BETTY, sirius black

the worthwhile fight

029. CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
the worthwhile fight

          "WHAT on Earth are you doing?" Sirius asked, Saiorse's latest copy of Little Women resting underneath his right hand that laid on his chest. She had his left arm trapped beneath her stomach, her quick fingers working deftly between his inky strands. "My arm is falling asleep, treasure."

"It'll have to rest a little longer." She grinned, trying to ignore the flustered blanche that rose to her cheeks at his casual use of the nickname. She didn't take her focus off of the flowers, or the plaits she was crafting in his hair. "I'm making you a built in flower crown, if you have to know so direly."

He gasped happily, a slight note of sarcastic teasing seeping between his words. "Oh, now I know I will be the prettiest girl at the ball." He gushed, a bright smile playing on his lips. "Do you think Saiorse will finally notice me from across from the dance floor?"

"She despises you, actually. Told me herself." She smirked, making a small laugh emit from the Gryffindor boy's throat.

"Is that so?" He asked, a sly grin on his face, his eyebrow quirked. "Well, I'll just have to change her mind about me, won't I?"

"No, she really was very firm in her opinion. She said your face was like a, oh, how did she put it?" Saiorse sarcastically questioned herself. "A shriveled prune? Yes, yes, I believe that's what she said."

"Did she now?" Sirius asked mock-incredulously. "Well, my opinion on her face, I believe quite the contrary."

"Mm, really?" She hummed, running her thumb over the aristocratic curve of his lip.

          "Oh, yes." He answered, slowly lifting himself from his resting place on his elbows to the palm of his hand. "In fact, I rather like her."

"She would've never guessed."

           "Is the endless snogging not clue enough?"

           "Suppose not." She sighed, her hand traveling from his chin to the hook of his jaw. "I think she needs a reminder."

"I think I second that." He grinned, a flush rising to his cheeks as he felt Saiorse's rosy lips brush against his. He was quickly ripped away from her by his own body when he heard the infamous clearing of the throat by a certain professor.

          Professor Minerva McGonagall stood over the duo, her sparsely wrinkled face curled into a slight, disapproving grimace. Her emerald robes slightly shifted in the breeze, the uncomfort apparent in the way her hands were tensely clasped in the other. Sirius grinned brightly, his eyes glinting in mischievous joy.

"Minnie. To what do I owe the astonishing pleasure?" He smiled.

"I'm not here to goad into your one-liners, Mr. Black." She quipped, the posh Scottish accent draping over her words. "Before I interrupted your...bonding activity, I was going to inform you that the Headmaster is to have you join him in the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom this evening after dinner," Sirius furrowed his brow as he snuck a quick glance at Saiorse who was picking at her nails, her eyebrows slightly raising at the request of the Professor. "Bring your wands."

          With a swift nod, McGonagall turned on her heel, her evergreen cloak flowing behind her as she began her trek back to the large castle in the distance.

          "Our wands?" Sirius asked to himself, his eyebrows furrowing even deeper.

          "The headmaster..." Saiorse trailed off, her mind filtering through the possibilities.