Never Listen to a Word I Say

"Finally," a male voice said behind her, making her jump. She turned her head, and, to her embarrassment, almost kissed Sirius Black. "Can I sit here?"

Valeri nodded, blushing slightly.

"We need to talk," Sirius said. "Good news and bad news."

"Do I get to choose?" Valeri asked, blush faded, and grin appearing. Sirius grinned right back at her.

"The bad news first," he said. "It might make you happy, but it's bad news to me."

Valeri shrugged. "Try me."

Sirius grinned. "Alright, I'll try you. The bad news...I broke up with Jessica because she snogged a Ravenclaw friend of hers."

Valeri made a false look of surprise and sympathy, but instead she was thinking, "Finally!"

"I'm sorry, Sirius. Maybe she wasn't the one for you."

"Maybe the good news will direct me to the one. The good news is I've found someone better."

Valeri's heart sank. "Who?"

"Guess," he said, sweeping his hand across the room, mostly filled with girls, the rest of the marauders sitting in the corner, getting ready to go to bed.

Valeri thought, racking her brain, trying to remember every girl's name that Sirius had spoken about.

"Kristi? Hailey?" she asked, both of which Sirius shook his head, his grin broadening.

"Don't tell me it's Lily!" She said. "James fancies her!"

"No it's not Lily. Are you seriously that thick?"

Valeri shrugged, still not knowing.

"Soon, Valeri, you will find out." Sirius said, then got up, walking up the boys' dormitory staircase, soon followed by James, Remus, and Peter.

* * *

The rest of the week went by normally, or as normal as it is with Sirius and Valeri interrupting class, hexing random students while teachers weren't looking. By the end of the week, however, Sirius had grown more mysterious to Valeri, completely ignoring the mob whenever it showed up, and still not telling Valeri who the girl was.

Valeri, meanwhile, changed her personality completely. Instead of hiding the fact that she fancied Sirius, she showed it, playing around with him flirtatiously. You could say her personality went from quiet and calm to loud and playful.

Not only had her personality changed, but her clothes had changed. She used to wear comfy clothes that she could move around in. Now, however, she was wearing color tint shades, short shorts, and tight tank tops. On weekends she went around the castle barefoot, walking down stairs on her toes like she was wearing heels.

This change in Valeri was noticed by the marauders, but they didn't say anything about it. It wasn't only noticed by the Marauders, but by every guy in the school. She caught the eye of any boy in the corridors, and even in classes, where she refused to wear the school uniform.

"I feel it shows my individuality," she told Professor McGonagall, lowering her orange shades to look up at her. "Don't you think every student should show originality?"

Professor McGonagall just turned and rolled her eyes, nostrils flaring, returning to the lesson. Valeri saw a couple of boys looking at her, and she winked at them.

"Don't you think you should take it easy, Val?" Sirius asked her, grinning at her daring move.

"I'll take it easy when I need to," she said, looking back at him. She reached into her bag, taking out a gum stick. She slipped it into her mouth, chewing. "I'll take it easy when I'm an old lady, not able to get anywhere without a walker, hunching my back."

Sirius rolled his eyes and looked at James exasperatedly. James held up his hands as if not wanting to get involved.

* * *

"Are you willing to tell me, Sirius?" James asked.

"Hm?" Sirius said, looking down at the grounds.

They were sitting in the deserted Common Room, Sirius sitting by the window, James sitting backwards on a chair, facing Sirius.

"Pay attention!" James snapped, now getting irritated. "Who's the girl?"

Sirius pointed out the window, and James looked. His jaw dropped and his eyes widened.

"Her?" James asked, grin appearing.

Sirius grinned as well and nodded, watching the girl walk back inside with her girlfriends.

"Nice choice, Padfoot," James said, walking back to his chair. "I've gone out with her, and she's a silver bullet. Sure you can handle her?"

"I'll tame that silver bullet," Sirius said.

"Don't worry, Padfoot. She's not like Jessica, snogging her fellow Ravenclaw. She might like being free-spirited, but she's loyal."

The door to the Common Room opened, and Valeri, Lily, Kristi, and Cleo all walked in, smiling from some secret joke. Valeri broke form the group and sat with James and Sirius.

"Well, there's Lily," James said, standing up, hand jumping to his hair. "I think I'll go try to get her to go out with me again."

"Good luck, Prongs," Valeri said, winking at him. "You'll need it." She turned to Sirius. "So, ready to tell me who the lucky girl is?"

Sirius didn't say anything. Instead he leaned forward, his lips gently brushing hers as he kissed her.