Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing that you would recognize as the fantastic work of J.K. Rowling. I only take credit for those OC characters that appear here.
The following weeks seemed to rush past as the professors piled increasing amounts of homework on the seventh year students in preparation for their NEWTS. Sirius hadn't seen much more of Remus than the top of his head which was constantly buried in textbooks. He came up briefly at meal times where he had devised a studying strategy with Lily and Peter and they quizzed each other over the mashed potatoes and puddings. Even he and James were spending more time in the library then Sirius thought was proper. After three straight weeks of this Sirius finally snapped his potions book shut and dropped it on the table next to James and Peter in the common room. None of them acknowledged him and he scowled around at them until he seen Remus peek up over the top of his own parchment notes. Remus's eyes just as quickly disappeared back under the top of the parchment, clearly trying to avoid Sirius's eye.
'What was the name of that one goblin that was famous for standing up against those vampires in Romania?' asked James, not taking his eyes off his notes.
'The one who ended up being found in pieces or the one who had to be rescued by the hippog...Hey!' Remus said indignantly as Sirius snatched his parchment out of his hands and discarded it with his potions book.
'I'm bored, we've been at this for weeks straight and the exams are still a month away. Let's go do something fun.' Sirius stood up and looked around at them, finally having their attention.
'And what exactly do you have in mind Padfoot?' said Remus annoyed and amused.
'Anything but this.' He said a feeling of recklessness was growing inside him as he stared around at them all.
James put down his book and Peter stopped scribbling on his parchment. James ruffled his hair with his hand and instinctively reached into his pocket for the snitch but Lily had confiscated it from him after it kept hovering over her head when she was trying to study.
'We could go and have a turn down on the pitch, the weather has warmed up considerably.' He said, stretching and thankful for the break.
'No let's grab Evans and go into the forest.' Said Sirius, the plan forming in his head.
'She'll never give up studying Padfoot.'
'Oh I'm sure she will, I can be quite convincing.' Sirius retorted, a devilish look in his eyes.
Remus rolled his eyes and gave in to the look on Sirius's face that had become a symbol of excitement, trouble making and a chance of danger. 'I'll go fetch some food and meet you out there then. Come on Peter, I'll need some help.' Peter and Remus went off together through the portrait hole leaving James and Sirius standing there together.
'Only two full moons left before we leave Prongs.' Sirius said, looking a little crestfallen.
James gave him a half-hearted grim. 'You really think we won't be there with him after we leave here? '
'No but it won't be the same will it? With the stupid war and Voldemort and all of it. It isn't all laughs and good times out there anymore. You heard the stuff your dad said this summer.'
'I did mate, I know that it's not a laugh out there and I plan on joining this Order of the Phoenix with you and Remus and Peter and we are going to beat him and his Death Eaters. But let's not think about it for now, you promised some form of rule breaking tonight and I won't be satisfied until we've broken at least ten rules before midnight.' James threw his arm over Sirius's shoulder, returning Sirius's smile and they left the common room to look for Lily.
It had taken surprisingly little effort to convince Lily to join them in the forest that night. Sirius supposed that she had probably been thankful for the excuse not to be holed up in the library with Mary Macdonald and Celeste Wood for one more second. Sirius had taken up with Celeste in fifth year but couldn't continue with the girl after a month and had dropped her. She took every chance she had since then to shoot Sirius deadly looks to which Lily found no sympathy for him.
'You'd think after two years she'd give up sulking after you Padfoot.' Said James thoughtfully, walking down the stairs after Lily, with Sirius in tow.
Lily tutted in front of them and Sirius shrugged absently. He wasn't concerned about Celeste Wood and had decidedly made up his mind after her to wait until after Hogwarts to take up with another girl. So far it had served him well just flirting with a few of them but never giving any the impression of wanting more. It made things that much more frustrating and confusing when feelings were involved and although he was happy for James and Lily he managed the idea in his head of never having what they did because frankly it didn't seem possible knowing what was waiting for them after Hogwarts. It was too easy to be vulnerable in love, and besides it's not like he'd grown up with good role models of what love was supposed to look and feel like.
His love for James, Peter, Remus and Lily was all he needed and until recently he had felt content in it. That was until Eileen Grey kept popping up around corners and in lessons and flipping that blond hair around and giving him that crinkle nosed smile that made his brain rage a silent and mostly subconscious battle with the rest of his body. After last week when she had cornered him alone in the potions classroom he had resigned himself to the fact that she was not going away and he was going to have to start acknowledging that he actually liked the girl despite the unfortunate fact that she was in Slytherin and was still incredibly cryptic and confusing. Sirius found himself on more than one occasion watching her across the great hall at dinner and having Remus jab him in the ribs. In potions he would find Snape scowling at him from across the classroom as he was now forced to share a table with Grey and she would whisper ridiculous things under her breath when she was finding a potion difficult which made Sirius bark with laughter at random and made the class jump and shoot him irritated glances. It was on one of these occasions and earlier that day when she had tugged him backwards threw the door and closed it before he could escape that he decided his body was trying to through a coup over his brain.
'You could have just asked me to talk you know.' He said grumpily, fixing his robes where she had grabbed him.
She looked at him as if he was a very dim child, 'You haven't been listening to me. It would be dangerous to be seen together.'
'Yea well what do you want now than or should I scamper off before Snape comes calling?' he snapped at her.
She didn't respond but merely looked him over with those moss-green eyes and lashes that swept over her cheeks when she blinked. He felt as if she was trying to see through him and the impression increased as they stood there staring at each other in the dimly lit room. Sirius had become suddenly overtly aware of his body as he stood in her gaze and actively fought down the desire to reach out to her.
She grinned at him and Sirius wondered for a second whether she had known what he was thinking about.
'I was hoping you would be able to help me with something.' She said finally.
'And what exactly would that be?' he said, folding his arms.
'I need to get into Hogsmeade tomorrow evening.'
Sirius laughed loudly, 'And how exactly do I come into this?'
'Well unless I'm mistaken you know how to make that possible.' She continued to stare at him as he laughed at her again.
'What's in it for me Grey?' he asked her, amusement thick in his voice.
'I figured the sense of risk would do it for you Black.' She said.
'What's life without a little risk?' He said quietly, the smile lingering on his lips.
'You'll help me then?' she asked.
Sirius knew it was against his better judgment to help her with anything but he couldn't ignore the unmistakable way in which he was drawn to her. He looked her over, and she blushed under his gaze but didn't look away. Her eyes were bright and her shoulders set in a determined sort of way that made her look somehow more feminine in the dimly lit classroom. He pulled his hand through his hair and throwing caution to the winds he agreed to help her.
'Meet me in front of the statue of that one-eyed witch tomorrow evening after dinner then.' He said as she flashed him a huge smile.
'Great, thanks Black.' She looked for a minute like she was going to hug him but quickly thought better of it and pulled open the door and left.
Sirius shook his head as they reached Remus and Peter in the entrance hall, laden down with a basket of food each.
'Those poor elves aren't sick of you four yet, always begging food off them.' Said Lily amazed as she pushed open the front doors.
'They love us Lils, how could they not. We are adorable.' Said Sirius, taking the basket from the struggling Peter.
James grinned and Remus laughed while Lily just rolled her eyes and took James's hand. 'So where are you taking me then?' she asked as they got closer to the forest.
'Don't worry, I made certain there weren't any werewolves running about tonight Evans.' Said Sirius barking with laughter and earning a glare from Remus.
The group set off towards the Quidditch pitch, away from prying eyes and slipped into the forest behind the pitch. Walking for about five minutes they stopped in a small clearing and Sirius and Remus dumped their things and sprawled out in the dry grass, side by side. Moony sighed and Sirius nodded, they both felt content here under the cover of the trees where the last light of the day was fading and the shadows were long and drawn out.
'Lazy prats.' Said James, pulling out a folded quilt and helping Lily spread it over the ground.
'You know you'd be much happier down here with us than up there with her Prongs.' Said Sirius as Lily loomed over him, her hands on her hips.
Remus laughed freely and Sirius smiled over at his friend. James plopped himself down on the other side of Sirius and Lily tutted at them as Peter happily rolled down next to James.
'Fetch up some food Evans!' said Sirius, trying his best not to laugh. Lily snorted at him and went to sit on the quilt.
'You can get your own food. I'll be here enjoying it until then.' She said, turning her back on the boys and rolling her eyes.
Remus grinned over at him and Sirius warmed as he looked at his friends lying next to him. James, his brother and Peter, although slightly misplaced in the group, Sirius appreciated him all the same, for his lack of complication and his general eagerness. And Remus, who Sirius would never admit it to, but he cared for Remus greatly and delighted in Remus's laughter because it was sometimes such a rare gift. He knew James felt the same way about Remus, they had both silently agreed that they would do anything not to see him suffer, that they never wanted to see him as that lost boy without friends that he was at eleven. It had been James's idea to become animagi to help Remus out during the full moons and Sirius had thought it was a brilliant idea.
James seemed to have read his mind because he clambered to his feet and transformed into the stag. Lily had looked back and went wide-eyed as James approached her. She had seen him change before but Sirius knew it was an experience that took a few times to get over.
Peter transformed too and Sirius sat up and watched as Peter made a beeline for the basket of food. 'I really hate when he does that.' Said Sirius as Peter sniffed at a cake Lily had pulled out.
'He can't help it Padfoot.' Said Remus, striding over and plucking the cake away from Peter's whiskers.
Lily was up running her hand down the stag's back and giving him a delighted look.
'I'm sure nobody's ever given a stag quite that look before.' He whispered to Remus but it carried to Lily who shot daggers at him with her eyes. James transformed again and lovingly took Lily's hand and joined them around the food.
Sirius was enjoying himself until he remembered what Eileen Grey had asked him to do tomorrow and he figured now was a good a time as any to ask to borrow James's invisibility cloak.
'Can I borrow the cloak tomorrow night Prongs?' said Sirius, trying to sound offhand.
'Sure, what for?' asked James.
Sirius sighed, and caught Remus's eye but went on anyway. 'Eileen Grey asked me to help her with something tomorrow night.'
Everyone was looking at him now and he shrugged at them. 'I know it's weird but -.'
'It's more than weird Sirius. What's Grey all interested in you for now?' said Lily.
'I'm an interesting guy.' Said Sirius, slightly offended.
'You know that's not what I meant Sirius Black.' Said Lily scolding him.
'Are you sure this isn't some trick, take you out and get you expelled?' asked James, looking serious.
'Mate if we haven't been expelled yet I can't see Dumbledore giving us the boot a month before graduation.' Said Remus thoughtfully.
James shrugged in silent agreement.
'I know it's weird, but I feel slightly obliged to help her.' Said Sirius, realising it as he said it.
'You don't think she's out for something else?' said James, before biting into a pie.
'Oh I'm sure she probably is. You don't get sorted into Slytherin house because of your honesty and straightforwardness do you?'
They all laughed and went on making fun of Slytherin house and trying to list all the dark wizards who had come from there.
It was with a sense of anticipation that Sirius left the common room the next night. James had given him that 'be as responsible as is possible for you' look that he had recently developed and assuredly learned from Moony. Remus had thrown him the same look but said nothing and Peter had wished him luck.
It was still only early when he reached the statue that concealed the way into Honey dukes but Grey was waiting there looking politely indifferent as two Hufflepuff sixth years shot her longing looks. They caught sight of Sirius and decided against whatever they had been thinking, and giving him a resentful look, took off up the hall.
'Didn't expect you to show Black.' She said, but looked pleased.
'You don't think much of me than.' He said an air of irritation showing in his voice. 'Let's get this over with shall we?' Checking that nobody was coming, he tapped the statue with his wand and they slid through.
'Where does this lead?' she asked and Sirius heard amusement in her soft voice.
'Impressed are you?' he said, choosing to ignore her question as a feeling of recklessness charged through him.
She didn't reply but Sirius smirked anyway. He felt it was his turn to be aloof and unreadable. And damn well time too, he thought, not watching where his feet were going but knowing the sloping path by heart. It had been a long time since a girl had made him feel foolish and the honour was usually reserved for Lily who was more like a sister so Sirius didn't count it. Eileen Grey on the other hand had this incredibly frustrating way of making him feel as if he was constantly unaware of some inside joke. He was irritated that he was attracted to this nightmare of a girl and felt slightly disgusted with his body for betraying him so blatantly.
He stopped abruptly, reaching the end of the tunnel and Grey walked straight into the back of him.
'Oof – Sorry Black.' Sirius felt the hair rise on the back of his neck and a chill ran over him as she steadied herself and took her hands off him. He breathed deeply and ignoring the sense of satisfaction he felt when she touched him he pushed open the door slowly.
There was no one there. He pulled himself up in one swift motion and whispered, 'Lumos.' The tip of his wand ignited and cast a warm glow around the cellar. There was a thin line of light peaking in through the door above the stars and Sirius could hear voices.
'Um, Black?'
Sirius looked back at her and was amused to find her still standing in the tunnel looking rather embarrassed. 'Oh, sorry.' He said, realising she was having trouble climbing out. He laughed a low ghostly laugh but reached down and grasped her hand. He felt the same rush of recklessness run through him when he hauled her out and she quickly let go, giving him an unreadable look.
'We will have to go under this. Don't worry we won't be seen.'
'I'm not worried Black.'
Sirius took this as a compliment and grinning, pulled James's invisibility cloak over them.
Author's note: Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please review or comment. Love hearing from you! Thank you for the support!