Chapter: Taste of Something Sweet
Shalan's Say: Uhh… I LOVED THAT LAST CHAPTER!! Okay… that's that… anyways… as if you can't tell. I LOVE ROMANCE! I was thinking of giving Remus a love interest… if you, the readers, would enjoy that then let me know via review or PM. XDDDD
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She stared for a moment at the goblet, contemplating it. Lily twirled her wand in a circle and watched as a number of copies appeared. She smiled then whipped her wand above them and watched as the insignia changed from the 'H' of Hogwarts to 'LP'. She gasped lightly and several people in the class turned to look at her. She hastily wiped the copies clean by changing the insignia on the original again.
"Nice Protean Charm," chills ran up her spine as she recognized the voice behind her. She spun in her seat as James Potter sat back in his seat. She felt blood tinge her cheeks and watched his smirk spread across his devilishly handsome face.
"Potter," she opened her mouth to say more in angry frustration… then fell silent as his hazel eyes sparkled mischievously… he was toying with her.
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She hurried through the halls, hoping she could catch him before he entered his next class. She caught a glimpse of the side of a handsome face and practically swam through the crowd.
"Black! Hey Black!" She tripped and caught the back of his robes. He turned around and caught her elbows, keeping her from falling on her face. She laughed airily, trying to catch her breath.
"Mariette," he smiled and righted her. Her blonde hair was again in a braid around her head. He took the books she had in her arm and grinned as she straightened up.
"How-how are you doing?" She looked up at him. His silver eyes twinkled merrily.
"Brilliant, how are you?" He cast his gaze around the crowd, several girls were glaring at her jealously. "Your next class is Arithmancy right? I'll escort you." Sirius winked at James who shook his head with a smile.
"Madame Pomfrey healed you I see," she glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. He was ridiculously handsome, his angular nose and well defined jaw-line were accented in the half-light of the hallway.
"Yep, neat as a pin."
"Did she ask what you'd been doing?" She relaxed a tiny bit as she saw her classroom ahead of them.
"Nope, then again she never does…" Sirius chuckled. "She happens to believe me and my friends are trouble makers…"
"Imagine that…" Mariette turned as he leaned on the wall outside her room. She blushed when his eyes met hers again.
"You're cute when you blush," he whispered in her ear then turned and walked off towards his class, checking to see her as he did. He chuckled, she hadn't moved.
"I'd be careful if I were you Sabine," she turned to catch a glimpse of greasy black hair. Her eyes darkened.
"Keep your thoughts to yourself Severus." She huffed and walked into the Arithmancy classroom. He shook his head then continued to class.
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He traced a finger along the shaft of his broom thoughtfully as he hung in the air, the wind at his back.
"James!" One of the Chasers soared up to stop beside him. "Look who it is," they both turned their heads towards a woman sprinting out onto the Quidditch pitch.
"POTTER!" McGonagall shrieked and James furrowed his brow, wondering what on earth could be going on that Professor McGonagall would be running out onto the field? He dove towards the ground, feigning as he pulled out just a foot above the ground. He dismounted as McGonagall sprinted towards him.
"Professor?" James tilted his head.
"Black, Sirius Black! [Rather like Bond, James Bond XDDD] Hurry, come quickly!" She motioned wildly for him to follow her. Sirius glanced around at the Quidditch team.
"Continue, make sure you work on your maneuvers!" James shouted as he sprinted off after McGonagall.
By the time they had reached the Hospital wing Remus and Peter had already been admitted. McGonagall beckoned him in.
"Prongs," rasped Sirius. He was laying on one of the beds looking extremely pale and sickly. Remus stood as James walked forward.
"What'd you do this time you idiot?" James tried humor as Sirius wheezed.
"I just had a drink of pumpkin juice from the kitchens…" Sirius hissed. Madame Pomfrey bustled into the room with what looked like a smoking glass of water.
"What'd he get a hold of?" Peter asked as the nurse lifted his head to allow him to drink the potion.
"Flesh-Eating Potion," Madame Pomfrey clucked. "He's been retching since he got here," her eyes darkened. "If I find the one who did this I'll skin them alive… this is a difficult potion to counteract."
"He'll be okay right?" James searched her face eagerly.
"Yes, Potter, he'll be fine…" Remus sighed in relief with James and Peter. "Now, he needs his rest, so let him be… you three can come see him tomorrow." She patted Remus and James on the shoulder.
As the three walked out of the wing James seemed deep in thought. Remus eyed him curiously as the Quidditch player smoothed his hair meditatively, he didn't even notice when he accidentally bumped into Lily Evans and Mariette Sabine.
"Well excuse you Potter!" Lily fumed and he glanced up at her.
"L-Evans! I'm sorry, I was just…" He blinked as she smiled softly. She had only been teasing him. He shrugged apologetically and she patted him on the shoulder as she walked up the stairs, Mariette not far behind.
"That's the girl Sirius likes isn't it?" Peter looked at his friends. Remus nodded and James shrugged again. A bit miffed, Peter bid them adieu and moved towards the common room. James chewed his thumb as they walked towards the Quidditch pitch to retrieve his robes.
"Penny for your thoughts?" Remus spoke out loud, startling them both as it had been silent for several minutes.
"Remus…" James sighed then looked up at the sky. "It's almost full moon… Waxing gibbous is almost finished," he looked up at the stars in the sky.
"Yep, I noticed I had been feeling a bit under the weather lately." Remus glanced over at his best friend curiously.
"Your furry little problem will have to be with two instead of three tomorrow night I think…" James sounded remorseful.
"Yes, I do think so." Remus stretched as they reached the pitch. James allowed their conversation to dwindle as he changed back into his robes. Remus knew there was something bothering him but he didn't want to breach the subject.
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She stormed down into the dungeons of the castle, shoving her way through the crowd of Slytherins. Her sleek silver laced wand was out and the flush in her face was furious. Pieces of hair were escaping her braid as she fumed.
"SEVERUS!" She thundered. He turned to see Mariette Sabine running towards him. Lily Evans stood peering around the corner of the dungeons. He whipped out his wand as Mariette advanced on him. A blast of fire flew past him, burning his cheek and temple. "SEVERUS SNAPE!"
He whipped his wand, concentrating on her face. She spun to the side as his sectumsempra spell sliced through a wall. "MARIETTE! IT WAS FOR YOUR OWN GOOD!"
"YOU-" she sent another blast of flames at him "-HAD-" sectumsempra sliced through her robes, slicing her wand shoulder "-NO RIGHT! CONFRINGO!" This time the spell exploded against his conjured shield.
"MISS SABINE!" Professor McGonagall grabbed her as she fell to her knees. "Professor SLUGHORN! Contain your student!" Severus was moving to attack Mariette again. Slughorn disarmed him and caught the wand.
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Lily paced in a straight line next to Mariette's bed. It would seem that despite Madame Pomfrey's every effort the wound caused by sectumsempra would have to heal on its own. She sat down momentarily, folding her hands. It was her fault. She should have known that the way Mariette was acting wasn't normal. She should have stopped her when she had the chance. Lily put her face in her hands.
"Evans?" She whirled around as James Potter sat down next to her. "What happened in the dungeons wasn't your fault," he squeezed her shoulder with a weak smile.
"I don't even know why she did it! She just dove for Severus with the Blasting Curse and started hacking away!" Lily was slightly hysterical. James shrugged.
"Snivellus probably deserved it. He always does," James glanced off to the side.
"But what could he have done to make her this angry?" Lily nearly stomped her foot at him. He looked over at her with sincere concern. Her soft red hair spilled over her shoulders and part of her flush, angry face.
"I haven't any idea, however… I do think that we will find out in the end," he ruffled his hair thoughtfully.
Much later into the evening Sirius opened his eyes groggily. He felt better than he had in several days and as he sat up his first thought was, 'What the hell?' In the bed next to his lay Mariette Sabine.
"Mariette? Mariette?" He brushed her hair back from her face, stroking her cheek gently to wake her. "Mariette?"
"Black?" She turned her head to look at him. He smiled gently and tilted his head, lifting the cover that had been place on her bandaged shoulder.
"Sectumsempra?" He sat down in the seat next to her bed.
"Severus's favorite curse," she shrugged her good shoulder.
"That bastard!" He stood up to go find him. He stopped when she grabbed his hand.
"I got him in the face, Blasting Curse." She motioned to her own face. Sirius smiled then laughed out loud.
"Nice one, I would have never thought of that," she didn't seem to want to tell him something he noticed as he spoke.
"I know who put that potion in your drink…" he stared at her as she spoke. Why was she so much more beautiful in the moonlight? She paused to catch her breath and he took his chance. Their lips met, innocently and calmly. It was a tender, sweet kiss that he wanted to last forever.
"Ehem," they drew apart quickly as Madame Pomfrey smiled at them slyly as Mariette blush furiously.
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Short chapter… all apologies. We have two dates coming up next chapter and a Quidditch match… should be posted in the next few hours or at latest tomorrow… READ AND REVIEW AND TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT MY AUTHOR'S NOTE!?!? LUPIN? LOVE INTEREST?
Shalan
