NOX° SIRIUS BLACK

Chapter Two

                     "Uh oh." Peter said when he noticed Lily.

                      James, like a bloodhound, snapped his head around when he heard Lily's laugh. She stood around with Alice Fortescue, Marlene McKinnon, and Emmeline Vance. The three girls were other Gryffindors who Calypso hadn't crossed paths with much.

                      "Evans!" James called out. Calypso saw Lily let out a heavy sigh before she turned around and looked at the Potter boy who made his way towards her, a wide grin spread across his face. "I have been looking everywhere for you."

                      "Maybe you should stop." Lily said, sounding exasperated of the conversation when it had barely begun. Calypso exchanged a look with Remus and Peter, knowing that James's efforts would be futile.

                      "How about you go away, Potter?" Emmeline asked, annoyed. "Not all of us want to be graced with your presence."

                      "There's no need to lie." James said. Calypso face-palmed. James turned to Lily who rolled her eyes at him. "So, Evans, how does this sound: you, me, Three Broomsticks?"

                     "That sounds like I'd rather hang out with Severus." Lily snapped. She opened up the can she had in her hand and glitter sprang forward, getting all over James's face and clothes. Lily and her friends walked away while James stood there, blinking.

                     "Perhaps you should think about a different approach." Remus suggested. Calypso wiped the glitter off of James's face.

                    "Don't worry. This is all part of the plan." James said. Calypso sighed.

                    "No girl is going to want to go out with someone who harasses their best friend." Calypso said, offering a piece of her sage advice that she knew James wouldn't take.

                  "Snivelly?" James repeated, sounding incredulous. "But he deserves it! He's been at my throat since day one and look how he treats everyone else besides her. He's no better than those Slytherins he hangs out with. Now, come on, didn't you say you wanted to stop by Gladrags?"

                   Calypso smiled brightly at that.

                  They ventured to Honeyduke's after Gladrags as a reward. Calypso got an assortment for Sirius's birthday present and stocked up on pasties while she could, fantasizing about when she could eat them without the taste of the mandrake leaf in her mouth. James and Peter swapped candy while Remus stuck his hand into an entire bag of milk chocolate chips.

                  "Want one?" He asked Calypso when all of them made their way towards the Three Broomsticks.

                  "Thanks, Rem." Calypso said, popping one into her mouth. She resisted the urge to gag. Everything tasted terrible with a mandrake leaf.

                  They entered the Three Broomsticks. The pub and inn had a rather cozy atmosphere. The patrons had drinks ranging from butterbeer to firewhisky to red currant rum. Half of the school seemed to be gathered with their friends, chatting animatedly with each other and happy to be away from the castle for the time being. Calypso spotted Sirius at one of the booths in the back looking rather miserable. She nearly smiled.

                 "I take it your date didn't go so well?" Calypso mused, sliding into the spot beside him. He glanced at her.

                "She was upset because I didn't kiss her at the end of it." Sirius said as Remus went to order them butterbeer.

                 "Why didn't you kiss her?" James asked. Sirius shrugged.

                  "I didn't want my first kiss to be with her." Sirius said. Calypso turned around, raising an eyebrow.

                   "You haven't had your first kiss?" 

                   "Have you had yours?" Sirius asked, eyes wide. James and Peter looked at Calypso curiously. 

                   "Yes," Calypso shrugged. Their jaws dropped in surprise and Remus came back carrying all of their bottles. "It's no big deal."

                  "You've had your first kiss?" Sirius repeated. There was a funny little look on his face that made Calypso frown.

                  "Who was it with?" James asked.

                  "Er —" Calypso swallowed a large mouthful of butterbeer and nearly gagged once more. She looked behind Remus and saw Barnabas Greengrass with his arm strung over the back of a girl's chair. Barnabas Greengrass was considered the cutest boy in school. Everyone swooned over his looks and his charming personality. The boys followed her gaze. "It was a moment of weakness."

                   "You had your first kiss with Barnabas Greengrass?" Remus asked incredulously.

                   "Like I said, a moment of weakness." Moments, more like, but Calypso decided to keep that to herself. "It was over the summer and he was there. It wasn't a bad first kiss all around."

                    James noticed that Sirius had gotten awful quiet. He turned to his best friend and saw that a thoughtful look had crossed his face as Calypso shifted the conversation away from her first kiss with Barnabas Greengrass.

                    "Something on your mind?" James asked. Sirius lifted his head up and shook it.

                    "Nope, nothing. Nothing at all."