"So Remus told me the funniest story today," Sirius said flopping down next to me in the common room. I didn't look up at him over my book. I was re-reading Heart of Darkness and didn't want to be disturbed, especially by Sirius Black who was the cause of my humiliation, even if it was indirectly. "Ella, don't you want to know about the story?" Sirius asked, nudging me with his foot.

"No," I said flatly, still not sparing him a glance.

"I think you do, it's very interesting." Sirius said, still prodding me with his foot.

"Stop touching me with your foot, you're going to spread your fungus."

"I'll stop when you look at me."

I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose, breathing deeply. Sirius was the last person I wanted to talk to. After I had run away from Remus I realized how ridiculous I had acted and that I never wanted to show my face in public again. I quickly got over never wanting to show my face in public but was a strong believer in never showing it to Remus.

"If I listen to your story will you leave?"

"Maybe, if I'm bored after I tell it."

"Fine," I said closing the book on my finger and setting it on my lap, focusing my attention on Sirius.

"Well Remus came storming into the room yelling at me for sticking his feet to the ground and making him miss Muggle Studies. Most interesting part of this story was that a girl with blonde hair and the biggest blue eyes he's ever seen ran into him and started cursing my name. The mystery girl seemed frazzled and when he introduced himself the girl took one look at his hand and ran away. He described this girl as cute but a little mental and twitchy."

"Cute!" I squealed, not caring who heard me or how eager I sounded. "He said I was cute?"

"And a little mental, don't forget that."

"Cute," I repeated, hardly able to believe Remus had actually said that about me. "He thinks I'm cute?"

"I think we've firmly established that, that and he thinks you're a little mental and slightly twitchy. I think you're going to have to work a bit harder next time. Why don't you try with telling him your name?"

"Next time?" I spluttered.

Sirius looked annoyed with me as he flicked a piece of lint off the sleeve of his robe. "Yes, next time. You buggered up the first meeting but luckily Remus is less judgmental than the rest of us and is open to giving people second chances."

"No way," I said waving my arms. "There's no way I'm humiliating myself again. I'm sorry, I'll just observe from the sidelines and forever long for him."

Sirius rolled his eyes, "you don't have much time left for that, love. It's our seventh year and almost October. You've got around seven months to get Mo-Remus, and from how things have been going you're going to need as much time as possible."

"What if I say no?"

Sirius titled his head down and looked up at my through his bangs. "Sweetheart, there's something you're going to learn very quickly about me; I always get my way."

"You're annoying," I said child-like.

"Well you don't exactly shit rainbows yourself darling."

"Stop with all the nicknames. It's Ella, and if you forget it I can post it on my head."

"I'll do what I want," Sirius said, lounging back in the chair, an air of self importance about him that most purebloods held.

"Last time that happened I wound up with a bruised tailbone, I'll have you know that I have to sit on a circular pillow for the next few days during class because it hurts too much to sit on a normal seat."

"Is that so?" Sirius asked looking under me and seeing the red pillow jutting out from underneath me. "Well, harm wasn't planned but that's pretty hilarious."

"I really don't like you."

"Of course you do, I'm Sirius Black. One seductive smile from me and you'll be on your knees."

I blanched, "how crude."

"Oh yeah?" He said looking at me with a glint in his eyes. "Are you challenging me dearest Ella Bear?"

"Ella Bear? Really?"

Sirius shrugged and scooted closer to me. "I could have you begging for mercy, you know." He said in a low voice.

"Doubtful."

Sirius seemed to take this as a challenge and moved over to me so that he was practically on top of me. My eyes were fixated on his face as it slowly morphed. All tenseness in it dropped and his eyes seemed to darken. His lips were parted slightly as he licked his lips, the moisture clinging to them. "I think I could prove you wrong," he said in a seductive whisper. "In fact," he said moving even closer to me, his lips so close to my neck they brushed my skin as he talked. "I think I could make you forget about Remus entirely." He used the back of his fingers and ran them up and down the side of my arm, I couldn't help but tremble, I was paralyzed under his touch. He then nuzzled his nose into the crook of my neck and shoulder, his hot breath leaving a searing trail. He then nipped at my shoulder and pulled back, the chill of the room taking over my senses and bringing me back to reality.

"Sirius Black, you are such a slut." I said laughing, kicking him with my foot.

"You're cute when you laugh, you should do it more often." Sirius said loosely and in passing. "Your smile is wide and uninhibited and your nose wrinkles slightly, it's cute."

I could feel myself blushing, not sure how to take what Sirius said. He didn't say it as a means of coming onto me and trying to get into my pants or anything like that. It just seemed like an observation he was pointing out.

"You sure know how to make a girl blush," I said jokingly, fanning myself with my hand.

"Well," he said standing up and giving my foot a squeeze. "I've got to get going, business to attend to and all. Tomorrow during dinner come sit next to me, come early. Oh, and wear your glasses again. When you were wearing them you almost made me want to go to the library," and with a wink he left the common room.

The next day as I was getting ready for dinner while Gwen was quizzing me on what Sirius had said. "Are you sure this isn't some elaborate prank?" Gwen was ever suspicious about his true intentions, then again Gwen tended to be more of a cynic where I leaned towards optimistic.

I shrugged, "could be, but it doesn't seem like it." I said looking at myself in a red off the shoulder sweater.

"Maybe Sirius is just secretly interested in you and this is his way of getting close to you without actually ever having to tell you he fancies you." Gwen sighed dreamily. "Love the top by the way."

I laughed loudly and tripped over my feet as I pulled on a pair of jeans. "You read way too many romance stories Gwen."

"Maybe, but if it does happen I expect full detail retellings so I can live vicariously through your life. Merlin, I wish I had someone to dress up for," she sighed dramatically as she flopped onto my bed.

"It's more of a pain then a blessing," I said turning around in the mirror and checking all angles. "Too much?" I ask holding out my body for her to examine.

"Nope," she said, drawing out the p. "There's only the slightest bit of desperation coming off of you, hopefully he doesn't detect it."

"Yes, well if me talking to Remus goes anything like last time I wont actually say anything. Then the desperation will go blissfully unnoticed."

"Well, if Remus doesn't work out Snape is always single."

I pulled a face at her and she started fake-vomiting, causing us to then burst out into a fit of giggles. I took one last look in the mirror and applied some lip-gloss. It may be too much for dinner but Remus is a hormonal teenage boy, and while he is viewed as the quiet, shy and kindest Marauder, things like ragging hormones still affect him. And if I'm unable to speak then maybe I can use my womanly assets to rope him in. And I've got a lot of woman. I got from my mom my hour-glass shaped figure. Now it's not one of the hour-glass shaped figures girls always claim to have when they have the slightest bit of fat on their hips, no it's full on tiny waist and protruding hips. My boobs are quite large which can be annoying, I wish I could go free-bird like a lot of girls and never wear a bra. I wish some of the fat from my boobs could be transported to my butt because I don't have one, it's basically just a line down my back, a line that doesn't hide the bit of cellulite gracing my upper thigh.

Sometimes I felt like Remus and I would make an awkward couple, he's so skinny and sometimes looks gaunt whereas it looks like my hips could feed a third-world country. Luckily Remus is extremely tall and hovers above the majority of the student body so his height and my curves balance out slightly.

"Oi, do you want me to leave you alone with you and your reflection?" Gwen snipped.

I rolled my eyes, "just making sure everything is in place."

"Right, we have to worry about a stray nipple."

"Exactly," I said shoving the lip-gloss into my pocket and grabbing the copy of Heart of Darkness and heading down the stairs. It was still fairly early for dinner and most people wouldn't be heading down for another ten minutes or so. I hope that Sirius isn't setting me up for a Marauder prank and I'm going to wind up with feathers all over my body...again.

Once in the Great Hall I let out a relieved breath when I saw Sirius sitting by himself, face-down in his plate of food. Girls were looking on at him hopefully and whispering to each other, trying to get the other to go up and talk to him. It was rare that you would see a Marauder alone, where there was one Marauder there was always another, usually hiding behind a corner ready to pounce on you.

I sat down next to Sirius, carefully placing the book in front of me, and noticed a few girls disheartened looks. I'm sure by tomorrow there will be a rumor going around that Sirius and I are harboring a lovechild, or something equally ridiculous.

Sirius looked at me and raised his eyebrows as if shocked. "Well, I didn't expect you to go all out. Did you know that the color red is the main attractant for men?"

"No, but lucky me," I said with fake enthusiasm as I loaded my plate with steak. "So what's the award-winning plan today Mr. Black?"

"Mr. Black," Sirius mused. "I rather like it when you say it. Sounds less harsh than teachers, I sound rather cunning and debonair, wouldn't you say?"

"Sure," I said not wanting to encourage him but also not wanting to put-down the person who is trying to help me. "So what's the great plan today Mr. Black?" I repeated.

Sirius shrugged, "no set plan today. It's not like my set plan worked last time. You're too much of a spastic for me to be able to peg the events that will go down. Just try not to run away from him this time."

"That's it? Your great plan is to make sure I don't run away this time? Well great Sirius, just bloody great. Gee, thanks for the help. Are you even sure he's going to show? Maybe he's got other friends to attend to, ones who have well thought out ideas and who-"

"Is that your copy of Heart of Darkness?" Remus's voice startled me so badly that I took one look at him standing across the table from me and threw the goblet that was in my hands at him.

I had knocked Remus onto the ground. He was on the ground, his eyes closed and unmoving. "Did I kill him?" I squealed. "Quick, someone tickle him awake."

"I think I saw him twitch," Sirius said, poking his best friend.

A low groan sounds from Remus's throat. Slowly he brings his hand up to his head and rubs it, wincing once he hits the small bump that has begun to form. "Go help him," Sirius whispers into my ear.

I look at Sirius and shake my head no but Sirius has other plans and pushes me off the bench and onto the floor so I am sitting right next to Remus. I try not to yell from hitting my tailbone on the floor and instead look at Remus whose eyes are open and looking at me tentatively.

"Um, sorry about the goblet," I say awkwardly. "I get spooked easily."

Remus looked me over, I think he was trying to remember who I was. Once his eyes caught mine recognition seemed to flash on his face and a small strained smile crossed his lips. "You never answered my question," he said slowly sitting up.

I titled my head to the side and furrowed my eyebrows, "you asked a question?" I said, hardly able to believe I was having a conversation with him.

"Yes, I asked if that was your book."

"Oh!" I said brightening. "Yes, it's one of my favorites."

A crooked smile formed on his lips. "One of mine too. Well, I can't very well get mad at someone with such excellent taste. I'm Remus, I don't believe we've formally met yet," he said smiling, tentatively holding out his hand. "Hope I don't scare you off this time," he said referring to the other days events.

I giggled and tried to hide my blushing face. I took his hand in mine and tried not to sequel from the shock of electricity that ran throughout my arm, "I'm Ella."

Our hands slowly came undone, I made sure to brush my fingers against his palm, wanting to feel him for as long as I could. He held my eyes, that adorable crooked smile on his face. The moment however was ruined when Peter came running up, farted on Remus, and ran away cackling.

Fantastic.

A/N: I honestly have the best readers/reviewers ever :D 10 reviews on the first chapter? Amazing! It was just an idea I had in my head and didn't think I would get much encouragement from. And most of you are following from Duck and Cover, I can't tell you how thrilled I was. And thank you to the new readers as well! So what did you think of this chapter? Any suggestions on more awkward situations to put Ella/Remus in? What do you think of her relationship with Sirius. Don't worry, this won't turn into a Sirius/OC, I PROMISE! As always, lovely people of FF, leave a review :)