Chapter Four: Just What We Need

A BARK LIKE LAUGHTER ECHOED AROUND THE LIVELY pub in London on a sunny afternoon. The Leaky Cauldron was busy today like it usually is during the summertime. Serving a multitude of witches and wizards of drinks that varied from pumpkin juice to fire whiskey, the owner, Tom, was doing his best to keep up with the orders. In the corner of the pub, the most infamous couple from Hogwarts were huddled up together sipping on some butterbeer. 

The two were currently out on a much-needed date. They hadn't seen each other in over two weeks at this point, and even then they were usually around their friends. So it was time for the two to have their alone time with each other. Well, not that alone time, but you understand. Actually going on a nice date was well deserved for the couple. 

So they met up at the infamous Leaky Cauldron to spend the afternoon together. Currently, the two of them were catching up since the last they saw each other. Though the last time that they saw each other was a little over a week ago when their friend group had met up at Wendy's home to have a sleepover. That night was more like camping since Wendy's house was basically in the forest. Perks of being a descendant from a wealthy, pure-blood family must include large, isolated estates Definitely one thing that Iris was a tad bit jealous about. Having such a large house would mean that nobody would bother her! Imagine it, no longer having to share a room with Lily which meant working on her creations without fearing waking up her twin. Or better yet, having to pass by Petunia's room every day just to get to the kitchen! Oh, that would be a blessing! Though at the moment, the one and only blessing that she was focusing on was the handsome man next to her. 

"What did you say they did again?" Sirius asked while looking over the galleon that Iris had given him. The coin was most likely the shiniest piece of currency that he had probably held. He could see his dashing reflection in it, even.

Iris snagged the coin away from him, "it gets stuck to a person's hands when it's picked up!"

Yes, another trick that she had come up with over the summer. It was on the easier side of pranks to make, as it only consisted of a few simple spells and charms, but that didn't mean she was less proud of it. She came up with the idea after she saw a few muggle boys play the prank in her village with a £20 note on a string. Of course, she put her own little spin on the prank and added some magic, but it was similar in principle. The coin wasn't a real gallon, if you took a closer look at it, you would see that there was a niffler engraved on the coin instead of a dragon or wizard. Was it illegal to make counterfeit money? Eh, probably. Iris would look into it a bit later, once she was back at Hogwarts and the library full of books about magical laws and such. For now, she'll just keep the one galleon and figure out if she could sell them or not. It was one thing to make pranks, it was another to break the law and end up punished for it. Iris likes to break rules and such, which everyone knows, however, she wouldn't wanna be thrown into Azkaban or anything because she broke some stupid rule that she didn't know.

The redhead observed the fake coin with her nimble fingers, "everyone's a little greedy right, wouldn't miss the opportunity to pick up a galleon that just so happens to be on the ground, right?"

"Oh, I see," Sirius snickered while winding an arm around his lady-love's waist. He nuzzled her neck with a laugh, "you're quite the devious thing, love."

Iris rolled her eyes and basked in the affection, "as if you aren't the same way, darling."

The shaggy-haired boy's chest continued to rumble with his deep chuckles. Oh, he loved how he was able to fall for such a mischievous girl. A girl who could keep up with him in many different ways and liked to cause trouble in plenty of ways was definitely made for him. He finished off his glass of butterbeer and started to shuffle out of the booth. "Now, come on!"

Iris allowed herself to be pulled out of the booth and maneuvered through the slightly crowded pub. She giggled, "Slow down!"

The two teens weaved through the few groups of drunk or nearly drunk wizards and witches. Iris' arm was nearly pulled out of its socket with how much force was Sirius was pulling her. Though it's not like she minded it so much, after all, it was Sirius doing it. It didn't bother her so much. They made it to the back of the pub and out to the brick wall that separated the pub to the Diagon Alley.

With giddy smiles and racing hearts, they quickly used a wand to open up the brick wall to enter the magical world. The noisiness of Diagon Alley greeted their ears as they started to walk down the crooked roadway, joining the many other witches and wizards. They weaved through the hustle and bustle of hags buying potion ingredients and children gushing about the newest high-speed broom.

The two of them were quite ready to make this date even more enjoyable than it already was. The faux golden galleon was quickly placed on the ground in the least busy area that they could find. After all, the two of them wanted to see how effective the newest toy Iris had come up with. So they settled into a small corner in the shadows to watch the show.

Boy, was it one of the most enjoyable times for the two pranksters. Long story short, the couple had ended up pranking a few people with this. The first was a middle-aged wizard who thought it was a good-natured prank. The bearded man was impressed with what Iris had created and had let out a hearty laugh after Iris took the coin back. 

The second was a young girl, around nine or ten, with blonde pigtails and a licorice wand in hand. After the coin had gotten stuck to her hand, she had started to freak out just a bit. Before she could start crying or something, Iris had hoped out of the shadows to console her and explain the little trick. Eventually, after some soft words and jokes, the little girl was giggling while the coin was stuck to Iris' cheek. Sirius watched the display with a wide smile and soft eyes. Iris made sure that the girl was happy and that she wasn't going to cause a scene before ushering the girl off to find her parents. 

There were a couple of other people who had fallen prey to their pranks. Their reactions were relatively the same. They were surprised, they laughed lightly, and then moved on with their day. Just about everyone they encountered just saw it as a harmless prank. At most, they thought that it was a tad bit annoying, but moved on.

"You brats!" A withered, strained voice shouted out, almost sounding as though the old crone who had shouted was going to lose her voice. "Get back here!"

Though there was one witch who did not take kindly to the prank. The sickly-looking woman with long, ancient fingers pointed at the couple and instantly started shouting. The coin that had been stuck to her hand was quickly whisked from her palm at the simple flick of Iris' wand. Her hunched, crumpled figure hobbled in place as she shouted out obscenities to the two teens who had abandoned their hiding spot and started to run.

The teens laughed loudly with each other as they flowed through the current of the crowd. They earned a few strange looks from others as they did their best to get as far away from the old crone as possible. It was inevitable that they would finally run into someone who became enraged at the joke for one thing or another. So the two had already come up with an escape route as soon as they could. They took that route and easily got away from the old woman, though it's not like it wasn't that hard to do since the old hag looked to be over one-hundred and moved at a snail's pace.

They continued to laugh with each other uncontrollably and breathlessly before slowing down into a walk. Iris wrapped her arms around Sirius's torso as he wrapped a tight arm over her shoulders. Their shoulders continued to shake as their laughter died down just a little bit. They casually walked down the crooked road with their arms wrapped around each other tightly, unwilling to let the other get too far away from each other. 

Iris finally settled down enough to speak without interrupting herself. The smile that was plaster on her face was completely blinding with the light that radiated off of it. "That was amazing!"

Sirius nodded his head and calmed down his laughter along with her. "Of course it was!" He ran a hand through his thick black hair with the cocky smile ever-present on his lips. "You're newest toy is brilliant, love."

Iris smirked, "I know. Just wait until I can make more of these! Oh, it'll be so fun to use them around school!"

Sirius led Iris into Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour where both of them were ready to devour some icy treats. After Iris ordered a serving of salted caramel blondie and Sirius got some mint ice cream, the two settled down at a table to eat. This date was going splendidly in their opinions. Though any date would be just as amazing considering they always have the best time when they are together. It didn't matter if they were pulling pranks, sitting around with each other talking about nothing and everything, or going out to eat, all they needed was each other to have a good time. 

As people walked passed their table and chatter bounced off of the cobblestone ground and walls, the couple idly talked with each other about everything and anything. "There's only about a month left of summer," Sirius pointed out.

Iris groaned, "don't remind me! The only good thing about going back to Hogwarts is getting to avoid Petunia and those horrid muggles." She shivered at the reminder of Oscar and Samantha, the annoying muggles who Iris had the displeasure of running into every once in a while. It didn't help that things were quite awkward between her and Derek as well, after their last encounter. 

"The only good thing?" Sirius asked in mock offense placing a hand over his heart. "I thought getting to be with me would be the best thing about Hogwarts."

The redhead shrugged her shoulders, "eh, I guess so."

Her boyfriend's handsome features were twisted into a pout now, "you wound me, love."

"I know." Iris laughed softly and taking a bite of her cold treat, "How's staying with James? I imagine the two of you cause enough trouble for his parents just about every day."

Sirius smiled widely, to the point where it looked like his face would split in half, as he seemed to laugh at a memory. "We aren't that bad." Iris raised an eyebrow at him questionably. He conceited at her look, "Okay, okay, we cause a bit of trouble, but not a lot!"

"Mhm. I totally believe that," Iris said sarcastically with a smirk which caused Sirius to pout once again. The two of them lapsed into a comfortable silence as they ate their ice cream. It was easy for the two to sit in a comfortable silence ever since they had their midnight rendezvous at school. It was surprising to think that these two rambunctious teens, who could never really shut their mouths, were able to sit together in peace and quiet.

Sirius then spoke up after a few moments, "What about you, driving your sister mad, are you?"

"I probably would if she wasn't hanging around Thing One and Thing Two so much." Iris rolled her eyes as a thick layer of annoyance started to filter through her irises. She huffed through her nose harshly, "They're like leeches, I swear. No matter what, they're always right by Iris. Never give me the chance to just hang with my twin, which is rare cause I don't usually wanna do it, but the one time I want to those morons are right there."

For a moment, Sirius chuckled at her displeasure. Yeah, he could understand her dislike for those muggles. Even after meeting them only once, Sirius hated them quite easily. Add in the fact that he had to hear about James' hatred for that Oscar boy because he obviously fancied Lily. That alone was a horrendous crime for anyone to commit, in James' eyes, which Sirius had to hear about nearly on a daily basis. A thought, a terrible reminder, from New Years, then popped into his head. "What about that other muggle? Drake?"

Iris chewed on the inside of her cheek and placed her ice cream down for a moment, suddenly not wanting to eat it at the mention of the muggle boy. Her voice took on a softer tone as she glanced away briefly from him as she answered, "Derek."

From her tone of voice, Sirius sat up a bit straighter. He could hear the layer of awkwardness in her words that she never uses. So what had happened for Iris to be like this? What had that annoying muggle done? If you think that Sirius had forgotten about that kiss that Derek had given Iris during New Years, then you are mistaken. Granted, he pushed it to the back of his mind because he could now call Iris his girl. However, that didn't necessarily mean that Derek would back off, would it? Sirius didn't know this muggle that well since he only met him the one time, so for all he knew Derek was a scumbag who would readily try to steal a girl from someone. So he wanted to keep his eye on him, even if he really couldn't considering he couldn't be with Iris 24/7. Still, it's the thought that counted really.

Iris sighed softly, "I haven't seen him much, which I suppose is alright considering he had to make things awkward."

"Awkward how?" Sirius jumped at that, he wouldn't like to see his lady-love put in an uncomfortable situation. It didn't help that the two of them had to spend time away from each other because they lived somewhat further away from each other. He couldn't be there to make sure that she was alright, which was such an anxiety-inducing thought for him. After what had happened at school, Sirius really didn't want her to be out of his sight, at least not unless he was certain she was safe.

"He tried to ask me out a little while ago," Iris said cautiously, knowing that Sirius wouldn't be exactly happy with it.

That was an understatement. Sirius certainly wasn't happy to hear that another boy had tried to go after Iris. Not only had his sadistic little brother literally force himself into a relationship with Iris but now a muggle also thought that he could try to get with her. The only difference this time was that Sirius was going to make sure to stake his claim. No one else, especially a stupid muggle boy, was going to take her away from him, ever. "Did he not know that you already had a boyfriend."

Iris shook her head slowly, "Well, no. Considering I only saw him during breaks, he must have just assumed that I was still single."

That didn't sit well in Sirius's gut, "And you never told him?"

"Well, I didn't think he'd still want to date me." She started to explain, wanting to make sure she was clear with Sirius. The last thing she needed was for Sirius to get upset over this and cause a rift between them. "Although I mean, we did flirt a bit before we got together! I just did think that... he'd still want to?" It was a weak argument on her part. Though in her defense, Iris completely forgot about the muggle and any sort of courtship that he could have had when she started to date Sirius. He was the only one on her mind. The only guy who mattered to her. So why would she think about another guy trying to get with her when she already had her dashing boyfriend to think about?

Sirius sighed loudly and slumped back in his seat. He knew that Iris was quite the flirtatious person, much like himself. So he shouldn't be surprised that she had flirted with other guys, though at least it was before they had decided to date. He trusted Iris with literally everything, so he knew that Iris would never go behind his back. Though it was slightly surprising to hear that she didn't even consider that the muggle boy would still be interested in her. He knew that she had plenty of experience with messing around with guys, so he thought that she could recognize when someone was interested in her. 

After seeing that awkward little kiss Derek had stolen from Iris, Sirius had certainly grown to have a grudge against him. Sure, the two weren't together at the time, but that still didn't discourage the jealousy within him from the time. Iris certainly wasn't ready for the kiss or even willing for it, it was a complete surprise to her. Sirius didn't like it, or him for that matter. With the fact that Derek fancied Iris, had kissed her without her consent and was still trying to pursue her, he had every reason not to like the guy.

"Is he bothering you?" He asked her with a tone of urgency.

Iris shook her head and waved her head dismissively, "no, no, I haven't seen him all that much, so he isn't bothering me or anything."

Sirius let out a relieved breath, "Good."

"It isn't that bad, darling." She told him with her voice starting to take on a teasing tone. Obviously, she could tell that Sirius was growing to be quite jealous of this. Though she had no idea that it was a tad bit more than just jealousy. "I told him I was with you, so there won't be any misunderstandings between anyone about this. I can tell you're worried about it."

The shaggy-haired boy scoffed softly and started to stuff ice cream into his mouth, "Me? Worried?"

"Hm, you can't hide it," Iris nodded her head with a sly smile on her pale lips. It was endearing to see Sirius act so bashfully. Oh, how she took pride in flustering the poor boy.

Sirius looked away as a bit of pink flush covered his cheekbones. "So what if I'm worried about my girlfriend? I think it's in the job description of a boyfriend, isn't it?" Sirius has had many a girlfriends in the past, but none of them could get under his skin like Iris could. Of course, she got under his skin in a good way. One that made him feel flustered and a warm feeling to swell in his chest. This was something that he'd hope that he got over it soon, because he would much enjoy getting to fluster Iris at some point.

"Yes, yes, alright," Iris giggled, "Though there isn't much to worry about okay? Derek has left me alone for weeks and even if I do see him it's with other people around for a short time."

The boy sighed and took in her words. He nodded his head firmly, "Fine. As long as you're alright." That was his main priority at the end of the day. All that really mattered was having Iris kept safe, especially after their fifth-year. Did he want to admit out loud that he was terrified of there being a repeat of what happened with Regulus? Not really. He had a feeling that Iris would brush off his worry, which he thought was rightfully founded. Even if something like that didn't happen again, it was still a nagging fact in the back of his mind. It happened once, who's to say it wouldn't happen again?

Iris's chest swelled in admiration for her boyfriend who certainly cared a lot of her. She smiled brightly, which could blind just about everyone in the parlor, "You're so adorable when you're worried!"

---

Iris's date with Sirius had gone on for a little while longer after their ice cream. They strolled around Diagon Alley for a little bit more before they reluctantly parted ways. It had gotten a bit late and the two of them didn't want to end up in trouble with either of their guardians that night. So with a few heated kisses, they said goodbye and headed home. 

Now, the redhead was skipping her way up to the front door of her home with a bright smile. She always felt like she was walking on the air after spending time with Sirius. He left behind such a warm feeling within her that never went away even if they parted ways. She was whipped just as much as Sirius. Though she had an easier time hiding her flustered appearance than he did.

She entered the front door and sighed happily as she pulled off her shoes. From the living room, Lily perked up at the sound of the front door opening and closing and looked over to see her sister enter.

She propped herself up on the back of the couch to watch her sister float into the room. "So how did it go?"

"It was great!" Iris smirked.

"Where'd you go this time?" Lily asked somewhat interested. She wasn't usually interested in what her sister did with boys, considering she knew Iris could be a bit lewd in some ways, but with Sirius, it was a bit different. Don't get her wrong, the two were the biggest flirts that she has ever known so things could get a bit too much which could be annoying. However, Lily was happy to see Iris willingly be in a committed relationship that she knew she was happy in. Plus, she may not admit it, but Sirius is a friend of hers as well, and it's nice to see him the same way.

Iris started to list off the locations on her hand, "The Leaky Cauldron, Diagon Alley, and Florean Fortescue."

"I'm surprised that you didn't go to a joke shop or something." Lily said with a pursed lips as Iris plopped herself down on the couch next to her, "Seems like an ideal date for a pair of troublemakers like you two."

Iris groaned at the thought, they didn't even think of that! "Oh, we should have totally done that! I'm running low on dung bombs."

"Nope, you don't need any of those magical things!" Octavia exclaimed as she came into the living room after finishing up cleaning the kitchen. Their mother sat herself down on one of the comfy chairs near the couch. Her chestnut hair pulled up in a bun swayed from side to side as she tiredly sat in the seat. Though she was still sat on the end of her seat, eagerly awaiting to hear about her middle daughter's date. "Now, how is that boy of yours, huh?"

Now, Iris had tried her best to keep her relationship with Sirius on the down-low around her parents. She knew that her father would go insane with the news that yet another one of his daughters had started to date someone, which she didn't want to hear his shouts about it. Her mother would have been completely the opposite of her father. Octavia was more than happy to encourage Iris to date, especially with a boy that she had at least met once. Did Craig know about Iris's boyfriend? Nope. Lily had accidentally mentioned Iris and Sirius being together while their parents were with them, however, Iris played it off as a joke. Albeit, it was a bit of a rough job to convince her father, but it worked. Sadly, her mother wasn't that thick and was easily able to pick out that Iris had finally gotten a boyfriend.

Iris rolled her eyes at the fact that her mother was acting like an enthusiastic teenager, "Sirius is fine, mum."

"You should invite him around some time, him and James," Octavia commented innocently, though there was a small spark of mischief in her eyes. "Might as well as get to know my future sons-in-law, right?"

"Mum!" The twins exclaimed with matching red cheeks.

Octavia stared at them as she held in her chuckles, "What?"

Iris stood up abruptly and started to walk towards her bedroom. Doing her best to hide her rosy cheeks from their view. "I'm going to bed!" As she left her still embarrassed twin and her giggling mother to continue to talk with each other. For now, all she needed was to curl up in her bed and fall into a nice dream. She quickly got ready and climbed into her bed with an awaiting Shadow already curled up into a tight ball. As Iris started to drift off into unconsciousness, her mind was racing with the thoughts of Sirius. How adorable he could actually be, especially when he was jealous. Though she would much rather not have to deal with such a worry-wart of a boyfriend. If only she knew how bad this would actually get...