I'VE LOST THE BET.

"YOU'RE FUCKING WITH ME!"

"I'm not," Ivy said, letting out a small, and slightly ashamed, sigh. "And keep your voice down."

Val had never Apparated so fast in her life, appearing in Ivy's room as soon as the words traveled through the phone. And she made her best friend tell her every single detail, right down to the the color of underwear he was wearing and every single word he whispered in her ear.

"Holy shit, Flufflepuff," Val breathed out. "That's so hot. I - are you somehow having a better sex life than me without actually having sex?"

"We're not having... sex." Val snickered when her friend whispered the word. It had been a journey as Ivy tried to explain all that happened while keeping her composure — she ended up hiding her face in a stuffed animal the whole time. "I don't... I don't think he even wants that with me."

"What are you talking about?" she asked in disbelief. "He let you ride his thigh not six hours ago."

"But he didn't want more," she said with a disappointed pout. "I mean, I think I wanted more. But he didn't. Clearly, he doesn't feel the same."

"Or maybe he was just taking it slow," Val said. "I mean, a first wank really takes it out of you. Besides, it's evident you didn't know what you were doing. I think he might just have been giving you time to process."

"I don't think so," she mumbled, sighing as she fell back on her mattress.

Val rolled her eyes. How could she forget who her best friend was — an innocent and oblivious Hufflepuff who apparently couldn't even tell a guy liked her after letting her fuck his leg.

"Babe, he likes you. He really likes you," she insisted. "Merlin, just tell him, okay? Go up to his ridiculously handsome face, gab those furry cheeks, and kiss him."

"I can't kiss him," she whined. "I don't know how."

"And last night you didn't know what an orgasm felt like, but here we sit not ten feet away from your laundry basket with the proof burried at the bottom," Val said with a smirk. "Besides, he can teach you how to kiss."

Ivy eyed her best friend for a moment, not sure if she wanted to get her hopes up and believe her. She'd never live down confessing her feelings for Sirius if he didn't return them. Hell, she was hardly going to live down what happened last night if he didn't feel anything for her.

"I'm not kissing him out of nowhere," she decided, making Val groan in annoyance. "But I will take some other suggestions."

"Perfect."

| | |

Sirius had been on edge all morning, and Merlin knows he didn't sleep a wink, his mind torturing him by replaying the night on a loop.

Ivy never came down from her room for breakfast, and just around the time he considered going to pay her a visit, Remus arrived. Not long after, the Weasleys piled in as well for lunch. So, Sirius dragged his best and oldest friend to the study, shutting the doors tightly.

"Stop pushing me," Remus muttered while smoothing the collar of his shirt back down. He'd taken the time to make sure he looked nice for the visit. "What's so important?"

"Something happened," Sirius said, every nerve in his body still buzzing. "Merlin, it was straight out of a dream."

Remus eyed him curiously, not having seen his eyes so bright since they were in school. "Do I want to know?"

"Probably not," he admitted with a grin. "But I'm going to tell you."

And that he did. He told him every little detail — the color of her silk pajamas, the way she'd moan sweetly in his ear, how needy she was as she rubbed against his leg. By the time he was finished, Remus had lowered himself onto the nearby couch, unable to believe his brightest and shyest student managed to do that.

"I've lost the bet," he muttered, putting his head in his hands.

"What?" Sirius asked while reaching for a cigarette before sitting next to Remus. "What bet?"

"I bet Valerie that you two wouldn't get together before the year ended," he said, groaning. "She's going to be unbearable."

Now it was Sirius' turn to eye his friend curiously. "Since when does Professor Hottie stay in contact with Val?"

Rather than answer, Remus just plucked the cigarette from Sirius' hand and took a drag. "Don't worry about it."

His mouth fell open, unable to believe that the morally upright Remus Lupin was potentially pursuing an ex-student. Though given that he'd practically stalked Ivy for a year as a dog, Sirius had no moral ground to stand on.

"Well," Sirius said, moving on. "You haven't lost the bet. We aren't together."

"What?" he asked, flabbergasted. How could anyone do what they'd done the night before and not ended up in a more serious situation?

"Well, I'm not entirely sure that she wasn't dreaming and thinking about Charlie Weasley," he muttered bitterly.

"Awe, is ickle Siri jealous?" Remus teased.

Sirius just scoffed and snatched the cigarette back. "Fuck off, yeah? I'm serious. He's all she's been talking about, and one mention of him had the fog in her brain lifting. Don't you think that if she had been having dreams about me, it'd have happened before now?"

"Pads," Remus said in a softer tone. "She's obsessed with you."

"Is she?" he asked doubtfully. Maybe he wouldn't have been so hard to convince in his youth, but things were different now. He was older and rusty and he still wasn't sure exactly what Ivy wanted from him.

"Merlin, just man up and kiss her!" Remus snapped. "I'm tired of hearing about it at this point. You're bloody mad about her. Do something about it."

"I can't just kiss her," he sighed. "She's never been kissed. It wouldn't be right to take that from her without permission."

"Alright, fair point," he muttered. "Fine, just watch her today — don't know why I'm telling you that because you always watch her. We'll just compare how she is around you and Charlie. Then you can be convinced that she wants you, not him."

"You think it'll be obvious?" Sirius asked.

"So bloody obvious," Remus said while getting up. He also pulled Sirius to his feet. "Let's get out there."

After putting out the cigarette, the pair exited the study and headed to the living room where everyone was gathered. And their timing was perfect, because it was just when Ivy and Val were coming downstairs.

And Sirius had to come to a full stop when he saw her in a pleated white mini skirt that he certainly hadn't bought her because he remembered every item he bought her. She paired it with her Mary Janes and a red cardigan — his favorite color. Only two of the buttons were done, a choice made by Val, which revealed a triangle view of her smooth stomach.

And rather than greet Sirius with a smile like she did nearly every day, she instead set her eyes on a tall redhead.

"Charlie!" she shouted, running right to him.

And Charlie was just excited to see her, ready to catch her as she jumped into his arms, hugging each other tightly. "I missed you, V."

The sight made Sirius want to throw up on the carpet. He cut his eyes to Remus, who was smiling sheepishly, knowing how bad it looked.

"Maybe I was wrong."

| | |

Remus was wrong. Very wrong. Because all day, Val made sure that Ivy was prepared to torture Sirius. She took the time to make sure her best friend looked gorgeous. She advised her to never interact with Sirius — only make eye contact across the room. Instead, she was to spend time with Charlie all day. Not that it was particularly hard, as Ivy loved Charlie.

It was when dinner was being served that Val began whispering commands to Ivy, giving her tips on how to silently seduce a man. It was safe to say that Ivy was nervous with each move, feeling like a fish out of water.

This dining room wasn't small by any means, so there was no reason for Ivy to keep having to brush past Sirius as he spoke with Remus and Molly about something while standing. Though she used the excuse of a crowded kitchen for taking the route she did. Each time she'd walk past, squeezing between Sirius and the dining room table, she'd brush against his body. Sometimes it was just her shoulder touching his chest, but others, she let her ass graze his crotch, not even acknowledging him as she did so.

The worst happened as the table was being set. Usually, Sirius would wait hand and foot on Ivy, but Molly insisted that all the women set the table. So, with a plate of rolls on hand, Ivy leaned past Sirius' chair, who was sitting at the head of the table. And as she reached to put the plate at the center of the table, it gave him and no one else a perfect view of underneath her impossibly short skirt.

Sirius sucked in a sharp breath, seeing the specific pair of lacy underwear he'd picked out for her wrapped around her perky ass. Merlin, she was going to kill him.

Maybe for a moment, he thought she'd done it on purpose. But then she'd gone and sat by Charlie instead of him at dinner. The pair were in their own little world, talking about dragons and memories from Hogwarts. It was difficult to not glare at them.

After dinner, Sirius had had enough, especially when Ivy took a seat right next to Charlie on the couch. So, when she later got up to refill her cup of water, he cut his eyes to Remus, who sighed and took her place.

"So, Charlie, tell me all about Romania," Remus said to the younger boy, making sure there was no room on the couch for her.

By the time she came back, Charlie was too invested in a tale about a Chinese Fireball to notice she was back. Ivy stood in the doorway, scanning for somewhere to sit, but everywhere else was full, and there wasn't even much room on the floor with everyone spread out.

"You can sit with me," Sirius offered from his spot in an armchair.

Ivy hid her nerves as she made her way over to him, setting her drink on the side table next to him. Then she just perched herself on the arm.

"That can't be very comfortable," he murmured. "Why don't you take a seat on my lap?"

Ivy glanced around the room, seeing that no one was paying much attention to them. "I don't want to make you uncomfortable."

Sirius squeezed her thigh tightly, pulling her gaze back to him. "Sit."

The memory of him saying the very same thing the night before ran through her mind, and her cheeks flushed. It was one thing to toy with him like Val suggested, but facing the consequences was a wholly different thing.

Slowly, she lowered herself onto his lap, and in an instant, his arms snaked around her waist, keeping her in place.

"I've not seen you wear this skirt yet," Sirius said quietly in her ear. She drew in a breath when his fingertips grazed the hem.

"It's new. Val gave it to me," she said innocently. "I think it's really pretty."

"Oh, it is pretty," he agreed. "Very short as well."

"I know," she hummed.

"You know?" he repeated as she turned her head to meet his gaze. "And who did you wear such a pretty little skirt for? Charlie? Freddie?" He sounded almost mocking as he said their names in an almost mean tone. A tone that drove her mad.

"You," she whispered.

Sirius raised a taunting eyebrow. "Me?"

Ivy just nodded, her eyes falling on his lips. But before anything could be done, Val was calling her name.

"Oi, Ivy. I freed up your spot," Val said, having convinced Remus to join her over by the fireplace. Sirius shot him a betrayed look, but his friend could only shrug innocently.

"Thanks, Val," Ivy said while slowly sliding off of Sirius' lap. For a moment longer than necessary, he kept his hands around her waist, not wanting her to go.

But once she was up, Ivy went right back to Charlie's side, leaning up against him as he threw his arm around her shoulder.

"Brought you something back, you know?" Charlie said with a charming smile on his face.

"Me?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "What for?"

"Just because," he shrugged. Then he was pulling a small box out of his jumper pocket.

She excitedly took the box, though told him, "You didn't have to get me anything."

Then she was opening the box, and grinned widely when she saw an Antipodean Opaleye scale on a necklace chain — it was her favorite dragon.

"Charlie, it's beautiful," she said, throwing her arms around him in a hug. "Help me get it on?"

"Gladly."

Ivy turned while pulling her hair over her shoulder. And she ended up facing Sirius, who was less than pleased about anotherman putting jewelry on his girl. But there Charlie was, delicately putting a necklace around her neck as she smiled innocently right at Sirius, knowing exactly what she was doing for once in her life when it came to him.