build me up buttercup [s.black]

[30] Plans

Sirius shrugged.

"Prongs, you really think that after six years of teaching us, the staff haven't realised the truth in the saying 'the calm before the storm'? Come on." Remus gave James a derivative look over his mug of tea.

"Well I hope they haven't realised we're planning something, that'll ruin it. Oh by the way, Wormtail," he pointed his spoon at Peter who paused with his fork halfway between his plate and his mouth. "Did you get the stuff?"

"Most of it." The small boy squeaked. "But the Runespoor eggs were too high up for me to reach."

"The match is in two days! We need the eggs!" Sirius cried, spraying his mouthful of food everywhere.

"It's fine." James said, wiping a chunk of lamb off his face. "We can go and get them from Sluggy's stores tonight."

"Ugh fine." Sirius sat back moodily in his chair and gave Peter the side eye. "But just us two."

He looked pointedly at Peter as he said this and the boy pushed food around his plate with a dejected expression on his face.

"Yeah fine."

Sirius, however, was no longer concentrating on the matter at hand; he had spotted Aisling getting up and making to leave the hall. Deciding to take Dumbledore's advice, he stood up too.

"Listen, I've got to go so I'll see you later yeah?" He said, slinging his bag hurriedly over his shoulder.

He was almost halfway down the table when he heard James yell out after him.

"Don't think I don't know you've got a free period now, you tosser!"

"What's up, Buttercup?" He greeted the girl, skidding to a halt directly in front of her.

"What's cooking, good looking?" She replied, wiggling her eyebrows. She turned to Alice and Lily. "I'll catch you up."

"So I was thinking," Sirius said, leaning casually against a pillar. "If we went to Hogsmeade together next week, that would be fun wouldn't it?"

"Hmmm..." She mused. "That depends."

"Depends on what?" Sirius asked, the corners of his mouth turning upwards.

"Whether I'm busy next week. My social calendar is just insane you know." She grinned at him. "You might have to persuade me."

"Well, if we were both in Hogsmeade; and we just happened to meet each other while we were there, and go for a drink in The Three Broomsticks together, then technically we would have gone to Hogsmeade together wouldn't we?" Sirius smirked at her, looking incredibly pleased with himself.

"Yeah, I guess..." She said, raising an eyebrow at him. "or you could just ask me out like a normal person, you goon."

"Goon...?"

"It means you're dim." She said, patting him on the arm in a very patronising manner.

"See I would be mad, but with an accent that adorable you can literally get away with saying anything." He said, taking her hand and intertwining his fingers with hers.

She giggled, inwardly wishing that she could stop acting like a twelve-year-old. "So, Hogsmeade next week then?" She asked.

"Yeah, sounds good."

"Awesome." She tilted her chin up slightly and kissed him on the cheek. "See you later, Alligator."

And just like that she was off down the corridor after Alice and Lily; the only proof that she had been there to begin with was the tingling patch of skin on Sirius's cheek where she'd kissed him.