Disclaimer: Anything that rings a bell belongs to J.K Rowling

Chapter 25: What do you want?

They had been walking for almost half an hour, not for the first time did Sirius glance warily at Devon, and not for the first time did he have to calm himself from the image that met him, of the petite, pale girl covered in blood that he had to remind himself was not truly hers.

He could easily skurge all the blood away, but Sirius knew that her physical state was his least concern right now as she was unharmed, however, the mental trauma of being harassed by that group of Snakes for Godric knows how long surely should take precedence.

If only he had gotten there sooner, yet at the same time he was grateful he got there at all. He'd taken to writing to Cece in the solitude of the Astronomy Tower… especially since their exchanges of late had taken an… interesting… turn.

Sirius' ears burned red as he had recalled a particularly…intriguing… excerpt he had memorised from the Beauxbatons student's most recent correspondence … he was astonished that he could feel such arousal from just a few words, but imagination was truly an amazing tool and Cece sure had a way of wielding it.

He was quite shocked when the nature of their writings turned heated at her initiation. After all she seemed so quiet and coy on Christmas Day. He then had to remind himself that she had come across that way due to the language barrier, something they both had overcome in the past few months as she now was quite proficient in English, just as he was quite adequate in French, having already been forced to learn a bit as a child so had a foundation to work with. And translation charms definitely helped.

Moony had come across one of her letters last week by chance and swore he attempted a memory charm on himself just to get rid of the image of Sirius' 'bountiful manhood escaping between supple-'

Sirius shook his head of the thought, stopping himself before his imagination ran rampant, he swallowed thickly and glanced back, feeling as if Devon could sense the wicked thoughts plaguing him.

"Just a little further." He managed to croak out, immediately feeling annoyed with himself. What was he, some horny little second year twerp! Merlin, it was all Cece's fault really, he spent so much time writing to the girl, he barely had time to even talk to the opposite sex…

Maybe he should rekindle things with Daisy, she surely was over the unsuccessful Hogsmeade date from earlier in the year.

And she was as imaginative in real life as Cece was on paper…

It's not like Cece and he was exclusive or anything… it was just a bit of fun…

"We're almost there." He turned, catching Devon offering him a small smile. His heart seemed to triple in weight and his mind cleared of all selfish thoughts as he took her in, and his hands squeezed into angry balls of fury.

If Rabastan Lestrange was here right now, he would ensure the boy wouldn't see straight for a week at least.

And has for Bella…

Bella…

His heart stilled as he recalled what happened a mere half hour ago… it already felt a distant memory, or rather a nightmare that was terrifying in its reality.

His ears pricked as he heard the sound he was unconsciously walking towards and stopped, "We're here." Sirius held out his hand candidly for Devon as the tunnel they had been walking down took on a steep gradient.

It was one of the new tunnels he found, just a week or so ago whose entrance was near the Puff basements, but the way it seemed to circle about he somehow thought that it fell under Snake territory.

She placed her small palm in his larger one and he led her down the slippery path, his lit wand leading them in his left hand through the dark, earthy venue. He slipped down the last few steps and righted them both when the ground finally became steady.

Devon let go of his hand and he followed her footsteps forward, taking out the miniaturised lamps that he pocketed on their walk here, enlarging it with a tap of the wand and lighting it before the girl tripped and hurt herself in the pitch dark room.

Well… it wasn't a room.

Far from it…

It was a cave.

With its stone walls that could have only been carved out by nature and time, and damp sandy ground. Sirius had wandered far below the castle to find this place. He glanced at the dark stone walls, darker due to the film of running water which seemed to seep from the roof of the cavernous structure and pool into the main feature of the cave.

The lake… whilst many times smaller than the Black Lake that sat atop its roof that seemed to be its source of water, but just as dark and beautiful.

He watched as Devon wandered over to the little lake and dipped her fingers in curiously and Sirius couldn't help the somewhat chuffed smile that graced his face.

He had made the right decision bringing her here.

He watched as she glanced about, taking in the cavernous structure they now found themselves in, the stony walls and the earthy smell and the sandy floors. She caressed the water with the fingers of her right hand gently.

Devon leaned forward, but he hastened to her, "Wait." He pulled her gently away from the water's edge, placing the lamps down, "I haven't actually been in the water. When I found it last week, I barely had time to go in, and I haven't even shown the others yet. Let me go in, just to make sure it's not too deep."

He tossed off his shoes and socks easily and waded in confidently, uncaring that his trousers were now soaked and carefully trodded forward until the water reached his chest, his feet were pressing against smooth rock that almost seemed to massage the stress from his earlier fight right out of him. He was a good ten steps in, and all seemed safe, the ground was steady, and the water was the perfect temperature, surprisingly much warmer than the lake above it.

She didn't need to go that deep, she really just needed to wash away that muck.

He rushed back onto the embankment, shaking himself dry much like he would do in his canine form, "Well…Err…" He sighed, this was awkward, "Well, I thought it best for you to clean yourself up and I didn't know how to get you to the common room without you getting noticed… well there is a way, but I don't have it with me and if I disillusion you there is still the whole actually going and showering and… I don't know… I just thought… I don't know."

He laughed; he didn't know what he thought. He just felt like this was where she should be right now.

She fell to her knees, and he quickly made to grab her, but she held him off with a hand, scooping a bit of water in her other hand and tossing it onto her face.

"You can go in. Clean up… erm, I could clean your clothes." He swivelled around quickly as she found the hem of her shirt, "I'll just wait here, don't worry I won't look. I'll just," He sat crossed legged on the damp sandy floor and stared at the stone wall ahead of him, the water's edge trickling at his butt as he could hear her entering the lake.

He shivered, realising that he should probably dry up his shirt whilst she bathed and shrugged out of it easily, staring down at the red sore on his chest courtesy of the duel not an hour ago. The cut had finally stopped bleeding, but he should probably go and see Pomfrey if he didn't want it to scar.

"You okay?" He waited a moment longer and could kick himself for his stupidity.

Was he waiting for a response?

He then jumped as a splash of water hit his back and laughed at her answer to his question, "I take it you like the water. It reminds me of a hot spring, I don't know whether you've been in one, James and I did. Two Christmas' back, Mr. Potter rented a car. You know, muggle transport, and actually took us on a road trip. We stopped at a very aptly named town called Bath."

Sirius would never forget that Christmas break, it was the break that Lucius Malfoy became a complication in his life. The boy had been courting Narcissa for a while, and of course Aunt Druella would have done anything to have the boy propose, so when Sirius had asked to visit the Potters rather than attend the Malfoy Yuletide Ball…

His back tingled with the memory of that day; his mother hadn't always been violent. Nagging, yes, cruel even, and she'd taken a whip to him in punishment a few times when he was young, but that had been the first time she had magically attacked him.

Sirius always thought himself a remarkable duellist, he was quick both with a wand and on his feet, but he was rendered paralysed by his mother's proficiency in the laceration spell that hit his back as he attempted to slam the door on her face.

"Don't you dare turn your back on me when I'm talking to you!"

The pain wasn't as bad as he expected, and when he told the Potter's that he couldn't make it because of the Ball, they had waited an extra day just for him, and left for the trip straight after he was done.

James had nearly fainted when he saw Sirius' back, but he had made him promise not to tell Mrs. Potter. He didn't want to spoil their road trip… and yet somehow, they ended up in Bath.

In those hot springs that had made his back feel brand new again.

Perhaps that's what made him bring Devon down here… something about the warm water had calmed his nerves, soothed his wounds, and cleared his mind in a way that not much else could.

The scars on his back had long since faded, Sirius had an inkling that Mrs. Potter had snuck murtlap essence into his water to accelerate its healing. Sirius never knew how Mrs. Potter had known what his mother had done to him. James had sworn he never told her… but Mrs. Potter always just seemed to know just what to do to make him feel better.

Not for the first time did Sirius wish he had been born into a different family.

He chuckled darkly to himself, recalling Bella's words about his own mother instructing Regulus to poison him…

He ran a hand through his hair, concentrating on the pressure of his fingers and trying not to imagine his own little brother trying to carry out his murder on his mother's bidding.

At least Reg didn't do it…

He shook his head in disappointment, was he to be relieved that his brother didn't poison him? Should that not be a thought that was so out of the realm of possibility that it didn't require relief?

How fucked up was that?

He flinched when he felt something touch his shoulder.

He had completely fell into his thoughts and forgotten about Devon, he stilled as he felt warm water trickle down his bare back and his breath caught as he felt her hands kneed his skin.

Her fingers found a spot that made him intake a sharp breath, it was another cut courtesy of Bellatrix… Devon seemed to be cleaning it.

"You know she wasn't always such a bitch." He spoke to the stone wall in front of him, trying to ignore the curl in his stomach as she bathed his wound, "Bellatrix. She actually used to be quite… well not nice. Never nice. But… not a bitch."

"She's my cousin, you know." It occurred to him that she might not know that, "We practically grew up together." He took a deep breath, focusing on her fingers caressing the wound, "Like a sister." He let out a shaky breath, thinking about the one moment in the duel that had truly ruined him.

The moment that he had tugged Bellatrix over the balcony, and she fell on top of him.

And for a second Sirius could not be surer… that she had hugged him.

And suddenly a lifetime of memories flooded back.

"Sirius…Sirius!"

"Ow." Sirius woke with a fright to his pitch-black room, someone had thumped on the head, "Bella?"

"Cissy is snoring!" She groaned as she climbed atop his bed and ducked under his covers.

Sirius laid his head back down on the pillow, "Mother will kill us if she finds out you're here."

"Ugh, suddenly I have breasts and it's unladylike to share a bed with a male, even if it's your blood." She moaned as Sirius laughed.

"Breasts? Bella you're ten!"

"I'll be eleven in three months!"

"Oh, how ancient." He laughed and turned on his side to face her, watching as she mirrored him, their dark hair identical on the white pillow. "Ancient Bella from the Ancient and Noble House of Black."

Her smile faltered and fell, "One day I won't be."

"Ancient? Or Noble, because I'm pretty sure you never were very nob-"

"Black." She sighed, "I wish I was a man."

Sirius scoffed, "So you can grow up and be forced to inherit a title that you don't even know you want. That you have to have your whole life mapped out for you like some inanimate object whose sole purpose is to carry a name. Bella, I'm a walking talking badge. Why would you want that?"

"Why wouldn't you want that." She gasped and sat up, her eyes wide with excitement, "Sirius you'll inherit the Black family name. Do you know how powerful you'll be… probably one of the most powerful men in the Wizarding World." The light died in her eyes, and she threw herself back on the bed, "Anyway, rather a badge than a baby-maker."

Sirius rolled his eyes, "Bella, why are you even talking about all of this. You're ten."

"Look at me Sirius. Look at how smart, and beautiful I am." Sirius shook his head at her conceit, "How long do you think it will take before the proposals start coming in. I'll be married by the time I'm fifteen at the rate I'm going!"

"Nobody is going to marry you off at fifteen!"

"I hate that I HAVE to be married OFF in the first place." She grumbled, "If I was a man, I could be like Uncle Alphie, stay single forever."

"Wouldn't that be lonely." Sirius murmured.

"As opposed to the brilliant marriages that grace our family? Look at our parents, when's the last time you've even seen them kiss."

"UGH BELLA!"

"What!" She giggled, "It's the truth." She smiled and leaned her head in closer, "You know, kissing's nice."

"And how would you know."

She smiled and he raised his brows, "Rabastan Lestrange kissed me yesterday. He put his whole tongue in my mouth!"

"WHAT!" Sirius snapped, as he raised off the bed, "He did what?"

"SHhh. You'll wake up the whole house." She rolled her eyes and pushed him back to the bed, "Anyway it was just a kiss."

"And it'll be just a punch when I see him again."

She giggled, "Fine with me."

They both were silent for a moment, "So he just…" Sirius mumbled.

"Yup."

"And it was nice?" He frowned.

"Well not the first time. First time it was all… slimy. And then after a while it feels nice. He's a decent kisser."

"You're not marrying that tosser."

She laughed, "Who said anything about marriage?"

"You're the one that said you want a good kisser as a husband."

"I didn't say I wanted a good kisser, I said we should kiss. All the time. Like we can't keep our hands off of each other." She smiled and her teeth glinted in her mouth, "What I want is power. A man who'll be even more powerful than you one day."

Sirius scoffed, "Good luck finding someone with a name yielding more power than our family's."

She smiled, "Is that a challenge? You do know how I adore challenges. Anyway, better power than a pretty face. Pretty faces age with time, power never goes out of style."

He turned around and found her looking up at the ceiling, "What about love?"

She turned and stared at him, "Even I know my limits Sirius."

"Sirius?" They both snapped their heads around to find Andy and Reg standing groggily at the door, "Cissy snores."

"Come on in." He gestured for them to file in on his side and squeezed next to Bella, throwing a comfortable arm around her shoulders and she hugged him back.

"Bella?"

"Hmmm." She murmured.

"I promise to never marry you off. Not if you don't want it. You can be a Black forever, you needn't worry about anything like that when I'm head of the family."

She was quiet for a moment, "Well then I promise to find you the prettiest girl in the world to be your wife. Someone prettier than even Cissy."

"Sirius?"

They both moaned as they heard the familiar tearful voice, "I woke up and everyone was gone."

"Come on." Narcissa hurried over and crawled in next to Bella, and in a matter of minutes the room was quiet except for Narcissa's snores.

Sirius was brought back to the present by Devon's hands, which had stopped cleaning his wound but was now tracing random patterns on his bare back which made his body sizzle up. He doubt she knew just what she was doing to him so instead he cleared his throat and stood up abruptly, "I suppose we should be going."

He conjured a towel and held it behind him and heard the splash of her getting out of the water. She grasped the towel, and he picked up her shirt and trousers, skurging both best he could and holding it out behind him.

She relieved him of the trousers, and then the shirt and then he dried his own trousers and then threw his shirt back on.

"I'm turning around." He announced, feeling slightly silly and did so, finding her fully dressed, her skin back to its pale cleanliness. Sirius swallowed as he took in her hair, it had grown into long brunette tresses that was usually tied up into a bun of some sort, but now was a wet streak that clung to her tiny body.

Her dark eyes held his stare, and he cleared his throat, summoning the lamps with a wave of his wand, "After you." He bowed outlandishly and gestured her to walk ahead, and her pink lips quirked into a radiant smile as she walked forward.

Sirius was stunned for a moment before following, as at the precise moment that those pink lips quirked, his heart seemed to do something funny in his chest.

Must be the wound, he better go and get it checked.

-x-x-x-

She checked her lipstick in her compact mirror as her black heeled shoe tapped a melody on the stone floor of the Dungeon broom cupboard.

She sighed, clicking the compact mirror shut on her dark pink lips. Cassie made a good call on this shade; it did look excellent on her.

She sighed again just as the door creaked open, "Finally! For someone with no social life you're disturbingly unpunctual. What took you so long!"

Severus Snape glared at her as he shut the door, the broom cupboard seemed to get darker with his brooding presence, "You should consider yourself lucky that I came at all. I don't take well to pestering. Five owls? In ONE day?"

"What did you expect me to do, you've been ignoring me! And don't deny it!" She snapped.

"I wasn't planning on it. Yes, I was ignoring you. I just didn't think you were so insufferably thick that you wouldn't get the message!"

"You call it insufferable; I call it a healthy dose of persistence." She smirked and he narrowed his eyes at her.

"Hmmm. That sort of thing may work on idiots like Potter, but it won't work on me." He leaned against the door, a somewhat curious look on his face "How do you convince the brute keep you around. I knew he was slow of course, I just didn't think he was certifiably so."

"Haha, very funny." She backed off the wall and straightened up to her impressive height. Azura had always been tall for her age, the heels only helped matters, "Looking for tips on how to bag yourself Evans?"

"Tips? From you? I'm sorry, my morals maybe a bit on the grey side but not even I would drug someone with love potion to fall for me."

She grit her teeth, "I didn't drug him with love potion!"

"Oh, then why did you purchase some from me at the end of last term? I assumed that's how you two started, but I know I didn't give you enough for you to keep him on it for longer than a few days." He added snarkily.

She folded her arms to restrain from slapping the prat, Godric, she disliked him, from his disgusting hair to his foul personality, she took a deep breath, "I told you; I didn't get to use it." Her skin crawled with anger at the memory of Christmas Day, she was so close to perfectly executing her plan. If only that stupid fire didn't break out. Then James would have drunk the Love Potion she took such pains to slip into his drink whilst she was impersonating Lily Evans.

"You had more than enough fun with the Polyjuice potion though." He raised a dark brow, "You know you may have looked like Lily for an hour, but you couldn't manifest her class if you were given all the hours of your life."

"Merlin! I'm the pathetic one? Lily this, Lily that." She smiled, "I'd watch what you say next, or I'll tell your pretty little princess just who concocted that Gender Changing Potion that had Judalia Devon frothing at the seams."

Snape stepped forward, stern faced with a threatening gleam in his colourless orbs, "You wouldn't. You'd be practically confessing that it was you that attacked her in the first place."

"Merlin's beard with the 'attacked'!" Azura had been significantly annoyed that her prank on the sixth year Gryffindor was unsuccessful, and even more annoyed that the stupid girl had an allergic reaction to the potion. It was all so inconvenient, all she wanted to do was have a bit of fun…

And even after she went through all the trouble of convincing MacDonald to leave the annoyingly well protected room un-charmed for a bit.

Of course, when she said convince, she meant blackmail.

If the prank actually worked, she was sure James would have been impressed with it, after all, he told Alice Burke that what he really wanted in a girl was a good sense of humour, and if that was what it takes then she would be the funniest of them all. "It was just a prank."

"Prank that nearly cost the girl her life. What part of ingest do you not understand!"

"What part of illegal potion syndicate do you not understand?" Severus' face turned severe, she knew she had him, half the potions he brewed and sold were illegal, and if the school found out he'll be expelled and if his precious Lily found out…

"What do you want, Carmichael?"

She smirked, drinking in the satisfying feeling of having a boy by the short and curlies, "Another dose."

"I'm not selling you Polyjuice, especially if you're going to parade around as Lily."

"Not Polyjuice." She glanced at the top corner of the roof, trying to look anywhere but at his face, "Amortentia."

He scoffed, "I thought you didn't need love potion to bag Potter?"

"I don't need it!" She snapped; she already had him… this was just… precautionary measures. "Just a little bit… I'll pay upfront."

Snape shook his head in the negative.

"Fine, I'll pay price and a half." She growled; she knew that he was going to be difficult.

"No." Snape said, "I'm done with all of that. Sold my last lot of Felix Felicis last week, I'm not brewing anymore. I'm not selling anymore."

She narrowed her eyes, "It's just one more potion!"

"It's always just one more!" He snapped, he regained his calm and took a deep breath, "Look, you got Potter by your own means, and he's not very bright, it's not hard to-"

"Look." She took a step forward, but he barely flinched, "Maybe it sounded like a request earlier on, but it isn't. If you don't brew some more for me, I will walk straight up to my dorms and let Lily Evans know just what kind of greedy, galleon hungry, illicit-"

"Don't." He snarled, "Threaten me."

"Then don't be an idiot." She snarled right back, "I for one think that you should be bending over backwards to help me considering it gets James out of the way. Don't tell me you don't see the way he looks at her. And the way she looks at him." She scoffed, "Of course you do, your eyes are always on her, and her eyes are always on him. And you call me pathetic."

All was silent. Azura opened her mouth to continue her coercion but then stopped when he gestured for her to keep quiet. He nodded towards the door, and she listened, people were walking passed. Odd, this part of the dungeons was not a popular route, especially at this time of night.

When she heard the footsteps recede, she shoved Snape out of the way and poked her head through the door, catching the familiar profile of Sirius Black making his way down the corridor with…

"Devon." She growled as Snape pulled her back in.

"Are you mental! Do you want us to get caught!"

"What is it with that silent bitch!" Azura fumed, "She's not even pretty."

"Well, she's not you either, so she has that going for her."

She straightened her back, shaking her mind of the annoyance that was Judalia Devon, "I expect it next week."

Snape's face was blank, "Most I can do is two months. I've got rid of all my ingredients, I need to replenish stock, if all goes well six weeks at the earliest."

"Six weeks!" She snapped.

"If all goes well."

Azura growled, "Fine. Just get to it!" She pushed him out of the way, and he grabbed her by the elbow just before she could leave.

"Complete discretion." He reminded her.

"Six weeks." She reiterated and left, walking with speed out of the disgusting dungeons.

Godric, she hated this place. Him. All of it.

She brushed her hand through her red locks, she needed to charm it again. Cassie always warned her about charming it too often, it damages the hair, but she knew James preferred red.

She folded her arms as she made her way up to the Seventh Floor, she thought back to the first time she saw James Potter. It was his Third year, her Fourth, and she was absently gazing through the Hogwarts Express window when they walked onto Platform nine and three quarters.

The Potters.

The whole platform seemed to change; they didn't even notice but everyone magnetically attuned towards them.

Regal Mrs. Potter with her kind face, and Mr. Potter, the powerful auror.

If the Wizarding World had royalty, it would be them. Not the Malfoys, or the Blacks, or the Lestranges, they were just the social ladder climbing courtiers.

The Potters were King and Queen.

And James a prince.

Soft footsteps stopped her reverie, and she turned around. She had reached the Seventh Floor corridor and James was walking up the steps behind her.

Did he see where she was coming from?

He glanced up, evidently just as lost in his thoughts as she was, surprise and then disappointment settled onto his face as he looked at her and Azura shrugged it away, "How was your fly, sweetheart?"

He didn't respond, pushing past her and continuing up the stairs, she cleared her throat, "I asked-"

"I heard you." He stated monotonously, "But as you can see," He gestured at the surrounding area, "Nobody around to perform for."

"Oh Jamie." She pouted, meeting him on the same step, she smoothed out a crease from his t-shirt. He smelled like soap, he must have just showered, she bit her lip, "It doesn't have to be just a performance. " She stepped forward and whispered, "It could be so much more pleasurable if you wanted it to be."

"Pleasurable." He stated the word as if he was testing its taste on his tongue. "What's pleasurable about being blackmailed into a relationship?"

"Blackmail. Darling, I'm not blackmailing you. You don't have to be with me if you don't want to. You can go, be a free agent." She pushed her body against his and he remained stoic.

"So, if I had to cease this farce that we have going on, you won't mention that you saw Jude and I in the changing rooms before the game against Ravenclaw."

"No. Of course not. Though… I was with Garrick Mulciber that morning. You must have seen him leaving the Slytherin changing room, now he thinks he saw Judalia Devon lurking about our changing room, but I told him that he must have mistook her for somebody else. Now if Garrick starts asking questions-"

"Why would he start asking questions?"

She shrugged, "He's curious by nature. He… might bring it up. And I would loathe lying to a friend."

"And he's your friend." He murmured.

"Let's just say he doesn't fall under those of whom I lie to very easily." None of those damn Snakes do.

Azura rolled her eyes, she wasn't a fan of Garrick, but they had hung out a few times. He was the one that had put her in contact with Snape, considering his potions business was so on the down low very few non-Slytherins knew about it. Their friendship soon took a more fun turn when they hooked up a few weeks back. He was terribly handsome, but she wouldn't dare jeopardise what she had with James to shag Garrick again.

Then again, she doubted he wanted to shag her anymore. She was pretty sure his attraction towards her was solely because with her then charmed dark hair and height, and fake tan, she looked suspiciously like Aiza Shafiq.

Godric, boys were all so pathetic. Which was a good thing in her book, all the easier to manipulate.

Azura closed the door to the rowdy party which was in full swing a few floors below and glanced about the very boy-ish room.

It was a testament to their distinct characters that she knew just which bed belonged to whom and she easily sat upon the four-poster that she knew belonged to him.

The sound of the running shower blocked out most of the noise of the party and she glanced at the frame on his bedside drawer, staring at the old couple who smiled and waved back, entranced by the happiness of it all.

"What the-" James stopped himself before he could finish the expletive, securing the towel on his hips as he stepped out of the bathroom, his dark hair glistening wet, just like his naked chest and Azura practically groaned in annoyance.

How did a guy so exceptionally hot have to reach so very low just to get some?

"Carmichael-"

"I saw you this morning." She wasn't here to waste either of their time. She stood as he narrowed his hazel eyes at her.

"Well, I just won a match in front of the whole school, so I'm guessing quite a few people saw me." He droned, sarcastically.

She ignored it, walking towards him and staring at the strip of hair that disappeared at the top of the towel.

"The changing rooms." She tossed her hair over her shoulder, "With Judalia Devon."

Azura had been to see Garrick this morning, and just her luck she spotted Devon sneaking out of the Gryffindor Changing Rooms. Reaching the Great Hall, she overheard Lupin telling Pettigrew that James was at the Changing Rooms already, that he snuck out early, he thought his friend was nervous and they should take him breakfast…

James.

It was quite simple to put two and two together. Why she and he were sneaking around, it could only be one thing.

He nodded in understanding, "You were with Mulciber in the Slytherin Changing Rooms."

He sounded mildly relieved for some reason. She shrugged it off, "Perhaps. So, are you and Devon dating?"

He leaned against the wall behind him, his long thin muscles bulging slightly and Azura swallowed thickly, "What business is it to you?"

"None, of course." She stated, "Though you'd find more than enough people in this school quite… curious about your choice in…partner."

Judalia fucking Devon.

Seriously?

She wouldn't have believed it if she hadn't seen it with her own two eyes.

She hid a smile as she watched his jaw clench slightly, she was right. She knew she was right. James didn't want the school to know about Devon. Of course not, what an embarrassment that would be!

Azura wondered why he sought the girl's company at all! If he needed physical companionship, he need only look at her with those steamy orbs and she'd just about do anything for him.

"What do you want, Carmichael?" He asked in a measured tone.

"For one thing, I want you to stop calling me Carmichael." She walked towards him, "That's not how you should refer to your girlfriend."

"Girlfriend?" He raised a brow.

She nodded at his bare chest, reaching forward and ran a finger down his sternum, "It would be a shame if the school found out that title belongs to Judalia Devon. They'd be talking about it for months, and it won't be pleasant words. You wouldn't want the poor girl exposed to all that negative attention, now, would you?"

He remained silent for four heart beats that Azura could feel against her palm, "If I agree to be… topretendto be your boyfriend, you won't tell anyone about Devon?"

"Not a soul." She ran her finger down to his belly button, "I loathe gossip Jamie."

He scoffed at that, "And how long does this charade have to last?"

She smirked, her finger edging closer to the towel, "It doesn't have to be a charade, Jamie."

He caught her wrist before she could reach the towel, "It will be. I don't expect, nor want, any of this." He tightened his grip on her wrist momentarily so she knew just what 'this' referred to, "You can tell your friends whatever you want, but not a word about Devon."

Azura smiled, "Devon who?"

"Oh." James stepped back at the surprised male voice and Azura bit back an annoyed huff, it was Remus Lupin. "Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt."

"You're not interrupting mate." James' voice was filled with warmth and Azura had to ignore the fact that he'd probably never greet her with that much affection. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Yeah. Excuse me." He nodded in apology as he cut across, Azura frowned as she took in the brief glance of his face up close, but the boy was too quick and was already reciting the password to the Fat Lady.

"Was he…did he look like he was crying? More importantly, do you think he heard us?"

"I have to go." James ran after his dorm mate and Azura had to take a deep calming breath.

Why were all boys so insufferable?

Hope you enjoyed that; reviews as always are greatly appreciated!

Kalina