It is now October, and the great hall was booming with excitement at breakfast. Why? I'm not entirely sure, to be honest. I was so hungry that I came down without Marlene, Lily, and Alice since they took too long to get ready. I saw Frank Longbottom, a friend of the other three girls, sitting a few seats down from me. I decided to ask him what was going on around here.
The last few weeks at Hogwarts weren't as exciting as the first had been. It mainly consisted of me locking myself away in the library to do homework and to also escape the grasp of Sirius and his friends. Although lately, they haven't bothered me or Lily as much as they used to.
"Hey, Frank?" I asked timidly. I had only spoken to him on a few occasions, those of which I was with the other girls. He turned around and smiled at me.
"Hey Estella, how are you?" He asked politely, motioning for me to sit in the seat next to him. I smiled and did as he requested.
"I'm good, and you?"
"I am too" he nodded. "Was there something you needed?"
"Actually, yes. Do you know what's going on around here? What is everyone so excited about?" I asked in confusion.
"Well, Quidditch tryouts of course!" He exclaimed excitedly. I raised my eyebrows in interest. I completely forgot about Quidditch. "Everyone is going to watch later today so they can find out who is going to get onto the house team. Today Gryffindor is going"
"Then why are all the other houses excited too? If their house isn't even trying out today?" I asked, confused again. Even though I've been going to Hogwarts for a month already, I'm still not used to having the four houses.
"It's always important to find out who's going to be on the other team. So you know your competition" he explained and I nodded.
"Oh, I get it now. Maybe I'll go and watch later today, are you trying out?" I asked and he shook his head.
"I always loved watching Quidditch, but I was never one for playing. I do think that I'll be there though to watch, that is if I can get all of my school work done on time" he explained. Then I looked up and saw Lily, Marlene, and Alice enter the great hall. I smiled and waved them over. When Alice saw I was sitting with Frank, she immediately blushed. Lily and Marlene started nudging her playfully until they sat down across from us.
"Hi Frank, excited for the Quidditch tryouts today?" Marlene piped up. "I know Alice here is". At this Frank looked at Alice with interest.
"Really Alice? Are you planning on watching later today?" He asked, suddenly seeming more into the conversation than he was five seconds ago. Alice seemed to stutter a little bit.
"Of course she's going! No one in their right minds would miss Quidditch tryouts" Marlene spoke for her again. "Isn't that right Alice? She absolutely adores Quidditch"
"Uh... Right," Alice answered slowly and unsurely.
"I... Didn't peg you as a die-hard Quidditch fan" Frank raised his eyebrows. Alice went to open her mouth but Marlene spoke up again.
"Oh please, Quidditch is her life" she gushed and Alice glared at her.
"Well, maybe we could go together. I was thinking about heading down there later today" he suggested and Alice's face paled, but she managed a small nod. He gave a small smile. "Great. Well, if you'll all excuse me I've gotta make a quick stop at the library before class starts. I'll see you later Alice" he said as he got up from the bench and began walking away. Alice raised her hand in a small wave.
"Alice! This is incredible! You just got a date with someone you've been eyeing since second year!" Marlene exclaimed and Alice shushed her, blushing as she looked around us to make sure no one was listening.
"There's only one problem. I really don't know much about Quidditch. I like to watch it and all but when we're watching I'm afraid I'll say something completely stupid and he'll know I've been lying!" She panicked and I got her attention.
"Alice you didn't lie, Marlene did" I glared at her but she only shrugged. "And if you're really so worried about it then we'll help you. I just so happen to know a lot about Quidditch. Ask me any question you want"
"Ok... What's the position that protects the hoops?" She asked unsurely.
"Keepers. They make sure the other team doesn't score"
"Alright, and what's the name of the ball that flies around the field? Not the snitch... The bigger one."
"A bludger, which the beaters protect the other players from so they basically don't get knocked off their brooms and put out of the game"
"Alright, thanks, Estella. I can't really think of any other questions at the moment" she thanked me, but still looked unsure of herself.
"Don't worry, Frank told me he's more into watching Quidditch anyways, and as far as I can tell the tryouts aren't like a real game" I assured her.
"So, you think he won't really be interested in it? Oh no, what if he gets bored?!" She shrieked and all three of us calmed her down again.
"Alice really, it's going to be fine. Just be yourself. Marlene shouldn't have lied like that" now it was Lily's turn to glare at Marlene.
"Hey, I got her a date didn't I?" She defended herself.
"I would have been fine on my own" Alice grumbled and Marlene scoffed.
"You've been saying that for four years!" She accused. Alice's face turned bright red now, and she stopped talking while looking down at her food.
"Well anyways, Lily have you noticed that James is down the table, and he hasn't made a single effort to come and speak to you?" Marlene grinned and Lilly shrugged like it was no big deal.
"It's about time. This must be what it feels like to go on vacation" she laughed.
"And Estella, Sirius isn't bugging you either" Marlene brought up, staring at Sirius who was standing next to James. She sighed contently while looking at him and it made me want to throw up.
"That's a good thing, remember? Marlene, he's revolting" I shook my head at her but she didn't seem to be paying any attention, as she was still staring at Sirius.
"Hello, earth to Marlene" Lily snapped her fingers in front of her face. She finally brought her attention back to us, looking surprised because we knocked her out of her daydreaming.
"Sorry. What can I say? Bad habits die hard" she gave a small grin.
"You call your crush on Sirius a habit?" Lily asked, raising her eyebrows.
"Well... a bad one. C'mon Lily you're supposed to be smart. Keep up" she joked and Lily rolled her eyes.
"Excuse me, ladies I don't mean to interrupt, I'm just coming over to talk with one of my good friends" I heard a voice from beside me and I looked over to see Sirius, much to my displeasure. I guess Marlene spoke too soon. "Can I sit?" He asked me, motioning to the spot on the bench in which Frank once sat.
"I certainly hope so, just not with me" I replied and the three girls across from me laughed. Sirius rolled his eyes but sat anyways. Lily gave me a look like I was crazy because I did nothing to stop him. I didn't even ask him to leave.
"Are you going to come see me at the Quidditch tryouts later? I'll be helping James run them" he asked me, not looking at the other girls even though Marlene was basically drooling over him.
"You play? You're on the team?" I asked in interest but also surprise. I never even thought about Sirius being interested in the sport. Actually, I never thought about Sirius being interested in anything.
"Of course I play. What? I'm not the jock type?" He joked but I shook my head seriously.
"Actually no, you aren't. You're more the... bad boy maybe? Trouble maker? I pictured you thinking you were too good for Quidditch" I shrugged and he gasped, placing his hand over his heart dramatically.
"No one is too good for Quidditch," he said slowly.
"Jeez, I feel like I've wound up in a different dimension where everyone is just obsessed with Quidditch all the time" I complained, rubbing my temple because the noise in the room was giving me a headache.
"Just because you don't like Quidditch...." Sirius mumbled, turning away from me.
"And who says I don't like Quidditch?!" I exclaimed. The other girls were just watching us in amusement.
"Well, do you? Do you even know what it's like to ride a broom?" He asked, disbelieving.
"I refuse to get into an argument about this with you" I shook my head. I looked up at the girls sitting across from me and saw that Lily was glancing at James who was speaking excitedly to Remus and Peter, probably about Quidditch.
"Lily? Are you alright?" I asked carefully and that seemed to pull her out of her daze.
"What? What are we talking about?" She asked, then blushed when she saw we were all looking at her and had seen what she was up to. "Um... Yes?" She stated as a pathetic excuse for an answer to my question.
"I think this is the first time Lily has checked out James instead of James checking out Lily!" Marlene exclaimed and Lily shushed her.
"I was not checking him out! I was simply observing that he isn't bothering me anymore, and I'm glad" she pointed out, although her face was still bright red.
"Wow, I cannot wait to tell James that you actually miss him talking to you" Sirius shook his head, grinning. Lily groaned.
"I do not miss him! I was just wondering why he stopped. I mean he hasn't left me alone for one day since third year. Why now?" She asked him curiously. At the moment, Sirius seemed to be her number one inside source to the world of James potter. Although, you could never really trust which side he would play for; James or Lily.
"Well, maybe you've gotta accept that he's lost interest" Sirius gave an over-dramatic sigh as if he even cared. I shoved him and glared. Lily's face fell a little bit.
"That's not funny. Tell us the real reason" I spoke up, noticing how this took its toll on Lily.
"Fine. You people really can't take a joke can you?" He rolled his eyes. "It's mainly because of Quidditch. He's so excited so it's all he's thinking about. He's been waiting all summer to play on the team again and now that he's the captain he's boasting about how he's gonna win our house the cup"
"....the cup?" I asked slowly.
"Did they do nothing fun at your French school?" Marlene asked me incredulously.
"The Quidditch house cup. Whichever team gained the most points by the end of the year wins the cup. It's a pretty big deal for the Quidditch fans in the school. Everyone wants their team to win, and everyone has a team that they don't want to win. Most of the time it comes down to Gryffindor and Slytherin, but Ravenclaw sometimes gets a lot of points because they're so smart and have great game plans. Hufflepuffs sometimes aren't aggressive enough, but they can put up a good fight when they give it their all" Sirius explained. I nodded my head.
"Well anyway, there you have it, Lily. He's just distracted" Marlene shrugged, going back to her breakfast. Alice remained quiet and was probably still flipping out over Frank. The amount of boy issues floating around our table was unbelievable.
"He's being so cocky. He expects to win everything without even trying. Being captain means being a leader and working hard" Lily shook her head in disappointment.
"Excuse you, but I completely agree with James. Our team this year will be unbeatable" Sirius was quick to respond.
"Oh? And why is that?" She asked sarcastically like she already knew his answer.
"Because, just like last year, James and I are on it" he stated like it was obvious. I groaned at this. He was making me sick. "And now that James is the captain we'll be putting people on the team who have real talent. I still can't believe we won last year with Noah on our team" Sirius grimaced at the memory. I'm not even going to ask who Noah is. "By the way Estella" Sirius turned to me again. "You never answered my question. Are you coming to tryouts?"
"Maybe, I'll have to see" I responded, looking away from him.
"Yeah, I guess there's no point in coming if you don't even like the sport" he continued to talk just so that he could tease me and push my buttons.
"I told you before, I never said I didn't like Quidditch" I glared at him.
"Did your old school even have teams for it?" He asked curiously.
"Yes we did, but it's probably more fun here because the girls that joined the team at beauxbatons were very catty if you know what I mean" I shook my head at the memories.
"Wait, did you play?" Marlene asked me in surprise. I nodded my head.
"What position?" Sirius asked, just as surprised as Marlene.
"Seeker, but I only played for my last two years at the school. I wasn't all that serious about it but I had fun playing" I shrugged.
"Why don't you try out today then?" Alice piped up eventually, and Sirius mumbled something about not hearing her speak this entire time.
"I have no time for it. Between all of my school work and keeping an eye on Sadie, I already feel like I'm drowning in work, and I barely do anything else" I answered them sulkily. I really would enjoy playing Quidditch this year though.
"If James and I could do it then you can!" Sirius exclaimed and I gave him a look.
"You and James don't do any school work what so ever" I squinted my eyes at him. "Your assignments are always late, and half the time you copy off of Remus"
"It seems that she's caught on well everyone, and it's only the second month of school!" Lily observed, referring to me. I laughed but Sirius didn't.
"Just join, we could use a new seeker" he pleaded again but I shook my head just as everyone got up to leave for the first period.
"Sorry Black, no can do" I answered and got up to follow Lily Marlene and Alice out of the great hall. I saw Sadie and tried to wave but once she saw me she glared and hurried through the crowd to get away from me. I frowned at this, and since Sirius was walking next to me he saw it too. Sadie has been giving me the cold shoulder for a while now and I don't know why.
"Everything ok with your sister?" Sirius asked, turning to me after watching her disappear behind a group of students. I shook my head.
"I'll see you in potions" I mumbled, an idea popping into my head. I walked away from him and followed after Sadie.
***
I walked into potions right on time, and Sirius looked back at me from his seat next to James. I took my usual seat next to Peter and as usual, he tried his best to avoid eye contact with me. For some reason whenever he's around me he gets.... weird. I can't really describe it he just can't socialize properly around me.
The class passed by quickly and without disaster thankfully. All we really did was take notes, but once in a while Sirius would throw a paper at my face from across the classroom and I would shoot him a glare. At one point I got so frustrated with him that I pulled out my wand and used a non-verbal spell to give him a wedgie. After that, he got another detention from Slughorn for disrupting the class and he stopped bothering me.
After class had ended I started packing up my books. Peter and Remus joined James and Sirius by the door, and I couldn't help but overhear their conversation.
"I'll see you guys later today. We don't need to walk through the halls together all the time" Sirius told them in exasperation.
"What? Are you becoming bored of us?" Peter asked in surprise.
"Oh no, it's not that he's bored of us" James smirked. "It's a new infatuation with Est-" before he could finish Sirius put his hand over his mouth.
"Real mature mate" Sirius rolled his eyes and took his hand away. "I just wanna ask her something. We have the same class anyway, and none of you guys are in it. Just go on without me for today"
"Alright, we'll see you two love birds later" even Remus joined in on the teasing. They left Sirius behind and he came over to me. I slung my bag over my shoulder and faced him, pretending like I wasn't listening in. I scrunched up my face like I smelled something bad.
"Why are you still here?" I asked with distaste.
"Well I thought it would only be polite to walk you to our next class" he smiled nicely for once.
"You never do that"
"Well, today I want to"
"But I don't need you to"
"So? I'm offering"
"But-" I was cut off by Professor Slughorn.
"Eh, Estella may I speak to you for a moment. Mr. Black, do you mind?" He turned to Sirius and raised an eyebrow. He huffed and made his way to the door.
"I'm even on a last name basis with the teachers" I heard him mumble and I tried not to laugh.
"What can I do for you professor?" I asked curiously.
"Well dear, I wanted to put an offer up for you. Now as I'm sure you're well aware, I have a very exclusive club running here for students that excel in certain subjects" he told me and I furrowed my eyebrows together. I had never heard of such a club.
"Sorry professor, I have yet to hear of this," I told him and his face fell a little bit but he recovered.
"Oh, all is well I'm sure you'll catch on quick" he nodded with confidence. "Anyways, I ask all of my students who are particularly talented to join. I assure you it is very difficult to get into, but I have considered a spot for you. Would that be of any appeal?"
"Oh, wow um... yes that sounds incredible" I nodded my head. He smiled.
"Lovely lovely! My Slug Club throws dinner parties now and again and I'll be sure to send you an invitation when the next one is planned" he nodded his head, then said good day, and turned around to return to his desk. I raised my eyebrows at the name of the club but decided not to question it.
I met Sirius outside, who for some reason decided to wait for me. I could tell that he heard my conversation with Slughorn.
"Wow, Slug Club huh?" He asked, a grin on his face. I squinted my eyes at him because I could tell he was making fun of me. "Only the best of the best get in there" he finished sarcastically.
"That explains why you're not in it then" I shot back and he rolled his eyes.
"I'm not in it because sluggy doesn't favor bad boys"
"You mean troublemakers that never do any of their work and slack off all the time? Gee, I wonder why" I played dumb.
"It's obvious that he picked you though. That was bound to happen eventually" he shrugged as we entered the hall in which our history of magic class was.
"Oh? And why is that may I ask?"
"It's usually the people who are complete nerds that get in. You know, always pay attention and participate and get top marks on every single assignment. It's the people that Sluggy thinks will become famous one day, so then they can all keep in contact and he can pretend that he's popular and famous like them. Although I don't know what he sees in Sinvellus" he shook his head. "But for you it's incredible he didn't ask after the first day of class. You're a complete teacher's pet" He laughed but I didn't find it funny. I scowled at him and felt my cheeks heat up.
"Just because my intelligence level is far beyond yours does not mean I'm anything less than you. If anything it makes me better." I huffed and then stormed into the classroom, making my way to our seats in the far back corner. Sadly I had to sit next to Sirius for another hour of pure torture. Not only because it was History of Magic, and I read all about everything we're learning at the age of twelve, but because I'll never get a moment's peace with him here.
Usually, in History of Magic, I'll do homework for my other classes, or extra credit assignments, or I'll take out a book and read. It's almost like a study hall period for me. When I was younger I invested a lot of my time into studying the history of magic. I used to find it really interesting for some reason. Maybe just the idea of all the adventures people took and battles other wizards fought.
As I was finishing up my potions homework for that night a small crumpled up piece of paper rolled onto my parchment. I turned to Sirius and glared at him, picking up the ball and flicking it at his head. He rolled his eyes and took out another piece of paper, but I stopped paying attention to him and went back to my work as Professor Binns went on and on about who knows what.
Soon another piece of paper rolled onto my desk and I turned to Sirius, giving him an annoyed look. He pointed to the paper and made a hand gesture that meant I should open it up. I looked curiously at the paper and picked it up, unraveling it to reveal an interesting doodle that he used magic on so that it would move around the page. I looked at him and he nodded, so I put the paper flat on the table and put my finger where it told me to.
I followed all the instructions and smiled, but also tried very hard not to laugh. Once I finished with it I folded it up and tucked it away in my bag. I looked over at Sirius to see him smirking at me, so I shrugged and took out my own little piece of scrap paper.
That was cool but you're still a jerk
I folded it up and passed it over to him. He read it and his face fell. He flipped the paper over and wrote something back to me.
I'm sorry, I didn't mean for what I said to be offensive
I read his neat handwriting to myself and bit my lip. I wrote something underneath his message and slid it back over to him.
Ok fine
He smiled to himself, knowing that this was the best he was going to get out of me. He slid me back the note and I looked down at it.
So you liked my drawing then?
I smiled a little and replied.
Eh it was alright
He raised an eyebrow and wrote something back.
Think you could do any better?
Oh, I know I can
And with that I took out a new scrap paper and drew a cat rolling over, then discretely took out my wand and used a non-verbal spell to charm it. I gave it back to him and he gave it a not-so-impressed look.
I don't like cats
I read his note and my jaw dropped. How can someone not like cats?
We can never be friends
I sent that back to him and I knew it was a mistake instantly when his face lit up with hope.
So you were considering it at least?
I blushed and tried to think of a reply. I really couldn't think of anything to save myself with so I wrote 'if you keep bothering me this is how you're going to end up' and I drew a picture of a ghost.
He smiled and shook his head at me, putting the note away and finally leaving me alone to finish my work.
***
Charms and divination went by surprisingly fast. During charms, I had to ignore all the questions Marlene Lily and Alice asked me about Sirius. I guess now that they know we both like Quidditch that means we're meant to be soul mates or something. Anyways any time one of them brought up me dating Sirius I kicked them under the desk and they had to fight to keep quiet or risk getting detention. Although when they weren't teasing me I did find out that Lily is a member of the Slug Club too.
Now it's lunchtime and we were all sitting together, and the other three were discussing Alice's date with Frank today. Alice looked a little uneasy about it, only because she was so nervous. She really likes Frank.
"Estella?" Someone tapped me on the shoulder and whispered in my ear. I turned around to see Sirius crouched down behind me. The other girls didn't notice his arrival.
"What?" I asked, confused as to why he was being secretive.
"Can I talk to you for a second alone out in the hall?" He asked, looking at Marlene, Lily, Alice, and then back at me. I noticed how he wasn't joking around or anything because he didn't have a stupid smirk on his face or air of confidence around him. He seemed smaller and almost unsure.
"How do I know you're not just gonna take me out there and dump slime on my head or something?" I raised an eyebrow. He rolled his eyes but shook his head.
"I swear I won't. I really need to ask you something that I didn't get to ask you before when we walked to class" he assured me. I gave him an unsure look but nodded my head. He told me to meet him out there and then quietly walked away and out of the great hall unnoticed because he was still crouching down. I turned around to the other girls who were still talking. I got up from the table and their attention when onto me.
"Where are you going?" Lily asked.
"Oh uh, the bathroom. Too much pumpkin juice" I nodded and started walking out of the great hall.
I met Sirius outside. He was leaning against the wall but another girl in our year from Ravenclaw was talking to him. She was twirling her hair around her finger and giggling at everything he said. It started to make me a little sick, but I didn't want to interrupt them or make the girl think I wanted Sirius all to myself. One wrong move or one misunderstanding and the entire school will think Sirius and I are in love or something.
Sirius finally noticed me standing there waiting and he said a quick goodbye to the Ravenclaw girl, who did not look happy that he left her to come to talk to me. She scowled at me and turned to storm off back into the great hall. I internally groaned, praying that she wouldn't spread any rumors.
"Sorry about that. She's been bothering me all week that one" he shook his head in annoyance.
"Oh wow, must be nice having every girl slave over you huh?" I asked sarcastically.
"Every girl besides you. Hey, maybe that's why I like you so much" he shrugged and I felt myself blush but I continued to glare at him anyways.
"Just get to the point, please. My lunch isn't going to eat itself" I hurried him.
"You see one minute you're nice to me and the next you're mean. I don't get you"
"I'm never nice to you" I pointed out, trying to think if I ever actually was friendly with him.
"You're as nice as you can get"
"Look, are you just going to keep wasting my time, or are you going to ask me your question?" I pushed impatiently.
"Alright alright" he sighed, and he turned small again like he was before in the great hall. Less confidence, more sincerity, and vulnerability. "I feel bad about what I said about you this morning when you got into the Slug Club. So I just wanted to know... Merlin this is going to kill me" he groaned.
"Spit it out" I rushed him and he looked down at the floor.
"Would you maybe mind tutoring me in potions?" He cringed at the word 'tutor'. At first, I didn't think he was being serious, so I went to laugh but I saw his embarrassed face and decided against it. I cleared my throat awkwardly and tried to make a joke of the whole thing to lighten the mood.
"Well... I would but you see I haven't really got any time to spare and I don't think I could hold my sanity long enough to tutor you" I chuckled and hurt flashed across his face, but he recovered quickly. He smirked and shrugged even though his face was tinted pink from embarrassment.
"Yeah, you're probably right. Besides, I don't want to end up a know-it-all like you" he joked back but now I was the one to be hurt. I gave a weak smile and turned back to the great hall. I heard him sigh and then groan behind me, and I pushed my hands into my face. I'm so stupid and awkward oh my god.
***
I looked out at the black lake during my off-period at the very end of the day. The sun was still high in the sky and it was a little chilly outside so I wrapped my school robes tighter around my shoulders. Today really has the perfect weather for Quidditch. It's not at all windy, the sun is out without a cloud in the sky, and the air is cool so the players won't get too hot. I sighed because I missed playing, but I still won't try out for the team here. That's not what I want to focus on in my last two years of school.
I heard footsteps behind me and I spun around to see Sirius standing there. I saw him in last period which was DADA but I didn't speak to him at all.
"Don't you have class right now?" I asked, already knowing the answer.
"Yeah, but I didn't feel like going" he shrugged, standing in front of me and blocking my view of the lake.
"You shouldn't be skipping class. Especially considering you're not on good terms with the teacher, to begin with," I reprimanded him but he brushed it off.
"Remus gives me the same speech about three times a day, but do I listen?" He asked a rhetorical question.
"Clearly not, seeing as you still ditch" I shook my head, looking at the ground and picking at the grass.
"Care to walk around with me for a bit?" He asked, offering me his hand. I got up on my own and brushed myself off.
"Why are you bothering me more today than you usually do?" I asked in annoyance as we walked.
"You don't seem to be complaining" he chuckled and I blushed but shot him a look.
"I ask you to leave me alone about ten times every day"
"And yet here you are, walking around the black lake with me" he smiled and I shoved his shoulder a little.
"I only hate you when you're a jerk," I told him after a little silence.
"So I'm not always a jerk then? I think that's the first compliment you've ever given me"
"I'm being serious" I sighed and he scrunched up his face.
"That's a horrible impression of me then" he joked and I shoved him again.
"Really! You have this nice funny and also smart guy somewhere inside of you that only comes out when you're not trying to show off to people" I told him. "Like today when you asked me to tutor you. I noticed the change and it was kinda refreshing actually"
"And the other side of me...." He trailed off.
"Is a jerk" I finished for him, and we both laughed.
"I completely disagree. I think I'm charming all the time" he said. I snorted.
"I hate when you try to be charming. It may work for all those brainless girls you try to get with but on people like me, we find it kinda repulsive" I admitted.
"Yeah, yeah," he rolled his eyes.
"Just face it, I know you better than you know yourself" I pointed out, and for a while, after that, we walked in silence. I started thinking about me rejecting him earlier today and I felt awkward again. I cleared my throat and he looked at me. "Sorry about what I said at lunch. If you haven't noticed I'm not very good at socializing with people my age" I chuckled. He nodded in response.
"Oh I noticed, and it's fine. Really it was stupid of me to ask" he shook his head, trying to get rid of the topic. I thought for a second and then spoke up.
"You know... If you really want my help and you promise not to goof off all the time then um...." I spoke slowly and trailed off, choosing my words carefully. "Maybe I could find some time to tutor you in potions" I finally agreed, then shrugged because it was only a suggestion. Sirius was quiet for a long time after that and I could tell he was thinking about it. I know he didn't want people to know he was asking for help with school, and he was debating whether or not it was worth the risk of his reputation. Finally, he let out a sigh.
"Thanks... That would really help" he struggled.
"Why are you asking for help, if you don't mind me asking? I thought you didn't care about school" I wondered aloud.
"Well last year I had a meeting with McGonagall and apparently 'being good looking' isn't a good job for the future" he rolled his eyes as I tried not to laugh. "So my second choice was to become an auror and to do that I'll need high marks in potions. I didn't do too well on my OWLS last year" he bit his lip. I nodded my head, liking this side of Sirius.
"Then by the end of this year there won't be one thing you don't know about potions, I can promise you that. Of course, as long as you do everything I say" I gave him a stern look and he smiled, nodding his head. Just then I noticed that students were pouring out of the school in groups of friends, all talking and laughing. Classes must have ended for the day. I saw Sadie with a group of friends and when she noticed me she smiled and ran over. Sirius thought this was strange because this morning she wouldn't even look at me.
"Estella! Did you know they have cats here?!" She exclaimed, so happy that she completely forgot about the reason she was mad at me.
"Cats?" Sirius gave her a strange look. "The only cat I know that wanders around the halls is McGonagall and Mrs Norris"
"No! This is the coolest cat. It's orange and its eyes are so beautiful!" She gushed and I smiled down at her.
"Wow Sadie, that's great" I chuckled.
"Great, now I gotta keep away from a cat that's loose in the castle? It must be someone's pet" Sirius shook his head and I glared at him, as did Sadie.
"You don't like cats?? What's wrong with you?!" Sadie gave him a disbelieving look. Sadie absolutely loves cats, and I suppose you could say I love them too.
"Nothing's wrong with me... I guess you could say I'm more of a dog person" he smirked. Sadie and I shook our heads at him and then the other marauders came to drag Sirius away somewhere to cause trouble probably. They seemed pretty rushed, and I noticed that Remus looked a little ill. Sadie went back to her friends and I headed to the library to do homework.
***
Later that night I met up with Lily, Marlene, and Alice in our dorm room. Once Alice walked in she was bombarded with questions, as she was smiling and blushing like a mad man.
"How did it go? Did you mess anything up at the Quidditch tryouts?" I asked and she shook her head.
"Umm... We actually didn't go to the tryouts. We were going to, and as we were walking down to the pitch we started talking about all the homework we still had to do and one thing led to another we ended up in the library together, doing our work" she blushed. "I know it sounds weird but-"
"That's like your perfect date!" Lily cheered and Marlene's face brightened.
"I guess from now on I'll leave your love life to yourself" Marlene winked at her and Alice chuckled. Lily turned to me now.
"What about you Estella? Hows Sirius?" She wiggled her eyebrows and my face turned red.
"Um, what?" I asked stupidly and she rolled her eyes.
"Don't play dumb, we saw you with him after school" Marlene piped up. "Are you two secretly dating or something? Because I for one would like to know". I scrunched up my face in disgust.
"No! Why on earth would you think that? Just because I talk to Sirius doesn't mean I don't sometimes find him repulsive and hard to be around. I still hate him but...." I trailed off and the other girls looked at me intently.
"But what?!" Lily pushed and I sighed.
"I might just hate him a little bit less. I don't want to but I can't help it. It's like the closer he tries to get to me the more my guard goes down. I hate it" I huffed, crossing my arms. Marlene looked up as Lily smiled.
"So... I still have a chance then?" Marlene asked quietly and Lily threw a pillow at her head. "Ow!"
"Don't worry Marlene, he's all yours" I laughed at the three girls. Lily shook her head, glaring at Marlene.
"Marlene I swear if you try going after him again I'll hex you into the next century" she warned in a fell voice. Marlene gulped and then nodded her head.
Soon enough we all said our goodnights, and finally fell asleep.