Shake It Out

McGonagall started off the class with a lecture introducing us to nonverbal spells. I, being the low-key intellectual I am, already read ahead in our NEWT transfiguration book over the summer and was fairly well-acquainted with the concept. I could even cast a few nonverbal spells myself. Because of this, I allowed myself to mentally check out of class once again.

James sat next to me today, much to the dismay of Sirius. It seemed he too, had checked out, as he was scribbling furiously on bit of parchment and then passed it to me.

I glanced down.

Since you've been treating yourself like a pariah for the past five years, does that mean you're stunted in the bloke department?

I rolled my eyes at the note then looked up at him. He looked back at me curiously.

Are you asking if I'm a virgin, James?

Much to my amusement, he turned beet red upon reading the note.

No! I was just asking if you've ever snogged a bloke, or had a boyfriend!

I snorted audibly.

Boyfriend, no. Snogged, yes. I'm nearly 17 for Christ's sake!

Who did you snog?

I looked at the parchment, then gave him a look and passed it back to him. Were all Gryffindors this nosy?

As if to answer my internal question, Black reached over us from his seat in the back and snatched up the parchment, reading it suspiciously. He looked up, scandalized.

"Who have you been snogging?" He whispered.

I didn't answer and began listening to McGonagall, who had just instructed us to to turn a needle into a piece of hay and vice versa nonverbally. Black continued to pester me as I tuned him out and picked up my wand.

With a simple silent flick, the needle transformed perfectly.

"Miss Harris! 20 points to Slytherin!"

I smirked as Black gaped at me and James looked impressed.

"Now if you keep sticking your nose in my business, Black, I'll nonverbally transform it into a turnip."

"I would just like to know who you snogged!"

"Miss Harris! Impressive magic but not on a fellow student!"

I looked up sheepishly as McGonagall descended upon us.

"Mr. Potter, kindly escort Mr. Black to the hospital wing to get the spell reversed and his nose back in working order."

James was still laughing as he left the classroom with a fuming Sirius, whose hand was placed over his turnip nose.

"5 points to Slytherin," I heard McGonagall mutter as she walked away, and I smiled. This year was going to be better than the rest.

Sirius sat stonily ignoring me at dinner when I sat down with the Marauders.

"I saw that bit of nonverbal magic in transfiguration today, Harris," Remus said, as he tucked into some french onion soup. "Do you think we can go to the library after supper and you could help me out?"

I contemplated this. No one had ever asked me for help before, let alone the brilliant Remus Lupin. "Sure, Remus."

"Well if you're going to help him you might as well help all of us," James smiled. When he said "all of us" I assumed he meant himself, Remus, and Sirius, as Peter wasn't nearly bright enough to make it into NEWT transfiguration.

"I suppose, but something tells me Black doesn't want my help," I responded airily as I buttered a roll.

"You have that one right," he huffed.

"To be fair Padfoot, she did warn you," James nudged his friend.

"And also you're not privy to any of her business, let alone who she's snogging," Remus added. They must have filled him in.

"You got that right," I grinned, which soon turned to a look of mild surprise as a boy walked up to our part of the table.

"Briggs," James said, sitting up straight, "Quidditch question?"

Zachary Briggs was a chaser on the Gryffindor quidditch team. James played chaser as well, and Sirius was a beater. I was quite a Quidditch fan myself and never missed a match, though I did always sit alone.

Briggs was a fairly imposing bloke. And handsome, I'll give him that. At 6'3, his pearly white smile and messy blonde hair normally had a bird or two ditzing behind him at all times. I looked around and there they were- two fourth year girls sliding closer and closer to our side of the Gryffindor table with their eyes on him and their skirts hiked up. I rolled my eyes and returned them to the action.

"Actually, no. I actually came to talk to Harris."

I looked at him confusedly as Sirius, who was pointedly ignoring everyone, suddenly sat up straight and James looked at Briggs suspiciously.

"What can I do for you, Briggs?"

He seemed to lose his confidence a little as we locked eyes. "I, uh, was wondering if you had plans for next Hogsmeade?"

I raised my eyebrows and looked around at my companions. Remus looked entertained, Peter was looking back and forth between James and Sirius, James looked unhappy, and Sirius looked indignant.

"Oi! We found her first Briggs, you can't just swagger over here like you weren't scared to talk to her last week," Black said in a huff.

Briggs briefly shot Sirius a look before returning his attention to me.

"I've always admired you from afar, Harris," he said earnestly. "You just seemed so uninterested in everyone that I didn't want to face the brutal rejection."

I inwardly cackled as I nodded innocently at him.

Not only was Briggs a Hogwarts hottie, he was also a Hogwarts manwhore, along with Sirius. I've seen him exit from many a broom closet over the years and my guesses were that he was more like lusting at me from afar instead of admiring. I glanced at the Marauders, and they seemed to be in agreement.

Briggs was looking at me hopefully.

"Wouldn't it be easier if we just skipped Hogsmeade and got straight to the broom closet?" I suggested cheekily, ignoring sounds from the Marauders.

"Well, I- That's just- No, but-" Briggs was sputtering.

"It's okay Zachary, we play no games around here. Why don't you go sit down and get some dinner in you, and you let me know," I smiled at him kindly.

"I guess?" he replied unsurely and then walked away.

I cackled audibly this time as James looked at me accusingly.

"Is this how you get your snogs?"

"No Jamesie, but we all know how Briggs operates so I figured calling him out would be the best way to not only make him go away but embarrass him as well."

James gave me another look, something like impressed mixed with something else. "You know, I've been wondering why you were sorted into Slytherin for the longest, but now it's making sense!"

I just smiled at him angelically and continued eating my dinner.

After we were finished up, we went up to the library.