101 Ways to ditch the Date | SIRIUS BLACK

No. 7

"I can't believe I've got it," Sirius said, lying back on his head and holding the contract up in disbelief, "I have the contract."

"Half of the contract," Remus corrected, "You somehow managed to get the half without the truth clause, that was literally the one thing we needed."

James smirked slightly, adding, "And you missed page twelve... the only bit I was really invested in. Don't tell Lily I said that." He said quickly at the end, his smile disappearing as he pictured the redhead's reaction.

"I won't but she's going to find out your perverted ways soon enough," Sirius said, pushing himself off the bed and walking slowly to the doorway "Why not sooner rather than later?"

"I'm not a pervert, it's just normal. I mean it must have been great to get you to sign, right?" James said, scowling at Sirius who ruffled his hair as he passed.

"That it is," Sirius said with a smile, "You know I almost want to thank Ora for all of this. Stealing the contract and getting revenge, well it's made me feel the happiest I've felt in a while."

"Glad you're in a good mood," Remus said, "At least it did something, I told you before I can't do anything with it other than try and get you out of paying for the date... and even that's a push, I'm not practiced in law or anything."

"Where are you off to?" Peter asked and Sirius chose to answer him rather than Remus's (admittedly realistic) negativity.

"I'm meeting Mary - "

"Mary?" James scoffed, "Didn't think you were interested in dating anyone else given how the last one went."

"You'll never let me live that down."

"Considering I got hexed because of it and it's basically taken up the entire last week of our lives, no," James said, with a crooked grin. Sirius gave his friend a fake scowl before leaning on the doorway for dramatic effect before leaving.

"Not a date, she's not my type," Sirius said nonchalantly, "She arranged a meeting with her dubious Ravenclaw source. You know the one who lied about the dorm so I almost got attacked by a tiny girl with bunches."

"I wish you had, that would have been hilarious, Padfoot," James said with a grin, sticking his legs in the air as he attempted to touch the top of the four poster bed with his feet. Sirius gave him a withering look which James returned with a grin.

"Well anyway, I have places to be, see you all later," He said which was answered by a chorus of goodbyes. Satisfied with the genuine look of sadness on James's face at his departure, Sirius turned and left, running down the stairs two at a time. Mary was already waiting in the common room when he got down there, tapping her foot anxiously on the floor. He gave her a small wave and a smile which she didn't return, "Mary, everything okay?"

"You're late."

"Only by a few minutes," His pace slowed slightly which seemed to further annoy her, "C'mon, it's not that bad..."

"Not for me, it's not but my friend... well, she's very picky with timings. Took me ages to even schedule a meeting with her, she seems to be always be working, in the Ravenclaw dorms or both. She said she had like fifteen minutes free and if you're late, she'll be pissed and might stop helping us too."

They began to walk quickly out of the corridor. "Only thing is that she hasn't been helping has she? She's been lying. This is an interrogation - "

"A subtle interrogation," Mary said quickly.

Sirius charged ahead of her, "Sorry but subtle isn't in my style."

He meant this as a cool closing line but Mary wasn't willing to drop it, running up in front of him and blocking the corridor. She wasn't very good at standing up to people, especially cocky guys such as Sirius but she was going to have to, "You... you will make it a part of your style because I have... have a rather good thing going with her in class and I'll be damned if you'll ruin it. So it will be a subtle interrogation, got it?"