The Pureblood Princess | Sirius Black

|78| The Pancake Murderer

The official team roster still had yet to be announced, and yet James sat at his perfectly organized desk jotting down ideas and drafting strategies for the upcoming Quidditch season. He was halfway through charming an animated diagram for a new reverse pass play, when he heard a strange dog-like whine. Rolling his eyes, he turned toward his dramatic lump of a best friend wallowing in despair upon his bed and stuffing his face with every flavor beans, without even checking to see what flavor they were.

"Cheer up mate, she'll be back later." James smirked.

Sirius grumbled unintelligibly, voice garbled by the assortment of candy shoved into his mouth.

"Sorry, didn't quite catch that last bit..."

Sirius sighed loudly. "I said, what is she even doing with him?!"

James knew exactly what Adelaide was doing with Jack that night, but promised to keep Sirius entertained... or distracted at the very least, until she returned. "She's probably just tutoring him." he lied casually.

"Tutoring him?! Is that code for something?!"

James panicked. Was it? He wasn't really up with the latest slang... could be. "Uh... no?" Sirius's distress visibly intensified. "No. Not code." James said in a lower voice, trying to sound more sure.

Sirius nodded slowly, eyes darting toward the Marauder's Map on Remus's bedside table.

"Don't you dare think about stalking her." James said quietly.

"I was not—"

"Yes you were..." James sighed. The poor sap looked so crestfallen that James considered just saying 'screw it' and telling him what Adelaide was really up to just to put him out of his misery. Unfortunately however, he solemnly swore to keep her late night escapades a secret. "Just relax. She'll be back before you know it."

***

"No! Dammit! I've screwed everything up! This is a disaster!" Adelaide cried out in frustration.

"Addy! It's okay! Just relax, we can fix this—" Jack tried to calm her to no avail.

"No Jack! It's a total mess! There is no way we— no way I can fix this!" she insisted.

Jack took a steadying breath. "Listen, everyone makes mistakes... you didn't mean to—"

"It's ruined! Everything is ruined, all because I screwed up! I should've never brought you here!"

"Addy. You burned a freaking pancake, it's really not the end of the world." Jack said sternly.

"It is! I can't do it!" she said dramatically. "I'm a failure!"

"I really don't think that burning a few pancakes makes you a failure—"

"I'M A PANCAKE MURDERING FAILURE!"

Adelaide stormed away from the griddle through the cloud of black smoke and and sat on one of the wooden tables of the kitchens, head rested on her arms in defeat. "Can you just make them? At least then I can give him something... something edible." she muttered woefully.

Jack chuckled. "Sure... but I think you'll get the hang of it pretty soon! You were great at making the batter we just need to work on your—"