Potter | 𝘚𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘶𝘴 𝘉𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬

Chapter 35

"What the hell was wrong with Back?" Marlene frowned, staring at the compartment door where Sirius was peaking through not one minute ago, before leaving without another word.

"Dunno," Jenna shrugged the matter off. "Anyway, as I was saying; Lily's mum made us—"

"—Woah, woah! Not so fast, Potter," Marlene grinned knowing. "If you think I'll let you get out of this conversation, you are wrong. Now tell us why Black has so suddenly started sending you Christmas presents and letters or I'll beat you up!"

"How am I supposed to know!?" Jenna huffed. "Why does it even matter!? It doesn't mean anything. Alice, back me up here."

But Alice said nothing, raising her Herbology book again to read it.

"Alice!" Jenna cried out and the girl put the book down again, sighing.

"Well... I'm with Marlene on this one," she said softly, feeling slightly guilty. "I'm sorry, Jen, but I do think that there was a reason behind his sudden change of behavior."

"Well maybe he's changed his stupid ways of flirting?" Jenna suggested mockingly with a grin.

"I don't think so," said Alice earnestly. "And now that we're on the subject, why didn't you open up his present? He looked pretty hurt..."

"Hurt? Sirius Black?" Marlene snorted with laughter and then said sarcastically, "Yeah, right. And I'm good at Potions."

"And I'm tall," Jenna scoffed, playing along with the joke.

"And I'm never hungry—"

"Alright!" Alice chuckled, cutting Marlene off, knowing that those two idiots could go on all day if you didn't stop them. "Just tell us why you didn't open it."

"Well... you had to see his letter. I mean... he had written it so playfully that I was sure the box was a prank."

"But it wasn't," Alice reasoned. "Didn't you see the look on the poor boy's face?"

"It still can be a prank, though. Maybe it's all a part of his plan," said Marlene mysteriously. "Maybe he's trying to look offended so you would feel guilty and open the box and then — BOOM! You turn into a toad."

Jenna laughed and shook her head at Marlene. "Your imagination astonishes me, Mar."

"Why, thank you," Marlene grinned, bowing her head dramatically.

"You're right," said Jenna, sighing. "I probably shouldn't open it. No wonder he's been so friendly with me over the letters. Something's differently gonna pop out of that box."

"What?" Alice exclaimed. "You're siding with Marlene?"

"Boo ya!" Marlene cried out triumphantly and did a kind of a silly dance in victory, singing, "Malrene, one. Miss Herbology, zero."

"Actually, if we're keeping count," Jenna started, "it would be something like Marlene, one. Alice, forty-si—"

"Shh," said Alice softly in a whisper as she looked lovingly at Marlene, who was still dancing. "Let her have this one. Look how happy our baby is..."

***

When Sirius returned to their compartment, James was gone again to see Lily and Remus was reading his book as he shared his chocolates with Peter.

He opened the door and sat down grumpily, raising his legs and placing them on the seat in front of him, looking out of the window with his arms folded.

"What's wrong, Padfoot?" Peter asked, nibbling on his sweets.

"Nothing," Sirius mumbled wearily, watching as they passed the trees and mountains.

Who does she think she is? he thought to himself bitterly. I go ahead and get her a gift... and this is what I get in return.

He kept wondering to himself to see where he had gone wrong, but no answer came to his mind.

Sirius had never felt this bothered with a simple Christmas present before. He kept telling himself that he was being silly, that it didn't matter. But he felt angry every time he thought about it all the same.

"Why do girls have to be so... confusing!" Sirius suddenly huffed out loud, catching Remus and Peter off guard as he kept glaring out of the window.

Remus remained quiet and said nothing on the matter, his gaze fixed on a spot on the book, not moving.

"Do you have girl-problems, Padfoot?" Peter sniggered. "That's definitely a first."

"I'm not having a problem with girls," said Sirius sharply. "They're just... confusing creatures!"

"Why?" Peter mused. "What do they do?"

"Oh, I'll tell you what they do! All they do is — is —" he tried to search his mind for the right answer, but he felt so irritated that nothing came. "All they do is confuse people, that's what!"

"Are you talking about girls in general, or one specific girl?" Remus asked, glancing at Sirius from over his book, even though he already knew the answer.

"G-girls in general," said Sirius in a slight stutter, looking away again awkwardly.

"Well," Remus started, putting his book down on his lap and looking at Sirius intently. "Maybe if you treated them better, this wouldn't be happening."

"I don't want relationship advice, thanks, Moony."

"Seems to me like you need it, though."

By those words, Sirius shot his head up at Remus. But instead of saying anything to him, he stood up from his seat and made his way towards the door, muttering grimly to himself, "Oh, I'll show her... I'm not treating her right, am I?"

"Where are you going?" Peter called after him.

"To find Jones," said Sirius before closing the compartment door and leaving them.

Peter gave Remus a puzzled look. "Who's Jones?"

"Gwenog Jones, I think," said Remus, his gaze fixed on the door. "The Hufflepuff Quidditch captain."