A week after what Alice had dubbed ‘The Big Kiss’, Professor Flitwick decided that it was time for a lesson on the Banishing Charm.
“Attention class! Today we will be reviewing the Banishing Charm. You will be Banishing these cushions,” he said, indicating a large pile of plush red cushions, “into these boxes. Begin.”
A few minutes after they started, Alice turned to Alex, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “So, Alex. What’s it like kissing Sirius, or ‘God’s gift to girls’, as he likes to put it.”
Alex shook her head. “Uh- uh. I don’t kiss and tell.”
Lily smirked. “Oh really! I distinctly remember you raving about Amos Diggory and how ‘magical’ it was. Since when do you not kiss and tell?”
Alex blushed. “Well, since… since now, with Sirius.”
Alice raised her eyebrows over Alex’s head at Lily. “It finally seems as if someone has tamed our little Alex. I just never thought it would be Sirius.”
If possible, Alex blushed even deeper and pointedly turned her attention to the cushion and Banished it perfectly… into someone else’s box.
*
Sirius and James were working together in Charms class, since Remus was in the Hospital Wing (for obvious reasons) and Peter was out with the flu, which he caught overnight in the cold air.
James had been listening in on this particular conversation between the three Gryffindor girls, and saw a vein twitch in Sirius’ neck. “Amos Diggory?” Sirius muttered, his eyes burning. “Never liked him. Not a bit.”
“Sirius! Keep it down!” James hissed. He focused in on the girls just in time to hear: “-since now, with Sirius.”
Upon hearing this, Sirius got a goofy smile on his face. It fell down noticeably when he saw James looking at him. “Looks like yet another girl has fallen for the charm of Sirius Black.” He said gruffly.
“More like another boy fell for Alex Suerte’s famous charm.” James teased.
Sirius’ face flushed and performed the exact same mistake as Alex did, but James swore he could detect a slight hint of the goofy smile still on his face even as the cushion soared straight into Professor Flitwick.
“Mr. Black!” He exclaimed.
Just then, the bell rang. Sirius rushed towards the door, trying to get out before-
“Oh, no you don’t, Mr. Black. You stay behind and help me pick up these cushions!”
Sirius groaned and turned around. James sniggered. Unfortunately for him, Flitwick saw this.
“Mr. Potter! Perhaps you would like to help Mr. Black?”
“Do I have a choice?” James asked. Flitwick’s glare was all the answer he needed.
Sighing, he began to pick up cushions alongside Sirius as the last students filed out of the room.
*
Lily, Alice, and Alex were among the last ones to leave the Charms classroom.
“So, Alex, how are you and Sirius doing lately?” Alice teased.
Alex blushed yet again. “Well, he asked me to go to Hogsmeade with him.”
“What did you say?” Lily inquired.
“What do you think?” Alex said.
Alice sighed. “Really Alex. You should have given the poor boy a chance and said yes.”
“I did!” Alex protested, but was somewhat drowned out by the other girls’ giggles. “Oh, honestly. You two are impossible.”
Lily was the first one to recover. “Hey, where did everybody go?” Strangely enough, no one else was in the corridor.
Alice stopped laughing abruptly. “Yeah, that’s strange, no one’s here. Did we take a wrong turn?”
“We might have, but then where are we?” Alex frowned.
“I don’t know.” Lily was starting to get worried. She’d heard stories about students who got lost in the mysterious and ever-changing passages of the old school, and most didn’t end well. “Maybe we should retrace our steps.”
The other girls nodded, and turned uneasily to face the direction that they came from, when they let out a sigh of relief. There were other students coming towards them. But that relief was short-lived.
Lily inwardly gulped.
Slytherins.