11:59 am, 3rd January, 1977
"Black! Get back here!"
Harper chased Sirius down the train, knocking students to the side as they passed.
As Sirius neared the end of the carriage he realised he was going to have to give in as they'd eventually run out of train to run down.
"Alright, fine. You caught me." He held his hands up before turning around to face Harper, "Oh, hey! Fancy seeing you here, good Christmas?" He stepped back slightly.
Harper's hair flew about her face like a lion's mane and the glare she was giving the boy was certainly not friendly.
"You!" She jabbed a finger at him, "you've gotten me in so much trouble!"
"Oh, I have, have I?" He smirked and brushed his hair back.
"Sirius!" She yelled, punching his arm.
"Alright alright! What did I do?"
"Before Christmas?" She raised her eyebrows.
"Most of my life happened before this Christmas, what in particular are you on about?"
She sighed, "You sucked face with that Ravenclaw girl..."
"Which one?"
"Sirius!" She punched him again.
"When I nearly walked in on your mouth to mouth session, in the corridor? With Marls and Lily?"
"Oh right, yeah I kind of know her, we've spoken once or twice." He shrugged.
Harper punched him again.
"Stop it!" He yelped, rubbing his arm.
"Then don't be such an arse!" She grumbled, "You know full well that Marlene was after you."
"We had some nice times flirting back and forth, she is hot, she is great at quidditch..." he mused, "But if I was into her then I couldn't break it off because everyone would hate me."
"So you just pulled her along? You played her?"
"Well... I suppose that's one way of putting it..."
Harper's jaw hung open, "Sirius Black I swear you better go and apologise to that girl or-"
"Did she make Lily annoyed at you?" Sirius countered.
"That's not the point!"
"What did McKinnon say?"
"Well I didn't write to Lily over the holidays and Marlene pointed out it's because I was with you guys but that was only New Years and now Lily is annoyed and Marlene is annoyed and-"
"Chill out, since when did you care?"
Harper took a deep breath, surely she wasn't about to confide in Sirius Black of all people. Although, she didn't seem to have another option.
"Since I don't have anyone else." She spoke to the ground.
"What?"
"Since I don't-"
"I heard that, I'm not going to make you say it again. Just, you know that's not true?"
She looked up at him. The usual glisten of mischief in his eyes had faded.
"Well things aren't simplest between Remus and I and he was always my go-to-talk-about-drama guy. So I can't talk to him. And Marls and Lily are annoyed and so I kind of need to get them to like me again." She explained, digging her hands into her pockets.
"Harper, you know Remus would honestly die if you asked him too. Yeah everyone in the school can tell something happened but he'll still always be there for you. Lily and Marlene don't know what they're missing out on. Lily of all people should know why you didn't write, considering she's met your family." Sirius comforted her.
"You're surprisingly good at comforting people, Black."
"It's how you get the girls..." He smirked, the glisten in his eyes returning.
"And you're back to being an arse again." She laughed.
"So now you don't want to kill me anymore, want to come find the guys with me?"
"I should probably go see Lily and Marlene and try to-"
"Did you listen to what I said? They're being petty, let them come to you. Just, come on." Sirius grabbed her arm and led her to the compartment where the other Marauders were sat.
Harper wasn't sure to trust Sirius' advice. But nevertheless she did anyway.