COMFORT ZONE | Sirius Black [REWRITING]

29. Moony and Hogsmeade

Wednesday, 10th October 1973

They exchanged amused looks amongst themselves as they watched Frank and Alice talk animatedly at a table some distance away, the pair having chosen a conveniently secluded section of the library for their 'studying'.

"I mean, they were actually working for the past half an hour," Madiha reasoned with the other two, who were having far too much fun trying to attract the brunette's attention, but the girl was too engaged in conversation to notice.

"I think you might just lose your bet to Marlene," Lily taunted.

Remus leaned back with a level of self-assuredness that was vaguely reminiscent of one messy-haired boy they were all well-acquainted with, either by force or by choice.

"Nah, I don't lose bets."

"You sound like Potter."

"James is fine too, you know."

Madiha nearly burst out laughing at how Lily's eyes widened, almost comically, before she whipped her head around to find James standing behind her, an annoying smirk plastered on his face.

"Potter, will do," she sobered up quickly. "Or maybe toerag too, whichever one you prefer."

James shoved his hands in his pockets.

"Don't I have options."

"What're you doing in the library anyway?" Remus asked, eyeing him suspiciously.

Her godbrother fiddled with his collar before glancing at her, giving the impression that he was trying to communicate, but she had no idea what he was trying to say.

"Potter, are your eyes so weak that you need to squint at Mads to see her?"

"What? No—uh, of course—of course, not—I mean," he stammered and pushed his glasses up his nose, doing a weird wiggle of his eyebrows at Madiha. She continued to stare at him in confusion. She was considering using Legilimency.

Despite his lip twitching, clearly in danger of curving into a smile, Remus tried to sound concerned.

"Are you okay?"

The bespectacled boy straightened up now, dropping all pretence of communicating with her indirectly. "Mads, I need your help with, uh... research... for something."

Scepticism was painted across Remus' and Lily's faces as she nodded a little unsurely. The bronze-haired boy looked ready to interrogate him, convinced that James' out-of-character behaviour was not a good sign whatsoever.

"Since when do you research?"

"Since today," James said with childish defiance. The redhead rolled her eyes at this.