𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐁𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐍.
chapter seven; Sirius Black's Winning Streak
" . . . I'm too curious for my own good. "
DECEMBER CREPT UP on the students of Hogwarts, but once it had arrived it flew by. The castle had long since been covered in a thick layer of snow, meriting many snowball fights and spontaneous requests of hot chocolate.
It seemed students had been cozying up in the colder month, couples were sprouting up left and right, and Madeline Potter was no exception. After three more formal dates, Nico Keeler had formally asked her to go steady, and she very happily accepted.
"Oh," Bluebelle sighed dreamily, leaning her head on Madeline's shoulder, "You two are the sweetest couple. What did you get him for Christmas?"
"We agreed on no presents." Bluebelle gasped, "It's so much pressure! I wouldn't know what to get him."
"I suppose each couple is different," Bluebelle shrugged slightly, turning her attention back to the scene before them.
The courtyard they were sitting in was rather empty, a stray student wandered by every now and then. Snow covered every surface before them, and the footprints of many students were engraved into the icy ground. The girls were each in thick black coats, their blue scarves hanging proudly as they rested between classes.
"What about you, then?" Madeline prompted, crossing one leg over the other, "Anyone special?"
"Euch, no," Bluebelle scrunched her noes up, "I think dating this young is stupid."
"Enlighten me."
"Well, we're only kids," The girl shrugged simply, "I don't even know who I am yet, and adding another person to that equation is just. . . an accident waiting to happen."
"Hm."
"You and Nico are different," Bluebelle backtracked, sighing lightly, "He's a good guy and you're. . . I dunno, perfect."
Madeline snorted.
"What?"
"Nothing, don't we have Divination, like, now?"
Bluebelle hummed, sitting still for a moment, "Skip it for the library?"
"The fact you have to ask is insulting."
The girls had claimed a table further to the back of the library, their coats and scarves abandoned in the warmth the stacks of books captured, each having found something to occupy their time.
"Madeline?"
"It's just Maddie," The girl smiled up at Lily Evans, only to frown when she saw the redhead's furrowed brows, "Why are you confused?"
"Shouldn't you both be in class?" Bluebelle looked up from her book, sending the Gryffindor a questioning look, "Well, Dorcas told me you two were in her class, and she's in Divination right now."
"Technically, yes."
"I thought Ravenclaws were. . . I dunno, the ones who liked school."
"Have you ever met Maddie?" Bluebelle laughed, glaring when Madeline hit her with a book, "If there was an 'Anti-Lessons' protest group, she'd be leading it."
"Really?" Lily questioned, slipping into a seat across from the girls.
"It's not interesting," Madeline shrugged, "I like learning about things I want to. Like Potions."
"That's the only class you like?"
"The only class she does work it," Bluebelle corrected, "You're going to fail, Maddie, I swear."
"Oh, whatever," Madeline sighed turning back to Lily, "I reckon the only reason I was sorted into Ravenclaw, is because I'm too curious for my own good."
"And you like arguing," Bluebelle pointed, flipping her book page, "And you want to know everything."
"Not true, sometimes I just. . . wonder things."
"Like?" Lily prompted amusedly.
"Like. . . I spent a week last year trying to figure out how people are sorted." Lily raised a brow. "Is it your traits? What you aspire to be? What traits do you value? I mean, we were eleven, we can't just be judged off the minimal traits and beliefs we'd absorbed by then, right?"
"Now you see what happens," Bluebelle sighed, "It's a rabbit hole Maddie occasionally takes a trip down."
"Did you ever find out?"
"Still haven't the faintest clue, one day I will know."
"Keep dreaming."
ϟ
James hated to admit it, but his life hadn't been the greatest in recent history.
Lily had completely blown up after his last flirting attempt, he'd presented her with a single rose and, apparently, she was already annoyed as the redhead crumbled the flower right in front of him.
And let the crushed petals float to the ground of the Gryffindor common room.
He could hardly do anything without seeing his sister and Nico Keeler, constantly touching and it triggered his gag reflex, and a bit of anger directed at the older Ravenclaw. Sirius, Remus, and Peter seemed to share his dislike of the couple, but the boys had agreed not to speak to Madeline about it.
It would only make things worse.
The Marauders had finally figured out the animagus transformation, but there was a major downside of keeping a mandrake leaf in their mouths for an entire month. James, Sirius, and Peter agreed to begin over Christmas break and not inform Remus until it was over.
The only good thing that had happened recently was the brand new nickname that had emerged. Remus Lupin had been deemed as Moony, and it was agreed upon that the boys would gain their own after the transformation.
"You're all coming over on Christmas, right?" James questioned, his eyebrows knitted in focus as he tried to beat Sirius at a game of chess.
"I'll be there," Remus spoke up from the couch, "Full moon's about two weeks before, so I'll be fine."
"I can too," Peter smiled almost proudly.
Sirius remained silent, his hands pressed together in a prayer-like fashion under his chin as he calculated his next move. All three pairs of eyes were on him as he took action, effectively smashing James' bishop to bits.
"What?"
"Are you coming over for Christmas?"
"Uh," Sirius' demeanor fell, but it was quickly covered with a bright grin, "'Course I am."
"Sirius—"
"Your turn, James," Sirius held his boyish grin, leaning back, "Get on with it so I can win."
"You aren't going to win," James grumbled, his eyes focusing back onto the board.
"Says my five years-long winning streak."
"The day I beat you, you'll be sorry," James waggled a finger in Sirius' face, pushing his own glasses up the bridge of his nose, "It'll be 'Oh James, you're so brilliant, why did I ever doubt you?' and—"
"Oi! I won't lie!"
"Alright."
James stood, grabbing Sirius into a headlock. The boys, with small grins, wrestled in the common room until the chess board toppled off the table and landed upside down on the ground.
"So. . . I win then?"
( AUTHOR'S NOTE. )
how could anyone not love
James Potter and Sirius Black?
I don't GET IT