𝙥𝙖𝙡𝙚 𝙖𝙦𝙪𝙖 ➪ 𝗆𝖺𝗋𝖺𝗎𝖽𝖾𝗋𝗌

𝐶𝐻𝐴𝑃𝑇𝐸𝑅 𝑇𝑊𝐸𝑁𝑇𝑌 𝑁𝐼𝑁𝐸

➪ CARAMEL ➪

"YOU ARE INSANE."

"No, I'm not!" Sirius shot the girl a look of offence. "I can't believe you'd say such a thing, Princess."

"She's not wrong, Sirius," Remus spoke, stepping up beside the girl. "You want to steal from the kitchens at night, without the help of James and that."

"Yes, but there'll be fewer people patrolling," Sirius countered.

"No, actually," Loki spoke. Both boys turned their attention to her with a questioning frown. "The Prefects might be gone, but the teachers and ghosts are still out. Not to mention Filch and Mrs Norris will be patrolling twice as hard."

"And you know this... how?" Sirius queried.

"Nicolas has dragged me to the kitchens more than once during breaks," Loki admitted, wringing her hands together.

"I'm almost jealous," Sirius chuckled. He crossed his arms and looked the girl up and down. "Okay. What if we just hang out in the Hufflepuff Common Room?"

"Why do you want to go to the kitchens so badly?" Loki asked, deciding she better try. "It's Christmas tomorrow, and we'll be getting a big feast anyway."

"I think that's the point, " Remus told her, surveying his best friend's face. Sirius winked at the boy, then turned back to Loki.

"Nothing you need to worry your pretty head about, alright? Just some fun." Loki raised her eyebrow at him.

"I told James I would keep you out of trouble," Loki sighed. She averted her gaze and pinched the bridge of her nose. Sirius and Remus frowned at the girl. "But, I guess I can't stop you if you don't let me know about it."

She shrugged and walked away. Casting a look back, she smiled and covered her ears. Remus and Sirius grinned and shook their heads at her action. The boys went back to their talking.

➪

"PLEASE LOOK AWAY."

Loki muttered the phrase under her breath as she and the two males stepped into the Hufflepuff Common Room. Despite there only being two other Hufflepuffs in the space, both being Forth Year girls, Loki still felt anxious about them seeing Remus and Sirius.

"Please look away. Please look away, " she chanted, casting a glance at the younger students in their midst.

"Man, " Sirius awed, holding up the vine of one of the numerous plants, "I knew you Hufflepuffs liked Herbology, but I didn't expect this. Your entry is literally a dirt passage."

"I think I got some in my hair, " Remus murmured, running a hand through his hair curiously. "Yep, I did."

"First of all, not all Hufflepuffs like Herbology. Frankly, I'm dreadful at it, " Loki pronounced, then turned to Remus and smiled gently. "It comes out quickly if you just brush it out. And don't worry about getting dirt on the floor, we're used to it."

"Oh." Remus nodded, then rubbed the top of his head, ruffling his hair, and watched the dirt fall out. "Huh." He let out a soft chuckle.

"Are you two sure you want to wait here? After dinner, of course," Loki queried.

"Oh, yeah, " Sirius grinned. He looked back to the younger students who giggled on the sofa and cocked his head. "Besides, I don't think anyone will mind." Remus stepped on the boy's toes. "Ow, what the bloody hell was that for?"

"That's not the point of this trip," Remus sighed.

"He's right, " Loki shrugged, waving off Remus's concerned look. "I think the girls will be just fine with a couple of handsome guys around."

Sirius raised his eyebrow, and Loki let out a low hum as she realised her words.

"Oh, hey, isn't that your art stuff?" Remus pointed to the corner of the area where the younger girls sat.

Loki followed his gaze to the corner, thankful for the boy's aid, and nodded. "Yep. Yeah. That's–that's it. I–I–I should probably pack that up. Give me a second?"

"Yeah, sure, " Remus nodded.

As Loki scurried away, Remus turned to Sirius and whacked his chest. The dark-haired boy frowned in confusion, lifting his hands as if to say 'what?'.

"You're embarrassing her, " Remus scolded, his whisper harsh.

"So? She gets embarrassed by everything, " Sirius replied.

Remus opened his mouth. The phrase 'yeah, but she likes you' almost slipped out. He closed his mouth quickly, condemning himself for the almost-slip-up. He rethought his words, then turned back to Sirius.

"Yeah, even more reason for you not to do it, " he spoke.

"What's going on?" Loki inquired.

"Nothing, nothing," Remus replied.

Sirius frowned at his best friend's behaviour. After disappearing with the girl a week ago, Remus seemed to alter slightly. Of course, and Sirius believed this, it might have just been the nearing full moon. Sometimes Remus became odd around that time, and it was usually more comfortable for both parties not to pry. Sirius had learnt the hard way.

"Okay, " Loki shrugged, tucking a strand of dark hair behind her ear. "Well, it's dinner time, so if you two want, we can head up now."

"Yes. Let's go, Princess."

Sirius swung his arm over the shorter student's shoulder and began guiding her to the Hufflepuff entrance. Remus followed after the pair, letting out a soft sigh. Loki cast a glance back and smiled his way. He returned the gesture without hesitation. Loki's eyes flicked down, and Remus followed her haze to where she held out her hand for him to take. He bit his bottom lip, glancing back up at her, before wrapping his fingers around hers.

➪ AUTHOR'S NOTE ➪

A/N: sorry for the late upload, my laptop crashed, and I lost half of this bc my dumb ass doesn't backup save.

Teehee, I have something big in store for next chapter, and I'm sure ya'll are gonna love it.

Anyway, how are you all doing? I hope you're doing good, and if you're not, I hope your day gets better from now on.

Comment, vote, or whatever you wish! I'll see you next update.