Sirius Orion Black

Lily looked down at her notes again and groaned.

But then he remembered that she was often awake during the History lessons. And she knew that he sometimes did take notes. (Over the course of the full moons and during a handful of days after, to be precise.)

So Sirius sighed, glanced around, rummaged in his bag, and then handed her a scroll with a pointed look.

“Don’t tell anyone.”

1: Let’s start with a tricky one; what is the real reason you are confused right now?

2: Do you ever get “good morning” texts from anyone?

3: If your significant other smoked pot, would you care?

4: Do you find it easy to trust others?

5: What were you doing at 11PM last night?

6: You’re drunk and lost walking down the road; who is with you?

7: What would you do if you found out you had been cheated on?

8: Are you close with your dad?

9: I bet you kissed someone last night, right?

10: What are you listening to?

11: You can only drink ONE liquid for the rest of your life - what is it?

12. Do you like hickeys?

13: What time do you go to bed?

14: Is there someone who continuously lets you down?

15: Can you text as quickly with one hand as you do both?

16: Do you always answer your texts?

17: Do you hate the person you fell the hardest for?

18: When was the last time you talked to one of your best friends?

19: Is there someone that makes you happy every time you see them?

20: What was your last thought before you went to bed last night?

21: Is anyone else in the room with you?

22: Do you believe what goes around comes around?

23: Were you happier four months ago than you are now?

24: Is there someone you wish you could fix things with?

25: In the past week, have you cried?

26: What colour is the shirt you are wearing?

27: Do people ever call you by your last name?

28: Is anyone ignoring you right now?

29: Do you have a best friend?

30: Would it be hard seeing someone else kiss the last person you kissed?

31: Who was your last call from?

32: Are you mad at anyone?

33: Have you ever kissed someone older than you?

34: How old will the last person you kissed be on his/her next birthday?

35: How many more days until your birthday?

36: Do you have any summer plans yet?

37: Do you have any good friends of the opposite sex?

38: Are you keeping anything from your best friend(s) now?

39: Do you have a secret that you’ve never told anyone?

40: Have you ever regretted kissing someone?

41: Do you think age matters in relationships?

42: Are you available?

43: How many people have you had real, strong feelings for since high school ended?

44: If you had to get a piercing (not ears), what would you get?

45: Do you believe exes can be friends?

46: Do you regret anything?

47: Honestly, what’s on your mind right now?

48: Did you ever lose a best friend?

49: Was your last kiss a mistake?

50: Why aren’t you pursuing the person you like?

51: Has the last person you kissed ever seen you cry?

52: Do you still talk with the person you LAST kissed?

53: What was the last thing you ate?

54: Did you get any compliments today?

55: Where are you going on your next vacation?

56: Do you own anything from other countries?

57: Are most of your friend guys or girls?

58: Where have you lived most of your life?

59: When was the last time you took a long drive?

60: Have you ever played Spin the Bottle?

61: Have you ever TPd someone’s house?

62: Who do you text the most?

63: What was the last movie you saw?

64: What’s preventing your current boyfriend/girlfriend from going back to their ex?

65: How many boyfriends/girlfriends did you have in 2010?

66: Is the last person you kissed younger than you?

67: Do you curse around your parents?

68: Are you happy with where you live?

69. Picture of yourself?

70. Are you a monogamous person or do you believe in open-ended relationships?

71. Have you ever been dumped?

72. What do you most like about making out?

73. Have you ever casually made out with someone who you weren’t seriously involved with?

74. When you kiss someone for the first time, is it usually you who initiates it or the other?

75. What part of a person’s body do you find most attractive?

76. Who was the last person you talked to last night before you went to bed?

77. Had sex with someone you knew less than an hour?

78. Had sex with someone you didn’t know their name?

79. What makes your heart flutter and brings a big cheesy smile to your face?

80. Would you get involved with someone if they had a child already?

81. Has someone who had a crush on you ever confessed to you?

82. Do you tell a lot of people when you have a crush?

83. Do you miss your last sweetie?

84. Last time you slow danced with someone?

85. Have you ever ‘dated’ someone you’ve never met?

86. How can I win your heart?

87. What is your astrological sign?

88. What were you doing last night at 12 AM?

89. Do you cook?

90. Have you ever gotten back in touch with an old flame after a time of more than 3 months of no communication?

91. If you’re single right now, do you wish you were in a relationship?

92. Do you prefer to date various people or do you pretty much fall into monogamous relationships quickly?

93. What physical traits do you look for in a potential interest?

94. Name four things that you wish you had:

95. Are you a player?

96. Have you ever kissed 2 people in one day?

97. Are you a tease?

98. Ever meet anyone you met on Tumblr?

99. Have you ever been deeply in love with someone?

100. Anybody on Tumblr that you’d go on a date with?

101. Hugs or Kisses?

102. Are you too shy to ask someone out?

103. The first thing you notice about the opposite sex?

104. Is it cute when a boy/girl calls you babe?

105. If a sexy person was pursuing you, but you knew he/she was in relationship, would you go for it?

106. Do you flirt a lot?

107. Your last kiss?

108. Have you kissed more than 5 people since the start of 2011?

109. Have you kissed anyone in the past month?

110. If you could kiss anyone who would it be?

111. Do you know who you’ll kiss next?

112. Does someone like you currently?

113. Do you currently have feelings for anyone?

114. Do you like to be in serious relationships or just flings?

115. Ever made out with just a friend?

116. Are you happier single or in a relationship?

With another shock of excitement, Harry saw Sirius give James the thumbs-up. Sirius was lounging in his chair at his ease, tilting it back on two legs. He was very good-looking, his dark hair fell into his eyes with a sort of casual elegance neither James’s nor Harry’s could ever have achieved, and a girl sitting behind him was eyeing him hopefully, though he didn’t seem to have noticed.

It’s not like she would have asked, just because he didn’t seem fine. She may wonder about why he was like that, and maybe about asking if he was fine, too, but in the end, she wouldn’t - she would just pretend it was nothing. And wasn’t it? It was none of her business, to say the least.

"That’s no reason for you to care." She stated, simply. It’s not like he would just care for everyone who didn’t seem well either - she could think about a few people she was sure he couldn’t care less. 

He moved, sitting directly in front of her, before he said anything answering her previous question. She waited, watching his actions, anxious for his answer. This was more serious than he’d think it was. Alecto could feel her heartbeats getting faster in those torturing seconds she waited for an answer - she knew he had seen it, that wasn’t what she was anxious for. It was his reaction she was waiting. Would he start the mockery now? Would he decide it was worth spread it to people? Would he push her to tell more?

None of it, it seemed. Instead, Sirius shook his head, and told her not to worry, because he wouldn’t say anything. She could understand his answer as much as she could understand why he asked if she was fine - and that meant she couldn’t understand it at all.

Alecto was nervous and afraid of what would happen, now that someone else, someone that she didn’t even think she could trust, knew about it - he didn’t know it all, but still. She had always been a bit too impulsive for her own good, especially when she was too angry, or nervous, or happy - or anything too intense. And the fact she was rather intense about emotions in general didn’t exactly make it better.

Before she stopped to think about it, or realized what she was doing, she leaned forward, her hand gripping his wrist tightly, as she looked directly to his eyes. “No one can know about it. They can’t even dream about it. If the wrong people heard about it…” She trailed off, losing the track of her words. Alecto knew that she shouldn’t have done that. She had just showed she was afraid people heard it - she had just showed vulnerability. She had showed weakness.

But for the moment he hummed, not trying to hide how entirely unconvinced he sounded as he rested his temple against the side of the compartment and reached up to fiddle with a piece of the window’s sealing that had come loose. He picked at it and pulled it off.

Sirius was pretty sure he had basically stunned Alecto with his reply. He wasn’t surprised about it, because the company she kept, they couldn’t exactly be understanding about this. Or a request like this. But Sirius knew. That kind of childhood home? Maybe she wasn’t aware, but he knew. And something like that getting out wasn’t going to make it better.

And there were many things to be said about him, but he sure as hell didn’t want her being treated like that.

But even Sirius was surprised when she grabbed his wrist like that, her eyes intense like they were right now, in a way that made him unable to break the gaze.

He snorted, shaking his head. “Of course it was messed up at home. But…” He cut himself off, lips pressed into a thin line. He had been hoping it would get better. He had thought if he tried hard enough he could make it get better. “We were fine before your other friends started influencing you,” he insisted stubbornly, “before Potter you would listen to me when I asked you to behave for mother.”

Before Potter they had been children, and the fights hadn’t been quite so vicious yet, they hadn’t yet understood the political meaning behind the slurs flung around in their house. They had been children. But he had to believe that it could have been different, he had to.

“You can’t say it’s fate and be done with it,” he whispered, “that’s not fair. You should have fought for our family. Like I’m…” Again, he cut himself off.

So he chased the thought of her away and clenched his jaw as he looked back at Regulus. He wasn't trying to be patronising. He hadn't even known he could be patronising, for fuck's sake. His brother's words were breaking his heart a little, and he couldn't help huffing out a bitter laugh.

“My reign? Well, I wouldn’t call it that, and don’t say these things too loudly, or I think Lockhart will try to drown me in the lake, for he probably thinks that he is the king of the school. Wouldn’t want to be the reason for his first grey hairs.”

Sirius huffed out a laugh in dry amusement. "There are way too many people here who think they're kings and queens of the school as it is. I'm surprised we haven't already imploded with so many 'big personalities' in one space. Don't envy you for your job one bit."

So what Sirius did was simply shrug and gave a little mock salute. "You got it. You'll hear from me." And with that he turned and made his way back towards the Gryffindor tower.

And even though she couldn’t see he was looking to her, she could feel his gaze - and, probably for the first time in her life, Alecto was rather uncomfortable with a boy looking to her. He probably wasn’t looking to her like that, though. He was probably just intrigued with why Alecto Carrow was still there - and what she was doing here in the first place.

She was quite surprised when he talked, and turned her gaze to him immediately. That was surely unexpected - but what he said was even more unexpected. He asked her if she was okay, and although he was clearly not pushing her to answer or talk to him, he wasn’t teasing, or joking, or mocking her either. 

His voice was calm, and whatever reason he had, he seemed to have asked because he really wanted to know, and that was all. It wasn’t like he cared for her - of course not, they weren’t friends. She was friends with the family he was no longer a part of, with the purebloods that believed in things he turned his back to. And he was a bloodtraitor and a Gryffindor. It’s not like they’d ever be friends, not really.

Still, Alecto wasn’t willing to fight - hell, she wasn’t willing to even give him a sharp answer. She wasn’t willing to do much, in fact. But instead of continuing to pretend he wasn’t there, she answered, after a few moments. And, when she did, she didn’t sound angry, or annoyed, or indifferent. She sound tired - and that was precisely what she was.

"Why do you even care?" She was tired of everything - tired of this damn pain, tired of pretending she was fine, tired of being afraid how worse it would be the next time she was home. She was just too tired.

It was less then a second, the time his eyes were directed exactly to where they shouldn’t. Less than a second, but it didn’t pass unnoticed to her. He saw it. Alecto could feel the panic spreading - he wouldn’t look directly to where her wounds had been visible before if he hadn’t seen it. What if he told someone? The rumor would spread fast, she had no doubt. If something like that got to Skeeter’s ears…

That couldn’t happen. She couldn’t let it happen. She wasn’t been dramatic, when she thought her father would kill her. He would, in a heartbeat. She had to do something.

She’d have to ask. If he confirmed he saw it, well… then she’d think about how she’d make sure he’d shut his mouth about it. But it was still better than taking chances - no, she couldn’t rely on hope. She had been too sloppy already. 

Sirius wasn't good at leaving people alone who tried to ignore him though. That only worked when he was the one who didn't want anything to do with them in that moment, and with Alecto that wasn't quite the case right now. If anything he was slightly curious.

He actually thought she knew that, remembered it from times past, but she still looked surprised when he spoke up. Sirius just crooked his eyebrow at her in reply and gave her a light shrug. And he was proven absolutely right in all his previous assumptions when she replied, and there was no fight whatsoever in her voice.

The smallest frown flickered over Sirius' face for a moment, because that wasn't actually something he had really expected. Towards one of her friends, maybe, but not him. At least the words of her question didn't come as a surprise, because of course she'd think that.

Sirius watched her for a moment longer and then gave another slow shrug. "Why wouldn't I? You look like you're not." It was really as easy as that. He could see that she had noticed where his gaze had gone for a moment, and that it didn't sit well with her at all. The wheels behind her forehead were turning at full speed, even though she tried not to let it show, but Sirius was watching her too closely not to see. And it was only confirming his suspicions anyway.

When she wanted to know what exactly it was that he had seen, Sirius finally pushed himself away from the edge of the window and sat down opposite Alecto on the more comfortable seats. Only then he gave a slight shake of his head.

"Don't worry about it. I'm not going to say anything to anyone."

He fiddled with his parchment and quill and then threw down the new quill because this was stupid, he wouldn’t be able to concentrate on his detention work right now. Not when he could feel Sirius looking down at him. His eyes felt like they were drilling into him.

He looked up jerkily, glowering at his brother. “So you left. So what? Do you expect me to congratulate you? Tell you you did well? I’m not going to, you know that. I’m just doing my duty to my family, that’s all there is to it!”

Regulus scowled at his parchment. That wasn’t going to help either, they were just rehashing the same old same old arguments. He heaved a heavy sigh. “Look,” he said, meeting his brother’s eyes again, “I’m not playing along with anything. My problems are with you and your friends… and yes, of course everyone told me to stay away from you, but it’s my choice to be angry with you!”

Only that Regulus had never stopped trying to impress the wrong people with it.

But in that moment that didn’t even matter, because it made a warm feeling swirl in the pits of Sirius’ stomach. Merlin, they had gone through so much together.

Once Regulus threw his quill down in frustration, it was clear that he wasn’t going to try and evade this whole thing by pretending to concentrate on their detention work. That he erupted like this instead didn’t really come as a surprise either, and somehow, Sirius thought, he deserved it as well.

He huffed softly at those words, but it entirely lacked every bit of humour. “You just said you weren’t stupid. Of course I’m not expecting you to do any of that. Merlin, I don’t want you to. You think this was oh so easy for me, don’t you? To take my things, get up and leave… that it was oh so easy.” Sirius clenched his jaw, shaking his head. “I know that you’re angry with me, and you have every right to be. And well, fuck, I’m glad you’re angry with me for yourself, and not because of some rubbish family duty honour reason.”

He raked his hand through his hair, a sign of agitation, but Sirius couldn’t really stop himself.

"Fine. Only if you don't cut off more than a little bit though. And just for the record, I'm not only smart today, I'm smart always." Sirius crooked his eyebrows up at her comment and would have turned his head to look at her if he hadn't been too comfortable. "Why Marley, have I told you yet today how especially nice your... no?" he teased lazily.