What Is and What Should Never Be | Sirius Black

17. The Giant Squid

"You are looking for a pretty girl?" I can't help but say.

"I'm glad she found me the right one." He says and pushes himself off the wall to walk towards me.

"Great way to piss off Debbie." I go and he rolls his eyes, knowing my conditional agreement with her.

"Sit on it." He tosses me the corduroy jacket and I instinctively catch it.

"Bit warm for this, no?" I ask and we start walking.

Sirius shrugs.

"Force of habit." He says and looks me over once again. "I'm surprised you're wearing a full shirt."

"Gee wiz, lay off." I climb the steps to the main floor. "Tower or grounds?"

"Grounds, the guys are waiting for us."

I frown a bit and look back at him.

"Thought we were going for a smoke." I'm confused.

"We can still smoke, but Moony wanted you outside."

"Why couldn't he come get me then?" I ask and Sirius starts leading me to the doors.

"I wanted to," he says, "besides, he's... a bit busy."

"Busy? then what-"

"Do me a solid, Des." Sirius interrupts and looks me in the eyes. "Stop asking questions."

I huff and pout at him but he just turns away. The sun makes a difference in temperature as we start towards the grass. I notice a few students lounging around and I wonder why I didn't just take my homework to do outside, but the look on Debbie's face when Sirius indirectly called me pretty is worth it. Even though she doesn't know he's joking around.

We head towards the lake and I finally tear my eyes away from the lowering sun to a couple of David's friends, who wave at me as I walk by. I copy before looking back where we're heading, to which I see James, Remus, and Peter knees deep in the water. Their pants are rolled to their ankles, but that does nothing when they keep splashing each other.

"Des, wonderful timing!" James greets my confused face. "Come in, the water's lovely!"

Sirius and I stop where the boys discarded shoes, socks, and blazers lay on the shore and he follows suit, also emptying his pockets of his lighter and cigarettes.

"It's a bit cold, no?" I ask to any one of them.

There are no rules against swimming in the lake, and often times people dangle their feet in, but that's when the weather is a lot hotter than April. Nonetheless, as no one answers my question, I too, slip off my shoes, having to place down the jacket to take off my socks.

"Ready?" Sirius asks me and I give him an apprehensive look.

"For what, exactly?" I ask but he gives no answer besides grabbing my legs and throwing me over his shoulder.

"Sirius Black!" I screech at him, remembering that I'm wearing my school skirt.

I'm just about to yell at him again when he throws me with impressive strength into the water. I think I manage a stream of curses that the boys would never understand, before I'm submerged. It's a bit deeper where I land, and the shock of the cold paralyzes me for a second before I frantically stand up, wipe my eyes and grab my skirt in bunches, holding it flush against my legs to cover up.

The four boys are grinning in various levels of cheek as I stalk closer to them, not happy.

"Alright," I huff, the heat in my cheeks being the only feeling in my body. "Who saw my panties?"