Taste of Youth

“I can not believe you, Sirius Black!” Lily’s voice was explosively loud bursting through the door when I got to the common room, “You just showed the self control of a first year!”

“I don’t see what your problem is.” Sirius snapped at the raging redhead.

“The problem,” She hissed jabbing him in the chest with her finger, “is that when you become an Auror this kind of thing is unacceptable. You want to give away your position in war just because you weren’t man enough to ask out the girl you were interesting in before both of you got together with other people? Huh? You want to be a child now, Black? Huh!

“Well too bad. You don’t get to have your petty little temper-tantrums anymore! Next year you’ll be of age and on your way to becoming an Auror, there’s no more time for being children anymore!” She screeched and looked about to slap him before James got between them.

“Calm down, Evans, calm down.” James said hurriedly restraining the raging girl and giving his friend an exasperated look, “You too, what happened back there wasn’t cool, man.”

The portholes door banged behind me and everyone looked up. I raised my hands and backed away toward the common rooms entrance once more.

“I’ll just go back to the Hufflepuff dorms now. Sorry to interrupt the love fest.” I told them as the door swung open behind me admitting a few happy looking first years.

“It’s fine, Luce.” Sirius told me and shot Lily a filthy look, “The conversation about things Evans knows nothing about was just ending.”

“Things I know nothing about? Things I know nothing about?” Lily struggled against James hold, “I will make sure you lose the ability to have children, Black!”

“O-kay.” I drawled moving for the door again, “I think I’ll go down to the Quiditch pitch and attempt suicide by flying.”

Lily gave me a sharp look at that obviously remembering the first day we met. I made a sarcastic face at her and started when Sirius was standing next to me tugging at the sleeve of my snow-dampened jacket.

“Come on, I’ll teach you.”

With that we set off towards the Quiditch pitch. Walking around with Sirius wasn’t like walking around with Chase or Lily or Alice or anyone else really, it wasn’t easy-going in the slightest. In fact walking with Sirius was like having given a stranger directions only to find you were going the same way, awkward, stiff and nerve racking. I kept on wanting to say something, to talk about nothing like I had been doing all day, but nothing would go past the tip of my tongue. It was almost like I was back in America at the house I’d lived in with my family, walking around while everyone else pretending that I didn’t exist and the only person who cared was miles away.

“How’d your date go?” Sirius finally said as the pitch came into sight.

“It was great, thank you for asking.”

“Do you like Vacanti?”

I looked at Sirius from the corner of my eye, “Well I did agree to go on a date with him, Sirius. Liking him is kind of a given.”

He shrugged, “You don’t have to like someone to go on a date with them.”

“Oh,” I worked my jaw and gave an off sounding laugh, “I feel a little bad for your ex-girlfriends then if that’s how you think.”

“It’s not that I didn’t like them, I just stopped liking them even before I broke up with them. It’s not unusual.”

“Mmm, it’s unusual to me.”

“He’s not that great you know, Vacanti. He’s an awful Chaser.”

I stopped and crossed my arms glowering at him, “So let me get this straight, Quiditch is what determines good qualities in a person? Is that it Sirius? Because if it is then I guess I must be the equal of a Death Eater.”

Sirius looked startled at my outburst and waved his hands desperately, “That is not what I-”

“What, Black. It wasn’t what you meant?” I hissed, “I don’t really care about your opinions of my boyfriend, you don’t know him. I do. End of conversation.”

“Hey guys!” James called out waving as he and Remus came up to us, “We figured you might want a few more teachers, Luce.”

It was Remus that noticed the atmosphere first, “Is everything okay, you two?”

“Peachy.” I ground out and turned to the wary looking boy, “Will you teach me how to fly, Rem?”

Remus looked startled, “Uh- sure but I’m really not the best for the job.”

“I’m sure you’ll do just fine, Remus. You’re the only one with teaching skills in this party.”

“She right, Moony.” James slapped Remus on the back laughing as he glanced between Sirius and I, “I was just going to make her go for it.”

I hit his arm, “Lily would have your head.”

“You know, I think I’m gonna go.” Sirius said backing away from our little group.

James sent him an odd look, “Really, Padfoot? But-”

“Yeah, yeah. I just remember I’d told Kristen I’d meet up with her tonight. Have fun!” He waved and started to jog back to the castle before he stopped looking at me, “I really didn’t mean it that way.”

I ignored him and stalked off to the pitch still ticked about our conversation. After Sirius was gone the dull tension in my shoulders eased a bit and I talked easily with the boys. James offered up one of his old brooms for me to have and wasn’t lying when he said he was planning on letting me just go. When I flew straight into the fabric of one of the stands on my first try nearly breaking my nose, Remus took over my coaching only including James for examples.

Flying was hard, not matter how effortless James made it look. I was sweating like a pig after I’d finally been able to get off the ground a hundred feet, whether out of fatigue or fear I had no idea. Remus had me doing slow circles around the pitch by the time the sun was setting and we were required to go back. My feet hit the solid ground and I swayed the feeling odd after being in the air so long. James and Remus touched down next to me and the three of us brooms in hand headed back to the dorm rooms.

“You’re a really good teacher, Remus.” I told the boy bumping my shoulder into his.

“Thanks, you’re a fast learner.”

“I try, plus fear is a great motivator.” I laughed and pointed an accusing finger at James, “Even more so when this ones flying loops around you.”

James threw up his arms laughing, “You need to be able to focus!”

“Constant vigilance!” I hooted and laughed, “Speaking of which I’m late.”

“What?” James looked at me bewildered as he took the broom from me.

I waved a hand at him and said my goodbyes sprinting toward the castle.