claret, sirius black

04

chapter four

SIRIUS AND JAMES TEND to only come up with idiotic ideas, and today it seemed they weren't trying to stray from tradition.

Sirius remembered his brief conversation with Marlene Mckinnon from when she dated Lenora Claret's older brother. The two boys thought it would be a brilliant idea to ask him about his sister. It was a stupid idea. So stupid Sirius thought it ought to work.

The two boys came up with a list of excuses as to why they were asking about Lenora, and none of them was even slightly believable, not even to a troll.

They know her brother is in Ravenclaw. He's the Quidditch captain, and according to Marlene, Lily Evans and Mary Macdonald he's 'absolutely gorgeous.' James and Sirius dismissed their opinions, both acting as if they didn't hear the girls talk so highly about the seventh year, especially since James and Sirius thought that they were easily the best looking boys in the school. Lily Evans was eager to tell them that they weren't anything close, much to the distaste of James who has his heart set on marrying the pretty red head.

They decided to wait for him after the Ravenclaw practice.

"Basil!" Sirius called out, rushing to where the sweaty Ravenclaw was walking, his dark, curly hair messy across his forehead. Basil turned around, his eyebrows furrowed as he looked at the two sixth years - both of them tiny as they stood next to him, despite James and Sirius both being six foot. Basil was even taller, also taller than Remus Lupin.

"Hello?" He asked, his accent thick.

James coughed, Basil looked him up and down. As rival Quidditch captains, there was a good chance that he couldn't help but think James was there to spy on the opposition.

"Hello," Sirius replied. Awkwardly. Basil stood with his hands on his hips, his eyebrows raised and a towel around his neck. He was on his way to have a shower when the two Gryffindors stopped him.

Lily Evans would have a heart attack if she could see him standing red faced and sweating in his flying robes.

"James wanted to ask about your sister," Sirius said quickly, James glared.

"No I -" He began to protest but Basil cut him off.

"My sister?" He asked, "Which one?"

"You have more than one?"

Basil shot Sirius a look.

"I'm going to assume for your sake that you're asking about Lenora," Basil's green eyes narrowed as he looked between the two brunettes. "Considering that Mal is thirteen."

James nodded frantically.

"Well you see," Sirius swallowed, he hadn't expected to be as nervous as he is. "James here," he patted James' back as if Basil didn't know who he was. "He has a huge crush on Lenora and he just wanted to know what she likes."

"You?" Basil said, looking at James' messy hair and wonky glasses. "You have a crush on Lenora," he chuckled, "Why?"

"Why?" James iterated, glancing at Sirius in hopes he takes over again.

"James fancies Lenora because she's pretty," Sirius said, slowly and unsure. Basil raised his eyebrows even further up his face, James nodded. "I mean, I can see where she gets it from," Sirius added quickly and immediately regretted it, Basil didn't look impressed. "I'm not calling you pretty," Sirius opened his mouth to form an 'o' as he realised what he had said. "But I'm not calling you ugly," he added, just as quick. "I'm just saying that -"

"I don't know what she likes," Basil said nonchalantly followed with an annoyed huff.

"You don't know what she likes?" James asked with his lips in a thin line, "You're literally her brother."

"And?" Basil said, bored. "You're the one who has a crush on her, wouldn't you be the one to know what she likes?"

James stuttered instead of replying.

"James is very shy," Sirius lied. Basil shook his head, knowing that James Potter is anything but shy. "He just wants to impress her."

Basil rolled his eyes, glancing at his fellow seventh year friends who were walking over to them. "Her birthday is next month, buy her some firewhiskey and she'll probably tell you all of her secrets," he huffed again.

The two boys looked at each other. They chose not to notice the fact his gruff voice was laced with sarcasm.

"Good enough for me," Sirius smiled, nodding at Basil who shook his head again and walked towards his friends without saying another word to the two boys.

All of Basil's friends laughed as they saw he was talking to James and Sirius, who both frowned.

-

"I can't believe you harassed Basil." Lily Evans laughed as she finished eating her dinner, "He's so cool," she said, looking to the other girls who nodded in agreement.

"He isn't that cool," James mocked, rolling his dark, chocolate eyes. "Plus, we beat Ravenclaw in the cup last year, so who's the real winner."

Marlene Mckinnon laughed, pushing a strand of her curly blonde hair behind her ear. She placed her hand on James' forearm as if to be comforting. "All of his friends are going to be laughing at you two until they leave in June."

"That's rubbish," Sirius said, glancing over at the blue and silver table. "He told us what she likes anyway, so he mustn't hate us."

"He wanted to be rid of you," Remus said. "What did he tell you anyway?"

"That her birthday is next month," James announced. Remus frowned.

"That's it?"

"And," James continued, looking at Remus and holding a finger to his lips. "We should get her some firewhiskey, apparently she likes that."

"That's not useful information, at all." Remus laughed, putting a spoonful of trifle into his mouth. "Everyone likes firewhiskey."

"Well Moony," Sirius said, "It's the best we have."

"Maybe you should try speaking to her," Peter suggested from the other side of Remus, "If you're so obsessed with finding out everything about her."

"No!" Lily protested, "It's bad enough you harassed Basil, you can't harass her as well."

"That's a brilliant idea, thanks Pete," Sirius grinned, ruffling Peter's thin, sandy hair.

Lily tutted, looking back down at her dinner.