𝐇𝐎𝐖 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐆𝐄𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐈𝐑𝐋! s. black

𝐢𝐢𝐢. 𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬 ( 𝐛 )

THE NEXT MORNING, Bridget stirred awake, feeling the warmth of the fire still flickering and the weight of something solid beneath her head. Slowly, she blinked her eyes open, realizing she was leaning against Sirius Black's shoulder. Her mind immediately jolted awake, and she shifted ever so slightly, trying not to wake him. His head was tilted back, hair messy, with a soft rise and fall of his chest as he slept soundly.

Bridget froze for a moment, unsure of what to do. The previous night's events came back to her — Sirius reading to her, the headache, and then, apparently, falling asleep on him. She could feel the heat rising in her cheeks as she gently unwrapped her arm from his. Just as she was about to move, Sirius groaned softly and opened his eyes, meeting her gaze.

"Mornin', princess," he said in a groggy voice, a sleepy smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

Bridget quickly sat up, brushing her hair away from her face, trying to act casual. "Morning," she muttered, avoiding eye contact.

Sirius stretched his arms lazily and yawned, "Sleep well?"

"Not bad," she answered, fiddling with the hem of her sleeve. "I, uh, didn't mean to—"

"No worries," he cut her off, grinning as he sat up straighter. "I'm pretty comfy, aren't I?"

She rolled her eyes but couldn't help the small smile that formed. "Don't get used to it."

Sirius chuckled, standing up and stretching. "I've got a feeling you secretly enjoyed that more than you'll admit."

Before she could fire back a retort, the noise of students beginning to wake up and move around the common room filled the air. Sirius gave her one last grin and, without another word, headed towards the boys' dormitory.

Bridget sat there for a moment longer, processing the strange mix of comfort and confusion. As much as she didn't want to admit it, there was something oddly comforting about Sirius's presence. Still, she wasn't sure what to make of it.

She grabbed her book from the coffee table, slipped the bookmark into the proper place, and stood up, heading towards the girls' dormitory with a soft sigh. The day had just begun, and she knew Sirius Black would likely find another way to test her patience before it was over.

ೀ⋆｡🌷

The next class on Bridget's schedule was Potions, taught by Professor Slughorn in the cold dungeon classroom. The flickering lanterns barely illuminated the room, and the familiar smell of brewing ingredients filled the air. As usual, she found her spot in the middle of the classroom, close enough to stay engaged but far enough to avoid being noticed when her brother's antics inevitably disrupted things.

James Potter, her older brother, walked in with his usual swagger, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew trailing behind him. Bridget rolled her eyes, fully aware that the Marauders would likely cause trouble. She pretended not to notice them as she began setting up her cauldron.

"Alright, class!" boomed Professor Slughorn as he entered the dungeon. "Today we'll be attempting the Draught of Peace. A delicate potion—one slip-up and you'll have an entirely different result on your hands! Pair up!"

Bridget was about to look for a partner when Sirius slid onto the bench beside her. "Guess you're stuck with me today, princess," he said, grinning in that usual smug way.

Bridget groaned. "What? James and Remus have had enough of you?"

"James is stuck with Remus," Sirius replied, pointing to where the two were setting up their cauldron. James gave her a quick nod, his usual mischievous glint in his eyes. Bridget shot him a disapproving look, knowing her brother was likely already planning some prank.

"Fine," she sighed. "Just don't mess this up, Sirius."

"Relax," he said, leaning back, twirling his wand. "I've got this. I promise."

She gave him a skeptical look but continued setting up their ingredients. For the first few minutes, Sirius was surprisingly cooperative. They chopped, measured, and stirred in silence, Bridget focusing intently on the precise instructions. As they added the powdered moonstone, she couldn't help but notice that Sirius was actually trying. He didn't seem as distracted or chaotic as usual.

But, of course, that didn't last.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw James and Peter whispering to each other. Before she could even react, James flicked his wand, and a puff of bright pink smoke erupted from Remus's cauldron. Remus, clearly used to James's pranks by now, only sighed as their potion turned an alarming shade of green.

"James!" Remus groaned. "You're going to get us detention."

James just laughed, trying to stifle it when he saw Slughorn glance their way. "Relax, Moony, it's harmless."

Bridget sighed and shook her head. "Honestly, do they ever stop?"

Sirius chuckled beside her, clearly amused. "Not if I can help it."

But as she turned back to their potion, Sirius's grin turned mischievous, and before she knew it, he flicked a small splash of water into their carefully brewing Draught of Peace.

"Sirius!" she hissed, watching in horror as the potion began to bubble and froth. "What did you do?"

He leaned in, that same infuriating grin still plastered on his face. "Just a little tweak."

Before Bridget could finish her scolding, the cauldron gave a loud pop and began spewing thick, silvery mist into the air, covering their workstation in a fog. Several students turned to look, some giggling, others backing away.

"Black!" Slughorn called out in exasperation, making his way toward them. "What is going on here?"

Sirius leaned back casually. "It was just a little mistake, Professor. Nothing serious."

Bridget glared at him, arms crossed. "You mean nothing Sirius," she muttered under her breath.

Slughorn waved his wand, dispersing the mist with a tired sigh. "I should have known. Miss Potter, I expected better from you—don't let your brother's friends drag you into these messes."

Bridget clenched her jaw and shot Sirius a furious look. "Thanks a lot, Black."

Sirius gave her a playful wink, clearly not taking the situation seriously. "Come on, princess, don't be mad. I'll make it up to you. Dinner in the Great Hall? My treat."

"Your treat? Last I checked, meals in the great hall were free," she shot back, though a tiny smile tugged at her lips.

"Exactly!" he replied with a grin. "Can't say no to a free meal."

As Slughorn turned away to lecture another group, Bridget grabbed her wand and silently vowed that the next time Sirius partnered with her, he wouldn't get off so easily. But for now, she packed up her potions kit, knowing full well that being James Potter's sister meant chaos was never far behind.

ೀ⋆｡🌷 authors note!
okay so this hasn't been updated in ages, but sav encouraged me to write and boom! now you have a chapter!

this chapter is around 1120 words, which is pretty short for me,  but atleast it's something🤗

okay love you all, enjoy the book!!

xoxo,
mysh <3