Sirius couldn't sleep that night. He wandered down to the common room at about midnight. No one was there.

He sat on one of the couches, staring into the fire. The flames dances around the fireplace, not caring about the outside world. He sighed.

He turned quickly when he heard footsteps. Alexa was standing there, clutching a blanket that she had wrapped around herself. She walked over to the couch, obviously noticing him, but very pointedly looking away. She sat next to him and rested her head on his shoulder, still without looking at him.

"You like Rite Skeeter," she said, suddenly, after a couple minutes of silence.

Sirius was taken aback. "What? No!"

"Then why did you kiss her?" she replied angrily.

"What are you talking about?"

"She's telling everyone that she kissed you after your date this weekend, then she dumped you because you 'weren't her type!'"

Sirius's eyes widened in shock, and he turned his head to look at Alexa, but she was staring very pointedly at the fire, obviously struggling with holding back tears.

"No!" he said desperately. "She tried to kiss me, and I didn't want to kiss her! I told her she wasn't really my type and she walked off in a huff!"

Alexa nodded. "I believe that," she said, smiling slightly. "As long as you promise you're not lying."

"I swear," he told her.

"Okay then," she whispered, wrapping her blanket tighter around herself.

"I kind of already like someone," he muttered, but she didn't hear him. She was already asleep with her head still on his shoulder.

*****

It didn't occur to Sirius to wonder why Alexa cared so much until the next day.

"Oi!" James called, coming into the common room with Remus before anyone else did.

Sirius woke up, but stopped quickly, realizing that James hadn't succeeded in waking Alexa up.

"Can I help you?" Sirius asked, annoyed.

"No one can help him," Remus laughed. James shot him a look that very clearly said, what's that supposed to mean?

"Anyway," James said, rolling his eyes. "What's this?" he raised his eyebrows suggestively and gestured to Alexa, who was now curled up inside Sirius's arms.

"Nothing," Sirius muttered, truthfully.

"Doesn't look like nothing," James argued.

"Well it is," Sirius snapped. "She seemed kind of upset about me and Rita, and I told her there was nothing to be upset about.

"So now you believe that she likes you?" Remus asked hopefully.

"She doesn't," Sirius told them, for what seemed to him like the millionth time./

"She was upset at the thought of you with Rita!" James cried.

"Rita's a slut," Sirius said.

"Well, yeah, but-" James was cut off my Alexa muttering something incoherent and falling off the couch.

"Ow!" she cried, sitting up and rubbing her head. "Having a party without me?" she asked jokingly, looking around at Sirius, James, and Remus.

"Aw, how did you know?" Sirius asked, grinning. She smiled back at him, last night's dispute apparently gone.

Remus and James shared a look, but wisely decided not to say anything.