Sirius

2.1

Mid-November

"Hey Eli!"

Eli looked up from her book, her eyes scanning the courtyard for the familiar voice. Her eyes quickly found the grey eyes of Sirius Black as he made his way towards her, three boys at his heels. She frowned softly, looking at the group curiously as she tried to figure out why they would be coming over to her.

When Sirius got close enough to where speaking to him wouldn't require yelling across the courtyard, Eleanor offered him a greeting. "Hello Sirius."

"Why are you always reading something?" His inquiry was paired with snatching the book from her hands. "Ah, just as I suspected, poetry from a dead guy. Eli, you are predictable as ever."

She rolled her eyes, "what do you want Sirius? If you've simply come over to degrade my reading choices, you can go away." A smile played at her lips as she spoke the last part, "I'd actually like to enjoy one Saturday without you bothering me."

What would have been Sirius' response filled with a dramatic display of fake anger and hurt was interrupted by the sounds of three different types of laughter mingling together in the icy breeze of the wind.

It was then that Eleanor's attention fully turned towards the three boys behind Sirius. She was fast to recognize them as James Potter, Peter Pettigrew, and Remus Lupin; the remaining three of the well-known group of second year gryffindors.

"Well Eli, I actually came over to introduce my friends to you. Figured you could make a couple more friends, Merlin knows you could use some, you antisocial bookworm."

She sent Sirius an unimpressed look, "I know who they are. We've only been going to school together for a year now."

He merely shrugged under the weight of her glare. "You can never be too sure. You didn't even consider us friends until a few weeks ago."

Before Eleanor could respond someone else spoke up. Peter rolled his eyes, nudging Sirius a little in the side, "I told you she knew who we were. She let me borrow a quill in charms just last week."

James spoke his agreement, "yeah, we were paired together during transfiguration last year when we did the paper clips."

Sirius gestured to the last of the boys, "well what about Remus? I think you'd like him, he doesn't study as much as you, but he likes to read."

"Sirius, we've spoken plenty of times in the library," Remus said, shoving Sirius' hand off of his head, wincing slightly when a few hairs were yanked away.

Sirius looked at him in disbelief, before his eyes quickly moved to Eleanor and then back to Remus again. "You've spoken to Eli, and you never thought to tell me?"

Remus gave him a look of confusion, "yeah?" It was meant to be a statement but Remus couldn't help the question present in his voice.

Sirius looked between Remus and Eleanor in utter betrayal. "I can't believe this! Remus, you know that's not fair! Eli is my friend, you're not allowed to steal her."

Eleanor rolled her eyes and the smile that slipped across her lips was too big to wipe off. "You're such a drama queen. Weren't you just bringing them over in hopes of me making friends with them?"

James turned to Peter as if he had just been told the greatest news, "told you I wasn't the only one who thought that he was a little too dramatic!" He ignored the look Sirius was giving him and continued to chat with Peter. "He's worse than the actors at the plays my mum drags me along to see. Trust me Pete, never see a theatre performance. You'll be bored out of your brains for hours."

As James continued to talk about the cons of seeing a play, Sirius turned to Eleanor, only to find her in a deep conversation with Remus about an author they both liked.

Sirius frowned, interrupting, "Eli! Stop talking to Remus about books, it's boring."

Eleanor rolled her eyes, "sorry your boyfriend likes to have an intellectual conversation every once in a while. I'll keep my mouth shut from now on."

"Hey!" Sirius cried, outraged, "I have intellectual conversations with Remus! All the time!"

"Sure you do," Eleanor smirked playfully.

"We do," he continued to insist. "Just yesterday, we were talking ab- hey! Remus isn't my boyfriend!"

Eleanor's smirk only seemed to widen, "who are you trying to convince?"

Sirius glared down at her, "you very well know Remus and I are not dating."

James smirked, "you act like you're bloody married."

Eleanor was so caught off guard by James' comment that the laugh escaped her before she could even notice. With her head tossed back and her hand flat against her stomach, her laughter mingled with the air. Peter's soft chuckles mixed with hers and his hand clamped down on James' shoulder.

James was quick to pump his fist into the air, proud grin on his face. Remus simply smiled at the group, shaking his head softly. Sirius, however, was not as amused.

When her laughter subsided, Sirius shot her a frown. "You're not suppose to laugh at what James says. It makes him think he's actually funny."

"We all know I am funny." James countered, smirk still present on his lips. "Don't worry Sirius, one day you can be as funny as me too. Just keep working on it."

Sirius flashed him a toothy grin, "too bad Evans doesn't think you're so hilarious."

Eleanor raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Evans?" She questioned Remus, "as in Lily Evans?"

Remus rolled his eyes and nodded. "He hasn't shut up about her since she told him to bugger off last week."

"James Potter fancies Lily Evans?"

James scowled at Eleanor and quickly denied the accusation. "I don't fancy her. She's just fun to mess with is all."

Peter scoffed, "she doesn't even give you the time of day, James."

"That's exactly right, Pete. That's why it's so funny when she finally does react to my pestering."

"Sounds like he fancies her," Eleanor hummed.

James shook his head with a frown. His fingers raised to pinch the bridge of his nose, shoving his glasses up while doing so. "Ellie, you're just not understanding. I don't fancy her."

She nodded, an amused smile gracing her lips. "Okay, James." When James grinned, she turned to Remus and muttered to him, "he so fancies her."

Remus laughed loudly, causing James to scowl. Sirius smirked. Peter moved to sit beside Eleanor, "I like you Ellie, you're pretty funny," he confessed as he sat. Eleanor grinned.

Eleanor sat with the four gryffindor boys for the rest of the afternoon out in the courtyard.