Mishaps in Courting

Chapter One: Sirius' Challenge

"I'm so bored!" Sirius whined for about the millionth time that day. "Isn't Hogsmeade weekend supposed to be fun?"

"No, Sirius, it's meant to bore us to tears," Remus said sarcastically.

"Well, it is damn well doing its job," Sirius retorted.

"Maybe we should do something then, instead of sitting here whining about how we're not doing anything," James proposed, "because it is quite frankly boring."

"Excellent idea, mate!" Sirius rejoiced. Sirius got up from his spot on the couch in front of the Gryffindor common room fire and paced back and forth past the window.

"But what should we do?" Peter asked, not actually thinking of anything as usual.

"I wouldn't mind doing that," Sirius commented as a seventh year, Marlene McKinnon, walked by them. "Hey! Marlene!" Sirius said as he walked up to her. "Are those space pants? Because your ass is out of this world."

"Oh, Merlin," the seventh year sighed before turning around and walking up the stairs to the girl's dormitories.

"That was a lame pick up line, Sirius," James laughed at the disappointed look on his friend's face.

"Like you could do any better!" Sirius huffed.

"I bet you a galleon I could."

"Deal."

The boys looked up when they heard what sounded like a stampede of unicorns coming down the staircase of the girl's dormitory. Sirius laughed, "It must be Marlene. She changed her mind and is rushing to accept my offer of… well, something."

James sat up a bit straighter when he noticed that it was not Marlene, but a few of his fellow sixth years. They immediately made their way to a study table in between the windows and the fireplace. James' eyes followed one girl in particular. He noticed her delicate movements as she laughed with her friends.

James smirked at Sirius and walked over to the sixth year females. He perched himself on the edge of the table, nearest to the green-eyed beauty he had been gazing at so fondly. Looking around at the three girls, he gave his crooked smile to one in particular.

The girl James had been affectionately staring at spoke up first. "What do you want, Potter?"

"I just need your opinion on something." James stated.

"Go ahead," the brunette Gryffindor directly across from James said expectantly.

"Thank you, Emmeline." James winked. She giggled in response and turned slightly red under her light freckles. "Well, Sirius and I were debating on what chat-up line would work best with girls-"

"Oh great," the object of James' affection mumbled. She impatiently ran her fingers through her fiery red hair.

"Now, Sirius says that the line, 'Are those space pants? Because your ass is out of this world' would work. But I believe that the line, 'If a star fell every time I thought of you, the sky would be empty' would be far more successful. Which one do you ladies think would work best?

"Yours, definitely," the third girl spoke up, "It's cute."

"I agree with Alice." Emmeline Vance said batting her eyelashes at James. Her redheaded companion scowled at her friend and gathered her books before exiting the common room via the portrait hole. Alice Prewitt rolled her eyes at Emmeline, who was too busy staring at the messy haired boy in front of her. They both left the common room to catch up with their friend.

"YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!" Sirius shouted at no one. Then, he chucked a galleon at James' head in payment before plopping down and pouting as if he were a toddler.

"They're right, Sirius your chat-up line sucked," Remus commented laughing.

"And you think you could do better, Moony?" Sirius shouted.

Remus rolled his eyes at his crazy friend, "Duh!"

"FINE! Remus Lupin, I challenge you to a pick-up line duel!"