Liquid Luck [Sirius Black]/editing

chapter 18

I must be dreaming. I force myself to do a double take before acknowledging that the scene unfolding before me is actually real and not happening in my imagination. Sirius Orion Black III is currently seated on a windowsill between Fabian and Gideon Prewett, all three boys laughing their heads off about something unknown to myself. The same Sirius Black that was triggered by my budding friendship with the two. What the bloody hell is going on?

Once the laughter dies down, Sirius excuses himself from the twins as he spots me staring across the corridor. He sprints over with a sheepish grin, managing a quick, "Alright, Holland?"

"Since when did you become so buddy-buddy with the Prewetts?" I raise my eyebrows, still surprised at the unexpected grouping.

"You are completely mental, Chiara. Fabian and Gideon are so much funnier than I am!" Sirius returns his gaze to the twins and they all grin widely at one another.

"Well, so-rry!" I drag out the word with a playful roll of my eyes. "Had I known you've developed a sudden bromance with the twins, I'd have been much more careful about my choice of words. Though, if I do remember things correctly, it was you who needed the reassurance. How did this even happen anyhow?"

"It was all so sudden! There I was strutting the halls of Hogwarts all by my lonesome...when BOOM!" He moves his arms around, gesturing wildly to his words. "Two gingers fly out in front of me and douse me in syrup!" He grins up at the ceiling as if recollecting the moment. "Naturally, I go to berate them on ruining my glorious hair, right? And that's when they take me by complete surprise and start praising me about our pranks. We've been the best of mates ever since."

"Naturally." I giggle. "It really doesn't take much with you, does it?" I ask in amusement.

He raises an eyebrow, his smirk only growing. "You're one to talk, love. They pulled the same thing on you, barring the syrup, and you're keen on them just as well."

I open my mouth, fully prepared to retort further, before snapping my jaw shut just as fast when nary a rebuttal comes to mind. He's right, the compliments were enough to make me like them. But vibe is still a thing I consider. As much as they were seeking my approval, I also found myself seeking theirs.

"Whatever, Onion." I finally settle with saying, causing his eyes to cross in frustration and for him to flail his arms around annoyedly.

"How many times do I have to tell you, it's Orion!"

*

I twirl a strand of my plain brown hair between my fingertips. You know the feeling when you're so tired of your own appearance that you feel the need to change something? Well, that's how I feel right now.

"Marl?" I ask, watching as her blue eyes wander from her magazine to my own pair. She hums in reply, beckoning me to continue, "You know how we learned the colour changing charm in transfig?"

"I happen to." She smirks now, moving to lean her face against the palms of her hands. "Why do you ask?" I simply wiggle my eyebrows suggestively pointing to the top of my head, and that seems to be enough to trigger her excitement. "No way! What colour?!"

"I don't know!" I giggle at her enthusiasm, throwing my arms into the air and slapping them back down against my thighs. "What do you think I'd look good in?"