it's not true. She sees you in class." James said with a melancholy tone in his voice.

"Well we have a few classes separate."

"So what you'll fail divination? Ha!" Sirius said, clearly doubtful.

"Well...let's see. She's not in my Care of Magical Creatures class. She has Arithmacy then, which I refuse to take. Math is hell in number form you know." Sam said, Sirius nodded enthusiastically in agreement.

"How can someone fail Care of Magical Creature? Plus animals love you, everyone knows that." James insisted.

"Yee of little faith!" The boys looked at her oddly. " She sighed. I'll just pretend like they don't. I don't know. I'll act like a failed a big project."

"FIne, fine. Now we find you a tutor and get them to not tell Lily."

"Well I can do it." Sirius said quickly.

They looked at him, each with a wary expression.

"I've never gottan anything but an O in that class. I don't even try—"

"That's not surprising—" Sam cut him off with a jab.

Sirius turned to glare at Sam. "You do know I do work right?"

"Oh course, you work on your hair and your muscles, and even on your singing!" She said mockingly.

"You swore yourself to secrecy!" Sirius cried.

Sam shrugged, it was worth it. She glanced over at James who was red in the face from trying not to laugh.

Sirius punched James in the shoulder "lightly." His way of saying shut it or else.

"Ow!" James said loudly, clearly not in any real pain.

"Tsk Tsk Sirius. Violence is not the answer." Said Sam shaking her head back and forth disapprovingly a smile playing on her lips.

"You're right. It's the question. Yes is the answer!"

Both James and Sam rolled their eyes at this comment.

Sam smacked him in the head lightly. Then she turned to James. "I usually tutor her on Tuesdays. 8pm sharp. In the library. And I suggest a detailed lesson plan, she takes these things rather seriously."

Sirius snorted.

Once again James and Sam looked at him oddly.

"What? It was funny. It's like the understatement of the century!"

James just shrugged. "I'm gonna dash off the the kitchens. No dinner means I hunger."

Sam glared, and James had absolutely no idea why.

"So, yeah. Later." He said with a nod at Sam and left the two alone once again.

Sirius just shook his head and with a laugh reached for his essay.

"You never told me my three things you know."

"Sorry, what?" Sirius said looking up at Sam, who once again had her book in front of her face. Little did he know that behind it she was beet red.

"My three things." She paused. "You promised, if I told you three things about you…" She trailed off.

"Right." Sirius said.

There was an awkward moment of silence.

"Well?" Came the voice from behind the novel.

Sirius smiled lightly to himself. A look of deep thought cast itself over his face and eyes.

Sam waited, pretending to read. Her eyes glared holes in her beat-up copy of the book. It was as though she was trying to peer through the yellowed pages and smeared ink, past the ripped up spine and into Sirius's soul.

Her fingers tapped on her knee subconsciously.

"Well…" Sirius mused, desperately trying to find a positive that would neither please nor insult her. I mean other than the last one, her first to were just about stuff I do well, he thought. "You are…creative?"

"Creative?"

"Creative. Yeah!" He said to himself, trying self encouragement. "Like with pranks, and this plan, and insults.." He trailed off.

"Oh um, thanks." She said disappointed.

More silence passed. "And your….talented. You know, with school and flying…"

Behind her book tears had started forming in Sam's eyes. With a swift movement she wiped one away, shocked at how much she hurt.

She glance at Sirius only to find his back was towards here. He was tossing the ball in the air what appeared to be nonchalantly.

"Oh." She said softly.

She placed her book on the night stand and got up.

He said nothing

"Goodnight then." She muttered miserably. The pain in her voice had broken through. She turned on her heel just as Sirius turned to face her.

He watched her walk to the girls stair case. AWords weighing on his mind, dancing on the tip of his tongue.

"You make me smile." He said in a rush as she turned out of sight.

Sam paused on the staircase, on the verge of looking back she rushed into her dorm and ran to her bed.

If she had stopped to spare a glade she would have seen Sirius gazing at the fire, a single tear resting on his cheek.

A/N

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