Fool's Gold // Sirius Black

Chapter Three: Black, Sirius Black

"In my father's trophy room? Have you a death wish?"

"Your father's trophy room?" repeated the boy with glasses. "You're a Pyrite?"

"Juliette Pyrite," said Juliette. "And you are?"

"James Potter."

Potter. Juliette recalled that name from dinner conversations. They were a pure-blood family, but with great respect for Muggles, which tarnished their image according to Cassius. However, the family recently came into a large sum of money by inventing a successful hair potion, and gold had a way of swaying Cassius' opinions.

Juliette turned to the unnamed boy and cordially held out her hand for an introduction. The next three words to leave his mouth made her roll her eyes.

"Black, Sirius Black."

Now that he had a name, Juliette could easily see the family resemblance. Sirius looked to be a slightly older version of the young Regulus. They all shared the same regal features, hair, and intriguing eyes. 

"So you're the son," Juliette pointed out, remembering Walburga's brief mention.

"And you're the daughter my parents have been fantasizing about setting up with my practically infant brother."

Sirius kept eyeing Juliette with a smirk. Juliette kept looking away and blushing. Neither wanted to admit it, but they were undoubtedly interested in the other.

For Sirius, it was the fact that this girl should be off limits. According to Walburga and Orion, Juliette was to one day date and marry Regulus. Nearly fifty lectures and warnings were given to Sirius prior to the engagement party. If he managed to mess up this meeting for Regulus, the punishments would be severe. As Sirius looked this girl up and down, memorizing the way she wore that black dress and the way her wavy blonde hair started to fall into her kind face, he was truly stunned. Later, when Sirius was alone with James, he would admit that 'they don't make girls like that at Hogwarts.' It only took Sirius one look to decide Juliette Pyrite was out of his brother's league.

For Juliette, it was his attitude, and her father's expectations. Juliette was an expert on reading people. She could tell by Sirius' mischievous smile and his undone tie that this boy was a rebel. While her male classmates at Beauxbatons were prim and proper, this boy was rough around the edges. Unlike all of the other pure-bloods Juliette knew, Sirius Black was clearly labeled the black sheep of the family. His hair, his attitude, his sarcasm, and the fact that he wasn't the hand-picked Regulus Black would bother Cassius to no end. If Juliette befriended this boy, it would drive her father mad. It didn't hurt that Juliette thought him to be rather handsome as well.

James Potter seemed oblivious to the cogs spinning in Sirius and Juliette's heads. Instead, his hazel eyes caught the prank item in Juliette's hand and gasped.

"No way, is that the Squealer?!" James exclaimed. "Zonko's told me they sold out in hours! How did you get your hands on one?"

"The Pyrite name seems to hold some weight whenever I threaten to get my father involved," Juliette admitted shyly.

James approached Juliette and stuck out his hand, begging to inspect the Squealer. Hesitantly, Juliette handed it to him, and he turned the pink pig over in his hands.

"Padfoot, can you imagine what Filch would do if we set one of these off in his office?"

The nickname for Sirius surprised Juliette. Sirius, who had still been lost in his thoughts and staring at Juliette, was shaken back to reality. James handed Sirius the Squealer, who started to toss it from hand to hand. Juliette's heart thudded anxiously each time the bomb fell into his palms, afraid it would detonate.