-going the distance. open.

[Gwen Lawrence]

Professor Gwen Lawrence, Potions Mistress at Hogwarts was drinking. It was at the time where she needed time to just let her hair down and that was exactly what she was doing, though on her own. Several things had been going through her mind lately, it seemed that the stress of teaching was getting to her after working hard. There were a few idiots in her class that just seemed to want to blow up her class every chance they get. It was getting very old and she found herself getting very short tempered with them but yet she was known to be very patient. But Gwen had wanted to do this job for such a long time and to be offered the job at Hogwarts had been such an experience, she did not even have any second thoughts. The job made her happy. But sometimes it felt like the students could not hear her when she was speaking. She just sighed once more. Maybe she was in over her head.

Making an impact upon the next generation was something she wanted to do and she was going to do it, she would make sure of it. Downing the last of her drink, she stood up putting her jacket back on, she nodded to the barmaid and on her way she went putting a smile on her face. It was late into the afternoon but shops were still open, but no students were about. Gwen was on downtime at the moment, since she had no marking to do - or at least it was waiting for when she got back. Feeling the warm wind in her hair and on her face, she was glad to get out of the castle for a short while. Gwen was dressed in a dark tailored jacket, a simple black top and her black trousers. It was her style and she dressed rather well if she admitted to herself. Her hair was only half pulled back so it was off her face and she had a pair of her favourite earrings in.

Walking with a bounce in her step, she started to look in the windows of the shops, seeing if anything would catch her eye. It was nice to do this with no students around and where she would have to be on duty. Being a Professor was a tough job most of the time and it left very little time to herself, but it was nice when she did have a little bit of time to herself and she could relax. Gwen knew that she could not have everything she wanted but the one thing she missed the most was seeing her sister and niece, but they lived in America and she would see them during the summer holdiays. Her sister always taunted her, saying that Gwen was married her job - maybe she was right because she just loved it that much. Gwen was not going to say it would not be nice to be in a relationship, but she was not going to go out of her way. Gwen was content on her life the way it was. It was far from perfect but it was not terrible.

Gwen continued to make her way down the street, since she woke up today it had been another normal day, but the added bonus she was now able to spend time in Hogsmeade. If anyone asked her how she was doing at the school, she would just tell them that it was all fine and that she was just having a look around the shops. Some people said some rude things about the school but she just bit her tongue and let it go over her head. After the war, things had changed quite a bit, people were living in peace and had simple things to worry about now and it was great to see that everything was getting back to normal. Once more she found herself smiling to herself. Maybe one day she would find that peace she was still looking for, but she knew she was half way there because she had her dream job, she just needed a family to go along with that. But for now she would have to make do with looking after the students and spoiling her young niece, she had to since she was her godmother. Now she was on the out-skirts of the village and sitting down on a bench, she crossed her legs. It seemed that she had quite a few issues to contend with.

Truthfully she had not made her mind up about where she wanted her life to go, and by wizarding standards she was still young. After all witches and wizards lived a heck of a lot longer than muggles do. She had enough time to become truly happy and have her dreams come true, she would go to the end of the Earth to find that happiness. But that was something for another day, she was not in a rush to find it. Gwen would often find herself sitting down like this thinking to herself, she would be in a far off place where she was in her own little world. The voice would say the here and now was where she was meant to be, she knew it as well. Every mile she travelled had always been something to her, she had belonged in England and felt such at home, sometimes she wished she had been able to attend Hogwarts rather than Salem. Shaking her head at herself she once more sighed. "Gwen, you are such a dreamer." She chuckled as she spoke out loud to herself, thinking no-one was around. All she neede now was her prince to whisk her away - now she was dreaming, she would settle for a normal person or even a pet. "You really need a life."

[Sirius Black]

Sirius Orion Black was on the prowl, so to speak. He wasn't actually prowling - he wasn't a cat. Even in his animagus form, he was a wolf, and he chose to stalk, not prowl. Still, his gait was a marked strut as he entered Hogsmeade. The day had already caused his head to spin, and it wasn't even midday yet. That last night, Hermione Granger had showed up on his doorstep with his godson, Harry. She'd returned from Australia, and nothing seemed to make Harry happier. Well, other than the fact that she brought in tow two small children, Harry's twins, which were now going to be partially his responsibility.

Sirius didn't reject the responsibility. In fact, he was glad for it. At age forty one, Sirius didn't have anything to do, really. He had spent most of his life fighting, running, and imprisoned. After getting out, he wanted freedom, which his family's affluence ably provided. He was able to "retire" early, though he'd never actually worked a real job a day in his life. He was getting the chance to be a real godfather to Harry, and now, as though making up for the time he'd lost with Harry as a young boy, he would get to help raise Harry's twins. Things were bright for Sirius, but the idea of helping to raise children bore down on him heavily. When he'd been made Harry's godfather, Lily and James were young but very capable. He knew Harry and Hermione were also, but they would be leaving the children with him alone far more often than James and Lily ever had left Harry with him.

I'm starting to mature. I don't like this. No, I don't like this one bit, he muttered inwardly. In his youth, he was fun-loving and a flirt. Since he’d returned to the wizard world a free man, he hadn’t been able to go out as much and enjoy life. After having broken out from his imprisonment in Azkaban, he’d been forced to go into hiding. Then, once having his record proven innocent to those he knew best, he fought with the Order. After they won and Kingsley became Minister, the Order repaid his favor of letting them use his house as a headquarter by clearing his name with the entire wizarding world – thereby ensuring that everyone knew that he was no murderer, but a victim, just like the Potters had been. Since then, some had quickened to his side as friends like in the old days, notably Lupin, who was now deceased. However, he still hadn’t been able to go entirely back to normal, as some still looked at his shaggy appearance and seemed unsure of his cleared name. The last time he’d visited Hogsmeade was months ago, and he’d gotten plenty of concerned looks; some parents even sheltered their children from him, but most seemed to accept his innocence fairly well.

Today, he did not care what the world thought of him. He needed a walk, and he needed a drink; Hogsmeade provided both of those, and since Hogwarts wasn’t taking the kids there that day, it would be fairly empty, thereby reducing the number of people who could gawk at him. He’d disapparated a fair bit away from the place so that he could walk into town and clear his head. Judging by the size of the place, he hadn’t quite reached the outskirts yet. He thought he saw someone sitting alone on a bench and sighed. Judging by the looks, it was a woman, and she would probably take one look at him before scuttling off as quickly as she could, eyes averted. How often that seemed to happen to him these days. In his school times, girls flocked to him and James; sometimes, there were so many girls who knew his name that he couldn’t even keep up with their names, much less their years in school or their houses. He missed those carefree days of strutting around school with James and Remus, Peter trailing somewhere behind them.

The sitting form seemed to take more shape as he got closer. She was wearing something dark, presumably a jacket and pants. The hair was dark but somewhat pulled back, and something in her ears, most likely earrings, caught the light every so often. Perched on a bench, she crossed her legs and appeared to be speaking to herself. Is that -? Sirius cut off, lost in thought. For a moment, he believed it might be Gwen Lawrence, a friend – or at least, an acquaintance – of his through the Order. This could be fun. . . She was his age and still something to look at. Pestering her was quite fun, and he wasn’t one to pass up an opportunity to flirt. Her voice reached his ears, and he immediately knew it was her. A wolfish grin flitted across his face. She’d called herself a dreamer and said she needed a life.

“There’s nothing wrong with being a dreamer, in my book,”[/color] he spoke, his deep voice carrying in the vast emptiness as he sat down on the bench next to her. He knew she probably wouldn’t appreciate his closeness, but they were on a first-name basis, and besides, he was a fun guy. She’d enjoy the time with him, right? All the girls in school used to fawn over him; surely she would too. Besides, he was feeling flirty and felt like testing his luck with her, see if he still had his old touch. “As long as that dream involved me, of course. It did, didn’t it?”[/color] he asked, turning to her with a smile. Smoothly as he could manage, he lifted his right arm and placed it around her shoulders lightly. Oh, he was going to have a field day with this. Gwen seemed a bit too proper for his liking, but he had a knack for loosing up situations and making people have fun; and Gwen? She certainly seemed to need it.

[Gwen Lawrence]

Rubbing a hand down the side of her face, Gwen let out a short sigh before biting her bottom lip. It was indeed too bad the other teachers had decided not come to Hogsmeade with her, though she had asked. But she came by herself anyway, she just needed to get out of that castle and away from the students. If she had one more student coming to her office asking about the essay she had assigned for their class, she would not be held responsible for her next set of actions. That was now why she had set office times and if they needed her outside of those hours, then they needed to make an appointment with her. Gwen needed a life outside of teaching after all. It was indeed strange that her younger sister had told her she needed to set time aside for herself. Maybe it was the fact Emma was amuggle teacher and knew what Gwen was getting herself in. Sometimes she did not know how she got in this mad situation. Sometimes she missed the adventure of her old life, but she had a new job now - it was stable, but she would still enjoy the odd drink here and there, after all she was only forty one, she had not hit retirement age just yet.

Smiling to herself, even after all these years she was still missing the fun aspect of her life. Being a Potions Mistress, she had to be serious when she worked because it was such a dangerous profession and even after all her years experience anything could go wrong and that would be it. Oh how she felt like crying sometimes. Maybe she was in over her head and she had taken on more than she could chew. "Maybe I should go back into the pub and have a bottle of wine." Gwen had never been one to lose control of her feelings. Maybe a few drinks would let her unwind - to hell with her pride. Maybe it would help if she went into muggle London and to few of the pubs there. But what would that solve? Just allowing herself to let her hair down. Gwen was in the prime of her life and it was about time she enjoyed it, she was holding onto something and she needed to let go, surrending everything was on the cards. Time was up and yet another smile appeared on her face - life was only what you made it and she was going to make sure she had the time of her life.

Feeling the wind blowing through her hair, she did not need wings to help her fly. Maybe it was time she got back into flying- she was not a professional, but she was not scared of a broom like her a few of her old school friends had been during their time at school. Gwen was not going to let anyone bringing her down from the mood she had managed to get herself into - that was a jolly mood so to speak. As she continued to think to herself, it was when a certain voice made her jump and pulled her from talking to herself. Gwen knew that voice - and she could not help but roll her eyes. It was the one and only Sirius Black. Looking up at him, she simply just raised one eyebrow. Only he could get away with pretending he was a catch. She smirked to herself - of course he was still a catch and he knew it. "Oh, I am glad I have your approval there Mr. Black" Gwen replied to his first statement, it was strange that she found herself just grinning at him.

"You discovered my deep dark secret Sirius, oh how you fill my dreams each night." She told him sarcastically raising one eyebrow yet again. It was a good change to have someone to banter with. It just happened to be the man who thought he was Casanova. Maybe if she had been some other female she would be fawning over him and just giggling like such an idiot, but she had never been such a person, she had always liked a good banter - it had been why her and Nathaniel had always gotten on so well, but they had grown up when they split, she had not been ready for commitment like he had been. It was then he placed his arm lightly around her shoulders and she just cracked up. "You are bringing all my dreams to life now." She found herself smirking at him, there was just something about him, but she could not place her finger on that was. Gwen knew that he had it rough in his life and in some ways she had to admire the way he just brushed himself off and got on with it all. Though he could still be an annoying twit, though she did not know him that well, she knew from Order meetings just how he could act when given an audience.

"I can tell you have never heard of personal space or hygiene for that matter." Gwen smirked at him as she started to tease him. She had never been one to flirt, more insult and mess around with this type of person. It was like she was a different person one moment and then another person a different time. That was teaching for you.

There was no point in removing his arm, since he would no doubt start it all over again, but instead she just shifted away from him just a little. Gwen liked to have her own space after all, sometimes she was a little proper, but it was the way she had always been. She had her feet planted firmly on the ground. She just had a thought that would no doubt knock him for six if she did it, since it was completely not like her. But she would not, she would save it for another time if she was ever in the company of one Mr. Sirius Black, after all, one always had to be on their toes around him after all. "What brings you here anyway? I would have pegged you for Diagon Alley and not this tiny little village to be blessed with your company." She spoke to him. Once more she could not help but asked the question, she was certainly curious to why he was in Hogsmeade anyway.

As sad as it was, this was becoming the highlight of her day and that just showed that she needed a life and to get out of the castle much more often. No doubt people would agree on the matter.

[Sirius Black]

A grin creased his face which was not nearly as withered as it had once been as he watched Gwen jump at the sound of his voice. Had he merely surprised her? Perhaps she had expected to see someone but not him; or, maybe, she would be glad to see him but wasn’t expected to be broken from her thoughts so quickly without warning. Nevertheless, he couldn’t take back his words; and, had he been able to, he would not have. Sirius was one to revel in having the element of surprise on his side. It had saved his backside plenty of times before, most notably in escaping from Azkaban.

Azkaban, the wizarding prison, had been his home for thirteen years. He had only escaped because of a decision made in his early Hogwarts days. One of his posse’s members, Remus Lupin, was a werewolf. Rather than dump him, James, Peter, and himself set out to become animagi so that they could romp around with him when he transformed at the full moon. That decision would turn out to be one of the best he had ever made, for during his imprisonment, being able to become a wolf - and well as the thought that he was innocent - kept him going, far less affected by the dementors that guarded the prison. Finally, seeing Peter as Ron’s pet rat, Scabbers, in a newspaper brought him to decide that he needed to break out. Being able to change forms into an animal meant confusing the dementors and making a break for freedom, which he managed. It was only the fact that he was an unregistered animagus that had saved him. It was only that one element of surprise that no one could have suspected that allowed him to escape from prison and clear him name, as well as strike up a relationship with his godson, Harry, whose parents had been killed as a result of a botched fake in the plans. Sirius was supposed to be the secret-keeper for their home, but at the last moment, without telling anyone, he convinced the Potters to choose Peter Pettigrew, a small, unexpected friend of theirs, to do the job. Within a week, the Potters had been murdered, and Sirius had confronted Peter, who faked his death and managed to get Sirius a life sentence in Azkaban and a reputation as both a Death Eater and a traitor. How he hated that rat of a man - and the name was well-fitting, since Peter’s animagus form had been a rat before his untimely death. Harry had spared his life; then, in repayment, he hesitated a moment and allowed Harry to live; the metal hand Voldemort had given to him after he sacrificed his own strangled him on the spot. Deserved it though, he did. That kind of treachery deserves nothing less than death. he muttered inwardly.

Before he had time to think any longer, his attention was turned back to Gwen, who had looked up at him. He couldn’t deny that for forty-one years old, she was actually pretty. Of course, he hadn’t seen the world in some time, so he didn’t have much to base his idea of pretty off of. He thought back of girls from his school, then to Lily; then he thought about those who had been members of the Order - Molly Weasley, Nymphadora Tonks, and several others of whom he’d only seen a glimpse. Granted, Gwen was also one of whom he’d caught a glimpse, and she did manage to catch his attention slightly longer than the married members of the Order. This could be fun. She raised an eyebrow in greeting, and he returned the gesture with a few smooth words, “Well hello to you too.”[/color]

Finally, she began to speak. Her voice was as he remembered, though he’d not spoken to her all that often. Still, he had a thing for remembering voices. Perhaps thirteen years of hearing none gave one the ability to remember all those he heard after; he didn’t know, and he didn’t care to investigate his theory any further than guessing feebly. "Oh, I am glad I have your approval there Mr. Black." Oh, how cute of her. She was grinning. Then she spoke again, this time far more sarcastic. "You discovered my deep dark secret Sirius, oh how you fill my dreams each night."

“And glad you should be; you know how hard it is to gain my approval,”[/color] he said haughtily, turning to face her so that she would catch his strong wink. Oh yeah; he still knew how to play this game. In his school days, he could have landed any girl he wanted because of his playful nature and his ability to flirt; he only hoped he still kept that full ability now. Surprisingly, he was actually glad that it was Gwen he ran into. She was more sensible than most, and she didn’t fall into ridiculous giggles at his every word. Besides that, she was able to hold a good, sarcastic conversation with him and didn’t seem afraid to hurt his feelings. The only other person who’d done that with him for some time was Hermione Granger, twenty years his junior, who was his godson’s love. He wasn’t all too interested in her, though he did esteem her as a good friend.


“My lady, if I’d only known, I would have come sooner. I don’t like to make a beautiful woman wait,” he cooed, flashing one of his brilliant smiles despite her smirk. He thought he saw some admiration pass in her eyes, but he couldn’t be sure. He wasn’t gifted with the ability to read eyes like his godson. The only thing he could truly tell from eyes was sadness and anger - and even then, the person usually had to be crying or their eyes red. He could tell more by voice and words than by eyes.

“Never heard of them? My dear, I’m hurt. You insult me. And of course I’ve heard of them - how can I deny something of which I know nothing?”[/color] He flashed another brilliant grin before raising his eyebrow once more. Yes, he did refuse to give her personal space, but his hygiene certainly wasn’t lacking! He’d showered just that morning, after Harry and Hermione had left with their twins. He hadn’t put on cologne, but he certainly didn’t stink, and his hair was in no way greasy like old Snape’s. Quickly he adopted a look that seemed a mix of shock and hurt.

The fact that she had not yet removed his arm was encouraging, as well as the playful banter that was growing between them. He shifting away from him barely caught his attention, and it in no way dampered his spirit. The only thing that did was the one thing she asked. Why was he in Hogsmeade? Why did he not go to Diagon alley. He was tempted to say Well, my dear, I thought you’d be here, and I couldn’t leave you to wait any longer than you already have, but at the last moment, he sighed and answered more honestly than he’d spoken to her yet. “You know Hermione Granger, right? The smartest witch of her age? And I know you know Harry Potter, my godson. Well, she showed up from her absence last night - she’s fine, don’t worry. Not hurt or anything, but. . . She came back with children. Twins. They’re Harry’s. They left today to go see her parents and tell them that she’s moving here, with me. My place isn’t too far from here, you know. I needed to get out of the empty house, clear my head, and get a drink. I thought being a godfather would be hard, and it was easy. Harry was already older, more mature than I ever would have expected. But the twins? They’re babies, not even three years old. I’m not ready for this.” Another sigh escaped him as he finished his explanation, but a look of surprise crossed his face as he realized that he had just spilled her concerns to someone, and he was faintly shocked that he’d been so open, so honest.

[Gwen Lawrence]

There was something about this man that could drive her insane if she was not as relaxed as she was. Gwen was one of these people that just took life with a pinch of salt, just like many other people she had been fortunate in knowing both in England and in America. Strange things had happened to her during her life and she has seen so much that people could not imagine - but she was only a helper in the war, she knew many more people in the order had beem through much worse. It was just explaining to her younger sister why she had some scars. That had not gone down well at all.

Yes, sometimes she did miss America, just for the fact the last of her family was there - her younger sister Emma and her niece Amelia. They were har life in some ways, Gwen did not know what she would do without them. She remembered the day her baby sister got married - the tears she cried had been unreal, but she was glad to see that Emma was happy. When Emma asked her to be the god-mother to Amelia, it was just the icing on the cake. Gwen would take on the world if it mean't that they would both be save. Gwen was slightly over-protective of them both. Once more she turned her attention back to Sirius. Of course she could not deny that he was handsome, but the down side of him in her books was that he knew it - he was a Casanova of sorts - but the banter between them both was actually refreshing for a change. Gwen ws not short of admirers but the small fact was that they were all serious and though she could be serious herself, she want to be able to have a playful chat with someone. This could certainly prove to be an eventful evening at best. She would admit that she was curious to say the least - but she would make sure that she could hold her own in this battle of the wits.

She chucked at how he said it was hard to gain his approval and then she said. "I must be so special to have your approval, you will have me swooning soon. You are such a strong, handsome man." Gwen then could not help but burst out laughing. This evening was indeed proving to be a good change from her usual that consisted of marking. There was just something about him but she could not place her finger on what it was. "I regret that you did indeed make me wait and my heart is bleeding because you denied me your company for such a long time." Gwen once more found herself grinning at the banter that was playing back and forth between them both. This was indeed an eventful eveing that was taking shape.

It was strange that she was actually playing along with him but she was enjoying the company, though she would not admit it to him, since Gwen was almost sure his ego could just fit through a door. She did not want to do anymore damage to his small brain. Once more, she grinned at his reply to personal hygiene. It certain hit him, but once more he just grinned. It would seem that she was up against a master in sarcasm, and boy was he good at it. Then out of no-where she listened to him as he began to speak about Harry Potter and Hermione Granger. Gwen did not interrupt him but instead just listened to each word. Every now and again her eyebrows would go up as he told his story. Gwen had to admit that it was something out of a drama story, but she did not envy him because it sounded like a lot to take on. Folding her arms, she listened to his final comment and she thought just for a short moment.

"It sounds like you have had an eventful few days." Gwen finally spoke. "To be honest I am not sure what to say." She unfolded her arms and ran a hand through her hair, before turning her attention back to Sirius. "Sirius, just calm down for a moment and breathe." She smiled just for a moment and smiled as she saw the shock that flashed across his face. Gwen could not understand why he would tell her about it, because she was simply a member of the order that he had bumped into every now and again. It was not like they were friends or even had a history for that matter. But it seemed to her that he was not one to talk about things with people. Or maybe he was, but since no-one was around this day, it just all came out and she happened to be the first person he saw and that was actually listening with interrupting.

"Maybe you should talk with them both, explain this to someone that is almost a stranger to you. And just remember you are not the father, you just get to be the crazy uncle that never seems to want to grow up." Gwen spoke, trying to inject humour into what she was saying. She crossed over her legs as she kept her attention on Sirius, she could see something in his eyes that showed he was slightly scared of the prospect of having twins in his home. But she could only sympathise since it had never happened to her, and in all honesty she hoped it would never happen. The only way she would take in a three year old was if her sister and brother-in-law passed away, then she would be the one to raise Amelia. Something she hoped would never happen.

"Anyway what happened to Sirius Black that took everything with a pinch of salt. Surely this would be another adventure for you. I know you will spoil those kid, and I feel sorry for Miss Granger and Mr Potter if you influence the children in the ways of pranking." Gwen smiled a little. "And if I am still teaching when they come to Hogwarts and they prank people, I shall personally come after you mister." She grinned once more.

[Sirius Black]

The idea that Gwen truly knew how to play the game Sirius was such as expert at was refreshing. Teenage girls were used to the banter from the popular boys; older women, teachers specifically, tended to be too proper to ever engage in playful conversation. Sirius was reminded of Minerva McGonagall, the current deputy headmistress of Hogwarts as well as their Transfiguration teacher. She had been the same during Harry’s days in school; in fact, she had been teaching for so long that she had been Sirius’s Transfiguration teacher. Even then, so many years ago, she had been strict. A great teacher, always kept the attention of her students, and good at most everything she did, McGonagall was a teacher few would mess with. Being the head of the Gryffindor house, the one Sirius called his own, he was often subjected to endless tortures by her hand – namely, being stripped of house points and being given countless detentions for having done stupid things.

Once time, for instance, she had made a particularly interesting comment, which he had smarted off to, not unlike he was doing now. That cost him a month’s worth of detentions. Poor Minerva just didn’t have a sense of humor, nor did she seem amused by his banter. Though, Sirius thought that she secretly enjoyed his and James’ antics, for they seemed to make her day more interesting, if only slightly more complicated. Yet Gwen, who was a teacher like McGonagall and following in her footsteps well despite teaching potions, seemed able to handle him, if even give him a taste of his own medicine back. He typically avoided professors because they had no fun – ever. Yet Gwen seemed to be a different story just now, if only for a day. Granted, he didn’t really know her. Perhaps she was having as odd and off a day as he was.

He tried to shake off the thoughts of whom he was speaking to. He had always been better off just speaking, having acquaintances, and never really getting to know someone unless he had a bit of history with them already – only those people seemed to truly believe in him, his goodness, and his innocence. Losing James was terrible. However, losing Lupin was even worse, if only because he was the last true close friend Sirius had ever had. Too often he was alone, yet he threw his emotions aside and ignored them. It wasn’t a good thing to do, but it worked for him, so well, in fact, that he did it naturally now, without a second thought. The only thought that still lingered with him was centered on Hermione’s return and the children. He tried to push it off too, but it was too late, as he had already spoken of it. He knew she would comment, if she had heard even a word of what he’d said, which he was certain she had due to her proximity. That, and most women found him difficult to ignore.

Then he cracked a smile. “Oh yes, you are something special,” he mused in his deep, expressive voice. “I’m glad you have already prepared to swoon. You know me so well, for indeed I am. Both strong and handsome, of course.” Though she was now laughing, likely at either him or her words, he merely chuckled. Laughing now would make him seem insecure or childish; chuckling, on the other hand, would only make him more desirable; or so he hoped.

“I deeply regret my absence; thankfully, I know a thing or two about healing. And hearts are my specialty.”[/color] Now his smile was spreading across his entire face, turning into one of his ever-popular wolfish grins. His striking grey eyes were lit up happily. Oh yes, he still had it old style; it was just a bit rusty from lack of use. He hadn’t had many people to talk to in a while, especially not like this. He doubted that Harry would’ve appreciated such talk.

He noted with curiosity that the same woman who had bantered with him playfully had also managed to sit still and quiet the entire time he had talked about what was bothering him – which was odd, namely because most women would have interrupted him, and he rarely talked about his feelings because he typically pushed them away for later thought – which he never actually thought about later. Though he wished she would leave the subject alone entirely, he knew that she would not; he also knew that he couldn’t be upset with her, since he was the dumb one to have brought it all up.

“Eventful doesn’t quite cover it,”[/color] he mused, his eyes now duller but his face still grinning. “I have you at a loss for words? Perhaps I’m better than I thought.” This time, his words were accompanied with one of his signature bark-like laughs. He couldn’t help throw out a fun comment. He wasn’t one to remain serious for long, despite his name. A striking bit of irony, if he had any say about it.

Still, he was shocked with himself for even having brought it up. It had just slipped out. But why now? And why to her? He didn’t really know her; he had seen her a few times. They may have talked once or twice. But why not let these things slip to Tonks or even Kingsley, rather than someone he barely knew? He honestly couldn’t answer such questions, which led him to be even more shocked at himself.

“Talk to them, eh? Seems like a good idea. Problem is, they have enough to worry about. You know, they’re own problems to deal with and work through. The last thing they need is a breakdown from the one may no one expects to worry. Or have feelings, for that matter,” he joked, running a hand through his half-messy hair and smiling. “Crazy Uncle? Hah. I think I can handle that. What do you think?” he asked, grinning, his eyes wide and delighted.

“Take things with a pinch of salt? Me? Well, well, I believe you know me better than I thought. And the pranking? I’ll be sure to tell them to be extra bad in your classes.”

[Gwen Lawrence]

Though she did have this side that was full of banter and not so serious - it was rare that she got to show such a side since she became a teacher. It was maintaining professionalism and as sad as it was not being to show a different side, it was needed when teaching such a dangerous subject like Potions. One upon a time Gwen used to be able to go with the flow but being a Professor, she had her lessons planned for the academic year, she needed to teach the students what they would need to know for the end of years exams as much as she would have loved to play things by ear and to find out what the students would like to learn - within reason of course. Then it was randomly she spoke out, though she had no intention of saying it. "Being a Professor is something restricting." Gwen's eyes went wide just for a moment, it was a harmless comment, but if it got back to Professor McGonagall, then it would be her head.

Gwen had a feeling that she should not have said anything with what he had said to her. Gwen was almost sure that he had not even meant to say it - maybe it was something she should not added her word of advice to, but it was said and done and there was nothing she could really do to change it. Well maybe there was a time turner but it was not that bad yet. Shaking off the thought she raised her eyebrow once more, this was becoming a common occuarance today. "Well Mr Black, maybe I should set you up with a few people I know. There is this twenty-something blonde. I think she is right up there with your types." Gwen smirked. This blonde she knew was one of those people that wanted a husband for his money and status, it really irked her, those type of people. "I fear for my safety. I do not think this small village is big enough for your ego to expand much further. I might have to stop my dreaming and let my heart begin to heal. I can no longer give you my heart until the end of time." Once more she found herself laughing.

"They may have their own problems but it hardly good for you. And yet you still crack jokes - where were you last week when I could have done with someone with no feelings. And anyway I will not say a thing Mr Black, since I am just a stranger that knows nothing." She taunted him for a moment, dropping the subject. It was none of her business and she did not want to intrude on people she knew nothing about or at least very little about. "You think about it and I will hunt you down and turn you into a Susan." Part of her was serious when she spoke about the threat. But who knows if she would be teaching at Hogwarts in a ten years time. Things might change, but only time would tell. Gwen had taken what life had thrown at her so far and she would continue to do so. She took everything in her stride. Life was an hour glass glued to the table after all, and there was no rewind button.

"Anyway, how about a drink to drown our sorrows, I think we both deserve it after the week we have had." She smirked as she nudged him with her shoulder. Gwen was truely enjoying this banter - it was shame that they were not really friends, it would have been rather amusing if she did say so herself. They of course would see each other in the less than regular Order meetings and no doubt out and about. It was sometimes hard adjusting to life after the war, because it had taken up so much of her time and now nothing. It was a normal life she wanted and now she got it, she was really at a loss at to what to do with herself. Gwen was sure that many people felt the same, but she had seen many people embrace it and some act as if nothing ever happened. But it was about time there was a peaceful time, she was not going to deny it.

Standing up, she stretched slightly as she folded her arms and turned to look at Sirius for a moment and tapped her foot for a moment. "Well are you going to join a lady for a drink or are you going to crawl back into your hole." Gwen grinned once more. This was something she needed to do much more often, though she would have to find a person that would do this with her on a regular basis. Oh well, maybe her own company would have to do, it was something she was used to up at the castle - since the majority of the teachers were older than her and the one Professor that was the same age as her. Well let's just say he was an awful and unpleasant man the best of times. Running a hand through her long hair once more, she waited to see if Sirius would join her for that drink, if he didn't well it would be his loss and she would just still go back for another drink anyway.

[Sirius Black]

Finding that he truly enjoyed the chat he was having with Gwen, Sirius smiled. She was a tad more complex than he had first assumed. Granted, he wasn’t looking forward to interpreting her in the least; in fact, the only people he had ever really taken the time to examine, observe, and interpret were his three closest friends and their children. The rest, he didn’t have the time, patience, or capacity for. He based more things off of conversation than the looks in one’s eyes. Words were what caught his attention, not motions or facial expressions, aside from the basic ones. The fact that he didn’t have to interpret anything more than Gwen’s words made his time talking with her even more enjoyable. She was fun to talk to, and barely any work. All he needed was his naturally quick wit, and he could easily hold his own.

Her words, however, took him by surprise. The only times he had ever seen her, she seemed content with her job. Most of the people who had ever worked at Hogwarts were, except possibly for Argus Filch, who was still lucky to have the job he had. Even during his times at school, the teachers always seemed happy with their jobs, despite the occasional trouble-making student who pestered them. Sirius should know; he was usually that student. He had watched as countless teachers put him in detention, usually with James, for having done something that the teachers deemed stupid. He and James? They called it fun or brilliant. Granted, potions was one of the few classes in which they typically behaved, namely because their elderly teacher would have lively whipped them had they not. Potions was one of the more dangerous classes they were in, so their antics were slightly restrained. Thus, he found that her skirting along the edges of insulting her job to be interesting. “Restricting, eh? Well, you teach potions. You have to be mature in that class – even James and I knew that, and mature was the last thing we were,” he smiled, trying to be helpful without touching on the subject too long. She seemed to regret her words; perhaps the slight moment of disloyalty shocked her. He hoped to skim over the awkwardness of her comment quickly so that she wouldn’t have to dwell on it – and he wouldn’t have to try to figure out something else consoling to say.

Her eyebrows had risen once more; that seemed to be the indication that a bit of friendly banter was about to ensue, and he couldn’t be more thankful for it. Consolation, emotions; they weren’t his strong suit. Banter, flirting, and witty responses? They seemed to be his forte. ”I should set you up with a few people I know. There is this twenty-something blonde. I think she is right up there with your types." Oh, so she thought she knew his type? How adorable. “Come now, you really think I’d go for a twenty-something blonde I’ve never met? Fun as she sounds, I tend to prefer redheads or brunettes, not blondes, eh?”[/color] Okay, so that was a bit of a lie. Or, better yet, a strong bit of sarcasm. He didn’t tend to care about hair color all too much. Age, now that was something he did take note of. He was forty one – those in their twenties were simply out of his age range.

“I assure you, my dear, that your safety is in no danger. So long as you are in my presence, you are quite protected. And my ego is quite average in size, so your dreaming may proceed as usual. As for your heart? I can heal it as well as any other,”[/color] he smiled, now grinning and suppressing a chuckle.

The conversation then switched back to Hermione, Harry, and the children. Thankfully, her comments weren’t all too serious. “Yes, but I’m the carefree uncle, remember? Nothing can bring ol’ Sirius Black down!” He said loudly, now laughing. “But you cannot say I have no feelings. You hurt me again. I have plenty of feelings, mind you!”[/color] He raised his eyebrows and smiled. He had plenty of feelings – he just tended to push them away and not think of them or act on them. He kept the positive ones, like happiness, on the front edge though so that he always appeared happy, content, or unconcerned with things. However, there was some truth in her words – she was really more of a stranger to him than he had previously thought.

“But I’ve already thought about it. Those kids will be giving you as much trouble as I ever would have, if not more. There are two of them, you know. But back up a moment. You say you’re a stranger. What do you say, we change that?” he eyebrows were raised again playfully. She seemed to have already considered the idea, as she suggested a drink to drown their sorrows before nudging him with her shoulder. He returned the gentle nudge slightly more forcefully before removing his hand from her shoulder to allow her to stand.

He placed his hand on his knee for a moment before standing up next to her, mimicking her by tapping his foot also, a mock look of impatience on his face. “A drink for our sorrows? Why yes, I believe I could do that. Madam, I do not crawl. I strut. You should know. But yes, I think a good drink is in order. Firewhiskey, perhaps?”

[Gwen Lawrence]

Sometimes she did over think things but then again if she did not then something would clearly be wrong. As much as she hated to admit it, she really did enjoy the company of Sirius Black. From a distance she thought of him as a childish, obnoxious man that she did not have the time of day for. But the more she talked to him, the more she found that he was witty and could make a simple chat enjoyable. Heck, he even had her bantering with him, which was something she did not do with someone who was almost a stranger to her. Gwen just shook her head for a moment and turned her attention back to the man in question. She could not help but just grin. What had this man done to her? It was just crazy for her, but maybe it would be a good change for her. To actually let her hair down, after all this was a peaceful time and she was no longer fighting in a war.

"And yet I am surprised by that." She smirked in response to her banter about blondes. To her he seemed like a bit of a player in his youth - even now, he seemed to still have that natural flare that would get any female eating out of the palm of his hand. Gwen had seen it all before just after she graduated and she actually had her look. The American boys were the worst for it. Maybe that was why she had never been married? After her relationship with Nathianiel broke down when she was twenty-three, she just got on with her career and it never seemed to bother her. But now she was at that age where she was regretting some of her life choices but she was content and would stay with the lifestyle she had. It was safe. Gwen would not go back to America because her home was now England. She had fought in a war that she did not have to fight in. She joined the Order because she had friends that were like her family.

Gwen raised an eyebrow at his statement about healing her heart. "But my dear Sirius, you could very well just break it again. You have me on the edge because you are simply you." She hated how cliche that sounded, but it was rather amusing how she sounded like a idiot female that thought they needed a man just to be happy. "Now I do sound like an idiot." She just grinned once more. It was still funny though.

"Yes, I should be so much more sensitive and know you have feelings." Gwen replied as she folded her arms, waiting for him to get his backside off the bench to join her for that drink she just spoke about. "Now, now Black. There is no need to make me suffer what have I ever done to you? Leave this sort of lovely, middle-aged woman alone." Gwen then winked playfully at the statement. "Getting old there." She mocked him once more as he did not get off the bench straight away and then he began to mock her.

"Well strut you butt to the Hogshead or The Three Broomsticks and I will show you a good time with drinking." Gwen grinned. "And Firewhiskey sounds just like what the Healer ordered." Then she began to walk down the street to the closest pub, which just happened to be The Three Broomsticks. Turning around to walk backwards and look at Sirius. "Come on old man."

It was then she took a stumble and nearly fell flat on her face. Gwen felt her cheeks burning up. "That did not happen." She laughed as she looked over her shoulder. "Wearing heeled boots on this path is not a very good idea." She smirked once more as she made a crack at herself for a change. It was nice to get out of the castle every now and again and not have to worry about assignments that needed to be marked or what the next lesson was. Gwen did love her job, but if she did not relax, she was sure she would go crazy or something along those lines. Even if she was going for a drink with someone she hardly knew. It was not like he was a complete stranger to her, he was a good man - or a least the majority of the time and she would no doubt have a good laugh and they would continue the banter they were having since he interrupt her 'alone' time. Gwen just smiled to herself. This was indeed shaping up to be a very evening indeed.

It did not take them long to walk down the short path to the pub, and she was soon opening the door to find the pub quiet at this time in the evening. Without even waiting for Sirius she went to the bar and ordered. "Two Firewhiskies Rosmerta." She smiled to the older woman. This lady was a very familiar face to her and of course she always got called Professor when she came in here, though she had insisted she call her Gwen. But the Landlady said something about being respectful to a teacher. Running a hand through her hair, she got distracted for a moment as she looked around the bar after taking a seat. It was quite a lovely little place and it was even better when there were no students about. The one thing she hated was being on Hogsmeade duty because she could not relax, she had to keep an eye out for trouble makers. These were the rare moments she enjoyed the most since becoming a teacher. "You are quiet there Mr Black. You must be thinking, but then again that would most likely hurt that head of yours." She said nudging his shoulder once more when she came out of her thoughts.

[Sirius Black]

Observing Gwen with a simple gaze, he tried to imagine her as a child, even a teenager. He had done that with most of his teachers when he had been in school and found the idea preposterous. Though Dumbledore and McGonagall had been younger, they were still by no means young when Sirius had been in school, and imagining them in school was impossible. Snape, on the other hand, was easier, being his own age. Severus had been a classmate of sorts of his, so seeing him teach Defense Against the Dark Arts did not make it difficult for Sirius to recall their youthful days, namely when he and James had taunted poor old Snivellus. Equating Gwen with Severus still seemed a bit treacherous since Snape had been, for some time, Sirius’ main enemy at school. Even now that they had forgiven some things from the past and become more amicable, the thought of Gwen being anything like Severus was difficult. Nevertheless, the three of them – Severus, Gwen, and Sirius – were the same age. Therefore, picturing Gwen as a youth, a teenager, was not as difficult as imagining other Hogwarts professors at a young age. The picture that greeted him made him smile. There was a vibrant, young woman with dark, mostly straight hair with a twinge of a curve in it. A cute smile lit up her features nicely, and she was petite. Yes, he was sure that Gwen likely looked exactly as he pictured when she was in school – not at Hogwarts, of course, since she was American, but whatever school she had gone to while there. What was that school’s name? Salem, was it? Something like that. It didn’t really matter all too much.

When he looked up, he found that she too was grinning, apparently at him. Ahhh, so he had gotten to her. Perfect, he thought. The idea that he had not lost his touch made him grin even wider, despite her smirk. “I have surprised you? Lovely. I am a basket of secrets, you know.” It was true, in a sense. He really held more secrets than anyone knew, mostly because he refused to talk about himself much. Sure, he would keep up a strong conversation, and he would certainly flirt, but he rarely chose to delve into the personal details of his life. At least he was being honest . . . for the moment . . .

His flare for drama reemerged as he placed his hand over his heart. “My dear Gwen, how could you think so poorly of me? I would never break your heart. My specialty is healing, I assure you.”[/color] Okay, now she was just being ridiculous. Her? An idiot? A laugh escaped his lips, and he made no effort to contain it. “I’m not one to disagree with a pretty woman; but you, Gwen, are no idiot. Dumbledore would never hire an idiot to teach potions,”[/color] he said with a wink. He was truly enjoying her company, and he hoped that it would end any sooner than was absolutely necessary.

Then her statement caught his ears and he grinned. “Old? If I have done my math properly – which I warn you is a bit of a stretch – we are the same age, are we not? You can’t call me ‘old’ without giving yourself the same title, honey.”[/color] The honey part had slipped, and once gone, he couldn’t recall the words. Oops. Hope she doesn’t kill me for that. . . He grinned sheepishly and then made his face turn as blank as he could manage. Holding his tongue still was not one of his strong points.

Hoping she would skim over his words once they had changed conversation to a drink, he smiled once more. He’d been to both Hogshead and the Three Broomsticks, and which he enjoyed more really depended on his mood more than anything else. However, he held firm to the idea that either would be enjoyable if in good company, so he allowed her to lead him to the place of her choosing. She called him an old man again and he grinned; The Three Broomsticks seemed like a nice place to enjoy a firewhiskey. . . as well as a near fall from Gwen. He reached out to steady her, but she was already steady and upright before he reached her. To ensure that she took no more tumbles, he placed his hand in the middle of her back as though in an attempt to lead her. “No, it wasn’t the brightest of all ideas. Lucky for you, I’m here to catch you when you fall,”[/color] he grinned once more. Unfortunately, the walk to the pub was all too short for his liking, and he removed his hand from her back rather reluctantly.

Before he could do much else, Gwen had walked up to the bar and ordered. So she was a woman who liked to take charge; he liked that about her. Why should he have to do everything, make all of the decisions? No, this was nice. With a smile to Rosmerta – he had known the woman since his youth, and they had quite a cordial relationship due to his and James’ often appearance – he took a seat and was shortly joined by Gwen. “My dear woman, you hurt me again. When will you ever learn to be gentle with my aching heart? I am only as quiet as the situation necessitates, and I can think perfectly well without being in pain, he grinned with an attitude of teenage angst. It was a look he copied – and knew – all too well. In his childhood, he had left his home. At the age of sixteen, he moved in with James Potter because his own parents hated the thought of him, and him moreso that the thought. Thus he grew accustomed to the true anguish of being a teenager, though he grew out of it quickly with the help of his friends. They ensured that he never lived a dull – or sad or painful – moment.

Thankfully, he wasn’t given long to ponder the thought, because Gwen had nudged him out of it. He smiled gratefully, then turned to Rosmerta, who had walked up with their drinks. He took them both, handed one to Gwen, thanked Rosmerta, and then raised his own glass in a toast. “To drowning sorrows with new friends!”

[Gwen Lawrence]

The end of this day was shaping out quite well, she could truly say that she enjoyed herself. It was a nice change from all that marking. "From what I have heard, Dumbledore has had some eventful Professors at the school." She grinned back and said nothing more about the subject. She had continued to listen to what he spoke about age and her statement of old. Gwen had indeed heard the slip at the end of that sentence but she allowed it to go over her head. There was no point in addressing an issue when it was actually not an issuse to make something of.

Learning to let go and walk away from certain situations was good, even if it was just for a short while. Gwen needed time out to recharge herself before she jumped into the next days worth of work with a clear head. It was something she usually did, even when she had been a student. It was a morning run before the students awoke - she would always make sure she was at breakfast in her teaching robes. It was now a requirement that the teachers made at least one appearance a day at the meals. She was not going to disobey any orders given to her. As tiring as her job could be - her passion for Potions was evident when she taught. Gwen knew what she was teaching was to benefit her students at some point in their lives and she had always wanted to influence the next generation some how, and what she was doing, she was doingh it directly. It was a good feeling when she just one student understanding what she was talking about because it mean't that she was influencing someone, even if it was just one single person.

Gwen came out of her thought and looked back at Sirius and once more listened to him talk. The look on his face made her feel slightly guilty. Maybe she had pushed it too far? Biting her bottom lip for a moment, she spoke. "Very well I shall no longer toy with your feeling, for I fear I might just push you over the edge." She spoke with a little bit of humor or so she hoped. Sometimes she did not know when to stop with her bantering because it was something she very rarely did because she was normally not in the correct company unlike now. "You know you are a very interesting man Sirius Black, you have thrown all my previous thoughts about you out of the window - to quote a muggle term." It was a random statement, and yet it was true. Once she had thought the Sirius was a highly arrogant man who had just been unfortunate to have such an adult life. But now that had changed in the short time they had been talking or more like bantering. Gwen now thought he was a lively, rather handsome character to say the least. No-one could deny that he was handsome, in his own way. Though that was something she would never admit, because she fears that his ego would grow and simply crush her.

Taking the glass in her hand, she raised it in response to Sirius doing the same. "May we not want to kill each other by the end of the night." She smiled as she took a sip of the drink. And pulled a face as she felt it burn the moment it hit the back of her throat. Gwen felt her cheeks colour from the heat as it spread across her face. "Wow, I had forgotten how strong this stuff was." She spluttered.

Now that she had embarressed herself further, she took a small sip and this time she did not cough all over the place - but the colour stayed a blush on her cheeks. Setting her glass on the table, she turned her body to face Sirius once more. She crossed her legs and took off her outer jacket and put it over the back of the chair since the firewhiskey was doing a fine job of making her feel very warm. This was something she could get used to, even if it was not with Sirius Black, but someone else. It was nice to get out of the castle every now and again, though she would admit that she was enjoying his company. There was just something about him that caught her attention. She had a feeling they could be good friends if given the chance. It would be nice to have a drinking buddy every now and again.

"This is turning out to be a rather enjoyable evening and as much as it pains me to admit it." She once more spoke. Gwen had been shocked he was even in Hogsmeade, let alone talking to her. To him she just assumed she was another member of the Order and that was that. He didn't need to talk to her, just a simple head nod here and there just as others did when she saw them. Gwen had not been in the inner circle of the Order, but she did her best given the circumstances. She was alive to tell the story. That had to be a positive. Right?

Then she finally spoke what she had been thinking just a few moments ago. "What would you say about doing this on a regular basis? Sort of like once a month maybe? Just to drown our sorrows, and since you seem to enjoy a good drink here and there, you would be the perfect drinking buddy." Gwen stated. If he said no, then it would not be the end of the world. She would just feel embarressed that she had asked and no doubt try to brush it off. Gwen took another sip of the burning drink as she waited for an answer. She had taken a leap of faith when she asked him, but she did like being in his company. So she did hope that she would agree to it, even if it was only once a month. Taking the chance she looked at Sirius closer, he did have just a charm about him - he was different to the people she normally talked with. Maybe it was just the fact that he could have a good banter and be childish. She was not put off by it in the slightest. Snapping herself out of it, she realised she was staring at him just a little longer than was acceptable. Adverting her gaze, she looked elsewhere in the room quickly. "This is good stuff, if a little strong." She spoke randomly about the firewhiskey.

Now she was just speaking whatever came into her head. Had the drink affected her that much already? She had never been much of a lightweight, but then again she never really drank firewhiskey. "Well Mr Black, I think you should get the next round of drinks in since I paid for the first round." She grinned again. "You know, it should be a gentleman that buys the first round, so it makes me start to question your manhood." Gwen teased him, her eyes twinkled a little before winking playfully. This was a side of her that she very rarely got to show. It was refreshing and merlin's balls she was actually enjoying herself. It had been a long time indeed since she had been able to do anything like this.

Truthfully, she had always thought of him as attractive. Wait a minute. Hadn't she already had that thought? The answer would be yes. The drink was stronger than she thought, but oh well. She was not going to stop at one drink because she did not have any classes in the morning and she did have a stock of hangover potions that would do their job when she awoke. Being in the company of someone different was a change, and that person being her own age was a bonus.

[Sirius Black]

Things were turning out to be a bit better than Sirius had expected. The day had been an eventful one, even if in a good but stressful, these-kids-are-going-to-give-me-a-heart-attack-before-I-turn-fifty sort of way. Spending the afternoon with Gwen, however, had given the day a less stressful, more enjoyable turn – not that he would have given up the time with Harry and Hermione. But Sirius was older and still a jokester; serious relationships and children were more foreign territory to him than even he would find himself admitting, and sitting around listening to them argue despite their love was not only awkward for him, but just plain uncomfortable. He had had to put up with that once in his life, and he would certainly do it again . . . but he didn’t have to like it, nor did he have to stay inside the house the entire time. Though it was his house, he enjoyed getting away from it more than being in it. The day had started eventful but was turning into a truly interesting and fun afternoon, peppered mostly by fun banters with Gwen. Why hadn’t he met her sooner?

"From what I have heard, Dumbledore has had some eventful Professors at the school." Sirius grinned then let out a laugh. “Eventful, you say? You’d call the lot you teach with now – or the lot that came before you – eventful? Now I must question your sanity. Eventful doesn’t quite cover it. Let’s see here, we have Trelawney. You know, Sybil? The woman’s a complete nutter! Tried to tell me six times I was going to die my third year. Six times. Do I look dead to you?” He half-grinned, half-smirked before continuing. “Alright. Then you have ol’ Snape. Not too bad, for someone who doesn’t own shampoo or a sense of humor, I suppose. You have Flitwick, whose only height achievement is being taller than the frogs he uses for the choir. Oh, and let’s not forget Hagrid. I love him to death, of course; great guy, really. But what all has he contributed to the school besides his advanced knowledge of magical creatures? Oh, let’s see. . . Aragog, the giant spider; Fluffy, the three-headed dog; a dragon, goodness me! And let’s not forget that he brought his brother Grawp to live in the forbidden forest. Anything else I need to add?”[/color] After pausing for a moment to realize that he might have sounded as though he were attacking some of the teachers, he took a deep breath and spoke again. “Now, don’t get me wrong. Dumbledore’s a great man, and I would never doubt him. And the teachers I mentioned? Well, I love them to death – er, most of them, at least. Especially Hagrid, he’s a great man. All I’m saying is, Dumbledore has some interesting taste in teachers. Now the real question is, what are you going to do to make your mark among them?”[/color] A raised eyebrow was all he gave her before downing the rest of his drink. It wasn’t really a tradition at Hogwarts – at least not that he knew of – but it seemed as though each teacher did something to make him or herself stand out from the rest. McGonagall had her strict yet caring disposition. Sprout wore that dreadful hat. Flitwick was . . . well, rather small. Snape never seemed to wash his hair. Hagrid had a habit of bringing in dangerous but supposedly “lovable” creatures. To be honest, after having lived through or seen all of that, he was quite worried as to what Gwen would choose to do to leave a mark at Hogwarts.

For a while, he didn’t say much; instead, he waited for her to speak again. Despite his behavior, he did have some sense of etiquette, and he knew just when he needed to use it. After he’d let her speak her share, he broke in to comment. “The edge is a far bit away, dear Gwen. You may push a little more just yet. Wait, this is to say you had previous thoughts about me? Do tell.” he grinned widely. He wouldn’t have expected a woman like her to give him a second though, especially since they really had never spoken before more than casual greetings or directions. He had been a more central member of the Order; and, while she had been useful, it wasn’t her name that would be remembered years later. Granted, his probably wouldn’t either, but he liked to dream that he had set out a bit of grandeur – in the proper manner – for the Black family name, despise it though he might.

The drink was perfect; though Sirius had never been a drunkard – nor did he ever intend to become one – he was rather fond of a good firewhiskey at the right time. It faintly reminded him of the times he and James would sneak out to get some, just because they could. Of course, Lupin was always more level-headed and refused more than one or two on a usual night, but he and James often drank a little more. It seemed to wash away the pain, even though it stung a bit. Gwen’s face, however, made up for whatever sting it had caused in his throat. He set down his empty glass and let a grin spread across his face. She seemed entirely flustered and thoroughly embarrassed, much to her amusement. “Forgotten, have you? Well, we’ll just have to change that. Since you are enjoying yourself so much,” he smiled, emphasizing the word that would counter her admission of surprise or pain, “I think I could manage to find my way down here every so often. Though I detest the term drinking buddy. How about we just call ourselves friends and save the hassle of an unnecessary word? I’m not always so talkative, you know.” A wink finished his turn of talking for the time.

Her next statement caught him a bit off-guard. She seemed such a self-assured woman, but the drink seemed to be affecting her more than even Sirius would have guessed. Still, he wasn’t one to press the issue. A raised eyebrow was the only response she would receive about the firewhiskey. Thankfully, he didn’t have to say anything, as she spoke once more. “The next round? My dear, I planned on getting the next few rounds. You didn’t think only two would do, did you? Or perhaps I’ve mistaken that you are a lady and therefore can’t handle too much. My sincere mistake. But please, let nothing question my manhood. I assure you I am very much a gentleman whatever you may think.”[/color] He was getting used to ending his statements with a simple wink.

[Gwen Lawrence]

It was turning out to be a good day indeed. Gwen just laughed as he went through the list of the Hogwarts teachers and what they had brought to be remembered by. It was true that they were all strange, though Gwen could not stand Sybil from the first day she had met the unfortunate woman. "Oh don't remind me of Sybil. She has already predicted that I will fall to a terrible fate resulting in my death. Now unless that terrible fate is a student blowing up my classroom. Well I don't need to say anymore." She spoke in response to him. Gwen raised an eyebrow in response to his question of how she would make her mark. "Being the only American teacher is not enough. So how about being the teacher that was simply normal." She grinned. She knew that she was far from normal but to the other teachers maybe she was just that. But then again what was normal in the Wizarding World. To say the least it was something she had never thought herself to be. But then again maybe she was because the people she had met since coming to England were rather eccentric even by Wizarding standards.

"I have no thoughts about you Black, quite the opposite in fact." Gwen muttered as she knocked back the last of her drink. Once more her cheeks had taken on a lovely rosy colour. "Wipe that grin off your face Sirius it does not suit you one bit." He could indeed insufferable even the short time she had been talking to him during the afternoon. "You do know I happen to like that word. Buddy." She smirked. "It might actually be your nickname from me." Chuckling she just raised one eyebrow at him as if she was challenging him to have a better come back. But no doubt he would have. "But I suppose friends will have to do. I will just have to get another drinking buddy. Buddy." Then she just laughed at herself, catching herself off guard. Since when did she crack herself up? But then again, maybe it was just the drink messing with her mind. That could be the reason why she very rarely drank in the first place. Running another hand through her yet again. It was clearly becoming a habit of hers. But everyone had their habits, so she just shrugged it off. Now she was indeed thinking that she should drink something other than fire whiskey, It could not be good for her. Maybe she should just stick with a nice glass of wine - that was something she knew she could handle and not have to worry about spilling her deep dark secrets to everyone in the pub.

Shaking her head at his wink, she took a deep breath as if she was trying to think of what she would reply with. Sirius Black was such a complex puzzle that she was not entirely sure if how he was with her was an act or if there were just so many layers to him. "As I said before Sirius dear." She paused for a moment, intentionally adding the dear, she continue to speak. "I can drink you under the table. But the question is, can you drink as much as I can?" She grinned once more staring at him. The winks were getting increasingly annoying but she could not help herself but laugh or just simply shake her head at them. It seemed to be a signature of Sirius Black and nothing more, so there was not much she could really do about it.

For some strange reason her thoughts went to her younger sister for a moment. Everyone said she looked like a much younger version of herself, except Emma had blonde hair rather than the colour of brown like herself. Gwen often missed her, but they kept in contact and it was much easier considering that she knew of magic and what Gwen did for a living in England. Emma had been Gwen's faith during the battle and so had Olivia - her very naughty and loud three year old niece, but Gwen would not be without her. It would be nice to thin that maybe one day Olivia would be a witch and if she was, then she would love for her to attend Hogwarts rather than Salem. Hogwarts was so much more magical than Salem - no pun was intended. But the truth was Gwen had felt straight at home when she had arrived.

Tapping a finger against her cheek, she rested her head in one hand for a moment on the bar before sitting up right once again. "So those drinks, you know a girl can get rather bored if kept waiting." She could not believe she had just said that. But with Sirius it was harmless banter just as they had been doing all afternoon.

"So what have you been doing since everything ended? Ever thought of a job?" She was grinning as she spoke. Gwen already knew the answer but maybe she just liked winding him up a bit. It was her entertainment for the evening after all and he did say that he was quite far from the edge. "Since we are friends after all, I have to learn these things." Then she waited for the answer he would have for her in reply. She was of course anticpating something in the range of a playful reply. It was just in the short time she had been talking with him, had no expected. But she did not know him that well and as she had though before it could all be an act - that was something she might not ever know. Gwen was taking what she could at the moment and simply enjoying herself - after all all, how often did she get to do this.

Folding her arms, she looked around the pub once more. She enjoyed this small pub, it was cozy - but she gathered that was how it was mean't to be. "What would you say about doing this on a regular basis? And before you comment, I am being serious Sirius." Then once more she could not help but grin at the end of her sentence. Now she really knew she had lost it. "Sorry bad joke there." Gwen grinned. "It would be nice to get out of the castle every now and again. Just once a month. It might prevent your brain from turning to mush with toddlers around." She was about to add something else, but prevented herself from saying it, otherwise she would cracked herself up and and burst into laughter randomly. Gwen knew she had a lot of water in her brain now. It was clear she did not get out of the castle too much, or she might still be sane. Or as sane as a teacher could be at this point in the year.

[Sirius Black]

Sirius wasn’t all too sure how well his rant about Hogwarts teachers would go over with Gwen, considering she was one. Most of the teachers, despite their differences, would fiercely defend each other to outsiders – even if they weren’t all too friendly while at the school. For example, Severus Snape and Minerva McGonagall were not close at all during the school year. They were both heads of houses – Snape of Slytherin, McGonagall of Gryffindor. As heads of the two most rival houses, they tended to be opposites in most everything, including their methods of teaching and discipline. In fact, Minerva hadn’t even known of Dumbledore and Snape’s little plan a few years prior and they had even dueled once. Yet despite all of that, he had heard them both defend the other outside of school to people who questioned their actions. He’s incredibly loyal to us – he’s proved it time and time again, Snape has. I didn’t believe it either, at first; but Dumbledore always did, and Dumbledore was dead on, she had once said. McGonagall? So what she’s getting older? She’s sharper than you are, and it’ll be a sad day for Hogwarts and the students when she retired, Severus had remarked when someone had asked if she was getting a bit old to be teaching. Now Sirius only had to wait to see what Gwen would remark. Would she get on his case for disrespect? Or perhaps she might join in – she was becoming more fun by the minute . . . or by the drink; it was becoming hard to tell which was more true.

Taking her laughter as a good sign, Sirius was able to relax. She clearly wasn’t about to throw him out for his rash, if true, comments. He smiled slightly at her words. “Not a big fan of Sybil’s, eh? You know Dumbledore doesn’t even like divination as a subject. He only took her on to protect her, or so Harry told me. Wait, how long have you been teaching at Hogwarts? Surely she hasn’t only predicted your death once. Falling a bit behind; lost her touch, that must be it. You get one death prediction in all your time there and I had seven in one year!”[/color] he exclaimed fairly quietly, shaking his head slowly. He stopped momentarily when she spoke again, but found himself repeating the action, albeit more quickly this time. “Well, you’re right on that count. Being American might be something new to the school, but it’s not exactly comparable to being a centaur. And normal? No one gets remembered for being normal! You have to do something. Not be something, since you’ve clearly marked down yourself as only being American.”[/b]

The more she drank, the more amusing Gwen became to Sirius. A grin was the only thing that he plastered on his face as a response, but Gwen seemed unamused by it. The more irritated she became, the more amused he became. He was tempted to test the waters but didn’t want to risk ruining the friendship/ just yet. He smiled, but when she said the word buddy not once but three times, his smile became more of a cringe. “You don’t know why I hate the word buddy, do you Gwen? Let’s just say, I’ve been called it one too many times, eh?” he said with a chuckle. He couldn’t very well tell her that he had been on the run after his stint in Azkaban as a black dog. Of course, many of the strongest, closest members of the Order knew this, but he doubted she did. And, naturally, Dumbledore didn’t want him just mouthing off such information to anyone, even if Gwen wasn’t just anyone. . . Too much thinking put Sirius in a disagreeable mood, so before he could think anymore, he took another swig of his drink.

The pause was thankfully and quickly overridden as Gwen spoke again. Apparently she was gaining quite the backbone if she thought she could out drink him. Not many would kid about, let alone try, such a feat. “My dear he cooed softly, putting emphasis on the word dear, “you can’t possibly be operating under the impression; no, the delusion; that you - a Hogwarts professor, a potions mistress, an American, a woman, and my new friend – could possibly drink more than I – the famous and infamous Sirius Black!” His voice had gotten louder and a man from a table close to them looked over, but he waved the man’s attention away with one hand. It wasn’t long before Gwen was complaining about being bored, but Sirius only had time to give her one of his signature winks before waving over Rosmerta and allowing Gwen to speak again.

“Oh Gwen, you amuse me so. Sirius Black, work a job? I’ve never worked a day in my life. No, since everything’s ended I got myself a house and spent time growing close to and caring for my godson. It’s a job in and of itself; he’s been pathetic since Hermione left, but I think he’ll perk up now that she’s back. As for work . . . Well, I know every possible employer would love to have such a handsome and reliable man such as myself, but I’ve taken a lot in my short life. Thirteen years in Azkaban takes a toll on the mind and body, you see. No, I think I’ll spend the rest of my days in retirement.”[/color] Another, calmer grin settled across his face, but rather than articulate his question, he merely raised an eyebrow as a way to ask her what she planned to do for the rest of her life, what she intended to do after Hogwarts, if anything.

More amused now at her words than ever before, Sirius let out a bark of laughter. “Forgetful now, are you? I’ve already said that I find the idea good one. And get that grin off your face, Gwen. Hah! Another poorly executed attempt at humor. I suppose we’re a fair bit better with sarcasm,” he mused with another bark of laughter and a genuine smile.

[Gwen Lawrence]

Laughing was something she was doing a lot of tonight. It was a refreshing change from being stood over a cauldron in her lab doing her research as she normally did on an evening. It was incredible how relaxed she was and she was letting herself simply enjoy it. "I avoid Sybil at all costs, the woman can drive a saint to murder. That is why I have only had one death prediction so far - maybe its only because I have been at the school for a year. Not really that long." She grinned. "Now Dumbledore. That man is as crazy as they come and yet he is simply amazing. How does that combination work? But every teacher in the school have their own ways, there is just the one I can not stand." Gwen just shrugged her shoulders as he went on about her legacy at Hogwarts. Truthfully, she did feel a bit plain next to all the other Professors. But maybe over time she would become known as something, but for the time being she would just have to settle. "Well Mr. Black. I will just have to settle for being just an Amercian for now, and then maybe in the years to come something else will come along." Gwen smirked as she responded. The more time she spent with Sirius, the more she did relax. Maybe it was just the drink helping her along, but it was certainly something that was different. In a good way. She was not going to become a bore and not enjoy herself every once in a while. Gwen had worked hard throughout her entire academic career and she had left very little time to enjoy herself.

Things were looking positive at the moment. She was relaxing and his laughter was contagious. He seemed to have a permanent smile painted onto his face - most likely because of her idiocy, but it was still good to see. "Oh and how I was looking forward to calling you it." Answering to his comment on the nickname 'buddy'. But she would not push it any further since she did not want to cause any awkward moments. That was something Gwen did not do.

"I fear that your ego will not fit through the door if you think so highly of yourself Sir!" Gwen looked at him with a slight raised eyebrow and a serious look upon her face. However what let her down was the twinkle in her eyes. "But I am American and we are known to out-drink many people and you Sir and no exception to that rule." Shaking her head at his wink. She noticed he seemed to do that alot. Gwen was about to make a sarcastic comment about it, but decided again it. No doubt he would come back with something else just as he had been the entire night. "I thought you would answer something like that." Replying to his long speech about a job. It was interesting to listen to how he responded. And there was once again a raised eyebrow. Grinning in response, she began to speak once more. "Such a pity. So many people would just jump at the chance to work with the famous Sirius Black. But I shall remain at Hogwarts for the foreseeable future, if I didn't I would no doubt head back to America to work." It was true. Hogwarts was a job anyone would be lucky to have and if eventually she was to move on - she would really have no reason to stay in England since her family lived in the States. It would be more likely she would head back there to work. Gwen hoped that would not happen since England had indeed become her home, to go back was something she did not want to happen.

“I though the joke was highly amusing. Or at least I cracked myself up." Grinning as she crossed her legs. Gwen was not much of a joker, but she knew how to have fun. However, most of the time she was calm and collected. This was an entirely different side to her complex personality. Thoughts were highly confusing, but just as she was about to think of something else, more drinks arrived. Grabbing the glass she took a sip of the drink, her cheeks once more took on a light pink colour. Drinking sometimes did not agree with her. The last time she was really drunk to the point she did not remember anything was her twenty-first birthday. But thankfully this situation was nothing like that and she was far from the alcohol she had consumed during that particular point in her life. Gwen had learnt from that mistake. She was careful now and knew her limits.

There was something that caught her attention and she looked over to see that it was someone very familiar to her. It was someone she once dated - only briefly but someone she wanted to avoid since she thought the person was very strange indeed. Quickly she turned her attention back to Sirius hoping he had not clocked onto anything when her attention had been just a little bit distracted.

"This is stuff is way stronger than I remembered. It must be a British thing or I have lost my touch." Grimacing slightly as she put down her glass on the bar. The statement had been more to herself. It showed that she did not drink that often. Often she would become a dreamer, but that was not the case. Gwen was happy with her present company. She would even go as far as to say it was one of the best evenings she had in such a long time. It felt like she belonged. Yes of course she had some friends outside of work, but it was rare she could enjoy herself like this. The voice in her head was saying that this was where she wanted to be in this moment. It was her entertainment for the evening.

"So shall you be on babysitting duty once you return home?" Gwen asked Sirius. She was making some small talk. She would like to get to know Sirius a bit better. If they were going to become true friends. But if that was going to be the case; only time would tell on the matter. It would not affect her if that was not the case - she was a strong woman and she would make it through. Twisting a strand of hair around her finger, she waited to see if he would reply to her almost normal question. "What do you actually do with your time if you don't work. I can't imagine that you are always in the company of Mr. Potter or Miss. Granger now that she has returned. I have to admit I am intrigued in what happens in a day in the life of Sirius Black." It was at this point she rest her arm on the bar with her elbow extended and her head resting on her hand as she looked at Sirius waiting for any sort of answer. Now she was sure it was going to be along the lines of the answers she had been receiving during the evening. Oh how life was grand at the moment.