𝗟𝗢𝗩𝗘 𝗟𝗔𝗡𝗚𝗨𝗔𝗚𝗘

𝘏𝘈𝘕𝘋𝘗𝘐𝘊𝘒𝘌𝘋 𝘚𝘛𝘜𝘋𝘌𝘕𝘛 𝘊𝘖𝘓𝘓𝘌𝘊𝘛𝘐𝘖𝘕

▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃

"Ah, Ms. Rainier, yes," Horace Slughorn said, raising his gaze to look at her only after he added the last ingredients to the potion he was brewing. "Please, make yourself comfortable! Have a seat! Are you hungry? Thirsty?"

Upon hearing that Professor Slughorn wanted to see her, Camille made sure to rush to his office as soon as she finished classes for that day. At his invitation, she took a seat. She was about to decline his offer, but he placed a glass of pumpkin juice in front of her, so she was polite to accept it.

"Thank you, Professor," she said with a nod. "Lily told me you wanted to see me?"

"I did, yes! I wanted to talk to you about the paper you submitted and your overall activity in my class." Slughorn took a seat in front of her.

At the mention of her paper, Camille felt her stomach slightly dropping. She studied well enough for the written test he gave her, and she was never late with any assignment, so she couldn't imagine what exactly he wanted to discuss.

"I graded your test today, and it was impressive! I read your resume from the Beauxbatons Academy, and I watched how you brew potions in class. Very well, Ms. Rainier. Very well! You're taking O.W.L.s. this year, right? You're going to do such a great job!"

That was slightly unexpected. She did her best in Potions Class, such as in any other class, but she didn't expect him to be impressed with her work. Then, she was reminded of when Lily said Professor Slughorn had a habit of collecting his best students, putting their pictures on a shelf, and inviting them into his Club. Still, it was good to know that she wasn't here because of the incident that occurred this week, or for some other negative reason.

Out of the corner of her eye, Camille noticed something strange. At first, she tried to pay no mind to it, but her curiosity pushed her to say something.

"Thank you, Professor. That's quite an interesting hourglass you have there. I've never seen anything like it."

It looked interesting, to say the least. Made out of two glass vessels, it was decorated with emerald green serpentine features on the outside that matched the color of the sand it had inside. What was odd was that the sand seemed to run very slowly when she looked at it. Camille supposed it must have been enchanted. She remembered looking at it when she arrived, and the sand was running at a normal pace, until now.

"Yes, excellent observation," Slughorn said, turning to look at his hourglass, and suddenly, the sand started to run quicker. "You see, the sand runs according to the quality of the conversation. If stimulating, it runs slowly, as it did a couple of moments ago, but now that we're discussing it, I believe it considers it to be less stimulant, so it's back to normal."

Odd indeed.

"You have great potential, Ms. Rainier," he added, right before he rose from his seat and walked over to the shelf where he displayed the portraits of the students he liked the most. "Let me show you something," he said, inviting her to come closer.

As she stepped closer to the pictures, she recognized the faces of some of her classmates, Lily's included.

"Here is the collection of my most talented students," he said. "I'm sure you recognize Lily Evans—" Slughorn motioned to Lily's portrait, then he moved on to the next, which looked like a Slytherin Quidditch Team gathering, "—and Regulus Black, Sirius Black's younger brother."

Camille frowned. "Younger brother?" Her gaze shifted from the picture of Regulus Black and the other Slytherin team players to Professor Slughorn. "I didn't know he had a younger brother."

This came as a surprise to Slughorn, and he worried he might have said too much. "My apologies, Ms. Rainier. I thought you knew," he said. "It's a shame I couldn't collect them both, truly. Sirius Black would have made a delightful addition to my shelf. Speaking of which, have you perhaps heard of the Slug Club?"

She could tell something was going on, because it simply didn't add up. Sirius was doing very well in Potions, just as she did, but Slughorn didn't have a picture of him up on the shelf. He did have his younger brother here, who was unmistakably a Slytherin, judging by the green shade of his Quidditch attire. Team Captain, judging by his place in the picture. Not to mention how odd she found Slughorn's choice to use the word collected when referring to a brilliant student.

For some reason, Sirius must have declined Slughorn's invitation to join his collection and his club. It was pretty clear to her that he wanted Sirius there, so it must have been Sirius the one to decide that he didn't want to be a part of this, and it made her slightly suspicious about the whole club idea.

But Lily was a member, and she claimed that the benefits of the Slug Club membership were worth the effort required to get in and that it's both an honor and an opportunity for students to be part of it.

"It's fine, Professor. It's only my first year at Hogwarts. There are many other things I don't know about my classmates," she said, trying to make it seem like the information he just gave her wasn't of such great importance to her. "In fact, I did, yes. I heard a lot about your student club, Sir."

"Oh, yes. Perhaps you're right. Apologies once again, Ms. Rainier. I thought you and Mr. Black would know a bit more about each other," Slughorn muttered, nodding his head once. "Yes, I am extremely proud of my students. They are the best of the best, after all. And so are you, Ms. Rainier. It would be a great pleasure to have your picture on this shelf!"

Although she didn't comment anything on what Slughorn said, she heard him loud and clear, and she couldn't help but ask why he would think such a thing? Not that he was wrong, but there was no way he could have known that. Unless he figured it out when she blew up her Elixir to Induce Euphoria at the beginning of the week, that was the only time she had shown any sign of emotions towards Sirius during class.

But even so, she was angry with him, and it was evident that she wasn't very fond of speaking to him at that time either, so how could Slughorn have found out? None of the other teachers knew, except for Professor McGonagall, but she doubted her private life was a common topic among teachers.

"It's an honor, Professor," Camille started, the corners of her lips tugging up into a polite, formal smile. For a moment, she wanted to bring up the Euphoria Elixir incident to him, but she thought he might have been offended by her questioning his decision, so she figured it would be best not to say anything about that. "I would love to be part of the Slug Club."

"Magnificent!" Slughorn exclaimed. "Actually, I'm hosting a party on Sunday. I believe that once you're done with detention on Saturday, you will get a good night's sleep and be ready to be introduced as the newest addition to the club."

Everybody was looking forward to the debut of this year's Inter-House Quidditch Cup that was going to take place on Saturday, Camille included. She was never the athletic type, and she wasn't a fast or a particularly gifted flyer either, but she enjoyed watching a good Quidditch match just as much as everyone else. Gryffindor was playing against Hufflepuff, and even though James claimed he was confident they would win, they still had to be in perfect shape, which meant they had to warm up at a little practice.

Usually, these were done without public, but because James was always looking for an excuse to see Lily and he couldn't ask her directly because he was quite convinced she would say no, he asked Sirius to talk to Camille and convince her to come and to bring Lily with her. And even though it would have been a thousand times easier if James talked to Lily himself, Sirius didn't mind an opportunity to see Camille.

It was pretty challenging to hang out with her on school days—or more likely tag along to whatever she was doing. She always seemed busy with school work, and he didn't want to bother her in class, but as soon as the bell rang, she would be off to the library, and that wasn't exactly a place Sirius was thrilled to spend time in. He would rather do anything else in the world, and he didn't want to interrupt her studying either, since she had to take her O.W.L.s. this year. So, when James came up with his brilliant plan to impress Lily Evans with his new flying tricks and Chaser skills, Sirius was quick to agree, because it also meant he would get to see Camille.

He didn't get to talk to her after what happened yesterday up in the willow tree. Or, to be more precise, what didn't happen. He leaned in to steal a kiss from her, and if it weren't for McGonagall and her bad timing, maybe Sirius wouldn't have so much trouble sleeping at night because of the haunting what ifs keeping him awake until near morning light. He didn't feel her hesitate or worse, back off, and still, Sirius couldn't help but wonder if things would have been different if he kissed her that day. They were on speaking terms, good terms even, and he was thankful for that, but he was still aching for more.

He knew he was walking on thin ice and that he was pretty bold for someone in his situation, but he couldn't pretend to be her friend and nothing more than that, not when he thought about how beautiful it would be to have her in his life many years from now on. And this was a lot coming from a boy who gave up on the idea of family a long time ago. To be more precise, on the concept of blood making a family. If anything, he considered James, Remus, and Peter to be the closest thing he's ever had to a real family, and he could see Camille fitting in that picture very well. Perfectly, even. So how could he pretend to be nothing but a friend to her when he dreamed of her in such ways, and many others he'd never allow to leave his imagination?

Seeing her now was supposed to at least help him paint a better picture of where they stood because he still wasn't sure how she would react now that they weren't stuck in the heat of the moment anymore.

So when Sirius laid his eyes upon Lily Evans, who came alone, he felt his heart dropping to the ground and shattering in pieces.

He was quick to leave the stands and talk to her, even if that meant interrupting James' plan for a little while. But he had to know.

"Lily, hi!" Sirius greeted her, slight concern written on his face. "You, uh—You came alone?"

For a moment, Lily thought it would be funny to play it cool and tell him a white lie about how Camille isn't going to come, because she could tell that's what he was dying to find out, but she wasn't cruel.

"Good afternoon to you too, Sirius. Wipe that frown off your face, . She's running late because Professor Slughorn wanted to see her."

"Really?" All of a sudden, his face lit up in relief. So she was going to come after all. "Why? Is it about the Elixir she blew up and inhaled this week? Because I should be held accountable for that too, we both got detention for it."

Lily shook her head. "No, I don't think so. I think he wants to invite her to the Slug Club."

Upon hearing this, Sirius couldn't help but scoff. "Of course he would," he muttered. "He wouldn't miss a chance to show off for adding the Beauxbatons girl to his obnoxious collection and rub it in people's faces."

"Don't be like this, Sirius," Lily said. "I'm part of the club too, and it's not as bad as you think. Besides, your brother is a member too."

"And you're trying to tell me he's not oddly proud that he has a Black in that stupid club of his?" Sirius asked, arching one eyebrow.

"Say whatever you want, and in the meantime, Camille and I will be enjoying our privileged access to Slughorn's exclusive parties."

"Anyway," Sirius said, rolling his eyes at the thought of the parties held by Slughorn for his club, "I'll go see if she's done with Slughorn yet. I think James wants to speak with you, so.."

"Of course he does," Lily said, letting out a sigh then chuckling. "Go ahead, she's probably on her way to the Quidditch Field right now. We wouldn't want her to get lost or something."

Sirius nodded his head, and when he saw James sprinting in their direction, he waved goodbye to Lily, then headed back to the Hogwarts castle, hoping that he would run into Camille somewhere along the way.

He didn't like the idea of her being part of the Slug Club, and he wasn't particularly fond of Lily being a part of it either. He even mentioned it to her a couple of times, but Lily brushed him off by saying that it offers excellent career opportunities and that it's good to stay in contact with your teachers even after you graduate because they can always provide help when you're desperately in need of it, but Sirius doubted the reason behind Slughorn's club was anything charitable. He thought it was nothing but an excuse for him to show off talented witches and wizards and claim that he is a big part of their success, profiting off it to gather even more fame and influence, and Sirius had no interest in being part of that.

He got a little too caught up in his thoughts that he lost track of time, but then he saw Camille's silhouette up ahead and his steps got quicker, and longer, so that he could reach her faster. And when he did, he stopped right in front of her, greeting her with a wide smile.

"Evening, Camille," Sirius said in a playful tone.

"Sirius, hi," she breathed out, snapping out of her thoughts as well when she heard his voice.

A slight frown formed on his forehead. "Alright, Camille?" he asked.

She nodded. "Yes, I'm alright."

Camille debated on whether she should tell him about the conversation she's had with Slughorn regarding his brother, Regulus, but in the end, she didn't think it was a good time to bring it up, so she thought she'd better save it for later, and since she didn't think she could ask about why he's not a member of the Slug Club either, she was left with no alternative but to shake this off and focus on the Quidditch practice instead.

"You seem a little troubled," Sirius said.

"It was just a long day," she replied. "So.. Quidditch practice?"

He figured it was a little more than just a long day, but he didn't want to push it forward. If she didn't want to talk about it, then he wasn't going to ask either, but to wait for her to make up her mind and tell him about it later, if she wanted to.

"Quidditch practice, yes." His mood changed, his face lighting up again. He then reached his hand out to her, waiting for a reply. Sirius was a little anxious about this, and he was unsure whether she was going to let him hold her hand after the stunt he almost pulled up in that tree, and this was his way of testing the waters.

When Camille put his hand over his, he didn't hesitate before flashing her a proud, relieved smile, and then he started walking with her, holding her hand all the way to the Quidditch field.

"Is Lily here yet?" Camille asked as they reached the entrance of the stadium.

"Yes, she arrived earlier," Sirius said. "She's probably talking to James. Hopefully."

As they walked further, they saw that the two were indeed talking, and more surprisingly, Lily didn't look like she was about to roll her eyes at James soon, neither to call him an arrogant toerag.

It was still early, James had plenty of time to work his charms on the girl he was sweet on, and Sirius and Camille headed to the stands, occupying some empty seats.

"I know we have detention on Saturday," Sirius started, gently rubbing his thumb finger against Camille's hand, "But we're free on Sunday, so how about we go to Hogsmeade in the afternoon?"

"I can't," Camille said, scrunching up her nose a little bit. "Professor Slughorn is throwing a party on Sunday."

"And you can't skip it because..?"

"Because he said he wants to introduce me to the rest of the Slug Club members as the newest addition to the highly exclusive community," she said, causing Sirius to roll his eyes and groan in frustration.

"Of course, he would."

Sometime during the practice, Sirius saw Camille yawning, so he insisted they'd leave earlier. She asked Lily if she wanted to come back to the Gryffindor Tower with her, but she said she was going to stay a little longer and watch the practice until it was over, then come back with James and the rest of the team, so neither Camille or Sirius insisted on it anymore.

They walked back to the castle, hand in hand, making small talk about the most random things, shifting from one topic to another. Every now and then, he would slide a feeble joke into the conversation, only so that he would hear her laugh again.

"The evenings are lovely at Hogwarts," Camille said, climbing up the staircase that led to the Fat Lady portrait. "Don't you think?"

"They used to be alright," said Sirius. "But since you came along, they're something else. Lovely, indeed."

His comment made Camille blush. Sirius seemed to be very skilled with his words, as he quickly brought color to her cheeks without even trying too hard. He walked to the bottom of the girls' staircase and sighed, knowing that it was time for him to let go of her hand and part ways.

"Thank you for walking me here, Sirius," Camille said. "I will see you at breakfast."

In reply, he only smiled. Eventually, he let go of the grip he had over her hand, and he stood there, watching her as she started to climb the stairs. But right before she could be out of his reach, Sirius grabbed her wrist again and gently pulled it. Camille walked back down with her eyebrows lifted in curiosity.

And when she was close enough to him, Sirius freed her wrist and put his hands around the back of her neck, his thumbs resting against his ears, and he leaned forward, pressing a kiss to her soft, still blushing cheeks. "Good night, Camille," he whispered in her ear. He let his lips linger for what felt like an infinity, and when he pulled back and saw the delicate crimson color, Sirius couldn't help but grin like a fool.

"Good night, Sirius," she muttered shyly under her breath, then turned her back on him and climbed up the stairs in a hurry, and she didn't stop until she reached her dorm room.

She threw herself in bed, letting her body sink in the fresh silk sheets, and she bit her lower lip, still blushing like a little girl that's been kissed on the cheek for the first time.

Camille brought both of her hands up and used them to cover her face, muttering something in a slightly frustrated and embarrassed tone, "Merde, Sirius."

▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃

to everyone who read this chapter, thank you. this is one of my favorite stories to write, thank you for bearing with me and my inconsistent updates 😭 i love you all and i want you to know i see all of your votes and comments and they make me really happy, so please don't be a ghost!

and to the people who are reading this story for the first time, welcome 🤍 i love you just as much

yours truly,
vega