/𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐒\ [𝒔. 𝒃𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒌]

𝟏.𝟟.𝟣

"It is easier to forgive an enemy than to forgive a friend." ~ William Blake

~january 1972~

Artemis was laughing so hard she couldn't breathe. "Sirius," she said, pushing his shoulder, "shut up-"

"No, no, no- you don't get it- after we escaped, Fang came after us." Sirius shook his head, his shoulders shaking with laughter.

Artemis's eyes widened. "Hagrid's dog? What did you do?"

"Well, the bacon we'd stolen from dinner was still in Peter's pocket, so we had him take his pants off and throw them at Fang as a distraction."

Artemis scrunched up her face at this. "Why wouldn't you just take the bacon out of his pocket and throw that?" Artemis asked, her mouth twitching as she tried to contain her laughter.

"Because our way was funnier," Sirius said with a snort. "What, don't you believe me?"

Artemis scoffed. "Sirius, there's no way any of this happened."

Sirius raised an eyebrow at her, then turned around to face Mary and Peter, who were sitting in the desks behind them, working silently side by side on the assignment they'd been given to complete that period. "Peter, you remember it, don't you?"

Peter looked up with a shy smile and nodded his head. "Still haven't gotten those pants back- and they were my favorites." He shook his head at Mary's questioning look and went back to his worksheet.

Artemis didn't know whether to be impressed or horrified at this. "You guys are so stupid."

At the front of the classroom, Professor Bones cleared his throat and shot Sirius and Artemis a warning look. "This is the last time I'm going to tell you guys to get your worksheets done. If you don't, it's homework."

Sirius looked at Artemis with raised eyebrows, but she shook her head, her hair tumbling over her shoulders loosely. "It'll take us five minutes to do later. Honestly, hags aren't even that difficult."

"They're just ugly old bats that run around eating children," Sirius said with a sarcastic shrug. "Simple as that."

"I could fight one."

Professor Bones sidled over to Sirius and Artemis's desk and gave them each a mildly disapproving look. "You know, I partnered you two up purposely so you'd both focus."

"It's not my fault he can't take this seriously," Artemis said with a playful smile.

Sirius tilted his head back laughing. "Nice one, Art." They exchanged a rare smile, and from across the room Lily and Remus stared in shock at the pair. Ever since Christmas, Artemis and Sirius hadn't seemed to hate each other as much as usual. At times, they even acted like friends, something that confounded each of their other friends equally.

Professor Bones looked almost as weirded out as the rest of the first-years, but he gave his head a hard shake and his mouth twitched into an almost smile. "Well, as long as you're ready for the test Monday."

"Test?" Lily exclaimed from the other side of the room. She let out a low groan and leaned back down over her textbook.

Artemis glanced at her friend, and then back up at her teacher. "I'm always ready for the test, Professor," she said with a cocky grin. Professor Bones shrugged in a relenting sort of way and went back to his desk.

"Are you really?" Sirius said in a bored tone, leaning back in his seat and propping his feet on the bars between the legs of the desk. "What'd you get on the last one?"