"Not feeling well," Sirius responded easily. It wasn't a lie, but it was just as practiced, after years of covering for Remus. "Give him another day or so, he'll be right as rain."

"Ah." Olivia nodded. "I'd heard there was something going around the school, but I've been lucky."

Sirius made a vague noise of agreement. That was something else he'd gotten good at: making people think he was talking about the same thing they were.

"Remus'll be back in class in a couple of days," he said. "May as well not get behind while he's gone."

Olivia snorted quietly. "What, not up to a bit of multi-tasking?" she asked teasingly, having already gotten to work. "Or just trying to find a nicer way to tell me to shut up?" She glanced at him assessingly.

"Well, I don't know about you, but all-nighters are brutal," Sirius said, looking at her a bit sideways as he picked up a pair of clippers. "I hate having to pull them. I need my beauty sleep, thank you."

"Oh I'm sure you do," Olivia agreed mildly. "Some of us are a little more hardy." She paused and then smirked at him. "I also may have a stash of Pepper-up Potions for when necessary."

Sirius snorted.

"Well that explains it," he said. "Pepper up... Bah. We go without sleep like men!" He couldn't help but grin a bit.

Olivia grinned. "That is to say poorly and with much grumbling and posturing involved," she teased.

"Oh be quiet, it's not like you girls are any better," Sirius pointed out. "I've seen the zombies that come out of the girls' tower, it's anything but pretty."

Olivia snickered at that. "Yes, well, sometimes it happens," she agreed mildly. "Which is why I keep my potions in my dorm so no one will ever know just how zombie-like I look."

Sirus snorted, and then snickered.

"Ah, so that's the secret," he said. "Good to know. I'll have to pass that one on to James, he's always whining about how he's got bags under his eyes."

Olivia grinned. "Works wonders," she agreed. "Just don't ask me for the cosmetic spells to hide the bags, he'll have to turn to the magazines for those."

Sirius rolled his eyes.

"He's vain enough, thanks," he said. "No need to make him worse."

Olivia snickered at that and shook her head, absently flicking a plant that was slowly worming around Sirius's wrist. "Stop that," she chided as the plant slunk away.

Sirius blinked but managed not to flinch when she suddenly smacked the plant away. He hadn't noticed it going for his wrist.

"Thanks," he muttered, glancing at the pouting plant. He looked back at her. "You're pretty good at herbology, aren't you?"

"I have a lot of practice with plants," Olivia told him. "I mean, I like it, but it's not my favorite subject. I think all Hufflepuffs just do well here because, well." She made a motion at Professor Sprout.

Sirius snorted.

"If only the rest of us were that lucky," he said. "We can't get away with anything in Transfiguration."

"That's because McGonagall has to have an iron fist with you lot or you run with whatever you can get away with," Olivia said wisely, smirking.

Sirius smirked.

"Can't let them get too comfortable now can we?" he replied.

Olivia snorted. "Uh huh," she agreed. "And that's why Sprout is nice to us and McGonagall is just shy of a benevolent dictator."

"Now imagine actually being in her house," Sirius said. "You think she's bad in class, it's worse outside class."

Olivia snickered. "I bet," she agreed. "She gets more strict if anything, I bet."

"It's a nightmare," Sirius said, waving his hands a bit for dramatic effect.

Olivia snickered heartily at that but was forced to return her attention to class, unfortunately. But she did make a mental note to talk to him again. He was entertaining.

A few weeks later, Remus had arranged to meet up with Cat to start on their potions project.

Cat was waiting for him, having already gathered up the first ingredients she needed for her chosen potion. She had her textbook open and was making some notes in the margins with a pencil as she read through the instructions again.