Chapter One
The library candles had burned low in their wicks and only the most dedicated students remained studying, their quills scratching their parchment every so often. Sirius cast a look around the room, nodding at a few people when they looked up to meet his gaze. Not seeing who he was looking for, he began to pace down through the tall bookshelves, only seeing more seventh and fifth years in their study nooks.
"Typical Slytherin," he muttered darkly to himself. Just as he did so, he heard a low snore coming from the very back of the library. Reaching the end bookcase and looking into the furtherest corner he spotted Rubith Selwyn, drooling over her notes, surrounded by stacks of books.
She was wearing what looked like ear muffs with two tiny black ropes coming out of each of them. Edging closer he saw that the ropes connected the muffs to a small black box with knobs on the sides. Before he even reached her, she gave a large snore and started herself awake.
"Sirius!" she scowled, "Don't creep up on me if you don't want to get hexed, you sneaky dog."
Sirius laughed and a voice behind him hissed, "Quiet during study or leave!"
"Yes, Madam Pince," he said and turned giving the fierce librarian a quick grin, "Rubith and I are just tidying up."
Giving him a beady stare and a disbelieving humpf, Madam Pince stalked away towards a desperate looking Hufflepuff who was running her fingers along the spines of books searching for a particular reference.
"Do you really have to call me Rubith? It's embarrassing," Ruby said to him, clearing away her notes, "And how do you know I'm ready to 'tidy up?' Maybe I need to study a bit more, huh?"
"Yeah sure you do, and I need to get more practise in on sneaking out of class," he said dryly.
"Oh ha ha," she said, waving her wand lazily and causing all her study things to fly neatly into her small backpack.
"How does everything even fit in there?" he asked.
"The great Sirius Black doesn't know an Extension Charm when he sees it? I'm shocked," she chuckled.
"Undetectable?"
"Of course."
"I'm impressed."
She looked at him and smiled, "Thanks. How come you're here anyway?"
"Well," he said, picking up her strange earmuffs and examining them, "As it just so happens, I need a favour. What are these?"
"Headphones," Ruby said, taking them back, "What's the favour?"
"What are headphones?" Sirius asked, picking up the small box connected to the headphones.
Ruby sighed and took the box from him and explained, "Headphones transmit sound so you can listen to things through them when you connect them. See here? This is a cassette player. It's got a cassette tape in it which has music on it. If I rewind it," she pressed a side button on the box and it started whirring softly,"And press play, you can hear the music through the headphones. Put them on, go on."
Sirius took the headphones and lowered them over his ears, his eyes widening with surprise when he heard heavy drums and guitar sounds coming from them.
"That's amazing!" he exclaimed.
"Shh! Pince will come back," Ruby whispered, but grinning at the same time.
"What's this called?" he whispered back.
"A portable music player, now give it back before you get it confiscated," she said.
"Where'd you get it?" Sirius asked, curiously.
"It's a Muggle thing so from Muggles obviously," she shrugged.
"A 'Muggle thing?' he said in surprise, "the great Rubith Selwyn, last of the great Selwyns, using a 'Muggle thing' and actually admitting to it? I'm shocked."
Ruby gave him a hard stare and raised her eyebrow. "I may be pureblood, and my family may have a reputation, but that doesn't mean I can't have an interest in Muggles and their 'things.' Surely, someone who doesn't acknowledge his own blood status and family can understand that."
Sirius frowned at her and a moment passed before he said, "Sorry, I'm just surprised, that's all. I mean, you do hang out with a certain group obsessed with 'purity' and all that..."
Ruby sighed, "The favour, Sirius, what is it?"
"I need you to slip this Dungbomb into Mulciber's bed before he goes to sleep tonight," he grinned and then seeing the look on her face, "No? Okay, well, I need a bit of help with my wandless magic."
"Your wandless magic? Why?"
"Well, I'm not very good, am I? I need help, obviously, or I wouldn't be asking, would I?"
She regarded him suspiciously for a moment before asking, "Remus is good at it, why not ask him?"
"He, er, well, he says I'm unteachable. It didn't end very well when we practised the other day. And James is all cuddly with Lily now and they've got Head duties and everything, and you know how hopeless Wormtail is. You're my last hope or I'm a disgrace to the wizarding world, yeah?"
Ruby chuckled and shook her head, picked up her bag and said, "Your last hope, huh? That's really nice, Sirius, thanks."
"You know what I mean. Nobody else can do it as well as you and I'll pay you back somehow, I promise. Plus," and here Sirius looked slightly nervous, "I'm too embarrassed to ask anyone else. At least you won't ridicule me too much for stuffing up."
"Hmm," she pondered, tapping her chin with the point of her finger, "okay, here's the deal. I'll give you some lessons to help you maintain your reputation as a know-it-all bad boy and you keep my interest in Muggles secret, yes?"
Sirius smiled properly for the first time, "That's a deal."