Rise and Shine

[Sirius Black]

Laying there on the couch, Sirius couldn’t have been more statuesque. He held all the confidence in the world even when he was barely dressed. It was a bit odd but no one would ever have doubted that a guy like Sirius Black would actually be more comfortable in barely anything at all than he would be fully clothed. The natural air of his confidence was warming and invited people in. He knew who he was, despite the complications that had arisen with his family, and he was not afraid to show it. He was a proud Gryffindor and revelled in what set him apart from his old, traditional family.

Perhaps it was his confidence that made so many of the girls around him swoon at just a simple gesture. It didn’t hurt that he wasn’t too hard on the eyes either but it still didn’t explain the infatuation he had caused with his presence. Being sprawled out on the couch with nothing more than his boxers on, Sirius looked like one of those photo shopped underwear models, except this was all him in every sense of the way.

“Hah!” he let out a barking laugh at Cerridwen’s comment, “Who says I want just one,” he added jokingly with a wink as he continued to laugh at his own joke.

Sirius’ fan girls were an anomaly that Sirius couldn’t begin to understand. While he joked about them, revelled in the attention, and by all accounts took advantage of them, he could nevertheless not begin to understand them. He never took much serious attention in them but he did like to, on occasion, cause a bit of a ruckus and wave their way, wink, or even smile. The giggles were incessant and seemed to follow him around everywhere. By his seventh year, they had just become his own background music which made it quite a bit harder to sneak up on someone.

“Besides, I’m not even cold. I swear my body runs ten degrees hotter than everyone else’s,” he looked over at Cerridwen, not being able to contain his smirk. She probably knew what he was going to say next but it didn’t stop him from voicing it, “ Probably because I’m just so damn goodlooking eh?”

He laughed again. He was so consumed in his own amusement that he did not notice how Cerridwen was acting. He looked back up at the ceiling, slightly tearing up from his laughter.

"Look, can I ask ya a question? A seriously important one."

Sirius readjusted his positioning on the couch so he was now looking at Cerridwen who seemed oddly uncomfortable and nervous. He cocked an eyebrow in her direction.

“Umm…okay,” he said slowly, not really thinking much of it. Usually when it came to heart to hearts, Sirius was never one to be the first on Cerridwen’s list. He assumed she had girlfriends for that…or maybe even James. Sirius’ conversations with Cerridwen had never really been serious, mostly because he was always joking about.

“Shoot,” he said as he awaited what she was going to say.

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[Cerridwen Baine]

Dannu damn him, why does he have to be so attractive? I'm a bloody fool, he notices me as nothing more then a boy. I'm just another one of the guys. Gryffindor's leading tomboy. Which unfortunately means that I'm never likely to even get kissed. Probably not till after I am out of school. She found her mind rolling with these thoughts, as she shook her head a little. Goddess damn it to all bloody hell, she was trying her hardest to not let herself be affected, but it was like Sirius was doing it on purpose. Which definitely was a bit more infuriating for her.

Amber eyes widened a little at his words. She was fighting the urge to blush. Did he really think he could handle more then one girl? Wait! This was Sirius, that thought was definitely not one she needed in her head. She had her fair share of stumbles, when it came to looking for him. She had stumbled on him quite a few times, while looking for Sirius. She had been looking for Sirius, for James. More often then not, that ended up with her turning crimson and blathering an apology before she rushed off. Which was definitely not something she was used to yet.

Of course he ran hotter then others, he was more active then a lot of others. She was running hotter then others, because she had started to train her body. Soon, soon she would try the first stage of trying to be an Animagus. She had to try her first change soon, she had been studying since Christmas of last year. Her brothers and mother all giving her tips. Her mother was Registered, as was her brother Gqydian. Cerridwen was the next in the family that sought to do that gift. That thought made her stop for a moment. Mother, and Gwydian both run hotter then normal people. It's due to the changed metabolism, caused by the Animagus nature. Sirius runs... no, not possible. Why would that even be a possiblity? Sirius couldn't manage something like that on his own! She thought this as she shook her head a little.

Finally, he got to the question she had asked. She shifted nervously from foot to foot. "What's it like?" She asked as she looked at him, confusion spreading across her features. A small laugh leaving her as she looked around nervously. She was scratching the back of her head now. A very masculine gesture, but it looked out of place now. She was nervous, and she was confuddled. "What I mean is, what's kissing like? I've neva kissed anyone outside of meh family, and that was always on the cheek." She asked as she smiled softly.

[James Potter]

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Crashing this post.
Time: Too early in the morning.
Plot: Pranks and kisses?

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Sleep was something everyone looked forward to. Whether it was solely for the resting or something deeper, it was very rare one found a person who genuinely did not enjoy sleeping. James loved it for many reasons. He, of course, loved the feeling after having a good night's rest just like anyone, but there was much more to it. He loved the laziness of the experience - the fact that he could lie down and even allow his mind to relax and sink down, down into its own unconsciousness. More so than that, though, he liked that he never knew what to expect when his mind was, for the most part, shut down. In his dreams, he was either pleasantly surprised or sadly disappointed, and that was exhilarating in itself. His dreams were the only place Lily Evans found him acceptable by any means, and he got to experience her touch, her kisses, and her sweet side. Sometimes he never wanted to wake up.

This particular night, though, he had been dreaming of he and his mates' thrilling adventures in the Forbidden Forest. They were wandering through the trees and brush in their animal forms, but Remus wasn't there. It seemed that they were searching for him, but it was hard to tell when in their Animagi what their emotions consisted of. Peter Pettigrew was scurrying timidly through one of the bushes when there was a rustling sound in the opposite direction of all of them. James saw himself as a stag turn its head to see what had caused the noise. Just then, there was a lot of yelling, and he looked toward where the black dog had been. He was no longer in his transformation, but instead he was Sirius Black again. “BAINE! I HOPE YOU KNOW YOU JUST SIGNED YOUR DEATH CERTIFICATE!” he was shouting, and with that, James' eyes shot open.

There Sirius was, or at least the back of him, that is. He was running out of the Boys Dormitories as fast as he could, skating across the floor as he grabbed for the door and exited. Did... did Sirius have purple hair? James blinked his eyes and rubbed them hard, though his friend was out of the room by this point. He shook his head, stretched, and yawned all at the same time, wondering if he might be caught up in another strange dream. He considered pinching himself to prove that he was back in reality, but when he heard Peter's loud snoring, he knew that this was real. Why would his mind want to hear that obnoxious noise coming out of his friend? That would be some sort of nightmare if he was right. Not to mention having woken up so early? He thought about the words that Sirius had shouted to put everything together.

"Baine... Cerri!" he muttered, a little peeved that she had chosen a morning after a long night of patrolling with Lily to prank Sirius. Not only had she pranked him, but she had possibly pushed it too far this time. His hair? She knew that his mop on top of his head was his pride and joy, and was very much so off-limits. James sat up, placing his feet on the floor. The ground was cold, and he wondered how Sirius had so easily hit the floor, as James pulled his feet back immediately. He slipped his feet into the slippers he had and groggily headed toward the door, still feeling half asleep. Pushing open the door, he could already hear the two of them bickering back and forth, and the sound of someone being hit hard. Did he really want to get involved? Probably not. Maybe he would just watch from afar. It might be for the best. He figured that he would probably wind up having to protect Cerri from Sirius by the time it all ended, but he didn't want his presence known.

Standing at the bottom of the staircase, James peered around the corner, listening in on all of the conversation that was taking place. How did this whole thing get flipped around into a discussion about kissing? He had been there for almost the entire thing and yet he had absolutely no clue. And Cerri hadn't received her first kiss? She didn't even mention that to James, and he was pretty surprised. Sure, she was a bit of a tomboy, but she was a pretty thing... it wouldn't be very hard for her to trick a boy into kissing her, or maybe even dating her. James was a little shocked that Sirius hadn't tried his hand at taking advantage of her, since it was so obvious she had a keen interest in him. He continued to watch, awaiting Sirius' response to her. This was bound to be good... James rolled his eyes.

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[Sirius Black]

Sirius was starting to get distracted by the patterns on the ceiling. He had no idea of how serious Cerri was getting with their conversation. Perhaps it was because he hadn’t been up this early since he was seven or that fact that he was running on about three hours of sleep that did it but the ceiling was starting to become rather interesting as the shapes started to look like people and creatures at Hogwarts. His damp hair moves slightly off his face as he continued to look upwards. He did not realize the internal struggle Cerridwen was having. For someone who thought he knew women as well as he did Sirius could not be more oblivious when it came to real feelings or anything concerning Cerridwen Baine. Perhaps it was his own shortcomings that did it. He had always thought of Cerridwen as James’ little brother. She was all for being one of the guys up until this moment and now that she started to change Sirius was ill equipped and underprepared.

When she asked ‘what’s it like’ Sirius found his brow furrowing. He titled his head down, removing his attention from the odd shapes on the ceiling of the common room and looked at his friends. She gave an uncomfortable laugh that made Sirius feel a bit on edge. Her tone did not reflect a conversation that the two would normally have. Sirius scratched the side of his head and was about to interject when she continued with her question.

"What I mean is, what's kissing like? I've neva kissed anyone outside of meh family, and that was always on the cheek."

Sirius raised his eyebrows, again caught off guard. He tried not to laugh but it seemed all too comical to him. He had never really thought about the concept of kissing. He knew he was damn good at it and it usually lead to some more one on one time with the lovely lady of the moment but that was as far as it ever went. He couldn’t wrap his head around the fact that not everyone was as gifted to this part of life as he was. To know someone who was as green as Cerri and never really knowing until that moment was rather unexpected.

“Hmmm,” he mused, trying to think of the best way to explain it. Really if he was with his Marauder friends he would be a blunt and graphic, but the more time he had spent with Cerri that morning the more he realized he probably shouldn’t say the things that he would have before.

In theory, Sirius was probably one of the best people to ask about the subject of kissing. His little black book was more like a yearbook of the female population of Hogwarts. Yes, he had kissed his fair share of women and he had been kissed by just as many but when it came to explaining it he just couldn’t put it into words. He was more of a do-er and less of a thinker. He did what he wanted and what felt right to him. He didn’t spend time thinking it over for he lived very much in the moment and never let an inhibition ruin such a moment.

“Well, sloppiness aside,” he said with a slight laugh remember some of his worst kissing experiences, “ I have to say to a guy it’s only like step one—like there’s a bigger picture there and kissing’s just a stepping stone,” he said with a devilish grin. It was a classic Sirius Black answer. He looked at Cerridwen, wondering if he had ruined the illusion for her, “We kind of just want to get down to business if you know what I mean."

Though this was not the entire story. He had experienced a whole bunch of different kisses and each one had the ability to knock him off his feet if he was looking for them to do so. The classic man’s answer he had given Cerridwen was unfair and a bit expected, but even then he had dulled it down to something he thought she could still handle. IF he were explaining this to James it would have been rated so that the younger years wouldn’t hear.

He thought about it again. He thought of the countless good kisses he had in his life. When he got a good one, it was pretty much like he and the girl of the moment were connected in a different way---like you’re so close for the split second but you still can’t get enough. When you’re in that moment it’s kind of like you’re alone with that one person and one just can’t quench the thirst you have---He could never really explain it out loud how one would just get in this zone where nothing else mattered. Kind of like one’s so close you can’t really see anything wrong with them in that moment.

Sirius had wrapped himself up in the memory of a good kiss. Usually his kisses were sought after, but it was the stolen ones he really wanted. The unexpectedness of what could happen and the passion that filled him was a sensation he could never really explain unless it had already been experienced. He realized that he had been speaking a bit too candidly. He had to think about the words he used and this was something he would never really say outloud under any other circumstance. He felt as though it was the perfect way to explain to Cerri what a kiss was, even though it was still a bit lost in translation.

“As for what it's like, I don’t really know how to explain it Cerri,” he added with a laugh, “Kind of hot, heavy, a bit of tongue-- You’ll just have to experience it for yourself--- I could go get Wormtail for you? We could totally kill two birds with one stone there.” He added with a barking laugh.

True, kissing was something Sirius knew all too well, but when it came to the true and dire emotions behind it he couldn’t have been more oblivious to it. He put his hands behind his head, wondering if he really was doing the entire experience justice. This was Sirius though, despite the fact he wore his emotions on his sleeve, saying something as intimate as what he had thought would be something he would never do. To him it sounded about as cheap as a Gilderoy Lockhard pickup line.

[Cerridwen Baine]

Cerridwen was distracted, watching him now. Things inside of her were turning into a maelstrom. She was more then a little concerned on how this would effect her in the long run. She needed to be able to hang out with Sirius, he was James' best mate. She really cared about James, perhaps even more then just friends. Perhaps she did like more then one person, but there was nothing wrong with that. She had given up on any hope of James, when she realized how much her friend actually loved Lily. Something she hoped to someday help him with.

She waited, her arms crossed under her chest. A gesture that when used by a normal girl, was used to draw attention to her chest. But Cerridwen wasn't like that, she had always crossed her arms under her chest. She watched Sirius, her eyes narrowed and holding a rather calculating look. She was watching him, and certain things were flying through her mind. She had always been told that kissing was a beautiful experience, when it was done right. For a single moment, it was like you and another person could steal a small stitch of time. Just for the two of you.

To say that Sirius' answer was a bit disappointing, was an understatement. Then he cracked the joke about going to go get Peter, for her to kiss. The look of revulsion that crossed her face, was palpable. She obviously didn't like him, but she couldn't put her finger on why. Her gut was always screaming at her, that she should never trust him. Something was off, something was seriously off. "Please Sirius, I haven' even eaten breakfast yet. Please, doona say jokes like that." She said in a serious tone. It was ruined by the dance of mischief in her eyes.

She stepped back a little, and titled her head to the side a little. She had actually expected him to play another joke, by showing her himself. Which was actually interesting. Was he afraid of her? Or was he afraid of someone else. She sighed softly and rubbed her forehead. "If that's really all there is to it, why is it so bloody important to people then. Why do they even bother?" She asked. She was trying to get him to admit, to be more detailed. Because the way he said it, didn't really mean much. It sounded liked it was just a passing fancy, the prelude to something much steamier.

"Och, come now Sirius, give me something better then that. I'm nay a fool. Kissing is just the first step to what boys realleh want? Really? I'm not expecting a bloody sonnet from you, I'm expecting a little truth on how it feels." She said in a soft voice. Her eyes continued to dance with mischief. She was baiting him.