- Eternal Curse -

0.2 Chapter Twelve

Twelve

"Do you think he'll mind if you pop in?" Annie asked, passing the compartments hand in hand with Sirius.

"Oh, he will very much mind. It's why I'm doing it." Sirius rolled is eyes playfully, dragging her to the prefect's compartment.

"You love torturing that poor boy, don't you? How he's not sick of us all is beyond me."

"I suppose I do, don't I, my dear? It's only fair seeing that he's the far superior man with the brains, height, and the fact he could kill me if he wanted to. The only thing I have against him is my ruggedly good looks." Sirius sighed, running his hands through his jet-black hair, smouldering into the distance.

"Don't forget your outstanding modesty." Annie scoffed, light-heartedly. Sirius grinned at her and they stopped at a compartment filled with about eight people. They stepped back and peered their heads around the corner to look inside. By the window on the left, Remus sat with Lynn and Lily all staring at some parchment with intrigue.

"So, how are you going to bother them, any ideas?" Annie asked.

"Well my lovely Silvy, I will simply embarrass him with my presence. Care to join me on this crusade?" Annie laughed and shook her head, patting him on the shoulder. Her heart also warmed with one of his many nicknames he held in place for her, Silvy after her middle name as well as her mothers. Once in second year when they were studying in the library, she had mentioned it and how she loved having apart of Silvia with her as apart of her name. She barely remembered having the conversation but it stuck with Sirius and he used it as a pet name ever since.

"No, you have fun. I'm going to track down the trolley lady so when you humiliate Remy, I can calm him down with chocolate."

"Good thinking. Wish me luck!" He cracked his knuckles theatrically before making haste to the sliding door.

"Pads, you don't need luck you might as well do this for a living." And with that Annie took off back down the galley to seek out the trolley lady.

Just as she reached the halfway point something interrupted her trek.

"Missing something?" A voice called.

Annie turned around and came face to face with Alice, Mary, and Marlene. She smiled at them until she realised Marlene was holding her cat.

"Cat delivery!" Marlene announced passing on Georgie into Annie's arms.

"We just went to find the trolley lady and found a furry friend instead!" Mary chimed in.

"Georgie was very friendly, I'd cat-sit any day, Ann," Alice added dreamily, petting the moggy. Embarrassed, Annie added,

"I am the worst pet owner in the world. I didn't notice he was gone! Why did you guys let me get another animal?"

"I can't believe you convinced me to pay for half!" Marlene complained. Mary shook her head, walking over to give Annie a warm embrace.

"You didn't pay half Mar' you paid a third and Annie and myself supplied the rest I'll have you know. Anyway, he was worth every penny look at his sweet face!" Mary cooed.

"Sweet? He's the devil Mary, all cats are. Satan's companion." Marlene seethed while looking resentfully at the cat.

"No Mar, you just have an allergy to cute things." Annie chuckled causing Marlene to scowl at her.

"Wow, rude." Marlene moaned, "We're you gallivanting with Sirius?" Her eyebrows knit together along with a knowing look.

"Yeah I was, he's gone to annoy the prefects." She assured before noticing all their telling expressions, "Why are lot looking at me so-" Annie was cut off,

"I thought that he was a dickhead and you weren't on good terms, that's what I last heard." Marlene said.

Annie spluttered, "Who said that? Not me, definitely." Mary sighed before linking her arm with Annie to pull her back in the direction of not the trolley lady, but the Gryffindor girl's compartment down the other end. They had the expression on their face Annie recognised as being one used when gossiping was to commence, she waited with baited breath.

"You are coming with us right now to explain your motives, Missy." Annie sighed, carving before being lead down the galley for what she assumed was a lecture of the century.

They pulled her down the carriages and into their compartment, littered with sweet wrappers and suitcases. Annie took a seat next to Alice with Mary and Marlene opposite.

"So."

"So?"

"So.." Mary drawled, "Sirius Orion Black?"

"The name rings a bell." Annie mused resulting in an every flavoured bean being tossed at her head.

"You don't fancy him again, do you?" Marlene scoffed, feigning exasperation with her fingers pressed to her temples.

"What? No!"

"Because I cannot deal with that again."

"I do not fancy Sirius Black, you're mad." This seemed to be enough for Marlene who sunk into her seat with a grin. "He's childish and a big idiot, I know. But what happened last year is all in the past, dare I say he-" Mary stopped her.

"Do not tell me Sirius Black has grown up." She laughed.

"I doubt he ever will, in fact I will give you fifty galleons if he ever grows up at all! He will perpetually be a man-child." Replied Marlene.

"Come on, guys. He'll get some sense knocked into him at some point, maybe even this year. I feel it in my bones you know." Alice chimed in.

"Aha!" Annie added, "Alice feels it in her bones, she has never made a wrong prediction."

"Alice does know all." Affirmed Mary.

"Alice is putting you out of house and home with her predictions, aren't you supposed to be our resident seer with that Evangelatos blood pumping through your veins?" Just as Annie went to tell Marlene to shove off, a figure that looked fairly similar to that of Sirius dashed past the window out into the gallery.

"Ah, speak of the devil." Annie rose from her seat, "I should probably deal with that, bye you lot." She gave a wave before slipping out the door and following suit behind the quick footed boy up ahead.

(edited as of 8/12/22)