There and Black Again

Sirius awoke a few hours later feeling happy and refreshed. He just knew that his stunt in Slytherin had been some odd dream left over from Molly's Surprise Sandwiches he'd eaten the day before. But then he opened his eyes and found himself staring up at those damn green and silver bed curtains.

It took him a moment to collect himself before he swung his legs over the bed. He sat on the edge of the bed and watched the floor for a few seconds before his eyes lifted to the clock on his bedside table. He winced and shook his head.

A little while later Sirius was clopping down the stairs to the common room with a confused look on his face. It was just after dinner and there were only three or four people lounging around the common room. If he remembered correctly, the Gryffindor common room was always packed with people until the early hours of the morning.

"So glad you decided to show," Narcissa said softly from the leather couch in front of the fireplace. She didn't even look up from her book.

"I'm sorry." Sirius shrugged and hopped over the back of the couch. "I couldn't drag myself out of bed."

"At least you're getting back to your normal self then," Narcissa said and turned the page. "I just can't seem to get the hang of casting blocking spells wandlessly."

"I would think it'd be the first thing you'd learn living with Bellatrix for sixteen years." Sirius snorted and scooted closer to look over her shoulder.

"And you," Narcissa said with a smile.

"Moi?" Sirius acted shocked.

"Yes you." Narcissa poked him in the shoulder.

"What seems to be your problem?" Sirius asked.

Narcissa sighed. "I can't concentrate enough. At least, that's what I think is the problem."

"Hmm." Sirius pursed his lips and thought for a moment. "Okay. When I was first learning how to cast spells wandlessly I would find an object and concentrate on it for small periods of time. Each time I'd practice I'd extend the time by thirty seconds or so. After a while I was able to concentrate on the object without even having to look at it. The next step is to substitute the object with your shielding charm."

Narcissa nodded and looked up at him. "Show me."

"Okay," Sirius said and scanned the room. After a few moments he settled on Narcissa herself. He concentrated on the way her golden hair framed her face and how her lips parted slightly as she relaxed. He concentrated on the rise and fall of her chest as she breathed and the flawless blue color of her eyes. He concentrated on how long her eyelashes were and how her t-shirt clung to her body...

"Whoa." Sirius snapped out of his daze suddenly. It took a moment to recover himself and once he had he said nonchalantly, "And that's how it's done."
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"I did it!" Narcissa squealed the following afternoon. She ran through the common room and tackled Sirius to the ground. "I cast the shield charm without my wand!"
"That's great." Sirius laughed from underneath him. "I knew you could do it."

"I'm so happy I could kiss you right now," Narcissa squealed. "Oh hell."

Sirius blushed as Narcissa slapped his cheeks in between her hands and planted a kiss right on his lips. It took every fibre in Sirius' body not to open his mouth and return the kiss with something more than cousinly love and even more restraint not to pull her lips back onto his when she pulled back.

She sat back on her haunches, still straddling Sirius' waist, and said softly, "I couldn't have done it without you."
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Sirius wasn't quite sure, but he thought he might be attracted to Narcissa in a way he definitely shouldn't be. He was still contemplating this turn of events later that night as he walked back from the library with Lucius, Andre, and

Greg after a few hours of studying. It was nearing curfew and none of them wanted to be caught out by Filch after what had happened last time. Of course, Sirius had only a general idea from what they'd been saying about a liberal amount of lake water, Filchs' cat, and ice mice.

They had just turned into the hallway leading to the dungeons when the door Sirius was walking past flew open and slammed him in the face. His eyes automatically started watering and his hands went directly to his smashed nose as he screamed, "Oh fucking bloody hell!"

"What the hell was that for Potter?" Andre hissed while he and the others all pulled their wands out.

"He can't see through doors," Remus sneered, his wand at ready as well.

"Bloody hell!" Sirius yelled again, still clutching his nose. "I think you broke it, you wanker!"

"Oh you'll pay for that Potter!" Lucius yelled and shot a hex at James' head. James jumped out of the way just in time and Lucius quickly started shouting out hex after hex while simultaneously blocking the hexes James was throwing his way.

A portrait exploded, sending its inhabitants fleeing, just as David Smith came rushing from the room. He pulled out his wand as he surveyed the scene and asked loudly, "What the hell is going on?"

"Doesn't the mudblood know what a duel is?" Andre sneered as David turned on him. "What are you going to do with that? Throw it at me?"

David looked at his wand briefly before shouting, "Fuck you," and launching himself at Andre. It only took a second for Lucius and James to ditch their own wands and resort to much more crude methods of fighting. Which left Greg to strangle Remus in a headlock with one arm as he held a swinging Peter at bay with his other. Meanwhile, Sirius was off to the side with his head tilted back. He was pinching the end of the nose trying, unsuccessfully, to stop the bleeding.

Even at that late of hour it was only a few minutes before someone screamed "fight" and there students began crowding the halls. Finally the Head Boy and five Prefects pushed their ways into the huddle and pulled the boys off each other. Once the brawl had been stopped, the detentions were given. Sirius tried to tell McGonagall that he wasn't involved in the actual fight, but she wouldn't even listen.
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"That Potter has a mean right hook," Lucius said. He winced as he lowered himself onto his bed. "Barbarian."

"I can't believe McGonagall refused to heal our injuries." Andre narrowed his eyes. "But of course she healed Smith the second she saw him."

Greg chuckled. "Probably because you cracked his skull on the floor. What I can't believe was Black standing around shrieking like a little girl."

Sirius glared at him. "I did not shriek like a little girl."

"You, my friend," Andre pointed at him, "most definitely shrieked like a little girl."
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