ᴅɪsᴘᴇʟ ᴍʏ ʙᴏʀᴇᴅᴏᴍ | ᴍᴀʀᴀᴅᴇᴜʀs' ᴇʀᴀ

Chapter 11: Reconciliation

It was the middle of November. The wind calmed down a little, the rain stopped showering wide fields covered with withered, damp grass. 

Yesterday it was cold and dank, but today a bright friendly sun rose over Hogwarts, gilding the roof tiles and spiers of thin towers. However, students didn't hurry to rejoice, wrapping tightly in warm jackets and coats; it was impossible to be outside longer than half an hour without mittens, hats and scarves on. 

Frost was unexpected and fresh fallen snow sparkled in the sun, covering branches of the trees with a thin layer, that made them look like elegant and intricate sculptures as if woven from a thick fog.

Marauders were going crazy from idleness: they didn't want to study at all, AB was silent, and they had no ideas in their heads. 

Remus was darker than the clouds, occasionally snarling at his friends' replicas about what love can do to werewolf. James maniacally followed Lily and Severus, while Sirius was trying hard to find suitable candidate for a date. Potter always teased him that it wasn't a problem before, to which Black responded something like "All normal girls are extinct" or "I'm not in the mood". 

Beata, who sometimes passed by the Gryffindors, smiled meaningfully looking at Black and causing surprise in his friends' eyes. But Sirius remained silent, only shaking his head grimly.

"It started so well," Black said with a sigh. 

He looked perfect today. Sirius ironed his trousers made of expensive fabric, snow-white shirt with carelessly unbuttoned collar and wore elegant expensive ring. The jacket, thrown over the back of the chair, combined with his other clothes, was almost screaming "Sirius Black is going on a date!" And all the girls of Hogwarts, seeing the master of seduction in a new image, glanced around suspiciously, unsuccessfully trying to figure out who the lucky woman was.

"What are you talking about?" James thoughtfully studied his History of Magic notes, rather zealously pretended to, looking from under the crumpled parchment at Lily Evans. Girl laughed, saying something to Severus Snape.

"About this morning," Sirius snorted. "I've already been asked twenty times - who is she? And the same number of times I was accused of being ungrateful, callous brute. And you know, they sincerely believe that tears casted by Tear-Potion will guide me on right path! But, even so, I can't marry all these sobbing puppies at the same time!"

"Puppies?" James asked, glaring at the back of Snape's neck. The Slytherin occasionally twitched nervously and looked around. Following him, Lily turned around, trying to understand what it was that attracted Severus's attention with such enviable constancy, but James immediately hid behind someone's notebook, making the most innocent look.

"Yep. Self-respecting woman won't humiliate herself before a man who, obviously, doesn't want to do anything with her," Sirius shook his head gloomily. "Slytherins behave much more worthy."

"Slytherins?"

"James!" Black indignantly took a parchment from his friend and moved the chair, sitting directly in front of him. "Stop staring at her! Go and talk, for Merlin's sake."

"I can't. If I come up, I won't be able to restrain myself from hitting that rat in his disgusting crooked nose, and then Lily will be angry with me for good."

"For good?" Black quirked an eyebrow.

"Well," James sighed in embarrassment. "After that evening, we quarreled a little. Two days later."

"The longest truce in your lives," Sirius smirked.

"Very funny."

"So, what have you done?"