cribellate | SERAPHIM DIAS

It's not shit. And yes, I actually enjoy it.

[She does know how to relax, though. She sits back, and looks over at him.]

You care more about what's going on around here than you let on.

[He snorts, as he puts his cigarette to his lips again and sucks in.]

Do I. That's what you've observed about me, in your sleeplessness? You might want to get that all-seeing eye examined. There's not a lot that I care about.

[she doesn't think she's wrong, but she reaches for his cigarette, takes it out of his hand, her fingers brushing his hand, and takes a drag. She doesn't smoke but she is her brother's sister: she knows how. She lets out a breath of smoke. Her smile looks like the cat that got the canary]

It's not divination.

[She knows what a challenge looks like. She should know better than issuing this one. She should see the danger.]

What is your problem with just doing the work?

[He stares at her, quite directly, his expression a little hard. There's the smallest of smiles on his mouth--not necessarily amused, but still in place--and he holds his hand out, waiting for her to give his cigarette back.]

My problem is that it's a waste of my time.

[The corner of his mouth quirks, a very small and brief expression.]

All of this, is a waste of my time. Why are you so keen on doing the work?

[The way he says it, it's the stupidest thing she could be doing with herself.]

[She hands it back, calmly.]

Well, I rather like it, I'm good at it, it's interesting, so no, hardly a waste of my time.

Why did you come here, if you didn't want to do any of this? Why not just leave it, and not say word? It's hardly like you think anything of me, so it wasn't about me.

Perhaps I didn't know to think of you.

[It's a weird compliment, and maybe not even a compliment. Mostly what Sirius does is toy with people; everyone knows that. He smirks at her all the same.]

Here's an idea. Why don't you just say that I've done the work? You can tell Professor Sinistra, you'll look good for doing your bit, and I'll get out of this.

How flattering.

[She sits back to consider it, looking him over.]

If you don't pass, I'll just say you're a hopeless idiot.

But I will pass. And you can pretend that it had something to do with you, if you like, but it won't have.

[He tips his chair back on the rear two legs, still smirking.]

So what do we do in the meantime?

No one is going to mistake that.

[She puts her books away]

Why, Black, are you flattering me with your attention?

[Books away. That's better. He cocks his head at her, lets his chair fall back to the floor again.]

I wouldn't be so quick to sarcasm, Dias, if I were you. And I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss it--yeah, it's flattery, but think of it as an opportunity.

[She tilts her head, like she's thinking about it]

It's hardly a dismissal. What kind of opportunity are you really offering me, though? A chance to have the girl you're currently spending all your time with try and rip my hair out?

[She doesn't mean that this will go romantically, in any fashion. But the school doesn't always see the mingling of the sexes as anything platonic.]

[Really, it's more why is he offering. She's a mudblood, she's nothing he ought to be associating with. Dirty. But it's fun, to be shocking, sometimes. It's fun to go and snog whatever girl you please. And she's not one to get around, not that he's heard--she's a little sharp, a little waspy, and that presents an extra challenge that Sirius can't help but to rise to.

Oh, his mother will be disgusted. Regulus will write to her and tell her and she'll send him some acidic fucking letter about his behavior. But it doesn't matter. It's only Hogwarts, and he might as well do what he can, with whoever he likes, before he takes up the mantle of heir for true and all.]

Am I spending time with any one girl right now, that's more what you should be asking. Answer is, I'm not. The position is open.

[Is that demeaning? Maybe. But if she refuses, he can say he was only kidding, leading her on. No chance at a bruised ego.]

[For her, the matter is entirely different. Her twin is in Gryffindor, and she's not sure if Black realizes he's the Keeper for the Quidditch team or that Black sent a bludger and broke his nose - but that's Quidditch, like war, that's a different life.

That would be who would protest, her twin, because what the fuck are you doing- would be his comment, and that's something in and of itself.]

If you could catch me.

[But there's something in her smile. Something thorny. She's still pretty sure he's teasing her, leading her on.]

You don't think I could?

[Because he always gets what he wants, doesn't he? Because that smile of hers, that's like a challenge, and he grins back at her, leaning his elbow on the table, his chin in his hand.]

I'm very quick. I can catch nearly anything, if I put my mind to it.

Well, we can always make it a bigger challenge, can't we?

[She leans back in her chair.]

Catch me in the act, and I'll let you have a hand in it.

[That's a riddle, or a real offer on her virtue.]

If you think you can stomach touching me.

'Catch you in the act'.

[Those are the words that he's really interested in, right now, and those are the words that he chooses to repeat. He gives her another once over, like he's considering both that phrasing and the thought of touching her. It's an interesting bit of consideration, if the look on his face is any indication.]

What exactly am I catching you in the act of, let's be quite clear here.

[That's when she just smiles, the kind of smile that says more than it doesn't.]

We're not going to destroy my reputation, are we?

[That smile is more than intriguing. Which is probably what she has in mind, honestly, and he's partly aware of that--but that doesn't mean he's going to be any less into this. There's always a part of him that's a bit removed, and he likes it that way.]

We'll do something with it, at least. I don't know about destroy.

[Her habits - the secret ones, the voyeuristic ones, they're not on display. But this is possibly one of the few boys in the entire school who might be willing to play this game, this game of hide and seek and catch, or at least play the game of playing the game.]

Well, it's probably what you think, Black. It's probably almost exactly what you're thinking now.

[But if she doesn't say it, if she doesn't say it explicitly, then she can deny it later, can't she? She can pretend, no, it's not true.

In any case, her reputation is spotless. No boy has ever managed to get her attention, certainly never for more than minutes at a time.]

Are you interested in playing that game?

[There are a lot of things that he's thinking right now, he might tell her. There are a lot of possibilities here that are of a keen interest to him, for all that she's a muggle-born. You can mess around with muggle-borns, just don't get attached, or actually interested. That's one of the games you have to play.

The rest of the game is more enjoyable, and he cocks his head, giving her a once-over before he slips his gaze up to her face, with a smirk.]

Oh, I'm very interested.

[She looks at him, over the table, and thinks for a second that it's not really fair that he's still such a tremendous knob.]

Then you had better get good at the hunt.

[And a pause]

And you're not allowed to set anything up. I'll know.

You've clearly underestimated who you're dealing with, if you really think I'll need to cheat at this.

[He tips his chair back on the rear two legs once more, arching his eyebrows at her again.]

Shall we call it a day for today, then? And I'll find you... later.

Well, I'm still a Ravenclaw. I like everything to be very clear from the get go.

[She lifts her bag, and gives him a nod]

Then I'll see you around, Black.

[No actual schoolwork done, no actual punishment served, and a promise like the one he's got, even out of a muggle-born: this was a fairly successful evening, all things considered, and the satisfaction of that doesn't wear off.

Over the next two days, Sirius looks for Sera, idly--not with any real effort. She wasn't exactly clear on when she was going to start their game--better sooner than later--but he's not about to jump on it before she begins it, lest he seem too eager.

(But he is, admittedly, eager. The nature of the game is one that he can appreciate, the pursuit--and when he does find her, the game won't stop being interesting, he's sure of that.)]

[She wasn't lying when she said that she doesn't sleep. It's insomnia at it's worst, and the worst hours are from two to five in the morning, when even the most delinquent students are abed. But it's the hours before then that are the most interesting, when people are sneaking from place to place to find a private corner for interhouse romance or just trouble.

When she says she's not always easy to catch, she means it. She doesn't have an invisibility cloak, but she is small enough to hide almost anywhere, and quick enough to get from place to place. Tonight she's behind a tapestry, tucked up in an old, boarded up windowsill so that even her feet aren't visible, and she's watching two six years - she can't tell who they are, or their house, whisper sweet nothings to each other. She can't quite hear them, but she can hear the footsteps coming down the hall, and so can they.

There's freezing all around, as if freezing will keep them from being seen.]

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