101 Ways to ditch the Date | SIRIUS BLACK

No. 15

"The plan is... best heard whilst eating delicious sweets from Honeydukes," He said with a triumphant smile. Ora didn't look totally convinced, raising a quizzical eyebrow at him before sighing and deciding to let it go.

"Isn't everything better with food?" She said finally as they neared the shop. In his mind, he'd had a sort of vision that they would pick the sweets together but the moment they entered the threshold, Ora vanished from sort, slipping amongst the crowds of hungry students. He craned his neck to try and spot her but Ora moved so quickly and decisively that it was hard to catch a glimpse. Rather than chase a girl around the shop, he slowly moved towards a shelf of Ice Mice, pretending to be occupied with them whilst secretly trying to figure out where the hell Lawyer girl had vanished to.

By the time she returned, his fingers were numb from the Ice Mice but he wasn't going to tell her that. Despite the fact that she had small hands, she was managing to carry a surprising amount of Chocolate Frogs even though, from experience, they were the hardest ones to hold due to the fact they seemed to make it their aim to escape from you.

"Got enough Ice mice yet?" She asked as he turned around, leaning against the stall to hide his shivering hands, "You've been here for ages."

"Can you ever really have enough..." His voice trailed off as he spotted something across the room.

"... continue," She said, the corners of her mouth curving into a half smile which slowly faded as she registered the concerned look on his face, "What is it?... Sirius, what's wrong?"

She turned around, trying to figure what he was staring at, her eyes resting on a tall girl with thick blonde hair that fell around her shoulders. She quickly turned around to him and realised he was no longer there.

A wave of panic washed over her, what if this was a ruse and she, herself was being ditched? She closed her eyes as she tried to think of his methods: he ran a lot and she hadn't heard footsteps although distracting the girl whilst he ditched did seem to be a method too. Relax, Ora she thought, taking a deep breath, You have prepared for this exact scenario -

"Ora!" Somebody hissed behind her and she whipped around so fast that she almost tripped on her own foot. Hiding behind a stand of colourful jumping beans was Sirius, gesturing over to her.

"Is this some unconventional way of tasting sweets I don't know about - "

"No," He cut in, "We need to get out without her seeing."

"Who?" He pointed over to the blonde girl who turned around, almost as if she had a sixth sense that she was being watched, "Yeah I sussed that out but who is she?"

"Remember yesterday's story that your you timed me on? Emma Marsh - "

"Number Twelve..." Ora breathed, forgetting that Sirius could hear her.

"What?"

"What? I didn't say anything," She replied quickly, "Go on."

"She's the one who gave six black eyes, threatened to hit me with a Beater's Bat," He whispered.

"But that was when you were thirteen - "

"Emma holds grudges. She gave James the black eye for something he did a year earlier," Sirius hissed, "Can we just leave?"

"But I haven't bought Emmeline her chocolate frogs yet!" Ora whispered back as one hopped out of her hand. They paused as they watched it hop away before Ora continued, "I've already ditched her with strangers, if I don't bring her sweets I would officially be the world's worst best friend!"

"But Emma - "

"Doesn't know me," Ora finished, "Wait outside okay, she won't see you, just let me buy my Chocolate frogs... also we're kind of getting in the way of a bunch of first years."