Chapter 17

"So you're really going to do it then?" Sirius asked curiously.

James nodded.

Sirius wrinkled his nose. "I can't believe you mate. You've gone soft."

James rolled his eyes. "Excuse me for having feelings."

His friend smiled. "You're excused."

Sighing, James pulled out his invisibility cloak and looked out the window. "It's cloudy tonight, we should go unnoticed."

Peter frowned. "Aren't we always unnoticed? I mean we do have an invisibility cloak."

James and Sirius stared at him wordlessly.

He cringed under their scrutiny and transformed himself into a rat.

James shook his head. "Here's to another full moon friend." He said, dragging the cloak over him and Sirius.

Sirius sighed heavily. "Still can't believe you're going loony over a girl."

James glanced at him through his peripherals. "Says the man trying to-"

Sirius cut him off. "Trying to do what I always do. There is absolutely nothing different about this girl."

"Are you trying to convince me, or yourself mate?" James said with a smile.

Sirius glowered at the floor as they made their way out of the room.

"Some friend you are." He muttered.

James chuckled quietly as they moved through the shadows off into the night. Wormtail took a detour to the left and up the opposite staircase as the other two went off toward their destination. Sirius smiled to himself, fighting fire with fire was something he did best.

Lily came bouncing up to Olivia as she poked at her breakfast the next morning.

"Have you heard?" Lily asked brightly. "There's going to be a winter formal this year! Headmaster Dippet swore them off a few years ago after someone pulled a horrible prank on him." She sat down next to Olivia and tilted her head to the side. "Come to think of it, that was first year. I bet that had to do with a certain group of boys that I have the displeasure of knowing." She frowned.

Olivia laughed lightly. "I'm sure you're correct. He's probably celebrating the fact they'll be gone next year."

"Everything went so well on Halloween I'm sure this is a reward." Lily said proudly.

Olivia continued to stab her sausage lazily. Lily leaned across the table toward her.

"Are you alright?" She asked with a concerned glance.

Olivia nodded. "Just thinking."

Lily shrugged it off and began to help herself to piles of food. "So who do you want to go to the formal with?" She asked brightly.

Olivia shrugged. "I don't really know anyone outside of my circle of friends. Which is basically just you."

"I wonder if James will ask me, or if it's one of those unspoken agreements that we'll go together." Lily wondered out loud. "What do you think?"

Olivia's head snapped up as if she had awoken suddenly from a dream. A glazed look went across her face as she smiled to herself. "I'll see you later Lil." She said in a faraway voice.

Lily stared after her, open mouthed, as Olivia took off out of the Great Hall. She shook her head and went back to her breakfast.

Olivia paced excitedly in front of the door leading to potions. She was probably the only Gryffindor in existence to queue outside the class more than a half hour before it even started. She pressed her lips together and frantically checked the small silver watch that adorned her wrist.

Ten minutes later he came walking toward her. He looked around, confused.

"What are you doing here?" Severus asked.

"More importantly, where have you been?" She asked impatiently.

He was taken aback. "Forgive me, but correct me if I'm wrong, when did I ever lead you to believe we were friends?" He snapped.

Olivia rolled her eyes. "I want to ask you something." She put her hands on her hips and stared at him.

He shifted uncomfortably. Olivia could tell he didn't talk to many people.

He gestured for her to continue, slightly intrigued.

"I want you to be my date for the winter formal." She said cordially.

Severus laughed so suddenly it echoed through the dungeon hallway. "You've gone mental, what makes you think I'd do that?" He said, gasping for air.

Olivia glared at him and crossed her arms. "Because I highly doubt you'll have a date period if you don't take me." She countered snappishly.

Severus sobered instantly and glowered at her. "What makes you think-"

She held up a hand to stop him. "What better way to piss off Sirius than go with you?"

"So you get revenge and I get what out of this exactly?" Severus asked shrewdly.

Olivia smiled sweetly. "The pleasure of my company."

Severus scoffed. "Oh yes, because I'm relishing in it now." He said sarcastically.

Olivia squared her shoulders. "Please?" She asked as nicely as she could.

Severus thought about it and sighed. "Fine. Only because your family has an outstanding reputation."

Olivia glared. "And what pray tell, does my family's reputation have to do with anything?"

"Well your sister married one of my distant cousins, and if anyone were to question why on Earth I ever decided to take you I'd at least have that going for me." He sneered.

Olivia blanched. "Ugh you're disgusting."

Severus smiled greasily. "You asked, didn't you?"

Olivia crossed her arms. "And I still don't regret it."

Severus looked impressed. "Dedicated I see. So you're only doing it to make Black angry?"

Olivia nodded.

Severus smiled again. "I'm in."

Olivia shook his hand and frowned. The rest of the class began showing up behind them and Olivia felt a chill go through her to the bones. She was positive no one else had felt it as she shivered slightly, walking into the room.

Sirius bit his lip in hard concentration as he stared at his transfigurations homework. He was sitting alone in the corner of the common room, trying hard to understand what he was writing down. It was dark outside now, and most of the castle had already gone to bed.

He noticed a figure brush past quickly, a scent of lilac wafted by him and he smiled.

"You in a hurry, Gold?" He asked as she reached the other side of the room.

Olivia stopped at the staircase and turned around. "What do you want?" She asked with a sigh.

"Am I doing this right?" He asked genuinely. She stared over at him for a minute and then lazily walked over to him, bending over his homework to see what he was doing.

"Well, you got it right up until here," She pointed to a drawing in the center. "That shouldn't be there. Honestly, how you can even read your own writing is a mystery, really." She looked down at him and he was staring at her, their faces only a few inches apart.

"Thank you." He said softly. Olivia could feel her heart beating faster as he leaned into her. She closed her eyes.

"What are you doing?" He asked with a wicked grin.

Her eyes snapped open and he was leaning back in his chair, gathering up his things.

"I know you have a crush on me, but really Olivia, pull yourself together." He winked at her and stood up.

Olivia went red in the face as she whacked him across the back of his head.

"I hate you Sirius Black!" She screamed as she stormed off.

Sirius smiled to himself, rubbing the back of his head. This was definitely a game worth winning.