“This isn’t a date.”

Sirius had said that so many times today, you were pretty sure the words were permanently etched into your eyelids. He couldn’t have been more insistent that this little Hogsmeade trip was totally casual—absolutely no hidden intentions. He also had a terrible poker face.

He held the door open for you when you stepped into The Three Broomsticks—and he paid for your drink. From everything you’d heard about Sirius, that wasn’t exactly typical behavior. And he was quiet. Weirdly quiet. You’d expected a non-stop stream of sarcasm and stories, but instead, he sat there. Almost like he was… nervous?

He slid into the booth across from you, eyes fixed on the window for a moment before finally turning to you. “Don’t go telling your friends I took you on a date, alright? Because that’s not what this is.”