The Fanfic Author and Sirius Black

Chapter 1: *Poke*

A few hours later, Sirius was still lying on the same Common Room couch, alone, as before. About an hour ago, he had drifted into a daydream state. With his eyes half closed, he listened to the music in his head. Minutes later, Annie came down the stairs at high-speed. Snapping out of his daze and remembering what happened the last time someone came into the common room--his legs were 'severely injured'- he pulled his legs up. Just in time, too. Annie bounced (if that's the right word) onto the sofa next to him, a roll of parchment and a quill in hand. She didn't say anything, just immediately went to work on her assignment (or whatever).

Sirius sat up curiously. Clearly, this was top secret, or she would have said something. (Yes, folks he's always this stupid. But you have to admit, he's insanely loveable. Emphasis on the insane.) He sneakily glanced at her parchment, but she didn't even try to cover it.

Bah, he thought, catching a glimpse of the writing. Just a bunch of lousy Arithmacy. So he went back to his daydreams. Scarcely half a minute later, he felt it- *poke*-like someone had poked him in the arm. He looked over at Annie, but she was scribbling away at her parchment, not even looking innocent or whistling, or any of the other things people do when they have pulled something and want to make others think it wasn't them. So he ignored it. Moments later, it happened again-- *poke*. There was no denying it this time. Annie had poked him. So Sirius did the only thing he could think of to retaliate.

*poke*

This time it was Sirius doing the poking. And he didn't turn around either. He had poked her squarely in the arm, and was waiting for her to turn. And she did.

For almost a minute, they looked at each other, scarcely blinking. Their faces came closer, than closer still. And then--

*poke*

She poked him.

Sirius was confused. He had been poked, right in the middle of his nose. Now what?

So he poked her, twice.

And the poke-fight ensued.

Ten minutes later, Remus was on his way down to the common room. He was met by gales of laughter, and immediately stared to walk more slowly. When his friends were anywhere near, you learned to be cautious.

Before turning the final corner to the common room, Remus cringed, not knowing what he might find. Now, his back to the wall, he peeked around the corner.

That was Sirius alright. But who was that girl with him? She was obviously around their age, but he had never seen her before. And what were they doing?

"Ahem..." Remus stepped off the stairs and cleared his throat, causing both heads to jerk up to look at him.

"Yes?" said Sirius, again, innocently.

"Er, what... I mean, who... Oh, nevermind. Padfoot, dinner is in half an hour, in case you forgot. I'll... er, I'll be leaving now." He sidled away from the two, not turning his back to them until he was out of the common room.

Actually, he thought to himself, she was sort of pretty. Ah, well.

Meanwhile, back in the common room, Annie and Sirius, their poking disrupted by the arrival of Remus, were again sitting separately on the couch as before, except their hair and clothes were a bit more ruffled, and they both had smiles on their faces.

Just then, James entered the portrait hole, then grinned when he saw the two. Both Sirius and Annie pretended not to notice him. He plopped (...is that the right word?) down between them on the couch.

"Well-" he started to say something, but Annie broke him off.

"See you guys later!" she said in a cheerful voice. "Gotta finish my Arithmacy homework!" And with a ruffle to the hair of both Sirius and James, she disappeared, presumable off to the library.

Both boys waited until she was well out of the room to speak. And then it was James who said something.

"Didn't take you long, eh, Padfoot?" he asked, obviously commenting on the state of Sirius's hair and clothes.

"Shut it, James," was the reply. "Nothing happened."

At this, James didn't say anything, just raised an eyebrow.

For a brief moment, Sirius wondered how he accomplished that, and after trying several times to raise only one eyebrow, he sighed in defeat.

"It was a poke-fight," he said airily.

James's grin faded, and he just looked confused. "A... poke-fight?"

"Oh, yes, loads of fun," Sirius said, in the same manner as before.

James opened his mouth to say something, but found that Sirius was looking down to the side of the couch, a slight smile on his face.

"She left her Arithmacy here," he said, pointing to the scroll, ink bottle, and pen, which had been forgotten- but miraculously, not spilled- in the aftermath of the poke-war.

"I think I might like her, though."

He then turned to James. "James, don't say--" but it was too late.

"Told ya."