𝘁𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝗹𝘆, james potter

˗ˋ 02

CHAPTER TWO
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-: sixth year :-

── IN WHICH SHE EATS TREACLE TARTS ONCE MORE

. . .

"So, the one and only Tiger." Sirius commented, the same glint in is eye which James had seen in Tiger's just before she had entered the cabin. The girl couldn't fight the smirk from her face, and pulled her knees up to her chest, so her heels were balanced on the velvet seat, revealing the various, colourful braided thread which hung around Tiger's ankles - just like James had seen on the day of the garden party.

"Sirius Black. I have heard many, many stories." Tiger replied. "Many rumours as well - is your hair really as soft and silky as Remus tells me, do you actually know French and can you teach me some? Is your animagus form related to the fact you do seem to resemble a dog - in a strange, handsome way."

"So many questions, so much time." Sirius replied, and for a moment, James and Peter just watched them, seeing Tiger in Sirius and vice versa, it was like they were seeing double. "But let us begin with the obvious one - what is it with your family and animal names?"

"I know right?" Tiger told him, sounding almost confused and shocked as anyone. "Werewolf McWerewolf and his cousin kitty cat. You would think they have some sort of predatory, large mammal scheme going on, but then my mother name my little sister Matilda. Matilda."

"You have a sister?" James asked, who couldn't remember Remus or either of Tiger's parents mentioning a younger sibling. Or even Tiger, for that fact.

"She's three, and annoying as fuck right now." Tiger sighed, glancing James's way. "I almost couldn't come to the party because of it - and Tilly couldn't come because she was in the midst of a meltdown. So my parents asked the neighbors to look after her so I could attend the stupid garden party when I could've just looked after her and met you lot later."

Sirius raised his eyebrows at James, who looked a little saddened by the final sentence of Tiger's words. Sirius had been the one to endure James's little snippets of chatter about the Howell girl, on the late summer nights, days out in the Potters' back garden.

Tiger's eyes flickered over to the best friends, watching the exchange, before her facial features softened and she put her legs on the floor. "The garden party was good - believe me, I had fun. But there's something about being forced to go somewhere which paints a bad image in your mind."

"She's right." Peter and Sirius agreed, and James brightened up, the conversation turning back on track, Sirius answering the variety of questions that Tiger had asked and even letting her touch his hair, which is what Remus walked into.

"Do I even want to know?" The Lupin boy asked, as he slid the carriage door open, Sirius lent across the gap between the seats, Tiger's hand just above his ear.

"Listen, if you tell me that Sirius's hair is extremely lucious then you can't expect me to just sit and stare at him. You've told me about these guys for years, now I have the chance to find out if it's all true or not." Tiger smiled, sitting back in her seat, a pleased smile on her. "And it is as lucious as you told me - what products do you use?" Tiger asked, and Sirius laughed as Remus sighed, sitting down next to Peter.

"No but seriously tell me." Tiger said, and Sirius began to list off various products, as well as giving Tiger the basic French phrases she would need, the girl repeating them back to him, Sirius correcting her pronunciation.

"It's really like we've just met the female Sirius. Almost. There similar but also she's very different to him." Peter commented to Remus and James, who nodded along. "Very different but also very similar."

"But now onto the second round of questions." Sirius announced to the carriage, as Tiger crossed her legs and was quietly repeating French to herself, as her purple-black hair glinted in the sun shining through the windows of the carriage. "These ones are for you." Sirius pointed at Tiger, who nodded, a smile already about to bloom on her lips.

"So-" Sirius started, just as the carriage door was pulled open again, and a old woman stood there, accompanied by a trolley which was covered in a rainbow assortment of treats.

"Anything from the trolly dears?" The woman asked. "We have Every Flavour Beans, Chocolate Frogs - they just had some new cards made for them, pumpkin juice, treacle tarts. You name it - I probably have it in stock. Except Jelly Slugs, we only have a pack or two left."

James would be lying if he didn't automatically glance over to Tiger at the mention treacle tarts. And he continued to watch her, as the smile fully bloomed on her face, and her movements were quick as she searched through her pockets for money, before she stopped and her arms dropped to her lap, staying silent as the other ordered.

"Can I have a pack of Drooble's please?" James asked, "And a treacle tart please." He recieved his food and paid for it, turning to Tiger as the others ate their food. "Got to keep up the tradition."

James pushed the tart into Tiger's hands, and the girl smiled almost instantly. "You didn't have to, Prongsie." Noticing the look on James's face as the nickname came up again, Tiger giggled. "I promise I won't call you that all the time. Just every so often - so I can get a laugh out of the expression that's on your face right now."

And whilst James was deciding that seeing Tiger react like that just by letting her call him by a variation of his nickname every now and again wasn't such a bad thing, Sirius wanted to continue asking his questions. "So, why the move from America back to rainy old England?" He asked.

"Oh. Well, I used to go to school at Ilvermorny." Tiger said, her mouth half-full of treacle tart. "But then I got kicked out. So Mum and Dad thought it would be better to move back here."

"Sorry what?" Remus asked, as the four best friends stared at Tiger, who only continued to eat her treacle tart. "You go kicked out? Why didn't you tell me? What for?"

"Yes I got kicked out Rem, keep up." Tiger finished her treacle tart and dusted her hands off, crossing her legs under her. "I didn't tell you because even the mention of Ilvermorny would have Mum have a breakdown and well... I got kicked out for something."

"A valid reason." Sirius nodded, and Tiger crossed her arms. "Moony, don't get upset becaue she hasn't told you. There's obviously something there which she doesn't want sharing."

Tiger nodded, looking a little less uncomfortable now that Sirius had said something. And Remus accepted it, James and Peter once again watching the exchange, experiencing a moment of Sirius's random pieces of wisdom.

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