And There Were Always Two... - oc x r. lupin & oc x s. black

- 5 -

Mavis walked up to Slughorn to hand in her report when Sirius Black pulled her back. She scowled at him.

"What!?" she demanded.

"I did the essay by myself," he told her, grinning proudly.

"Me, too. So what?"

"I thought you forgot, why didn't you tell me?"

"Just cause we didn't do it together, didn't mean it slipped my mind entirely. Can't your little brain comprehend the fact that some people in this world hate your guts?"

"Oh, shut up. Everyone loves me, but that's not the topic we're on." he shrugged her off. "We can only turn in one report."

"Okay, so we give him mine."

"Why?"

"Why!? Cause it's better, that's why!"

This kid was infuriating her.

"I'd fight with you, but we're going to be late to class. Turn yours in and let's hope we don't get a troll." Sirius told her, shaking his head.

"Some other time then," she joked, with a bit of a smile.

"It would be my pleasure."

Mavis smirked to herself as she left the parchment on Slughorn's desk. But when she returned to her seat she was in a foul mood again, mostly because James Potter the Prick was sitting in it.

"Remember what I told you? Shove off, Potter!"

"Why, Mavs? Give me one good reason."

That was the last straw. Mavis Curron was known for her short temper, but Potter was never really one to care.

"You don't get to fucking call me that, Potter. You lost that privilege five years ago. Now get your rotten arse out of my chair or I will not hesitate to hex you into the next dimension."

"No."

"No?" Mavis felt like her brain was about to explode.

"No. Now if you don't quiet down, I'll tell Slughorn that you're not Ashley."

"Get out of my chair." she hissed.

"I'm going to tell Slughorn."

"What do you expect me to do then?"

"Tell me why you've been avoiding me for the last five years."

"No."

"Stalemate then."

Mavis just dropped her bag by her desk and sat on top of Potter. The bony guy was not a comfortable cushion, but she didn't have another choice.

"Get out of my lap," Potter growled into her ear.

"Get out of my seat," she challenged him.

Sirius looked at her first with surprise then approval.

Mavis could feel Potter's breath in her ear, and it sent a disgusted shiver down her spine. She hadn't been this close to him since before Hogwarts. She leaned back, in an attempt to have him move his head, but it only got him closer.

"Potter, Curron, what is happening?" Slughorn exclaimed, staring at them with wide eyes.

"Potter was in my seat and wouldn't move, sir," Mavis said, batting her eyelashes innocently.

"Potter?" Slughorn growled. "Detention. Now move."

Mavis slid off of him

He glared at her before moving back.

Sirius leaned over to her and whispered, "don't you wanna sit on my lap?"

She looked at his hopeful smirk and smiled.

"Maybe some other time."

The class was boring. They did some brewing and some note-taking. Mavis didn't learn much, which disappointed her, but whatever.

Her next class was transfigurations. It was all the way up high in the levels of Hogwarts, and her legs were burning as she climbed flight of stairs after flight of stairs. She put on her headphones and let her walkman play a tune. The song was called "Paint It, Black". The irony was not lost on her when none but Sirius Black caught up to her.

"Hey there, Mavis."

She groaned and turned off her walkman.

"What brought you to this part of hell?" Mavis spat.

"The subtle science and exact art of transfiguration," Sirius said, dramatically holding out his textbook as if it were a skull and he was Hamlet.

"I thought that was potions?"

"I dunno," he answered, letting his arms drop to his sides again. "At this point, everything's just a jumble in my head and I pray to Godric I survive the O.W.L.S."

"I know the feeling."

Mavis felt a smile across her face again. That happened a lot near him.

"So where are you going?" he asked, swinging his arms ridiculously.

"Same as you."

"Nice. Are you going to the quidditch game this weekend?"

"Any particular reason that I should?"

"I'm playing Keeper for Gryffindor."

"Ah, well that changes everything." Mavis rolled her eyes.

Their footsteps echoed through the hall, almost exactly in synchronicity. Sirius opened his mouth to say something else but they had arrived at the classroom. Mavis saluted him with two fingers, before taking her seat.

"Today we will be having partner work," Professor McGonagall announced.

"Yippee," Mavis muttered sarcastically.

Professor McGonagall glared at her, but she acted as if nothing happened.

"Partners are assigned as follows: Abbott and Wood, Avery and Lauffer, Black and Jones, Brady and Foley, Curron and Pettigrew," Mavis glanced over at the nervous boy, this might not be that bad. "...Diggory and Johnson, MacDonald and MacMillan, McLean and Semling, O'Connell and Smith, and finally Thompson and Watkins."

A couple minutes later, Mavis was proven completely wrong. Working with Pete Pettigrew was a nightmare.