Chapter: I'm Hardly Worth Your Time
Shalan's Say: Soo… the Hogsmeade weekend… YAY FOR DATES! YAY FOR REMUS!!
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Sirius eyed himself in the mirror thoughtfully. The cable knit sweater he wore had a zipper in the front that exposed his neck and collarbone, though he seemed thoughtful towards not wearing it. The charcoal made his silver eyes sparkle against his black hair. James chuckled, peering over his shoulder as Sirius fussed with his hair.
"She already likes you, why worry about her caring about what you look like?" Sirius shot him a look that James didn't want to mess with.
"Sorry no everyone's hair can be as messy as yours and still look good," Sirius narrowed his eyes and smoothed himself out. His jeans were a little low slung for how they were normally worn, but they were a little bit big for him, he had lost a little muscle when he had been in the hospital wing for so long.
"Yeah Prongs, leave him be," Remus barely glanced up from his copy of 'Advanced Transfiguration'. James shot him a look similar to Sirius' glare.
"Sirius, you look fine… a little thinner than normal but… great," James grinned reassuringly. "I've never seen you fuss over a girl like this before," James folded his legs. The Seeker wore a long sleeved dark brown shirt under his black Hogwarts cloak. Sirius couldn't help but smile at his friends goading. They were right… he was being silly about the whole thing.
"You're right, if she doesn't like me… she doesn't like me!" He pronounced, but his heart, he didn't think his heart could take a rejection from her.
"She LIKES you Padfoot!" Remus reassured him. "I know she does." Sirius nodded as James stood up.
"Ready to go?" James grinned as Sirius whirled his cloak around his shoulders.
"Yeah, I think so…" Sirius glanced around him and scooped up his wand. "Can't forget this!"
"Not if you want to charm her into loving you…" Remus chortled behind his book. Sirius shot him another nasty look as they left the room.
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She brushed her hair out, running her fingers after the brush through her long blonde hair. She examined her face in the mirror. She couldn't see anything obvious that was wrong. She chewed her bottom lip then applied a layer of lip balm to keep her lips from getting dry; she wanted to look at least kissable. Her knee high brown boots met the thick brown leggings she wore beneath her sweater dress. The baby blue of the scoop necked dress accented her cerulean eyes, making her, in her mind, much more attractive. She pulled her cloak around her shoulders and fastened it, pulling her long blonde hair out from under it and twisting it into a round plait over her shoulder.
"The more you look at yourself the more you're going to want to change Mariette," one of her friends said. Mariette looked at herself again, tilting her head to the side.
"Alright, you're right…" She stood and whirled around. "I'm ready to go!" She grinned.
"MARIETTE!" Lily waved her arms as Mariette sprinted down the stairs. "Oh my, you look gorgeous!" Lily smiled. "And you're out of your sling!" The blonde smiled and nodded. The long gash over her shoulder was now a shiny, smooth scar.
"Madame Pomfrey put the finishing touches on last night finally," Mariette grinned as she righted her cloak. "And look who's talking, you're a catch!" The blonde stepped back to examine her friend.
"Oh, why thank you," Lily blushed. A deep green sweater was pulled over a knee length cream skirt, her brown boots were leather and calf length. As Mariette cast her gaze around she noticed that quite a few girls were wearing leather boots at calf length or above due to the soggy ground.
"Lily!" James descended the stairs first, bouncing happily into her vicinity. Lily smiled at him, her green eyes sparkling.
"James," she smiled. "I'll see you later, send me a message about it, 'kay?" Lily squeezed her friend's hand with a grin then linked arms with James and allowed herself to be led away.
"Yeah…" Mariette hadn't heard a single thing Lily had said to her. Instead she was staring, as if hypnotized, at Sirius who was standing several feet away from her, staring at her in exactly the same manner. "Black…" Her eyes flickered over him, examining him from head to foot. He flexed his wand hand lightly, nervously then he moved forward.
"Mariette… you look… stunning…" He took it back… it didn't matter what the hell light she was in, she still looked like she had just walked out of a photo shoot.
"Oh…" she glanced down at her outfit and blushed. She hadn't been expecting that reaction from him. "Why… thank you, thank you very kindly."
"Hogsmeade?" He offered her his arm. She hesitated for a moment then linked arms with him. "Thank you for coming," he quickly maneuvered their arms so that he could weave their hands together. She blushed furiously as he laced her fingers with his.
"I doubt that you would have stopped until I said yes, am I right?" She looked at him out of the corner of her eye.
"Yes, that's probably right, but tell me… you haven't been coming up to the Astronomy tower every night just to keep me from bothering you have you?" He squeezed her hand teasingly as they walked towards Hogsmeade.
"N-no… I haven't." She blushed again. Their nightly meetings in the Astronomy tower mostly consisted of innocent snuggling and considering the vastness of the universe… she wondered though, if he was still physically attracted to her… he hadn't kissed her since that night in the hospital wing.
"Okay, I thought you were leading me on there for a minute," his smile was teasing but she still blushed a little. "Why so quiet today?" He noticed her eyes were slightly glazed, as if she were concentrating on something.
"Huh? Oh… I'm…" She spluttered, did she dare tell him she had been thinking about him?
"It's okay, you don't have to tell me." Sirius chuckled, though he did wonder…
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With her hand in his he felt as though he would never be cold again. "So your sister wanted to come here?" James lifted an eyebrow.
"Yes, but when she found out she couldn't she decided instead that that was a freak," Lily's eyes dimmed. "I think I've gotten over it though, she doesn't even talk to me anymore…" She lifted her eyes to his as he squeezed her hand.
"I'll talk to you even when no one else will," he grinned, making her smile. "See there's your pretty smile, you're so much more beautiful when you smile," a low flush lifted in her cheeks, though he couldn't decide if that was because of his comment or because of the cold.
"So… Sirius and Miriette… what do you think about that?" Lily leaned against him as he wrapped his warm arm and cloak around her shoulders, she couldn't refuse, especially since she was nearly shivering beneath her own cloak.
"I think that's something that will have to be discussed at a later date, though I do think he's fallen hard for her," he smiled, "has my head shrunk?" He jabbed at her lightly; her laugh rang across the town as they made their way to the Three Broomsticks.
"A bit," she grinned as they entered the pub. By the time they had found a table Lily was laughing merrily with him about some story he had told her about him and Sirius.
"So my mother looks at us for a moment… then says 'Why do you need the Cloak to go to the kitchen?'" Lily laughed as he sat the butterbeers down and sat himself down next to her. "Sirius was mad with laughter, like the after effects of a poorly done Cheering Charm!"
"I can imagine, so you can't lie to your mother?" Lily lifted an eyebrow. He shrugged and took a drink from his butterbeer.
"I guess not, I've never been able to, I think she put an Unbreakable Vow on me when I was a child," James laughed. Lily smiled at that.
"That's good, at least you can't lie to someone," her eyes searched his hazel orbs for some inkling of an emotion. He seemed a little sad.
"Are you saying I lie a lot?" He leaned on his elbow, resting his chin in his hand.
"Hmmm… I would say… you are very good at lying," she leaned forward with a sly look.
"I would say… you're right," James grinned then dove forward and caught her lips with his, his hand found its way to the back of her neck as the kiss deepened. Again it was as if someone had cast muffliato on the room around them. Silence roared in his ears as her lips parted. Jesus. Freakin'. Christ. Was the only thing he could think, she was the most amazing thing in the world.
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"Call me Sirius, please!" He begged with a bit of laugh in his voice. She whirled away from him with a chime of laughter.
"But frustrating you is far too much fun!" Sirius scrambled after her as she stepped out of his reach.
"Mariette!" She gasped as he caught her in his arms, "You're not getting away that easily." He growled playfully. He pressed their foreheads together, catching her face in his hands.
"Sirius?" She whispered before their lips met. She felt an unfamiliar emotion swell in her chest, one that she had become used to since she had met him. They swayed on the spot as the kiss deepened, curious tongues and lips tangled together as she laced her fingers through his hair.
"Wa-wait," he spluttered as their lips drew apart for a moment. "I-I was trying not to…"
"Let this move too fast?" She finished his sentence and he nodded as their lips met again. It seemed they were suspended in time, their lips the only things holding them in place. "Merlin's beard Sirius Black… we've been passed by herd of turtles, ask me to be your girlfriend or leave me alone but for god's sake do whatever it is soon!" She caught his eyes and held them. Contemplative silver met determined cerulean and for a moment neither spoke.
"Mariette." He sighed and cupped the side of her face in his hand. "May I ask you a personal question?" Her eyes dimmed with curiosity.
"I suppose, what is it?"
"What's your blood status?" He swallowed. It was definitely a difficult question. He saw her eyes search his.
"What, you only date pure bloods because you're a Black?" Her brows furrowed.
"No, it's just one of those things I want to know," he cast his gaze towards the ground; letting his hands fall to his side.
"My family is pure blood. I am a French pure blood by direct line." She pursed her lips. He had had a feeling, after all, someone who is half or Muggleborn wouldn't know about his own family lineage.
"I see, then that leaves another question unspoken…" he tilted his head.
"I don't have a superiority complex," her jaw jutted slightly. Everyone always assumed that if you were pure blood you were on Voldemort's side. "If that's a problem with you I-" He scooped her up and swung her around.
"Mariette! You are the most amazing person I've ever met!" He pulled her into his arms again. This time she returned the embrace, wrapping her arms around him, pressing the side of her head to his chest with a deep breath of his scent.
She was the most amazing person he had ever met. She closed her eyes against the world, she wanted to preserve this moment in her mind forever.
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He walked along the aisle looking for a book that he hoped would help him with his Transfiguration homework. He pursed his lips with frustration.
"Looking for this?" He turned, nearly tripping over his robes. Her shoulder length strawberry blonde hair was curled and pinned back from her face by a scarlet headband. Her baby doll blue eyes sparkled with cheer as she held out a thick leather bound book. Alina Caron. One of the brightest students at Hogwarts and one of Lily's best friends. She was a Gryffindor and someone he saw often around the common room.
"A-Alina… you… are uhm… on the same page as me." He stuttered. She smiled, making him blush lightly.
"Yeah, McGonagall's homework has been tough lately, may I join you?" She tilted her head. He watched her curls bob.
"What? Oh yes, of course."
"Why aren't you in Hogsmeade?" Alina fell into step with him as they walked back towards the common room.
"My friends both have dates, I didn't think they'd appreciate me acting as a third wheel for either of them," he shrugged.
"Why don't you have a date?" Her brows furrowed and he smiled inwardly. 'Because I'm a werewolf,' he though wryly.
"Oh… I guess I just don't want to…"
"Be turned down?" She spoke with a tone of understanding, he glanced over at her. SHE had been turned down?
"Yeah, why do you say that?" He lifted an eyebrow.
"Well-I-er-I didn't mean to say that you-I mean I'm sure you wouldn't be-I guess…" she flushed a brilliant red.
"Don't worry, I understand," he smiled. "Did you ask someone to Hogsmeade?"
"I was going to but… I didn't have the nerve," she looked at him out of the corner of her eye.
"Ah," why was he getting the feeling that she was talking about him?
"But since you're not in Hogsmeade we could finish those papers together, you think?" They had done it many times before, when James and Sirius were off doing something Remus at times would stay in the common room and work on his homework with Lily and Alina. He and Alina had stayed up late into the night at times to work, Lily always got done earlier than them.
"Yeah, I have to work on the Defense Against the Dark Arts essay too," Remus grinned. He had never noticed how pretty she was, though, of course, she hadn't been all that pretty until recently. She had always had pretty bad acne and it appeared that over the summer she had lost quite a bit of weight as she had been slightly overweight before. She was now lithe and thin with a clear face, part of him wondered what had changed.
"Oh, the one on werewolves?" She sounded a little excited.
"Yeah, '18 inches on the relation between vampires and werewolves and list the similarities and differences in the races' transformations'" He mocked their professor's voice.
"That's a great impression!" She laughed, how had he not noticed her before?
"Yeah, but it shouldn't be hard…" Remus chuckled, he knew all about vampires and werewolves.
"I guess not… but I'm still a little worried, I don't know too much about vampires." He caught the tone at the end of her sentence. She knew a lot about werewolves?
"You know a lot about werewolves?" He lifted his eyebrows. She looked flustered and blushed furiously, stuttering a little on her words.
"Well-I-and-erm…" she cast her glance away from him. "Eh-heh… I shouldn't have said anything…" her eyes filled with tears. Terror struck his heart, did she know about him?
"What? What do you know about them?" He grasped her elbow gently as they reached the Fat Lady.
"Oh… you know… just what everyone else does, why are you so concerned?" She tried to hide her pain with a smile. He glanced into her eyes, was she upset because she knew he was a werewolf?
"I'm-I'm sorry…" he let her go. He was terrifying her. He backed away a little bit. She was scared of him because she knew what he was. "Please, please don't tell anyone…" his blood froze in his veins.
"That my brother was bit by a werewolf?" Her eyes were curiously searching his. The icy grip on his heart released and he felt blood rush to his face. So she wasn't talking about him.
"N-no… I'm sorry," he rubbed the back of his head. 'Way to go Remus, why don't you just go shout it from the top of the Astronomy tower?' He could have punched himself.
"As much as I am enjoying this drama… is one of you going to give me the password?" The Fat Lady glanced between them.
"Persnickety." They said at the same time. She bowed her head. As they scrambled through into the common room neither spoke.
"So…" Alina spoke several eons later. He glanced up from his parchment. "Then… you know about my brother?"
"I didn't until you told me… I thought you were talking about something else," he laughed, "like maybe you were a werewolf." He chuckled. 'Damn, I'm getting as good at lying as James and Sirius… need to work on that…'
"Oh, no, nothing like that-" she smiled genially. "My brother was bit by a werewolf a few years ago. We haven't seen him since." Her eyes looked sad. "My dad's a half blood and my mum's a Muggleborn… they were worried he wouldn't have any magic, but apparently he did because he survived the attack. I guess we'll never know what kind of a wizard he would have been…" she grinned "…but they are sure proud of me, best in our year at Astronomy and Transfiguration…"
"Yeah…" Remus trailed off. She must hate werewolves… if her brother was bit by one. He sighed heavily, there goes another girl he liked.
"So… how long?" He glanced up at her. She was doodling on her paper.
"Huh?"
"How long have you been one?" His jaw nearly dropped out of his face.
'Oh… Jesus… Christ…'
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Yep… there it is folks… chapter five… six may be up later if I'm motivated enough to put it up… thanks for all the reviews Mizu-chan. There's your Lupin pairing. She'll explain how she knew next chapter…
Shalan
