~ROAC~ (incomplete)

"We'll always be together, don't you worry.
I'll always be by your side, don't you worry."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sirius cleared his throat, then announced as if reading from an old scroll to some Shakespearean lord,

"Fourteen: convince Dumbledore that sherbert lemons aren't even that good."

Bell gave a sort of coughing, sharp laugh and tried to muffle it in her hands, succeeding enough that it sounded like a dying sheep crying out for help underwater. At least, that's how Sirius described it to her a moment later while also trying not to burst out into laughter. Once they'd both recovered their composure (which took a solid three minutes), Bell relayed the reason for her reaction: "That's another one on both our lists!" Sirius grinned, tugged at his paper, and for the third time that morning, they refocused the discussion.

"Fifteen: make at least one midnight snack trip to the kitchens."

"Oh, count me in for that," Bell volunteered and Sirius reached over to muss her hair endearingly. "I'd never think of leaving you behind, Angel," he said, his tone half-teasing and half-earnest, and as he moved his arm back, Bell noticed a few words he'd been sort of covering up with that hand, in the middle of the page: 'dance... sleep... Bell... once'. That was probably one of the three he'd skipped, so she forced any curiosity about the words out of her head and kept listening.

"Sixteen: find out how old Dumbledore actually is."

They shared a grin and as Bell said "Good luck with that" Sirius added, "Wish me luck". Laughter might have developed, but both of them remembered Madam Pince in time to tone down their amusement to silent shaking of the shoulders on Bell's part and twinkling eyes for Sirius. Out of all the people she'd ever met, he was the only person who could actually be described like that, Bell noticed absentmindedly. His dark eyes really did twinkle when he was in a good mood, as if there were little stars sparkling in the universe within his gaze.

"-piano."

"Hmm?" Sirius put on a mock-offended expression and gasped at Bell, but she could see he wasn't actually bothered by her moment of inattentiveness.

"Not listening, are we, Angel? Tut-tut." Sticking his nose up in the air and raising his voice just a little as he put on an excellent Scottish accent, Sirius continued in an impression of Professor McGonagall that could give James a run for his money, "Ten points from Gryffindor!" 

If Bell hadn't noticed a certain Head of House casually watching them over the balcony of the floor above, she would have laughed, but considering the possible consequences of Sirius' joke, all she could do was smile meekly up at the professor. Apparently she was in a good mood today, for, after a moment's hesitation, she held up a single finger to her lips and shook her head at Bell with a wry smile. Sirius glanced up to see what had caught Bell's attention but by then, Professor McGonagall had stepped out of view.

"What were you looking at, Angel?" As Sirius leaned a little closer to Bell, scanning what he could see of the upper floors and ceiling with a genuinely curious gaze, she realized just what the professor had meant when she'd made the gesture of silence. Holding back a giggle, she pretended to have noticed the moving stained glass of a window by the far wall as a distraction, completely aware of Professor McGonagall creeping up behind Sirius' back.

The raven-haired boy, however, had no clue.

"MISTER BLACK!"

Sirius just about jumped out of his skin. Bell started laughing and couldn't stop herself when Professor McGonagall went on to say, completely dead-pan, "I sincerely hope your discussion with Miss Roac remains as productive and academic as I have overheard." Sirius was too shocked to say anything for a moment and McGonagall took the moment to turn to Bell and add, "An excellent, practical use of Transfiguration, Miss Roac, turning the chairs into... what do you call those Muggle things?"