A Circle of Flame- Sirius Black x OC

Chapter 43

"Well do let me know if I need to step aside." Liza rolled her eyes as she saw James flounce down the stairs. His hair had been gelled back so tightly that it nearly stuck to his skull. "I'll let you have your moment," she shot Sirius a smug smirk. "Maybe I'll go for Remmy instead."

Her partner snorted, guiding her to meet the rest of the Marauders. "You're not the right Prewett, I'm afraid."

Before Liza could inquire further, James had already bounced up to meet them.

"Sirius, gorgeous as always," he shot his mate a highly exaggerated wink. "Prewett, you look alright."

He narrowly dodged Sirus's smack to the back of his skull, flinging his arms upward in protest.

"Well, I can't exactly say she's stunning, mate! I'm not trying to come on to your girl."

"We both know that would never happen." Liza rolled her eyes, pushing a small curl away from her gaze. Molly's updo was a bit old-fashioned, but the styling process had distracted her sister from her ever-enlarging belly. "I'm not your type, Potter."

James scanned her up and down begrudgingly. "A bit too serpentine for my taste. Tried to warn Pads, but he's never been the brightest when it comes to girls."

"Prongs, do shut up and go wash your hair."

From behind Sirius, Remus reached over to muss James's locks. His suit was patched with wear and the dark circles beneath his eyes were deeper than ever. Yet, the light in his gaze burned brighter than usual. For the first time, the air of hope trailed around Remus Lupin.

James scowled at his touch, uselessly attempting to rake his mane back into place. "Mum insisted. Think I look worse than Lestrange."

Privately agreeing with his comparison, Liza stepped aside as the bespectacled Marauder disappeared into the nearest bathroom. The Manor resembled a labyrinth, and she made a mental note not to go wandering without Sirius. She was sure to get lost and would rather not experience any pranks Potter might have in store.

"Shall we dance?"

Liza turned to see Sirius drop into an elegant bow, his curls tamed behind his neck so that they fell in an even wave.

"I would be honored, good sir." She pasted on her best imitation of a Pureblood smile.

Sirius laughed, pulling her onto the dance floor. "You're far too innocent, Liz. It's a good thing," he continued after noting her glare. "You haven't let darkness seep into your soul like the rest of the lot."

Counting her steps carefully so that they evenly matched, Liza let Sirius guide their rhythm. Surprisingly, he made an even better ballroom dancer than Regulus. "It seems the dance lessons did you good, I suppose."

A shadow flittered over Sirius's jubilant expression. "It was my only escape. Mother would take us to London for every lesson as the instructor refused her bribes to travel. I took every second I could to get away. Even faked my steps so I would be given additional practice."

Liza bit the inside of her lip before stepping closer. Wrapping her hands around his neck, she let Sirius pull her into a twirl and tightened their embrace. "Reg said that you barely saw each other most days." Without pressing too deeply, she was hoping that Sirius would unveil a bit more of his childhood. Despite their closer relationship, he had remained tight-lipped about the past.

"That's how they socialize young Purebloods." Sirius grimaced as he let her fly out into a twirl. "Isolate you from everyone so you never develop emotional attachments. Makes it easier to kill if you never have humanity in the first place."