A Circle of Flame- Sirius Black x OC

Chapter 23

"Oi, Baby P!"

Liza tried to pretend like she didn't hear the call. It was only the first handful of days after the holiday, but she had finally begun to believe that she would be safe from the Marauders. Apparently, her luck had run out.

Despite her quickened pace, Sirius's arm closed around her elbow. Liza spun around, nearly knocking them both off balance. Quidditch practice had been her only distraction and Liza had forced herself through several drills this morning. She was painfully aware of the sweat that still dripped down her neck.

"What is it?" Her tone sounded sharper than she meant. But the sweat was beginning to freeze into her hair in the January air.

However, Sirius seemed unbothered as he eyed her with a lazy grin. He had trimmed his hair a bit over the break so that the ends danced over the tops of his shoulders. Liza hated that she noticed. "You free for lunch?"

"Wha—" Liza's protests were cut off as Sirius steered her in the direction of the Great Hall. "No, I—"

"The mates and I reckoned that you could eat with us today." Sirius continued, as though she weren't digging her heels into the cobblestones. "Not to mention, I have a Potions assignment that—"

Prying herself from his grasp, Liza barely restrained herself from sending a stinging jinx. She didn't want to make things worse than they already were. "Listen, Black. I don't know what you're after, but I'm telling you, it's not necessary. You stay in your life, and I'll stay in mine."

Sirius quirked a dark brow. "What I'm after?" A large smirk grew over his face. "Prewett, do you think I'm propositioning you?" He sent her a roguish wink. "If that was my intention, I would make it much more obvious."

Liza stepped back, her cheeks burning with embarrassment and irritation. Could Black ever take anything seriously? She rolled her eyes before continuing back down the corridor.

"Oi, what about lunch?"

Turning back, Liza shook her head incredulously. "We may not be attached at the hip, but I am still friends with Reg. I'm not about to betray him by sitting with his brother and his bullies."

"Bullies?" Sirius's nose wrinkled as though he had stepped on something particularly foul. "We never—"

"You have bullied my house since the moment you stepped foot into this castle." Liza rolled her eyes before adjusting the quidditch robes she had folded against her hip. "I know you have some need to prove yourself—"

"I don't have to prove myself to anyone—"

She cut off Sirius's snarl. "What about to yourself?" Liza tilted her head, letting her matted curls fall over her forehead. "Seems to me that your hatred of Slytherin stems from the fear that you're really just like them."

Sirius's frown deepened into a nasty scowl. Clearly, this conversation had not gone as he had planned. "So, you know everything, do you Prewett? How did that work out for you by the willow?"

Liza stiffened. Sirius's face shuttered and he opened his mouth. For a moment, it appeared as if he was going to apologize. Then Liza strode away.

Muttering under her breath, Liza nearly stumbled into another student as she turned the corner. "I'm sor—" she cut herself off at Myra's defensive gaze.

"My apologies," the girl replied coolly, her dark hair twisted into a thick plait. She was about to walk off before Liza reached out a hand.

"How were the holidays?"

An unrecognizable emotion flittered over Myra's face. Was it guilt? Shame? "Alright. Yours?"

"Alright," Liza echoed, shoving at the ground with the sole of her shoe. The tension was nearly unbearable. "I'll see you around."