*I would appreciate mistakes being pointed out. Anything amiss in what I'm doing? A little help would be nice.*
'I can tell we're going to get along.'
"You're the legendary Sirius Black, I presume." Since she said it with a slight sneer, I highly doubted that my radical pranking skills had landed up in the Daily Prophet.
"And I presume you're not deaf." I said, not sure why I was being snarky.
"No, and it's been most inconvenient. Everywhere I go, I hear of Sirius Black and James Potter. Are there any other students in this school or not?"
That smirk was still there, though the way she spoke confused me. She talked to me as though she'd known me for ages.
"Of course there are, just not any more talented, charming, or handsome…take your pick, most words of endearment would fit." I said with a smile.
"I can tell we're going to get along." She said to me with a wink. I wasn't sure if she was being serious or not.
Something about the girl set me on edge. And it wasn't just the candidness with which she spoke. Or that there was an air of confidence around her. Or that she had really long legs. Sure, they did tickle a little bit of me, but there was something else, something that I really couldn't put my finger on. How annoying.
She didn't seem to mind having me follow her. Not that I was sold on the idea, but it was the first time my detention was spent with something less revolting than frog spawn. I sure as hell wasn't going to waste the chance. And though I hated to say it, the girl made me curious.
Our first class, thank Merlin, was Transfiguration, a class James and I shared. McGonagall was sitting on the window sill wreathed in the shadows cast by her many books and her spindly instruments. I spotted her, and gave her a slight nod, if just to assure her I was doing my job. My detention. Ugh.
McGonagall jumped out of the shadows before I could take a breath. The transfiguration from cat to woman never failed to claim wide eyed looks, even from our class. Of course, if any of them wanted to see a dog, a stag and a rat, they easily could.
I wanted to tell James about my ridiculous detention. And the intriguing girl. I had no clue why I felt like I'd seen her before. Not in the way perverted teenagers trying to flirt with girls above their station say it, but in a very different sense. Was she famous? I ran the name Bianca Hughes through my mental checklist…nope, nothing that rang a bell.
Since McGonagall was so damned good at catching especially Prongs and I talking, we had taken to passing notes. Excessively feminine, in my humble opinion, but effective nonetheless.
Lucky break, Padfoot?His messy scrawl made me squint to read the three simple words.
Better than frog spawn. I wrote back in my decidedly better hand.
What is it? Tending to the sick?He was smothering a laugh. Madam Pomfrey sighed every time she saw me, because all injuries I received, if not on the Quidditch pitch, resulted in my detention. She had been trying for ages to 'change my evil ways.' But since she always said it with a smirk of her own, I doubted she'd find me as amusing if I did indeed change my evil ways.
Long story. Tell you later, all right?
If she doesn't give us too much homework, we could go out for a while. See if you've kept your Silver Arrow in decent condition.I cursed under my breath for the long note. I had to put the note on the table so I could read it where the light was okay. And I was on the edge of my table, as James was on his. Delighted as he was sitting next to Lily, he knew she would not hesitate a second before showing his notes to McGonagall.
McGonagall was still blathering about Vanishing spells and their advantages. Of course, it was important, but I was sure I could ask Lily to help me with the homework.
Finally figuring out the scrawl, I nodded imperceptibly to him, pointing my wand at the note so it would flit back to James. He was scratching his quill against his textbook, and he never took notes, so it was obvious there was more he wanted to tell me. McGonagall decided it was the right time to call me out.
"Black. Pay attention. You too, Potter." She said sharply.
"I am, Professor." I said defiantly, while James had the sense to keep him mouth shut.
"Yes?" Her catlike eyes glinted dangerously. "Then make that pin cushion there vanish." She pointed to Elizabeth Wynter's desk, her ridiculously long fingernails dangerously close to the aforementioned pincushion. "Don't move a muscle, Miss Wynter." McGonagall told her severely.
I prayed the nails truly were fake, because if they weren't and I made her nails disappear, Madam Pomfrey would never let me hear the end of it. I thanked my lucky stars that Vanishing spells had been in the practical in fifth year and aimed. The pincushion vanished and Elizabeth sighed a breath of relief.
"Five points to Gryffindor." She conceded. Still convinced of my not paying attention, McGonagall bit out. "Four advantages?"
"Erm…" I fidgeted. I had no idea. I decided to bluff my way through it. "A Vanishing spell, uh, is really useful to a wizard, especially in…" I faltered when a sharp quill poked my thigh. Bianca was holding her book open to the right page. I vowed to thank the girl appropriately later and launched into the advantages. Unconvinced, McGonagall returned to the lesson.
Nice save. James mouthed at me.
I nodded and turned to the lesson. Unfortunately, this was just revision. Like I said, it was there during the OWL practicals. Quickly bored, I decided it was a good time to try to find out more about my new 'best friend.'
"Thanks." I muttered.
"Always." She told me.
"Why'd you do it, though?" I asked her, trying hard to keep my lips still.
"Didn't want to spend any time in detention. You'll probably get us into a bunch anyway, so I just want to save myself some trouble." She had an enchanting voice. She's irritated, you fool. Quit drooling over her voice.
"Yeah? How would you know? You've known me, what, for ten minutes?"
"I'm not bloody mute, you know. I do talk to people. I've heard what people say about you. Especially the girls."
"Yeah? What do they say?" I asked, irritated. Dumb girls who couldn't keep their mouths shut. I heartily wished there were more Lily Evans' at Hogwarts.
"Later. We've got so much time." She rolled her eyes as though it was a painful prospect.
"If you have such a problem with me, why don't you just take it up with Dumbledore? I'm sure he would get you a different lap dog. I see volunteers." I snapped. Indeed, Ryan Draker and Nicholas Carter from Hufflepuff were looking extremely pleased at our heated argument.
"You're not the one forced to spend heaven only knows how long with a womanizer." She spat out the word womanizer like it was slang. Well, this was annoying. Earlier she spoke to me like I was her old friend and now she spoke to me like some idiot who only thought with his little brain.
"If Ryan and Nick there are any indicators, then our thoughts are similar."
"Have you seen me trying to plant a kiss on either of them?" She retorted.
I had no idea what had her upset. Usually, it was only ex-girlfriends who talked to me like that. Well, the next two months were going to be fun. I was supposed to dog around a girl who hated me for no apparent reason, because I was damned sure that Malfoy would try nothing when we were inside the castle walls.
I'll be damned, James mouthed at me. Fiery, isn't she?
I frowned. "I'll see you in the common room; we have a free period next." I muttered.
"Yep." He said. McGonagall was looking at us again. Very disapprovingly.
The lesson ended and I cast Lily a pleading look.
"Fine, Sirius. I'll help you. Do you even know what the homework is?"
At my blank look, she gave me a resigned sigh. "I'll help you, but you're going to have to do the reading part yourself. I'm not paraphrasing for you."
"You're the best, Evans."
"I know." She told me. "You have a free period next, yeah?"
"So?"
She looked at Bianca pointedly as she fought the gaggle of people flooding out like a fish trying to swim upstream. "Explain. You always come in with James. Why the change?"
"Woah, Evans. First name basis? I think you're softening up to him."
"Shut up, Black. Or I won't help you. And don't change the subject, it's rude."
"Fine, I'll tell you later."
I waited outside the classroom a good ten minutes before Bianca came out. I could hear the raised tones of an argument, and the muted worry. Nobody argued with McGonagall. Ever. The girl must be something to get away with it.
"Black. Get in here for a second, will you?"
"Prof?" I raised an eyebrow.
"Keep this arrangement to yourself, will you? Don't want people on their guard, do we?"
"Ah, no." I said, thoroughly disbelieving of the story behind a need to protect her. "What if I know they won't tell anyone, though?" James and Lily would both kick me if I told them that I was not going to explain my detention to them.
"Potter, Lupin, Evans?" She listed out in a bored tone.
"Yes, Ma'am." I said, trying to be respectful. Bianca must have seen through it, because she was shaking with silent laughter.
"Only them. I don't need Pettigrew bothering me. I don't trust him quite the way you do."
"Yes, Ma'am." I repeated. Peter wasn't that curious anyway.
"Spill, Sirius." Lily was the first to get at me.
"Wish you were this eager other places, Lily-of-the-valley." He said, girlfriend forgotten. They flirted shamelessly, and it was rather entertaining when they didn't make you want to knock some sense into both of them.
"With you? In your dreams." She shot back.
"In my dreams, actually you –" He never got to finish because she stuffed a chocolate frog in his mouth. Rebecca glared at them murderously, but she couldn't do much more anyway.
"Chew on that a while. Be quiet. And you," She looked at me. "Go on."
I told them the short version quietly. Bianca had thankfully me a little time by going up to the girls' dormitory. She hadn't even bothered with an excuse.
"Wow." Was all James had to say at the end. "Quite a break you've caught."
"Tell me about it." I said.
"Well, I wish you all the best with her, but I must discuss Quidditch with McGonagall. Tryouts are on Thursday, by the way. At six. See if you're allowed to come."
"I could punch you for that, James." I told him.
"But you won't."
"Doesn't mean I won't hex you while you're asleep."
"And risk the position on the team?"
"Yep. Now, if you're finished insulting me, I'd like a chat with my friend." He bristled when Lily came over to sit on my arm rest.
"You really need to cut your hair. It's unruly, to say it politely." She said, tugging at some of it.
"God, woman, are you out of your mind? What do you think you're doing, pulling my hair like that?" I said, running my hand through it. The girl pulled hard!
"You need to cut it." She repeated.
"Could have just told me that." I grumbled.
"Enough." She grumbled. "Tell me now, what is she like?" Lily asked me.
"I dunno. I only found her name out an hour and ten minutes ago."
"Well I suppose two months is good time to get to know her. Pretty, isn't she?" Lily grinned devilishly. When I said nothing, she continued , "Everyone knows that you have a penchant for the Irish."
"She's not something I'm trying to buy from a bloody market, Lily. You know I'd treat any girl better than that." I said, praying she had forgotten about that daft bimbo I'd snogged a few times in fifth year.
"Hmm. Can't deny that you have proven that over these last couple of years. Still," she mused, "You're not terribly patient. One girl, two months…where's that new girl of yours? I bet she'll be jealous."
"None at the moment." I told her.
"Then there is none likely for the next two months." She sucked in a mock-shocked gasp.
"You think I'd let the girl hold me away from someone I like?" I raised my brow at her.
"No. Simply that your new detention," She snickered at the word, "won't leave you much time for your…playful ways."
"Do you imply that I'm not capable of sticking to one girl, Lily?" I asked slightly menacingly. But she did know that I'd do nothing to her.
"Absolutely." She laughed.
"Wanna bet?" I asked teasingly.
"When have you known me to not take you up on something like that?"
"I'll assume that's a 'yes'. Do you want to set the terms or shall I?"
"Oh, you go ahead."
Big mistake. "You've got to attend every one of our gatherings in the room of requirement."
"The ones involving cards, fire whiskey, and James' latest girlfriend?" she clarified.
"The same."
"And if I win?" She accepted my bet!
"Take a rain check on that." I said liberally. "You've got to attend them…I'll let you know when. For the duration of my detention. If I lose, you need never come again, plus your winning, of course."
"We have a deal." We shook on it.
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Rose.