so in love with you // sirius black

chapter 7

    Snow was falling softly outside and there was a fire roaring in the common room. Many of the younger Gryffindors were playing games, while everyone else was buried in piles of homework.

    I had settled down into a table near the windows and was just pulling my books out when Sirius walked up and sat across from me. He had a large grin on his face, as usual.

    "Maude, I was thinking you could help me with my Potions essay, maybe just proofread what I already have done?" he asked.

    "You actually started it?"

    "You know, I do more of my school work than you think," He told me. 

 "Why aren't you studying with James?" 

    "Prongs somehow managed to get help from Lily!" Sirius said, I hardly believed it, but I looked across the common room and there they were. "I think you might be a better study partner than James anyway."

    "Better than James, that's high praise," I smiled.

   "You might just earn the title permanently if you help me get an A on this assignment."

   "I'm telling James you said that."

   "Seeing as he is shit at potions, he'll have to get over it."

   "The truth is really coming out now," I laughed.

    Sirius looked at me smiling softly, "Anyways," he said, his face quickly returning to his normal cocky grin. "How about it?"

    "Ok, you've convinced me," I dragged out my words as though helping him is some inconvenience and he just laughs, sitting down in the chair across from me.

•••

    "Urgh. Damn hair won't stay out of my eyes."

    I looked up from my essay to Sirius repeatedly pushing his hair back from his face. I couldn't help but laugh at him.

    An idea occurred to me.

   "Okay, you got to've trust me on this one," I slipped out of my chair and stood behind him.

    "Um, what are you doing?" he asked.

    "Fixing your hair problem," I said with a laugh. I pulled a spare hair tie off my wrist and took the top half of his hair and tied it back in a small knot.

    "Did you just give me a ponytail?" he exclaimed. I tried to answer him but couldn't control my laughing. "And now you laughing at me?" He reached to pull out the ponytail, but I reached out to stop him.

    "No, no leave it, it looks good." And I wasn't lying he pulled it off rather well.

    Sirius gave me a look but left his hair tied back. A couple of minutes later he reluctantly admitted that his new hairstyle made it slightly easier to focus. I grinned at him and he smiled right on back. I lost control of my laughter again and this time he was laughing with me.

•••

    After another 20 minutes of studying James wandered over to our table. "Nice hairstyle Padfoot," he said with a snigger.

    "Ah dear Prongsie, don't knock it till you try it," said Sirius. 

    James looked rather skeptical. But when Sirius put James's hair in two tiny ponytails, almost like antlers, the boys seemed to find it extremely entertaining.

    The night ended with the four marauders harassing all the girls in the common room trying to find spare hair ties and then running around with all sorts of crazy hairstyles.

    Lily, Marlene, and I ran up to our dorm trying to avoid giving the marauders all of our hair accessories. We all sprawled across Lily's bed glad to have gotten most of our homework out of the way.

    "How did you guys do on that potion essay?" Lily asked.

    "Okay, I think, Slughorn hasn't graded mine," Marlene said.

    "Really good actually. I could've sworn I had screwed it up, but I guess not," I told them.

    "He hasn't graded mine either, I'm scared to know," said Lily. "The Slytherin girl that sits behind me got a perfect paper, which seems next to impossible!"

    "She probably cheated," Marlene explained.

    "No way!" I exclaimed. "Slughorn would probably expel her from the class if he caught her."

    "Oh I don't know... her older brother was famously good at potions."

    "That makes me feel a little better," Lily laughed.

    We fell into a comfortable silence and I found my mind wandering to Sirius.

    "Marlene?" I said turning my head to look at my friend. "I think you're right, I may have a small crush on Sirius." I heard Lily gasp and Marlene started bouncing up and down on the bed.

    "I knew it! I knew it!" she exclaimed.

    "Oh calm down" I muttered, I could feel my face heating up. "It's a very small crush and it's not like he would ever like me back. He could have any girl in the school if he wanted!"

    "Maude are you blind?" Lily exclaimed. "Did you not see the way he was looking at you while you guys were studying?"

    "I don't know what you're talking about" I muttered, it wouldn't make any sense for Sirius to like me, but Lily's word still brought a small smile to my face. "What's going on with you and James? You guys studied together today and it didn't end with you getting mad at him." I said pulling the topic away from me.

    "I still think he's a prick, but he's been a little less annoying lately," Lily said with a shrug. everyone knew that James was head over heels for Lily, Marlene and I both thought Lily would fall for him eventually. Though we didn't tell her that of course.

    Our conversation slowly turned to our plans for the holidays and what gifts we were buying for what person. we talked late into the night and ended up all falling asleep on Lily's bed.

Sirius black with a ponytail. that's it. that's all i have to say.

xx anna