Zeus || S. Black

Chapter 15

"Go away Black," Mara said for the tenth time that day. 

"I just need you to listen to me," Sirius begged once again. 

"There's nothing for me to listen to," the Ravenclaw yelled back as she tried to run through the crowded hallway. 

"Please!" The Gryffindor shouted through the hallway as he began to catch up. 

"You know, Black. You not taking no for an answer isn't endearing. If anything its concerning," Mara hollered back, causing most of the students to turn and look at the boy. He didn't know how to respond and all the accusatory looks he was being sent only made the boy turn as red as his tie. 

By the time that they got to a hallway that was absent of any stragglers, Mara turned around and said, "Remus already tried to play the full moon card, but last I checked, he was the only werewolf." 

"I know but I help him," Sirius finally told the girl. 

"You can't be within the vicinity of a werewolf if they aren't on wolfsbane. They'd attack you," Mara argued. 

"Well I've always gotten top marks when it came to transfiguration," the boy joked with his crooked grin plastered on his face. 

Mara gave the boy a weird look before she thought back. How he had already perfected his patronus charm and when her first prank made the boy bark. Both had to do with dogs. And then his nickname by his friends, Padfoot. After a moment, it struck her. "You're an animagus." 

Sirius didn't say anything but he didn't have to. The smile on his face said it all. "So you're telling me that you somehow became an animagus before your sixth year for your best friend?" Mara questioned as she began to walk towards the boy wearing scarlet robes. 

"That seems to be about right," Sirius replied. 

"Did Professor McGonagall help?" Mara asked. 

"No, we figured it out by ourselves," he answered. 

"So you're an illegal animagus?" 

"Yes." 

"That's stupid," Mara told the boy before continuing. "But I guess I can't be mad at you since you did all of that for your friend. Though you should definitely keep track of the moon cycles." 

"My only flaw," the Gryffindor joked. 

"Are you being serious right now?" Mara questioned before she realized the unintentional pun she made. 

Before she could correct herself, Sirius responded by saying, "right now and always Love."  

"You know that was lame right?" Mara questioned as the pair continued to close the space between them. 

"I'm not so sure about that. I remember pretty vividly a particular Ravenclaw telling me that I was the jokester of my group," Sirius threw her words back. 

"You can be the jokester of your group and still be unfunny," the Ravenclaw told the younger boy who acted offended upon hearing her statement. 

"That was really mean Mara, you know that right?" 

"It's all in good fun," the brunette responded. 

"Well my feelings are hurt. So to make up for it, will you go on a date with me?" His question made Mara suck in a breath. 

"Do you promise not to ditch me?" 

"I'm the one asking you on a date," Sirius replied. 

"That doesn't mean much Black," Mara noted. 

He rolled his eyes but his crooked grin swept over Sirius' lips. "I would never want to miss another moment I could spend time with you," Sirius told the Ravenclaw before lightly grabbing her wrist and leaning down, placing a kiss on her cheek. 

"Alright, Sirius, you've got yourself a date," Mara responded, feeling light on her feet. 

"Okay. Tomorrow. Kitchens. Eight o'clock. Be there," Sirius scheduled, sounding awfully familiar. 

"This sounds a lot like what I said last time," Mara noted. 

"Yes it does," the Gryffindor confirmed. 

"I don't like the precursor to our date." 

"If you don't show up, I'll understand. Revenge and all. But I'll also be really sad and depressed and eat my feelings away. You don't want to see a mopey, overweight Sirius do you?" The boy joked. 

"I guess not," Mara teased. 

"Okay then, be there!" 

"I'll be there!" Mara confirmed. 

Later in the day, Mara saw her sister dressed in red sitting with her two best friends. The Ravenclaw debated whether or not to crash the friend's meeting but ultimately decided to join. "Hello lions, how are you all doing on this fine evening?" 

A chorus of hellos flowed from the girls. 

"I heard from a certain Gryffindor that you have a date tomorrow," Marlene sang. 

"You'd be right," Mara confirmed. Once she did, Marlene cheered while Lily made a sour face. 

"I told you so!" The freckled teen jabbed at Lily before turning to give Mara a smile. "Good for you. I know Siri is absolutely delighted." As she said this, Marlene rested her elbow on Stevie's shoulder and leaned her head against the other blonde's temple. 

"I think he'll be good for you," Stevie confirmed. 

"As long as he doesn't ditch her again," Lily mumbled. Mara didn't say anything as she knew Lily's strong convictions when it came to men. There was little wiggle room for messing up in her eyes and skipping on a date was unforgivable. 

"That's all I can hope for," Mara joked. 

"Well once the quidditch games start that's when you have to start worrying about time management," Marlene warned, knowing all too well about how the Gryffindor quidditch team was full of members that were always late. 

"Speaking of quidditch," Stevie began. "I know it's a bit premature but I wanted to invite you to the afterparty." 

"A bit premature? The game isn't for another two weeks and we won't know if Slytherin or Gryffindor will win until that day," Mara told her sister. 

"Yeah but Marlene's on the team so you know they'll win," Stevie told her sister as Marlene wrapped her arm around Stevie's neck. Mara rolled her eyes. It was so like Stevie to pre-plan victory parties; always the optimist. 

"Okay, if Gryffindor wins, I'll be there. And I'm bringing Angelo and Elise." 

"Good. I want the party to be so big you can't move," Stevie smiled. 

"If that's so then I suggest you invite Amelia," Mara suggested.

"Ugh," the Gryffindor complained. "Why?"

"Just because she's a year younger than you doesn't mean she can't have fun too," Mara explained. "And like you said, you want it to be so big that people can't move."