The Pureblood Princess | Sirius Black

|32| Little Porskoff

The days leading up to The Marauders end of year exams were tense, much tenser than last year.

Remus had given up studying in the library completely, and resigned himself to the secret room... changing the password so the others couldn't disturb him.

James begged animatedly for Lily to help him study, which she did... once. That was enough for her to know that he, in fact, somehow knew all the information already and didn't actually need any help at all.

Peter, however, did. He often tagged along with Lily at her study sessions with Mary and Marlene... Severus Snape, who usually studied with his auburn haired friend, refused to join when the small blonde Marauder was in attendance.

As for Sirius, he mostly spent time studying with Adelaide, who had become nearly obsessive in her end of term revision. He also happened to be the only one who could stand to be around the moody girl.

Adelaide's fowl disposition and tendency to verbally lash out against her friends, had only continued to worsen over the past few weeks. On top of the pressure to finish the map, study for exams, and keep the stupid leaf from falling out of her mouth, she was also faced with a daily reminder of her impending summer of doom, and future grooms, in the form of Evan Rosier.

She hardly ate. She hardly spoke, and when she did it was short and cold. Even worse, she was completely aware of the way her actions were hurting and pushing her friends away. She only wished she could be as successful in pushing away Evan, who's pleas for her to 'let him explain' had become part of her daily routine. On the bright side, she had become rather proficient at silencing spells.

All of her friends had tried to put up with her volatile condition, but in the end, even Remus had begun to steer clear of the walking time bomb with blonde hair. Sirius however, saw that behind her harsh words and icy demeanor, she was just trying to cope with her haunting anxiety. Yes. It bothered him a great deal when she would yell at him for being a 'big blithering idiot', but he knew she didn't mean it. He knew she was in need of something to snap her out of her funk, but he wasn't sure what that was.

It was the last weekend of May, the last weekend before they took their end of term exams, and Adelaide and Sirius were sitting on the floor of the boys room, surrounded by a sea of books, notes, and flash cards.

"Name the ingredients used in the making of a Sleeping Draught." Adelaide quizzed Sirius for the billionth time.

"Valerian sprigs, standard ingredient, flobberworm mucus, aaannnnd......"

"And?!"

Sirius rolled onto his back upon the floor. "Ugh! I don't know Addy!"

"It's a flower." She said shortly.

"Roses?" He guessed, knowing good and well it was the wrong answer.

"It's my favorite flower..." she said giving him another hint.

"Oh! Lavender!" He said with a bright smile, rolling over onto his stomach.

"Correct!" She smiled back. Sirius liked seeing her genuinely happy for once.

"Here hand me the notes, let me torture.. I mean quiz you for a while." He winked. She rolled her eyes but handed him the paper.

She sat cross legged in front of him, idly petting Dorris's ink stained faux fur.

"Name the ingredients used innnn... swelling solution." Sirius quizzed.

"Puffer-fish eyes, dried nettle, and bat spleens." She said quickly.