Arcane [Sirius Black]

Chapter 24 - For the Record

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    Lily was right: Diana was a fan of Honeydukes. Her eyes lit up like a little kid on Christmas morning the moment they stepped foot in the pastel candy shop.

    "Oh Merlin, I won't be able to fit in any of my clothes after this!" Diana said, making Mary chuckle.

    "Don't worry, you can wear mine," winked James. "You too, Evans. Though, you don't need to outgrow your own for the offer to stand."

    Lily blinked at James.

    "Annnd moving on from that," Diana said, "I'm going to look at the sweets!"

    Diana shot forward, whizzing past Marlene so quick the girl stumbled, soft chuckles tumbling from her mouth.

    "Does anyone else not remember when she went from an angsty old lady to a cheerfully energetic child?" Marlene asked.

    "No clue, but I love it," said James, "we don't call her Zippy for nothin'!"

    "You're the only one who calls her that," Remus pointed out. James hushed him before his eyes widened and his mouth fell agape.

    "Look, look!" he exclaimed, hitting Remus on the shoulder excitably, "Babbling Bubblegum!"

    "What the bloody hell is Babbling Bubblegum?" asked Sirius, eyebrows furrowed.

    "No time to explain!" said James, grabbing Lily's arm and pulling her to the side of the store where he'd spotted the display of brightly packaged bubblegum.

    Remus sighed, "I'll be at the chocolate."

    "Ooo I'll second that statement!" said Marlene, following after the boy to the wall of chocolate bars.

    "And then there were three," sighed Sirius. Mary took one look between Sirius, who was leaning casually against the counter, and Peter, who was sending her heart eyes, and shook her head.

    "Make that two," she said, taking off toward Diana.

    Sirius glanced at Peter and pushed off the counter, walking quickly away and after Mary.

    "And make that one, I suppose," Peter muttered, wandering toward a stand of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans. He popped one in his mouth, grimacing as the taste of rotten egg filled his mouth.

    "Alright, Evans," James said across the way, holding a packet of Babbling Bubblegum in one hand, wiggling his eyebrows at the girl who stood unimpressed in front of him, "watch this."

    He went to shake a cube of gum from the packet but nothing came out. He furrowed his eyebrows and began to whack the container vigorously against his hand, attempting to get the stuck piece of bubblegum into his open palm.

    "I'm watching," Lily hummed, smirking.

    "Just...one...moment," James huffed, "I promise this'll be worth it."

    "I highly doubt that," Lily muttered. James didn't hear her though, too busy stuffing his mouth with bubblegum. Lily raised her eyebrow and he held a single finger up, as to gesture he wasn't done yet.

    After chewing for a moment, he pursed his lips to blow a bubble, however instead of a usual bubble sprouting from his mouth, a plethora of little bubblegum bubbles floated into the air, spelling themselves out into a phrase.

I LOVE LILY EVANS

    "You're insane!" Lily exclaimed, looking at the bubbles in shock.