Pawns & Players - Sirius Black

-42-

You cannot swim for new horizons until you have courage to lose sight of the shore  - William Faulkner

'Five more minutes!'

She was standing next to Lily with her back pressed against the wall, watching the Charms O.W.L they had just gotten out of. James was rereading his parchment uninterestedly while yawning, turning his head to the boy sitting a few seats behind him. Sirius looked even less interested in the exam if it was possible, grinning widely at his friend, giving him a thumbs-up, while lounging in his chair, he looked up to them.

Sending an exaggerated but quick wink to their side before redirecting his gaze toward Remus, focused sharply on his answers but looking rather exhausted from the upcoming full moon.

Peter, on the other hand, was anxiously chewing his nails and pressing his foot irritatedly on the floor, sitting next to Dorcas and peeking at her paper hopefully.

"Lils, is James seriously drawing your name on his paper ?" She whispered in her ear.

"He asked me to come to watch his game, and asked me out to Hogsmeade, and invited me over for the summer. All in one meal" Lily was citing them with a bored tone, walking away towards the lake while Flitwick was collecting the last papers.

The four boys later came on the lawn, chatting inaudibly farther away from them, and as they led their way towards them, they could hear their conversations faintly. Mostly James bragging about his last Quidditch game and Sirius telling them how he excelled all his O.W.Ls while Remus was laughing with them, a book open between his hands and Peter watching James manipulate the Snitch she had caught a few games ago with his eyes wide open in fascination.

After the prank, things seemed to be going better between them. Once again, not that she was there but Remus had told her that Sirius had actually come to him and apologized sincerely. The projection of his own worst fear must've opened his eyes to the boy's. Or at least hopefully, it was that.

"This was my final straw. I'm dropping out to run a muggle coffee shop" Marlene threw herself next to them on the water's edge, sighing at her assumedly not-so-successful O.W.L.

"That bad huh ?"

"Where is Dorcas ? I have to snog her to recover"

While the three girls continued their chat vividly on the lake's edge, the sun hitting their faces, behind them were the boys sitting on the root of a large tree with Sirius watching everyone around them wearily, his eyes fixing on them discreetly. Turning around and meeting his eyes a couple of times, she knew the look they had. 

"All right, Snivellus?" said James loudly.

And there came the expected outcome.

All four were standing in front of him, James and Sirius throwing spells at each other, Snape mostly being on the receiving end of them, she could feel Lily's frustration and Marlene's careless entertainment as they slowly got closer with James's eyes occasionally checking if the redhead was watching him.

Snape's frustration was so obvious. Lily had told her many times that he was trying to tell her about the Werewolf situation, which she was still making fun of, and he looked as tho he was going to explode, trying to not tell everyone about it.

"You- wait!" They finally approached them enough to hear James's voice, spitting viciously at the boy, tied with invisible ropes in front of him.

"Wait for what?" retorted Sirius coolly. "What're you going to do, Snivelly, wipe your nose on us?"