CHAPTER SEVEN

"Did you need something from me?" she inquired politely, genuinely perplexed as to why he was engaging in conversation with her.

He began," I wanted to just chat—"

But she interrupted him, asking pointedly," For what exactly?"

He placed his hands on his hips and then stated boldly, "Would you like to go on a date with me?"

She furrowed her brows "Why?"

Suddenly, Kaia had watched, genuinely perplexed, her brows furrowing as the younger Gryffindor darted away.

Kaia mumbled to herself, still a little baffled by the younger Gryffindor's sudden retreat. "Did I say something scary?"

Suddenly, she heard a laugh behind her, causing her heart to skip a beat. She spun around and her eyes lit up at the sight of her sister standing there, but something was different. Kaia's smile didn't quite reach her eyes as usual, a hint of concern hidden beneath it.

"Hi, Marlene," Kaia greeted softly, bobbing her head in acknowledgement. "Is there something funny?"

Marlene tried to regain her composure, still giggling uncontrollably as she clutched her stomach.

Amidst her laughter, Marlene managed to explain between chuckles, "I swear to Merlin, Sirius looked like a dog running away with his tail between his legs! It was bloody hilarious!"

Kaia turned back to her sister, genuinely bewildered as she looked back towards the vacant hall where the younger Gryffindor had fled.

"About that," she started, her brows furrowing in utter confusion. "Why did he take off like that?"

"Actually, when Sirius asks a girl out, they usually say yes right away," Marlene explained, wiping away the tears from her eyes after finally regaining her composure.

Kaia was still trying to wrap her head around the situation, her confusion evident on her face.

"So, just because I asked him 'Why?'... he took off running?" she asked, her disbelief clear in her tone.

Marlene shrugged, and added with a chuckle, "Yeah, probably."

Kaia let out a chuckle, her expression bewildered as she shook her head, muttering, "That boy is quite strange, odd."

Marlene's smirk returned, and she playfully bumped her shoulder against her sister, a knowing gleam in her eyes.

"That boy seems to fancy you," she teased, her tone filled with a hint of amusement.

Kaia looked genuinely surprised, her eyebrows lifting in an expression of pure bewilderment.

"Me? But we've rarely ever spoken," she responded. "And today is the most we've spoken."

Marlene's smile widened even more, her teasing nature fully blossoming as she inquired, "So now that you've caught his attention, what will you do?"

"Why would I—Marlene chuckled at her sister's stubbornness, lifting her hand to shut her up mid-sentence.

"Sis, sometimes you ask too many questions," she said with a smile.

Kaia, unperturbed, quickly removed the hand from her mouth, her determination to get her answers clear on her face.

"Well," she began, her voice tinged with determination. "How else am I supposed to understand the situation if not by asking about it?"

"It's simple, Kaia," Marlene responded, her tone laced with a hint of feigned simplicity. "Sirius Black just happens to fancy you."

Kaia couldn't help but roll her eyes in response, her scepticism evident. "It's not as simple as that," she protested. "I hardly know him."

Marlene, undeterred by her sister's resistance, replied with a sly grin, "Then it's time to change that. Go out on a date with him."

"But he ran off before I could even respond," Kaia protested, her confusion still evident.

Marlene sighed and put her hands on her hips, contemplating the situation. "Then how about you ask him out yourself?" she suggested, a cheeky gleam in her eye.

Kaia responded immediately and without hesitation, "Okay."

Marlene's mouth fell open in surprise as she watched her sister walk away, a look of disbelief on her face.

Marlene chuckled to herself, unable to suppress the smirk that formed on her face. "Blimey, I can't wait to see this unfold," she thought aloud.

Not wanting to tip off the Marauders about what was to come, Marlene decided to keep the secret to herself. But she was not going to pass up the opportunity to tease Sirius about the upcoming moment.

She swiftly headed towards the Three Broomsticks, easily spotting the Marauders huddled together in a corner. Not wanting to ruin the surprise, she decided to keep the secret to herself. But she couldn't resist a little teasing when it came to Sirius Black.