You'll be pleased to know that I have prewritten four more chapters, so they'll last until the beginning of November, and hopefully I'll be able to write some more this month. Hope your weekends were as fantastic as mine was!
Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind;
And therefore is winged Cupid painted blind. - William Shakespeare
In the end, I have no idea which name was agreed upon, but I stuck to calling it the Heads' Common Room. It became the new common room for us, the place we worked, relaxed and chatted.
One evening, after intense research in the library for the Transfiguration project, I walked into the empty Heads' Common Room and fell down upon the sofa with a groan of ecstasy.
"Tough day, huh?" asked a disembodied voice from the opposite sofa. I sat up so quickly at this, startled, that I managed to roll off the sofa and fall into a graceless heap on the floor. The disembodied voice then began to laugh, a bark-like sound.
"So tough you don't even have the energy to remain on the sofa!"
I glared around until my gaze encountered the relaxed body of Sirius Black, lying in an insouciant pose. He grinned at me, then extended his hand to me.
"Need some help?"
For a second I weighed up the pleasure it would give me to snub him, and the fact that my shin was throbbing where I had banged it on the floor. Then I grudgingly accepted his offer, allowing him to pull me to my feet, until I was standing over him as he lay upon the sofa.
Again he grinned up at me. I turned away and lay back down upon the opposite sofa, copying his pose, my arms behind my head, one knee crossed over the other.
"You seem to be in a good mood, Black. Any particular reason?" I asked.
"Nope, no particular reason. Maybe I was just born happy." He replied.
"And what's with all this 'Black' business. You do realise that my name is Sirius, right?" He added.
I rolled my eyes.
"Of course I do. Black, however, is also your name."
"Much to my annoyance, yes. But the use of the surname is more formal, used to create distance between the addressee and the addresser. Seeing as there is no need for formality between it, and the fact that we see each other most days and share a common room, I think you could call me by my less formal and more friendly first name. It's what it's there for."
"But your arguments also apply to the last six years, where I have shared a common room with you and seen you most days, and I called you 'Black' then."
"I concede your point, but may I also point out that I believe we are on much friendlier terms than we have been in the last six years."
"That may be... but will you then call me Rose? Or continue on with 'Loganberry', which, might I add, is my surname and therefore formal and blah-di-blah-di-blah."
"I have to disagree that nothing I say can ever be called 'blah-di-blah-di-blah'. As for Loganberry, it is a sort of... pet name for you, which indicates friendship and is very informal.
"Yet, thanks to you, all the teachers call me it, apart from Professors' Dumbledore and McGonagall, and all the students that know me believe my surname to be called Loganberry, so in fact it is very formal."
He smirked as I mentioned this, his eyes twinkling at me.
"On the other hand, I call you Loganberry even though I know that your name is Logan, and so therefore it can be called a term of affection."
"So I should be grateful that you have decided to bless me with a term of affection? Honoured, even?"
"Of course, Loganberry. Not many people have such a great honour bestowed upon them."
I rolled my eyes, pretending to be vexed, but in reality enjoying the light-hearted banter. It wasn't often that boys just like to joke around, most of them either preferred to talk your ears off with incessant talk of their Quidditch exploits, or start complimenting you. And compliments make me feel completely uncomfortable, so much so that I try to avoid them. It's not like they are sincere, in any case.
A cool draught blew across my back, causing me to shiver, and turning round I perceived that the window was open to the evening air.
"Do you mind if I shut the window?" I asked Bla – I mean Sirius.
"Absolutely."
"Oh, okay." I sat down again.
He frowned at me. "Aren't you going to shut it then?"
"You just said that you didn't want it shut." I replied, confused.
"I was joking! Even if I hadn't been, you shouldn't have to be cold just because someone doesn't want the window shut. They could just move further away from the fire, or cast a cooling charm. You don't have to sacrifice your comfort for someone else's."
"I know, but I could equally put a jumper on or move closer to the fire. I shouldn't be selfish enough to put my comfort before others."
"But do you have a jumper to put on?" he questioned, sure of my answering in the negative.
"As a matter of fact, I do." I said archly, and proceeded to pluck my favourite hoodie from my school bag. It was an old hoodie, belonging to my brother, much too big for me, and a bright blue colour, with the words "THE LOGANMEISTER" on the back. Even though it was huge, I loved it. It was warm and soft, and smelt like home.
"Interesting hoodie." Remarked Bl – Sirius. "Though a little big. What does Loganmeister mean?"
"It used to be my eldest brother's, hence the size. As for the inscription, Logan because it's our surname and meister is German for –
"Master, I know." He interjected.
"My brother has a little bit of an ego, as you may have guessed."
"And you love him for it, I'm sure."
"No, I love him despite it.
He gave a rueful smile. "Point taken. Though now you have inherited the prestigious title of 'Loganmeister'."
"Of which I am immensely proud. And a fabulously warm hoodie to go with it."
"Some people have all the luck." He said, shaking his head.
"So you get on well with your brothers?"
"Yeah – for the most part. When they act like brothers rather than overprotective idiots who are out to make sure I don't come within 3 miles of a man without adequate protection, i.e. them."
"Sounds annoying." He commented.
"You have no idea. Luckily Hogwarts is a boarding school, otherwise my love life would be even more non-existent than it already is."
"I wouldn't say it was non-existent."
"Compared to yours, it certainly is."
"But you shouldn't compare them. Everyone's different, as the saying goes. Plus I'm sure there are plenty of guys who would be delighted to have you for a girlfriend."
"Really?" I questioned, dryly. "Even if that were true, I don't want to go out with someone for the sake of having a boyfriend, for the sake of having a relationship. I want... I want to go out with someone because I really like them, because I enjoy their company, because I am attracted to them, to their personality, rather than because they'd be happy to have me."
He cocked his head on one side.
"You want meaning?"
"Yeah – I suppose. I remember when I was younger that I told my mum that I would never have lots of boyfriends – just one. I didn't really see the point in dating lots of people. No offense meant."
"None taken." He regarded me for a moment. "Not that my love life has been that existent recently, in any case."
"Run out of girls?" I asked, smiling, so he would know it was meant in jest.
"Not quite. As you say, I'm starting to think a little meaning in my relationships might be nice, for a change. Most girls view me as a piece of meat, or a prize to add me to their collection of other men they've dated, or made out with. I used not to mind, but when you know that someone like Titia has no interest in your likes, or your problems, or the difficulty you are having with your Potions homework and instead want to wax lyrical about that beautiful necklace they say in that shop, which they are hinting at you to buy, you start to think."
I was prevented from replying by the sudden arrival of Katie and Lily into the common room. As I had half an hour before, they fell down upon the armchairs, sighing.
"This term is even worse than I was told it would be. And I was told it would be pretty bad." Announced Katie.
"I know! Can you believe it? I had three essays to do tonight, plus that project for McGonagall."
"How much did you do?"
"I managed to get two of the essays done, and James and I are discussing the project in our rounds tonight."
"Ahem!" I coughed, and Lily and Katie both spun around to see me.
"Rose! What are you doi – And Sirius! You guys relaxing here too?
"Yeah – after the rigours of a day in the life of a seventh-year." I replied.
"You guys up for a game of exploding snap?" Sirius asked.
"Sure, why not?"
"Love to!"
"Sounds great!"
Pretty soon, we were all immersed in a game of exploding snap, and as the evening wore on into the night, the others began to trip in, until all ten of us were cosily seated round the fire, holding an exploding snap tournament.
A knock at the window which had been closed earlier in the evening diverted me, and I went to retrieve the owl that hovered there in from the cold. It was a letter, with several other owls behind, bearing baked goods from my mother.
I surveyed the scene before me: my four best friends, and five more of some good friends of mine, glowing with the light of the fire and with the inner light than only happiness can bring. I stared hard at the scene, wanting to commit it to memory, the laughter on Lily's face, the surprise on James', the delight on Sirius', as the tower of cards they had been making exploded.
Little did I know that this was a scene I would ponder often in my spare time in the upcoming months, a scene that I would be fearful I would never see, would never be part of again.
I made my way back from the window after giving the owls some treats.
"Good news everyone!" I announced, my arms laden with Tupperware boxes. "My Mum has been baking!"
This was greeted with cheers from all my dorm mates as they rushed forward to grab brownies, cookies, slices of Victoria sponge cake, and chocolate fudge. The Marauders soon followed suit.
"This fudge is incredible, Loganberry! Thank your mum for me!" remarked Sirius, helping himself to his fifth piece.
"I tell her, although I have to let you know that I make better."
"I don't doubt it. You wouldn't, I suppose, like become my personal chef?"
"I'm afraid not. As much as I love cooking, I think it is the rarity of doing it which allows me to enjoy it so much."
He nodded. "Makes it more meaningful, doesn't it?"
This allusion to our earlier conversation for some reason caused me to blush, and I felt my stomach flutter as he grinned at me.
Thanks so much to all whom reviewed last time - you have my everlasting thanks!
I was wondering if anyone would be interested in looking over the next chapter before I post it, as I am unsure whether it fits in with the story. I would email it to you on Friday, so you could read and comment on it by Sunday, before I post it on Monday. If you PM or just review, letting me know you are interested, and giving a reason why you'd be good at this (not just because you want to read the next chapter early!), and I'll PM you. Just to say, it will involve giving me your email address, but I promise I will only use it to send you the chapter.
Lol EllieBaby xxx