Trouble (The Marauders Era» Sirius Black Fanfiction) *Editing*

16» A King Made of Stone

Chapter Sixteen

A King Made of Stone

<A spark can start a great fire>

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     Thea and Lily spent that Sunday working on homework. After separating from the Marauders that entire week, their study-group method had faltered, leaving everyone to do their own homework.

     "What's Amortentia again?" Thea asked her friend as she rifled through her notes looking for the answer.

     "It's the most powerful love potion," Lily said, not bothering to look up from her essay.

     "Oh, right," she said. Thea thought back to when Professor Slughorn made a batch of Amortentia in class and the enchanting smells that filled the room; soap, old books and fire.

     "I hate potions," Thea grumbled as she also remembered how badly she brewed that particular potion.

     "Really?" Lily said. "It's my favorite subject."

     "I can think of one thing you like to study more than potions."

     She looked up in confusion. Thea wiggled her eyebrows, and Lily gave a heavy sigh of frustration.

      "Not this again!" she cried out.

     "Oh, James!" Thea said in a mockingly high-pitched voice while Lily hid her face in a book. "You're so good at Quidditch!"

     "Please, stop!"

     "Could you teach little ol' me how to ride a broom- OUCH!"

     Thea rubbed the spot where a book had collided with the top of her head.

     "That hurt!" Thea groaned. Lily shushed her and pointed to a table nearby where Remus and Sirius sat, watching them. Thea gave an awkward wave. "Hello, Remus."

     He nodded in return, going back to reading his book. Thea briefly caught Sirius's eye, but he quickly looked away.

     "Do you think they heard you?" Lily whispered. Thea shrugged, but then someone sat down in the seat next to her before they could continue the conversation.

     "Got a Valentine, Thea?" Bridger said, his blue eyes twinkling.

     "I have many," she said. "Professor Slughorn, Professor McGonagall, Professor Lysander... They all gave me such wonderful gifts."

     She gestured to the table filled with essays and other homework assignments.

     "Struggling to keep up?" he asked.

     "I wouldn't be if I hadn't wasted my Saturday," she said. She noticed Lily out of the corner of her eye, watching the two of them talk while hiding behind her open book.

     "Did you go to Hogsmeade?" said Bridger, drumming his fingers on the table. "I didn't see you there. Were you with a date, perhaps?"