claret, sirius black

30

chapter 30

"SORRY ABOUT JAMES," Sirius said as he sat beside Lenora, "He can be such a swine."

"It's fine," Lenora assured him as she opened up a Mars bar, snapping it in half to give some to Sirius. He thanked her, putting all of it into his mouth at once, getting caramel stuck in his teeth.

"We can go back to the forest again tomorrow." Sirius suggested, "You look tired."

Lenora looked at him, her under eyes had the slightest tint of purple and her face had begun to pale again.

"I'll be fine for another week," she said as she rubbed her eyes with the heel of her hand. "And there is no 'we'. I'll go on my own next time."

"It's my cloak you have to use," Sirius said, leaning back in the chair. They had met in the library but neither of them had pulled out any work to do. Luckily Madam Pince was occupied with scolding messy second years.

"You said it was James', actually." Lenora corrected him, tapping her fingertips against the top of the table.

"We are basically the same person." Sirius shrugged, "Please let me come, my Care of Magical Creatures lesson is boring, I can't stand having to look at Kettleburns open wounds for too long."

Lenora pursed her lips together in disgust.

"No," she told him, "I don't want you to."

"Why," Sirius complained, dragging his words.

"Because I don't like you behind there," she told him sternly, "And it's dangerous."

"I'll be in the forest anyway, and we were fine last week." He tried to argue, Lenora didn't look as if she was going to give in anytime soon.

"No."

"If anyone 'dangerous' came along," he paused to add empathised air quotations, trying to resist from rolling his eyes. "Then I would curse them, or I could try to kill them - it's up to you." He shrugged.

Lenora kicked him from under the table. "Don't say that," she scolded. "And besides, you're not capable of killing anybody Sirius," she laughed half heartedly, "If someone came up to me and told me that you had murdered someone I'd have to laugh in their face."

Sirius pouted. "I would still curse them."

"You were terrified that one time we came across someone in the forest, you wouldn't be able to hold your wand straight if they ever came back."

"It was dark." Sirius justified, "I will be prepared, and no one will come up to us if it's the middle of the day and if Kettleburn had a class forty feet away in the clearing."

"I don't think it's a good idea," Lenora said, "I also don't see why you would want to, it's hardly fun."

"Maybe I want to spend time with you."

Lenora raised an eyebrow and chuckled.

"If that's your idea of a date then you're quite simply sick," Lenora told him, Sirius only shrugged with a smile on his face.

"Please," Sirius asked, reintroducing the fake pout and the puppy dog eyes. "You could brag to your friends how you went on a romantic stroll in the Forbidden Forest with the one and only Sirius Black."

"I'm not going to say yes," Lenora said strictly, "Sorry."

Sirius frowned, "Fine, but you have to come to Hogsmead with me on Saturday."

Lenora narrowed her eyes but nodded, trying to hide her enthusiasm.