the liplock lip gloss

                                    

                                          
Mars' PoV
The library was quiet in the fading daylight. Scott and I poured over transfiguration notes. One of his hands running through my hair, catching snarls every so often. 
It became increasingly difficult to study as he tucked my hair behind my ear. 
"So, with human transfiguration, uh, um," I began, faltering at the way Scott was looking at me. 
"Actually can I ask you something? " he said.
I nodded, putting my notes aside.
Scott took a deep breath and ran his fingers through his hair. With a jolt I was reminded of Sirius. "Okay, so there's a hogsmeade trip on the fourteenth, and I was wondering if you... would want to go... with me," he said with several pauses.
I smiled. "Of course," I replied and his face broke into a grin. 
"Great!" He said, smiling at the table. "Great."
I gave a little laugh, then looked at my watch. 
"I better go," I said, gathering. my books and notes.
"See you," he said, packing up slower than me. 
I left the library and headed to Gryffindor tower.
                          
Sirius' PoV 
I was walking back to Gryffindor tower from my detention with flitwick. I had turned some ravenclaw's robes pink because he was talking badly about my moony. (It was totally worth it.)
I heard running footsteps coming closer. 
That hufflepuff boy that Mars talks to caught up with me, beaming, and slightly out of breath.
"Hey Sirius," he said, falling into step with me.
I grunted in response, slightly irritated at the boy next to me.
"Um, so, Mars uh, left this in the library." He held out a small tube of lip gloss. It's pink lid decorated with little strawberries.
My heart skipped a beat.
I took it gingerly, pinching it between my thumb and finger.
Scott looked at me sideways. "It's just lip gloss mate." 
"I know," I responded.
"So... could you uh, give it to her?" He asked.
"Who?"
"Mars," he said, looking at me like I was losing it. And maybe I was.
I walked away without answering. 
I couldn't help but be reminded of the strawberry lip gloss that had been on my lips when I had woken up after the party. It had been several weeks, but I still wondered who it had been. James refused to tell me, and I wondered if he even knew. But I kept having strange dreams about kissing a faceless, colourless girl.
All of a sudden I was in the common room with no recollection of giving the fat lady the password.
Mars was curled up next to the roaring fire, which thanks to James, was literally roaring like a lion. She had fallen asleep. Her homework, books, and quills had spilled onto the floor and one of Remus' sweaters draped over her like a blanket.
I swallowed a lump in my throat as I glared at the sweater. Her face was scrunched against the arm rest, peaceful in sleep. And in the dying light of the lion fire, I noticed a sprinkle of light freckles I'd never noticed.
I didn't want to wake her so I sat in the chair next to her. 
I swatched the lip gloss on my hand (something I had learned from Marlene.) I was almost posative that this was it.
It tasted the same, like the distant, artificial idea of strawberry.
I stared at the ember lion in the fire as it gave one last loud roar into the empty room before it curled up with a yawn.
Mars woke with a start, looking at me with a trace of fear in her eyes. She sat up slowly, her hair a staticky mess, sticking to the back of the arm chair. 
She eyed me wairily as I stretched out my hand to her, handing her the lip gloss. She took it questioningly.
"That hufflepuff, Scoot, or whatever, said you left this in the library." I said.
"Scott?" She asked, raising her eyebrows.
"Yeah him."
"Okay, well thank you," she said as she began to gather her stuff. She looked disheartedly at the stairs to the girls dormitory. 
"You know," I said with a sly smirk. "You don't have to sleep in the girls dormitory."
"And where do you suppose I do sleep," she said, rolling her eyes.
"My bed is always open." I winked at her.
She raised her eyebrows at me, but I could see her half smile. But then it slid off her face. 
She gave a slight, imperceptible shake of her head and mumbled something like "I couldn't do that...to..."
"Ah, why not Mars, " I said, throwing caution to the wind. "We've already made it to first base," I said, stepping closer to her.
She looked at me, guilt ridden and a look of horror on her face.
"I knew it!" I almost shouted. "I knew it was you."
A strange look crossed her face. She turned to go "gotta keep your reputation up," she said, but her smile had turned a little manic. 
"Huh?" I asked, confused.
"Kissed so many girls you can't even remember which ones," she said airily, starting up the steps.
"Wait, Mars," I called, walking towards her. 
She turned on rhe step,  her smile still pasted on. 
"Oh, don't let me keep you, I'm sure you have someone to fill that spot, I mean your bed is always open," she said. Then she turned again and disappeared. 
I picked up Remus' sweater and her lip gloss and headed to bed, thoroughly confused on what I had done wrong.