Forever A Marauder

Nine: Sirius

SIRIUS

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The clock-on-the-wall's pendulum swung back and forth. Tick. Sirius was drawn deep into his mind, thinking two things and two things only: how to keep Calysta out of the Dark Lord's sight--Tick-- and why the direction you stirred mattered when making potions! Tick.

"I'm going to lose my mind!" Sirius broke the never-ending silence that filled the library. Calysta sat across from him; her head jolted up at his out burst. A Ravenclaw girl, about a year younger than himself, shushed him. He crinkled his nose at her and dramatically laid his head on the table. The words in the text book scrambled together; his head swam with information from the pages. Tick.

"I can help you, love." Calysta whispered to him. Sirius smiled without showing his teeth and rested his chin on his hands, looking at the girl's hair fall down her shoulders and back. Tick. His eyes trailed along her fingertips to the quill in her hand. It scrolled along the page, swirling in smooth loops as she wrote in distinctive cursive. "I see you staring at me." She smiled, her eyes meeting his.

"Where's James?" He blurted.

"You just want to cause problems, don't you?" Calysta winked a forest-green eye. Sirius raised his eyebrows and smirked slightly.

"I'm set for the next two days!"

"Never hurts to study a little more." She hinted, nudging his book closer to his face. Sirius made a sound in his throat.

"Cal's right," Remus added. Sirius rolled his eyes at his friend.

"Don't side with her! Then I'll have to do it." Sirius leaned his face into his hand, watching the combined movements of Remus' and Calysta's quills on their scratchy parchment. 

"And to answer your question, James and Peter are with Slughorn. Getting extra help on a few instructions." Remus informed without looking up from his page.

"I could have used that." Sirius moaned. Calysta smiled.

"Just two more days, then we'll be out of here for the summer." She reassured. Sirius studied her face.

"You're scared." He sighed, linking one finger around hers. She breathed sharply through her nose.

"Terrified." She nodded. Remus brought his attention away from his writing to look at her too.

"You'll be alright. Remember what we planned?" Sirius leaned in closer to her. Calysta stared down at her paper. She swallowed hard and nodded stiffly.

"I remember."

~~~~~

Sirius tilted on the back two legs of his chair as he always did. It made him feel cool at first but now he just did it as a habit. His exam was finished, and he relaxed. Two seats up and three over, Calysta had her feet crossed under her chair, moving one foot in the air. She was left handed; he just noticed. Sirius'd always watched her write, or do spells, but he now noticed that was hand Calysta always used.

"Quills down!" The professor waved his wand, and the scrolled rolled themselves and floated collectively from the students' desktops onto the professor's own. From behind him, a paper ball hit Sirius' head. Sirius grabbed it from the floor and glanced upwards to see James smirking at him from his desk. The chair, in the same position as Sirius' was before, tipped backwards. James' eyes went wide as he toppled with it. A collection of gasps and giggles waved through the room.

"Come on, mate," Sirius sighed, hauling James' to his feet when he took his hand. Sirius smiled at Calysta when she placed her hands on his shoulders and walked out after him. Peter looked nervous as he joined them next to a confident Remus.