Sweet Creature || Sirius Black

ꕤ missed practices ꕤ

Sirius sits in the quidditch stands, a joint in between his lips as he watches the tryouts for a new beater intently. He doesn't even notice when Remus snatches it back before he can take another hit, too caught up in his desire to see who his replacement will be.

Peter accepts the medicinal cigarette - a term they only use to get James off of their backs when he catches them - from Remus and it's almost to his lips when Emaline flies past on her broom. Peter shrieks and slams the joint back into the other boy's hand, nearly burning the both of them. If she caught him so much as looking at the paraphernalia, Remus's stash wouldn't be the only thing disappearing under mysterious circumstances. Besides, although Remus is the one who offered, it's no secret that he has a slight problem when it comes to sharing his stash.

"Honestly, I'm glad I don't have to worry about playing anymore," Sirius lies, not oblivious to the way James keeps looking to the stands sympathetically. "I'd much rather be watching."

"Shut up," Remus scoffs through a cloud of smoke, begrudgingly passing the joint back to the somber boy. "James might buy that bullshit but we know better. Right, Wormtail?"

"Right," Peter agrees, leaning around Remus to squeeze Sirius's shoulder reassuringly. "It's okay to miss it, Pads."

Sirius shakes his head, disagreeing with the both of them. He ought to have been expelled for the idiotic prank he pulled in the middle of their fifth year. If being kicked off of the quidditch team for the rest of his Hogwarts career is the only scholarly consequence he has to face, then he should be able to accept it without complaint. After all, he faced much direr consequences with his closest friends.

Remus couldn't stand to be in the same room as him for months, and it took even longer before he could so much as look at him. Peter followed suit and wouldn't speak to him. Even James, the kindest of them all, had been furious with him.

Gradually, their infamous dynamic returned to normal. James was the first to start speaking to him again. At first, it was only to keep Euphemia from asking questions; when your son and his best friend both are living together, it's quite easy to pick up on when they're avoiding one another. But it didn't take long before they were laughing together again and having sleepovers in each other's bedrooms. Peter came around not long after, eager to have things back to the way they once were.

And one fateful August day, Remus showed up crying on the Potters' doorstep. Sirius still doesn't know what happened to have the level-headed boy so distraught, nor does he understand why he would ever forgive him. But when Remus accepted what had to be Sirius's millionth apology, he was no longer the only one crying.

"That's a terribly nasty habit," Todd says, startling the two boys out of their dazed states as he sits himself down next to Peter.

Sirius makes eye contact with the Ravenclaw and throws the joint over the railing so that it lands in the grass far below, exhaling smoke with every word that leaves his mouth as he says, "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"I wasn't done with that, dick."

"Sorry, Moony."

Sirius drops his head onto Remus's shoulder and flashes puppy dog eyes up at him in an attempt to appear more sincere. Remus doesn't believe the act for a second. But his head feels entirely too heavy to support on his own so instead of pushing Sirius off of him, he rests his own head on top of his.

"No, you're not," he grumbles.

"You're right."

Todd looks to Peter for an explanation, but the blond boy merely shrugs his shoulders.

"You really shouldn't be here," he says instead. "James will freak out. He'll think you're spying to learn his tactics."

"But I'm not. You'll vouch for me, won't you?"

"No!" Sirius interjects, answering for the boy. "Pete's loyalty lies with his friends, not quidditch spies."

"Don't you think I would be more discreet if I was trying to spy?" Todd points out. It's a logical statement too, though Sirius is far too proud to ever admit it. "Besides, I'm here to talk to Peter."

"That's exactly what a spy would say," Sirius argues. "Isn't that right, Moony?"

The only answer that comes from Remus is a small snore. Sirius tries to sit up to look at the boy, but finds that he can't because all of Remus's weight is now leaning against him as he sleeps, and if Sirius were to movie, he would most definitely fall to the floor.

"Unbelievable."

"Don't mind him," Peter advises Todd. "His bark is bigger than his bite."

The rest of the quidditch tryouts pass by in much the same way, with Todd trying to hold a conversation as Sirius continuously butts in and Remus naps peacefully. Unfortunately, he's abruptly brought out of his nap when James blows a whistle to signal the end of tryouts and Sirius accidentally shoves him to the wooden floor in his hurry to leave the stands.

Peter remains behind to help Remus to his feet but Sirius is gone with an apology shouted over his shoulder as he and Todd race each other down the stairs.

Neck and neck with the athlete, Sirius spots Emaline leaving the pitch and pushes himself to go faster. He barely pulls ahead and it's just enough to win.

That is, if James hadn't stepped directly in front of him and sent them both crashing to the ground.

"Get off me, blind bastard."

"You ran into me!"

Todd is undeniably giddy as he practically stumbles to a stop next to Emaline, scarcely out of breath as he grins in victory.

"No, James," she says, assuming that's who is by her side ready to continue their earlier debate. "Practices at the crack of dawn are not a good idea."

"As your opponent, I have to disagree," Todd remarks, surprising her as she finally glances over to see him instead of the captain of her quidditch team. "You looked great up there, by the way."

"You were watching our practice?" Emaline gasps, looking around to ensure one boy in particular didn't hear. "James will have a heart attack."

"Everyone keeps saying that," he points out. "I'm really starting to worry for his health."

Emaline laughs and, for what very well may be the first time ever, Sirius isn't happy to hear the beautiful noise.

"Who does he think he is?" He grumbles, crossing his arms as he watches Todd flirt with the older girl.

"Todd Lockhart?" Marlene McKinnon answers, misunderstanding the question. "Seeker on the Ravenclaw team. Dreamy, isn't he?"

"Ridiculous is more like it."

Emaline, much to Sirius's displeasure, doesn't find Todd ridiculous in the slightest. In fact, aside from their spat a few days prior, she considers him to be quite charming.

Sirius watches as Todd takes her hand in his and brings them both to a halt, and he stops walking as well, fully prepared to watch the scene play out until James grabs his arms and drags him along past the duo.

"I wanted to apologise for my behavior the other day," Todd says, his gaze sincere. "It was wrong of me to call you a child, and I would like to make up for it by asking you to join me on the upcoming Hogsmeade trip."

Emaline hesitates, pretending to weigh the pros and cons for several moments. Truthfully, she merely enjoys watching him squirm as he waits for an answer.

"It's a date."