Sugar & Spice

*Sirius’s Point of View

I barely experienced a second of grim satisfaction before I felt absolutely sick to my stomach. I pulled away from Helen to watch Tammie practically run from the Great Hall, her bag swinging pell-mell from her shoulder.

When I felt eyes boring into the side of my head I turned to find Remus glaring daggers at me. If looks could kill...

“Now you’ve done it. Idiot!” He threw over his shoulder before he quickly gathered up his school bag and took off after Tammie. I glanced up at James, hoping for some kind of moral support, knowing it wouldn’t be there but still hoping; just as I'd expected he didn’t look particularly supportive either.

“What?” I demanded. “It was your idea!” James just shook his head slowly as if he had no words and stood up, downing the rest of his tea before he spoke in a tone he might have used when trying to explain to a temperamental toddler that two plus two equals four.

“No, mate – I didn’t mean this. This is going to take ages to sort out,” He left the Hall then, still shaking his head at what I'd just realised was my complete and shocking stupidity. I stared after him with a mixture of chagrin, irritation and blank surprise until I felt hands running though my hair.

For a split – crazy - second I truly believed it was Tammie.

“Why don’t we skip first period…go somewhere more quiet?” Helen whispered in my ear, using that tone again – that tone which I’d found so sexy, so irresistible before I’d met Tammie. I barely, just barely managed to repress my shudder.

“Uh, no, I have to…” I didn’t finish, but disentangled myself from her, having to remind myself to be gentle, and stood up. “Yeah,” I finished awkwardly, raising my eyebrows as I caught the look of almost child-like petulance she gave me. As if I’d just taken her favourite toy from her.

I didn’t see Tammie nor James or Remus on my way back up to the dorms, and felt horrible when I imagined them comforting her somewhere.

When I finally made it up to our dorm, I practically threw myself face-first on top of my bed, and lay there, thinking of nothing.

Why exactly is it that I’m such a dick?

*Rosie’s Point of View

“OK, you can do this, you can do this, you can -” Lily clapped her hand over my mouth, finally snapping under my intense dithering.

It was evening and I’d just sent Lily downstairs on a scouting mission to see if a certain Nicholas McLaggen was in the common room, and if a certain Sirius Black happened to be there too.

“Yes, yes,” She said impatiently, cutting off my questions mid-flow.

“And you asked him if he was…interested?” I asked breathlessly. Anybody watching would assume I’d just run a mile. She nodded, a sure sign that she would shout at me if she opened her mouth.

Though I was, of course, me...I could relate. I’d do the same.

I took a deep breath, squared my shoulders, and turned towards the door; I didn’t make it, opting instead to sit on the nearest bed and put my head between my knees.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake!” She burst out, making me flinch in my delicate state of nerves. Was I insane? If not then why – why was I doing this?

Lily’d finally reached her limit; she pulled me up before I knew what she was even doing (either I was lighter or she was stronger than I’d thought) and pushed me forcefully through the door.

“Go!” She commanded and I sighed, but slowly made my way downstairs, ignoring the fact that my face felt like it was on fire, and everybody else besides, including – especially - the Marauders.

I immediately spotted him, sitting nearby the portrait hole with a group of his friends.

“McLag –" I cleared my throat. "I mean, Nicholas,” I greeted, smiling distractedly at him and trying not to let the assessing looks of his mates scramble my thoughts. He smiled smugly back up at me, the picture of confidence. I discounted the smug part; if I didn’t like him then this plan wouldn’t work at all.

“Mc – Nicholas – could we talk out there?” I asked quietly, nodding to the portrait hole.

“'Course,” He said, looking slightly surprised, but pleased. In my peripheral vision, a tiny movement caught my eye; when I looked, a big burly boy sitting on the couch next to McLaggen - Nicholas - winked at me and wiggled his eyebrows before looking pointedly across the room.

I didn't even need to see for myself to know in which direction he was looking; I knew without a doubt that all of the Marauders would be watching our exchange very carefully, no matter how many people were sitting and talking in the common room.

I brought my attention back to present time and followed uncomfortably as Nicholas stood and led the way to and through the portrait hole.

"So," He said quietly, looking down at me with a glint in his eye. I'm sure he meant it to be friendly, but it made me itch slightly, and I felt a distinct urge to look away. You're only thinking like that because he's nothim... I thought irritably. ...Spit it out!

I smiled.

"Nicholas, do you want to go out with me?" As soon as the words were out of my mouth I felt completely stupid; how random was this? I'd never even really spoken to him before. Wouldn't he think it odd that I was asking him out when I didn't even know him?

If he thought so, he didn't show it at all. On the contrary, he looked extremely satisfied as he held out his arm for me to take.

"I'd love to," I took his proffered arm after the smallest of hesitations. "Why don't we take a walk?" He asked, oozing charm in such a practised way that I rather thought the desired effect was lost on me. I nodded distractedly.

Just put your mind to it, Tamms. Maybe this won't be so bad after all...

*Remus's Point of View

"Sirius, don't be a twat. You know you started all this by getting 'up close and personal' with Helen at breakfast. After that, you deserve everything she throws at you." I said, sparing him a glance over the DADA book I was reading.

His expression really was a sight to see; a mix of utmost fury, sullenness and disbelief as he watched Tammie conversing with McLaggen.

I suppressed a smile as I imagined briefly what must be running through his head right now - I was absolutely certain that it involved a few choice words and kicking McLaggen's face in. Or jinxing into oblivion certain other body parts.

I couldn't blame him for that; McLaggen's cronies had been dropping loud hints the last half hour about a certain Miss Tamsworth and McLaggen getting together. Sirius hadn't taken much notice other than to grind his teeth and mutter under his breath until Tammie had traipsed down the girls' staircase and made a beeline for their group.

James had stopped him jumping up from his chair twice now, but Sirius was watching them now with almost indecent scrutiny. I sighed.

"Just apologise Sirius. She'll understand." That caught his attention.

"I haven't done anything!…Look at her!" He seethed quietly, waving an arm in her direction. I rolled my eyes. "She's doing it to get to me, I just know it," He turned away just as Tammie and McLaggen disappeared out of the portrait hole. "Damn it!" He hissed as if burned. "James, gimme your invisibility cloak! Quick!" James nodded distractedly and pulled the bundle out of his pocket after checking to see if anyone was watching. "Thanks mate," His gaze was trained only on Tammie and McLaggen.

He didn't even spare us a glance before he disappeared under the cloak.

"Why are you so hard on him lately Remus?" James asked quietly, taking me by surprise. I looked over my book to see him surveying me intently over his glasses.

"I'm not." I told him, still slightly taken aback.

"Yeah you are - you know how messed up his head's getting over Tammie." He leaned forwards and rested his elbows on his knees. He looked so sure of what he was saying that I suddenly wanted to sock him, prefect be damned.

"What, so I'm supposed to tell him he's done everything right? Just 'cause he's my mate?"

"Well, no -"

"Good, then shut your gob. Tammie's our friend too, if you haven't forgotten, and you know very well that he's the one who's made it all so fucking difficult in the first place. The only thing I've done is use my judgment, and my judgment's telling me he's being a right prat. You think he's the only one whose head's getting messed up?"

"No, but -"

"Aw shut up, James. Good God man, use your own brains. If you've got any."