"So it's true then?"

"What do you mean?"

"That Sirius Black and Kelpie Jones are a thing now?"

"About time, I say. I saw it coming years ago."

"I still can't believe it. They've been at each other's throats for 6 years!"

"But think of all the stress they save us. Now we don't have to worry about them disturbing us or accidentally maiming us."

"Oh, well about that.."

"Yes?"

"I wouldn't be too sure.."

"What do you mean?"

The Ravenclaw looked past his friend in the corridor and his friend turned to follow his gaze. He frowned.

In the courtyard outside late February that year, sat a group of students consisting of Kelsey, Lily, Marlene, Potter, and Remus. Kelsey was reading an issue of The Wolverine that Remus kept eyeing nervously, while Lily was reading her notes. Marlene and Potter were enthusiastically arguing about the better Quidditch team next to them.

Kelsey should have been reading up her NEWT notes like Lily next but she was currently enjoying eavesdropping on Marlene rip Potter a new one. It was funnier yet since it was happening in front of Lily, as Potter tried to uphold his honour, while his girlfriend uninterestedly kept to her studies.

"You know what - we need a third person to decide this!" said Potter.

"Guess you're in luck, Potter. I think I see your boyfriend right there," Marlene replied which drew Kelsey's attention as well. She saw Sirius stalking over to them, looking determined. Instead of greeting her like the rest, he sat down on the stone structure and pulled her onto his lap.

"A kiss?" Sirius puckered his lips.

As much as Kelsey's heart fluttered, she knew better. They were currently in the middle of their 'Who's will break first' war.

"If only," she sighed dramatically, her attention going back to the cover of The Wolverine issue which Sirius noticed.

"Really?" Sirius scoffed. "What's this bloke got anyway?" He scanned the cover page, noting a burly looking bloke in a blue and yellow outfit. "I mean Wolverine? In case you haven't noticed, I'm a bit on the shaggy side too," he stated. "Plus if it's wolves you want to know about.."

"Nice try, Black, still not falling for it." She patted him on the head like a puppy earning a few snickers to which Sirius pulled her closer as Marlene and Potter got back into it.

"Better give in when I'm playing nice, Jones," he murmured softly in her ear, his gaze on their friends.

She turned her head so that their faces were inches apart. "Not in a million years, Black," she smiled back. Sirius saw the goosebumps on the back of her neck and knew that it affected her just as much, but he wasn't one to relent either.

"Can't say I didn't warn you then, love," he challenged her.

Kelsey smirked proudly and was about to say something when Lily interrupted them by snatching the book from Kelsey's hand and smacking her on top of her head.

"Keep it in the bedroom," scolded Lily.

"I mean, we would if she just kissed me," he said to which Potter chuckled, earning a glare from Lily..

"Where's Pettigrew? I thought he was with you?" Potter asked Sirius, hoping it would distract Lily.

"Beats me," he shrugged. "Thought he'd be here." Sirius didn't appear too bothered by it. He nudged Kelsey when he noticed her frowning.

"What happened?" he whispered.

"I think something might be up with him," she began carefully.

"What do you mean?"

Kelsey told him of how she thought he was acting shady every now and then.

"Must've imagined it," he muttered to keep their conversation private.

"I'm telling you, it was him that I saw!"

"I don't understand why you and Wormtail don't get along?" he said a little shortly, to which Kelsey huffed. She let it go, but she was far from forgetting the matter altogether.

ϟ

"Kels, I don't think it's a good idea," Astrid started with her usual talking-Kelsey-out-of-doing-something-stupid spiel.

"Pfft," Kelsey brushed it off. "It'll be fine."

"Uhuh," Astrid said, unconvinced. The two girls leaned around the corner to see the four boys coming their way. "I mean, where did you even find a spell like this?"

"The library."

"This wouldn't have been in the restricted section now would it?"

"Depends on who's asking," Kelsey said as she now drew her wand out.

"I don't understand why you two can't just kiss like normal couples. Why did it become a competition?"

"Hush now, they're here!"

"Hello boys," Kelsey stepped in front of them. She smiled sweetly before unleashing the hex. Unfortunately for her, a non-Quidditch player, both Potter and Sirius had crazy reflexes. So while Potter managed to push Sirius away in time, the spell instead hit the stag.

The gash that appeared on his right arm was instantaneous.

"Kelsey! He's bleeding!" shrieked Astrid, as the boys stared in horror at the amount of blood Potter was suddenly losing.

"IT WASN'T SUPPOSED TO DO THAT!" Kelsey watched. It was supposed to have been a small incision that healed after kissing someone.

"What were you trying to do?!" Sirius shrieked as he and Kelsey got into a yelling match over getting each other's attention in this prank war of theirs.

"Kelsey," Astrid sounded urgent while Remus and Pettigrew were holding on to Potter's hand trying to stop the bleeding. The boy was starting to become pale.

"Well, do something!" Sirius cried.

"Here, try this," Remus had the wits to pull out a bottle of Dittany from his bag that he kept on hand. Precisely because of situations like these. He unstoppered the vial and poured a few drops over Potter's arm but nothing happened.

"It won't work," Kesley mumbled.

"EXCUSE YOU!" Only now did James Potter cry out in anger.

"Well, you see, funny story," Kelsey smiled wryly at the group only to be met with silent stares. "The injury only heals upon kissi-"

"EXCUSE YOU!" Potter now sounded like a broken record.

"He'll bleed out by the time we make it to the common room or call for Evans," Sirius stared at her.

"I mean- Kelsey or I could.." Astrid offered.

"Absolutely not! No way! These lips are for one girl only," Potter now turned to glare at Astrid.

"It can probably be a short peck on the cheek. The directions were a little vague-"

"Probably?"

"On the cheek?!

This time Remus and Sirius spoke at the same time.

"Guys," Potter sounded a little woozy, as he continued to put pressure on his arm. They looked at him in alarm.

"Fine. But I swear if word of this gets around.." Sirius ran a hand through his hair. Before anyone could protest, he quickly and minimally kissed his friend on the cheek.

Both boys shuddered as the wound on James' arm closed up.

"Here, have this." Remus pulled out another bottle of magical energy drink.

"Now remember," said the head boy. "Not. A. Word." He sent everyone the best dangerous glare he could muster given his weakness. While Kelsey and Astrid nodded silently, with the decency to feel a little ashamed, the sound of a gasp distracted them.

"JAMES?!" Lily's shrill cry interrupted their shenanigans in the empty hallway.

"Lilypad, it's not what it looks like," he started waving his hands at her and she noticed his one blood-stained arm.

"It was either him or the girls," he tried to explain.

"How is that any better?" And with that, she had turned away and stormed off. It didn't take too much effort to stop a weak James Potter from following his girlfriend and dragging him to the Hospital wing instead.

ϟ

Sirius sat down at breakfast the next morning with a sigh. Remus ignored him and kept reading his book. Unhappy with the lack of attention, he deliberately sighed again, adding in cough for dramatic flair.

"Sirius," Remus said in a warning voice.

"It's just.." Sirius played with the food on his plate. "..we haven't kissed in a whole week. I think I'm startin' to forget how it's done."

"I seriously doubt it," Remus didn't even budge from the book.

"Well, you'd know if you gave in to Astrid, mate," Sirius' gaze flicked over to the Hufflepuff table where his girlfriend sat with Astrid, sending more suspicious glances their way. "I think Walker's been trying to get your attention. Overheard something about a Step 8 to some plan at the Hospital Wing yesterday, while they waited for Prongs with us," Sirius mentioned.

At this, Remus did slam his book shut, a little pink. "You must be imagining it."

"I'm just saying."

"I take it then that you've forgiven her?" Remus looked at the girls too now. Kelsey nudged her friend and Astrid waved at him.

"Wasn't mad really. Bit funny but don't tell her or Prongs I said that," Sirius stared at the peach Kelsey took a bite of while maintaining eye contact with him across the hall. The juice dribbled down her lips, which were wet, and then down her chin. She wiped it with a finger and licked it, throwing a wink his way.

Sirius gulped, feeling parched suddenly. "Bloody hell," he muttered under his breath.

Remus heard that and sighed. "Well, if you acted like a normal couple - or even a person really, this wouldn't be an issue," he reminded him.

Kelsey had left the table leaving Astrid alone.

Remus saw Sirius get up after Kelsey in his peripheral vision however his gaze was on Astrid ahead of him who wasn't looking at them anymore. Astrid was staring at the chocolate doughnut in front of her as if it had personally offended her. She bit her lower lip deep in thought and let out a huff, blowing a strand of her curl up. It bounced back on her face. Remus chuckled when he saw her scrunch her face as it tickled her.

ϟ

"I really thought you would have learned your lesson by now Kels." Once again Astrid was attempting to unsuccessfully stop Kelsey from doing something. "I mean that wound-kiss hex was a disaster-"

"Don't worry, there's no physical injury involved in this one," said Kelsey. "At least I don't think so," she added to herself when Astrid had stopped listening.

Kelsey admitted that it wasn't her best laid out plan. It was a bit redundant even, drawing from a particular fifth-year winter scene. But she was still determined. Especially now that Sirius had all but taunted her after breakfast,

"I don't understand where you found the mistletoe? It's not even Christmas-"

"The same place I found that chocolate - err - thing I got for our other plan you know," Kelsey butt in.

Astrid blushed at this. "You have way too many plans."

"I mean. Excuuuse me for helping you woo Remus-"

"- Can you please stop saying that?"

"Why?"

"I think I disturbed him somehow with the chocolate doughnut thing at breakfast after you left yesterday. He left pretty quickly," she sounded low.

"Then it definitely worked!" Kelsey exclaimed.

"I don't get it.."

"He probably ran away to hide a boner. Tell me: did he use something to hide his general crotch vicinit-"

"Must you be so crude all the time?"

"Shh! He's here!"

As Sirius approached the archway, Kelsey started walking from the other end. Her plan was to meet him in the middle under the mistletoe she had carefully placed. The catch: Only a boy's kiss could undo the hold.

Kelsey, however, had not banked on having a Sirius Black fan club groupie follow him and 'accidentally' knock into him. It was the groupie's own plan of having Sirius Black fall in love with her through a meet-cute.

It was like a scene from a low-budget comedy movie. The girl tripped over her own feet, pushing Sirius ahead as she held onto him for support. Sirius being the unusual gentlemen in this scenario, grabbed the random girl's hand to steady her.

Then they tried to move and failed.

Sirius looked at Kelsey on the other end and back up where she was looking. The groupie followed their gaze too.

"This is perfect!" the girl whispered, loud enough for Sirius to hear and worry about. "A mistletoe!" she cried in happiness.

She was about to throw her arms around Sirius when Kelsey's voice stopped her.

"It won't work!" Kelsey's desperate voice echoed.

Sirius straightened himself. He could practically feel the hatred burning off of Kelsey.

"It's a special kind. He needs to be the one to initiate the kiss," Kelsey declared smugly watching the girl's face fall.

Not today, Satan, thought Kelsey. There were times she lacked self-awareness too.

"You don't say?" Sirius wondered as he understood what her plan had been. Although ingenious he might add, he decided to have fun with it.

Sirius stared at Kelsey who was red in the face as she glared at the girl who was locked into position under the mistletoe with him. He smirked.

"'S quite the pickle, innit?" he drawled, enjoying every moment of this situation Kelsey had gotten them into.

"Well, get it on with!" the girl exclaimed, hopefully waiting for it. She closed her eyes and puckered her lips in anticipation. Sirius warily looked at her and back at Kelsey.

"I mean what can I even do?" he continued loudly. "If only a certain someone hadn't been so stubborn." He grinned pretending to ready himself to kiss her.

Kelsey watched Sirius boldly declare his intentions while knowing that he'd never go through with it.

Sirius could now see the red layer of cosmetics the girl had applied on her lips. Wait, he thought. Why was this girl in front of him so prepared? What had he gotten himself into?

He eyed Kelsey once more nervously and could feel the internal battle raging in her mind. Her expressions were easy to read once you got used to them. After six and a half years of their banter, he could see her breaking in..

Three

He closed his eyes.

Two

He wet his own lips.

One

With the speed of a Seeker, she hurled a Confringo at the archway making the mistletoe fall off with a thud on the ground, along with a good chunk of the archway. That would be the second time in two years, the archway would need fixing.

Storming over, she grabbed Sirius by the collar and pulled him down, fusing their lips.

He responded immediately, kissing her back softly, taking his time. He cupped her face with both his hands pouring every bit of how much he had missed it.

With flashes of their first kiss, Kelsey found herself losing in the moment. She bit his lower lip and he relented this once.

Mine, thought Kelsey as she gripped onto his shirt. She could feel him smiling as she got more assertive. They pulled apart to breathe and his eyes fell to her swollen lips. They had come so far. For all its troubles, he wouldn't have traded it.

"I think I love you," he blurted out suddenly of nowhere, shocking even himself at where that came from.

"What?" Kelsey squeaked in surprise.

A dull thud was heard in the distance as a third-year Gryffindor who happened to be passing by, fainted from shock. The few other students who had been walking in the hallway stopped too in disbelief.

All eyes were on her.

ϟ

Daddy