Human Design | Sirius Black

xxiv. Not Perfect (just trying to get by)

WHEN JUNE ROLLED around, Reece had never been more grateful for exams, even if they were 'the most important ones of his life' and he was much less prepared than he would have preferred. It gave him not only something to occupy himself with from morning to midnight but also a perfect excuse for avoiding everyone else without being rude. 

On the first week of N.E.W.T.s, he had an exam every day apart from Friday which was reserved for Ancient Runes. Then he had had Potions on Monday of the second week and was then luckily free until Thursday when he'd have Arithmancy and Friday when he'd have his last exam of Ancient Studies. The only problem with not having tests was that he was, quite literally, in the library all the time and by Wednesday evening, he thought he might have forgotten what the rest of the school looked like.

 "How goes studying?"

 He almost flinched when Yrsa sat down on the free chair opposite him, startled by the sudden break of the silence that had wrapped around him. "Okay, I guess. How did your Transfigurations exam go?"

"Just fine. I couldn't remember all the ethics and legal complications with human transfigurations so I left that question incomplete but not a surprise; I've got the memory of a goldfish."

   "Actually," said a voice and they turned toward it to see Remus returning several books into the shelf right beside the table, "that's a common misconception; goldfish remember things for at least five months. In fact, they have a better memory than many other species in the animal kingdom like dogs and elephants, for example, and dolphins have one of the best long-term –" He cut himself off, lips still parted, his eyes slowly widening as he realised what he was doing, a blush of deep crimson following in quick succession before he all but stumbled over his own feet despite the fact that he was standing quite still. "I will now stop talking and leave."

   "Right," Yrsa said slowly as she watched him stumble away, eyebrows knitting together, "well I guess I have the memory of a dog then." Soon enough they heard laughter that could easily be identified as Sirius's beyond the bookshelves. She then returned her attention to Reece. "Anyway, you should probably come to dinner; you've been here all day."

   Thus, after he finished the question he had been working on, Reece left the library together with Yrsa to get to the Great Hall which was already almost full as dinner had started half an hour before. He joined her at the Gryffindor table where Ashley had already gotten halfway through her food as she read a novel titled Moon Dancers though she tucked it away when Yrsa sat down opposite her and they started discussing some piece of gossip that Reece couldn't have followed if he had wanted to because he didn't recognise any of the names.

   But, it was no matter because only minutes later, the four Marauders stepped into the Great Hall, midconversation and because they were so late, they had to sit down only two seats away from Reece. The group who had been between them left soon later, and thus, he was given perfect access to listen in on their conversation (of course, he knew he shouldn't but he was a curious person who also happened to be bored and in search of a distraction, a dangerous combination, and thus ethics about eavesdropping were forgotten).

   "We're both virgins. What makes you think you'd be better at it than me then?" James asked hotly as he glared at Remus across the table, the other boy not reacting with much more than a raised eyebrow.

   "Because I can take criticism and feedback, unlike you, because you're always convinced you can do everything perfectly despite a dozen people telling you otherwise."

   Peter, who had just taken a bite of his schnitzel (which, rather than cutting into pieces, he had speared with his fork and tore pieces off with his teeth), chimed in, "He does make a fair point Prongs," as he pointed at James with his schnitzel and fork.