Sirius' Guide to Pissing off Parents

I know what you did last Christmas

"What was that?" Freia shouts from the stands. It's frosty on the early December day, but the Hufflepuff Quidditch team are out practicing anyway. "Rich, do a lap. We can't have chasers dropping the bloody quaffle!"

Rich groans but flies off on a lap around the Quidditch pitch.

"Laura, Michael – set up a target on the other end of the pitch and practice aiming at that. Vy and Cicely team up and practice scoring and defending. Rich, since you can't keep the quaffle in your hands maybe you could play seeker vs seeker with Conor. Alright everyone?"

There are shouts of understanding from the group as they fly off to start on their activities. Freia watches it with a calculating eye, working out weaknesses and plays they should work on.

"You're good at that," a voice speaks from behind her. She turns to see Sirius sitting a few rows back, feet kicked up nonchalantly on the seat in front. He's wearing thick black boots with a clasp on one side.

"Are you wearing motorbike boots?" She can't help but ask with an astonished laugh.

"Yeah..." he says slowly, eyeing her with confusion.

"Sorry," she says, catching her breath. "It's just a bit over the top, isn't it? Like, are you going to summon your bike here so you can use them?"

"Well, what about you?" He asks, standing and stepping over the row of seats to move closer to her, reminding her how tall he is that he's capable of doing such a thing.

"What?"

He leans forward and picks one of the flowers from her plait, spinning it with his fingers. "Yellow, really? We already know what house you're in, this is overkill."

"I like yellow," she retorts, reaching to snatch the flower back but Sirius is quicker and puts the stem between his teeth, bending away.

"And I like my motorbike boots, they're comfy!" He replies a little muffled from holding the flower between his teeth.

"You're insufferable," she sighs.

Sirius lets out a ragged grin the flower dangling off his lip. "Just for you, darling."

She turns with a huff, focusing back on the practice.

"Is there a reason you're here?" She asks.

"Maybe I just wanted to see your face..." Freia ignores Sirius until he is forced to continue. "Yes. I wanted to talk to you about Christmas. It's a week until the holidays and I thought we might go over the plan."

"You've not found anyone else then?"

"No. It's just me." He drops back into a seat. "I should have known. I'm one of a kind, really. Unique."

"Mm, you're singularly annoying."

"Thank you," he says, breezing past the jab without stopping. "How much longer is practice?"

"Twenty minutes," she says before shouting: "please don't knock anyone out, Laura!" As Laura's bludger flies centimetres from Conor's head.

"Sorry! Didn't think you'd be watching, too busy flirting with Sirius!" Is Laura's reply.

"We're not flirting!" Sirius and Freia yell together. Laura just slopes through the air, smacking a bludger with a satisfying whack.

"I guess I can hang around for a bit longer," Sirius says.

Sirius stays behind Freia as she continues watching. She glances back at him occasionally only to find him patiently observing her, the flower replaced by a cigarette.