An unlikely pair

9

I woke up to a wet nose nudging mine, followed by an enthusiastic lick. “Sirius, I told you to stop doing that,” I muttered groggily, still half-asleep. Guess he never listens, I thought, cracking one eye open. I was greeted by a black dog wagging his tail like an overexcited pup.

“Padfoot,” I sighed, rolling my eyes. I lifted a paw and rested it on his head. He responded with a playful headbutt, his warm eyes sparkling with mischief. Within seconds, we shifted back into our human forms, Sirius grinning at me unapologetically.

"Why the hell were you sleeping on the floor, idiot?" Moony asked, his voice laced with concern and just a hint of annoyance.

It was then that I realized all the boys were awake, staring at me as if I’d grown a second head. I sat up, brushing the dust off my robes, and began explaining what happened in my dormitory the night before.

“Bellatrix Black was crying?” Wormtail asked, his skepticism evident. His round face twisted as if I’d just claimed the sky was green. “And then she politely asked you not to sleep in your own bed?”

Judging by their expressions, both Sirius and Regulus were struggling to process the idea of Bellatrix Black crying, let alone being polite.

Sirius tilted his head, his brows furrowed in disbelief. Regulus, though usually harder to read, looked equally perplexed, his mouth slightly open as if to speak but failing to find the words.

“Enough about female Satan,” James declared, clapping his hands dramatically. “Let’s eat!” He grabbed Regulus’s wrist and practically dragged him toward the Great Hall. “Move it, people! Food waits for no man!”

I chuckled, watching the chaos unfold. “And here I thought Pete was the biggest foodie,” I said, shaking my head as we all trailed after James and Regulus, Sirius walking at my side.

The Great Hall buzzed with the usual morning chatter as we filed in. I slid into a seat next to Peter at the Gryffindor table, glancing across the room toward the Slytherin table. My eyes scanned the sea of green and silver until they landed on a familiar messy-haired witch.

She was glaring at me. Full-on daggers. I could practically feel the heat of her disdain from across the room.

“Five galleons,” Sirius said casually, swallowing a bite of bacon. “She’s definitely going to threaten you at some point today.”

Regulus, seated beside him, scoffed. “Fifteen galleons says she threatens her the moment Tina leaves the Hall.”

The brothers locked eyes and shook hands, each confident in their predictions.

I couldn’t help but laugh, glancing back toward the Slytherin table. “You’re both ridiculous,” I muttered, though I wasn’t entirely sure they were wrong.

Slinging my bag over my shoulder, I stood, ready to head to Ancient Runes. “Rem, you coming?” I called, glancing back at the werewolf. He was the only Marauder besides me who took the class, so we always walked there together.

Remus looked up from his half-finished breakfast, his expression shifting from distracted to focused. “Yeah, give me a second,” he said, grabbing his bag and rifling through it. His hand stilled, and a string of curses escaped under his breath. “Fuck! I left my homework somewhere in the dorm.”

Sirius, ever eager, was on his feet in an instant. “I’ll help you find it!” he volunteered, a little too enthusiastically.

I raised an eyebrow, shooting him a knowing look. Like I hadn’t noticed where his hand had been wandering during breakfast. Sirius had spent more time subtly brushing his fingers against Remus’s inner thigh than actually eating. It was painfully obvious—at least to me—that he was looking for an excuse to spend time alone with him.