lovesick || r. lupin

¹⁰birthday's and broomsticks

Weeks after Ayla's and Remus's accidental study session, on an early Saturday morning, Ayla exited the barrel that led out of the Hufflepuff common room. She was holding her broom tightly in one hand and her Beaters bat in the other as she thought over what she was going to say to Grace. Hey, I'm sorry for how I've been acting. Could we get past this and go and have some fun? We can go practice some Quidditch!

Yes, yes, that's what she was going to say. Surely Grace couldn't pass up Quidditch, saying she was the star Chaser on the Slytherin's team. She could never say no to Ayla if she offered a practice session. It was a brilliant idea really.

So Ayla set off for the Slytherin common room, passing by the Gryffindor's common room to where James, Remus, Sirius, and Peter came exploding out of, James and Sirius loudly singing "Happy Birthday", arms slung over each others shoulders. Peter was grinning and had a pink flush across his pudgy face, avoiding all the people in the hallways stares. After the two dark haired boys finished their chorus, Remus gleamed a "Happy birthday, Wormtail!", bumping his shoulder into Peter's.

Must be Peter's birthday, Ayla thought. It was obvious whenever it was one of the four boys birthdays because there was always an extravagant amount of things that they did, one of them being parading around, screeching birthday songs.

"Our little boy's all grown up!" James gushed, leaning into Sirius, wiping a fake tear away from his eye.

"I'm older than all of you, y'know?" Peter laughed with a large grin. He looked ecstatic.

"Oh, hop off it, Worms, let's get some cake from the elves!" Sirius smirked, turning around and leading the way to the kitchens, wrapping his elbow around Peter's neck in a loving way.

The group walked passed Ayla, Remus giving her a polite wave of a hand, and before they were too far away to hear, Ayla called "Happy birthday, Peter!" down the hall.

"Thanks!" He squeaked back, then turning a corner.

-----

Ayla stood outside the Slytherin commons, waiting for someone to open the doorway so she could get up to Grace's dorm. Ayla was getting restless at that point, having waited a good ten minutes and getting slightly agitated but still persist, starting to pick at her brooms wood.

After what seemed like forever, a boy with short raven black hair stepped out of the common rooms doors, nearly giving Ayla a heart attack. For a moment, she swore it was Sirius Black with a new haircut, but with further inspection, it wasn't but was merely a boy that, to Ayla's discomfort, looked almost exactly like him but lankier.

"Hey!" Ayla started, reaching out to keep him from closing the door.

"Uh," the boy looked puzzled, brows knitted together. "Hi. Sorry but... do I know you?"

Ayla gave a nervous chuckle, "No, I don't believe so. I'm Ayla. I'm from Hufflepuff. I just was wondering if you'd let me into the Slytherin's common room? I need to go get my friend, Grace Vale." She raised her Quidditch gear, trying to show that it was the reason she needed to get inside.

The boy looked away for a moment, seeming to be in thought and then looked back to Ayla, shrugging. "Suppose, why not."

"Splendid! Thank you so much!" Ayla beamed, beginning to walk near the door as the younger boy opened it wide. Before proceeding into the room, she turned to him and had to ask the question that was itching the back of her mind. "Don't reckon you know Sirius Black at all, do you?"

This named seemed to make the boy pale, eyes widening in surprise for a split second before returning to their usual almond shape. "Uh," his voice cracked. He gave a hearty cough as if trying to clear it and murmured "don't think I do." and set off, leaving Ayla in the middle of the doorway of the Slytherin common room, a bit perplexed.