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

- 22 -

Mavis clung to James' arm for dear life. Somewhere between the nerves of being seen as a couple with him in public and the damned high heels that wouldn't stop wobbling James had become her lifeline.

"I didn't know you were going with P-James," Ashley commented.

"I didn't know you were going with Lupin," Mavis snarled back.

Ashley blushed a deep red and hurried away to where Remus was standing.

They had all agreed to meet up in the common room and head over to Slughorn's office together, except for poor Peter who wasn't invited. He had squirmed off to the library in the morning and hadn't been seen since.

At Slughorn's office, some younger students took their cloaks and Mavis and James proceeded to the table to get some gillywater. Soon, James was pulled away by the quidditch captain and she was left all alone.

"Hey Curron," someone sneered and Mavis immediately knew it was Sirius. She turned around to see him leaning against the arch with a drink lazily in his hand. "Where's your date?"

"Where's yours?"

Sirius pushed himself to a standing position.

"I don't have one."

"What? No girl's good enough for you?" she teased.

"I don't date," he answered coldly.

"Oh? So when we went out to Hogsmeade...?" She batted her lashes and smirked coyly.

"Quit the act, Curron."

Sirius was fuming and she was thoroughly enjoying it. His knuckles were white as he gripped his bottle of butterbeer and when he spoke his voice was low and trembling.

Mavis shed her coy smile and glared at him.

"Just gotta ask," she started, taking a step closer to him. "What happened? What did I do?"

"What do you mean?"

"One second you're all nice to me, the next we're almost kissing, and before I know it you're all cold and distant."

"You're the one who freaked on me."

Mavis frowned. "When?"

He hesitated for a second.

"No, nope. I am not drunk enough to say this yet." Sirius shook his head, taking a couple steps away from Mavis. She watched him tip his head back and empty the bottle down his throat. He then motioned for her to follow. "Come on, let's get me another drink and see if that'll be enough."

Mavis noticed that the alcohol was kicking in. Sirius was suddenly looser with her, a little less brooding and the fact that he approached her at all was a sign. His arm wrapped around her shoulder as he walked them both over to the bar.

"Do you wanna get out of here?" he asked.

"I'd be worried, but it doesn't seem like you care enough anymore," she joked, though the truth was ringing in her voice.

"Oh! Pish-posh!" he slurred.

Mavis scoffed.

"Godric! You are so drunk!"

"Why?"

"Who in the fucking world says 'pish-posh'?"

Sirius laughed.

She rolled her eyes and looked away, realising that he had led her to the Astronomy Tower. They sat down in the exact spot James and her had sat: feet dangling over the edge and arms resting on the railing.

Taking advantage of the fresh air, she pulled out her pack of cigarettes. She could feel Sirius watching her as she performed a small nonverbal and wandless magic to summon a bit of flame on her fingertip. She used it to light her cigarette and she inhaled deeply.

"Can I have one?"

"No," she quipped, leaning away from him.

"Come on, please?" he whined, looking at her with his grey puppy eyes.

She sighed.

"Fine."

It turned out Sirius was not a stranger to smoking. The way he looked doing it made Mavis want to kiss him. But she couldn't. He didn't like her.

"Are you drunk enough to tell me now?" she asked, in an uncharacteristically quiet voice.

"Probably, but why ruin the moment?"

"Godric, you're annoying."

"Don't act as if you aren't, too."

Mavis slapped him.

He slapped her back.

"Hey!" she exclaimed. "You hit a girl!"

"So that's what you are? I never noticed."

Mavis looked at him shocked.

"The audacity!" She flopped back with her wrist against her forehead, and then said in all seriousness, "fuck you."

"I wouldn't mind."

"Then why'd you snog McKinnon?"

"Cause you like James and I wanted to get you back."

"What!?" Mavis exclaimed, surprised by the turn the conversation had taken.

There was a silence so quiet that both of their heartbeats were audible. Then Mavis slumped, her breathing out, "oh."

"You like James, so I decided to move on."

"I shouldn't have told you-"

"-I'm glad you did. I don't wanna chase around a girl who doesn't like me like James does."

"Oh fuck, I shouldn't have told you. I knew you would take it all wrong," she ranted. "I don't like James anymore, Sirius."

"Then why did you cry when he found out?"

"Oh shit. That's why you thought that?"

"What else was I supposed to think?" he asked, raising his voice.

Both were now turned around, raging at one another.

"I was fucking embarrassed!" she yelled. "Do you know what it's like to know you're doomed to be the subjects for the rest of the fucking year!? The girls around school still laugh at me when I walk by!"
Sirius leaned back. Shocked.

"So... you don't like him?"

"I haven't liked him since first year. And I was completely over him by third year," she confessed.

She watched him drop his head into his hands, his hair shifting to cover his face.

"Fuck, I messed up," she heard him mutter.

Mavis stamped out her cigarette and scooted closer.

"Look at me."

"No."

"Look at me, Sirius."

"No."

"Look at me, you little shitting drama queen!"

Sirius raised his head and looked at her with a deadpan look.

"Relax, okay?" she told him. "Now that we've straightened everything out, we're good, right?"

He hesitantly nodded.

"Now, I don't usually do hugs. But for you, I'll make an exception."

Sirius leaned into the girl as she wrapped her arm tightly around him. Even though she said they were good, she didn't feel like it was quite that simple.

Suddenly there were footsteps running up the stairs. James arrived panting.

"We messed up, Padfoot," he said. "It's tonight, not tomorrow. Get up."

Sirius scrambled to his feet.

"Sorry," he told Mavis as he ran after James.