What Is and What Should Never Be | Sirius Black

8. Ballgowns and Butterbeer

TRYING TO find a dress in Hogsmeade is like trying to find a muggle at a Quidditch game - impossible. Jane, Debbie and I try our best, but in the commotion of the store, we decide to step out for a smoke and just wait until people start to leave. It doesn't matter if the selection dwindles, Jane is handy with a sewing machine, and with some magic, we can alter anything that needs to be altered anyway.

"You want one?" Debbie offers the pack of Menthols to Jane and I offhandedly think of what Sirius' reaction might be.

"So my dad can gut me alive?" She scoffs. "No, thank you."

"Oh, sit on it! How would he know?" Debbie places the carton back in her jacket.

"You guys don't understand immigrant parents." She kicks her boot into the freshly fallen snow.

I giggle a bit.

"Janie, I am an immigrant." I remind her and she makes a face before remembering.

She mumbles under her breath that she needs a better excuse and I just laugh as we're approached by a few guys.

"Ladies." Sirius' voice catches our attention as he swings his arm around me to take the cigarette out of my fingers.

I let him take a puff, just to see the disgusted look he gives me as he hands it back and jumps away like I've got the plague.

"Blah!" He sticks his tongue out, "How can you stand that?"

I just smile and continue as I greet the rest of them.

"You getting your dress?" Remus asks, coming to stand beside me and I smile.

I nod, about to speak when Debbie starts to talk, looking at the ground as she snubs her cigarette.

"Didn't think it'd be this quick," she looks through the glass and directs her words to me, "looks like everyone split already."

"Awesome, can we join you?" Sirius sounds somewhat excited and Debbie gives him a confused look.

"Padfoot actually has great style sense." Potter says.

Jane takes that as a cue to strut around Sirius, looking him up and down like a cat stalking its prey.

"He's not wrong." She approves. "Look at that layering."

"Buzz off." He says. "I need to find a date."

"You don't have one?" I ask and he shakes his head. "I thought you'd be the first."

"Actually, that was our Remus, courtesy of you." He praises.

"Remus is the only one of us with a date." Peter blushes slightly.

"No way." Debbie denies, crossing her arms at Sirius as Remus hangs an arm around my shoulders and I can feel how cold he is. Remus is always cold, so I hold his bare hand with my gloved one and lean into him.

"Well, James is still hung up on Evans." My friend explains to Deb, but she doesn't look at him as she continues to watch Sirius. I offer the last of my dart to Remus, who accepts and takes a couple puffs before putting it out in the snow.

"Do you know how many girls are dying to go with you?" Debbie says and Sirius cocks a confused brow.

He turns to me and I nod in agreement.

"You have a lot of admirers, Sirius. No one's asked?" I tell him and he shakes his head, looking as if it's the first time he's received this information.

"Well, let's hope one of them is in there." Sirius says, coming between Remus and me to drag us into the store.

If Sirius' excuse of coming in the store is to find a date, he doesn't do a very good job looking, instead he stays with Jane while the two of them make comments on the dresses we all try on.