Pawns & Players - Sirius Black

-35-

If there's not a rebellious youth culture, there's no culture at all. It's absolutely essential. It is the future. This is what we're supposed to do as a species, is advance ideas  - John Lydon

The back of the library was a forgotten place. Distant from Madam Pince and other students, the fifth-year Gryffindors joined by the Hufflepuff prefect Macmillan, were studying with books and parchments spread around the, though each had a different style of what they called "studying". Lily and David had thrown closer over the holidays and were sitting on the same armchair together, working on their Charms reading, much to the obvious displeasure of James Potter, who did everything in his power to disturb them and so on wasn't that focused on the Astronomy textbook open in front on him. Alice and Frank were sitting on the floor, entangled with each other and things also seemed to be going well with the new couple, focused on their Care of Magical Creatures lecture.

Dorcas was also sitting on the floor, her back resting against the armchair Lily and David were on, reading the Muggle Art article given in the extracurricular she had chosen with Marlene lying with her head on her knee, the Transfiguration assignment long forgotten. 

Flumped in front of the low table, multiple books and quills around him, was Peter. Biting his nails and occasionally pulling his hair from stress, he looked much more unnerved compared to Mar next to him, reading a random muggle magazine calmly. The only person missing from the picture was Remus Lupin.

Leading her way to the corner of the bookshelves to spot the boy with long black hair covering the girl's face in front of him.

"Sweet naked Goblins not in the library" Her disgusted voice and hand movements gained both kids' attention.

"Were you planning on joining in Alexander ?"

"Sorry to break the fun," She continued ignoring him. "Where's Remus ?" 

"Sleeping with my best mate to make me jealous ? Reall-"  His sentence wasn't finished yet when the Potions textbook she held collided with his head.

"Ouch, okay. He must be in our dorm, he told us he's a bit sick, you know"

"Accio" Before turning back on her heel, she threw the broad boy a condom, smirking sarcastically and walking out of the corridor.

You know, had a clear meaning, but in this case, the full moon was two weeks away the boy looked perfectly fine earlier at dinner. Parting the door leading to their dorm, she slid her head inside an empty room. The Common Room and Gryffindor Towers were both unoccupied and his prefect rounds were over for the night.

Pacing swiftly around the Greenhouses and Herbology classrooms, a plaintive sound came from the dark, before the exact same noise produces itself once again. Stepping closer and closer to where the voice was coming from, she found herself standing before the boy she was looking for, skipping rocks over the Black Lake.

"They're all in the library, studying, you know for the O.W.Ls" She started uncomfortably, not knowing how to break the silence, catching his attention.

"There's no point in me being there"

"Yeah sure you're smart but most of them aren't even studying anyways"

"I mean there's no point in me trying. My life after Hogwarts is over. No job, no relationship, no family." His hollow eyes were fixed on the water he was standing before. A cracking and brittle voice proving he had been speculating about it for the past hours. He threw another one onto the lake.

"That's not true, and trust me, you just help me kill my parents and I'll hire you"

The boy chuckled slightly turning his head around to see her.

"But come on, you must've known that, even with our parents alive Sirius and I can get a prefect with nearly perfect grades and not one late assignment any job he wants, why do I feel like the second part was more important ?"

"Peter got his first kiss over the summer"

"It's that bad huh"

"Appreciate the comfort"

Silently observing him for a few second, she answered. "I'm not one to comfort, I like to fix things" Walking her way towards him, the girl swiftly pulled the tall boy's tie, pecking his lips before pulling back and grinning proudly. 

"I'm a few people away from platonically snogging the entire crew" She commented proudly, shrugging at the thought.

"Sirius is going to kill me from jealousy" Realization hit him, chuckling to himself.

"What ?"

"Oh nothing"

"So if your god complex moment is over, it's time to actually study to get a job"