𝗹𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝗼𝘆, sirius black

˗ˋ 19

CHAPTER NINETEEN
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-: sixth year :-

── IN WHICH SIRIUS PESTERS

. . .

"Hi." The voice on Nancy's ear made her jump out of her skin, very almost scratching a line of dark ink across her carefully detailed Care of Magical Creatures homework that she had been working on for almost forty-five minutes by that point - it was an essay on Diricawl's, a creature that the Scamander knew quite a bit about, given the small hoard running around in the more tropical areas of the suitcase - and she was not willing to give that all up for the simple act of being greeted at the long oak table as she took part in the silent study hour in the Great Hall.

"Hi." She narrowed her eyes, tone skeptical as she turned to look towards the one who had almost forced her into ruining her work, brows furrowing when she saw dark curls around a handsome face, sitting sideways in the bench with a leg either side. "Sirius?" Nancy asked, watching as he slowly pulled the Hippogriff-feather quill from her palms and setting the tip down the cap that came from her ink bottle. "What is it?"

"Can't your friend come and sit next to you?" Sirius's head cocked to the side, Nancy watching as a particularly tight wave of hair fell across his forehead, instantly flicked back several times but failing to keep it in place despite his efforts. Sighing, their knees brushing, she reached for the hairband around her wrist and pulled it off, hands raking through his hair as she tied it up. 

He stared at her for a moment when her hands fell back into her lap, his fingertips reaching up and finding the small twist of hair above the crown of his head. "Thanks." He muttered, suddenly very aware of a group of girls studying together just down the table from them. Sirius wasn't looking to dispell the rumours, per se, but he didn't exactly want Nancy to face any of the usual Gryffindor 'niceties' that came from him finding a new friend. He hardly even noticed it happened anymore - it was just an experimental phase in his fourth year that seemed to be the only thing people ever remembered about him - but he knew that there could be trouble for Nancy if things went wrong.

"No problem." Nancy replied, her tone still in the whisper that was used so often during the study time in the Great Hall. She had decided to make use of it once and found it very useful, especially before dinner when otherwise her time would be spent messing around in the common room with the boys, down in the suitcase or chatting with the girls about something. "So.. what can I help you with?"

"Eh... nothing much." Sirius wove his hand dismissively, rolling his eyes at the variety of 'shushes' that came from people around him. "Just.. thought I'd come and check up on you... see if you were a little lonely or something."

"No." Nancy shook her head, tucking the choppy layers of blonde behind her ears. "I'm just doing homework.. why would I be lonely? Also, you need to be quiet please, it's supposed to be quiet in here."

"And if I don't?" Sirius grinned. "What, planning on magicking my mouth shut-" He brought himself to a stop suddenly, knowing she could do exactly that. Instead, he came down to a whisper. "Please don't do that, Nance, I promise I won't be too loud." 

"Good... then I'll get back to my essay." Nancy reached for her quill again.

"No!" Sirius jumped and grabbed her wrist. "Sorry.. sorry." He rolled his eyes as he apologised to the crowd around him who seemed to think he was the cause of Nearly Headless Nick's halfway-beheading. "You guys are all aware there's a library right? A place literally designated for being quiet and shushing people?"

"Sirius." Nancy hissed a warning, eyes wide and urgent as she shut him up again, watching as he tried to form more words but being wholly unable to, on account of the spell she hadn't hesitated to cast with a wave of her fingertips. "Do you think you can be quiet?" She asked. Sirius nodded. "And will you tell me what the hell you want?" 

Sirius nodded again. She rolled her eyes as she flicked her wrist his way and he took a heaving, over-dramatic breath in, only to receive a smack on his shoulder. "Fine, I get it. No more fucking around." He let out a sigh, rubbing his crinkled shirt-covered shoulder. "I have a question for you."

"What?" Nancy stared at him, waiting for him to answer. He paused, turning back for the first time. She leaned back in her seat, following his gaze to where she saw Remus, James and Peter waiting around in the back wall of the Entrance Hall. "Oh... what is it?" She asked. 

Sirius glanced around conspiratorially, before leaning forward, his forearm balancing on her shoulder as he cupped a hand around her ear. His eyes were smiling. 

"You've been selected to help us with a prank." He murmured in her ear, watching as she pulled back, incredibly ready to protest. "No!" He exploded, not caring about whether or not people heard. "Nuh-uh. We said it would happen one day, and you agreed - so let's go. If you don't, I'll just stay here."

Nancy paused, glancing around the room. There were too many people disrupted by Sirius's presence for her to say no. With a sigh, she reached for her bottle of ink and ignored the explosion of happiness that came from the boy beside her as he stood up, turning towards the large oak doors. 

"We got her!" Sirius yelled, hardly even waiting for her to pack her bag up before pulling her along. 

She didn't have a clue what she had gotten herself involved in.

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