Kelsey sat at the Hufflepuff table that morning with Astrid sneaking nervous glances at the door. Her breakfast lay untouched. She was still waiting for her masterpiece to arrive.

"You need to eat," Astrid pushed the croissants and glass of juice in front of Kelsey.

"I'm not hungry."

"Trust me. You'll need the energy to run when they show up," Astrid said with a knowing look.

Kelsey pursed her lips and grabbed the food. "Good point," she said while chewing.

"KELPIE WHATEVER-YOUR-MIDDLE-NAME-IS JONES!"

The door to the Great Hall swung open with a great thud. Almost everyone in the hall turned their attention to the commotion instantly. There were collective gasps.

Kelsey got up a little to peek through the heads and saw Sirius Black- or should she say Sirius Green & Silver, making his way to her looking very angry. With his wand in his hand, he stormed over.

She turned to look at Astrid who was wide-eyed.

Her best friend mouthed Run to her. Who was Kelsey to doubt her? She stuffed the last of that croissant into her mouth gracelessly and got up, snatching her bag trying to make a break for it but he caught her by the robes before she could.

"You!" He seethed venomously.

"Oh, Mornin' Black," Kelsey stopped with his grip on her robes still. He looked at her with murder in his steely grey eyes. "Is something different? I could have sworn something's different about you today," she said, looking at him innocently.

"You did this!"

"I have no idea what you mean," she said coolly.

"Change it back!"

The other three Marauders caught up next to Sirius in front of the Hufflepuff table with them. They stood there, arms crossed looking at Kelsey in amusement.

"Again- no idea what you mean," Kelsey could have sworn he almost burst a vein. "Oh- I know! It's your hair!" She clapped her hands together.

"Miss Jones, Miss Black!" the two turned to see the head of their houses making their way down from the professor's table to them.

Kelsey freed herself from his grasp and just as she was about to walk away, he pulled her to him one last time. Warmth flooded her, along with something that fluttered inside.

He mumbled in her ear, "You'll regret this." She gulped and looked into his eyes. Gone was the fury, replaced with a glint of mischief. "Oh, the fun we'll have, Kelpie," he said before finally letting her go.

"Bring it on Black," she whispered back, giving him a cocky grin to match his ego. She ignored how her breath was on the verge of turning shallow from his close proximity. She rushed away before Professor Sprout could catch up with her.

Following her, Astrid too gathered her books and sent the boys an apologetic look, along with a small smile to Remus who seemed to be having trouble keeping a straight face. They hurried out, a little pink in the cheeks at the attention, however, almost all eyes returned to Sirius Black a few moments later.

The hall had been mostly silent for this exchange, breakfast forgotten, for no one had openly dared to prank the four boys in six years. No one knew what to think of this new look or was it a prank?

Many students sniggered at the colour choice, earning themselves a glare from James and Sirius.

"Nice hair, Black!"

"Am I going crazy or do you see that?"

"Did Sirius Black get pranked?"

"No way! No one's that barmy!"

"Still looks fit as a bird."

"Is it odd that I find him hotter this way?"

"Boy do I want to Slytherin to his pants right now.."

Sirius blushed and walked over to the Gryffindor table silently, plotting his revenge.

ϟ

"So? Tell us!" Mary said excitedly.

Kelsey, Astrid, Lily, Marlene and Mary sat at their usual spot by the Black Lake after classes on the second day. Classes for the day were over and they had an hour before dinner and so they sat working on foot-long NEWT essays.

Kelsey sent them a sneaky smile pausing her quill, before putting it down. The girls inched closer to her.

"Okay fine! I'll tell you," she proclaimed dramatically as if doing them a favour. Secretly, she had been dying to retell the tale of her heroic pursuit for justice aka project 'Sirius Green is the new Black'.

So she did. And her friends oohed and aahed at the retelling. Even Lily who tried to keep a straight disapproving face was rolling over in laughter by the time Kelsey reached the part where Sirius and James slept next to each adorably.

"Blimey Lils. You're not going soft on Potter are you?" Kelsey teased stopping her tale.

"No! W-Why would you even.." she spluttered.

"Just so you know, he doesn't snore," Kelsey winked at the red-head who rolled her eyes.

"As if I care!" She sounded vexed and got up, stuffing her things into her bag.

"Aww Evans come on!" Marlene said.

"You're distracting me! And I do not care that Potter doesn't snore while sleeping like an angelic baby next to Sirius! Now if you'll excuse me, I'll be in the library," she walked off.

"Did she say 'angelic baby'?" Astrid wondered out loud, looking at Lily retreat.

"Curious words," Marlene mused.

"Indeed," Mary agreed.

"She is going soft," Kelsey chuckled.

"Do you think we should tell her?"

"And deprive her of the fun of figuring it out herself?"

There was silence for a few moments.

"Nah," all four girls said at the same time.

"You're just as bad Kels," Mary rolled her eyes.

"What do you mean?"

"It's always. Sirius Black this. Sirius Black that. I swear, if I didn't know any better, I'd think you were president of the Sirius Black fan club," Mary said.

"There's a fan club?!"

"Yeah. Marlene almost joined it in our fifth year. Back when she was besotted with him still," Mary nudged the blonde. Kelsey gave her a disgusted look.

"What?! I was fifteen. He was a really good snogger!"

"You kissed him?!" Kelsey shrieked.

"Well, so did you! Just to see what the fuss was about," Marlene defended herself. Kelsey looked at her suspiciously.

"I don't like him!" Marlene protested.

"Sure. Call it what you want," Kelsey said wondering why she cared that one of her close friends had kissed Sirius Black. Mary and Marlene shared a look.

"More like call it what you want. I repeat- I don't like him."

"It's fine if you do. It's none of my business."

Right?

ϟ

"Okay, boys. How do we do this?" Sirius asked walking around their dorm room.

It was after dinner and he had called an emergency Marauders meeting of the utmost importance. James and Remus were lounging on their beds looking at Sirius pace the room.

"Where's Wormtail?" Sirius asked when he realised that they were one short.

"I thought he was right behind us. Have you noticed- he's been off on his own a bit recently," James shrugged and Remus nodded.

"Nevermind, we can fill him in when he's here," Sirius said to himself.

"Coming back. We need to do something that'll make Jones curse the day she thought of dyeing these lovely locks. I mean of all the things, she had to go after my hair?" Sirius said.

"You did the same thing to her last year!"

"Well, she kept catching me outside the dorms on full moons. Almost as if that sneaky witch knew. It was payback," Sirius admitted nonchalantly.

"You're mental!" Remus chuckled. Sirius a pillow at him that he dodged. "I'm sure she doesn't. If she did she wouldn't still be talking to me. Neither would Astrid," Remus spoke in a bitter tone.

"Yeah, about that mate. I might not be able to partake as much this year," James said sheepishly. Sirius raised his eyebrows. "You see- I'm the head boy. I'm trying to clean up my act a little. Especially since this year is my last chance with Lily," he admitted.

"You're ditching us for a girl?!"

"You're risking detention for one! Honestly, Pads, you're one to talk. It's always Jones this- Jones that. You practically brought this upon yourself!" James half yelled at his best friend.

Remus looked lost between the two, wondering if he should calm them down or smack them for being so oblivious.

Sirius pouted and sat down. His hair was still a shocking colour. He had managed to spend the first half with his winter hat on until Professor McGonagall had gleefully reminded him that it wasn't part of the dress code during lunch. He had been sulking ever since as a few students with a death wish giggled at him.

"Doesn't feel nice to be on the receiving end does it?" Remus had chided him in an I-told-you-so manner after a Ravenclaw boy had asked him whose pants he would slither into that night. Sirius had proceeded by slithering the unsuspecting kid's wand up his nose. Poor chap never stood a chance.

He needed to ask Jones how long this would last.

Sirius sat down in front of James on his bed. "Prongsie," he whined and gave him the best puppy dog eyes, no pun intended.

"Don't Prongsie me, Padfoot. You insulted Evans," James fake huffed crossing his arms as if to appear mad. Sirius kept staring down James for two minutes. He even threw in a lip quiver, and gleamy eyes until James groaned in defeat.

"Fine! But nothing too awful. Nothing that would have Lilypad mad at me for too long."

"Wouldn't dream of it," Sirius said solemnly.

"I can't have Evans hexing me if it goes bad."

"It's not her we need to keep an eye out for," Sirius shuddered at the thought of what else Jones was capable of. He was almost proud. He felt weirdly fluttery at the memory of her grin that morning as she told him to bring it on.

"Moony, you're in, right?" Sirius asked. Remus shrugged a Sure.

"Now that we agree, I was thinking we could..."

Ϟ

"Morning Jones. Lovely day isn't it?" Sirius said airily, sliding into the empty spot beside Kelsey at breakfast the next day. She sat beside Mary and Lily trying to pester Lily talking about their post-Hogwarts plans. While students usually sat at their own house tables, there wasn't any fast rule against it during breakfast.

Kelsey eyed him.

"What do you want?" she asked. She went to grab her pumpkin juice when she felt his thigh brush against hers and she almost toppled the drink.

"Just wanted to pop by and ask how long does this last," he said cheerfully, tugging at a strand of his hair.

"It'll wash off by next Monday," she said. It was Wednesday of the first week still.

"Lovely," he said smiling like a maniac. She felt nervous.

"Is he okay?" she heard Lily whisper to Mary in front of her. Her friends looked at her concerned.

Oh no.

"What did you do?" she asked, her voice a little high pitched, realising that Black might not wait to retaliate.

"Whatever do you mean," he said calmly.

She went to grab a muffin but her hand bumped into his at the same time, as he too reached for the last one. She flinched.

"Go ahead," he said nicely.

"No."

"You want it, don't you?"

Kelsey shook her head. "Not anymore. You probably poisoned it."

Sirius fake gasped. "Why would I?"

"For err- you know," she pointed at his hair and went to pull a strand herself. He froze as her fingers wrapped around a silver streak and tugged it in a bounce. He looked at her softly before clearing his throat.

"You're not mad?" she said, unconvinced.

"Kelpie you wound me! Must you think so little of me? I just asked so that I knew when I could expect girls lining up again." He shot a wink at some girls on the table around them while some students glared at him. "Although I must say, Jones: turns out, quite a few birds are into the Slytherin look. So who knows? Maybe I'll get my first snog of the year out of the way much quicker," he grinned cheekily.

"Care to be my first?" he offered. Kelsey scoffed.

"Forget it," she muttered and got up. Now on edge, her appetite was ruined.

"Lonely!" Sirius burst out into a chant right as she left the table making her look at him disbelievingly. "I am so lonely...these lips have nobody...all on my own.." he sang to himself, staring off into space.

"He's mental," said Mary.

"I think he's finally lost it," Lily affirmed.

"No- he's definitely up to something," Kelsey was sure.

Ϟ

The first week of NEWTs went by in a breeze. Quickly that is- the new material they were learning was hardly easy.

To add to that, with Sirius in a good four of her classes- Potions, Transfiguration, DADA, and Care of Magical Creature. Kelsey was paranoid for most of her day. Although nothing happened and Black didn't make a move, she flinched every time he winked at her across the room as if suddenly expecting to find herself hanging mid-air, knickers exposed.

Moreover, she had to watch Dorcas fawn over him throughout Potions for he would smoothly woo her into doing most of the Potions-making. She then had the misfortune of catching him in a broom cupboard by the dungeons, furiously snogging a sixth-year Slytherin's face off.

The blonde-haired girl's hand had been aggressively tangled in his Slytherin-themed curls moaning Sweet Salazar wantonly.

Kelsey had been really close to Obliviating herself.

"There's room for one more," Sirius had shot a smirk her way and opened the door as if to invite her in.

"Arggh!" Kelsey had thrown a hissy fit and stalked off.

She didn't know which was worse: Her paranoia or her annoyance at seeing him eat another human being's face off.

Ϟ

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