It was time. Time to act his best, time to prove that he did not lose his cool in ... well, rather desperate situations. Sirius Black's tones were a false tone of sickly-cheerful and, when he spoke, he accompanied the words with a big beam.

"Why, hello, Nicola! What a ... surprise."

Because surprise, it certainly was. It had managed to cause a landslide in his calm, at least. But if Nicola Miller noticed the pretense in his tones, she showed no signs of it, refused to let it on.

She was dressed the muggle way once more, today. Dressed in the type of muggle clothes that seem to be shorter than they are; the type of muggle clothes she felt a 'player' like Sirius Black would fall for, in the blink of an eyelid [actually, he did not - they were not, never had been, up to his taste]. The little top was blue, the shorts sheer jeans; and her beautiful, dark brown hair came down in lovely curls, loosely tied at the back of her head with a delicate banana clip.

That she was rather pretty, there was no doubt - proof number one was that she had managed, at some point, to catch Sirius's eye. But that she always wanted more than she had – no doubt of that either, if you knew her.

“I hope you like my surprise, Sirius,” she said sweetly, tucking a loose curl behind her ear, for 'effect.'

“Surprise?” Sirius asked, and he raised an eyebrow. Because he knew that would annoy her too much for words. “What surprise, Nicola?”

Nicola's eyebrows shot up in a blaze of irritated astonishment. “My visit here,” she said clearly. Then she gave a roll of her eyes. "You can be so daft, sometimes, Sirius Black."

“Ohhhh,” Sirius said, and pretended comprehension dawned across his face. “Well, it is pretty ... interesting to see you again, Nicola and ... weren't you on holiday, in France? I thought you were on holiday, in France!" I WISH YOU WERE ON HOLIDAY, IN FRANCE!

“I came back,” Nicola declared, with a bright beam. “Because tonight is a very special night isn’t it, sweetie?”

She snuggled up to him, and Sirius raised an eyebrow. A special night? As far as he was concerned, if Nicola did not leave - and did not leave soon - it would be a disaster, that is what this night would be. Or maybe the night he got thwacked with a metallic handbag by, not one, but two pretty ladies.

So much for his candlelit dinner with Sherry.

He forced himself to smile, forced himself not to think of exactly what would - or could - happen, if Nicola and Sherry saw each other. “... and why is that so?”

“You’re just so silly, Sirius,” Nicola said in that fake, sweet voice she put on when she was absolutely exasperated. She pouted, and batted her eyelashes at him, two acts that totally freaked him out. On the inside only, of course. Because on the outside, he flashed her a brilliant, very white smile.

“It’s the Castles’ ball, isn’t it?" Nicola went on, grabbing his arm. "We can’t miss that, honey. I am ready -- Let’s go!”