Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Warning: None for this chapter.
Chapter 7 – Relationships Transformed
The boys had gotten through their introduction to "Moony" with no injuries – to themselves or anyone outside their little group. Now, it was time for life to return to normal or, as Remus wryly commented, "the Marauder version of 'normal'" which was, of course, chaotic.
Between classes and homework, the four boys were also quite focused on the planning and execution of their first prank of the school year. Sirius and James, however, had the additional preoccupation of their relationships with Kate Morgan and Lily Evans, respectively. Of course, Sirius appeared to be doing much better than his mate in the development of his relationship; Lily was still far less than enthusiastic about the continuing attentions of one James Potter. In deference to the young wizard's periodic melancholy, even Sirius called a temporary halt to teasing him. This wasn't as difficult as it might sound, however, due to Sirius' growing fascination with Kate.
Despite considerable time spent mulling it all over, Sirius couldn't really fathom how he'd gone from welcoming the attentions of several young witches to seeking the attention – and affection – of only one. He found himself glancing her way repeatedly in their classes, searching out her dark auburn hair in crowded hallways between classes and angling to sit near her whenever they were both in the common room. For her part, Kate had taken to attending some of the Gryffindor Quidditch practices, much to the disdain of Lily, who seemed to find her attraction to Sirius quite without merit. Kate found herself in the unenviable position of balancing her own growing interest in the complex Marauder with her genuine affection for her best friend.
"Really, Kate," Lily said one afternoon after enduring the sight of Sirius' surreptitious glances for much longer than she cared to. "I don't see the attraction. He's been making calf eyes at you all afternoon; how can you bear it?"
Kate closed the book she had been reading, holding her place with her finger and turned to face her friend. "Lily, why do you dislike him so much?"
"He's awful when it comes to relationships. He's dated and dropped half the witches in our year and he doesn't let them down gently either. He's boorish, takes nothing seriously and is always causing trouble of some kind," the other girl answered. After a moment, she added, "Tell me why you find him so appealing."
Kate thought for a moment. "He's intelligent, inquisitive and has a fine sense of humor and fun. He's also unswervingly loyal to his friends, which, to my mind, is a very fine character trait. Of course, he's physically attractive as well, which doesn't hurt. There's something else, though; something I can't quite put my finger on. Sometimes I look at him when he thinks no one is watching and it seems that the boisterous prankster persona drops away. His face changes then; he's almost contemplative or sad, I'm not certain which. I think there's a great deal more to him than he allows most people to see. I'm curious about it, I suppose; curious about him."
Lily snorted. "You shouldn't need Divination to figure him out, Kate. If you've seen a more subdued side to Black than I have, it's undoubtedly because he's done something heinous and he's afraid he's going to be caught out. He's just like his best mate, Potter and …"
"…and I know just what you think of him," Kate interrupted. "Listen, Lily – you are really the last person I ever thought would dismiss someone as one-dimensional. After all, you and Severus are friends, am I right?" Lily nodded, but when she drew breath to speak, Kate neatly prevented another diatribe by picking up again. "Most people think quite ill of him, yet you see beyond his seemingly ill-kempt appearance and surly disposition. He, too, has avoided the typical Slytherin view of non pure blooded students – at least as far as you are concerned. Having benefited from that perspective and generously treated another person in a similar fashion, I would think you would see fit to admit there could be another side to Sirius. James, as well, come to that. I've never thought you to be an unkind person, Lily; in fact, I've always found you to be uncommonly kind and generous. It makes me wonder why you cannot be so toward those two wizards. They've done nothing unkind to you, after all, although I'll admit that James' attentions and constant pursuit would most likely become a bit tiring after awhile." Kate paused and gave her friend a small smile to soften her words. Lily simply gazed at her in shock and with some degree of insult. Kate had never expressed herself to Lily in this way and the other witch was quite taken aback by her comments. As affronted as she might have been, however, Lily Evans was a very honest person by nature and that facet of her personality was forced to admit that much of what Kate had said was, in fact, true; and that realization stung a bit.
Lily nodded. "Well, then. I suppose I'll just head over to the library and see if someone has returned that potions manual Severus mentioned earlier. I'll see you at dinner, then?"
Kate reached out to touch the other girl's arm, but Lily was already on her feet and stuffing her books into her bag. "Lily," Kate said quietly. "I didn't mean to hurt you; I just wanted to tell you what I was feeling."
Lily nodded once more, but found that she couldn't speak without betraying the constriction in her throat. She hated it when someone – particularly a friend – thought badly of her. She needed to retreat and think things over, as always, before she could move on.
Kate watched as her friend made her way through the common room and through the portrait hole. She sighed and opened her book once again, feeling at once sad that Lily's feelings were bruised and happy that she had finally spoken her mind.
Kate had made her way through half a page when she felt someone sink down on the cushion next to her. She again closed the book on her finger and turned, half expecting that Lily had come back to talk things through before dinner. Kate was pleasantly surprised to find the catalyst of their disagreement looking anxiously at her.
"You and Evans have a falling out, did you?" Sirius asked curiously.
"Not exactly," Kate replied. "What would make you think that?"
Sirius shrugged. "She kept opening and closing her mouth while you were talking to her a few moments ago and I don't really think that speechless is something Evans experiences very often. You must have said something to put her off her game; as proven by her quick exit – book bag in tow."
Kate shook her head. "Nothing fatal, I assure you. And why were you so interested in what was going on over here?"
Sirius had the good grace to flush a bit at the question, but he wouldn't back down now that she'd caught him. "It has obviously escaped your notice that for quite some time now, I've taken an interest in the things that you do."
Kate raised an eyebrow. "You're quite wrong; I have noticed your interest. I simply mistook it for a prelude to stalking and chose to ignore it!"
Sirius stared at her for a moment before barking out a laugh. "It might interest you to know that if I intended to take up stalking you, I'd simply dive right in; there would be no prelude to warn you!"
Kate smiled back at him. "So you were planning to continue to stare at me from afar, were you? I rather thought we'd moved beyond that after my Quidditch lesson in Hogsmeade. Really, Black, this kind of behavior belies your reputation as Hogwarts' leading Lothario!"
Sirius' smile slipped a bit and his eyes grew cold. "You struck me as the kind of person who didn't listen to the wagging tongues of the Hogwarts' rumor mill. I guess I was wrong about that. I thought Evans was just concerned with trying to give James the run around. Apparently, she's not happy unless she's ruining things for everyone!" He rose and this time, it was Kate who was rendered speechless as the boy moved quickly through the portrait hole.
Kate shook her head. What on earth is going on today?! She glanced around the room and located Remus, sitting in one of the overstuffed chairs in a far corner. Kate rose and walked over to him, sitting down on the ottoman at his feet. Remus looked up and smiled at his friend. "Hello, Kate," he said in his quiet manner.
"Remus, could I ask you a question?" Kate asked, watching as the young wizard's face grew more serious.
"Of course; what is it?" Remus' gaze was a bit wary as he waited for her to continue.
"Without giving away any Marauder secrets, could you tell me where Sirius might go if he was irritated or upset and wanted to be by himself?"
Remus' brow cleared and there was a slight pause before he answered. "If he wanted to be by himself, wouldn't it be better to just give him some time to sort things out?"
Kate exhaled sharply. "Remus, please. I'm the reason he's upset and I'd like to clear things up before he works himself into a state and convinces himself that I meant something I didn't."
Remus nodded. "I see what you mean." He thought for a few minutes while Kate fidgeted. "There are a couple of places he could be," Remus said. "There's a tapestry hanging on the fourth floor behind the statue of the one-armed knight. It hides a corridor that leads to an old, abandoned classroom. That's been Sirius' refuge of choice lately. If he's not there, try the Astronomy Tower. Other than that, I've no clue, but I'm virtually certain you'll find him in one of those two spots."
Kate gave his arm a squeeze and she smiled. "Thank you, Remus. Really, I appreciate your help."
Remus smiled back at the young woman, but grabbed her hand before she could leave. "Kate," he said quietly. "I don't know what you said or what might have happened between the two of you, but … be kind to Sirius, yes? If he doesn't want to listen, just say your piece and leave him be, alright? He'll come around if he has some time to just think about it all."
"Thanks, Remus." Kate crossed the room at a normal pace but once she reached the corridor outside the portrait hole, her pace quickened.
Deciding to try the abandoned classroom first, Kate ascended the staircases rapidly, praying all the while that they would not shift and send her off course. She was rewarded and reached the fourth floor without incident. Locating the one-armed knight was no challenge but Kate was forced to stifle a laugh at the expression of sincere surprise that had been carved onto the porcelain face of the statue as its gaze was fixed on the empty space in his tunic where his arm had once been. After composing herself, Kate located the deep blue tapestry and slipped behind it, unnoticed. The corridor was eerily dark and, once the tapestry fluttered back into place, the silence was so profound, Kate could hear her own heartbeat. She pulled her wand from its sheath in her robes and whispered, "Lumos"; immediately, the tip of her wand glowed brightly enough to light her way.
Kate crept down the stone corridor and presently discovered a wooden door – closed – to her left. Kate located the door handle then extinguished her wand. Turning the handle, she opened the door wide enough to enter the room then closed it silently.
It took Kate a few moments for her vision to adjust to the dimness, but once she could see clearly, Kate located a light in a far corner of the cavernous room. She took a step in the direction of the light and, to her dismay, kicked a wooden stool next to her foot that she had failed to detect in the dimness. The clamor rang throughout the room.
"Who's there?" came a loud voice from the corner. Presently, Sirius ventured out into the open, his wand drawn before him.
"It's just me, Sirius; it's Kate," she called. "I accidentally kicked over a stool."
"How did you know to come here?" Sirius stayed where he was, but, to Kate's relief, he lowered his wand. She resumed her slow walk toward him.
"Is that important?" Kate didn't want Sirius to be angry with Remus for telling her about one of his refuges.
Sirius shook his head. "I suppose not, although I can guess. Remus has a soft spot for you; I'd wager he spilt it."
Kate was now directly in front of the dark-haired wizard. "He has a soft spot for you, too, you know," she said.
Sirius snorted and said nothing further.
"I'm sorry," Kate told him softly. "I was teasing and it just came out. I didn't mean anything by it; it was a joke and nothing more. I certainly didn't intend to hurt your feelings; I would never want to do that. It just … came out," she said again, studying his face as additional possible arguments whirled around in her mind.
"I'm not a slut," Sirius stated quietly, lifting his chin as he did so. "I do not set out to be cruel to girls or whatever other tripe Lily Evans told you."
"She didn't call you a 'slut'," Kate said.
Sirius crossed his arms over his chest. "Well, there's a mercy."
"It wouldn't matter what Lily said about you. She doesn't have permission to tell me who I may or may not like," Kate told him.
Sirius looked over at Kate. "You … wait; you like me?"
Kate nodded once. "I believe I just might," she said. "Despite the fact that you take off at a dead run rather than let me explain myself to you…and then hide yourself in a remote part of the school."
Sirius still looked at her, his eyes wide. "But even though I did those things, you still like me?"
"Yes."
"Even though you don't know me very well?"
"Yes."
"Even though I'm a Black?"
Ah, so that touches on this, too. "Sirius, I really don't care who your family is. I don't know them. I know you … a bit, anyway. I definitely think you're worth the investment of time to know you better. I think there's a great deal more to you than you let on – for whatever reason that is. I don't want to treat you the way Lily treats James and I certainly don't want to be like all the other girls who moon around after you. I'm not the kind of witch who does that sort of thing." Kate took a deep breath. "I don't know what else to say to convince you."
Sirius looked at Kate for a long while – long enough that she had to fight to quell the urge to fidget under his scrutiny. Finally, he spoke. "Don't take this the wrong way, but … you're not just having me on, are you? Only, you don't seem the type, but no one's ever said that sort of thing to me, so I haven't anything to go on."
"I'm not 'having you on'," Kate assured him. "I wouldn't tease you like that."
Sirius almost smiled. "Oh, so you'd just tease me about being a player?"
"Apparently," Kate returned his smile. "But only once, if this is what happens as a result." She paused, gratified to see a more natural smile on his face. "So, am I forgiven?"
Sirius nodded. "Yes, you're forgiven."
"Good," Kate leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Let's go back to the Common Room, yes? It must be about time for dinner." She started to turn to head back out the door, but Sirius caught her arm and Kate turned to face him once again.
"I don't understand what I feel for you," Sirius said. "I mean, I like you – a lot – but I haven't felt like this before. I'm afraid I'll bollocks it up before I figure it out and …"
Kate interrupted. "I won't let you 'bollocks it up', ok?"
Sirius nodded. "Ok." Kate smiled and made to turn back to the door again. "Kate?"
"Yes?"
"May I kiss you?"
Kate looked closely at the wizard before her. His face held no pretense. Kate saw sincerity and no small amount of fear in his eyes as he awaited her answer. This was the expression she described to Lily earlier in the day. She knew her answer.
"Yes, please."
Sirius stepped closer to her and cupped her face in his hands. Slowly, as if frightened he would startle the witch, Sirius lowered his lips to hers and kissed her tenderly. It took only a moment before Kate returned the kiss. When they broke for air, Sirius pressed his forehead to hers. "Thank you," he whispered, his eyes closed.
Kate smiled and kissed his cheek. "Ready to go downstairs?"
Sirius nodded and caught her hand as they walked down the hallway toward the tapestry. "Kate, does this mean that we're …?" Sirius stopped her halfway down the hall and turned to look at her.
Kate raised her eyebrows. "Oh. Well, if anyone asks us, we can just say that we're figuring it all out. What do you think?"
Sirius thought about it for a minute and then smiled. "Serves them right, nosey buggers. That's exactly what we'll say!"
Laughing, they went through the tapestry and were still holding hands when they walked into the Great Hall, oblivious to the pointed looks cast their way by other students. Kate and Sirius slid into seats near their friends at the Gryffindor table. Remus caught her eye and gave her a broad smile to which Kate replied with a wink.
"Oi, Moony, are you winking in Kate's direction?" Sirius boomed, teasingly. "Because if you are, you should know that I'll have none of it!"
Remus shook his head and, with Sirius' gaze still on him, winked at Kate again. She giggled.
"Pushing it, Moony. Really pushing it!" Sirius laughed at his friend.
Kate chuckled again and then felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to see Lily standing behind her. "Can we talk for a moment?" Lily asked her friend. Kate nodded and excused herself then followed Lily out into the entrance hall.
"Kate, I just wanted to say 'sorry'," Lily said when they had come to a stop. "I don't like being at odds with my friends – especially with you. You're my best friend, so it's even worse when something happens to us."
Kate smiled and hugged the other girl warmly. "You're my best friend, so thank you. I'm sorry that I hurt your feelings."
Lily shook her head. "You didn't. You made me see reason; it was the reality that hurt. So, we're ok now?"
Kate nodded.
"Good," Lily responded. "Let's not do anything stupid like that again for awhile, yes?"
"Absolutely," Kate paused. "Except…"
Lily smiled. "Except that you and Black are an item now," she finished.
Kate shrugged. "Well, I think we've agreed to try to figure out exactly what we might be feeling, but we haven't gone as far as to say we're a couple."
Lily rolled her eyes. "I'm no expert, but is it supposed to be this complicated?"
Kate poked the other girl with her elbow. "Stop rolling those green eyes of yours," she laughed. "He kissed me," she added, watching Lily's face.
Lily smiled. "How was it?"
Kate's eyes widened in surprise. It wasn't exactly the response she expected. "It was nice," she replied, smiling softly.
"Dear Merlin, girl, you've got it bad!" Lily slung her arm over Kate's shoulders and began to walk with her back into the Great Hall.
"Maybe," Kate acknowledged. "But we're going to take it slowly, so no one gets hurt. If it doesn't work out maybe we can still be friends."
Lily paused. "Katie, I have the distinct impression that this will work. I've thought a lot about what you said earlier today. I don't think any of those dozy girls ever thought there was more to Sirius than great hair, a brilliant smile and a cute behind. You're different; you honestly believe there's a great deal more to him than meets the eye. I think you should keep at it. If anyone can figure out the puzzle of Sirius Black, my galleons are on you!"
"Thanks, Lils," Kate said. "He does, though."
"Does what?" Lily asked, confusion in her voice.
"Have a cute behind," Kate said, laughing and running ahead of Lily into the Hall.
Lily shook her head, hot on her heels. "Do I even want to know how you know that?" she hissed.
Kate turned. "Take a look for yourself the next time he's wearing those Muggle jeans of his. Those other girls might have been clueless, but they got that part right!"
The two friends laughed and continued on to the Gryffindor table where Lily shocked and delighted James by sitting next to him at dinner.
"Looks like things are improving for everyone around here," Sirius said quietly to Kate. "Did you have anything to do with that?" He gestured toward Lily who was at least making an attempt to listen to James.
Kate shook her head. "Complete surprise to me, too. It would be nice, though, wouldn't it?"
Sirius shook his head. "I don't think we could live with him," he said, adding thoughtfully. "But it might be worth it to see them together – just to see how happy it makes James."
As he finished speaking, dinner appeared in large serving dishes and platters before them and the friends fell silent as they filled their plates and tucked into their food.
