Chapter 28: Switch

Sirius floated back to the common room on a cloud of triumph. At last he had confirmed that Ariadne was as into him as he was attracted to her. Though he thought their mutual attraction had been obvious and undeniable since the Quidditch afterparty, Ariadne's stubbornness, caution and almost Herculean devotion to her studies had kept them at a distance for weeks. For days he'd felt the tension between them building up to an almost unbearable intensity, yet was never quite sure when she would at last reach her breaking point. One thing he knew for sure, was that when she finally decided she wanted him, there would be no hesitation and no going back.

And their encounter had not failed to live up to his very high expectations.

Ariadne kept him on his toes. She was always just a bit quicker, cleverer, tougher and more confident than he expected. She challenged him on everything, from his schoolwork to his magical talent to his social popularity, and this was a new experience for someone who was accustomed to getting his way in most things. Since the Forbidden Forest, he now knew that she was also fiercely loyal and empathetic. Her moral compass always pointed exactly due north, even when it got her into trouble. For all her brilliance and high marks, he couldn't believe sometimes that she couldn't see why she was in Gryffindor House.

Sirius had let his mind wander to some of the finer details of their time together by the time he reached the portrait hole, and he couldn't help but enter the common room with a bit of his easy, languid swagger. James and Remus had claimed a couch next to the fireplace, and he headed toward them, casually running his fingers through is hair, which he knew was a bit more disheveled than usual.

By the time he had sat down James already knew that something had happened. The two of them shared an intuitive bond that he couldn't quite explain, but couldn't be more happy to have with a best friend he considered like family. Remus picked up on James's intuition too.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"I think you mean who," said James, staring at Sirius and his rumpled hair intently.

"Ah," replied Lupin, understanding now. "Are we going to be privy to the identity of Sirius's latest paramour?"

Sirius merely smiled at them mysteriously. Almost too coincidentally, at that moment, Ariadne appeared at the foot of the staircase to the girls' dormitory and made her way over the portrait hole, carrying an enormous stack of books in her arms. She glanced ever so briefly at the fireplace, saw the Marauders gathered round it, and quickly looked away. Was that a hint of a flush in her cheeks? Sirius couldn't believe how beautiful she was, as if he were seeing her for the first time all over again.

James caught him staring and looked back and forth between Sirius and the portrait hole in disbelief. "It couldn't be…"

"What? I mean, who?" said Remus, correcting himself.

"MORRIGAN?"

Sirius winked at James and shrugged.

Remus hardly seemed surprised, and gave one of his knowing smiles.

James flung the broomstick he had been polishing to the ground and threw up his hands. "In the name of Merlin's crusty knickers! I thought you two were NEVER going to get round to it!"

A/N: Just a quick little glimpse from Sirius's POV.