⚯͛ Sweet Caroline - Sirius Black ⚯͛

-24-

"Why does she keep falling for Gryffindors...Gryffindor men are-" Tyler stopped himself when he received a look from Archie, "not all Gryffindor men but...you know what I mean."

"Yeah yeah, go back to sleep."

"Here," Caroline passed the parchment to Sirius, "I'm going away for a bit near Christmas to see family, but for the most part, this is my address."

He scanned the writing briefly, before nodding and looking up at her, "thank you...I'll write you, then."

She nodded, "and I'll write back, if I feel like it."

He laughed loudly, "if you feel like it?"

She giggled, "I'm kidding, I will write back."

"Good."

She smiled, looking up at him, before hesitating, "um...you have something in your hair..."

His hand flew up to his dark curls, "I do? Where?"

"I think it's a leaf...it's just..." she tried to point at it, before sighing and rising onto her toes, reaching up herself, "just let me do it."

She reached her fingers up and pulled away a leaf, chuckling softly and pocketing it. But he hadn't noticed where she had put it, because he couldn't stop looking at her face...those brown eyes.

"How on Earth did you..." her breath caught in her throat as she met his eye, but she carried on quieter, "how did you get a leaf in your hair...the leaves are...it's winter..."

"James is growing a tree in the dorm."

"He's..." the mood had broken and she cocked her head to the side in confusion, before laughing loudly, "a tree?!"

"Yes," he looked at his feet, shaking his head and laughing, "he's barmy...but he's actually got quite a good green thumb."

She laughed, but got pushed out of the way by two noisy second year Gryffindors. She and Sirius stood back against the wall to let them pass. Once they had gone they turned back to face each other.

"Well," she brushed her hair over her shoulder and smiled awkwardly, "um..."

"Happy Christmas, Caroline."

She looked up and smiled, "Happy Christmas."

And with one more lingering look, she turned and left. As soon as she was out of earshot he released a breath he didn't even realise he had been holding.

Happy Christmas indeed.

· 。ﾟ☆: *.☽

"Hey, mate," Sirius began, "can I ask something?"

"Go for it," James grunted as he hauled his heavy bag up the last step.

"So," Sirius cleared his throat, following James into his bedroom, "you know the Christmas party?

"Which one?"

"The Potter one, on Christmas Eve."

"Oh right, what about it?" James asked, throwing his bag on the floor and collapsing on his bed.

"Can I invite Caroline?"

James sat up and looked at him curiously, "Rutherford?"

"Yeah."

"Caroline Rutherford??"

"Yeah..."

"Do you...fancy h-"

"No no no, I don't, we're just mates...and I thought, you know, she's had a hard couple of months and..."

"And you fancy her."

"I don't fa-"

"You fancy her," James sang with a smug grin, getting up from his bed and going over to his window to open it.

"I don't fancy her!"

James pushed open his window, "you fancy her."

"Prongs, I swear-"

"You fan-"

"Stop saying I fancy her!" Sirius exclaimed, "just-can I invite her or not."

"Sure," James snorted, "no guarantee I won't take the piss out of you the whole night though."

"Please don't."

"Boys! Come help with dinner!"

"Coming, Mum!" James called, still grinning mischievously at Sirius, "come on mate, you can write your love letter to Caroline after dinner."

"Invite, not love letter."

"Love letter."

"Invite."

"Love letter."

"James I swear to Merlin..."

･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. .**.☽ .*