𝗹𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝗼𝘆, sirius black

˗ˋ 12

CHAPTER TWELVE
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-: sixth year :-

── IN WHICH HE PICKS
HER UP

. . .

The first day of classes had been a whirlwind of new experiences for Nancy, who had only ever experienced learning through practical ways. She couldn't remember a time when she was physically sat down and taught about Defense Against the Dark Arts or Potions.

Both of which she was rather skilled at considering her lack of formal teaching. It seemed to help in Potions that Slughorn took one look at her last name and instantly began diving into one of the times he had met Newt, asking all about how he was doing and if he had discovered any more creatures recently.

Then, luckily for Nancy, his attention was drawn back to the class by James as he shouted about something from his table. But she wasn't about to get away without hearing all about Professor Slughorn's party and the possibility of having her invited to it.

Marlene walked with her and the boys to Care of Magical Creatures (which was only theory this lesson and thus the teacher didn't spend too much time fussing over her). Dorcas and Lily joined her for Herbology, and by the time that was over, she was scheduled to go down to the Quidditch pitch.

"Don't forget the research on Venomous Tentacular! We will be beginning our deeper learning into them next week and that will be necessary to continue." Professor Sprout called after them as they trailed behind each other out of Greenhouse Seven, the two long lines on either side of the raised plant beds merging as they arrived at the double doors.

"Good afternoon ladies." Sirius's voice made them jump out of their skin as they exited the structure. He was leaning against the framing, pushing himself to his feet as Dorcas, Lily and Nancy finally left. "Right at the back of them all as well."

"Hello Sirius." Lily smiled diplomatically. "Didn't you have a class to be in?" The smile had dropped and instead filled with suspicion.

"Nope. Been in the common room for an hour." Sirius shrugged, pushing his hands into his pockets. "James asked me to come get Nancy to show her down to the pitch. Not that it's hard to find, but seeing as I was going down I thought I would come by."

"So James didn't ask you and you did it by yourself or the other way around." Dorcas questioned the contradictory words. 

"What?" Sirius' eyes widened. "No.. James told me to. I was going to ignore him and let her find her own was so it's not like we're coddling her or anything." In response, Sirius just grumbled, rearranging his hair to hide the pink tips of his ears - at least he thought they were turning pink, there was just a rather intense heat there.

"Whatever you say." Lily shook her head. "Enjoy Quidditch Nance, I'm pretty certain James will pick you for his team."

"Yeah - and don't you dare purposefully hit her with a Bludger Sirius!" Dorcas called back to them as her and the Evans girl followed the rest of the crowds of students back into the school.

"Thanks for thinking of not coddling me." The sentence was awkwardly formed, but joined Nancy's smile as they turned in the opposite direction to Nancy's Herbology classmates. "I really don't want to be a bother to anyone."

"It's nothing. Besides, I said that I needed to go there anyway." Sirius deflected the gratitude quickly, instead leading the way on a gravel path, stopping beside a much longer one that led down to the Quidditch pitch.

It didn't have any of the cloth coverings on so early in the year, leaving the wooden frame exposed, but either way it was a truly magnificent sight, each of the much taller, tower-like stands topped by a flag.

"James said he would meet us here, but we should start walking down." Sirius glanced around, as if James was about to jump out of any of the surrounding bushes. "You see just through there," he raised his arm, pointing through the archway in the castle towards, beyond which they could see a rather large, open door, "-that's a corridor on one end of the Entrance Hall. You can come through that way or the way that I brought you, alright?"

"Got it." Nancy confirmed, peering down through the arch before following Sirius down the long-winding path to the Quidditch pitch. "How long have you played then?"

"Since third year. James has been a chaser since second - one of the youngest on the team. Me and Kingsley decided to tryout when we came back from summer, the two beaters before had been the Prewett twins but they graduated." Sirius explained, looking back when he heard footsteps. "Oh Merlin, here we go."

James had already changed out of his uniform, now instead in a pair of sweatpants and a scarlet shirt, a round number '3' in the centre of his chest, painted gold. "Alright you two?" He teached them, and slowed from his run. "Sirius, I'm assuming you've got a change of clothes?"

Sirius gestured to the bag on his shoulder, a look in his eyes asking if it wasn't obvious enough.

"Nancy, I've got you a couple of things from Professor McGonagall, who got them all from Hooch. Don't worry, they're all clean." James handed over a bag, a mesh of colours inside. "I can get you some better fitting ones when it comes to match, but I thought it would be alright if you wore spares today to get used to the feeling of it."

"Of course." Nancy nodded, peering down at the clothes. "Yeah that's completely fine.. thank you."

"No worries.. now come on." James and his love of Quidditch was causing him to speed up, dragging Nancy and Sirius with him.

The Scamander girl was actually look forward to it, ill-fitting clothes or not.

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