⚯͛ Sweet Caroline - Sirius Black ⚯͛

-26-

･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. .**.☽ .*

"So did you two do your whole 'New Years baking' thing again?" Jane asked the pair.

"Yes," Caroline nodded, exchanging a look with Tyler, "a big success, as always."

"The neighbours love us," Tyler said nonchalantly, leaning against the window of the train compartment.

"What did you bake this year?" Archie asked.

"Chocolate and vanilla cupcakes with icing and rainbow sprinkles," Caroline said, smiling happily as she tucked her legs underneath her.

"And you didn't save any for us?"Jane spluttered.

"If you'd had come round for New Years like we suggested you would have got them!" Tyler said, grinning.

Archie snorted, "I wish I had come, would have been a lot better than the New Years at my house."

"Why, what happened?"

"Nah," he shook his head, the smile on his face fading as he looked at his lap, "it was nothing."

"What happened, Arch?" Jane asked, momentarily reaching forward and placing a hand on his knee.

"My Dad turned up to the New Years Eve party that me and Mum threw for all the neighbours," he said, fiddling with his sleeve, "completely wasted, of course."

"Oh God," Caroline murmured.

"It was a mess."

"I'm sorry, that sounds awful," Tyler said, putting his hand over Archie's.

"Yeah..." he sniffed before looking up at them all, "but it's okay, not like it hasn't happened before."

"We're here for you," Caroline said, gently kicking his show, "yeah?"

"Yeah," Jane said, whilst Tyler nodded, his hand still over Archie's.

"Thanks, guys," he said, turning his hand over so his palm was up against Tyler's, before interlocking their fingers.

Tyler's cheeks went pink so he looked the other way, but Archie didn't seem to notice.

When they filed into the Great Hall for the start of term feast, Caroline noticed herself scanning the Gryffindor table for the person she had been sending letters to all holiday.

She had enjoyed his letters more than she let on. When she sent a letter, his reply would always come within the next 24 hours, and the excitement she felt when she saw his little black owl flying towards her window was an unmatchable feeling. Before she got to know him, she had never perceived him as overly intellectual and could never have thought he would be as interesting to talk to as he was, but now that she had talked to him she could see the true Sirius. The true Sirius had substance.

Finally she caught his eye.

It seemed he wasn't expecting it because he was so taken back by seeing her and making eye contact that he missed his mouth when trying to drink his water. She stifled a laugh when he spilled the water all down his tie and onto his lap. His cheeks twinged pink but he smiled at her through the embarrassment anyway. Idiot. There was no fighting the smile that was growing on her face just looking at him.