Just To Say I Love You

Just To Say I Love You 03

Lessons and Late Owls

Sirius

Its the last lesson on Monday, Transfiguration. People are chatting, swapping notes, trading Sugar Quills and gum. Professor McGonagall raps her wand on the desk to make us all shut up.

'The date today is Monday September 26.'

'No kidding!' says Ronnie Lyon in mock surprise. He receives a glare.

'Most of you will probably agree that there is a considerable amount of time between today and the night of December 24.'

The class is silent. We are giving her our full and undivided attention. Call the Daily Prophet!

'On that night, there is going to be a Christmas Ball,' she says sternly and I can see her nostrils flare.

'There will be dancing involved and I will not have anyone,' her eyes shift over me, Peter, James, Ronnie, Paul Simmons, Shane Wird and John Carlyle. 'Ruining Godric Gryffindor's good name in a moment of carelessness and foolishness! Or my reputation!' she adds.

I look at James. He turns and gives thumbs up to the four boys sitting at the table behind us. Paul, John, Shane and Ronnie return the gesture.

'I know dancing is a difficult art form for some,' she is interrupted by Carrie Fox having a loud false cough which sounds like "boys". Her friends around her, including Lily, giggle.

'We are going to start now.'

The girls all stand up but us guys are like 'Huh?' and we fall on the ground because Minnie just Vanished our chairs and tables. Thanks a lot.

The girls hurry over to the far right wall and us guys shuffle over to the left.

'I will let you choose your own partners. Do not do anything foolish while I fetch a gramophone from Mr. Filch,' Professor McGonagall says briskly and strides out.

No one moves. The floor suddenly becomes really interesting. Girls mutter and giggle. Guys sigh and fidget. James hasn't taken his eyes off Lily since we got up.

'Go on!' Carrie Fox hisses at a girl and pushes her forward.

She's a quite pretty girl, with dark brown hair in a ponytail and blue eye that sparkle with defiance. Shame she has a silver metal brace and a huge spot on her forehead.

She looks sort of familiar though.

She stops in front of Remus. We all stare.

'Will- will you be my partner?' she asks, faltering at all the staring eyes. There's an outbreak of nervous giggling.

'Oh, piss off! You actually need partners too!' she snaps irritably.

Remus hasn't said anything. Ronnie cuffs him on the shoulder. It seems to bring him to his senses.

'Oh. Yeah, I will,' he mumbles to his feet. He takes her hand and James wolf whistles at him. They move into the centre of the room.

'If Diner Girl can get a Marauder that easy...' Andrea Wallis's catty remark rings around the room. Remus's partner glares at her with loathing.

Andrea marches across the room over to- Peter? We all gawp as she drags a bemused looking Peter to the centre.

Evangeline Bridgon, one of Andrea's little followers takes a can't-believe-his-luck-looking Paul Simmons to the middle.

Carrie Fox stands in front of Ronnie Lyon for about three years before he gets the message.

Lola Zehauski stares up and down the line of remaining boys before sighing and choosing me. She's another of Andrea's minions but she is pretty ok looking- one of the "popular" girls who has perfect hair 24-7 and regulation caked on make up.

Delilah Simmons another Andrea clone but still Paul's twin sister, asks the ceiling if it would be her partner, please. Well, ok, she could have been asking Shane. She was looking at the ceiling.

John asks my cousin Andromeda to be his partner. Brave move. Andromeda dislikes guys breathing the same air as her. She grudgingly accepts guys who are musical but anyone else just gets a contemptuous look. Contemptuous. Moony taught us that word yesterday. I mean, James and me are pretty brainy but we'd rather play Quidditch than waste our time reading books. Moony does it just for fun. Weird. They're usually books about Art though. He's obsessed by it.

James and Lily are the only ones left. A large gramophone floats into the room and McGonagall appears after it has settled itself onto her desk.

'Professor? I don't have a partner,' says Lily loudly. McGonagall looks up from the gramophone briefly.

'Well, you can go with Mr. Potter.'

Lily frowns at McGonagall's back. James smirks at Lily and she gives him a glower full of hatred.

'Boys, place your right hand on your partner's waist and your left on their shoulder. Girls, I'm sure you have enough common sense to work out where your hands are meant to be,' says McGonagall firmly. Everyone giggles.

'Really! I thought you could be mature and above such things!' admonishes Minnie.

We all sigh and shuffle into places, our hands in appropriate places.

'And one, two and three...'

Lily

'Ugh! I hate Professor McGonagall!' I burst out savagely. Severus nods his head but continues scribbling on his Potions textbook. I get out of my chair and pick up a book at random. It's a book with the title 1000 ways to Switch. Its written by a complete moron T.H Ousand. I know because that is obviously not his name (unless his parents were child hating sadists) and his books suck. He has written some others:

1000 ways to Love, 1000 ways to Charm and 1000 ways to Seduce.

What a loony. His books are full of sleazy chat up lines, potions and charms. This one is about dumping someone.

I turn to the back and it says Turn to page 32!

I flick through the pages, curious to see if it goes on. It does.

Turn to page 42. Turn to page 52. Turn to page 62. Turn to page 72.

And on and on until you get to the back page.

STOP FOLLOWING ME YOU STALKER!!!

'Did I mention that I hate Professor McGonagall?'

Severus laughs a little and silences me by pressing his lips against mine.

'Mmpfh!' I protest.

He relents and leans back in his chair at apparent ease but I know he's wary and alert. Two months of talking and um... intimacy have taught me almost everything I need to know about him. I think it has done him some good, just talking about him. I can tell it helps and that he doesn't do it often. He is way too secretive.

I can't believe all the stuff he has already gone through. His dad is a violent, abusive, calculating alcoholic and his mother is a strong woman who is weakening after twenty long years of suffering. They don't have much money because when they get it his dad spends it on drink. His mother is forever cleaning and cooking and trying to avoid his dad. He hits her if she doesn't do her "duties".