☆UNEDITED☆

Published on 22nd NOVEMBER, 9:10 am, IST

⁰⁹ Hogsmead

"We're excellent company!"

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☆    "SCOOT OVER," Rin muttered to Sirius as she slid into a booth with him, Remus and Peter.

    "Well, hello to you too, Rin."

    She rolled her eyes and strained her neck to look at Lily sitting in a booth with Bertram Aubery. "My girls are on dates today. So I had to adjust with spending time today with you three."

    "Hey!" Remus said indignantly. "We're excellent company!"

    "Sure,"

    "Where's Dexter, then?" Sirius asked, taking a sip of his butterbeer. "I thought you'd be coming with him?"

    "Normally, yes, but Leonard had to finish his astronomy homework.

    "Astronomy?" Sirius frowned. "I don't think Sinistra assigned us any homework. . ." Sirius stared at Rin's contorted face who looked a little confused.

    "Or, er, um. . . maybe she did give us homework but I forgot about it."

    Rin nodded numbly, rising up. "I'm going to get a refill. Do you guys want anything?

    "Oo! I'd like another mug of butterbeer, please!" Peter beamed, brandishing his mug in front of her face.

    "Sinistra actually didn't assign any homework, did she?" Remus asked, watching Rin walk towards the counter.

    "No. . . But I didn't want her to be upset."

    "Hey, look! Isn't that Prongs by Honeydukes?" Peter leaned forward to see better.

    Sure enough, James Potter was exiting Honeydukes, holding the door open for Emmeline Vance.

    Rin returned to the table, setting down the two mugs of butterbeer. "What are you guys gawking at?"

    "James is with Vance by Honeydukes," Peter replied. "Oh! They're coming here!"

    The bell of the entrance jingled as James and his date walked through it.

    "Prongs!" Sirius called, waving his arm, motioning him towards them.

    "Hey." James smiled, settling down in the booth with an ar around Emmeline.

    James and the other boys instantly began conversing about some new Zonko's merchandise, leaving Rin to talk with an uncomfortable Emmeline.

    "Hello, Emmeline."

    "Oh, um, Hello Nesrin!"

    "So, er. . . how was your date with James?" She asked awkwardly.

    "Oh, it was wonderful!" She gushed. "He was a perfect gentleman! He held all the doors open for me and carried my bags! I really don't get why Lily Evans doesn't like him!" She hesitated a bit, drawing her eyebrows together. "He's never going to actually be over her, is he?" She whispered. "I suppose I already knew that. I've just liked him for a long time. But I know that James belongs with Lily. I'm just making the best of what I have."

    Rin stared at the blonde in awe. She was such a nice girl, it was a shame that she would soon be hurt.

    "Is that Lily on a date with that Aubery bloke from Ravenclaw?" James asked Remus quietly so that Emmeline wouldn't hear.

    "Er, yes," Remus said, watching his face closely. "But it shouldn't matter anymore, right?"

    "Of course not! I'm here on a date with Emmeline. It doesn't bother me!"

    He turned to Emmeline. "Let's go, Emmeline. I have this Zonko's product I want to buy."

    "But we haven't even gotten butterbeer-"

    "We'll get two bottles on the way out."

    "Bloody hell," Sirius snorted. "James was eager to leave wasn't he, so he wouldn't have to see Evans chatting up someone else, eh Rin?"

    But Nesrin wasn't listening, she was too busy checking her watch. "I have to go," She announced, standing up. The girls and I agreed to meet by Dervish and Banges by twelve. I want to buy some sugar quills before I go."

    "I'll come with you," Sirius said, slipping on his coat too. "I'm a little low on chocolate cauldrons. Do you want anything, Moony, Wormtail?"

    "Chocolate frogs," Remus replied, pressing the money into his palm. "Peter and I best get going, then. Sirius, I assume you'll be coming back with James?"

    Sirius nodded, and all of them exited the bar and went separate ways.

    "Padfoot looked particularly happy to go with Rin, didn't he, Wormtail?" Remus asked, walking alongside Peter to the carriages.

    "What do you mean, Moony?"

    "Nothing. We'll find out soon enough."

    "Bloody hell Rin!" Sirius laughed as she started grabbing almost everything of the shelves and dumping them on him. "I thought you wanted sugar quills! Not the whole shop! Are you planning to eat this all by yourself?"

    "I felt like eating all of this. And no, I'll share them with Dorcas and Lily. Did you get your Chocolate cauldrons and frogs?"

    "Yep. We should get going."

    They both paid and departed the shop.

    "Do you want me to carry it?" Sirius asked in amusement as he watched Rin tried to drag the large bag of candy along with her other bags of shopping.

    "Thanks!" She beamed, dumping all her bags onto him and skipping over Dervish and Banges, him trying to keep up with her.

    Sirius finally reached Dervish and Banges with Rin, who was immediately surrounded by Lily and Dorcas.

    "Where were you?" Dorcas asked. "You're a little late."

    "I stopped at Honeydukes." She shrugged.

   "And bought the whole store, apparently," Lily said, eying the bags in a panting Sirius' arms. "You know you could've just levitated the bags instead of making Black carry them."

    "Nesrin!" Sirius huffed.

     "Aw, come on Sirius, you didn't think about it either!" She cooed, making him grunt. "Anyways, I think James' date would be over by now. You can go. Thank you for carrying my bags!" she quickly pecked him the cheek and he walked away, hands tucked into his pockets and whistling a merry tune.

    "Potter is on a date?" Lily asked, making the other two look at her strangely.

    "Yes. . ." Rin said. "Why do you care?"

    "I don't! Come on, let's buy our stuff and get out of here, it's starting to get cold."

    With that, the three ventured deeper into the store, arms soon filling with shopping.

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See you this coming Saturday! (Or Sunday!)

Kathu