The Potioneers of Damocles ✓ | JILY

Chapter Six

"Okay, I have several terms for working with you two," Sirius said, lounging in a chair, his hands clasped deviously together, "One, if there is a chance to listen to music, I pick the music. Two, I want food, I don't really mind what but if I'm hungry I want to eat. And three, if I accidentally get into these Potioneers of Dominque - "

"Damocles," Lily corrected, pursing her lips a little. She'd been sceptical of working with him already, thinking it would just give her unnecessary problems. Before she'd just been ninety nine percent sure of this but that one percent had convinced her it would be okay. Sadly, the odds had been right: they'd been talking to him for less than a minute and he was already being annoying.

Even more annoying was the fact that James had insisted on doing it the next day when the best time to do it would have been the evening of the day before, so Sirius could intercept their meeting. Nobody wanted their breakfast interrupted and Lily could feel the plan crumbling to bits already.

"He invented the Wolfsbane potion," James replied, "Seems like a nice guy."

"Oh, that was helpful of him. Anyway, where was I?" He gave a small smile, "Right, three: if I accidentally get into the Potioneers of Damocles instead of you because of my charms, wit, good lucks and just all round alluring-ness, you won't hate me for."

"You don't even take Potions," Lily snapped.

"Yeah, but like that would stop them," Sirius said, winking at James successfully.

"Okay, fine we agree to your terms," Lily snapped, exhaling loudly with irritation.

"Relax, Lily," James replied, as Sirius stood up, stretching his arms as if limbering up for exercise, "He's just messing around."

"It's hard to relax when my chances of getting in rest on Sirius Black."

At the mention of his name, Sirius snapped his head around, raising an eyebrow at her, "I heard my name. My full name."

"How? I whispered it?" Lily said, sighing in despair.

"I have extremely sensitive hearing," Sirius replied, "And don't worry, I have every faith in my seduction abilities - "

"Persuasion," Lily corrected, anxiously, "Persuasion and reading people abilities, no seduction."

"Lily, there is one thing you don't understand about persuasion: good persuasion is seduction," He replied, lowering his voice as if to give her an example of how seductive he could be.

"No, no seducing, Oni won't appreciate it, I can tell - "

"Oh, a challenge?" Sirius asked, his eyes wide which made James snigger slightly.

"No, not a challenge," Lily snapped, "I said no seduction - "

"Lily," James said, finally breaking from his laughter, "He's messing with you."

At this, Lily stiffened; things had just turned from awkward to embarrassing and she wasn't happy.

"Well then..." Although part of her wanted to believe she hadn't been toyed with, the cheeky smirk on Sirius's face didn't lie: he had been messing with her, "Can we just get this over with, please? It's unbearable for me."

"As you wish," Sirius replied, stretching out his arms one more time, "Prongs, checked the map?"

"Yep," James replied, pulling the map out of his robe pocket, "Looks like we're in luck, Oni and Finola just met up and are heading to breakfast."

"How are you going to talk to them?" Lily asked, folding her arms and staring him down, "It's going to be odd if you just sit down with no explanation and start persuading them to talk."