[1] JAMES POTTER VICTIM SUPPORT CLUB ━ Sirius Black

05. Handsome

Victor turns and meets the gaze with a confused expression, "Are you asking me if I've ever had a crush on your girlfriend? The answer is no, but that's a bloody weird question to ask, Black. Maeve and I have always been best friends, nothing more. You've got nothing to worry about with me."

"I wasn't worried," he defends, but the nervous fluctuation in his voice tells Victor otherwise. If only he knew. He was so close to figuring him out, he was just a person off.

"Could've fooled me," Victor scoffed, "You'll never have to worry about me gunning for Maeve. I don't reckon I'll ever start dating. Even after Hogwarts."

"Why's that?" Because it's illegal. Because he'll never be free.

Instead, Victor shrugs, "Why do you even care? You come around here all pissed because I snitched on you and now you're quizzin' me about my dating life. Quite odd, wouldn't you say? What are you, interested or something? Didn't strike you as a queer, but eh, I guess people are surprising."

Sirius just laughs and shoves him to the side, tossing aside his cigarette and stealing the one from Victor's fingers, pressing it to his lips like it's the most normal thing in the world. Victor just shakes his head and pulls out a fresh one.

"Don't say that like it's a bad thing," Sirius speaks through mild chuckles, smoke leaving his lips as he speaks. "It's not, a lot of people think it is, but I... I don't."

"I don't either," Victor says, but it comes out as more of a whisper than he intended, "I think it's terrifying. And brave."

"Me too," Sirius nods and the subject ends there. "So, you've really never had a crush on Maeve?"

Victor frowned, "Merlin, no! How many times do I 'ave to tell you? No girlfriends, no crushes on your girlfriend, my love life is clean as a whistle, so I don't know what dirt you think you're gonna find! Keep asking, I'm gonna start thinking you're in love with me or something!"

The silence that passes after this comment is heavier than it should be and for a moment Victor wonders if he fucked up. Maybe that was the wrong thing to say to your best friends boyfriend, but them having secret smoke breaks underneath Maeve's nose is probably bad enough already.

The moment breaks when Sirius clears his throat and lets out a choked laugh, "You're funny, Victor, really. I'm sure you don't get that often, so appreciate it."

"Arsehole," Victor mumbles, shoving the boy to the side while both of them laugh. "For the record, I'm hilarious once you get to know me. Ask Marlene, she loves me."

"She's in love with you, don't be obtuse," Sirius shakes his head, "No, like, you should go for it. Hate to see a handsome fellow like you waste it."

"Handsome?" Victor exclaims jokingly, ignoring how the word coming from Sirius's mouth makes him feel, "Bloody hell, Sirius, you are in love with me, I knew it! Sheesh, I really should have seen this coming, I am irresistible, after all."

Sirius just shakes his head, "This is why I never talk to you! You're just the worst! Can't say anything around you, I reckon!"

"You're the one who just called me handsome," he continued to tease, having far too much fun with this even though his heart was beating out of his chest. "I'm starting to think Marlene is just a cover-up."

"I hate your guts," Sirius shook his head, but judging by the look in his eyes, they both knew that wasn't true. "Anyway, Moony had an idea, meet me in the library an hour before curfew tonight with Maeve."