Bloodlines, Bludgers and Boys

[MarauderGrl]

I'm on a roll...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Thanks for having us over, Ally,” said Toni.

Alexis frowned, “I’m sorry I had to make you guys come over here. As I said, Papa’s paranoid-“

“No,” corrected Kingsley as she showed them around, “he’s an auror. Constant vigilance…or so I’ve been told.”

“Sounds familiar,” smirked Ally, “who’s training you?”

“Alastor Moody,” he replied, “but you knew that didn’t you?”

“The minute you said ‘constant vigilance’,” she laughed.

“Is there anyone in the auror office you don’t know?” he asked with a chuckle.

“Well,” she shrugged, “I’m sure there are. The only ones I really know are the ones who are friends with my parents. Oh, and Alastor Moody’s my godfather.”

“Wow,” he exhaled, “I really did pick the right first year to be nice to, didn’t I?”

Alexis laughed, “That you did. So any news from the outside?”

“You sound like you’re being held hostage,” commented Lily.

“Trust me,” her friend sighed, “it feels that way.”

“Well, I doubt I can tell you anything you don’t already know about,” he assured her as they sat down in the parlor.

“Trust me, I’m told next to nothing,” she countered, “anything will be good to hear.”

“Well,” he began.

At that precise moment, her father came in through the chimney.

“Mr. Prince,” Kingsley said as he stood.

“Hello Shacklebolt,” nodded her father, “Alexis, have you seen your mother?”

“She’s at St. Mungo’s, Papa,” she answered with a frown, “what’s wrong?”

“She’s not at St. Mungo’s,” he whispered.

Alexis froze, “Well maybe she’s visiting Aunt Joey or Grampy? Hold on”. She ran upstairs and grabbed her purse. “Albus Dumbledore,” she called into the mirror. Her grandfather’s face appeared, “What’s wrong?”

“Have you seen Mum?” she asked.

“No my dear,” he replied, “I haven’t. Why do you ask?” Just as she was about to answer, her father called her, “It’s alright Ally. Your mum’s home.”

“Did you hear that Grampy?” she asked. He smiled, “I did. I’ll see you at Christmas. I love you, my girl.”

“I love you too Grampy,” she answered. She put the mirror away and ran downstairs.

“Mum!” she called, “you scared us.”

“You didn’t tell your grandfather did you?” she asked. Ally nodded, “I did but he heard Papa and he knows you’re back.”

“Good,” she nodded, “those mirrors must come in handy.” She smiled, “They do. Oh right Mum,” she began, “you remember the girls.” Her mother nodded, “Yes, it’s good to see you three again.”

Alexis stood next to Kingsley, “And this is Toni’s brother Kingsley Shacklebolt.”

Kingsley offered a hand, which Catherine shook, “I’ve heard a great deal of wonderful things about you from a number of people. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Thank you Mrs. Prince,” he nodded. Her parents went into the kitchen and Ally sighed, “They’re going to listen to every word we say. Just tell Toni whatever you were going to tell me and I’ll take care of it.”

“Not a problem,” he agreed, “Toni and I should be heading home. I can take you two home if you like?”

“Thanks Kingsley,” Lily said, “but we’re staying with Ally.” He nodded and after hugging her friends, they left.

“I hope everyone else is having a better break than I am,” groaned Alexis.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Before they knew it, the break was over and they were back at Hogwarts.

“So Toni,” began Alexis as they were settled, “what did Kingsley tell you?” Toni smirked, “apparently, I’m not a worthy messenger so he sent a letter. I’m sure he thought I would forget something.” She tossed the letter to her and Ally read while the rest of her friends talked.

Ally,

There hasn’t been a lot of information but there have been more disappearances. They’re becoming more high profile which is why your parents are so on edge. I would imagine James’ parents are acting the same way. You, he, and Toni need to be especially cautious. As you know aurors, politicians and reporters are key players in keeping the information going. Look out for each other. Also, take care of Lily, Sirius and Alice because well, I’m sure you know Riddle’s followers don’t take to kindly to muggleborns and blood traitors. That being said, we don’t have a lot to go on when it comes to who Riddle’s followers are. They’ve been very secretive. I was thinking though that if you could tell us who the Slytherins that are recruiting, we could check out their parents. Let me know what you come up with and if anyone, particularly Black, has any news about what’s going on, you know how to get in touch with me.

Take care,

Kingsley

Alexis folded their letter and put it away. She’d put the word out the next time she and Sirius met with the prefects.

The next day, the eight of them walked to Transfiguration together. It occurred to Alexis that she ought to let Sirius in on Kingsley’s letter. Thinking quickly, she took the letter from her pocket, “Psst, Black.” He turned around, eyebrow arched. “It’s from Kingsley,” she explained, “I thought I’d let you in on it.” He smiled and took it as they entered.

Professor McGonagall was nowhere to be seen but there was a cat sitting imperiously on the desk.

“Aw, what a cute cat,” cooed Lily.

“It better stay over there,” commented Ally, “I’m allergic.”

“I can’t wait till McGonagall comes in and sees it sitting on her desk like that,” laughed James, “whoever it belongs to is going to be in trouble.”

The cat decided at that moment to jump into the air, which caused Ally to push Sirius in front of her. If the cat was going to attack someone, it wasn’t going to be her.

Mid-air the cat morphed into something that surprised them all.

“Bloody hell,” swore James as Professor McGonagall appeared before them. When Ally realized what had happened she blushed, “Sorry Black.” He smirked, her favorite smirk, “No worries. I didn’t realize you were that scared of Professor McGonagall.” Everyone laughed, as she nudged him, “Not funny!”

“I can honestly say,” Professor McGonagall began as they took their seats, “that this class had perhaps one of my favorite reactions. By the way, Ms. Evans, thank you for the compliment.” Everyone laughed appreciatively and the professor continued, “Can anyone tell me what I just did?” James’ hand shot up, to everyone’s surprise. Professor McGonagall smiled slightly, “Other than frighten your cousin, Mr. Potter,” the class snickered but James’ hand stayed up. Intrigued, she called on him, “Mr. Potter.”

“You’re an animagus,” he replied, voice full of awe, “it means you can turn into an animal, a cat, in your case, at will.” The class stared at him and Professor McGonagall continued, “Congratulations Mr. Potter. Five points to Gryffindor,” she added which caused Sirius and James to high five and Toni to turn around, from her seat next to James, and roll her eyes. Ally smiled. James must’ve done his homework, she thought.

For the first time perhaps ever, James and Sirius spent the entire class period in completely absorbed as Professor McGonagall explained animagi. Ally had to admit, it was a fascinating topic, but their rapt attention made her extremely suspicious. When the lecture ended, James went up to talk to Professor McGonagall. She knew something was up. Turning to Sirius, she used the full force of her charm, leaned in and whispered, “What are you two up to?” Knowing exactly what she was up to, he leaned in to her and whispered, “Nothing.” Neither moved and she smirked, “You’re absolutely up to something and you can tell me or I can figure it out myself.” He stood up, “I don’t doubt for a second your ability to figure me out.” Annoyed she turned her back on him and bent down to pick up her bag. Not one to miss an opportunity, as Alexis stood up he leaned in behind her and whispered, “By the way, you’re not the only one who can use it to their advantage.” She smiled, shook her head and went to join her friends.

“What was that?” demanded Toni.

“I don’t know,” she shrugged, “I’ve never seen James pay that much attention to anyone-“

“Not that,” she snorted as Alice and Lily walked ahead of them, “you and Sirius. I’ve never seen the two of you that close. Of course, now I know why. The sparks were practically visible.”

“You’re being ridiculous,” scoffed Ally.

Toni rolled her eyes, “Whatever.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*

For the next couple of weeks, Alexis watched the boys closely. She had paid little attention to what they did before but now she was intrigued. She knew Remus visited his mother every month but from the way the boys treated him, she thought there was more to the story. She wasn’t sure about involving her friends. For now, she was on her own. They had been spending an incredible amount of time in the library. Finally one day, after having followed Sirius and James to the library, disillusioned of course, she saw them both check out a couple of huge books. Alexis went to the section they had been in and saw that it was devoted to animagi. Knowing her cousin and his friend as well as she did, she knew it wasn’t for class. She lifted the charm just in time to see her cousin who walked over, “I just saw Potter and Black leave with books. What’s that about?”

She shrugged, “Don’t know but I’m trying to figure it out.”

He smirked, “Finally paying attention to the odd stuff they do. Like Lupin. What’s up with the leaving every month?”

“His mother is ill,” she stated in a warning tone.

“I’m just saying,” he shrugged, “I think it’s weird that it’s always at a full moon.”

Alexis rolled her eyes, “If you’re trying to by funny, it’s not working.”

“I’m not,” he assured her as they walked out, “look at the calendar and watch for the next time he leaves. I bet you a galleon it’s on a full moon. I think Lupin’s a werewolf.” At that moment, Ally stopped listening. If Severus was right and Remus was a werewolf, that might explain why James and Sirius were so interested in animagi. Alexis turned to her cousin, “Do you have any proof?”

He shook his head, “No hard evidence but if you want to test the theory for yourself,” he took a book out of his bag, “read this. I’m willing to bet during the time that you dated him you may have witnessed some of the behaviors indicative of being a werewolf.” He paused, “His parents must have a wicked sense of humor if he is…”

“Romulus and Remus,” she whispered, “the founders of Rome…raised by the she-wolf.”

Alexis felt her head spinning.

“Are you okay?” Severus asked, “Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything Ally. It’s just a theory. In fact, let me-“ he reached for the book.

Alexis tightened her grip, “No.”

“Ally,” he began.

“No Sev,” she frowned, “I need to know.”

Alexis went straight to her room and started reading. She wound up missing lunch and was almost late for History of Magic.

“Hey, Al,” Lily said as she sat next to her, “you okay?”

Alexis knew she must not look it because Lily had that tone in her voice. Fake it, she told herself.

“I’m fine, Lils,” she replied with a smile, “just felt like a nap.”

“Oh, I hope you’re not coming down with something,” her friend frowned.

Alexis smiled, knowing that it gave her color, “I’m sure it’s nothing, but just in case I decided to rest.”

“Good idea,” whispered Lily as Professor Binns started his lecture. Ally’s mind began to wander. A couple of the things she read applied to Remus. The injuries he had when he came back from visiting his mother. He had always told Ally they were the product of his adventures with Sirius and James but neither of them were every scratched or scarred. Sirius wouldn’t let anything mess with his looks. She shook her head, if you reached far enough you could see this in anyone. We’re talking about nice, honest, sweet Remus here. He wouldn’t hurt anyone. Not like the werewolves in that book…

“Ally?” called Lily, waving a hand in front of her face, “class is over.”

“Right,” Alexis said, shaking her head, “must’ve drifted off.”

“You looked like you were in some sort of trance, Al,” whispered Lily, “are you sure you’re okay?”

Alexis smiled, “Of course I am. Let’s go.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Her mind continued to wander for the next couple of days. She wasn’t doing a very good job hiding it either. Alice and Lily were convinced she was coming down with something while Toni was attributing it to being lovesick. Of course, that suggestion caused Alexis to throw the nearest shoe at her.

By Friday though, her mind was clear. That evening there was going to be a full moon. If Remus was…She was going to find out.

That night at dinner, Remus was missing. When the boys came without him, her stomach dropped.

“Rem’s mum sick again?” asked Alice.

“Yes, yeah,” was James’ reply as he scrunched his nose. Alexis frowned, he's lying. He always scrunches his nose when he’s lying. He knows. She looked from Peter who hadn’t said much to Sirius. Before looking over at him, she closed her mind. When she did look at him, she saw he’d done the same. They stared at each other for a moment before looking away.

It was true. Remus was a werewolf….and the boys had known.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

That night, Alexis decided she couldn’t take it any longer. She was going to confront the boys tonight. She waited until the girls fell asleep, and then disillusioned herself. She tiptoed quietly from the girl’s dormitory and over to the boy’s. When she reached the landing to the fourth year boy’s room, she could tell they weren’t asleep.

“She knows James,” Sirius was saying, “I saw her face tonight at dinner. That’s where her mind has been the past few days. She’s been putting it together. I went through her bag the other day when she was talking to Toni and she had a book on werewolves in there.”

Went through my bag, she thought, the nerve! She opened the door and the boys jumped. With a flick of her wand, she made herself reappear.

“So who wants to tell me the truth?” she asked as she closed the door behind her and placed an impenetrable charm on it. All three boys sat quietly on their beds before James spoke…

“Blimey Ally,” he gasped, “Were you trying to kill us?”

She looked at them, “That depends on whether or not I’m going to be told the truth.”

James walked over to her, “Ally why don’t you sit down?” She arched an eyebrow but sat down on his bed anyway, “How long have you known?”

“A couple of months,” sighed James, “We were getting suspicious. The way Remus looked made us think he was sick and we wanted to be sure. We did a little digging and found out that his mum has a clean bill of health.”

“How did you do that?” she demanded, “doctor patient confidentiality prohibits information like that from being released.”

He moved uncomfortably, “It doesn’t matter.”

“It most certainly does,” she declared.

“She’s not going to let it go mate,” interrupted Sirius, “we called in a favor.”

She snorted, “Right because the two of you know so many-“ She paused, “My mother??? You went to my mother???”

“Princess,” began Sirius. She raised a hand, “Oh no you don’t. I can’t believe you went to her…and she kept your secret. Unbelievable.”

“Out of all the things you’ve heard tonight,” countered Sirius, “that’s what’s unbelievable?”

She looked at him and started laughing, “Fair enough. I still can’t believe you didn’t tell me.”

“Remus doesn’t even know when know,” James piped up.

Her jaw dropped, “What? You’re letting him continue to feel alienated and alone?”

“We don’t know how to tell him,” James began.

“We didn’t know how to tell him,” interrupted Sirius, “that we don’t care what he is only who he is but we’ve figured out a way to show him.”

“You’re going to try and become animagi,” she hissed, “I knew it. You two never pay that much attention to anyone!”

“We’ve done our research too,” he continued, “and we know that werewolves can’t be kept company by people.”

“They can however be kept company by animals,” finished James proudly.

“And when we do that,” Sirius added, “we prove to Remus he’s not alone.”

“Wow,” breathed Alexis, “you’ve really thought this through haven’t you?” She saw James and Sirius exchange a look of pride and she hugged James then after hesitating for a split second went over to Sirius and embraced him too.

“So I guess this means you won’t tell?” Peter piped up. Alexis was near tears, as she answered, “I won’t tell a soul.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*

Knowing what James and Sirius were up to in order to help Remus allowed Ally to return to normal. The difference was obvious but no one said anything. They were just glad to have her back.

When she saw Severus in the library, she sat down next to him and returned his book.

“Thanks,” she said as she got up to leave.

“Is he?” her cousin asked. Ally looked back, “Doesn’t matter.” As she walked away, she heard him follow.

“Doesn’t matter?” he demanded, “what’s going on?”

Alexis pulled him into the nearest classroom and began her explanation, “I didn’t figure out whether or not it was true because I didn’t want to. I don’t care. He’s Remus. He’s my friend. That’s it.”

“But he’s,” he attempted.

Ally intervened, “I don’t care. In case you haven’t noticed Sev, I try not to judge people. Once you start doing that you’re a step away from being one of Riddle’s people and that’s something I don’t want.” He shook his head, “You are such an idealist.”

“I know,” she shrugged, “better than being a pessimist, though. See ya around Sev.”

“Later Al,” he replied.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Good evening, my dear,” Sirius said as he kissed Jane on the cheek and joined her on the couch in what was quickly becoming the deserted common room.

Jane smiled, somewhat sadly. “What’s wrong?” Sirius asked.

“I’ve had a lot of fun with you, Sirius,” she began. He interrupted immediately, “Why do I get the feeling I won’t like where this is headed?”

“Because you probably knew it was coming,” she countered, “I’m not the kind of girl who likes to bang her head against a brick wall. I tried, you tried, we both tried, but I can’t compete.”

“Compete?” he repeated, “what are you getting at?”

Jane looked around to make sure they were alone, “We’ve had a good time Sirius but this isn’t going any further. It can’t.”

“Why?” he wanted to know, “because I’m too young?”

She scoffed, “No, it’s not that. There’s someone else.”

“You like someone else?” he huffed, highly affronted.

“Don’t be daft,” she smirked, “not for me, for you.”

Sirius stared dumbfounded, “There isn’t.”

“I understand feeling like you’re finally over someone and wanting to move on,” she lectured, raising a hand to stop his interference, “and that’s what this was. I was trying to help you feel like you were getting over Alexis. It didn’t work. Because in your heart of hearts, you still want to be with her. I think it’s wonderful to want someone that much. Actually, I want to be wanted like that which is why I have to end this. I want to go find someone who wants me as much as you want her. I’m not angry or bitter. It is what it is. Friends?”

He was so confused. He thought he was over Ally. He really did. I am, he thought angrily, I am over her. Jane is just looking for an excuse to break up with me. Whatever. He feigned a smile, “Friends,” he agreed.

She sat there for a moment before saying, “Remus knew it too.” She stood up then looked at him, “Sirius, do me a favor?”

“Sure,” he nodded; eager to hear what favor she could possibly ask of him.

“When you get your chance, don’t blow it,” she sighed, “I’d be devastated if I broke up with such a good kisser for nothing.” He laughed along with her and they parted friends.


Feedback please!

[MarauderGrl]

Not my favorite post, but better than nothing....

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The next morning, the gang sat down to breakfast. Sirius had been careful not to mention the break up to his friends but girls are naturally more observant with regard to these matters.

Sirius was surprised when Alice took James’ usual seat next to him during History of Magic.

“Jane broke up with you, didn’t she?” she asked without preamble. He stared at her for a moment before answering, “Yes.”

“And she told you it was because of Ally?” she continued quietly as Professor Binns droned on.

“What were you doing, spying?” he demanded. Alice shook her head, “No. I just knew this was coming is all. It was only a matter of time until Jane finally decided to give up on you. Anyone in their right mind knows you and Ally are meant to be.”

Sirius pretended to take notes. He had lost hope long ago of getting Alexis Prince to date him. Now he was satisfied with simply being able to call her a friend.

“So what are you going to do about it?” muttered Alice out of the corner of her mouth.

“Absolutely nothing,” he sighed, “I know that Ally doesn’t see me that way and I’ve accepted it. What I can’t understand is why no one else can.”

“If you’re talking about me and Toni,” she continued, “it’s because we know better. We’ve always been on Team Sirius.”

“Team Sirius?” he repeated with a chuckle, “I didn’t know I had a team. Are there any team activities?”

Alice rolled her eyes, “Only attempting to get Ally to see reason. I’m surprised at you Sirius. When did you decide to give up on her?”

“I know when I’m not wanted,” he reminded her, “and contrary to popular belief, I do not force my presence on those who do not want it.”

“Come now Sirius,” she contradicted with a smirk, “if that were true, you wouldn’t be friends with me, Toni, Lily or Ally.”

Sirius frowned, “How exactly does that accusation fit with the ‘you and Alexis belong together’ idea?”

“Because you know that once you get Ally to break down those walls, you’re in for good,” she explained, “it works the same way with dating.”

“I’m not going to force my presence on Ally,” he sighed, “when she wants someone, she goes after them. If she wanted me, she’d let me know. She hasn’t so she doesn’t.”

Alice shook her head, “If you’re really over Ally, which I highly doubt, I will leave you alone but I need you to look me in the eyes and tell me that. I know you Sirius. You wouldn’t lie to me. You couldn’t.”

Sirius looked at Alice’s innocent round face and groaned, “Okay so I’m not completely over her but that still doesn’t mean she wants me.”

“She does,” assured Alice with a grin, “we just have to find a way of making her realize it. Just be patient. You can do that right?”

“I’ve been patient for four years,” he reminded her, “I’m sure I can last a little longer…it’d be easier if I knew…If there was a sign or something…”

Alice started to say something when Alexis appeared at Sirius’ side, “I know Binns is boring but you two talked the entire time. Wait until I tell Frank and Jane…” Alice and Sirius exchanged a look, which did not go unnoticed.

“I was only kidding,” laughed Ally, “who knew I was onto something?”

Sirius cleared his throat, “I don’t think Jane would care one way or another as she broke up with me last night.”

Alexis stared at him for a moment before saying, “You’re joking right? Why on earth would she do that?”

“She said she wants someone who really truly wants her,” he admitted.

“Well that is just ridiculous,” she hissed, “as though you didn’t. I’m really sorry Black. I know how much you liked her.” She paused again as though having an internal argument. As Sirius and Alice stood up to grab their bags, Alexis wrapped her arms around him and hugged him so quickly he wasn’t sure it happened.

“You’ll be alright Black,” she assured him as she hurried to her next class.

Alice smiled at him, “Ask and you shall receive. She’s coming around.” Sirius laughed and they headed off in the direction of their next class.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Alexis couldn’t believe how much the fact that Jane had broken up with Black was bothering her. I suppose it’s because I know Jane, she thought, I count her as a friend…I was so sure…She glanced over at Sirius, he must’ve felt the same way. What happened? What had changed her mind? An interesting thought occurred to her as they left their final class of the day. She was contemplating the pros and cons when she felt someone appear at her side.

“What are you plotting now?” groaned Sirius, “and how much trouble will it get us into?”

She laughed, “What makes you think you’re part of the plan?”

“No defensiveness?” he commented, “must mean it’s nothing major. Do everyone a favor though Princess and stay out of trouble, please?”

“Always, Black, always,” she responded with a wink.

It didn’t take Alexis long to find the room she was looking for. She’d been given the password a couple of weeks ago so she could find a prefect in an emergency. Of course, the only thing making this particular moment urgent was the fact that she desperately wanted to know what possible excuse Jane could have for breaking up with Sirius…

“Lemon fresh,” she muttered quickly. The entryway opened at once but was in no way prepared for what she saw.

“Jane? Connor?” she gasped, “What may I ask is going on? What happened to the ‘Connor Fitzgerald is only interested in one thing’ campaign?”

Upon her entry, Connor had immediately let go of Jane who until that moment he had been embracing rather tightly.

“What are you talking about?” they asked in unison.

“Black told us that Jane said you were only interested in one thing,” she explained to Connor.

Jane frowned, “I never said that. Sirius is the one who has a problem with Connor. He probably said I said that because I’m considered a more reliable source.”

Ally shook her head, “That’s not why I’m here. Is this…Is he why you broke up with Black?”

Jane stared at her in a way that is usually reserved for small children, “No my dear. You’re the reason I broke up with Sirius.”

“Me?” she shrieked unexpectedly, “no Jane. Don’t you dare. If you wanted to be with Connor, that’s one thing but to do because of me…it doesn’t make sense.”

Connor interrupted unexpectedly, “So you wouldn’t mind if the two of us were together?” Alexis turned to him and shrugged, “Why would I?”

“You’re proving my point Ally,” Jane pointed out, “why does it matter if I broke up with Black?”

“Because he’s hurt,” she hissed.

“Is he?” Jane countered, “or is he relieved? Have you bothered to ask him? No and let me tell you why. Because you know he’d rather be with you and it scares you. Having him with me even after Remus dumped you was the only thing keeping you from finally admitting how you felt. I’m no longer in the picture, so go. Be with him. I promise no one will be the least bit upset.”

Alexis shook her head, “So you broke up with Black because of me?”

“Yes,” the older girl repeated.

“Then I should go apologize,” Ally whispered to herself, “once again he gets the short end of the stick because people are delusional.”

“Someone’s delusional alright,” muttered Jane to herself.

“Ally?” Connor called as she walked towards the door. She kept walking and he tried again, “Ally?” This time she turned, “Yeah Connor?”

“Um,” he grunted, “did you need anything else?”

She shook her head, “No, thanks. I’ll see you two around.”

After she closed the door, Connor groaned and Jane reached up to pat him on the shoulder. “You want some friendly advice?” she offered.

“No thanks Jane,” he sighed, knowing what she would say, “are you alright?”

She smiled, “Of course. I’ll see you around okay? Thanks for the shoulder.”

“Anytime,” he reminded her.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Has anyone seen Black?” asked Alexis as she sat down in what had come to be known as their corner of the common room.

“He’s up in the dormitory moping,” James shrugged, “it’s really weird.”

“Has he told you three what happened?” she continued.

Remus sighed, “Jane broke up with him, didn’t she?”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Peter commented.

Alexis smiled, “I suppose I can guess what the two of you talked about at Slughorn’s soiree. Yeah, she did…and before you guys go talk to him about it. Let me?”

“Sure,” agreed James, “it’ll give us time to come up with a pep talk.” With a smile to her cousin and a, “thanks guys,” Alexis hurried upstairs.

“Was that Ally going up to your dormitory?” questioned Toni as she sat down.

James nodded but before he could say anything, Toni and Alice exchanged a smile and high fived, “Team Sirius!”

As the boys looked on in confusion, Lily muttered, “I’m still Team Connor.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Alexis decided it would be best to knock this time before entering. She tapped on the door once as she opened it, “How’s it going Black?”

Sirius looked up from his Herbology book and smiled, “To what do I owe the formal visit? You know you’re always welcome here. You don’t have to knock.”

“I’ve got to apologize,” she confessed, “even though it’s not really my fault…it still kind of is so-“

“In English please Al,” he begged.

She frowned, “So I went to find Jane-“

“That was your mission was it?” he wondered aloud.

“It was,” she continued, “I found her and we talked. She told me why she broke up with you.” He stared at her, “What exactly did she say?”

“That she broke up with you because of me,” she finished not looking at him. They sat in silence for a moment before Sirius spoke, “You don’t have to apologize. It’s not your fault people aren’t willing to see reason when it comes to us.”

“I know,” she acquiesced, “it just gets annoying after a while.”

“Agreed,” he assured her, “especially since you’ve made it quite clear how you feel about me.”

She looked over at him, “You make it sound like…”

“Like what?” he prodded.

“Like I’m the only reason…,” she began again but couldn’t finish.

“Al, what’s wrong?” he asked, getting up from his bed and walking over to her.

“Nothing,” she promised, “hey, by the way, I saw Jane and Connor talking. I thought she disapproved of him.”

“Well,” he sighed, “I’ve heard girls are more likely to take advice from each other when it comes to guys.”

Ally laughed, “That’s true. What's with all the animosity between you two?”

“No idea,” he shrugged.

She shook her head, “Well, I just wanted to let you know that I’m sorry if I’m the reason you’re no longer with Jane. I know you like her and-“

“Hey,” he interrupted her babbling, “you know what they say, if it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be.”

She smiled at him, “You’re right. I hope you get everything you deserve Black.”

“You know there was a time when you would have said that maliciously,” he reminded her.

“Yep,” she laughed, “what a difference a year makes.”

~*~*~*~*~*~

“Ladies and gentlemen,” called Kate Johnson, “welcome to the final match of the season. The outcome of this match decides who wins the Cup! After performing admirably in their matches earlier this season, we have the impressive Hufflepuffs against the resilient Gryffindors!” Cheers erupted from opposite sides of the stands. Both Ravenclaws and Gryffindors were showing their support for the Gryffindor team while Hufflepuff and Slytherin were cheering for Hufflepuff.

Resilient was right, thought Ally. James had made a remarkably quick recovery and both Ian and Ava were still thanking her for her efforts towards them.

“Remember,” Ava was saying, “the Hufflepuffs don’t give a second thought to using force. Liv, you’re on James this time around. He’s our best chaser and they know it. With these guys, we strategize. We out think. They’re not as clever as the Ravenclaws. Ready?”

“Ready,” the team chorused.

Madam Hooch blew the whistle and the game was on. The Hufflepuffs were not going to make winning the match easy, thought Alexis, as Connor Fitzgerald hit a bludger in Ava’s direction. Ava dodged it but almost ran into another chaser in the process. Ally had been order to stay out of the way this time around, which she was all too happy to do. Shooting down Connor Fitzgerald before their teams played each other probably wasn’t the best idea. The Hufflepuff seeker had obviously been ordered to shadow her. She had seen this guy in action and he was definitely fast. Her only hope would be that she saw the snitch before he did. Alexis watched as Liv practically became another chaser the way she was guarding James. Unfortunately, this left Toni open to attack and Connor’s fellow beater, a girl with dark hair whose name Ally didn’t know, was all too willing to oblige.

“Liv, I’ll be fine go help Nate take care of the others,” James shouted as he dodged another bludger hit at him by Connor. Ally was getting a little annoyed with Connor only directing bludger attacks at her cousin. She found it unlikely that he was just following orders. He seemed to enjoy it a bit too much.

“And that makes it 120- 90,” shouted Kate, “after another impressive score by James Potter who appears to have healed from his injury perfectly. It’s going to take a lot more from Connor Fitzgerald to take Potter out of the game.”

“Don’t give him any ideas,” shouted Ally, to which the Gryffindor supporters cheered loudly.

Kate laughed, “It seems as though Alexis Prince is getting a little bored waiting for the snitch. Want to come join me?”

Ally laughed, “Maybe next time.” As she said this, she saw the snitch fluttering near the Slytherin section. The point margin was perfect, she thought, as she sped towards it. Unfortunately, she only had a few moments head start before her counterpart realized what was going on. As she sped forward, she hoped Nate or Liv would do something and knock a bludger at the guy. She trusted their aim enough and figured they could miss too so long as she got the snitch first.

As though she had willed it true, she heard a bludger make contact with something behind her. It must’ve been the other seeker’s broom as he had fallen forward and hit hers. He had knocked her off her broom and she managed to hold on with one hand as she reached forward to grab the snitch. Unfortunately grasping the snitch caused her to loosen her grip on her broom. She felt herself falling and was about to hit the ground when she felt someone grab her hand. He had thrown himself beneath her to break the fall.

“Well,” she gasped as she caught her breath, “I suppose a 'thank you' is in order?”

Connor laughed a little, “No problem.” She smiled as she pushed herself up and offered him a hand. He shook his head as he helped himself up, “I don’t think you could’ve pulled me up.”

She rolled her eyes, “Yeah all that troll blood.” He laughed and offered her a hand, “Congrats.” Before she could say anything else, James and Toni appeared at her sides.

“What the hell were you thinking?” demanded James, as he embraced her tightly.

“She wasn’t,” shrugged Toni, “it’s become tradition with her when it comes to quidditch. She’d rather kill herself than lose. Too bad she isn’t the same way with everything else.”

Alexis rolled her eyes, “Actually I was thinking wouldn’t it be great to win the cup?” She turned to look around, “How’s the other seeker?”

She saw Connor helping him up and the guy limping.

“Poor guy,” she muttered, “I should go-“

“Are you kidding?” bellowed Ian, “your healing talents are reserved only for teammates! We need to celebrate!!!”

“Right on!” shouted Ava as she joined them and embraced Ally. “You are by far my favorite seeker,” she continued, “ever.”

Ally laughed, “I bet you say that to all your seekers.”

Before she could hear Ava’s reply, Nate and Liv joined the festivities. The team was so caught up in congratulating they didn’t notice the rest of Gryffindor come down.

“You were fabulous!” shrieked Alice as she embraced Toni and Ally, “Toni, you’re giving James a run for his money with all the scoring!”

“Dirty,” joked Toni as James laughed, “I’m proud of you Nettie!” He embraced her tightly.

“Nice one Ally,” said Remus as he popped up behind her.

“That was quite a fall,” added Sirius, casting a look in the direction of the castle.

Ally nodded and said, “How about that party, people?”

The crowd roared loudly and they headed towards the Gryffindor common room.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Well, that was fun,” sighed Ally happily. She looked around guiltily, “Do you guys think we should clean up?”

“House elves,” groaned Toni sleepily, “that’s what they’re here for.”

Lily frowned, “It’s not that hard.” She flicked her wand and cleaned up the room.

“They’re going to be mad at you,” warned James, “Students cleaning up is insulting to them. It makes them feel less useful.”

“If they want to be useful,” commented Toni, “they can help me get to our room. I’m so exhausted I can’t move.”

“You’re such a complainer,” cracked Ally.

“Yes, well we don’t all of gallant men throwing themselves beneath us do we?” she countered.

Alexis looked at Sirius who was sitting next to her. He shifted uneasily and moved her legs off him, “I think I’m going to turn in. Congrats again,” he added as he turned to leave.

James frowned, “I think I’m going to head up too. I’m spent.” Remus and Peter agreed and headed up.

“What with them?” asked Ally.

“Who cares,” shrugged Lily, “how are you feeling about Connor right now?”

“Grateful he broke my fall?” she joked. Her friends stared at her and she sighed, “Like maybe he isn’t a complete prat. I’m not dating him though. I need a break from guys.”

“Sure, sure,” chorused her friends.

Feedback please!

[MarauderGrl]

The pace has picked up because I've had some of these last few posts written for a while...Enjoy!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“I saw him hug you,” hissed Severus as he and Toni sat in the library studying.

“He was happy about the win,” she shrugged, “don’t get your wand in a knot.”

“If he was happy about the match,” he continued, “he could’ve embraced Alexis. After all, she won it.”

“She caught the snitch,” corrected Toni, “if James, Ava and I hadn’t scored all those goals, we wouldn’t have won.”

He frowned, “I didn’t mean to suggest that your contribution wasn’t as important. I just don’t like to see his hands on you.” She leaned forward, “Well, then why don’t we take advantage of the time we have and remind you of how irresistible I can be.” She grabbed his hand before he could protest and they hurried out of the library.

“Sorry, Al,” laughed Toni as they bumped into her after turning the corner. She shook her head as they hurried down the hall.

“They’re an odd pairing,” commented a familiar voice, “but sometimes opposites attract.”

She turned around, a little surprised, “How’s it going Connor?”

“Fine,” he shrugged.

“How’s your seeker?” she wondered.

“Nothing serious,” he shrugged, “just a twisted ankle. Ian said you wanted to offer aid but the team is hoarding your healing skills.”

She laughed, “I wouldn’t say the team so much as Ian and Ava. They’re making way too big a deal out of this. They’re acting like I’m curing lepers or something.”

“Ah, they’re just proud,” he assured her, “speaking of pride, I want to apologize for my behavior the other night…my father’s too now that I think of it. I know he didn’t make the best impression especially the way he kept hounding you and ignoring Lily-“

“The look of contempt he gave Black didn’t help either,” she commented quietly.

He frowned, “My family has a history with the Blacks and it’s not a very pleasant one which is why neither my father nor I are particularly fond of them. However, you’re right. Openly showing disdain for Black because of his family was unnecessary. From all that I’ve seen, he’s nothing like them.”

Alexis stood their dumbfounded. He smiled and continued, “I’d actually like to apologize to him but first, let me apologize to you. My father had just given me a pep talk and it backfired. I-“

“Tabula rasa,” she interrupted.

“A clean slate?” he concluded, “are you serious?”

She smiled slightly at the pun, “Yes. I’m all for giving our friendship another chance.”

“That’s great Ally,” he laughed, “I’m so relieved.”

At that moment, someone bumped into him.

“I’m sorry,” Sirius said, not looking up from his book.

“Black,” Connor gasped, “this is perfect. I was just telling Alexis that I wanted to apologize and now here you are.”

Sirius looked up and Ally could tell right now he was wishing he were anywhere else, “What are you talking about Fitzgerald? I bumped into you. I apologize. Now if you’ll excuse-“

“No,” interrupted Connor, “I have to do this now. I’m sorry about the way my dad treated you the other night and I’m sorry I’ve been doing the same. You know the history between our families. Obviously, you’re not like the rest of yours so I have nothing against you. I hope we can put the animosity aside. Truce?”

Sirius looked from Ally to Connor and smiled, “Sure. Truce,” The boys shook hands and Alexis became very suspicious.

“Well, I’ve got to get a move on,” Connor sighed, “I promised to help Ian with his charms homework. I’ll see you two later.” With a wave, he rounded the corner. Sirius started to walk away and Alexis followed. After a couple of minutes, he seemed to realize he wasn’t going to be able to ditch her.

“What was that?” she wondered.

He looked up from his book and smiled, “I wasn’t going to be the one to keep the animosity going. Fitzgerald was hoping that I wouldn’t accept his apology so he’d look like the nice guy and I’d look like a jerk.”

“Occlumency?” she offered.

“No,” he shrugged, “He’s just predictable. The guy’s so into you he’s willing to do anything to get on your good side. Far be it for me to stop him.”

“So he attempted to make peace with one of my good friends to impress me,” she surmised.

“You got it,” he smirked, “just wait. He’ll start trying to get in good with James, Alice and Remus too. He’s not as dumb as he looks I’ll give him that.”

She laughed, “You’re crazy. James, Alice and Rem have nothing against Connor-“

“No,” he admitted, “other than the fact that they’re hoping you date someone else.” She looked up at him, “I wonder who.”

He smiled at her before taking out his book again, “No idea.”

~*~*~*~*~*~

Later that evening, she grabbed her bag, kicking herself for being so stupid as to leave her potions book behind in the library earlier.

She had almost made it to the library when she heard a familiarly unwelcome voice shout, "Prince."

Knowing who it was, Alexis stood her ground and turned around, "Bellatrix, I think we know each other well enough to be on a first name basis."

Bella glared at the use of her given name but ignored it, "I hope you had a good holiday," she smirked. Alexis stared at her thinking she couldn't possibly know that she’d be quarantined over the break.

"All these disappearances must make you think of those who are no longer with you," she spoke softly but Ally didn't miss a word, “Your grandmother for instance. Horrible accident I hear it was."

"It was no accident," Ally snapped.

Bella smiled evilly, "Maybe, maybe not but we'll never know for sure will we?"

Alexis got the distinct impression that Bellatrix Black knew exactly who killed her grandmother. Of course it's not possible, she reminded herself. Riddle doesn't let kids into his midst. But...

"I see you managed to figure it out," smirked Bella, "I knew you weren't stupid." She walked towards Ally so that their faces were inches away, "Allow me to impart a little wisdom on you. You should’ve stuck with Lupin. Your grandmother fell for the wrong person and look where it got her. I bet she'd hate for you to make the same mistake." She started to walk away then turned on heel and said, "Do tell Sirius I said 'hello' and that he's welcome back any time. After all we all make mistakes, do we not?"

She graced her with a smile and walked towards the direction of the Slytherin dungeons.

Alexis' mind was racing as she walked the rest of the way to the library. She almost walked into a table when she turned and saw James with a grin and her book, "I thought I'd," he stopped short at the look on her face, "Ally, what's wrong?"

She said nothing and took her book. She knew there was only one person she could talk to right now and it wasn't James. “Where’s Black?” she demanded.

“He’s in the dormitory,” James answered, “Ally, what’s wrong?” Alexis grabbed her book and sprinted off in the direction of the dormitory.

“Black?” she called as she entered the room. Peter and Remus were in their pajamas. “Where is he?” she requested, “Where’s Black?” Before either could answer, Sirius came out of the bathroom, pulling on a t-shirt, “What is it Princess?”

“I need to talk to you,” she answered shortly, “now. Come on.” She grabbed him by the hand and pulled him after her.

Peter turned to Remus, who looked a little worried, “I told you before mate. You made the right choice.” Remus nodded, pulling the covers over his head.

“Your Aunt and Uncle,” she whispered, as they entered the Room of Requirement, “they…” He paused for a moment, looking at her, “What happened?”

“Bellatrix,” she answered, “she stopped me in the hall and told me that I should have stuck with Remus because getting involved with the wrong guy leads to trouble. I guess she found out about you and Jane. Then she mentioned my grandparents.”

All he managed was, “I didn’t tell her about your Grandfather.”

“I know,” she assured him, “but she had to find out somehow. Her parents…they…” Tears welled up in her eyes and he embraced her, “Yes. They did it.” She let him comfort her for a moment then another thought occurred to her. She stepped back, “How long have you known?”

“Not long,” he promised her, “not until after Christmas. Reggie overheard her parents talking to ours and when I confronted her about it, she didn’t deny it. She even used it to threaten me. I wanted to tell you but I didn’t know how. Alexis, please, I need you not to hate me for this.” She looked up at him, frowning, “Of course I don’t hate you. This is not your fault. I…Now that I know the truth I need…I need time to…I just need time. Don’t take this the wrong way.” He shook his head, “I understand completely.” She hugged him again and walked back to her dormitory.

Feedback please!

[MarauderGrl]

Last chapter of year 4! I was going to start a new thread for years 5-7 but I'm just going to carry on with this one. Enjoy!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Nobody had time for friendly chitchat over the next couple of weeks as they were studying for and taking their exams.

“Uh,” grunted Ally as she threw herself on the ground under the beech tree, “I’m so glad it’s all over.”

“How do you think you did?” asked Alice, as was their tradition.

“Not terribly worried about anything but transfiguration,” she sighed as she closed her eyes.

“We could’ve helped if you had asked you know,” commented Sirius as he sat down next to her.

She smiled, “I like to learn things the hard way.”

“Hear, hear,” she heard Alice whisper to the person nearest to her. She heard Remus and Toni laugh and knew what they were talking about.

“Where’s Lily?” she asked, ignoring them.

“Talking to O’Malley,” answered her cousin who seemed to be sitting on the other side of Sirius. She felt the warmth of the sun go away and realized someone must be blocking it.

“Please move, Ian,” she pleaded, “I was trying to warm up.”

She heard everyone but Sirius laugh and she opened her eyes.

“Close but not close enough,” Connor joked, “Hello everyone.”

“Hey,” the group chorused.

Toni waved to someone in the distance, “Don’t take this the wrong way but I’ve got to go.”

“Always running out on me,” laughed Connor. Toni rolled her eyes and as Alexis opened her mouth to say something, she cut her off, “I’ll tell Sev you said ‘hi’.”

“Thanks,” her friend called.

“Hello all,” Frank bellowed as he joined them.

“Hi Frank,” Ally piped up, “we haven’t seen you around lately.”

“Doing the OWL thing,” he shrugged, “Fitz knows something about that don’t you?”

The rest of the group looked confused while Connor answered, “Oh yeah. I don’t think I’ll be able to write for a month. Just wait,” he warned them, “you’ll see.”

“We’re brilliant,” joked James, “we don’t worry about tests.”

“Liar,” Alice shrieked, “I saw you studying for Potions the other day.”

“And as she’s my herbology tutor,” added Sirius, “she can call your bluff.”

James looked around, “Don’t admit to it,” he hissed, smacking Sirius, “it’s bad for our image.”

Alexis started laughing, “Yes, that whole image thing is really working out for you,” she looked around, “I think I’m going to get you a girlfriend cuz.”

James looked terrified, which caused everyone to laugh hysterically.

“What?” she hissed, “There’s no one better to pick someone out for you than me.”

“So am I allowed to return the favor?” he shot back, glancing quickly at Sirius.

“No thanks,” she scoffed, “I can find my own men.”

“That you can,” piped up Remus. Alexis smirked, “Thanks.”

Later that evening, they gathered for the end of the year feast.

“Welcome, everyone,” Dumbledore’s voice called from the front of the room. The students immediately got quiet and he smiled, “thank you. Now then, I want to thank you all for doing such good work this year both academically and athletically. It is with regret and disappointment that I feel as though I must warn you against engaging in any risky behavior this summer. I’m sure no one needs to be told why.” The room stayed quiet and he continued, “On to more festive news: the awarding of the House Cup. In fourth place, we have Slytherin with 378 points,” scattered applause, “Hufflepuff, with 398 points in third,” slightly louder applause, “In second place, with 415 points Ravenclaw,” a loud applause, “and in first, Gryffindor with 450,” there was a loud thundering applause from the Gryffindor table and polite applause from Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. “Well done, Gryffindor,” applauded the Headmaster, “well done. Now everyone, tuck in!”

“Made it!” shouted Ally as they entered the compartment the next morning.

“Obviously,” laughed Sirius, “I should’ve known the early thing was a fluke.”

She responded by sticking her tongue out him to which he rolled his eyes and continued reading the Daily Prophet. She and Alice attempted to get comfortable.

“I’m really starting to get bored with Lily and Toni leaving us every time we get on the train,” whined Ally.

James smirked, “I’m sorry we’re not as entertaining as Evans and Nettie.”

“You’re right,” sighed Ally wistfully, “you’re not.”

Remus rolled his eyes but Sirius started talking from behind his paper, “We’ve been thinking the same thing. We’ve been so distracted lately we haven’t had the chance to have any fun. That’s all about to change.”

“I take it next year, the marauders will be back with a vengeance,” cracked Ally.

“Something like that,” he shrugged.

“I wouldn’t be too sure about that if I were you,” warned Alice, “we’ll be fifth years which means two of us will be prefects. Then there are our OWLs to worry about.”

Alexis sat up, “You know that didn’t occur to me. Well, Toni and I certainly won’t be prefects, not with you and Lily around.” She turned to the boys, “My money’s on Remus.”

“Of course, it’ll be Remus,” chuckled Sirius, “it couldn’t possibly be James or I and Pete’s got enough to deal with what with his grades and all. Remus is a shoe in.”

“Thanks Sirius,” muttered Rem, “but I’m not exactly looking forward to it considering it’ll be my job to keep you two in line and you’ve just promised to get into more trouble than you have before.”

“No worries, Rem,” assured James, “we’ll take your new position of authority into consideration and we’ll make sure that you’re never implicated in any of our fun.”

“You should also promise to behave around him so he won’t have to punish you,” added Alice helpfully.

James and Sirius exchanged looks. Sirius nodded, “You’re right Alice. While Remus is a prefect we’ll have to be extremely stealth.”

Alexis started laughing and they stared at her.

“I was just remembering the last time James tried to be stealth,” she snorted, “I believe he stepped on my foot and then tripped.”

Everyone but James laughed and Sirius added, “Obviously we’ll have to work on his coordination.” At this, James threw a pawn from his chess set at Sirius’ head.

“Hey!” he shouted, “not fair. Prince made the joke. Attack her.”

“He would,” she laughed, “if he weren’t scared of me.”

“That’s ridiculous,” shrugged Peter.

“No it’s not,” cried James, “making Ally mad when she has access to her wand is never a good idea. In fact, now that I think about it she was just as scary without one. When we were five, I decided to-“

“They don’t want to hear that story, James,” his cousin warned. Sirius put away his paper, “Oh but we do.”

Before Alexis could say anything else, Connor Fitzgerald appeared in their doorway. “Can I have a word?” he asked.

Alexis nodded and got up, “Do not tell the story James.” Her cousin smirked and she left knowing when she got back everyone in the compartment would know about the time she got furious with James for making fun of her and got her revenge by levitating her mother’s favorite vase over his head and letting it fall. She had gotten in so much trouble because James went crying to her Aunt Joey.

“Ally?” Connor called.

She shook her head, “Yeah. What’s up?”

He shuffled his feet a little, “I just wanted to say bye in case I didn’t get the chance when we got off the train.”

“Oh,” she frowned, “right. Well, I’ll see you next term then.”

“See you around Ally,” he said as he walked to the front.

Awkward, she thought.

When she got back, her friends were laughing.

“Don’t make her mad,” warned Sirius, pretending to duck.

“Why not?” asked Peter, “there are no breakables here.”

“Ha-ha,” she mocked, “did you tell them the part where you went crying to Aunt Joey and my parents made me apologize and grounded me for a week?”

“Left out the crying part,” he admitted as the boys snickered. “Come on guys,” he added, “I was five.”

As the train came to a stop, they said their goodbyes to Sirius who had gotten in trouble over winter break for being seen with them.

“Later mate,” James said, as he clasp him on the back. Peter and Remus did the same. Alice hugged him and whispered something no one else could hear. He turned to Ally as the rest of them headed out.

“Well, I guess I’ll see you in a few months,” she muttered.

“It does seem horribly long doesn’t it?” he joked. She suddenly got very serious and moved close to him, “Promise me that if you even think that they’re going to hurt you…Promise me, you’ll go to James’.”

“Worried about me?” he whispered as he leaned in. She smiled, “Hell yes. I’d miss you-“ He cut her off by embracing her tightly, “I’ll be fine Princess. I promise.” He held her for a moment before letting her go. “Promise?” she pressed.

“I promise,” he muttered, “you worry too much. You’re going to wrinkles.” She laughed as she pushed him out of the compartment, “Find your brother and tell him I hope he has a good break.”

“Will do,” he nodded as he headed in the opposite direction.

As Ally hopped off the train, Toni turned to her, “Took you quite a while to say ‘bye’ didn’t it?”

“Shut up,” she laughed as she linked arms with her friend and went to meet with the rest of the group.

Feedback please!

[MarauderGrl]

Hello all. New post. I hope people are still reading even though I've been so remiss with posting until recently. Now for your reading pleasure, the beginning of year 5!


Never had Alexis Prince looked forward to going back to Hogwarts as much as she did the summer before her fifth year. The danger that had been building over the past three years was palpable. She was in a constant state of panic waiting for her parents to return home from work. She hadn’t been allowed to train at St. Mungo’s because her parents were terrified of her leaving the house. She understood why but that didn’t stop her from going stir crazy. She was also constantly worried about her friends especially Lily Evans and Sirius Black. The fact that Lily was a muggle born made her a target for Riddle or Lord Voldemort as he apparently preferred to be called now. Sirius was in a constant state of limbo as most of his family members were in some way involved with Lord Voldemort. She felt like they were hoping he would change his mind and join them. If he didn’t, he would be considered a blood traitor and have to be dealt with. Though he seemed confident that they wouldn’t do him in, she didn’t care too much for the alternative either. The sooner they were back at Hogwarts, the safer they’d been. Not only that, but they’d be together and could look out for each other. Clinging to that hope was what got her through the break and to her current location: King’s Cross.

“Alright, Alexis,” began her father as her mother hugged her tightly, “remember to follow the rules this year. Don’t even consider bending them. Those rules are there for your safety. Be very careful.”

“I will Papa,” she assured him as she stretched out her arms for a hug. He shook his head and squeezed her tightly, “I love you.”

“Careful, Uncle Ethan,” came a familiar voice, “you’ll crack her ribs and I’m not sure she can heal herself yet.” Alexis smiled and let go as she turned to embrace her cousin, “How’ve you been?”

“Trapped,” he responded in a solemn voice. She nodded, “I know the feeling.”

“On the train,” ordered her father, suddenly back in auror mode after his momentary lapse into father mode.

They each hugged their parents and their respective aunt and uncle, and climbed aboard.

“We ought to find a compartment,” sighed James. Alexis followed and they made their way to the middle of the train.

“Perfect,” he sighed as he sat down. Alexis looked around, “I wonder where everyone else is. I mean we know Remus and Lily are prefects so they’ll be up front but what about everyone else?”

“Evans is a prefect?” he nodded, “that’s nice.” She stood up, “I think I’m going to go look for Toni. I’m sure she’s in Sev’s compartment-“

“No, she’s not,” her friend’s voice came from the corridor. They waited a moment before she appeared at the door, “My boyfriend has horrible taste in friends. They’re all such creepers. No wonder they can’t get girlfriends.” She hugged both Alexis and James as Ally turned on her cousin, “So what’s your excuse cuz?”

“Aw, lay off Ally,” a familiar voice suggested, “We haven’t even left the station yet.” Relief swept over her and Alexis spun around and embraced him tightly, “Black!”

Unseen to their friends, Toni and James exchanged a look.

“Hey Princess,” he murmured, “I told you I’d be fine.” She held on for another moment then let go. When she stepped back, she saw that though he looked a little thinner than she remembered he was still in good spirits and health. Good, she thought, both he and Lily came out of this. Sirius and James exchanged hugs and handshakes then Toni hugged him.

“Well,” sighed Alice happily as she and Peter, “the gang’s all here.” They all exchanged hugs then sat down.

“Lily said she and Remus would pop in later,” Alexis told them as she settled herself next to Sirius. They all prepared themselves for the train ride ahead. Halfway through the voyage, Remus and Lily made their appearance. Once again, there were hugs and shouts of welcome.

“So how’s it feel to be in charge?” joked Ally as everyone took their seats.

“It sounds like it’s going to cut into our social lives,” commented Lily, “now I know why Jack and I rarely see each other.”

“By the way,” added Remus, “the new Head Boy and Girl want to meet with you two,” he pointed to Alexis and Sirius, “so they can be in the loop.”

“Who are they?” asked Ally.

“Emma, the former Ravenclaw prefect and since none of the guys who were prefects last year are seventh years, yet,” explained Lily, “the Headmaster chose Grant McLaggen. He’s a seventh year Hufflepuff.”

“What do we think of him?” asked Sirius.

“We think as one now?” cracked Ally, “well we think I should-“

“He seems on the level,” assured Remus, “good even tempered guy.”

Sirius nodded and turned to Alexis, “Don’t pout. You can continue your joke if you really think it was that funny.” She glared at him but said nothing.

“Ugh,” he groaned, “is this going to be the silent treatment?”

“Please,” snorted James, “like Ally could be quiet for that long.”

She rolled her eyes and stole Sirius’ Daily Prophet. The rest of the compartment ignored her but Sirius was determined to make her talk.

“So I was thinking of chopping off all my hair,” he told her, “what do you think?”

She glanced at him and thought, I think it would do you good, but said nothing. He leaned in and whispered quietly, “Are you forgetting I can tell what you’re thinking?” She continued to stare at him but said nothing.

“Aw,” he muttered, not bothering to scoot away, “I’m sorry, Princess.”

She smiled and moved towards him, “I win,” she whispered back.

As they separated, she could’ve sworn she heard him mutter ‘not fair’. Smiling slightly to herself, she returned to the newspaper. It reported the news the same way it had over the break. Alexis was pleased that Toni’s mother, who had recently taken over the post of editor after the natural death of the previous one, reported the truth. Even her father, who despised most media outlets, had complimented the prophet’s practice of getting the proper information to its audience.

Before they knew it, they had reached Hogsmeade. Remus and Lily had gone to help organize the students. They found a carriage quickly and made their way to the castle. As they entered the Great Hall, there was the usual buzz and commotion. A couple of moments after they sat down, the doors to the hall opened and Professor McGonagall walked in with a group of small and terrified first years. As usual, everyone got silent which appeared to frighten the new students even more. Alexis snickered as she remembered their sorting and turned to Alice, “Remember when we were sorted?”

Alice smiled, “Yeah, how Sirius and James strutted as though they were about to be knighted?” The girls dissolved into silent laughter and Ally had to put her head on the table to keep from laughing aloud. By the time, the two of them regained their composure; Professor McGonagall was already on the F’s.

“Fitzgerald, Rose,” she called. Alexis looked down the table at Ian and mouthed, “Your sister?” He nodded and she watched as the smallest of the girls walked to the front. After sitting for a moment underneath the hat, it decided:

“Gryffindor!”

The Gryffindor table applauded and little Rose made her way back to her brother. Alexis saw her look over at the Hufflepuff table and she saw Connor wave at her. The girl smiled and waved back.

“I take it we have the pleasure of having the youngest Fitzgerald in our number,” Sirius whispered across the table to Ally. She nodded and looked down the table. The girl really was frightfully small and seemed quite shy. The opposite of her brothers, she thought. She looked a bit like Lily with red hair but instead of Lily’s green eyes, hers were blue.

“I’d like to welcome all of our students both old and new,” announced the Headmaster, “and as usual I shall make my speech as short as possible so that you may all have dinner.” Alexis zoned out as her grandfather gave the same speech she was sure he’d been giving for years. Finally, she heard the word ‘enjoy’ and saw everyone start eating. As everyone finished up, Alexis watched Ian and his sister. She’d always wanted a big brother but the closest she got was Kingsley…or maybe James though he was only a month older so it didn’t really count.

“Ally?” Toni called, “you ready?” She nodded, “Yeah, sorry.” Lily and Remus had already taken the first years to the tower. The six of them walked to Gryffindor tower in relative quiet as they were now exhausted. As they reached the common room, they wished one another good night and headed upstairs.

The next morning, the girls got ready for class. Living together for the better part of four years had created a system. Everyone got fifteen minutes in the bathroom. Alice, who was usually first awake and whose morning routine took about five minutes went first. Lily went next and only used ten minutes. Ally went third and used the full fifteen whereas Toni always went last and took closer to twenty.

“Come on Toni,” Alexis called to her, “we don’t have all morning.” After giving herself one last look over in the mirror, Alexis decided she would wait downstairs with everyone else.

“I’m heading down,” she called just as Toni opened the door, “Give me five and I’ll be done. Promise.” Alexis nodded and continued to look at herself in the mirror. Unlike the rest of her friends, she hadn’t grown much and was just over five feet. Alice was close to her height but Toni and Lily were both practically models at 5’7”. Alexis looked at her hair which had grown back to shoulder length like Lily’s. She constantly debated cutting it short like Alice and Toni’s but couldn’t go through with it.

“You look beautiful,” Toni piped up, “as always.”

Alexis smiled, “Yeah with a little help from my friends in that bag.”

“Give me a break Al,” scoffed her friend, “neither you nor I need those bags. They just make us feel comfortable.”

“Ever wish we were as comfortable without those bags as Lily and Alice seem to be?” wondered Ally.

Toni shook her head, “Not really. Let’s go.” Alexis nodded, grabbed her school bag and followed.

“About time,” commented James as they entered the common room.

“We’re always worth the wait,” joked Toni, as she followed Alice, Lily, Peter and Remus, who had been waiting by portrait hole, out. James smirked and hurried after with Ally and Sirius following.

“So,” whispered Alexis, “Bellatrix and Lucius have left. Who are your new stalkers?”

Sirius smirked, “Cissy and Reg. I’ve already talked to both of them.”

“And?” she prodded. He made a face and did a startling impression of his cousin, “I could care less what you do.”

Alexis laughed, “But won’t they be expected to report back?”

“Well,” he shrugged, “Trix took the job to an extreme. At this point my parents have practically disowned me so as long as I don’t do anything to bring shame to the family name, they don’t care.”

“How odd,” frowned Ally. Sirius cleared his throat, “You saw how focused Trix was on her work for,” he smirked, “Voldemort, right?” Alexis nodded and he continued, “I think that’s why she made such a big deal of this. My parents have accepted that I’m a disappointment but Trix, well, she kind of hoped she could make me ‘see the light’, if you will.”

“Huh,” she nodded, “Oh well. At least this year you’ll have a semi peaceful life.”

“Other than the fact that the outside world is going to hell right?” he reminded.

She smirked, “Yeah, other than that.” He chuckled as they sat down. Alexis noticed a number of girls were looking at her with distaste and she remembered that she was single…

“I suppose I shouldn’t expect to make any new girlfriends,” she muttered. Sirius frowned and looked around. He made a face, “Right. Now that you’re single you’re a threat.”

She laughed, “I guess so. I promise to control myself.” He smirked, though she wished he hadn’t. That stupid smirk, she thought, it’s like he knows. They ate their breakfast in peace before Alice piped up, “We should head to class.”

“I’m so glad we have charms first thing in the morning this year,” commented Toni, “going straight to potions or transfiguration first thing was never a good idea.”

“Hear, hear,” added James, “I can’t handle Slughorn unless it’s at the end of the day. McGonagall on the other hand-“

“Absolutely adores you,” finished Lily in a slightly annoyed tone.

James chuckled, “Well Evans it’s a draw on who worships you more Slughorn or Flitwick.”

“I vote Slughorn,” piped up Ally, “because you’re the only one who tolerates his nonsense.”

“That’s not true,” responded Lily defensively, “Black does too!”

All eyes turned to Sirius who shrugged, “She’s got you there Al.” Alexis frowned and said nothing.

“Hello fifth years,” squeaked Flitwick as they entered, “I have a special lesson prepared today. Has anyone heard of a disillusionment charm?” James and Sirius looked instinctively at Alexis who blushed.

Professor Flitwick smiled, “Judging by the looks on the faces of Mr. Potter and Mr. Black, I take it you have some experience with disillusionment charms, Ms. Prince?” Ally cleared her throat and managed, “Kind of.”

“Well don’t be shy,” he called, “make your father proud.”

She blushed even harder. Over the summer, the auror office had been getting a lot of publicity and as her father and godfather were the top aurors, Alexis was also becoming more well known, much to her chagrin.

She walked to the front of the classroom and the professor taught the class the incantation, and then had her demonstrate. He then decided to pair up the class to practice. Unfortunately, for Ally, the professor decided that the person in the class who needed the most help could use her assistance.

“Focus Pete,” she instructed him, “You have to remember the proper wand movements. You’re doing alright with everything else, I can tell. You just have to make the movements second nature.” After another try, he managed to disillusion his hand.

“Well done,” gasped Ally, “now that you’ve got the wand movements down you have to follow through.” Peter nodded and appeared to be pleased with having done at least as well as some of the other students.

After charms, Lily, Ally and Sirius headed to Ancient Runes while Peter, Toni and Alice headed to Divination and James and Remus went to the library.

“Sorry if we embarrassed you,” whispered Sirius as they sat down at the table the three of them shared. Alexis frowned, “It’s no big deal.”

He smiled, “Good…” They sat in silence, Ally half-expecting him to say something else but he didn’t. They continued to work on their translations until they were dismissed.

“Those translations were tough, weren’t they?” Lily asked as they made their way to the Great Hall.

“That they were,” agreed Ally, “looks like Alice has been right about the whole OWL thing.”

Lily nodded, “I almost wish I weren’t a prefect. It’d give me more time to study.”

“It would,” granted Alexis, “but that would drive you mad. Being a prefect will take your mind off tests and class for at least a few hours of day and that’s probably a good thing. I’m already afraid Alice is going to drive herself and the rest of us mad.”

When they sat down for lunch, James and Remus were already there and shortly after Toni, Alice and Peter joined them.

“I’m so glad we have time to study now,” Alice piped up, “I’ve created a schedule that devotes the proper amount of time to each subject. Of course I’ve taken into consideration my ability in each of the subjects so I’ll be spending a bit more time on transfiguration and potions than I will on charms and herbology and then there’s defense to consider…by the way does anybody know anything about the new professor?”

“Alice,” Alexis warned, “don’t forget to breathe. We’ll find out about Professor Morgan tomorrow.”

“Is she an auror?” asked Remus casually.

“Nah,” shrugged Ally, “there was a lot of conflict about whether or not to send another auror but they figured we were safe enough without them and like Kingsley said it’s not like people are beating down the doors of the Ministry willing to sign up.”

“Maybe not,” shrugged Alice, “but I’m sure there are some students here that are hoping for a career as an auror.”

“Anyone we know?” laughed Toni. Alexis saw Sirius and James exchange a look and she shook her head. Because no one else had noticed this, she’d talk to them about it later. She remembered James saying in their first year that he wanted to be an auror but there was no way that he would still do it…and Sirius, his family definitely wouldn’t stand for that. She made a mental note to talk to them later and focused her attention back on the conversation at hand.

“If anybody wants it, I can help you make a schedule,” offered Alice to the group at large. Sirius and James exchanged looks of horror and Toni snorted into her pumpkin juice. Lily, Remus and Alexis exchanged looks of sympathy while Peter leapt at the offer.

“I’d love the extra help,” he assured Alice who seemed pleased to know that she wasn’t the only one who was worried about the exams that would decide their future.

“Thanks anyway Alice,” piped up Remus, “but I’ve sort of come up with my own schedule.”

“I figured you wouldn’t need my help Remus,” she shrugged, “you’re always so focused.” She seemed to cast a pointed glance in the direction of Sirius and James when she said this. Then she turned to Lily and Ally, “What about you two? Care to take me up on this very generous offer?”

The group laughed a little and Lily shook her head, “I’ve already got a plan thanks.”

“Ally?” pressed Alice.

“I was thinking I’d just focus on getting through the term,” confessed Alexis, “I don’t plan on studying for OWLs until after the winter break.”

At this, Remus, Peter, Alice and Lily looked as though she’d just confessed to some horrific crime while Toni, Sirius and James seemed proud.

“That’s more like it,” commented Toni, “I’m so glad I have you on my side.”

No one said anything for a moment then Alice spoke again, “Well, I for one am going to go get started on my divination log. I can’t believe she wants us to make predictions for an entire month. I wish I could just focus on the two rolls of parchment Professor Flitwick wants on disillusionment charms.”

“Relax, Alice,” cooed Toni, “all you have to do is flip through Unfogging the Future and pick random events that seem likely to happen and scatter in some really cryptic stuff.”

Peter frowned, “Do you really think that’ll work?”

“Of course,” laughed Toni, “divination is basically just creative lying.”

The group exchanged looks and Alexis piped up, “I’ll help you with the disillusionment homework.”

Alice looked incredibly relieved, “Oh, thank you Ally. Can we go now?”

“Um, sure,” agreed her friend. “Why not?”

The girls headed to the library sans Toni who had made plans with her boyfriend.

“You know what I just realized?” asked Alexis as she and Lily sat down in a quiet corner and Alice went to find books on disillusionment charms.

“What’s that?” whispered Lily.

Alexis looked around to make sure Madam Pince wasn’t hovering, “I’m the only one of us who’s single. It’s an odd feeling.”

Lily frowned, “You know that thought never occurred to me,” she paused, “you know you don’t have to be single…”

“You’re going to push Connor on me now, aren’t you?” hissed Alexis.

“Better him than Black,” Lily shot back.

“I thought,” muttered Ally, “that we were over that.”

“Depends on what you mean,” shrugged Lily, “do you mean you thought people were done assuming you and Black belonged together or are you alluding to the fact that Black is an arrogant bullying prat when he’s not around you?”

Alexis stared, “What are you talking about?”

“I think I’ve said too much,” confessed Lily looking down at her work. Alexis stared at her but before she could say anything else, Alice joined them. The girls exchanged a look and focused on their homework for the rest of the afternoon.

After dinner, while Lily was on patrol with Remus, Alexis headed downstairs to the common room.

“I saw the look you two exchanged at lunch,” she announced unceremoniously as she joined them. The boys looked up from what they were doing but said nothing.

“You know,” she continued, “I’m not worried about it. Neither of your families will let it happen…and in case you’re forgetting, I’ve got connections that can be used to keep you two out.”

They stared at her and she frowned, “I don’t want to play it this way but I will. Neither of you are risking your lives. I’ll stop you.”

“You know Al,” James said speaking finally and in a firmer tone than he’d ever taken with her, “considering they’re desperate for aurors, I don’t think they’ll deny two of Hogwarts top students…especially one with Sirius’ connections,” he added glancing from his friend to his cousin.

“Speaking of connections,” she replied evenly, “you do realize your parents won’t stand for this either, don't you? You’re their only son James. They’ll play on Papa’s sympathies and he won’t have any choice but to cave.”

“Maybe,” granted her cousin, “but he doesn’t have the final say. Moody does.”

“Alastor Moody’s my godfather,” she reminded him, “what I tell him carries a lot of weight. He’ll have a very hard time denying me anything I ask for.”

“Moody will do what’s best for the greater good,” amended James, “it’s what aurors do.”

“Well, it all sounds very noble when you put it like that but you don’t know what you’re getting yourself into,” she snapped, “do you want a family? Do you want to protect the people you love? You’re going to have a hell of a time doing that if you’re an auror. If you become an auror, everyone you care about is going to be in constant danger. Think about it. Think about my grandmother,” she added tearfully, “your aunt. The way my mother and I have to live fearing for the safety of my father and the life he lives fearing for us.” At this point, she couldn’t go on and was immensely grateful that the common room was practically deserted. Her cousin stood up, sat next to her, wrapping his arms around her, and whispered, “Don’t worry, cuz. It’ll be years before I can even start training. Calm down okay?” She nodded and sniffed, “Promise me you’ll think about what I said…or better yet,” she decided a wonderful idea occurring to her, “Promise me you’ll talk to Papa.”

He nodded, at this point willing to give her anything to stop the tears, “I promise.”

“Both of you,” she warned, looking sternly at Sirius, “I haven’t forgotten you Black. Everything I said to James applies to you too.”

Sirius chuckled, “Yes, because I’m sure your father would love nothing more than to have a nice little chat with yours truly.”

“If you’re unwilling to talk to Papa fine,” she conceded, knowing that her father and Sirius didn’t exactly click, “then promise me you’ll talk to Moody-“

“Your godfather?” he laughed, “that sounds safer.” Due to James’ slackened grip, she was able to get herself loose and move over to where Sirius was lounging across the chair and sat on the very edge, making them face to face.

“Promise me that you’ll talk to Alastor Moody before you make any decisions about your future,” she demanded in a deathly quiet voice. He stared at her for a split second before nodding, “You win Princess.” She let out a sigh of relief then smiled slightly, “I always do.”

Before any of them could say anything else, Lily and Remus entered. She sighed as she stood up, “Time for round two,” the boys heard her groan before she called, “Lil, wait up!”

Remus turned to Sirius and James, “I know that look. She was upset. What happened?”

“Well remember at lunch when we were talking about aurors?” asked James casually.

Remus nodded, “Yes. Frankly I was amazed that the two of you didn’t jump at the topic considering-“ It clicked, “Ally figured it out didn’t she?”

James nodded, “She tried to forbid us from it but when I told her we could find ways around her she lost it and started pleading with us.” He paused, “I’ve never seen her so upset. It was scary-“

“Scary like she was going to knock you over the head with levitating pottery?” joked Sirius.

James scoffed, “Please Sirius. You caved too.”

“What do you mean?” pressed Remus.

“She made us promise to talk to Uncle Ethan and Alastor Moody before we agreed to anything,” explained James.

“Well, that’s perfectly reasonable request,” agreed Remus. His friends gave him a look and he continued, “Ally cares about you, both of you, more than you know. She’s proven she’ll go above and beyond for the people she cares for. The least you can do is humour her.”


Feedback please!

[MarauderGrl]

I'm on it. What can I say?

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Come on Lil,” pleaded Ally, “just tell me what you meant before. What’s been going on while my back’s been turned?”

Lily shook her head, “It’s not as important as you’re making it out to be.”

“If it weren’t you wouldn’t be holding it against him,” she corrected, “I need to know what Black’s been up to-“

“Why?” demanded her friend, eyebrow arched.

“Why what?” wondered Ally aloud.

“Why do you need to know what he’s been up to?” repeated her friend, “you’re not,” her eyes widened, “you don’t…”

“Complete sentences, Lils,” she requested.

“You haven’t fallen for him, have you?” inquired Lily.

Alexis shook her head, “Of course not. I just want to know what he’s been doing. You said bullying. Who? Who has he been bullying?”

“You know,” assured Lily.

“If it’s Sev,” she suggested, “I don’t consider that bullying. I consider it fighting and I learned long ago to just accept it.”

“It’s not bullying if it’s two on one,” adjusted Lily.

“Sev has friends,” reminded Ally.

Lily rolled her eyes, “You’re just like Remus. Turning a blind eye and letting them have free reign-“

“I’ll talk to them okay?” she snapped, “just remember that Sev isn’t completely innocent in all this. He gives just as good as he gets…sometimes worse.”

“I suppose offering to talk to them is the best I can hope to expect from you,” granted Lily, “just don’t expect me to take the same tact. If I see them picking on him, I will give them detention.”

Alexis sighed. When it came to James and Sirius, Lily was blinded by her friendship with Severus and her conviction that Sirius and James were nothing but spoiled attention seeking gits. No evidence to the contrary would convince her otherwise.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The next morning, as they headed to Potions, Ally pulled her cousin and Sirius back to walk with her.

“So I’ve heard that you two have been double teaming Sev,” she offered conversationally. The two of them looked at her and James scrunched his nose.

“Don’t bother saying anything James,” she cut in, “you have a tell so I know you’re about to lie to me. Anyhow, here’s the thing. Back off. It’s unfair-“

“Look,” intervened Sirius calmly, “your dear cousin attacks us whenever the mood strikes him. Asking us to sacrifice our safety because of our loyalty to you is unfair. Besides, I don’t see you asking him to stop.”

She smiled as they got to the doorway of the dungeons, “I’m hoping you two will be the better men…”

“Or at least try not to get caught?” he offered.

She nodded, “I know it’s the best I can hope for and it’ll get Lily off my case.”

He grimaced, “You have our word. We’ll be stealth.” Then he smirked, her favorite smirk, and let her go first into the classroom.

“Welcome class!” called Professor Slughorn, “as you are undoubtedly aware, OWLs are coming up. Taking that into consideration, I have decided to change the seating arrangement.”

Everyone exchanged glances and James looked downright terrified, “Is there anyway we could stay where we are if we feel it would be for the benefit of our education?”

Slughorn chuckled, “I vaguely recall you protesting the last time I created a seating arrangement. It appears you’ve grown rather attached to your talented partner.”

“I have sir,” he continued, “and the separation would be too much for me to bear-“

The Gryffindors all laughed and even some of the Slytherins attempted to suppress smiles.

“I’m sure you’ll manage Mr. Potter,” the Professor shrugged, “Now then, I feel that in order to prepare you properly, I shall separate the talented from the,” he paused, “less so. I think this will encourage the talented to fulfill their potential and it will force those of you who have perhaps been using your partners as crutches to work harder.”

Alexis glanced at James who she had become accustomed to working with and saw that he had taken the hit personally. She then looked over at Toni who seemed to feeling the same way as James. It really was unnecessarily cruel of Slughorn to behave this way. Ally couldn’t help but feel angry on behalf of her cousin and her friend.

“Now then,” Slughorn continued, “When I call your name you will go your new seat and start on today’s potion,” he flicked his wand and the instructions magically appeared on the board.

“Alright, James Potter and Antoinette Shacklebolt,” he called. James and Toni looked extremely relieved and sat down at the first desk. Alexis had a horrible feeling that she saw where Slughorn was headed and by the time he had gotten halfway through the new arrangement, she knew she was right. He had arranged the students based on how good they were at Potions. She exchanged a look with Lily who was standing next to her and saw that her friend noticed it too. It was only a matter of time until the rest of the class caught on. When the last four were remaining, everyone in the class knew what was happening.

“This is extremely difficult, “ Slughorn told them as the rest of the class started working, “some combinations are obviously better than others,” at this, Sirius and Severus exchanged a look, “but in the end, I feel that sharing workspace with the person you feel the least animosity to will probably be most conducive to learning. In that spirit, Mr. Snape and Ms. Evans here,” he gestured, “and you two can take the desk next to them.” Alexis and Lily instinctively took the seats near the aisle to separate Sirius and Severus further.

“Can you believe him?” hissed Alexis out of the corner of her mouth while she worked on preparing her ingredients.

Lily shook her head, “This is going too far. It’s elitist!”

“Just like a Slytherin,” added Sirius in an undertone that only Ally could hear.

The girls shook their heads and returned to their work. Alexis was half-tempted to sabotage her potion to prove a point about Slughorn’s discriminatory agenda but with a heavy heart decided against it. Potions was crucial to her career as a healer and selfish though it was, she wasn’t going to sacrifice that dream for a protest that could be easily written off as a case of nerves or the like.

“You know I’m seriously considering botching this potion just to prove a point,” hissed Sirius as he watched Slughorn lecture James and Toni as though they were idiots.

Alexis looked up at him, surprised that they were in so in harmony, “I considered that too but potions figure prominently in our career aspirations and you know he would just chalk it up to something completely insignificant.”

He sighed, “I know you’re right,” he glanced over, “if only he had partnered me with Snape. I could’ve ruined his potion.”

Alexis rolled her eyes, “He would’ve cursed you first.” The two exchanged a smile and carried on. By the end of the lecture, everyone was comparing potions with their new partner.

“You know,” Ally commented, “if you had-“ He stared at her and she paused, “Never mind.”

“No Princess,” he laughed, “Proceed. What should I have done differently?”

“Well, if you had added the boomslang skin before the roots then it would be more potent,” she suggested.

“Maybe I don’t want it to be potent,” he suggested, “maybe I just want it to work for the exact time it is supposed to.”

She humoured him, “And why would you want that?”

Before he could answer, Professor Slughorn appeared at their table.

“Very nice,” he praised, “very nice indeed.” He then turned to Lily and Severus while Ally and Sirius bottled their potions.

“I’ll take them to the front,” offered Sirius.

“Sure,” she shrugged, knowing that he wanted to check on James. Ally cleaned up both her mess and Sirius’ out of habit. When he got back, he looked around.

“You didn’t have to do that Al,” he smiled, “I would’ve.”

She shrugged, “I know. It’s no big deal.”

“If you say so,” he replied. The two of them had been given permission to leave and Alexis told Lily she’d meet her at lunch.

“The Great Hall is that way,” commented Sirius as Alexis headed in a different direction. She smiled, “I know. I have to return a book.”

“I can go with you if you like,” he offered.

“Don’t worry,” she assured him, “I’m safe now. Bellatrix and Lucius are gone.”

“I’m not worried,” he laughed, as he headed off in the other direction.

After returning her book, Alexis headed towards the Great Hall.

“Hey Ally!” called a familiar voice.

She turned and saw Connor Fitzgerald coming toward her, with his little sister Rose in tow.

“I was hoping I’d run into you,” he said once they caught up with her, “Heading to lunch?”

“I am,” she nodded, smiling at the young girl next to him.

Connor smiled, “Oh that’s right. You two haven’t met. Rose, this is my friend Alexis Prince. Ally, this is my sister Rose Fitzgerald.”

“It’s nice to meet you Rose,” Alexis assured her with a smile.

The girl nodded, “You too. My brothers have told me a lot about you. Is it true you get to help out in the hospital wing?”

“I do,” responded Alexis.

“That’s awesome,” Rose complimented, “are you going to be a healer?”

Alexis shrugged, “Hopefully. Is that something that you’re interested in?”

“Oh yes,” the younger girl agreed. They had unexpectedly reached the Great Hall and Alexis was eager to join her friends, “If you want to Rose, we can finish this conversation later this afternoon?”

“That would be great,” she admitted with a smile. Alexis waved goodbye and added, “It was good to see you Connor.”

“You too,” he called back.

“Where have you been?” wondered Toni as Ally sat down.

“I went to return that book on disillusionment charms that Alice checked out,” she reminded them, “remember the really dated one? Anyway, then I ran into Connor and Rose and he introduced us. Apparently, Ian mentioned my healing aspirations and it’s something she’s interested in. I told her we’d talk later.”

She saw her friends exchange looks and she frowned, “What?”

“Nothing,” chorused Toni, Alice, Lily, James and Sirius in very different tones.

That afternoon, the group divided with James and Ally going to muggle studies while Lily, Remus and Alice to arithmancy.

“Try to get some studying done,” Alice reminded Toni, Peter and Sirius. As they walked away, Ally heard Toni and Sirius laughing hysterically.

“Oh that Alice,” laughed Sirius as they walked towards Gryffindor tower, “So Nettie what are your plans?”

“Actually,” she replied looking around, “don’t tell Alice but I’m all for studying. You in?”

“Wouldn’t your dear boyfriend get angry?” he asked, “I mean after all I am devastatingly-“

“Idiotic,” she finished with a laugh, “don’t worry about Sev. He’s doing the arithmancy thing.”

“You coming Peter?” called Sirius. His friend shook his head, “Too tired. I have to get some sleep in. Don’t tell Alice.” He hurried upstairs and they grabbed their books and left.

Upon entering, Toni went to the Potions section and Sirius to the charms. When they reunited at a table in the corner, they commenced studying.

“Has Ally tutored you on disillusionment charms?” asked Sirius after about ten minutes of reading.

“Yeah, why?” she wondered.

“I’m struggling with the theory a little bit,” he confessed.

Toni frowned, “Why not ask her?”

“We’re spending enough time together as is,” he shrugged, “she’s going to start getting annoyed.”

“Ally could never be annoyed with you,” she reminded him, “but if you’re unwilling to get help from her, I’ll be your surrogate. Just don’t get any ideas because Sev would do you great bodily harm.” She added, smiling slightly, while grabbing one book while simultaneously pushing another towards him, “Use that one. Ally says the other is really dated.” He nodded and began reading. Before they knew it, it was time for defense against the dark arts. By the time they reached the classroom, everyone else had already shown up.

“Where have you two been?” asked James.

“Lost track of time,” shrugged Toni as she sat down next to Alice. Before anyone could say anything else, the new defense against the dark arts professor entered.

“Hello class,” she said, “I’m Professor Morgan and I’ll be your new Defense against the Dark Arts professor. In the interest of familiarizing myself with all of you, I thought it might be prudent for you to introduce yourselves.”

They went through introducing themselves and the Professor smiled, “It is my understanding that you all have a basic knowledge of dark creatures and defensive spells. This is good but not good enough. I know I don’t have to tell any of you the importance of defense not only for your OWLs, which I’m sure you’ve been reminded of constantly, but also for the outside world.”

The class sat in silence and she continued, “I’m going to give you an outline of what I hope to cover this term. There will be a heavy focus on using defensive spells and learning about aspects of dark magic some of you may never had heard of. Of course, there are some of you who may know more which is wonderful but don’t worry. By the time you finish this year, it is my sincerest hope that you will all be more than capable of handling yourselves in a dangerous situation. That being said, I want one roll of parchment on what you already know and what you wish to learn from this class. Feel free to go in depth but I’m only requiring one roll of parchment. Now then, it looks as though we only have a few minutes left. Does anyone have any questions?”

The group exchanged glances and finally James raised his hand.

“Yes Mr. Potter?” the professor responded.

He cleared his throat, “I’m curious, what did you do before you came to Hogwarts?”

The professor smiled, “Well, I am an Unspeakable at the Department of Mysteries but I’m on temporary leave.”

“What does an unspeakable do?” asked Lily, curiously.

“The unspeakable,” muttered Sirius out of the corner of his mouth. James, Ally and Remus who were nearest worked to suppress their laughter.

Alexis had a sneaking suspicion Professor Morgan heard him because she smiled thinly and replied, “I’m not at liberty to say Ms. Evans. It’s kind of a rule.”

Lily frowned but nodded. The professor looked at her watch again and then waved a hand, “Well, until next time then.”

They walked together but no one spoke until they reached the end of the hall.

“She was-,” began Toni.

“Unexpected?” finished Remus.

“And gorgeous,” added Ally.

The boys turned to her, shocked but the girls nodded.

“I know,” agreed Lily, “and young.”

While the girls continued to talk about how pretty the new defense professor was, James turned to Sirius, “Are they allowed to talk about that?”

Sirius and Remus laughed and followed the girls to Gryffindor tower.

Upon entering, Ava Finnigan appeared, “Al darling!”

“Ava dearest!” Ally called back as they embraced, “When’s practice?”

“I see you’re as eager as I am to make sure our streak remains intact,” her friend joked.

“Of course,” she laughed. Ava smiled, “Good to hear. First practice is next weekend. Our first match is set against Hufflepuff. Let’s hope your hold over Connor Fitzgerald lasts. He’s their new Captain you know.”

Alexis shook her head, surprised, “I didn’t. I wouldn’t count on his chivalry getting the best of him now that he’s Captain.”

“Neither would I,” added Ian Fitzgerald as he joined them, “his teammates gave him a hell of a time after that final match.” Ally felt uneasy as she always did whenever the topic of Connor Fitzgerald came up. She knew he liked her but she just didn’t feel the same way. He was attractive and they had a lot in common but she’d never really looked at him that way.

“Well,” shrugged Ava, “that’s fine. I suppose…We’ll just have to use our talent to get the best of them.”

“Hear, hear,” added James. Alexis noticed that Sirius had wandered off at some point and had the distinct impression she knew when.

~*~*~*~*~

He was coming from the library when he bumped into someone. He mumbled an ‘I’m sorry’ and continued without looking up before a voice behind him said, “Hey Black.”

It was then that he realized who it was. With a grim smile, he turned, “So it’s back to being Black then? What about the truce?”

“You know why I did that,” scoffed Connor.

“Of course I know,” shrugged Sirius, “and you should be aware you’re not fooling Al either. She’s too smart for that.”

“Don’t tell me about Alexis,” he hissed, “I know all I need to.”

He shrugged and started to walk away when Connor spoke, “She’s doesn’t want to be with you.”

“Now it would seem to me,” began Sirius, “and correct me if I’m wrong, but it seems to me that perhaps you’re the one she’s not interested in. After all, did she not tell you that quite recently?”

“She’s told you that so many times she’s probably lost count,” hissed Connor.

“Once,” he replied, “Alexis told me to my face that she was not interested in me one time. Do you want to know when that was? First year. We’ve grown up a lot since then.”

“I don’t believe you,” muttered Connor.

Sirius shrugged, “Don’t. Let me let you in on a little secret though. Alexis and I belong together and I haven’t given up on her. Later Fitz,” he added with a smirk.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The first week of classes went by quickly as they tend to do. The Gryffindor fifth years were incredibly anxious about their OWLs as every professor had reminded them of the importance of those exams. Alexis should’ve been studying but instead she was sitting in the Gryffindor common room waiting for Sirius. They had promised Emma and the new Head Boy that they would meet them so they could get the Head Boy up to speed and share their new information. She was starting to get annoyed when the portrait hole opened and he entered slightly out of breath.

“Sorry,” he gasped, “was in the library…studying.” He clutched his side and she frowned, “At least come up with a better lie than that.”

He stood upright, “Would it help if I said I wasn’t studying for exams?”

She laughed, “Much better. You know for such a thin guy you’re surprisingly out of shape.”

“Oh the hilarity,” he mumbled. As he made his way to the door, Alexis could tell he needed help. She grabbed his arm, put it around her, and put her arm around his waist, “There. We may be able to make it in a decent amount of time now.”

“Thanks Al,” he groaned, “next time you’re spent, I’ll carry you.” She laughed, “Sure, sure.” As they made their way to the meeting place, Sirius started to breath easier.

“Better?” she asked. He smirked, “Is that code for ‘get your hands off me’?”

She rolled her eyes, “I put them there remember?” She blushed when she realized how that sounded and he laughed loudly, “I can agree to those terms. Just say when and where.”

“You’re hilarious,” she scoffed. He inhaled deeply and moved his arm, “I’m good. Thanks Princess.”

“Anytime,” she nodded as they entered the room.

“Ally!” called Em. Alexis walked over and embraced her friend, “Hey. You look great.”

“You too,” she said with a smile, “that’s a nice shade of blush on you.” Sirius smirked a little and went to introduce himself to the Head Boy.

“Hello Alexis,” a familiar voice said. Alexis smiled with recognition, “Jane, since when did things get so formal?”

Jane laughed and hugged her, “I’m glad to hear that.” Everyone exchanged ‘hellos’ and ‘nice to meet yous’.

Alexis heard a sharp whistle and everyone turned to see Grant McLaggen at the front of the room. “Shall we start then?” Alexis laughed and they all took their seats. She and Sirius sat next to Remus and Lily.

“We’ll start with new information so the rest of you can get out of here,” decided Grant, “is that okay with you two?”

Alexis nodded and he continued, “Alright. Now then, thanks to our cooperation with the auror office, they have a list of alleged death eaters. I’m sure most of you know about the list and what that means for us. For those of you don’t, basically, it means that their kids are here and up to no good so we need to keep a special eye on them. Obviously, the Slytherin prefects don’t care so it’s up to us to pay attention. The list is hanging up over there should you feel compelled to remind yourselves of the names of those in question. If you see anyone on the list behaving oddly during your patrols, report it to the next duo. That being said, does anyone have anything to add?” No one said anything so Grant concluded, “Until next time then.”

The group separated into smaller gatherings. Alexis promised Emma, Jane, and Mina that she’d meet them for a drink the next weekend at the Three Broomsticks. Then she said bye to Remus and Lily. She went to join Sirius and Grant but was accosted by Connor Fitzgerald.

“Can I have a word?” he asked. She paused, “Hang on a sec.”

She went over to where Sirius and Grant were sitting and leaned over and whispered to Sirius, “Connor wants to talk. You know everything I do. Can you do this without me?” Sirius nodded. “Thanks Black,” she added before apologizing to Grant and heading out.

“What’s that about?” asked McLaggen when they were gone.

“He’s her gentle stalker,” explained Sirius. Grant laughed, “You’re alright Black. So what do you have for me?”

~*~*~*~*~*~

“What do you need?” asked Alexis as they walked down the corridor.

“Actually,” he began, “I was wondering if you’d be willing to maybe meet me for a drink or something next weekend.”

“Like a date?” she asked.

Connor shrugged, “Sure, but we don’t have to call it that if you don’t want to.”

She nodded, “So we’ll just hang out and have a drink no pressure.”

“Sounds good,” he managed.

She smiled, “Yeah, it does.”

Feedback please!

[MarauderGrl]

Not my favorite post but it's better than nothing.....

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“I’ve never been so thrilled to see Hogsmeade in my life,” sighed Lily happily, as they reached the village the following Saturday.

Toni looked around, “So we’re meeting at The Three Broomsticks around five,” She reminded as she spotted Severus.

“Sure,” agreed Alice as she waved and hurried off to meet Frank. A moment later, Jack O’Malley appeared at Lily’s side and after saying bye to Ally, she went off with him.

“Al!” shouted Em as she waved her over. Ava, Mina and Jane were waiting with her.

“Alright guys,” she sighed as she turned to leave them, “stay out of trouble will you?”

“Sure,” chorused Remus, James and Peter while Sirius stared at her. She looked from him to Jane and laughed, “Don’t worry Black. We have no intention of talking about you.” She waved to the boys and ran off shouting, “Ladies!”

Sirius immediately turned to his friends, “They wouldn’t? Would they?”

“Not with the others there,” assured Remus knowingly.

Alexis spent the morning with Ava, Em, Mina and Jane, laughing and gossiping while learning about what fifth year and beyond had to offer. She had to admit she was as lucky to have these girls, as she was to have her best friends. They offered a different insight and perspective on things. They also knew more about the people at Hogwarts particularly the boys.

“I’m telling you,” Em was saying, “Younger guys are the best. You can basically get whatever you want from them-“

“Not true,” corrected Ava, “older guys are the way to go. They’re so much more-“

“Sure of themselves,” added Mina, “for instance, Kingsley-“

“Kingsley Shacklebolt?” gasped Ally, “you’re dating Kingsley?”

“Sort of,” shrugged Mina, “when he has time…the auror training has kept him really busy lately but he’s meeting me here.”

As though on cue, Alexis heard the familiar voice of her friend, “Mina?”

“Kingsley!” squealed Mina, her face alight with happiness, “you made it!”

He laughed, “I won’t be able to stay long but I wanted to come by and say hello at the very least. Hello ladies,” he added as he wrapped his arms around her.

“Hi,” they chorused.

“Well it’s been lovely but I must be off,” Mina decided.

“Have fun,” smirked Em.

“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” laughed Ava.

“Which basically means nothing’s off limits,” joked Jane.

Mina and Kingsley laughed and hurried off. Alexis looked down at her watch, “Oh I hate to do this but I’ve got to meet someone else.”

“Who?” demanded Em.

“It’s not a date,” she assured them immediately. Before she could say anything else, Connor appeared. Jane, Em and Ava exchanged a look. Ava turned, “Nice to see you Captain Fitzgerald.”

“You too,” he nodded, “what an impressive group, the Gryffindor quidditch captain, the head girl and two of my favorite girls.” The girls smirked at each other and Ava piped up, “Save that charm for your teammates after we mop the floor with you.”

“Always business, Finnigan?” he wondered.

“Almost always,” amended Ava as she noticed an attractive Ravenclaw eyeing her. “If you’ll excuse me.”

“I’ll see you two around,” added Alexis as she got up to leave. Connor nodded to Em and Jane and followed Ally out.

The girls waited a beat before Jane spoke, “I feel so bad for him. He hasn’t got a clue.”

“I know,” sighed Em, “I’ve got early October for when Ally and Sirius get together.”

Jane laughed, “What?”

“There’s a pool,” confided Em, “the prefects, the Gryffindor quidditch team and Ally and Sirius’ friends are all in on it. Ian Fitzgerald and Mina are already out because they thought they would’ve gotten together by the time term started. Jack has early September so he’s out. Frank has late September so theoretically he’s still in the running. I’ve got early October. Toni Shacklebolt took mid and Remus Lupin took late. Ava has early November and Alice has late. James is holding out for early December. Nate has early January, Liv has mid and Peter Pettigrew has late. The only one who’s not betting on this year is Lily Evans. She’s got October of next year. Talk about denial. If you want in, I can make it happen. The pots up to ten galleons!”

“No thanks,” smirked Jane, “but if I had a vote, I’d vote with either Toni or Remus. Whose idea was this?”

Em shook her head, “Who else? James and Toni. They’d make a good couple. I’ve always wondered why they didn’t give it another shot.”

“Because James is hopelessly pining over Lily Evans,” reminded Jane, “If it weren’t for her, I’d totally support a Potter/Shacklebolt pairing.”

“I still can’t believe Toni’s with Severus Snape,” shuddered Em, “I mean seriously? She could do so much better.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Alexis walked for a moment before speaking, “I know we said we’d meet for a drink but I didn’t want things to get awkward.”

“I understand,” he nodded, “so how’s life?”

“Well, you and Frank were right about the OWL thing,” she granted, “I’m more worried about Alice than anyone else. She’s already going spare and it’s barely been a couple of weeks. I wish she had a distraction like quidditch or being a prefect or something. All she does is focus on studying.”

“Well she and Frank are both hoping to be aurors so,” he began.

“Wait what?” she interrupted, “Are you serious? Alice never told me that. This is just brilliant first James and Black now Frank and Alice…is there anyone who doesn’t have a death wish?”

Connor shrugged, “I’m not interested in any of that.”

She stared at him. So uncomplicated and easy. Why didn’t she like him more? She was attracted to him. They had so much in common. He wasn’t interested in risking his life. He wasn’t a bully. It would be so nice. They talked about the usual: quidditch, literature, school. It really was simple and straightforward. Time passed so quickly with him. In fact, before she knew it, it was time to meet the girls at the Three Broomsticks so they could walk back.

“Oh, I’ve got to go,” she frowned, “I promised the girls we’d walk back together.”

“Just the girls?” he pressed. She sighed, “Yes, just the girls.”

“Do you think they would mind if I came with you?” he continued.

She shrugged, “I don’t see why not. Let’s go.”

They walked to the Three Broomsticks where Lily, Toni and Alice were waiting out front. When they saw Connor, each had a unique reaction. Lily seemed pleased, Toni looked amused and Alice appeared disappointed but she handled it well.

“Hello,” Alice managed in a rather pleasant tone.

“Connor,” nodded Lily.

Toni just shook her head, “Fitz.”

The five of them walked toward the castle making small talk. When they reached Gryffindor tower, the girls left Ally and Connor alone to say goodbye.

He stared at her for a moment before bending down and kissing her on the forehead. It took her by surprise but she looked at him and made a snap decision. She moved towards him and that was all it took for him to lean down and kiss her. Alexis was amazed by how strongly she was drawn to him. Kissing Connor was nothing like kissing Remus. He wasn’t delicate with her or afraid of breaking her. She pressed herself against him and he leaned into her. Finally, he literally swept her off her feet so that they were at the same height. She tightened her legs around his waist to keep herself steady. A moment passed before they heard a cough. They broke apart and saw her cousin and Sirius Black staring at them. It took her a moment to remember that she and Connor were in an extremely compromising position.

“Um, Connor?” she whispered softly, “do you think you could put me down?”

He nodded and carefully put her back on the ground.

After another awkward silence passed, James finally spoke, “We were just coming to check and see if you were okay but…you are…aren’t you?” he asked eyeing Connor suspiciously.

“I’m fine James,” she assured him, careful to avoid eye contact with Sirius.

He nodded still eyeing Connor, “Alright…we’ll just be on our way then.” He pointed towards the door and Sirius, who had been avoiding eye contact with everyone, headed towards it. Right after the boys left them, Connor turned her and began rambling, “I know you weren’t sure about us Al so if you want some time-“

“I’m tired of thinking,” she interrupted, as she grabbed him and pulled him to her.

~*~*~*~*~**~

“So…” muttered James, “you want to talk about it?” Though he tried to hide it, he was obviously uncomfortable having seen his cousin that way.

Sirius shook his head and smiled his ready smile, “Are you kidding? I’m fine.”

“You’re sure?” he prodded.

Sirius laughed, “Of course. I’m Sirius Black.”

Alexis couldn’t bring herself to go upstairs after what happened with Connor. She had made sure she looked decent and wasn’t exactly ashamed of what had happened. She just didn’t know how to explain it to her friends. Finally, after a deep breath, she went upstairs. She entered the room and they got quiet.

“How do you know?” she asked, looking in the mirror to see if her appearance had given her away.

“We’re your friends,” reminded Toni, “oh and your hair is a hot mess.”

Lily laughed and Alice frowned, “What does this mean?”

“It means,” she paused, “it means Connor Fitzgerald is one hell of a kisser.”

The girls just stared but changed the subject to their time in Hogsmeade. Alice was in the middle of her story when Ally remembered what Connor had told her.

“Alice,” she interrupted suddenly, “are you really planning on being an auror?”

The girls got quiet, Toni and Lily exchanged looks of shock but Alice just frowned, “Who told you?”

“Connor,” she answered shortly, “he said you and Frank were hoping to join up. Is it true?”

Alice nodded but didn’t look at her, “I was waiting to tell you until I actually got in so you couldn’t do anything to stop it but it looks like that plan isn’t happening. I must remember to thank Connor for that.”

Alexis just stared, “First Black and James now you and Frank, has everyone lost their minds?” She paused waiting for a reaction but as Alice said nothing she sighed, “Okay, I’ve made this request of the boys and they accepted so I’m hoping you will too. Talk to my father, please?” Alice sighed, “Fine. Frank and I will talk to your dad the next time we get the chance.”

She suddenly turned to Lily and Toni, “Please tell me neither of you is considering this?”

“No!” they assured her in unison. Ally sighed, “Good. Sorry I interrupted Alice. Please carry on.” As Alice continued her story, Ally’s head was full of confusing information. First, there was Connor. She had kissed him on impulse, which she knew was completely unfair to him. He really liked her and she…just didn’t feel the same no matter how much she wished she did. He was a perfectly nice guy and it wasn’t fair to confuse him like this. Then suddenly her mind jumped to Sirius. Things had been going so well between them…They’d been getting along and now…Of all the people to witness that particular moment of stupidity, why did it have to be him? More importantly, piped up the annoying voice in the back of her mind who hadn’t spoken in ages, why does it matter? James was there too and you’re not harping on that. Alexis shook her head and started to get ready for bed. Her friends watched in silence but unseen to Ally, Toni mouthed to Alice ‘Told you so’.

The next morning, Ally was determined to talk to Connor and set things right. Unfortunately, she couldn’t find the time.

“Transfiguration,” groaned Toni.

Alice frowned, “At least it’s not first thing in the morning.”

“Yes, but it’s right before lunch,” reminded Toni, “and I can’t focus right before lunch.”

Lily rolled her eyes, “I’m sure the fact that you’re not very good at transfiguration has nothing to do with it.”

Alexis snorted and Toni glared at her. They continued to class and as they turned the corner, Alice and Toni froze causing Lily and Ally to bump into them.

“What-“ began Lily before gasping. Alexis wanted to know what the fuss was about and leaned around her friends. She immediately wished she hadn’t. Standing next to the doorway stood Sirius Black and a beautiful, tall blond girl that Ally recognized as a chaser for the Ravenclaw quidditch team. They were laughing and standing unnaturally close. Sirius was leaning down and whispering to her. Suddenly furious, Alexis cleared her throat ostentatiously and walked toward the classroom. Sirius and his friend looked up but Ally couldn’t make eye contact with either of them so she simply acted as though she couldn’t see them. Taking her usual seat, she was joined by Lily but wouldn’t talk at all. She focused completely on taking notes and asking questions. Professor McGonagall seemed thoroughly confused but appeared to chalk it up to the pressure of OWLs. After class, the girls followed the boys to the Great Hall but Alexis headed in the opposite direction.

“Um Ally?” called Lily, “where are you going?”

She shrugged, “To the library. I want to research today’s topic. I didn’t understand some of it. Don’t worry. I’ll catch up with you in History of Magic.” She waved and headed off, leaving Lily confused.

“What was all that?” whispered Lily as she sat down between Alice and Toni.

“Jealousy,” Toni responded quietly out of the corner of her mouth. Before any of them could say anything else, Connor Fitzgerald appeared behind them.

“Hello ladies,” he greeted them cheerfully, “where’s Ally?”

“She’s doing some research,” replied Alice as though it were the most natural thing in the world.

Connor laughed, “No really, where is she?”

“The library,” elucidated Toni, “you know the place where they keep the books.”

He frowned, “Alright then. I guess I’ll find her later.”

He walked off and the girls ate in silence. They finished with some time to spare and Alice piped up, “Let’s head over there. I bet she’s done studying by now.” They hurried to Professor Binns’ classroom where Alexis was reading.

“Care to explain?” asked Toni, sitting down next to her friend.

“I wish I could,” she sighed, “I have no idea what came over me. I saw him talking to her and I just wanted to-“

“Curse her?” offered Alice with a smile.

Ally smirked, “More like jinx.”

“What about Connor?” demanded Lily, “he was looking for you at lunch you know.”

“I know,” she groaned, “I don’t know what I’m going to say to him. Kissing him was such a stupid thing to do.”

“And why was that?” asked Lily with a frown.

“It was a stupid impulse,” she confessed, “I was thinking about how easy it would be to date him and was hoping-“

“That if you kissed him you would feel something,” surmised Alice.

“Yes,” she admitted, “and I did. I mean we have great chemistry and so much in common but…it wasn’t…right.”

Before they could continue their talk, the rest of the class including the boys entered. Knowing it would look suspicious if they weren’t talking, Toni picked up the slack.

“So Sev is going to tutor me at potions Alice,” she piped up, “would you care to join us?”

“That depends,” giggled Alice, “would we actually be studying?”

“Hey,” interrupted Lily, “what are Ally and I? We’re just as brilliant as Sev possibly more. Why not ask us?”

“Because you have the prefect thing and Ally has quidditch,” explained Toni as though it were obvious.

“Hello class,” Professor Binns called as he entered through the blackboard, “let’s get started.”

“What do you think is going on?” James muttered out of the corner of his mouth as he sat down next to Remus.

Remus frowned, “What do you think? I can’t believe him.”

James shook his head deciding it would probably be best to write instead of speak.

You can’t really blame him. You should’ve seen Ally and Connor, he wrote before sliding it over to his friend.

Remus smirked and wrote back; Actually, I’m rather glad I didn’t.

James had to stifle a laugh. I know what you mean. I considered erasing my memory.

Was it that bad? wrote Remus, his brow furrowed.

You have no idea, James wrote back. They both instinctively looked at Sirius who appeared to be drawing on his parchment. Then Remus looked over at Ally who looked stressed.

Well, what are we going to do about it? wrote James.

Remus shook his head, there’s nothing we can do. They have to work it out.

Can we at least try to stop Sirius from doing something stupid? scribbled James.

We can try, granted Remus, but we may be fighting a losing battle there.

James chuckled but managed to turn it into a cough.

After class, Alexis sighed heavily, “I’m going to do it.”

“Do what?” her friends asked as they headed down the corridor.

“Find Connor,” she answered, “and fix this.”


Feedback please!

[MarauderGrl]

So...it's been like six months...better late than never.

Enjoy!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

In the end, Ally did not have to work very hard to find him.

“Hey Al!” he called as she walked towards the owlery.

“Connor,” she gasped, slightly surprised, “walk with me?” He nodded and followed, “Where were you at lunch?”

“Studying,” she replied as they walked into the owlery. She turned around and faced him, “Connor, I’m sorry.”

“For what?” he asked, “studying at lunch? No worries. I understand the OWL thing-“

“No,” she interrupted with a sigh, “I’m sorry for kissing you. It was stupid and inappropriate and-“

“I don’t understand,” he piped up, “how was it wrong? You’re not in a relationship and neither am I.”

“No,” she admitted, “I know that but I just…I don’t…I can’t…” She inhaled deeply, “I just want to be friends.”

“And do you kiss all your friends that way?” he asked icily.

She exhaled, “I told you I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking.”

“Exactly,” he agreed, walking towards her and leaning down, “you weren’t thinking. You are attracted to me and you acted on it. Feel free to do it again.” She backed away, shaking her head, “No I can’t. It’s unfair to you. Eventually you’re going to want more from me and I won’t be able-“

“How do you know that?” he asked, “how do you know things between us won’t turn into something else?”

She sighed, “Because I know. Yes, I’m attracted to you. Yes, we have a lot in common but it’s not like that for me.”

“But you might-” he attempted.

“I won’t,” she frowned. He really isn’t making this easy.

“Is there someone else?” he wondered, moving back and leaning up against the wall.

She stood in silence for a moment before confessing, “I don’t know.”

He smirked, “Perhaps you ought to figure it out.” He was at the door before she found her voice, “Are we still friends?”

He paused in the doorway, “I’ll consider it.” Then he left.

Left alone, she called Alastor to her and sent the letter she’d been holding to her parents. As she watched Alastor fly away, she decided she’d better make it to dinner or her friends would start to worry.

“There you are,” Lily smiled, seemingly relieved.

Alexis attempted to smile back, “Here I am.” She sat down and proceeded to ignore her friends’ looks of concern. When they finally made it through the meal, Alice and Toni stood up and practically dragged her back to Gryffindor tower with Lily following after.

James and Remus exchanged a look and turned to Sirius before saying in unison, “We need to talk.”

~*~*~*~*~*~

“I take it you found him,” said Toni as she lay down on her bed.

Alexis nodded but said nothing.

“So?” demanded Alice, “what happened?”

“I told him kissing him was a mistake and that I couldn’t see us being more than friends,” she explained.

“And?” prodded Lily.

She sighed, “He didn’t take it well. In fact, when I asked him if we could still be friends he said he’d have to consider it.”

“Well, what did you expect Al?” wondered Toni, “you crushed him.”

“I didn’t mean-“ she began.

“We know,” assured Alice. They sat in silence for a moment before Lily piped up, “Can I ask a question?”

“Sure Lils,” Ally shrugged, “I might even answer it.”

She frowned but continued, “Why can’t it work with Connor?”

Alice and Toni looked as though they too were extremely interested in the answer. Ally sighed, “It just wouldn’t.”

“And you know that?” pressed her friend, “you’re a seer now?”

“I’m not a seer,” Ally replied smiling slightly, “but I know that things wouldn’t work between Connor and me. He would always be hoping it would turn into something more and I can’t lead him on like that. It’s not fair to him.”

Lily gave her a look that plainly said she wasn’t quite convinced but said nothing.

Meanwhile, in the opposite dormitory, a strikingly similar conversation was taking place.

“What were you thinking?” hissed James.

“What are you talking about?” Sirius demanded.

Remus rolled his eyes, “No way are you that clueless.”

“What is going on?” he growled, losing his temper.

“Ally,” they answered in unison.

He frowned and laid down on his bed, “What do you mean? What have I done now?”

“You upset her,” James responded in a menacing tone as he moved toward his friend. Remus shook his head and pulled James back, “That’s not going to accomplish anything.”

“It’d make me feel better,” shrugged James. Sirius looked at both of them and shook his head, “I’m out of here. Neither of you are making any-“

Before he could say anything else or go any further, the door opened and Toni and Alice entered.

“Nettie?” gasped James in a shocked voice.

Remus frowned, “Alice?”

“In the flesh,” was Toni’s response as she sat down on James’ bed with Alice, “We wanted to discuss our mutual conundrum.”

“Which would be?” asked Sirius, eyebrow arched.

Remus, James, Alice and Toni ignored him while Peter rolled over and continued his undisturbed sleep. Sirius allowed the quiet conversation to continue and simply lay on his bed waiting for them to deign him worthy of the inclusion.

“Any time you want to bring me into the loop, I’d appreciate it, “ he announced rather loudly.

“She did?” James practically shouted, ignoring his friend.

“Well,” granted Remus, “at least she’s evolved past the dating cover.”

Sirius had the distinct impression he knew what they were discussing so he decided to listen quietly.

“She really has,” agreed Alice, “She knows that it wouldn’t work out with him.”

“Did she say anything about,” Sirius had a feeling they were talking about him because their voices lowered and Toni picked up, “Not exactly, but it’s only a matter of time…”

“As long as he behaves himself and stops flirting with smart, tall blondes who shall remain nameless,” added Alice loudly and he could only assume for his benefit. Deciding this was his chance to join the conversation; he rolled over, “So she reacted badly to me talking to another girl?”

“Of course she did, you dolt,” snapped Alice, “but you must’ve known she would-“

“I did not,” he shot back.

“You better not have,” warned James, “because if you hurt her, Remus won’t be able to stop me from-“

“Relax, mate,” Sirius advised, “I have no intention of hurting Ally. I never have.”

“Good,” added Remus unexpectedly.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The next morning, Alexis woke up slightly relieved to have the Connor situation behind her for the most part. Fortunately, she had her classes to take her mind off the situation.

“I hate transfiguration,” groaned Toni, as they walked to class.

“Correction,” amended Lily, “you hate not being good at transfiguration.”

“As do we all,” added Alice as they entered the classroom.

Alexis nodded, and then paused, “Are we late Professor?”

Professor McGonagall looked up, “No Ms. Prince, you’re not. The rest of the class was just early.”

The girls exchanged looks but said nothing as they sat down. Since when are those boys early for anything? she thought.

“If you gentlemen will take your seats,” Professor McGonagall was saying, “we’ll begin.”

Today they were practicing human transfiguration, much to the excitement of the boys and the horror of the girls.

“I’m sure you’re ready,” Professor McGonagall assured Alice as she tried to stop hyperventilating.

“Alice,” cooed Lily, “breathe with me.” She tried to calm her friend but it wasn’t working.

“Take her to the hospital wing Ms. Evans,” the professor decided. Lily nodded and led Alice out of the room.

Toni and Ally exchanged looks of horror as Lily was the only one who had shown promise in transfiguration and Alice, in spite of her nerves, had been showing improvement especially considering her tutorials with Frank outside of class.

“We are so-“, began Toni.

Ally sighed, “I know.”

As they spread apart and attempted to practice the wand movements, Professor McGonagall seemed to have made a decision.

“I’ll be pairing you up class,” she announced, causing the class to turn in shock. McGonagall always let them chose their own partners whether it be to the detriment of their education. “Mr.s Lupin and Pettigrew, you’ll work together. Mr. Potter and Ms. Prince, Mr. Black and Ms. Shacklebolt.”

Toni looked at Professor McGonagall with sheer disbelief, “Seriously Professor?”

“Seriously,” the Professor assured her, smiling slightly and emphasizing the ‘serious’ part.

Alexis looked from Toni to Sirius and bit her lip, “This might not be the best of ideas,” she commented to James in an undertone.

“Agreed,” he nodded, “but don’t let McGonagall hear you say that.” She nodded and they faced each other.

“So the motion is like this,” she asked making a stabbing motion with her wand.

“If you intend to gouge someone’s eye out with your wand,” her cousin shrugged, “then yes, that is precisely the motion you should use.”

She glared at him and he shook his head, “It’s like this Al.” He demonstrated and she frowned, “That doesn’t look much different from what I did.”

“Ally, you have to-“ he began. Before her cousin could finish his sentence, she pulled him to the ground.

“What was that for?” he demanded as a loud pop came from where Sirius and Toni had been practicing. After a moment, the smoke cleared and Sirius was lying on the floor, ashen faced.

“Nettie!” bellowed James as Alexis ran to Sirius side. She put her healer training to work and in the seconds it took for Professor McGonagall to reach them, Ally was checking his pulse, “His pulse is strong but he’s out cold. We should take him to the hospital wing so Madam Nightingale can check him out.”

“Of course, Ms. Prince,” nodded McGonagall as she watched Alexis levitate him and start towards the door.

The professor turned to the rest of the class, “Class dismissed,” and followed Alexis and Sirius. The class exchanged looks and followed.

“You were right Ms. Prince,” Madam Nightingale was saying as they all entered, “he’s just a little out of it but he’ll come to on his own. We’ll monitor him to make sure his condition stays stable but he should wake when he’s ready.” Alexis nodded and turned to her professor and her friends, “He’s going to be fine Toni,” she assured her friend who looked near tears. James put an arm around her and Toni turned to Professor McGonagall, “I’m so sorry Professor. I didn’t mean to-“

“I know that Antoinette,” Professor McGonagall replied softly, touching Toni on the shoulder. “He’ll be fine. No harm, no foul.” She turned to leave then paused, “Perhaps next time I’ll pair you with Mr. Potter so as to avoid the agitation that caused you to perform the wrong incantation.”

“Has this happened before Professor?” Lily asked as she and Alice joined the group. “Once,” the Professor answered, “to me…” And without another word, she left the group, standing in silence.

They all stood for a moment before James smiled, “I didn’t know agitation could cause someone to use the wrong spell.”

“I would say he provoked me but as he’s unconscious and can’t defend himself,” Toni hissed.

“I did provoke you Nettie,” uttered a hoarse voice, “I just didn’t expect you to react so strongly,” he admitted as Alexis and Madam Nightingale took turns fussing over him.

“Keep an eye on him while I write this up,” the nurse said to Ally. Alexis nodded and stood watch over him.

“Why so serious Princess?” he asked quietly, as the boys filled Alice and Lily in on what had happened.

She smiled slightly, “Good to see your sense of humour didn’t get knocked out of you.”

“Just my common sense,” he countered.

“That implies you had some to begin with,” she smirked.

He grinned, “Touché, Al.”

“Feeling better?” asked Toni as the group approached.

“Yes, Nettie,” he nodded, “Don’t worry. I’m fine.”

“Seeing as you’ve just been knocked unconscious,” she muttered, “I’m going to let the ‘Nettie’ pass.”

Madam Nightingale returned to the group and spoke, “Mr. Black, you’ll stay until after lunch then you can go to your afternoon classes.” The nurse smiled and walked away.

“Great,” grunted Sirius, “I get knocked unconscious and I still have to go to class.”

“At least it’s Defense,” commented Ally fluffing his pillow, “you can get through that class in your sleep.”

“Don’t let Professor Morgan here you say that” piped up Alice, who was looking marginally better after her episode.

Ally shook her head, “Not saying the class is easy, just saying Black’s good at it.”

“Right,” nodded James, “well, we should head to lunch.” The group nodded but Alexis turned to Sirius, “I’ll go to the kitchens and get you lunch and bring it up here.”

“That won’t be necessary,” Madam Nightingale piped up, “I’m having a house elf bring lunch up for Mr. Black and for you as well Alexis. I need some help with paperwork and I figured you wouldn’t mind staying here and helping out.”

“Of course not,” agreed Alexis happily. The group headed out and Sirius turned to Ally, “You don’t have to do this.”

“Madam Nightingale needed help,” she shrugged as a house elf entered and placed a tray of food on the table next to Sirius’ bed.

“Thank you,” smiled Alexis and the elf bowed before scurrying out of the room.

“You really didn’t have to stay here Al,” he commented as he reached for the pitcher of water. She slapped his hand and poured him a glass, “You could use the extra help and I really don’t mind.” She put a table in front of and placed his plate on it and started on the paperwork for Madam Nightingale.

“You should really eat something,” he commented as he ate his sandwich. She rolled her eyes and picked up an orange and began peeling it, “Happy?”

“Did you know not eating makes people cranky?” he piped up. She looked up from her work and saw him smirking at her. “Very funny Black,” she responded, rolling her eyes yet again.

“Alright,” Madam Nightingale interrupted a few minutes later, “you two should be making your way to class.” Alexis nodded and handed her the paperwork, “I made it about halfway through-“

“Thank you dear,” she replied with a smile, “You have such beautiful handwriting and you write so fast.”

“Thank you,” Ally responded, “anytime things are slow and you need help with paperwork feel free to ask.”

“I’ll have to take you up on that,” the nurse nodded before turning to Sirius and adding, “In the future Mr. Black perhaps you ought not antagonize those who can barely tolerate you.”

Sirius smirked, “But then what excuse would I use to visit you?” The nurse shook her head and walked toward her office.

“She’s immune to your charms,” Ally commented as she picked up her bag. He shook his head, “Nonsense. I’m irresistible.”

Alexis smiled, “Only to those that wish to study the unstable…” She walked past him and he grinned, “Sure, sure.” As they turned the corner that leads them away from the hospital wing and towards their classroom, they ran into the worst possible trio.

“Black,” Severus Snape sneered from his usual position between his cronies Mulciber and Macnair “I hear my girlfriend knocked you unconscious.”

“It was an accident Sev,” Alexis replied, stepping between the two and placing a hand on Sirius’ chest to keep him from reacting.

Severus’s eyes narrowed as his cousin put herself between the two of them but simply said, “I wish I had been there to witness it.”

“We can reenact it if you like,” snapped Sirius through gritted teeth, “you can play the role of Sirius Black, Merlin knows you’d like that.”

Severus stepped forward and Alexis placed her other hand on her cousin, “It’s not worth it Sev.”

“You can’t expect me not to respond to that,” he hissed, as his friends watched.

“He was out of line,” she agreed, “but so were you.” She looked from her cousin to Sirius and said, “You should both apologize.”

“Not in this lifetime,” spat Severus.

“Or the next,” Sirius assured her.

She rolled her eyes. She should’ve known better, “Fine well then can you both at least refrain from putting me in this position,” she snapped, gesturing to her current position between the two of them. She hadn’t realized she had raised her voice until she noticed that Sirius and Severus were staring at her and even Mulciber and Macnair looked shocked.

Her cousin shook his head and sighed, “For you, Alexis.”

She smiled, “Thanks Sev.” He nodded, glared at Sirius then motioned for his friends to follow.

She turned to Sirius, her hand still on his chest, “We’re going to be late.” She started to move her hand before he grabbed it.

She looked up at him and he sighed heavily, “I’m sorry Princess. I really do try but he just-“

She shook her head, “I know. You bring out the worst in each other. You’d think I’d be used to it by now.”

He frowned as he let go of her and attempted to slow his very long stride to be even with her very short stride, “Well, in your defense I think this is the first time in a long time that we’ve argued in front of you.”

She smiled, “I know and I appreciate it. I have a feeling that was nothing compared to how the two of you normally interact.”

Sirius smirked, “You’ve always had good instincts, Al.” They exchanged a smile and she realized something, “We just passed the defense classroom.” They exchanged a laugh and entered the classroom.

“I’m so sorry, Professor,” Alexis said as they walked in.

“No worries,” shrugged Professor Morgan, “Are you feeling alright Mr. Black?”

“I am,” he assured her as they sat down.

“Alright,” the Professor nodded, “today we’re going to practice defensive spells. Now normally, I would ask Alexis and Sirius but today perhaps-“

“No Professor,” Sirius interrupted, starting to stand up, “I’m fine, honest.”

“Actually, she’s right,” Alexis whispered, pulling him back into his seat, “you’re still not a hundred percent and defensive spells require a lot of mental strength-“

“Are you saying I’m mentally challenged?” he demanded, crossing his arms.

She leaned forward and smiled, “Never, but humor me. Please? Besides James has had practice with my dad and he’s completely capable of standing in for you.” She made the most pathetic face she could manage and he groaned, “You win.”

She smirked, “I always do.”

“Professor, might I suggest partnering me with James?” Alexis piped up. She looked around and noticed that everyone including their professor was staring at them. “I’m sorry Professor we didn’t mean-“

Professor Morgan shook her head, “I’m here to help you learn and who knows what you know better than you all? I’m always open to suggestions. Ms. Prince, Mr. Potter, please join me up here.”

“Show time,” James sang in an undertone as he and Ally walked forward.

She smirked, “Don’t worry cuz. I’ll take it easy on you.”

He rolled her eyes and they faced one another.

“Alright,” Professor Morgan announced, “today, I will be teaching you how to duel.”

The class tried to contain their excitement and eagerly moved to the edge of their seats.

“The first step is to face each other,” the Professor instructed, “well done.” The class laughed appreciatively. “Now you bow to one another,” she continued, and Ally and James followed suit. “Essentially dueling requires you to outthink and outmaneuver your opponent. Remember, not only must you defend yourself but you must also incapacitate your opponent. For safety’s sake, however, I ask that you two try not to harm one another.”

They nodded and she stepped back, “Begin.”

They bowed and began dueling. Alexis shot a spell at her cousin but he dodged out of the way and returned the favor. Alexis used a shield charm and attempted to jinx him. She missed as he maneuvered out of the way again. She ducked behind the Professor’s desk, and looked around. She saw James on the other side of the desk, “Expelliarmus!” James wand flew towards her and she caught it deftly, “Sorry cuz.”

“I wasn’t expecting you to stay there,” complained James, “I thought you would crawl to the other side.”

She smirked, “I knew you would think that.”

“And that,” interrupted Professor Morgan, “is exactly what you should do. Don’t just think about your next move. You have to try and anticipate your opponent’s next move.” Alexis smiled and tossed James back his wand.

“Thanks,” he muttered, “I’ll get you next time.”

“Game on,” she shrugged.

Professor Morgan continued, “Alright, now Ms. Dean, Mr. Lupin, you’re up.” Alice and Remus went forward bowed and began to duel. Alice seemed to over think which gave Remus ample time to petrify her. Professor Morgan nodded to Remus and performed the counter curse, “Well done Mr. Lupin. Ms. Dean, this is one time when thinking isn’t to your advantage. Do what comes naturally to you and your performance should improve dramatically.” Alice frowned and took her seat.

“Ms. Evans and Ms. Shacklebolt,” the Professor prodded, “you’re on.”

Lily and Toni exchanged a smile and walked forward. They bowed and Toni immediately attempted to jinx Lily. Lily, however, had been practicing the shield charm and much to the surprise of the class, she blocked Toni’s spell. She then attempted to fire a spell at Toni but Toni lunged out of the way. From her spot on the ground, she took aim and not willing to chance her luck Lily hid behind the cabinet. Toni took cover behind the Professor’s desk. The girls both simultaneously moved from behind their cover and disarmed each other.

“Well done, ladies,” praised Professor Morgan, “perhaps you two should attempt to stay on the same side as you’re pretty evenly matched.” Lily and Toni laughed and high fived.

“Nice one, Lils,” commented Toni.

Lily smiled, “Thanks. You too. Maybe we should practice dueling with each other?”

“Sounds like a plan,” her friend agreed. Professor Morgan smiled, “The girls have the right idea as that’s what the assignment is. I want you all to divide into pairs and practice dueling outside of class then write a roll of parchment about what your partner has taught you, as well as what your strengths and weaknesses are.” She looked at her watch, “Unfortunately, we’re out of time. I apologize to you,” she told Sirius and Peter, “if you want to schedule a time for practice, stay after class.”

Sirius shook his head, “No worries Professor. I know how to duel and we can help Pete if he needs it.” The class nodded and she smiled, “I’m so glad you’re all friends. It makes things so much easier on me.” The class laughed and she waved them off.

Peter was shaking his head as they walked towards the Gryffindor common room, “I won’t be able to duel. I’m not-“

“Won’t is a state of mind Pete,” Ally interrupted, “you also thought you wouldn’t be able to disillusion anything. You have to-“

“Have faith,” finished Sirius, “you’ve got to believe in yourself mate.”

“And we’ll help you,” added Remus, “as best we can.”

“Thanks everyone,” he sighed, “I’m going to go get started on that homework.”

“We’ll come too,” assured James.

Ally shook her head, “You can’t James. We’ve got practice.” James frowned, “Oh. That’s right. Can’t believe I forgot.”

“Me neither,” commented Sirius, “you usually never miss an opportunity to bow out of doing some kind of work.”

“Well, if that isn’t the pot calling the kettle,” began Ally.

“Black!” a voice called from down the corridor.

The group exchanged looks and began laughing hysterically.

“Hello,” Connor Fitzgerald said as he joined the group, “Black, you and I are supposed to meet and exchange information, remember?”

Sirius frowned, “Right Fitz. I forgot.”

Connor glared at him but refused to look at anyone else, especially Alexis, “Well come on then.” He gestured for Sirius to follow and began walking off. Sirius shrugged and followed.

Alexis sighed, “Well, it looks like I should be expecting more than my fair share of bludgers when we face Hufflepuff.” No one said anything and James sighed, “Come on Al. Let’s get our brooms and head out before Ava makes us run laps.” Alexis, who hated running, nodded and hurried up to her room.

“We’re here,” announced Alexis as they made it to the locker room.

“Good,” Ava smiled, “Let’s get out onto the field.” The team followed their Captain onto the field and prepared for what was sure to be a grueling practice.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“We’re keeping the children of the people on the suspected Death Eater list under special observation. There haven’t been any suspicious attacks since your brother and Snape nor has anyone noticed any odd inter house friendships other than Shacklebolt and Snape of course,” Connor began, as they entered an abandoned classroom near the prefect’s bathroom.

“I’m not sure I like your tone, Fitzgerald,” Sirius interrupted.

“I’m sure I don’t care,” he snapped in response.
Sirius looked at him carefully, “What’s with the animosity towards Nettie?”

“There is no animosity,” countered Connor, “I just think it’s odd that in spite of the warnings everyone’s been given that she still insists on being in a relationship with a Slytherin. Just seems a bit…”

“Reckless?” offered Sirius.

“Stupid,” finished Connor.

Sirius nodded, “I don’t understand Nettie and Snape either but the heart wants what it wants.”

“What a ridiculous excuse,” he commented, “logic like that is how people get hurt.”

“People, Fitzgerald?” he asked, “or you?”

Connor eyed him, “I’m not the one hanging out with a soon to be death eater.”

“No,” he granted, “but you’ve been hurt by Ally not wanting you.”

“Well this is all very touching,” spat Connor, “but my life is not about Alexis Prince, unlike some people.”

“Subtle,” he snorted, “look, I’m sorry about you and Al-“

“No,” Connor snapped, shaking his head, “you’re not,” he paused, “we’re supposed to be talking about the Death Eaters, not my love life, or lack thereof.”

“Fair enough,” he agreed, “but for what it’s worth, Ally is really sorry about how things went down.”

Connor stared at him, “She talked to you…about me?? Unbelievable.”

“No, no,” Sirius assured him, taking pity on him, “I just know Al-“

“Yeah, yeah,” scoffed Connor, “I know. You know Alexis, you’re meant to be, blah, blah, blah. I am beyond tired of hearing about the “connection” the two of you share-“

“That’s not what I meant,” he interrupted.

Rolling his eyes, Connor rose a hand, “I’d rather not hear anything else Black.”

“I’m trying to be a friend,” groaned Sirius.

“The only thing you’re trying is my patience,” he spat, “You’re nothing but an obnoxious self serving prat so don’t pretend to be anything more. Ugh, I cannot believe Alexis would rather date you than me-“

“Did she say that?” demanded Sirius.

“No Black,” he smirked, “but she didn’t have to. She refused to date me and it’s obvious to everyone except perhaps her. Jane was right. You two belong together.”

“Well thank you Fitz,” Sirius replied dryly, “your approval means so much to me…and Ally, I’m sure.”

“Whatever,” scoffed Connor, as he headed towards the door.

Sirius stepped forward, “Listen, Fitzgerald,”

“Get out of my way Black,” growled Connor through gritted teeth.

“No,” countered Sirius, “you need to calm down.”

“What I need,” he corrected, “is for you to get the bloody hell out of my way.”

He tried to side step Sirius but he wouldn’t let him.

“I’m not letting you leave in this state,” Sirius told him, “you’re going to wind up doing something you’ll regret.”

“I’m seriously considering it,” hissed Connor.

“If you want to hit me, Fitzgerald, do it,” shrugged Sirius, “if that’s the only way you can get your frustration about this whole Ally thing out, then by all means sock me. Then you can forgive her and be friends again-“

Before Sirius could say anything else, Connor punched him with such amazing force that he knocked him onto the floor. Without a word, Connor moved past him and left the room.

Sirius stood up, ripping a piece of his shirt off, “I really wish I knew how to heal this,” he said to himself as he tried to stop the bleeding from his nose and mouth.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“I’m sooo sore,” groaned Toni, “I’m not going to be able to move for days.”

“That’s what you get for being late,” gloated James, “I hope snogging Snape was worth it.”

Toni turned to him, “Now that you mention it, it was.”

“Bah!!!” shouted Ally, “over share, over share! That’s my cousin you’re talking about. I’m going to have to erase my memory.”

Alexis, Toni and James were walking towards the common room when they heard a noise behind them. They all spun around while simultaneously raising their wands.

“Dob’t binx,” Sirius managed through the bloody scrap of fabric he was holding to his nose.

“What happened?” demanded James as they ran to him.

“I bell,” he shrugged. Alexis walked him to the nearest classroom and had him sit down. “Head back,” she instructed. He obeyed and she removed the rag.

“You’re a bloody mess,” shrieked Toni, “what happened?”’

He stayed still while Ally removed the blood, stopped the bleeding and fixed his nose.

“Good as new,” she muttered as she held his head in her hands and looked him over again.

“Thanks Al,” he smiled, “I would’ve gone to Madam Nightingale but she would’ve-“

“Asked questions and not believed this fairytale you’ve concocted about falling,” she finished.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Sirius said, closing his mind as Alexis looked into his eyes.

“You’re lying,” she frowned, “I’ve seen injuries like this before…in the hospital wing.”

“What do you think happened?” asked Toni.

“Someone punched him in the face,” Alexis explained.

Toni laughed, “No way would someone do that. Black could hex them into next week. He wouldn’t let someone get close enough to punch him without defending himself. Right?”

Sirius looked at Toni, “Right. I’m telling you I fell. I was walking back from a visit to Hagrid’s and I tripped over a rock. What can I say it was dark?”

“Then why not going to Madam Nightingale?” asked James, clearly not believing his friend’s story.

Sirius smirked, “Because then I would’ve had to admit that I fell. It would’ve been embarrassing. I knew you guys wouldn’t tell anyone about it. Someone could’ve been in the hospital wing when I came and I couldn’t take that chance.”

“That’s an awful lot of effort to go through just to protect your reputation,” commented Toni, looking as though she too doubted his truthfulness.

“Honestly guys,” he shrugged, “it’s nothing. I’m fine. I just didn’t want to go through all of the official stuff-“

“Was it Snape?” demanded James.

“I fell,” repeated Sirius as he started walking towards the common room.

“It wasn’t Sev,” snapped Toni, “if it were, why would Black be lying? Besides Sev doesn’t fight like a muggle, he would’ve used his wand.”

“I’m not lying,” protested Sirius.

“Whatever you say Black,” conceded Ally, as they entered the portrait hole.

“You believe him?” asked Toni.

“No,” she replied, “but this is getting us nowhere.”

She and Toni nodded to each other and headed upstairs to turn in for the night. James turned to Sirius, “Are you going to explain to me what’s going on now?”

“I told you,” his friend groaned.

“If you’re going to tell that lame ‘I tripped’ story again, save it,” James told him. He stood for a moment looking at his friend. When Sirius said nothing, James shook his head and went upstairs with his friend following shortly after.



If anyone is still reading, feedback would be greatly appreciated!

[MarauderGrl]

So this chapter took on a life of it's own. Siriusly, only half the stuff I wanted to get in actually made it in, the rest got pushed back to the next chapter. On the bright side, I've had most of chapter 6 written for like a decade so that chapter will be done super fast. Like perhaps tomorrow....

That being said, enjoy


The next morning, while Alexis and Toni got ready for class, they told Lily and Alice about what happened the night before.

“So someone punched Black in the face?” asked Lily, clearly confused.

Alice frowned, “And Sirius is protecting the identity of the person who did it?”

“It doesn’t make any sense,” agreed Toni.

Alexis shook her head, “The only person I can think of is Regulus but that doesn’t make sense. Reggie idolizes him…”

“As far as you know,” reminded Lily, “have you talked to him recently?”

Ally frowned, “No. I haven’t…but I will. Thanks Lils.”

The girls headed downstairs and headed towards the Great Hall. Lily, Alice and Toni all headed towards the Gryffindor table but Alexis made her way over to the Slytherin table for the first time since her first year and stopped behind Regulus Black.

“Yes, Ms. Prince?” he asked turning away from his friends and towards her, “What can I do for you?” Alexis slid him a note and smiled, “It won’t open until you’re alone.”

Regulus smirked, “Nice one.”

“Thanks,” she smiled, “I’ll talk to you later.” She nodded to her cousin Severus and walked to the Gryffindor table.”

“What was that?” demanded Sirius, as she sat down next to him and grabbed a piece of toast.

“What was what?” she asked, pouring herself a goblet of pumpkin juice.

“Since when are you and my little brother so friendly?” he prodded.

“Oh did I forget to tell you?” she smirked, “Reggie and I are dating now. I mean the age difference is a little tough to handle but we’re working on it.”

Their friends started laughing hysterically but Sirius continued pressing the issue, “What were you talking to Reggie about?”

“None of your business,” she answered sticking her out her tongue. He frowned, “You are so frustrating.”

“Right back at you,” she hissed as they got up and walked towards their respective classes.

As they sat in Ancient Runes, Sirius attempted to convince Alexis to tell him what she was doing with regard to his brother.

“No,” she hissed, “now focus on your translations so I can focus on mine.” He frowned and returned to his work. They were let go early so they could research topics for their homework. The three of them headed to the library in silence. Moments after they found a table, they were joined by Regulus Black. He sat down next to his brother and stared at him.

Then turned to Alexis, “I don’t see any evidence of this so called assault.”

At this, Sirius turned to Alexis and she started whispering to Regulus, “I didn’t say there was evidence. I said it happened and wanted to know if you knew anything about it.”

“No,” corrected Regulus, “you thought I did it.”

Sirius raised an eyebrow and she directed her commentary towards his brother, “It was a plausible theory. Black is protecting whoever did this and it stands to reason that if you flew off the handle and socked him, which incidentally no one would blame you for,” at this Regulus snorted and Lily tried to suppress a smile, “he would want to protect you and keep you out of the trouble you would get into for fighting.”

Regulus frowned, “I see the logic in that, but it wasn’t me.”

He then gestured to his brother to follow him. Alexis looked at Lily and Lily rolled her eyes and nodded.

Alexis disillusioned herself and followed the brothers. She heard voices coming from a classroom and smelled a familiar cologne. Thanks Black, she thought. She looked through the keyhole and saw the boys sitting on a desk.

“Wow, Sirius,” Regulus was saying, “I can’t believe you let him have a go at you.”

Sirius shrugged, “It’s not a big deal. Ally healed me and hopefully Fitzgerald has gotten all his animosity out of his system. Now he can go back to treating me like rubbish and being friends with Ally.”

Alexis frowned, Sirius let Connor punch him for me? Wait, Connor punched Sirius?

Regulus let out a low whistle, “You really will do anything for her won’t you?”

Alexis inhaled and waited for him to respond.

He didn’t miss a beat, “Anything.”

“Well, I for one think she’s worth it,” his little brother commented, “I also think she’s starting to come around.”

“Thanks little brother,” chuckled Sirius.

“No problem,” Regulus assured him, “so what else is new?” Alexis had heard all she needed to. She went back towards the library. After looking around she removed the disillusionment charm and went back inside the library.

“Did you find out anything?” asked Lily as she handed Ally her bag.

“I did,” she nodded, “and you’re not going to believe it.”

“Care to elaborate?” her friend prodded.

Ally shook her head, “Not yet. I’ve got to deal with something first.”

Lily nodded and as they entered the Great Hall, Alexis scanned the room for the person she was looking for. Her eyes landed on Connor Fitzgerald and she walked towards him, “Fitzgerald,” she said, “can we talk?”

Connor looked at her for a moment, then shrugged, “Why not?” They walked out onto the grounds and she sat down under the nearest tree.

“I get that you’re mad at me,” she began, “I really do. I led you on and that was unfair. I’ve apologized but I’ll do it again. I’m sorry Connor, I really am but what I did to you doesn’t give you the right to take out your anger and frustration on Black.”

Connor rolled his eyes, “I should’ve known he’d tell you. At least he didn’t tell someone who could punish me…”

“He didn’t tell me,” she corrected, “I overheard him explaining to his little brother what had happened.”

“I’m sure he knew you were there,” he commented.

“Whatever,” shrugged Ally, “the point is this: no matter how upset you were with me you had no right to take it out on Black. He doesn’t deserve that kind of treatment. I think you should apologize.”

“I’ll apologize when I feel like apologizing,” he spat, “apologies don’t mean anything unless they’re sincere.”

Alexis arched an eyebrow, “If that was an implication that my apologies weren’t sincere,” she paused, “you know what? Forget this. If you don’t want to forgive me, that’s fine. In fact, if you’re going to continue to act like an obnoxious prat, I don’t want your forgiveness.” She stood up and walked away, shaking her head in frustration.

“What was all that about?” asked Lily as Alexis sat down next to her and began piling her plate with food.

“Guys are idiots,” she answered as she started picking away at her food.

The girls looked over at the boys who were ready to retort and shook their heads.

“Not now,” mouthed Toni.

“Why don’t we go to the dormitory after lunch and just relax,” offered Lily, “just us girls. I don’t have to patrol tonight so I’m all yours.”

Alexis smiled, “That’s nice Lils but I’m sure Toni and Alice have plans that don’t involve hanging out with just the girls.”

“Actually, I could use a girls’ night in,” piped up Toni.

“Me too,” agreed Alice, “in fact if you really want to be a hermit, Toni and I can go down to the kitchens and stock up on food so we don’t have to leave the dormitory until tomorrow.”

“Actually,” sighed Ally, “that sounds extremely appealing.”

“Consider it done,” assured Toni.

“Thanks girls,” she whispered, “I really appreciate it.”

For the rest of the day and long into the late night hours, the four of them stayed in seclusion indulging in copious amounts of food and catching up on the goings on in one another’s lives.

“Alice, I have a question for you,” Toni piped up suddenly.

Alice arched an eyebrow, “Yes?”

“How come you haven’t bothered dating other guys?” she asked. Alice stared at her, “What do you mean?”

“Well, haven’t you ever wondered whether there’s someone out there who’s better for you than Frank?” she wondered.

Alice paused and seemed to consider the question, “Honestly? I can’t think of anyone I’d like to be with more than Frank. We have a lot in common but not so much that things get boring…and…”

“Yeah?” prodded Ally, interested in what she would say next.

“I love him,” she finished, “there’s no rhyme or reason to it. I just love him. I think if I didn’t I would consider other guys but since I do…the thought never crosses my mind.”

“Never?” repeated Ally, “not even when you had that crush on Black?”

Alice laughed, “My crush on Black preceded my relationship with Frank…and it was just a crush after all. I feel bad for anyone who ever falls for Sirius Black. It’s dangerous to fall for someone who’s madly in love with someone else.”

Lily and Toni looked from Ally to Alice, not knowing what to expect. They typically avoided bringing up a possible Sirius/Ally pairing as it angered her. What they weren’t expecting was for a smile to form on her face…

“He let Connor Fitzgerald punch him in the face,” she confided, “just so that he would get over his animosity and we could go back to being friends.”

They stared at her in shock until Toni finally spoke, “He really would do anything for you wouldn’t he?”

Alexis smiled, “Regulus said the same thing.” She kept Sirius’ response to herself.

“So what upset you today?” asked Lily, “it couldn’t have been the Black thing. What was it?”

“It was Connor’s reaction,” she shrugged, “he was such a prat about the whole thing. I asked him to apologize to Black and he snapped at me and accused me of not really being sincere in my apology to him over the kissing incident. I mean honestly, how many times can I apologize to him for the same thing?”

“I don’t know,” shrugged Alice, “maybe you should just let it be.”

“Speaking words of wisdom,” sang Lily.

“Let it be,” finished Ally with a smile. Toni and Alice stared at them and they answered, “Muggle music.”

Ally yawned before saying, “You know we really ought to try and get them to listen to the Beatles over the winter break.”

“And the Stones,” agreed Lily.

“Alright,” agreed Toni, “we’ll listen to the bugs and the rocks over the break.”

Alice nodded while Lily and Ally looked scandalized.

“There’s so much to teach them,” Ally commented to Lily who nodded. Toni threw a shoe at her and she ducked.

“Night Toni,” she called in response.

“Night Al,” her friend laughed.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The next morning things looked much better for Alexis and she knew that it was because of her friends.

“Thank you so much,” she told the girls that morning as they headed downstairs.

“You never have to thank us for cheering you up,” reminded Alice.

Lily nodded, “We’re your friends. It’s our job.”

As they entered the common room, Alexis saw the James, Peter and Sirius sitting in a corner, mulling over a mound of books. She raised an eyebrow and motioned for the girls to go ahead without her.

“I’ll meet you there,” she assured them before they headed out.

She walked over and leaned over the chair Sirius was sitting in, “What are you gentlemen up to this morning?”

James and Peter had obviously been completely absorbed in what they were doing because they both jumped into the air while Sirius simply looked up, “Feeling better this morning Princess?” She smiled as she slid into his chair, “Much, which reminds me,” she embraced him suddenly, “thank you.”

James’ jaw dropped and Peter just stared at her while Sirius put his arm around her and squeezed, “How did you find out?”

“I’m Alexis Prince,” she reminded him, “knowing things I’m not supposed to is my gift. I really appreciate what you did,” she continued, “it was stupid and reckless but I’ve come to expect that of you,” she smiled, “it was also very selfless.” She turned to the table to see what they were doing. The Fundamentals of Animagi was at the top of the pile and she knew what they were doing.

“Carry on,” she hinted heavily, “I’ll see you all at lunch.”

The girls spent the morning in the library studying and attempting to get ahead on the next week’s work.

“I’m starting to hate quidditch,” confessed Toni, “it takes up too much time. I can’t procrastinate anymore.”

“Yes,” agreed Alice, rolling her eyes, “heaven forbid you shouldn’t be able to put things off to the last minute.”

Toni arched an eyebrow, “I have a feeling you’re not very sympathetic to my plight, Alice.”

“Really?” her friend deadpanned, “whatever would make you think that?”

“Ladies,” interrupted Alexis, “I think it’s time to get some lunch. Apparently, not eating makes people cranky.”

“They’re not cranky,” piped up Lily, “they’re being themselves.” She looked down at her watch, “but you’re right, we should eat.” They gathered up their stuff and went to the Great Hall. As they sat down, they were joined by the boys with one notable exception.

“Remus is visiting his mum again?” asked Lily.

“Yes,” said James.

“What does his mum have?” wondered Toni.

Sirius shrugged, “Don’t know. The doctors don’t either. Whatever it is isn’t major, Rem just likes to visit her at least once a month. Seeing him makes her feel better.”

“I wonder if she’s considered going to St. Mungo’s,” suggested Lily, “maybe whatever is ailing her can be healed magically.”

Alexis shook her head, “It doesn’t work that way. St. Mungo’s is for problems created by magic, it doesn’t offer magical solutions for health problems.”

“I didn’t know that,” she shrugged, “but I’m sure Rem does. It’s probably why he hasn’t tried it.”

“I’m sure Mrs. Lupin gets great care,” James piped up, “it’s not something that Remus likes to talk about though so we don’t know much more about her condition than you do.”

The girls nodded and they all continued eating in silence.

“So what are you three up to?” asked Toni as they walked towards the dormitory.

“We’ve been studying,” James answered.

Alice frowned, “Studying what?”

“Transfiguration,” Sirius replied.

“Why would you study the subject that you’re best at?” questioned Lily as they entered the portrait hole.

“We were studying transfiguration,” James amended, “now it’s on to Herbology, which incidentally we could use the lovely Ms. Dean for.”

“Fair enough,” shrugged Alice, “so long as you don’t mind helping me with transfiguration tomorrow.”

“Will do,” agreed Sirius. Alice sat down with Peter and James sitting on either side of her and Sirius sitting across the table.

“Well Toni,” piped up Ally, “now would be a great time to help with that Potions tutoring you were asking us about.”

Toni frowned, “I don’t know. I think Sev might be insulted.”

“Snogging my cousin is not going to make you better at potions,” observed Ally wryly. Lily snorted and Toni glared at her.

“Did I say something that wasn’t true?” she asked.

Toni sighed, “Not really. Alright ladies let’s get to it.”

The group studied for the rest of the day.

“It’s time for dinner,” James observed looking at his watch.

“Finally,” Toni groaned, “if I have to read one more paragraph, I’m going to hurt someone.”

“Well let’s try to avoid that,” commented Sirius as he helped Ally off the floor.

“Thanks,” she moaned, stretching, “I can barely move.”

“That offer to carry you still stands,” he reminded her. She looked up at him and smiled, “I can’t believe you still remember that.”

“Anytime you want to take me up on it,” he smirked, “I’m here.”

She smirked back, “I think I’ll save it for a time when I’m really in need of it.”

“Alright,” he laughed, “fair enough.” He hurried to catch up with his friends and she smiled.

“What is going on with you two?” demanded Lily quietly as the girls slowed their pace.

Ally frowned, “Nothing, we’re just-“

“Flirting,” finished Toni, with a smile.

“We are not,” she hissed.

Alice interrupted, “He just offered to carry you to the Great Hall. If that’s not-“

“That was Black being Black,” she responded lightly.

“No,” corrected Lily, “Black only acts like that with girls he’s trying to hook up with, since when are you the kind of girl that falls for his moves?”

“I’m not falling for his moves,” Alexis snapped.

“She’s right,” agreed Toni, “she’s not falling for his moves. She’s falling for him.” The rest of the girls stopped in their tracks and Toni turned to her friend, “Tell me I’m wrong.”

“You’re wrong,” she replied quickly before pausing, “at least I think you’re wrong.” Her friends stared at her; Alice and Toni looking hopeful and Lily looking pained.

“I don’t know, okay?” she muttered, “I don’t know.” Her friends nodded and dropped the subject as they continued their walk to the Great Hall. The girls sat down in silence and finally James spoke, “What is going on with you four? You’ve been silent almost the whole walk here. You’re creeping me out.”

“Nothing’s going on James,” Toni assured him, “we’re all just tired okay?”

He looked at her as though he didn’t quite believe her but as was so often the case with James and Toni, he accepted what she said rather than ask questions.

“So are you ladies looking forward to the Hogsmeade trip tomorrow?” asked Sirius, obviously pulling a topic out of thin air, “won’t it be nice to take a break from all the studying?”

“Yes,” granted Alice, “but don’t forget-“

“I know, I know,” interrupted Sirius, “we promised to tutor you in Transfiguration tomorrow. Like we could forget,”

Alice smiled, “Good. That puts my mind at ease. Tomorrow will be a nice break. I can’t remember the last time Frank and I had a decent conversation and Lily you and Jack will finally be able to spend some time together, and of course no one should expect to see Toni tomorrow,” she paused, “Oh, Ally,”

“Don’t worry about me,” she shrugged.

“We’ll take good care of her,” assured Sirius with a smirk.

Ally rolled her eyes and Alice smiled, “Oh we trust you with Ally, Sirius. Ow,” she shrieked suddenly, “why?” She turned to Toni who was shaking her head, “What?”

Alexis stood up suddenly, “I’m done. I’m going to turn in. Night everyone.”

The girls exchanged looks and Sirius stood up, “I’m going to walk Ally back. James, try and figure out what these three weirdos are up to, will you?”

James smiled, “I’m on it.”

“Hey Al,” called Sirius as he jogged to catch up with her, “wait up.” She turned around, “What do you want?”

“Whoa,” he grunted, “what’s going on?” She raised an eyebrow, “Did they send you after me?”

“No one sent me anywhere,” he told her clearly confused, “what’s up Al? Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” she hissed. She started to walk away and he grabbed her wrist, “Princess-“

“No,” she snapped, “don’t ‘Princess’ me. Don’t ‘Al’ me. Just don’t okay?”

“What are you talking about?” he asked, not letting go of her wrist.

She exhaled, “I’m tired and I’m confused and I just need you to stop,” she looked up at him, “stop being so nice. Be you, your annoying, pompous attention seeking self okay?”

He let go as though her words had hurt him and for a moment she considered apologizing but she knew that would put her in the very situation that she was desperately trying to avoid. She turned and hurried towards Gryffindor tower.

Sirius stood for a moment, trying to figure out what had just happened.

“It’s starting,” a female voice said from behind him. He jumped and saw Jane Thompson leaning against the wall, smiling sympathetically.

“Hello Jane,” he said with a smile, “it’s been a while.” She smiled back, “It has. She’s coming around.”

“Yes,” he agreed, “I can see that what with the tirade directed at me-“

“It wasn’t directed at you,” she corrected, “she’s upset at herself…at her feelings for you.”

He shook his head, “I don’t want her to feel that way.”

“It’s only temporary,” she assured him, “she’s trying to make sense of things. It can’t be easy to finally admit her feelings for you after denying them for so long.”

Sirius stared at her, “You really think so?”

“I know so,” she shrugged, “don’t let her get away.”

“Thanks Jane,” he sighed, “you’re the best,” he added as he embraced her tightly.

“I know,” she laughed. He waved goodbye and continued towards Gryffindor tower.

“He doesn’t deserve it,” observed a familiar voice. Jane smiled and turned around, “Be nice Connor. Sirius is a good guy.”

“So I keep hearing,” he replied, “pity, I never see any evidence.”

“You don’t see it because you don’t want to,” she retaliated, “you see what you want to see and ignore all evidence to the contrary.”

“So I have selective eyesight?” he smarted.

“And selective hearing,” she added with a smile, “you know if anything you should be grateful to Sirius and Ally.”

“Please explain,” he responded, eyes wide.

“Well, it would be one thing if Ally shot you down because you weren’t smart enough or handsome enough or funny enough but she didn’t,” she shrugged, “it’s not that she didn’t want to be with you. It’s that she couldn’t be with you because you’re not Sirius. It’s why he could never be happy with me, I’m not her.”

“Well you’re very zen about this whole thing,” chuckled Connor.

She laughed, “I’ve learned to accept that which I cannot change. Nor would I want to. I can’t change how Sirius and Ally feel about each other. All I can do is hope that one day I find someone who loves me that way.”

Connor exhaled, “Well Black was right about one thing.”

“What’s that?” she wondered.

“You really are the best Jane,” he assured her, hugging her tightly.

“Thanks,” she sighed, as she hugged him back.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The next morning, everyone was getting ready for Hogsmeade.

“Are you sure you don’t mind us leaving you on your own?” asked Lily.

“I’m not five,” joked Alexis, “I will be on my best behavior. Besides, I hate to break it to you ladies but you are not my only friends.”

“We know,” replied Toni, rolling her eyes, “you have the guys too.”

Alexis said nothing. She didn’t feel like discussing what she had said last night. Luckily, by the time the girls got back she was feigning sleep so she hadn’t had to discuss her interaction with Sirius.

“Alright,” Alice piped up, “so we’ll meet you at the Three Broomsticks at five, okay?”

“I’ll see you ladies then,” she assured them as they walked out of the portrait hole. She watched as Alice and Frank headed off and Jack met Lily. Toni headed off towards the Slytherin common room and she sighed heavily. I don’t have to go now, she thought, I can just meet them at the Three Broomsticks later and they’ll be none the wiser. The thought of spending some time alone was immensely appealing so she headed off in the direction of her Grandfather’s office. Maybe she’d visit him. She had made it almost all the way there when she passed the door to the Owlery and saw a familiar face.

“What are you doing here?” Alexis asked.

“Sending a letter to my parents,” answered Regulus, “what are you doing here?”

“I was going for a walk,” she shrugged.

“Not to Hogsmeade?” he wondered.

She bit her lip, “Well, I was going to…but then I decided that perhaps staying behind might be best.”

“Did you and Sirius have another fight?” he asked.

“What makes you think this has anything to do with him?” she wondered.

Regulus smirked, a familiarly disconcerting smirk, “Well, I took a shot. Usually when Sirius is upset it’s because of something you did or said, so I just guessed that perhaps you react in a similar manner.”

“Okay,” she confessed, “you’re right. I picked a fight with him last night and didn’t want to face him today. He just…Gah, I don’t even know how to describe what I’m feeling. I want to be annoyed with him because it’s so normal and simple to have that reaction to him but I don’t know…Lately, he’s been different.”

“Has he?” he questioned, “or have you?”

She arched an eyebrow, “What do you mean?”

“Sirius has always acted this way,” Regulus shrugged, “he cares about you. He might love you, I think he does. Maybe now you realize that you care about him too…that maybe you love him too.”

She frowned, “I wouldn’t go that far but you’re right about one thing. I have been thinking about him a lot lately and evaluating these feelings I’ve been having for him. It’s…well, it’s crazy confusing and frustrating and I just want to go back to the way it was when we were just friends-“

“That always supported each other,” he finished, “friends that would bind and gag a very talented and mentally unstable witch or friends that would allow a giant troll to sock him in his most valuable asset: his face.”

She giggled at the latter half of that statement but said, “I can’t believe he told you that.”

“I can’t believe the two of you got away with it,” he countered as they walked towards the Great Hall, “I mean when we were younger Trix would’ve let Sirius get away with anything but-“ he paused, “maybe I shouldn’t have told you that.”

Alexis frowned, “You can tell me anything Reggie. Are you saying that Bellatrix actually liked your brother?”

He smiled sadly, “She adored him. She would take care of us when our parents went out with hers. She used to be the nicest cousin anyone could ask for. She would play with us and make sure we stayed out of trouble. I lost count of the number of times she took the fall for something Sirius or I did.”

“What happened?” asked Ally, breathlessly.

Without her realizing it, they had reached the grounds and her favorite beech tree. She sat down and Regulus sat with her. He sighed, “Life. She got older and was indoctrinated with the Black family ideology and when she got to Hogwarts it got worse. She found other like minded souls and she drifted further away from us. She still had a soft spot for both of us though especially Sirius.”

“I remember when we were sorted,” she recalled, “Bellatrix and Narcissa made room for him at the Slytherin table. They looked certain he would be there.”

“They were,” he confirmed, “we all were. Trix had been planning Sirius’ place in Hogwarts from the moment she got here. Over the holidays and breaks, she would visit and tell us all about school and her classes. She couldn’t wait for Sirius to join her.”

“What changed?” she asked, “when did he decide that he didn’t want to be in Slytherin?”

“I would imagine he made that decision when he sat underneath the Sorting Hat,” he suggested, “but he decided he didn’t want to be like the rest of the family long ago. When Andi was sorted into Ravenclaw, he realized there was an out, a way not to be just another Black, a way to be a decent human being.”

“And you Reg?” she asked, “when did you decide you didn’t want to follow in your brother’s footsteps?”

He smiled, “Sirius has always been his own person. He’s never cared about any of that family pride rubbish our parents banged on about.”

“And you?” she repeated.

“I’ve never been Sirius,” he shrugged, “I’ve never been my own person. I’ve always done what’s expected. I’ve always been the good son.”

“Depends on your definition of good,” she mumbled.

“Fair enough,” he agreed, “the obedient son. I don’t think Sirius could’ve managed without you and the Marauders. He sacrificed the family but he found another.”

Ally shook her head, “You’re still-“

“Oh, I know,” he interrupted, “Sirius and I will always be brothers. I meant that he’s no longer a Black. He sacrificed his place in the family. I could never do that. I need the family.”

“You don’t think you could find another family too?” she wondered.

He shrugged, “It’s not worth the risk…not for me anyway.” She exhaled, “Wow.”

“Did I help clarify things?” he asked.

She smiled, “You helped clarify your brother…but whatever it is I’m feeling is more convoluted than ever.”

He laughed, “What time is it?”

“Four fifty,” she responded, “Crap, I have to be at the Three Broomsticks in ten minutes.”

“Walk fast,” he suggested.

She smiled as they stood up. “Thanks Reggie,” she said, hugging him tightly, “and in spite of what you think, as far as I’m concerned you’re part of my family now too. If you need anything,” she offered, “anything at all. If you ever decide the risk is worth it, I’m here for you…and your brother will be too.”

He hugged her back, “Thanks Ally.”

With a final wave, she left Regulus and headed towards Hogsmeade. Luckily she made it just in time.

“Hello ladies,” she gasped as she made it to the entryway of the Three Broomsticks. She clutched her side.

“Did you run here?” asked Lily suspiciously.

“Only the last mile,” Ally managed, “I hate running,” she added unnecessarily.

Toni and Alice stared at her as she caught her breath.

“Where have you been?” asked Alice.

“I was talking with a friend,” she answered.

“A friend who left you breathless?” asked James as he joined the group. Peter chuckled a little but Sirius avoided eye contact.

“The hilarity,” she replied, still clutching her side. She looked up at Sirius, “Does the offer still stand?”

He raised an eyebrow and she pouted, “Are you going to make me apologize about last night first?”

He smirked, “That’s as close to an apology as I expect to get. Climb aboard kid,” he added as he squatted down. She climbed onto his back and their friends just stared.

“As much fun as it is to stand here,” he continued as he began walking, “it’s not as easy when you have a person on your back.”

“Are you commenting on my weight?” she hissed.

“Never Princess,” he assured her, “I mean you’re not light but you’re also not heavy.”

“Thanks,” she muttered dryly.

“If it makes you feel any better,” he began.

“Please don’t try and make me feel better,” she interrupted, “every time you do it backfires.”

“This is true,” he agreed. They made it halfway across the grounds before someone spoke but it wasn’t who anyone expected.

“You have got to be kidding me,” sneered Severus Snape. Ally rolled her eyes and let go of Sirius’ neck, “You can let go now Black. I’m good.”

He leaned down slowly and she hopped off, “Thanks Black.”

“You’re welcome,” he smirked. She turned to her cousin, “What’s your problem?”

“You can’t be asking that question,” he spat, glaring at Sirius with distaste.

“I ran to meet the girls and I got a cramp,” she explained, “I couldn’t walk so Black offered to help.”

“I’ll bet he did,” he frowned, “can we have a moment?”

“Sure,” she shrugged, “I’ll meet you guys in the Great Hall.” Her friends headed towards the school and she turned to her cousin, “What do you need?”

“I need you to explain what I just saw,” he growled.

“Relax Sev,” she cooed, “I already explained.”

“Why would you give him an excuse to touch you?” he hissed.

She rolled her eyes, “Oh come on Sev. It wasn’t like that. He wasn’t copping a feel. He was a perfect gentleman.”

“Like I believe that,” he spat, “you’re walking a fine line Alexis. Keep this up and you’re just a hop, skip and a jump away from something bad happening.”

“And what would that be?” she asked.

“It would be,” he explained slowly, “becoming involved with Black and losing me.”

“Sev,” she began.

“I mean it Ally,” he assured her, “I meant it when I said it all those years ago and I mean it now. If you become involved with Sirius Black, I will not forgive you.”

“Don’t you think you’re being a bit melodramatic?” she asked, “what has Black done to you lately? What has he ever done to you to make you loathe him so much?”

Severus stared at her for a moment, “It’s happening, isn’t it?”

“What are you talking about?” she demanded.

“You’re going to do it,” he accused, “you’re going to date him aren’t you?”

She stared at him, “You never answered my question. What has Black done to you, personally?”

“He’s tortured me every day since we got here,” he hissed, “do you remember our first day here? He’s wanted you ever since then and he’s been angry that I’ve been protecting you. He wants you because he knows he can’t have you. I’m trying to help you. I’m trying to keep you from getting hurt.”

“What makes you so sure he’ll hurt me?” she asked, “he’s never done anything to me before.”

“He’s doing it now,” he moaned, “he’s making you fall for him and when he gets what he wants he’ll move on to the next target, you’ll be heartbroken and I’ll be left to pick up the pieces. Guys like him-“

“You don’t even know him,” she snapped.

“I know enough,” he hissed, “he’s a spoiled, selfish, obnoxious, bullying, self righteous, entitled-“

“That’s enough,” interrupted Ally, “this isn’t about Black. It never has been. It’s about James. The only reason you hate Black is because you connect him to James.”

“This isn’t about Potter,” he growled, “and don’t try to change the subject.”

She frowned, “You know what? I’m tired and I’m hungry. If you can come up with a real reason for your animosity towards Black, I’m all ears. If not, stop beating the dead cow.”

“Horse,” he corrected naturally.

“Whatever,” she sighed, “I’m done.”

“Be careful Alexis,” he warned, “keep your eyes open.”

“Keep your mind open,” she suggested. He rolled his eyes and they headed towards the Great Hall.

“I’ll see you around Sev,” she said as they split up.

“You survived,” observed James.

“Barely,” she groaned, “I swear sometimes talking to Sev is like beating my head into a brick wall.”

“He can be a bit stubborn,” agreed Lily.

“That’s a nice way to put it,” scoffed Toni, “he’s the most frustratingly close minded person you will ever meet. I swear trying to get him to see reason is the most useless process in the world.”

“Agreed,” Alexis sighed, “I just spent what felt like hours trying to convince him that Black is not the evil villain he makes him out to be.”

The group sat in silence for a moment before Lily said, “Why would you try that?”

Alexis shrugged, “He was banging on about what a bad guy Black was and I just couldn’t take it. I asked what Black did to deserve all the animosity and he couldn’t give me a straight answer. My life would be so much easier if he,” she turned to Sirius, “if you would both just try.”

“That might’ve worked when we were first years,” he frowned, “but a lot of things have happened between the two of us. You’re asking for something that can’t be done.”

She stared at him, “You wouldn’t do this for me?”

He looked at her for a moment, “No.”

“Aw,” she groaned, “come on Black.”

“No, Alexis,” he said firmly.

“I’m not asking for the impossible here,” she hissed, “I’m just asking you to do something you don’t want to do.”

He nodded, “That’s right Al. You’re deliberately asking me to do something you know would be impossible for me. Why?”

“To make my life easier,” she answered honestly.

As they stood up, they continued bickering and Ally wasn’t paying attention to where she was walking.

“Sorry,” she gasped and Regulus just laughed, “No worries Sis.”

He continued walking towards the Slytherin common room and Sirius turned to Ally, “Sis?”

“Well, he obviously didn’t mean it literally,” she laughed.

“Thank Merlin,” he muttered under his breath.

They continued walking with their friends following. A moment passed and Sirius stopped walking.

“What?” James asked, looking at his friend curiously.

Sirius turned to Ally and she smiled, “Took you long enough.”

“You were spending quality time with my brother?” he gasped.

She laughed, “I ran into him and we had a nice chat.”

“I see,” he frowned, “what did you learn?”

“Fun stuff,” she giggled.

“What did he tell you?” he demanded.

“I think I’m going to keep you in the dark,” she laughed, “it’s much more fun.”

“If he told you about that time that I accidentally-,” he paused and she prodded him, “Yes?”

“No,” he smirked, “I’m not falling for that. You want me to guess so you can find out other stuff don’t you?”

“The thought never crossed my mind,” she assured him.

“Like I believe that,” he countered. They smiled at each other and then someone coughed. They turned and saw the rest of their friends looking at them.

“Oh good,” piped up James, “we haven’t gone invisible.”

“Don’t you usually need a cloak for that?” wondered Peter aloud.

Alexis blushed and Sirius sat down on the couch.

“Ally can we talk to you?” asked Lily in a stern tone.

“Um, sure,” she agreed. Lily started upstairs followed closely by Alice. Toni smirked and followed.

“I think I’m in trouble,” she told the boys. She noticed James was giving her a weird look and Peter was eyeing her suspiciously, “with everyone,” she added.

Sirius noticed his friends giving him odd looks as well, “Me too,” he whispered. She frowned and headed upstairs to face the music while Sirius looked at his friends and realized he was going to face his own firing squad.

“Alright gentlemen,” he sighed, “Go.”

Peter looked at James who smirked, “We’re not going to do this now.”

“Why not?” he wondered.

James smiled, “Because we’re going to wait for Remus to join the party.” Sirius frowned, “Do we have to?”

“Oh yes,” replied James.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Wait a second,” Alexis sighed. She laid down on her bed, “Alright, I’m ready.”

Lily sat down at the edge of her friend’s bed and Alice and Toni sat on Lily’s bed.

“What are you thinking?” asked Alice and Lily in unison but in two very different ways.

Alexis exhaled, “I know what you’re thinking Lils because part of me is thinking it to. I can’t magically change my mind about Sirius Black,”

“Thank you,” Lily interrupted.

“But,” she continued, “it’s not an overnight shift. I’ve been thinking about this for awhile…ever since the Connor incident.”

Toni piped up, “Is that when you realized it?”

“Well,” she shrugged, “I don’t know what you mean by ‘it’ but I did realize that Black wasn’t the guy I thought he was…”

“How so?” wondered Alice.

“Well, I…,” she paused, “lately I’ve been noticing that Black isn’t who I thought he was. He’s sweet, reliable, funny, honest, smart…Really smart, I mean I can’t believe how brilliant he is. It’s amazing. I mean if you really stop and watch the way his mind works…it’s fascinating,” She paused when she realized her friends were staring at her.

“What?” she asked.

“That’s one requirement down,” Alice replied.

“What?” she repeated.

Alice smiled, “Remember when we discussed what we wanted in a guy. Your requirements were intelligence, honesty, a sense of humor, trustworthiness, to be good looking even if you were the only who thought so and…”

“Someone who was perfect for you,” finished Toni, “not perfect but perfect for you.”

“Are you two claiming that Black meets all of these requirements?” demanded Lily.

“Well, Ally just said he met the intelligence requirement,” began Alice.

“And if Black doesn’t have a sense of humor,” interrupted Toni, “I don’t know who does.”

“Same goes for good looking,” added Alice.

“And trustworthiness?” continued Toni, “well, Ally’s trusted him with her life multiple times and he always comes through.”

Lily frowned, “What about honesty? Can you really sit here and tell me that Sirius Black has been honest with her about everything?”

“Everything important,” responded Toni.

“Besides no one’s honest about everything,” Alice commented, “I doubt I know everything about Frank…heck, I doubt I know everything about all of you.”

“Do you know everything about Jack?” asked Toni, “because I know I don’t know everything about Sev.”

Lily rolled her eyes, “Half of the fun of a relationship is not knowing what the other person is going to do. Knowing everything about the other person is the stuff marriages are made of.”

Alexis smiled as she realized that Sirius did know a lot about her…In fact he knew almost everything about her. He knew about her grandfather, not even her friends knew about that…and after what she learned today she felt like she knew even more about him. There were still things she didn’t know but for the most part she and Sirius knew a fair amount about one another.

“What are you thinking?” asked Alice.

“Nothing,” she answered impulsively. Toni smirked, “Well this nothing made you very happy.”

Before Alexis could respond, Lily spoke, “I know I’m in the minority here so I’m just going to say my peace and be done with it. You know how I feel about Black. I don’t trust him and I think he’s a bullying prat, however,” she continued noticing that the girls looked as though they were going to interrupt, “if you think he’ll make you happy then go for it. I only ask that you be careful. You never know what life will bring especially when Sirius Black is involved.”

Alexis frowned, “Thanks Lils. I know that must’ve been hard for you so I appreciate it, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. I haven’t made a decision about Black. I’m just acknowledging a different side of him. I’m still being cautious.”

“Does this have anything to do with Sev?” asked Toni. Ally bit her lip and Alice prodded her, “What did he say to you today?”

“The same thing he said our first week at Hogwarts,” she shrugged, “that if I get involved with Black, I’ll lose him.”

“Severus-“ began Alice.

“Is my family,” finished Ally, “there’s nothing that means more to me than family. My blood family and the adopted family I’ve made here-“

“Which includes Sirius,” mentioned Alice casually.

Alexis shook her head, “Can we stop talking about this? My head is hurting. It’s so confusing and I…,” she put her head in her hands.

“Oh Al,” sighed Lily, “I’m sorry. This is putting you through the wringer isn’t it?”

She shook her head, “You have no idea.”

“Alright,” interrupted Toni, “we are putting a moratorium on discussing all things related to Sirius Black until such a time as Ally has already made a decision about the situation.”

“Thanks ladies,” Ally said with a smile, “I really appreciate it.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The next morning, Alice woke the girls up earlier than necessary so she could get in some extra time at the library studying transfiguration.

“Hate early,” mumbled Toni, as she attempted to go back to sleep.

“Must kill early,” grunted Ally, whose face was lying on the table.

“Here you are,” whispered a calm, welcome voice.

“Remus,” the girls squealed in unison.

“Ladies!” Madam Pince hushed from her table. Even though they were the only ones in the room, the librarian still insisted on keeping quiet. After the librarian left, Sirius and James appeared on either side of Remus with Peter following after.

“They told me they promised to tutor you and forgot,” explained Remus as they sat down, “I’m sorry Alice. I leave them to their own devices and all hell breaks loose.”

“You have no idea,” muttered Lily.

“Now it’s not the time,” groaned Ally, putting her head back down.

“We’ve been up for a couple of hours,” he told them, “I’m pretty much up to speed.”

Alexis popped up, “What do you mean ‘up to speed’?”

He smiled, “Good morning Ally.” She groaned, “Whatever they said, it was probably an exaggerated lie.”

“That’s what I told him,” whispered Sirius to which she smiled, “You weren’t invited to participate in the conversation?”

“No,” he sighed, “they let me sleep through it.”

She smiled and James cleared his throat, “Ahem.”

Remus exchanged a look with James who responded, “They were like this yesterday too.”

“Weird,” Remus admitted, “let’s focus on transfiguration, shall we?” Alice nodded. She, Sirius, Remus and James studied transfiguration for an hour while Ally, Lily, Toni, and Peter slept.

“Time to wake up,” Remus whispered while James and Sirius took a less subtle approach and nudged the girls and Peter awake.

“Ugh,” groaned Alexis, “My neck is killing me.”

“Me too,” growled Lily, “Alice, dear, explain to me again why we had to wake up two hours earlier than usual when you knew you were going to be the only one doing actual studying?”

“You could’ve stayed awake and studied,” huffed Alice, “Nothing was stopping you.”

“Except severe exhaustion,” snapped Toni.

“They’re going to be like this for the rest of the day,” Remus mentioned calmly while packing his bag.

“Come on,” Sirius sighed, grabbing his bag and Ally’s, “let’s get you ladies some food. It’ll wake you up and make you feel better.”

Toni shrugged, “Sounds good to me.” The rest of the group gathered their things and headed towards the Great Hall. By the time they reached the hall, the girls could barely walk.

“Come on,” Sirius prodded, propping Ally up with his arm. “I hate you right now Alice,” she told her friend, while attempting to eat breakfast.

Alice rolled her eyes, “Fine, the next time I want to help you with your studying, I won’t. How’s that?”

“It would be greatly appreciated,” piped up Toni.

“Alright,” Sirius intervened, “Nettie, you come with us and we’ll go care for some magical creatures by which I mean the boys and I will stop you from accidentally insulting the hippogriff or falling asleep and being attacked by whatever’s lurking in the Forbidden Forest.”

Toni smiled slightly, “Thanks Sirius,” she went to stand up and James instinctively put an arm around her, “I’m thinking you might need some help.”

“I’m thinking you might be right,” she agreed leaning on him for support.

The girls waved bye to them and Ally turned to Lily, “I just realized! We can go back to sleep until Potions!”

“Awesome,” her friend murmured. As they got up and stumbled in the direction of the Gryffindor common room, Jack O’Malley appeared, “Hello Ally,” Ally raised a hand and continued on her way to the common room. She closed her eyes for a moment and continued walking and naturally, she ran into something.

“Ow,” she shrieked, opening her eyes, “bloody wall.” She took off her shoe and massaged her foot.

“Are you okay Alexis?” asked a familiar and concerned voice.

“I’m fine Jane,” she replied, “I just stubbed my toe.” She turned around to point out what was wrong and saw that Jane wasn’t alone.

“Hello,” she managed, slightly surprised to see Connor with Jane particularly this early in the morning.

“We’re on our way to Arithmancy,” explained Jane as though she knew exactly what Ally was thinking.

“Wow,” Ally smirked, “numbers this early in the morning? You two must be brilliant.”

“It’s when they scheduled the class,” commented Connor sarcastically.

Alexis looked surprised for a moment then decided to embrace her sarcastic side, “Right. I guess it’s just as easy to bomb the class in the morning as it is in the afternoon.” She rolled her eyes and turned to Jane, “Thanks for your concern Jane.” She walked towards her dormitory feeling good about giving Connor a taste of his own medicine. She practically fell into her bed once she reached the room and didn’t get up until two hours later.

“Twenty minutes to spare,” she said to herself as she went into the washroom to brush her teeth, wash her face and brush her hair. She grabbed her bag and hurried towards Potions.

She smiled as she noticed a familiar group. She followed behind closely waiting for the perfect time to speak.

“Ugh,” groaned Toni, “Potions…stupid boring class with the pompous ******* who thinks-“

“Okay, Toni,” Ally interrupted, “you may want to get all that out of your system before we actually get to class.”

Toni shrieked, “Where did you come from?”

“I just woke up from my nap,” she shrugged. Toni glared at her and James picked up her tirade, “You don’t understand Al. He treats us like first years.”

“Like we don’t know the difference between clockwise and counterclockwise stirs,” added Toni.

The group reached the Potions corridor and Toni and James shuddered.

“It’s like they’re being led to the gallows,” commented Remus quietly to Alice who nodded.

They entered and took their assigned seats. Alexis looked around and realized Lily had just entered and looked upset.

“What’s wrong Lils?” she asked. Lily turned on her red faced, “Thanks for leaving me alone this morning.”

She frowned, “Did Jack not let you get away? I noticed you didn’t make it back to the dormitory this morning.”

“Jack did a lot of things this morning,” she assured her, lowering her voice, “but we’ll discuss it later.”

Ally nodded and turned back to her work.

“What’s going on?” whispered Sirius out of the corner of his mouth. Alexis looked over at Lily and Severus who were absorbed in conversation.

“Don’t say anything to James yet,” she murmured, “but something happened with Lil and Jack.”

“I’m kind of disappointed,” he sighed quietly, “I had almost convinced James to date again.”

She smiled, “Well, we don’t know what’s going on yet so keep trying with James. I really want him to find someone who makes him happy.”

“Personally, I like Nettie and James better than Lily and James,” he confessed.

“Only because Toni likes you and Lils can’t stand you,” she smirked.

He chuckled, “Pretty much.” They continued to work on their potions in silence. Every once in a while Ally would look over and compare their results. She took pride in being better at Sirius in at least one subject.

“You don’t look as cute when you’re smug,” he commented as he bottled his potion.

“I can’t help it,” she laughed, “it’s fun beating a genius.”

He smiled, “You think this is the only subject you’re better at?”

She frowned, “Unfortunately yes. We’re evenly matched at Defense and Charms, you’re obviously better at transfiguration.”

“What about Ancient Runes?” he asked.

“Even?” she shrugged.

“No,” he countered, “you’re slightly better.”

“I get better grades,” she amended, “but only because I care more about grades.”

He chuckled, “You’re giving me too much credit Al.”

“Finished already, are we?” Professor Slughorn asked, as he appeared at their table.

“Yes sir,” she responded as Sirius nodded.

Slughorn looked around, noticing that everyone including Lily and Severus were still working.

“The homework is two rolls of parchment on the ingredients of the potion, the purpose each one serves and how different amounts of ingredients and putting them in a different order either improves or hinders the potency of the potion,” he explained, “you can leave now,” he added as he moved to Lily and Sev.

Alexis turned to pick up her bag and Sirius was already at the door, holding it open for her. She waited until Slughorn left Lily and Sev before running over and whispering to Lily, “Meet me in the room when you’re done. I’ll provide the food.” Lily smiled and nodded. Alexis turned to her cousin who was ignoring her presence, “Later Sev,” she added before leaving.

“It’s going to happen isn’t it?” whispered Severus to Lily after the door closed.

She sighed, “Yes, and sooner rather than later. I’ve tried my best but she’s just not listening to reason.”

He shook his head and turned his focus back to his potion.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“So,” Ally began as she placed a plate of food on her bed and motioned for Lily to join her, “what happened?”

“Well,” her friend replied, taking a sip of water, and attempting to chose a sandwich, “when Jack found me this morning he decided that it was the perfect time to break up with me.”

Alexis’ jaw dropped, “What was his reason?”

Lily swallowed her food and took another sip of water, “He said that we were on different paths and we were both too busy for a relationship.”

“Wow,” managed Alexis, “that was very…”

“Business like?” offered Lily.

“I was going to say unsentimental but business like works too,” she agreed.

Lily frowned, “I think he rehearsed it.”

“Interesting,” was all Alexis could think to say.

“It was the worst break up ever,” complained Lily, “he was so formal and unemotional. It was like he didn’t even care. He was just going through the motions. There was no passion.”

“Has there ever been?” her friend asked, without thinking. She paused as Lily stared at her. “Oh Lil,” she gasped, “I didn’t mean…I wasn’t thinking.”

Lily waved her silent. She seemed to be having a moment of clarity, “You’re right. There was never any passion. We just worked. We were logical. We made sense. Just like you and Remus-“

“Hey!” she interrupted, “I’m insulted on behalf of Remus and I. We were never as boring as you and Jack.”

“Well, that’s true but that’s only because you were in the relationship,” commented Lily, “Jack and I are both more like Remus than we are like you.”

“Exactly,” agreed Ally, “you were too much alike. It’s like Alice said the other night. It’s best to have stuff in common but not too much.”

Lily frowned, “I don’t know about that. Alice and Frank are an awful lot alike…so are Toni and Sev…maybe that works for some people but I don’t think it’s the right move for me.”

“You think maybe you need someone completely opposite from you?” she surmised, slightly surprised.

“Maybe next time around that’s what I should do,” she agreed, “but I’m not in any hurry for a new relationship. I think I’ll take a break like you did. Focus on me.”

“Sounds good to me,” she agreed. They finished their food and Alexis looked at her watch. “We have time to take these plates down to the kitchen, you in?”

“I don’t know,” Lily answered slowly, “as a prefect, I probably shouldn’t condone this sort of behavior,” Alexis rolled her eyes, “Would you rather have the house elves have to go out of their way to search for these plates?”

“I suppose not,” she granted, “just-“

“I promise,” interrupted Ally, “I won’t say a word.” They exchanged a smile and headed towards the door, book bags and plates in hand.

“Are you going to tell Toni and Alice?” asked Ally as they made their way to the kitchens. Lily frowned, “After dinner, when we don’t have an audience.”

“It won’t be a secret for long,” shrugged Alexis.

“Why did you tell Black?” joked Lily, “I swear he’s such a gossip. I can’t count the number of-,” she paused and noticed that Ally was avoiding eye contact.

“You didn’t!” she shrieked as they entered the kitchen. Alexis turned her focus to the house elves and placed the plates in the hands of the nearest elf.

“Thank you Miss,” the little elf squeaked, and he hurried back to his work. They left the kitchen and Alexis turned to her friend, “I didn’t tell him per se,” she explained, “I said you were having problems but I didn’t tell him you broke up because I didn’t know if you broke up or not and I made him promise not to tell anyone especially James.”

“You must be kidding,” hissed Lily, “you told him. Why would you tell him?”

“I don’t know,” she shrugged, “I didn’t think it was that big of a deal.”

“You didn’t think at all,” she snapped and as she huffed towards Ancient Runes.

Ally followed, “Oh come on Lils. I’m sorry.”

They walked into the classroom and Lily took a seat at a table already occupied by two other students and Alexis took her usual seat next to Sirius.

He frowned, “What’s going on?”

She shook her head, “Nothing.”

“I don’t believe you,” he whispered, as they started taking notes.

“Can we talk about this later?” she hissed, “I can’t take notes and carry on a conversation with you and take notes at the same time.”

“Alright,” he agreed.

After class, Lily hurried out before Ally could catch up and so she walked to dinner with Sirius.

“So, fill me in,” he requested.

“Well, let’s work our way backward,” she sighed, “essentially Lily’s mad at me because I told you that she and Jack were having problems. She thinks you’re a gossip.”

He rolled his eyes, “Gee, thanks.”

“Well, you have to give her that,” she sighed.

“What else is going on?” he asked.

She bit her lip and he frowned, “Not supposed to tell me are you?”

“No,” she admitted, “and I don’t think that would be the best way to get back on Lil’s good side.”

He nodded, “Fair enough.”

They reached the Great Hall and Alexis saw her friends, “I’m going to try and make amends,” she told him.

“Good luck,” he offered.

She nodded and headed over to where the girls were sitting, “Am I banished?”

Toni frowned, “No. We haven’t seen you in awhile. What’s going on?”

“Not much,” she shrugged, looking at Lily who was avoiding eye contact.

“Okay,” Alice sighed, “I’m hungry so let’s eat first and then we’ll go back to the dormitory and discuss whatever is going on.” They sat and ate in silence until they were all finished.

“Alright,” Toni decided, “time to go.” The girls stood up and headed towards Gryffindor tower. By the time they reached their room, Toni lost her temper, “Someone tell us what’s going on.”

“Why don’t you ask Black?” spat Lily, “I’m sure he knows by now.”

“Oh come on Lils,” groaned Ally, “you know I didn’t tell him anything.”

“You told him enough,” she snapped.

“I only told him enough to get him to stop asking questions,” she sighed.

Lily rolled her eyes, “Right. That’s the only reason you told him. Because you wanted him to stop talking-“

“I didn’t say that,” she hissed.

“Oh right,” laughed Lily mirthlessly, “you would never want him to stop talking.”

“Okay Lily,” snapped Ally, “that’s enough. I’ve had it. You can tell Toni and Alice your side and when they want to hear the truth they can come find me.”

She stood up and stormed out of the room.

“So petty,” she muttered to herself, “not my fault if she and O’Malley broke up.” She continued her angry rant until she realized how far she had gotten.

Before she turned around, she saw someone coming towards her.

“Connor?” she called and he froze. He paused for a moment then seemed to make up his mind and walk towards her.

“Hello Alexis,” he said as he reached her. Before he could say anything else, he began smirking, “Hello Black.”

Ally turned around and saw Sirius standing behind her.

“How long have you been stalking me?” she snapped.

He rolled his eyes, “I’ve been keeping an eye on you since you stormed out of the dormitory. I worry.” It was her turn to roll her eyes as she turned back to Connor.

There was a moment of silence before he spoke again, “Figured it out have you?”

She looked at him and saw he was suppressing a smile, “Not yet,” she responded with a shrug. Connor shook his head and offered her his hand, “Friends?”

She smiled widely and shook his hand, “Friends.”

Before they could say anything else, Jane Thompson appeared.

“Well this is quite the reunion,” she smarted, eyeing the group cautiously.

“Hello Jane,” Ally said with a smile.

“Hey Al,” she replied, “is your foot feeling better?”

“It is,” she nodded, “thanks for asking.”

“I’m glad I ran into you,” Jane said, turning to Connor, “I was hoping you could help me with the arithmancy homework.

“Of course. See you around Al,” Connor said with a wave. After watching them walk away, she turned around, “Still here Black?” she added as she saw him watching her.

“Always,” he replied with a smirk, "What happened to your foot?"

"Nothing," she sighed.


If anyone is still reading, feedback would be greatly appreciated!

[MarauderGrl]

Hello all! Again, this chapter took on a life of its own so its super long. I apologize. These last two chapters have been longer than any of the others.

So set aside a good chunk of time, grab a drink and a snack and enjoy!


The next week was the week before Christmas break so they were busier than ever. It worked out nicely for Alexis as it gave her a chance to think about topics unrelated to her feelings about Sirius Black.

“I can’t believe how busy we’ve gotten,” groaned Toni as she threw her hair in a ponytail on the way to class, “I can’t remember the last time I saw Sev.”

“It happens,” shrugged Alice, “you’ve just got to have faith in the strength of your relationship. A good relationship can withstand a few days apart. Absence makes the heart grow fonder.”

Alexis noticed a change in Lily’s demeanor and was relieved when they reached History of Magic where they could focus on class, not relationships or lack thereof.

She sat down next to her cousin James and whispered, “So I know more about the History of Magic than Binns could ever dream of teaching me…”

“Upside of being your grandfather’s granddaughter,” he muttered.

She smiled, “Precisely. So we’re going to spend the first half of this class focusing on transfiguration for me and the second half on potions for you.”

“Sounds good,” he agreed. They followed the plan and time passed quickly.

“I think that’s the quickest this class has ever gone,” observed James.

“Agreed,” nodded Ally, “we should use our time wisely from now on.” He nodded and they joined their friends.

“You two have no idea what today’s lecture was about do you?” asked Alice smugly.

Ally smiled, “What was the topic?”

“Grindelwald,” responded Remus, “and the assignment is two rolls of parchment on his significance in the history of magic.”

“Piece of cake,” laughed Ally, starting towards the Charms. The group exchanged looks and Sirius suppressed a smile.

“Do you something we don’t?” Toni asked quietly as the group walked towards their class.

Sirius frowned, “I know a lot of things Nettie. You’ll have to be more specific.”

Toni pursed her lips, “Whatever it is you know,” she whispered, “you better believe that we’ll figure it out.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he muttered.

She rolled her eyes, “Yes you do.” She shook her head and hurried to catch up with the rest of the group while James fell back and turned to his friend, “What do you know?”

“Everything you do,” his friend replied, “and a little more.”

James looked at him curiously, “You know about Ally’s-“

“Not here,” he shushed, looking around nervously.

James paused, “You do know. How could you know?”

“Later James,” he whispered, as they reached the classroom. Sirius entered and James followed shaking his head.

“Alright,” began Professor Flitwick, “if you’ll all settle down, we’ll get started on the final topic before break. However, let me assure you that in spite of the fact that this topic is the last before holiday is in no way license to ignore or “forget” it. Now then, let’s focus on the theory,” he began writing on the chalkboard which everyone found odd. Flitwick was more a hands on teacher than an abstract one.

“I wonder what’s up with Flitwick,” Ally whispered to James.

“Don’t know,” he whispered back, “but I must say I’m not a fan of taking notes. I’d rather practice.”

“In the spirit of the holiday and to ensure you don’t forget what we discussed today,” he said as he turned around to face the class, “we will practice the actual incantation upon our return. Class dismissed.” Alexis and James exchanged a look and grabbed their bags.

“Something weird is going on,” she observed as they left.

James nodded, “I wish we knew.”

“I bet I can find out over break,” she whispered as the group walked ahead of them.

“That reminds me,” James muttered, looking around, “does Sirius know?”

“Know what?” she asked, cautiously.

“He does,” her cousin smirked, “how did he…?”

“Later James,” she hissed.

“That’s exactly what Sirius said,” he chuckled.

“Well if more than one person tells you something perhaps you ought to listen,” she suggested.

“Yes,” he smarted, rolling his eyes, “that’s definitely a rule you live by.”

“I’m sure I don’t know what you mean,” she laughed as they entered the common room.

“Upstairs?” James suggested and Sirius nodded. Remus went to follow but James shook his head, “Sorry Rem. This is top secret.”

“Another bout of troublemaking on the agenda?” he questioned, recalling their recent prank on Severus.

“We couldn’t tell you if it was,” answered Sirius, “out of respect for your role as prefect.”

Remus rolled his eyes, “Thank you.”

Lily frowned as they went upstairs, “You know I wish there was proof of the stunts they pull. It’s frustrating. You know they’ve done it, you just can’t prove it which means you can’t punish them. I hate that they’re smart.”

“You should go into magical law enforcement,” suggested Alice, “you seem to be enjoying this law and order gig.”

Ally and Toni laughed and Remus shook his head, “No she doesn’t. She just doesn’t like the injustice of the fact that it’s practically impossible to catch major trouble makers. We usually catch stupid first and second years trying to make a name for themselves.”

“And why are they doing that?” demanded Lily, “because Potter and Black have done things on such a grand scale that like minded idiots feel obliged to compete. It’s ridiculous. We could catch them Remus if you would just-“

“I’m not going to betray my friends Lily,” he interrupted sternly, “and that will be my response every time we have this conversation.”

Lily turned to Toni, Ally, and Alice, “You agree with me don’t you?”

“No,” said Toni bluntly.

Alice bit her lip, “I can see your point Lily but-“

“They’re not doing anything horrible,” finished Ally, not looking up from her work.

“What do you mean?” demanded Lily, “what do they have to do before you stop condoning their actions? What about the way they treat Severus?”

“Sev gives as good as he gets,” she observed still writing, “sometimes worse.”

“Oh because Sev fights back instead of taking their bullying-“

Alexis put down her quill, “Look Lils. In case you haven’t noticed the outside world is going to hell, so if James and Black want to pull pranks and try and keep things inside these castle walls light and ridiculous, then I can hardly see what the problem is!”

She hadn’t realized how loud her voice had gotten until she saw the reactions of those around her. Remus was smiling slightly, as was Alice. Toni looked almost proud but Lily looked insulted.

“I should’ve known that you would defend them,” she spat.

Ally shrugged, “James is my cousin.”

“And Black is?” she pressed.

“My friend,” she replied in a warning tone. Before the conversation could go any further, Sirius and James appeared in the common room. They looked as though they had heard the conversation but were pretending as though they hadn’t.

Sirius cleared his throat, “Has anyone seen Peter?”

“No,” answered Remus lightly, “he’s probably in the library studying again.”

“He’s been studying a lot lately,” mentioned Toni conversationally.

“Well Nettie not everyone can be as brilliant as you,” James piped up. She threw the nearest book at him but he managed to stop it before it got to him.

“The muggle way is never the easy way,” he scolded.

“No,” she granted, “but it’s the most cathartic.”

“You’re so funny,” he shot back.

She frowned, “That’s the best retort you could come up with? I’m disappointed.”

“Remus,” Lily said suddenly, “it’s time for our patrol.” He nodded and waved bye to the group.

“I don’t envy Rem tonight,” Ally sighed.

“Why’s that?” asked Alice.

“Because we made Lily angry and poor Remus is going to have to listen to her vent all night,” she responded.

“Poor Rem,” Toni added. She looked down at her watch, “I’ve got to meet Sev.”

“Say no more,” interrupted James, “really say no more.” Toni rolled her eyes, “Don’t wait up.”

“We never do,” reminded Alice. Ally waved goodbye and returned to her work.

“Alice,” Frank Longbottom called as he entered the common room, “I was hoping you were still awake. Come on.”

“Where are we going?” she asked cautiously.

Frank smiled, “It’s a surprise.”

“I don’t know,” she frowned.

“Oh go on Alice,” prodded Ally, “you know the rest of us have to live vicariously through your perfect relationship with Frank.”

Alice smiled slightly, “I don’t know Al. You know I don’t like surprises…”

“It’s a Frank surprise,” reminded Alexis, “it’s going to be good, not like a Black surprise or a James surprise.”

“That’s true,” her friend laughed, “Alright. Lead the way Frank.” Frank smiled happily and kissed Ally on the top of the head, “Thanks Al. You’re an angel.”

“And you’re the only person in the world who would tell her that,” added Sirius. Alexis ignored him and turned to Frank and Alice, “Have fun you two. You deserve it.” They waved and left.

“Well, Al,” James began as he sat down, “looks like it’s just the three of us.”

Alexis rolled her eyes and continued working, “Lucky me.”

James looked around to make sure they were alone, “Why didn’t you tell me Sirius knew about your grandfather and Aunt Alex?”

“Black knows a lot of things,” she shrugged, as she attempted to continue her work.

“Yes,” granted James, “but why didn’t you tell me he knew?”

“Why James?” she asked, “were you going to sit around discussing my grandparents?”

He frowned, “Of course not. I’m just surprised.”

“I think you’d be surprised to find out just how much Black knows about our family,” she sighed, finally giving up and putting her quill down.

“What do you mean?” asked James. Ally turned to Sirius, “You didn’t tell him?”

“Why would I?” he whispered, avoiding eye contact.

“Come on,” she smiled, “you can trust James.”

“Do you trust your friends with everything?” he countered.

She shook her head, “I trust them with everything I can.”

“Same here,” he assured her.

“Nothing’s stopping you from leveling with James,” she told him.

He arched an eyebrow, “What’s stopping you from leveling with the girls?”

“Touché Black,” she smirked, “touché. I won’t push you, if you don’t push me.”

James looked from one of them to the other and Sirius sighed, “I’ll tell you when I’m ready, deal?”

“Deal,” he agreed.

“Now then,” Sirius said as he settled down next to Ally, “what are we doing?”

“I am writing my essay on Grindelwald,” she explained, “and you are annoying me.”

He looked around and noticed there were no books on the table. “How can you be writing an essay?” he asked before pausing, “Are you writing this essay from memory?”

She smiled, “Yes.”

He stared at her, “Well, you definitely beat me at History of Magic knowledge category.”

“I’m not sure that’s a fair comparison,” she shrugged, “I get my history knowledge from the source.”

He smirked, “I know but remembering all that history is an accomplishment in and of itself.”

“I like history,” she replied.

“Not the way Binns teaches it,” he countered.

“No, not the way he teaches it,” she agreed, “but the material itself is fascinating.”

“I’ll take your word for it,” he smarted.

She smiled and took a book out of her bag, “This is my book. Grampy gave it to me but I’ll loan it to you. Trust me, you’ll never find history boring again.”

He smirked, “We’ll see.”

They looked at each other for a moment before she frowned, “Where’s James?”

Sirius looked over her head, “There he is.” She turned and saw him talking to a very pretty fourth year whose name escaped her at the moment.

“Kate Johnson,” Sirius answered as though he could read her mind.

“She’s very pretty,” she responded.

“And smart,” he added, “and funny…I think it might work.”

Ally smiled, “If it didn’t work with Toni, I doubt it’ll work with anyone else.”

“So he’ll be alone forever?” he asked.

“No,” she snorted, “He’ll wind up with Lily.”

He stared at her, “How can you think that? They’ve never gotten along. They can’t stand each other. I haven’t even seen them talk to each other in ages…and of course, there’s Evans’ very public statement about how useless she thinks we are.”

“She’s my best friend,” she replied, “I know how her mind works. Give it time. She and James will wind up together. In the meantime, I like the idea of him finding someone to spend time with.”

“Really?” he pressed as though he didn’t believe her.

“Sometimes you have to date someone you think is right for you to realize they’re not,” she elucidated.

“You think?” he asked.

“I know,” she answered with a smirk.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

While Severus babbled about the importance of knowing how to properly brew potions, Toni considered what she had heard when she first entered the library…and Sev’s lame cover story.

She had made it to the library a few minutes earlier than she had planned. Figuring she may as well get a head start on her work, she went to the History of Magic section, in the hopes of finding at least one book about Grindelwald that wasn’t as boring as Professor Binns’ lecture. Before she turned the corner, she heard two familiar voices…

“I still don’t understand why I have to report to you Snape,” Peter Pettigrew was saying.

“Because Narcissa asked me to fill in for her,” Severus explained.

“Why would she do that?” Pettigrew asked.

“That’s none of your business,” he responded, “now then you’re saying that Black and my cousin are getting closer correct?”

“Yes,” agreed Peter, “it’s only a matter of time before they get together. What does that matter to…him?”

“It matters,” drawled Severus, “because the Black family is very supportive of him so he takes an interest in things that might impact their reputation. He can’t have less than reputable supporters, at least not this early on.”

“The deal still stands right?” prodded Peter, “I get advanced notice of the goings on so I can be out of the way.”

“Yes, yes,” nodded Severus, “you get advance notice so you can be the coward you are.”

“I’m not-,” he began before Severus interrupted, “I don’t care what your motives are. Your information has been helping us know who to target and who’s being watched. I could care less how you sleep at night.”

Before Peter could say another word, Toni turned the corner, “What’s going on here?”

“Nothing,” they answered in unison.

“I’m not sure I believe you,” she said. Severus put an arm around her, “If you must know, I was badgering Pettigrew about Ally and Black.”

“I heard that part,” she replied as they sat down. She looked around and saw that Peter had scurried off and they were alone, “I also heard the part about espionage. What’s going on?”

He frowned, “I’m doing my part for Slytherin. All I do is gather information and then tell Narcissa, and then she reports back to Bellatrix.”

“And who does Bellatrix report back to?” she pressed.

“Don’t know,” he shrugged.

“I’m not buying that,” she hissed.

“Look,” he sighed, “I told you all I can. Do you trust me?”

“Yes,” she answered, “though I’m starting to think it’s not the best idea.”

“Antoinette,” he frowned, “I don’t feel like arguing with you. Can we just get to work?” She shrugged and they opened their books.

“Antoinette?” Severus was saying as he waved his hand in front of her face, “Where are you?”

She shook her head, “You know what? I can’t focus. I’m thinking I should go back to the dormitory.” He eyed her curiously, “Are you sure?”

“I’m sure,” she nodded, “thanks anyway.” As she gathered her books and swooped out of the room, Severus thought to himself, She’s not going to let this go…

Toni entered the common room and was surprised to see that Sirius and Ally were still working on homework while James was entertaining a group of younger girls. She looked around the room and noticed that Remus, Lily, and Alice weren’t there. She wondered if Peter had come back. She couldn’t risk talking to the boys if Peter had already gotten to them…

She joined Alexis and Sirius.

“Is Peter around?” she asked.

“Yes,” answered Sirius, “he came back and went to bed. Why?”

She bit her lip. Maybe telling the boys wasn’t the best idea…

“Nettie?” he pressed, “is everything alright?”

She glared at him, “Yes, but I need to talk to Ally, alone.”

Alexis looked up at her friend and saw an unfamiliar look: fear.

“Alright,” she agreed, “I’m coming.” They went upstairs and James took a moment away from his group to join his friend, “What was that about?”

“I don’t know,” answered Sirius in a measured voice, “but whatever it is, it isn’t good.”

“What’s up?” Alexis asked as she laid down on her bed.

“I’m not sure,” admitted Toni as she paced in front of her friend, “I heard something when I was at the library and I don’t know exactly what it was but I do know it wasn’t what Sev said it was and I couldn’t risk talking about it in front of Black or James because they trust him and if he got to them first than they wouldn’t have believed me anyway…”

“Whoa,” interrupted Ally, “I’m going to need for you to slow down and start making sense because it sounded like you were saying that Black and James would take Sev’s word over yours.”

Toni smirked and stopped pacing but started wringing her hands. Alexis got up and walked over to her.

“Toni,” she said soothingly, “I need you to sit down,” she moved her friend to the nearest bed, “Breathe,” she reminded and Toni took a deep breath, “and slowly tell me what’s gotten you so upset.”

“Okay,” she exhaled, “let me get it all out and then we can dissect it okay?” Ally nodded and Toni continued, “I went to the library to meet Sev but I got there early and he wasn’t expecting me. That was nothing compared to what I walked in on. I went over to the History of Magic section and saw Sev and Peter talking-“

“About what?” demanded Ally. Toni glared at her and she put a hand over her mouth, “Sorry.”

“They were talking about you and Black,” she answered and Ally rolled her eyes, “that’s not the worst part though. Apparently, Peter has been playing double agent. He’s been giving information to the Slytherins about our efforts. Apparently, he reports to Sev and Sev reports to Narcissa who then reports to Bellatrix who reports to…”

She looked into her friend’s eyes and Ally gasped, “No!”

“Yes,” she nodded, “I mean they didn’t say his name but I knew who they were talking about. I can’t believe it. Sev tried to feed me some tale about being worried about you and Black and heavens knows what Peter told the boys,”

“Which is why you didn’t want to talk about this in front of them,” surmised Ally.

“I wanted to talk to them about it,” she frowned, “but they trust him and they would believe anything he told them because he’s one of them.”

“Right,” agreed Ally, “we have to tell them though. They need to know that they need to be careful around him.”

“No,” Toni sighed, “they won’t believe us. He’ll tell them that Sev bullied him into being a spy and then they’ll have even more of a reason to-“

“Hate Sev,” she finished, “and that’ll keep the fighting going and it’ll keep Lily protecting Sev and hating James and Black…”

“So we’re not going to tell anyone?” wondered Toni, “we can’t let him get away with this.”

“Who said we’re going to?” asked Ally with a smile.

Toni looked at her and arched an eyebrow, “You’ve got a plan don’t you?”

“Always,” she laughed.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The next morning, Lily seemed to be in a better mood than she had the night before. Alexis made a mental note to thank Remus for whatever it was he said.

“You’re not going to believe what Frank did,” Alice said as she rummaged through her things deciding what to take home and what to leave at school.

“Oh that’s right!” Ally shrieked, “I totally forgot about the surprise.”

“What surprise?” asked Lily curiously.

“You didn’t mention anything to me,” Toni piped up.

Ally smiled, “Last night, Frank decided he wanted to surprise Alice. It took some convincing but eventually we did it and they went out. When did you get back?”

“Late,” replied Alice cryptically.

“Later than Remus and I,” added Lily.

“Frank is…,” she began, unable to stop smiling, “perfect. He knows me so well.”

“What did he do?” wondered Toni.

“He planted an oak tree for me,” she smiled, “on the grounds.”

“Can he do that?” asked Lily, “I’m pretty sure there are rules against that.”

“I’m sure the Headmaster won’t mind,” interrupted Ally, “Hagrid might notice but if I know Frank, and I’m sure I do-,”

“He already cleared it with Hagrid,” finished Alice, proudly, “and Hagrid said he didn’t mind taking care of another tree. Of course, I told him that I would take care of it while I was here so that helped.”

“Wow,” breathed Toni, “just wow. I think we underestimated Frank.”

“Maybe you did,” laughed Lily, “but Al and I never did.”

“Seriously,” agreed Ally, “I’ve always known Frank was going to have to do something major to really impress Toni.”

“Well,” piped up Lily, “I think Frank takes the title of ‘best boyfriend ever’.”

“Agreed,” voted Ally and Toni nodded silently.

“I’m sure he’ll appreciate the title,” laughed Alice.

“Maybe we can make him a crown or a nice sash or something,” suggested Ally.

Alice shook her head, “Maybe not.”

Alexis looked around and saw that she and Toni had done most of their packing but Lily and Alice had a way to go. She looked at Toni and realized she was thinking the same thing Ally was.

“Come on,” she said.

“You still have packing to do,” reminded Lily.

“But not nearly as much as you two,” countered Ally, “we’ll be right back.”

“Where are you going?” asked Alice.

Toni shrugged, “Not far.” She and Ally left the room before the girls could ask more questions.

“They’re up to something,” muttered Lily as she decided not to take her red shoes home.

Alice rolled her eyes, “When are they not?”

Toni looked around and waved at Ally to follow. They sprinted up the stairs to the fifth floor of the boys’ dormitory and opened the door.

“You could at least knock,” suggested Remus who was sitting on his bed in his pajamas studying.

Alexis looked and saw that James and Sirius were still sleeping. Knowing the opportunity was too good to pass up, she gestured to Toni to go to James’ bed and put her finger to her lip as a signal to Remus who smirked slightly and returned to his work.

She leaned over Sirius’ bed and pointed her wand at him. Unfortunately, for her Sirius had good instincts. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her into his bed.

“Good morning,” he whispered as she struggled to get out of his grasp. She turned to face him, “You can let me go any time now.”

“Did you learn your lesson?” he asked not bothering to loosen his grip. She smiled, “Yep. Next time, I won’t wear my perfume.”

“I’d still know,” he assured her, “I’ll always know.”

Before either of them could so anything else, they heard James shriek and Toni and Remus burst into laughter. They sat up, Sirius’s arm still wrapped around Ally’s waist. They saw James hanging upside down in mid air.

“Impressive, Nettie,” praised Sirius.

“You’re lucky I’m up here,” countered James eyeing Sirius’ arm. Toni smiled and muttered the countercurse. James fell to the ground and Sirius let go of Ally and hopped out of the bed, “Whatever you’re thinking you’re wrong. She tried to hex me so I had to stop her.”

“By getting her into your bed?” bellowed James.

Alexis got out of the bed and put herself in front of Sirius just as James lunged over the bed, “Relax James. I’m fine. No harm, no foul.”

James frowned, “Fine. I’m going to go shower. Don’t get any ideas Sirius. Remus and Toni are here.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” muttered Sirius. James left the room and Toni and Remus looked at them suspiciously. She turned around to see if he was making a ridiculous face or not. It was then that she noticed he was shirtless.

“When did you become shirtless?” she asked.

“Last night,” he replied, “before I went to sleep.” She frowned and realized why James must’ve reacted the way he did. After a moment, she smiled.

“What’s so funny?” he asked, suddenly feeling self conscious.

“Nothing,” she answered. She stood on her tiptoes and gestured for him to meet her. He leaned down and she whispered, “You look good.” He smirked, “Thanks.”

“Ahem,” Toni managed, clearing her throat, “Far be it for me to interrupt,” she began, “you know I support this. However, Ally we did come here for a reason.”

“Right,” Alexis agreed, shaking her head and creating some distance between herself and Sirius, “where’s Peter?”

Sirius and Remus exchanged a look and Remus answered, “He went to the library this morning. Why do you ask?”

“Curiosity,” Toni shrugged.

The two of them headed out and Sirius turned to Remus, “They’re up to something.”

“When are they not?” countered Remus.

By the time they reached the library, they had decided exactly what they wanted to say. They spotted Peter sitting alone near a window. Ally turned to Toni and nodded. They walked over and sat down on either side of him.

“Hello Peter,” Toni said cheerfully.

He looked from her to Ally, “Hello.”

“What are you up to?” asked Alexis.

“Studying transfiguration,” he replied quietly. Alexis knew why and didn’t press that particular topic.

“So Peter we just want to let you know that we know,” Toni whispered.

“Know what?” he asked.

“We know that you’re playing double agent,” Alexis hissed.

“Don’t bother denying it,” Toni said as he attempted to claim his defense.

“We’re not the boys,” Alexis continued, “we’re not blinded by loyalty.”

Peter frowned, “I could tell them the truth. That Snape waited until I was alone then-“

“Save it,” interrupted Ally, “we’re not interested in your excuses or what you could do. The only thing we’re interested in is setting you straight. You had better make a choice. You need to decide which side you’re on. You can’t keep playing double agent and expect to get away with it.”

“We’re not going to let you betray our friends,” warned Toni.

“They’re my friends,” he shot, “they trust me.”

“And trust can be betrayed,” hissed Ally, “but we’re not going to let it happen. You’re right. They do trust you, but we don’t. Are you going to keep betraying the only people on the planet who care about you?”

Peter sighed, “You’re right. They’re my only friends but I have to take care of my family. My parents are old. I’m their only child. I have to look out for them and with all the stuff that’s going on…”

“You’re only playing double agent to keep your parents safe?” surmised Toni.

“Yes,” he admitted, “we’re safe in here but out there no one is safe.”

“We all have families Peter,” reminded Ally, “but none of the rest of us are playing spy.”

“Your parents are safe,” he retaliated, “so are the Potters and the Shacklebolts. Lily and Alice’s parents are safe too because they’re muggles.”

“What about Black?” hissed Ally.

“He doesn’t care about his family,” he shrugged, “why should I?”

“Because what happens with the Black family dictates what happens to him,” she snapped, “you do realize that he spends his summers with them, don’t you?”

Peter shifted uncomfortably, “They wouldn’t hurt him. It’d be suspicious.”

“They wouldn’t kill him,” she growled, “but what they could do is much worse.”

Toni’s face registered shock while Peter’s registered fear. Toni decided it was time for her to take over, “So what’s your decision Peter? You can help protect your family the right way or you can continue to be a double crossing rat. The choice is yours.”

“You think I can protect my family without their help?” he asked.

“Of course you can,” she assured him, “we’ll help. There are a lot of enchantments that you and your parents can put around your house to protect and defend.”

“Really?” he asked.

“Really,” Toni smiled, “I’m sure Sirius and James would be willing to help you too.”

“Help with what?” asked James as he took the seat on the other side of Ally.

Ally picked up the slack, “Peter’s worried about his parents’ safety what with all that’s going on.”

“I can understand that,” nodded Sirius from his seat on the windowsill, “not that I sympathize but that I can understand concept,” he smirked.

“Pete,” sighed James, shaking his head, “why didn’t you tell us? We could protect your place like we do Remus’.”

Remus smiled, “James and his dad came out to my place last summer and they placed enchantments around the place. Then Ally sent her dad and godfather and let’s just say our dog can’t even leave the yard.”

Alexis laughed, “Better safe than sorry.”

“I’ve told you before Al,” he nodded, “I really appreciate it.”

“It seems as though you had a temporary lapse in memory and forgot just how connected you are,” smirked James.

Peter shook his head, “Yeah, I did. Can you help me?”

“Of course,” agreed Toni.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

As the train headed towards London, the group sat in silence. Remus and Lily were patrolling the train. Toni and James were sleeping. Peter was reading the Daily Prophet and Ally and Sirius were playing chess, or rather Sirius was trying to teach her how to play chess.

“If you move that piece there,” he warned, “I’ll be able to check in two.”

She sighed and pushed the board away from her, “I give up. If my grandfather couldn’t teach me I doubt you can either. It’s confusing-“

“And you’re not trying,” he commented.

She shook her head, “No, I’m not.” Before either of them could say anything else, the compartment door opened and Severus appeared. He looked around the cabins and his eyes rested on James sleeping with his arm over Toni’s shoulder and Toni snuggled up against him.

Alexis saw his hand twitch and she spoke, “There are two people in this room who could jinx you before your hand finds your wand.”

Severus turned to face them, “Threatening me?”

“Warning you,” she countered, “it’s not what you think.”

“You know what I’m thinking?” he asked.

“I know how you think,” she corrected, “Allow me,” she smirked, “Ahem.”

Toni and James stirred but stayed asleep.

“I’ll give it a whirl,” Sirius piped up. He put his fingers in his mouth and whistled loudly. James and Toni jumped out of their skin and Toni turned to Severus, “Hey Sev.”

He rolled his eyes, “Is there anything I should know?”

Toni smirked, “Yes, James and I are back together. Sorry,” she paused, “we fell asleep. Seriously, Sev.”

He snapped, “I’d like to talk to you.”

“You don’t have to go with him unless you want to,” commented James. Severus’ eyes narrowed and Toni stood up, “Thanks James but I’m fine.” She led Severus out of the compartment.

“I’ll never understand her,” sighed James.

“Now if you apply that knowledge to all women you’ll be ahead of the curve,” observed Alexis, picking up the paper Peter had dropped after he fell asleep.

“Hello all,” called Alice as she and Frank entered the compartment.

“Well, well, well,” Ally smiled, “if it isn’t the best boyfriend at Hogwarts…possibly in all of Britain.”

James and Sirius exchanged looks and Frank blushed profusely before turning to Alice, “You told her?”

“Not just me,” piped up Ally, “but Toni and Lily as well.”

“Toni and Lily what?” asked Toni as she entered the room with Lily and Remus following after.

“I was just telling Frank that Alice informed us of what an amazing boyfriend he is,” she explained.

Frank frowned and Alice shook her head, “It’s just Ally being Ally, Frank.”

“I’m being completely honest,” Alexis shrugged, “you gave her a thoughtful gift personalized to her interest and not just flowers or candy. It’s very impressive. I look forward to seeing how you’ll top that.”

“I’ve got some ideas,” he mumbled.

“You should give lessons,” grunted Toni as she threw herself onto the seat.

“Agreed,” Lily added as she took a seat next to Toni, “some guys have no sense of romance or passion…some guys don’t know anything at all about the person they’re dating.”

“Well,” muttered Frank, “I think I might join my friends.”

Alexis stood up, “I’m sorry if we embarrassed you Frank. Honestly we were just bragging about you.” She hugged him tightly and he smiled, “Thanks Ally.”

“You’re welcome,” she laughed, “we’re good?”

“Yes, we’re good Al,” he nodded, “is it alright if we join you in here?”

“Of course,” agreed Lily, “the more the merrier.”

“Until there’s no more room,” observed Toni, “which we’re getting to the point of.” Alexis looked around and saw that Toni was right.”

“Okay, Frank and Alice you take the seat where Peter is,” she instructed, “Black, James, lay Peter on the floor, Lily and Remus take the seat next to Frank and Alice as its closest to the door and you can keep an eye out. Black and James take the seat closest the window and Toni and I will take the seat across from Lily and Remus.” They all followed her instructions and made themselves comfortable.

They sat in silence for half an hour before they started talking again.

“So what is this amazing gift you gave our girl?” asked Sirius curiously.

“It’s none of your business Black,” Alexis told him, “it’s private.”

“You know, don’t you?” he countered.

“I’m Alice’s dear friend,” she reminded him, “it is my right to know.”

“I don’t mind telling the rest of the group Al,” Frank piped up, “thanks for trying to keep it secret though.” He turned to the boys who seemed genuinely curious and told them, “I planted an oak tree for Alice on the grounds of Hogwarts.”

“Isn’t that against the rules?” asked Remus to which Toni laughed, “That’s what Lily said!”

“Great minds think alike,” Lily told him.

“Does Hagrid know?” asked James, “I mean he’s the groundskeeper. He’s bound to notice a new tree…”

“I’m sure Frank already thought of that,” piped up Sirius, “he used to be a prefect, remember?”

Frank smiled, “I did talk to Hagrid. He thought it was a nice gesture and Alice told him that she would take care of the tree while she’s at Hogwarts.”

“That really is a unique gift,” James said finally, “it’s very Alice.”

“Thanks James,” she smiled, “I think.”

“We’re getting close,” observed Lily, “we have to get back out into the corridors.”

“Alright Lil,” nodded Toni, “don’t forget to meet up with us when you’re done.”

“Will do,” agreed Lily and Remus nodded. Alexis started gathering her stuff together and soon after, the train stopped.

“Alright, let’s get ready to head out,” James sighed. The group took turns saying goodbye to Sirius as had become tradition because he got in trouble if he was caught with them on the platform. Alexis waited for James and Sirius to finish saying goodbye and stepped forward.

“Well Black,” she sighed, “I guess this is it.”

He moved towards her, “We’ll see each other next year,” he reminded her.

“I suppose,” she shrugged, “You be careful, you hear me? I mean it-“

He wrapped his arm around her and lifted her into the air, “I’ll be careful Princess, I promise.”

She squeezed him tightly, “That’s good to hear.” He paused and set her back on the ground. She smiled and headed out of the train.

“I saw that,” his little brother commented as he entered the compartment his brother had occupied with his friends.

“It was nothing,” he assured him.

“Sure,” scoffed his brother. “I’ve always wanted a sister,” he added as Sirius chased him off the train.

“I’ll see you around Sev,” Lily told him. Toni smiled, “Happy Christmas.”

“Happy Christmas Toni,” he replied, hugging her quickly, “Happy Christmas Alexis.”

“Happy Christmas Sev,” she called as he walked away. The group exchanged hugs and goodbyes and got smaller over time. Alexis suddenly felt a very odd feeling and scanned the platform. It was then that she noticed Bellatrix Black was standing with Sirius and Regulus and the Black parents were nowhere to be seen.

Not good, she thought to herself. She realized that Bellatrix saw her staring and the older girl smiled and even winked.

She’s up to something, thought Alexis as she turned to face the remaining members of her group. James put an arm around her and whispered, “I saw her too.” Lily and Toni looked around and then turned back to the group.

“What is she doing here?” demanded Toni, looking over her shoulder.

“Let’s play it cool ladies,” James muttered in an undertone, “let’s not give her a reason to think anything is going on.”

Toni and Alexis exchanged a look but said nothing.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

It was New Year’s Eve and Alexis was sitting in her parents’ library. She knew her aunt and uncle weren’t going to have their usual New Year’s Eve party but she desperately wanted to interact with people who weren’t her parents. She began to twirl the necklace that had been a Christmas present from…well, she wasn’t exactly sure who had sent it to her. It came anonymously and she had been nervous about it. Her father had tested it for every possible curse and then had her godfather and Grandfather test it as well. None of them had found anything wrong with it so she had been allowed to keep it. They had all badgered her about who it could be from and she said nothing. She had a sneaking suspicion who the sender could be but was hesitant to tell anyone particularly her father.

She took the necklace off for the millionth time since she had received it and looked it over. It was obviously an antique which she loved. It was a silver chain with a small sapphire pendant. Her parents had worried that it was too expensive but Alexis thought the pendant was tasteful enough to wear everyday which she had been doing since she received it.

“So I take it you like the necklace,” her cousin commented as he entered the room. She hadn’t been expecting him but her desire to confirm her suspicion outweighed her excitement at having a visitor.

“It was him, wasn’t it?” she asked, putting the necklace back on.

James smirked, “Yes, he had to jump through a lot of hoops to get it sent to you without his parents finding out.”

“How did he buy it without their knowledge?” she wondered.

“I told you,” he shrugged as he took a spot on the settee nearest her, “hoops. He has an Uncle that’s actually pretty fond of him so he helped Sirius get a hold of part of his trust…”

“Oh, James,” she interrupted, “I wish he hadn’t. He’ll need that money for when he gets out of his parents’ house.”

James shook his head, “Sirius will have all kinds of money when he comes of age. Don’t worry about him.”

She continued playing with the necklace but said nothing else.

“Aren’t you wondering why I’m here?” he asked.

She shrugged, “I just assumed my parents headed my complaints for company.”

“They did,” he replied with a smug smirk, “according to my sources-“

“Or as I like to call them my parents,” she interrupted.

“Anyways,” he continued, “my sources tell me we will be joined by more guests throughout the day.”

The fireplace changed color and out came Lily and her godfather Alastor Moody.

“Unkie Alastor,” she shrieked, “Lils!”

She embraced her godfather tightly and he smiled, “I’m glad to see we could improve your mood. I have to head back to the office now but I’ll be back later tonight.”

“Really?” she squealed with excitement.

“I promise,” he assured her. He hugged her again and as he let go he noticed her necklace, “Still wearing it I see?”

“Yes,” she replied, gripping it tightly.

He raised an eyebrow, “I’m starting to think you know who it’s from.”

“Don’t you have work to do?” she reminded him.

“We’ll finish this discussion later,” he assured her.

“I’m sure we will,” she frowned.

He waved to James and Lily and stepped into the fire.

Before anyone could say anything else, her mother entered the room followed by Frank and Alice.

“Mum,” she shrieked, “what’s going on?”

“We’re giving you a late Christmas present,” her mother joked, “I’ll explain later. I have to get back to the hospital. Have fun.”

Alexis turned and saw her friends walking around the room awkwardly.

“Is anyone hungry?” she asked. They nodded so she headed to the kitchen and they followed. She went to work in the kitchen with Lily and Alice helping her find things.

“Alexis!” called her father from the foyer.

“Be right back,” she told her friends. She walked into the foyer and was surprised to see her father with Remus and her cousin Severus.

“Papa,” she frowned, “have you lost your mind?”

He smiled, “I talked to the boys and they will be on their best behavior.”

“Alright,” she nodded, “let’s head to the kitchen. We’re getting some snacks together.”

“We?” prodded Severus, “who’s here?”

“Lily and Toni,” she listed, “Frank and Alice…and James.”

She knew her cousin was reacting negatively but he hid it well. They entered the kitchen and Lily and Toni greeted Severus enthusiastically while James, Frank and Alice did the same with Remus. She inhaled deeply and continued preparing snacks. The girls helped her arrange them and then the boys carried them into the parlor.

Upon entering the parlor, she realized she had forgotten drinks.

“I’ll be right back,” she assured them. She entered the kitchen and started preparing drinks when she heard the fire crackling and heard a voice, “Alexis?”

She spun around to face the fire and saw her grandfather’s face, “Your parents told me what they were up to so I came up with my own little surprise. It took a lot of effort but…well, perhaps, I’ll just show you.” His face disappeared from the fire and someone came whirling towards her. She stepped back and a tall figure fell onto the floor.

“I’m so not a fan of floo powder,” coughed Sirius Black. She clutched the table as though she had seen a ghost and before she could say anything else, her grandfather reappeared in the fire.

“Mr. Black will be here until nine o’clock at which point you are to return to the kitchen, obviously making sure you are unaccompanied,” Albus Dumbledore instructed, “and we’ll return you to your home with no one being any the wiser. Your brother does know how to contact you if anything should go wrong correct?”

“Reggie knows,” he assured him. Albus Dumbledore smiled, “Alright then. Happy New Year my darling girl,” he added. Before Alexis could thank him, he disappeared and she turned to Sirius.

“Surprised?” he asked with a smile.

“More like stunned,” she corrected.

“Good stunned or bad stunned?” he asked, leaning against the island in the middle of the kitchen.

She walked towards him, “Good stunned, without a doubt.” She instinctively reached for her new necklace. He smiled, “Do you like it?”

“I love it,” she answered, “it’s beautiful.”

“I thought of you when I saw it,” he said with a smile, “it was designed in the 1920s for Zelda Fitzgerald…”

“It…what?” she stuttered, “the Zelda Fitzgerald? As in wife of the author F. Scott Fitzgerald?”

“The very one,” he said with a smile, “it wasn’t easy to come by but I remembered you saying that you thought they were an interesting couple and I know you admire his work.”

She wrapped her arms around him and looked up, “You are…I’m speechless,” she managed, “Thank you.”

“You’re very welcome,” he replied, “seeing that look on your face is thanks enough.”

She smirked, “Oh, I think I can do you one better than that.” She pulled his face to her and kissed him softly on the cheek. She moved away and back towards the pitcher, “I promised the others I’d get them some drinks. They’re probably wondering where I am.”

“Ally?” called James as though on cue. He entered the door followed closely by Remus and they stopped. There was a moment of silence before James tackled his best friend, “What are you doing here?”

“I’m visiting,” he answered, then looked down at his watch, “I have until nine. Let’s grab the drinks and join the party.”

“Right on,” agreed James as he and Remus picked up a couple of pitchers and Ally and Sirius grabbed the cups.

This is going to be an interesting night, she thought.

As expected, Sirius’ presence shocked the rest of the room as much as it had Ally.

“Sirius!” the room shouted as everyone ran to greet him…Well, almost everyone. Alexis went over to her cousin who turned to her, “Your father did not mention Black.”

“I don’t think he knew,” she admitted, “it was Grampy’s idea.”

Severus shook his head, “Potter, I had time to prepare for but Black…he’s another story.”

“You don’t have to interact with him,” she assured him, “Lily and Toni are here. I’m sure they’d be more than willing to spend the evening talking with you. You could even talk to Frank and Alice-“

“Longbottom is a moron,” he sighed. She rolled her eyes, “Fine, just talk to Toni and Lily okay? As a hostess it’s my job to entertain but I’ll make sure I make some time for you.”

“How thoughtful,” he drawled, as he went back to Lily and Toni. Alexis rolled her eyes and continued to play the role of hostess, replenishing drinks and snacks and talking to all of her guests.

“Alexis!” called her father from the foyer later that evening, “we’re home.” Alexis and Sirius exchanged a look and she hurried to the adults.

“Hello,” she called as she entered the foyer. Her father, mother and godfather were putting their cloaks away and Alexis stopped them before they could go any further, “Grampy sent his own contribution for this evening.”

Her mother smiled, “Of course he did. It’s Sirius Black, isn’t it?”

“Yes,” she answered quickly, knowing her mother would understand, “you two,” she added, turning to her father and godfather, “need to be on your best behavior. His last name does NOT make him a villain. He’s a good friend and I want him treated just as well as everyone else.”

Ethan Prince and Alastor Moody exchanged looks and Alexis continued, “This evening is about bringing together my family and friends, is it not?”

“It is,” her father answered.

“Then be your wonderful, amazing selves,” she advised, “Oh and I need you to talk to Frank, Alice, Sirius and James about what exactly it takes to be an auror, okay?”

“Sure,” her godfather agreed. Alexis turned to her mother who nodded and she left the room. Catherine Prince turned to her husband and friend, “You two will treat that boy well and you will try not to embarrass my daughter.” She turned on heel and walked into the parlor.

“Unbelievable,” muttered Ethan Prince, “Being told to behave in my own house.”

“Get used to it Ethan,” chuckled his friend. The two of them walked into the parlor and greeted the guests.

“Hello all,” Ethan Prince said as he entered the room. The teenagers all waved at him and there were scattered “Hello Mr. Prince”s. Catherine gestured for Alastor and Ethan to follow her and they went into the kitchen.

“She’s probably starting dinner,” explained Alexis.

“Maybe we shouldn’t have had all those snacks,” piped up Alice, “I’m not really very hungry anymore.”

“It’s fine,” waved Toni, “what we don’t eat the boys will.” Lily and Ally nodded their agreement and the boys shrugged.

“It’s time for dinner,” Catherine said as she entered the room, “and don’t worry ladies. I saw all the snacks so I won’t be the least bit insulted if you can’t eat very much. That’s why we have men.” The girls laughed appreciatively and followed her into the dining room. They all sat down to what Alexis was sure would be an extremely awkward dinner. Luckily her mother was good at socializing.

“So I hear that there are some future aurors in our midst,” she said as she sipped a glass of water.

Alice, Frank, Sirius and James simultaneously turned to face Ally who smiled, “I told you, I’d make all of you talk to my father and Uncle Alastor,” she turned to them, “Go ahead.”

Alastor Moody and Ethan Prince spent the rest of dinner telling the group about their experiences as aurors. From training to the present day, the two of them had numerous interesting stories that ranged from humorous to terrifying. As Alexis watched the reactions of her friends, she could tell that they were getting more excited about becoming aurors. She frowned, I should’ve known. Alexis looked down at her watch and realized it was five minutes until nine.

“As much fun as it is to interrupt story time,” she piped up, “It’s time for one of us to leave.”

Sirius nodded and stood up and Alexis stood to accompany him to the kitchen. To her surprise, her godfather stood up and offered his hand, “It’s been nice to meet you, Mr. Black.”

Sirius nodded, “It’s been nice meeting you too sir.” Alexis led him towards the kitchen, casting a suspicious look at her godfather.

“Alright Black,” she sighed, “times up.”

He smirked, “Are you disappointed your plan backfired?”

“Yes,” she hissed, rolling her eyes, “I should’ve known you idiots would find this exciting instead of terrifying.”

“Worried about us?” he asked.

“Yes,” she snapped, “I swear you all-“

He stopped her with hug and sighed, “I’ll see you later Al.”

Before anything else could be said, her grandfather appeared in the fire, “Ready, Mr. Black?”

“Ready Headmaster,” he nodded. He threw the floo powder into the fire and waved goodbye to Ally as she stepped into it. She waited a couple of moments before her grandfather reappeared, “He’s safe.”

“How did you do that?” she wondered.

“I have my ways,” he answered cryptically.

“Thank you Grampy,” she sighed, “I really appreciate it.”

“You’re welcome my dear,” he replied before waving goodbye.

James entered, “How’s it going in here?”

“Fine,” she assured him, “Black got home safely.”

“Being related to him has its perks doesn’t it?” her cousin commented. She shook her head, “Let’s head back in there.” They returned to dinner.

“Let me help,” she said as her mother started picking up the dishes.

“Unnecessary,” her mother assured her as she banished the dishes to the kitchen. “We’ll do them later. Let them soak for now.” Alexis nodded and returned to her friends.

“I should be heading home too,” Severus was saying as Ally entered the room. “I don’t want to give my parents an excuse to punish me.” Toni and Lily nodded and took turns hugging him goodbye. As Ally led him to her parents, she thanked him, “Thanks for coming Sev. I really appreciate you coming over and keeping your temper in check around James and Black.”

“You’re welcome,” he nodded. They hugged and she took him into the kitchen, “Mum, Dad, Severus is ready to go home.”

“It is getting late,” agreed her father, “I’ll take you home.” They hugged again and Ally rejoined her friends in the parlor.

“Alright,” she laughed as she entered the room, “the tension is gone.”

“What were your parents thinking?” demanded James, “that was almost painful.”

Ally shook her head, “I know. It was a nice gesture but I’m thinking next time Grampy and my parents should talk before they plan something like that.”

“Your grandfather was the one that got Sirius here,” asked Alice.

Ally frowned, realizing she might have to lie, “Yes.”

“He’s a friend of Sirius’ Uncle Alphard,” James piped up, “Alphard talked to Sirius and Regulus and created a plan to cover for Sirius with his parents and then Alphard talked to Ally’s grandfather who found a way to get Sirius from his house to here.”

“Really?” asked Lily, “that’s awfully thoughtful.”

“That’s my Grandfather,” shrugged Ally, “I’m more impressed with Black’s uncle.”

“It is impressive,” granted Toni, “finding a nice Black is extremely difficult.”

“Alright, gentlemen,” her godfather said as he entered the room, “it’s time to take you home. Ladies, your bags are in the foyer.”

Alexis smiled, “Does that mean the girls get to stay over?”

“Yes,” he told her, “are you pleased?”

“Yes,” she laughed.

He smirked, “Hold on to that thought. Your parents want to see you. Come along gentlemen.” James, Remus and Frank said goodbye to the girls and followed Moody out of the room.

“Lily,” Alexis sighed, “take the girls to my room and you can wait for me there.” The girls nodded and headed towards the foyer to get their bags while Alexis headed towards the kitchen. Her mother was washing the dishes while her father rinsed and dried them.

“What do you want to talk about?” she asked, feeling as though she already knew.

“Your grandfather and Alastor think Sirius Black gave you that necklace,” her father said without preamble.

“He did,” she admitted, absentmindedly playing with the pendant.

“That gift is too extravagant,” he sighed, “you have to return it.”

“No,” she countered, “he went through a lot of trouble to-“

“What kind of trouble?” her mother wondered.

“Nothing bad,” she assured them, “he just had to put a lot of effort into getting the necklace to me without his parents finding it out.”

“And how did he do that?” pressed her father.

“His uncle helped him access his own money,” she told him, “and then his uncle bought it and sent it to me.”

“I think we should have it appraised,” her mother suggested, “for insurance purposes.”

“Who’d be crazy enough to steal from us?” she asked, “couldn’t you just put a tracking charm on it or something so if someone does steal it or I lose it then we can get it back.”

“Is there any particular reason why you don’t want us to know how much the necklace cost?” her father questioned.

“Are we having a discussion as father and daughter or as auror and a suspect?” she hissed.

“Father and daughter,” he decided, “and as your father, I demand that you let us have the necklace examined.” She shook her head knowing that he wouldn’t like what he found. She removed the necklace and handed it over to her father, “How long will it take?”

“I’ll take it to your grandfather,” he said, “then he’ll take it to an appraiser he knows.”

Ally shrugged, “Fine. I’m going upstairs now.”

She headed towards the door before her father piped up, “Why would he give you this necklace?”

“It’s a Christmas present,” she shrugged.

“And what did you get him?” her father wondered. Ally blushed, “A book.”

“What book?” he pressed.

“The defense book that you, Grampy and Unkie Alastor contributed to,” she shrugged.

Her father stared at her before finally saying, “That book has been out of print for quite some time.”

“Grampy found a copy for me,” she admitted.

“How nice,” her father frowned, “how long did it take for him to find it?”

“I asked him at the start of term,” she answered, wondering where the line of questioning was headed.

“Is that when you decided?” he asked.

Feeling as though she knew what was coming next, she frowned, “Decided what?”

“Nothing,” her mother interrupted, “thank you for allowing us to have the necklace appraised Alexis. Join your friends.” Ally nodded and left to join her friends.

“What was that?” demanded Catherine, “did you really think she was going to confess her feelings to you? You’re her father.”

“That’s right,” snapped Ethan, “I am. I need to know what we’re up against.”

“You’re not at work,” countered Catherine, “she’s a teenage girl who’s trying to understand her feelings-“

“What feelings?” her husband interrupted.

Catherine rolled her eyes, “I’m not going to argue this with you.”

Ethan groaned but stayed silent. He knew better than to argue with his wife.

Alexis opened the door to her room and her friends got quiet.

“What did they want?” asked Toni.

“To take the Christmas present I got from Sirius,” she sighed, “again,” she added.

“Sirius?” prodded Toni.

“Christmas present?” pressed Lily.

“He bought me a beautiful necklace,” she informed them, “but it’s expensive so my parents want to have it appraised for “insurance reasons”. I think my dad just wanted to make sure Sirius didn’t steal it.”

“I repeat,” Toni piped up, “Sirius?”

“That’s his name,” she reminded her.

“Yes,” agreed Toni, “but you never call him by it.”

“And I still don’t,” she assured them, “but when I’m talking to you all I feel like I can be me. I can, can’t I?”

“Of course you can Al,” assured Alice, “what did the necklace look like?”

“Simple sapphire pendant on a silver chain,” she shrugged, “but I don’t know. I think it’s the most beautiful piece of jewelry I’ve ever seen.”

“Is it historic or something?” joked Lily. Ally blushed and Toni shrieked, “It is, isn’t it?”

She blushed harder and Alice pressed, “Admit it. I told you ladies about Frank’s tree. Tell us about the necklace.”

“Alright,” she groaned, “but you have to promise that none of you will blow this out of proportion?”

“We promise,” they chorused.

She averted her eyes, “It’s an antique. It’s American. It was designed for Zelda Fitzgerald and commissioned by her husband.”

“The writer F. Scott Fitzgerald?” pressed Lily.

“Yes,” she smiled.

“The one who wrote that book you keep trying to get us to read…,” remembered Toni.

“The Great Gatsby,” finished Alice. The girls sat in silence before Toni let out a low whistle, “Wow.”

Alexis shook her head, “I know…can we not talk about it?”

“Alright,” agreed Lily, “we won’t talk about it.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Here you go,” her father muttered as he dropped the necklace into her palm. They were at King’s Cross and she was about to board the train. She immediately smiled as she put it on. Her father stared at her, “You knew didn’t you?”

She looked up at him, “Knew what?”

“The story of the necklace,” he elucidated. She nodded, “Yes.”

He frowned, “He did his research, didn’t he?”

Not wanting to hear anymore, she stood on tip toe and kissed her father on the cheek, “Stop worrying. I’m fine.”

Before he could say anything, she boarded the train and found an empty compartment. She took the seat nearest the window and watched the people on the platform. She was surprised and unnerved to see Sirius and Regulus with their cousin Bellatrix. She moved away from the window so as not to attract Bellatrix’s attention.

“Hey Ally,” said her cousin as he entered the compartment.

“Go over to the window,” she requested, “and tell me if Bellatrix is still out there.”

“I passed her on my way in,” he shrugged, “There’s no reason for her to still be out there though.” He sat by the window and casually glanced out before turning back to his cousin, “She’s not there.”

“She left,” informed a voice from behind them. Both Alexis and James jumped and Sirius smirked, “Making sure I’m safe?”

“Trying,” amended James, “what was with Bellatrix picking you up and dropping you off?”

Sirius sat down calmly and responded, “She spent the break training Regulus and trying to convince me to join her team.”

“Really?” asked Alexis, taking the same tone he was using, “and what did you tell her?”

“That I’m a leader not a follower,” he shrugged.

James chuckled appreciatively and Ally adopted a different tone, “And what did she do when you said that?”

“What makes you think she did anything?” he countered.

“I know her,” she reminded him.

He shook his head, “Nothing. I think she might have finally realized that she’s not going to convince me to join her.”

“Has she?” pressed Ally. Sirius shrugged, “I hope.”

“Hello all,” said Alice as she and Frank entered, “I ran into Lily and Remus and they said they’ll be here towards the end of the trip.”

“Where’s Toni?”asked James.

“With Severus,” answered Alexis as she pulled out a book, “she felt obligated to spend time with him.”

“Obligated?” repeated James to which Alexis rolled her eyes, “Where’s Peter?”

“Right here,” Peter called, “it took my parents and me a bit longer than usual to get here. The enchantments are extremely powerful.”

“You’re welcome,” James assured him.

“You’re particularly annoying today James,” his cousin commented, “to what do we owe this regression back to your old ways?”

Before James could respond, Kate Johnson appeared at the doorway, “Hello James.”

“Hello Kate,” he smiled, “you know everyone don’t you?”

“By reputation,” she answered, not making eye contact.

“Well, don’t believe everything you hear,” Alexis told her, setting her book down. She stood up, “I’m Alexis Prince. It’s nice to meet you,” she offered her hand and the girl shook it. Alexis could tell she was nervous so she took pity on her, “that’s Frank Longbottom, Alice Dean, Peter Pettigrew and Sirius Black.” She nodded to each of them and they smiled in return.

“Would you like to join us?” asked James.

Kate looked around as though debating it and Sirius decided to persuade her, “This is possibly the least crowded this compartment has ever been. You might want to take advantage of it.”

She laughed, “Thanks. I suppose I will.” She sat down next to James and they started chatting. Peter shook his head and picked up his copy of the Daily Prophet. Frank and Alice snuggled together and started to drift off.

Alexis moved closer to Sirius and asked, “How’s the,” she lowered her voice even lower, “animagi thing going?”

He looked around and whispered back, “Well, we should be able to do it by the next full moon.”

“Oh my,” she breathed, “that close?”

“Yep,” he nodded.

“Are you all being careful?” she asked quietly, “these transformations can go very wrong. I’ve done research and there’s a reason-“

“Do you trust me Al?” he asked.

“It’s not about that,” she sighed, “I’m just worried about what’ll happen about to you, James and Peter if something goes wrong and how do you think Remus will feel if something does go wrong and he finds out that you were doing it for him? You know he carries the weight of the world on his shoulders already.”

Sirius frowned, “We know what we’re doing. It’ll all work out Princess. I promise.”

She sighed and reached for her necklace, “I’ll hold you to that.”

“Hello,” Lily said as she and Remus entered the compartment. She eyed Kate curiously, “Hello Kate.”

“Hello Lily,” Kate responded, “Remus,” she added nodding to Remus. Remus smiled, his reassuring smile, “Hello Kate.”

“So is there chaos in the corridors?” asked Sirius attempting to lighten the mood.

“I wouldn’t say chaos,” amended Lily, “just an annoying and obnoxious sense of entitlement, as though Remus and I don’t have the right to tell them what to do because our families married for love and not because they shared chromosomes.”

Alexis bit her lip to hold back her laughter as she was sitting next to Sirius but James spoke first, “Not all purebloods keep it in the family. We’re not all-“ before he could finish Remus stepped on his foot.

“You can say it,” Sirius interrupted, “you’re not Blacks.”

“I wasn’t going to say that mate,” James assured him.

“It would’ve been fine if it’s what you were going to say,” he shrugged, “it’s kind of true.” Alexis instinctively grabbed his hand and squeezed it, “Not really. It just seems that way because the Blacks disown anyone who doesn’t follow the rules.”

“Thanks Al,” he smiled.

“Anytime,” she smiled back. She then turned to Lily, “Who is being a pain now?”

Lily and Remus exchanged a look and Alexis sensed something was wrong.
“What?” she pressed, “who was it?”

She saw Remus glance in Sirius’ direction and she knew what was going on. She stood up and Lily shook her head, “No Ally. Thank you but no. If you go to them it’ll just reinforce their opinions about only putting stock in what purebloods say.”

“Who said I’m going to them?” she countered, “maybe I just need to use the loo.” Lily and Remus exchanged a look before saying in unison, “You don’t.” Alexis shook her head, “I do.” She sidestepped them and headed towards the compartment that was always occupied by the same group of Slytherins.

“Mulciber, Macnair, out now,” she snapped. They stared at her and she arched an eyebrow, “I used small words. Did you not understand? Should I grunt?”

“Careful Ms. Prince,” warned Regulus Black. Ally rolled her eyes and started tapping her foot.

“It’s alright,” Regulus sighed finally to Mulciber and Macnair, “Ms. Prince has a flair for the dramatic. If we humor her, she’ll go away.” The two giants stumbled out of the compartment and Alexis shut the door behind them, “What’s with treating Lily and Rem like rubbish?”

“We have to keep up appearances,” shrugged Regulus, “apparently, the Slytherin reputation is getting soft and we can’t have that.”

“No,” granted Ally, “I can’t imagine you can let people start to think you’re actual human beings.”

Severus sighed, “We do what needs to be done Alexis.” She turned to Toni, “Are you okay with this? How long do you think it’ll be before Sev has to break up with you because you’re a blood traitor?”

“That won’t happen,” she assured her friend. Alexis rolled her eyes, “Whatever. If you have to keep the reputation evil at least feign respect with the prefects. Do you think you can manage that?”

Regulus dropped the haughty façade, “Sure Sis. Do me a favor though? In the future, don’t storm in here in front of our henchmen. Be a bit more diplomatic.”

“If that’s what it’ll take to get you to listen to me, I’ll be Winston Churchill,” she told him.

“Who?” he asked.

“The muggle Prime Minister during World War II,” explained Severus.

“If you’re going through hell, keep going,” she smiled. Her cousin smirked as she turned and left the compartment.

“The more I get to know her,” Regulus sighed, “the more I understand her and Sirius.”

“Careful,” warned Severus, “not everyone supports that relationship contrary to popular belief.”

“I think you and Lily are the only ones who feel that way,” Toni observed, “and Bellatrix of course.”

Alexis returned to the compartment and it immediately became silent.

“I’m definitely not a fan of the loo on this train,” she told them as she sat down.

“What did you do Al?” asked James in his concerned cousin voice.

“Nothing,” she shrugged. As she looked up she saw that no one in the compartment, not even Kate, believed her.

“Don’t worry about it,” she told them, “I can get away with pretty much anything. I’m not the guys.”

They all laughed in response and Lily piped up, “Remus and I have to go help gather the younger students. We’re getting close.”

They left the compartment and Ally picked up Peter’s discarded Daily Prophet.

“What did you do?” asked Sirius in a voice very different from James.

She turned to him and smiled, “Nothing, just offered a little advice.”

“Unsolicited advice?” he pressed.

“Is there any other kind?” she laughed.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The first two weeks of the term had been just as busy as the last. The stress of OWLs was starting to take its toll on everyone. Even those who had been ignoring the impending exams…

“I’m starting to think there’s not enough time to learn all we need to know,” Alexis sighed as they sat in the library, “How are we supposed to know what the examiners think is important?”

“Calm down Alexis,” Remus sighed, “we all know the basics and from what I understand, they test us about what everyone should know and then from that they grade based on the level of proficiency and the comprehension you show in the written part.”

“I can write just fine,” piped up Alice, “it’s the performing on command that worries me.”

“I’m the opposite,” groaned Toni, “I can do the spells I’m just not very good at explaining things in essay form. Ask Professor McGonagall,” she added as she pulled out the last essay she wrote, “Dreadful. I’ll tell you what’s dreadful. Trying to write an essay on something you don’t fully understand.”

Alice frowned, “An ‘acceptable’ isn’t much better especially considering you have to have top grades to be an auror. Maybe I’ll just be an assistant or something.”

“Alice darling,” Sirius cooed, “Relax. You’re going to be fine. You’re brilliant. McGonagall just grades really hard. Think of it this way, an ‘A’ with McGonagall would probably be an ‘E’ to anyone else.”

Alice shook her head, “No, she’s grading the way an examiner will and you don’t get to talk Mr. Outstanding.”

Everyone turned to Sirius who avoided eye contact.

“Outstanding?” hissed James, “I only exceeded expectations.”

Lily rolled her eyes, “Heaven forbid you shouldn’t get an ‘outstanding’.”

“I would love an ‘E’,” groaned Toni, “this bites.”

“Agreed,” nodded Remus, “Slughorn is just as bad. I swear it’s like if you’re not one of his chosen students, you won’t get higher than an ‘A’. I definitely thought I deserved an ‘E’ on that last potion.”

“Well, Nettie and I certainly didn’t deserve ‘D’s,” piped up James, “one would think we would’ve exceeded expectations by getting the potion the right color.”

Alexis and Sirius laughed while Toni punched him in the shoulder, “Thanks for shouting out my grade Potter.”

“Don’t be so sensitive,” he hissed, “I got the same grade you did. I need practice,” he added, looking in Sirius’ direction.

“Lily and I are here for you Toni,” offered Alexis, “if you’d like a real tutor and not a pretend one.”

“Severus is a real tutor,” countered Toni.

“Everyone knows you can’t be tutored by someone you like,” Sirius warned, “if you’re being tutored it needs to be by someone who isn’t worried about sparing your feelings.”

The group paused for a moment exchanging looks before Alice spoke, “Well done, Sirius. I’ve just figured out how to improve out grades.”

She started writing and everyone watched. Finally she finished the list, “Alright we’re all good with Charms. History of Magic should be fine as well. Defense, well we can all practice for obvious reasons. Transfiguration, we need James tutoring me and Peter because I think you can handle it, Sirius tutoring Lily, Remus tutoring Toni and Frank has volunteered to tutor you Ally.”

Alexis smiled, “That’s very sweet. I’ll have to thank him. Now for potions, Lily is going to tutor me and Toni, Ally’s going to tutor Remus and James, and Sirius will tutor Peter.”

“Sounds good Alice,” praised Lily. They divided into pairs and attempted to schedule their tutoring session.

“I’m not giving up a Hogmseade weekend to study Alice,” hissed James.

Alice frowned, “We just got back from winter break. Do you really think you need another one next week?”

“If you keep this up?” James growled, “I most certainly will.”

“Maybe it wasn’t the best idea,” whispered Lily, “putting the two of them together. I mean Alice is so-“

“Obsessive,” Toni smirked.

“Studious,” finished Lily, “and Potter is so-“

“Fun?” offered Toni.

“Laid back,” finished Ally, before Lily could insert her own term.

“That’s a nice way of putting it,” muttered Lily, “really though,-“

“Unless you’re willing to be tutored by James,” interrupted Ally, “let it go Lily.”

Lily shook her head and returned to her studying…

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“I still think we should be working on transfiguration instead of going to Hogsmeade,” Alice said as they left the grounds of Hogwarts.

James rolled his eyes, “If you want to study Dean, no one’s stopping you.”

“I can’t study by myself,” sighed Alice, “the whole point of being tutored is to have another person to teach you the things you don’t understand.” James stopped and put his hands on Alice’s shoulders, “Alice, I love you but if you don’t stop whining, I’m going to jinx you.”

Alice frowned, “Fine, come on Frank let’s go. We’ll meet you all at the Three Broomsticks at five.”

Frank and Alice headed off and James breathed a sigh of relief, “I have no idea how you all put up with her. She’s a sweetheart but crazy neurotic.”

Toni sighed, “She has her moments. Come on ladies, let’s go find something to entertain ourselves with. See you at the Three Broomsticks boys.”

“Stay out of trouble,” warned Sirius to which the girls laughed.

“Sirius!” called his brother. He turned and saw Regulus coming towards him,”Hey Reggie, what’s up?”

“I need to talk to you,” he said, “it’s important.”

Sirius frowned, “Sure. I’ll catch up with you guys later.” His friends waved and he headed off with his brother.

At five o’clock they were all reunited at the Three Broomsticks. Enough time had passed that James was no longer annoyed by Alice and everyone was getting along well. They were just one short.

“We’ve been waiting for a while,” shrugged James, “maybe we should head out.”

“Aren’t you a little worried?” whispered Alexis.

“No,” James laughed, “he probably just got distracted.”

“By?” she pressed.

“His fans,” James said without thinking.

“Fans?” she repeated. He looked as if he knew he had said too much so he said nothing.

Alexis turned to Remus and Peter, “Does Black have fans?”

“Oh yeah,” answered Peter rolling his eyes, “whenever we come to Hogwarts we’re always stalked by at least five girls…always the same ones and they accidentally on purpose run into us. Ow,” he grunted, “what is all that about?” Remus was sipping his butterbeer but Alexis knew he must’ve kicked Peter under the table.

“Well,” sighed Ally, “if you think he just lost track of times perhaps we ought to head out.” They all stood up and headed towards the door. As they left the pub, the wind whipped around them as they huddled together.

“Alexis!” called a voice from behind them. They turned around and Alexis saw Regulus Black waving to her.

“What is it Reggie?” asked Alexis as he ran up to meet her and the rest of the group. He caught up to them gasping heavily, for a thin boy he wasn’t in very good shape. James looked at him curiously, “I thought you were with Sirius.”

“Bellatrix,” he gasped. The mere mention of the name of the girl that had spent most of her school career torturing them immediately sent tension into the air.

“What about her, Reggie?” Ally demanded, “Where is she?”

He inhaled deeply, “She was me…the me you saw go off with Sirius. It wasn’t me. It was Bellatrix. She had Lucius Malfoy distract me so she could kidnap Sirius.”

The group went into defense mode immediately. As per usual, Ally was the leader, this time with James instead of Sirius.

“Reggie,” she started sharply, “I want you to take Alice back to the castle. You and she need to go to the Headmaster and tell him everything you just told me. Lily and Remus, you go round up the other prefects and tell them what’s going on. We need to get everyone out of Hogsmeade as soon as possible. She isn’t stupid enough to come here alone. Toni, we need you and Peter to go find Professor McGonagall so she can get the word out to the other professors that we need help down here. Frank, we need you to run up and get Hagrid. If anyone can get the younger kids to get in line and back into the castle, it’s him.”

“Where are you and James going?” demanded Regulus, breath regained.

“I know her,” Alexis answered flatly, “We’re going to stop her. Don’t bother protesting. We don’t have time to waste. Go now!”

Everyone went quickly in the respective directions and Alexis turned to James, “Got your cloak?”

He nodded as he pulled it out of the bag he kept on his person constantly.

“Good,” his cousin nodded, and after a quick look around, she disillusioned herself.

“Where are we going?” James asked quietly, rushing to catch up with her. She muttered, “Shrieking Shack.”

They made their way into the Shrieking Shack quickly. Alexis grabbed James and murmured, “Stay down here as a look out. If you see anything, come upstairs. If you hear anything, come upstairs. Got it?”

“Got it,” he assured her and gripping her arm, he added, “Be careful Al.”

She nodded and climbed the stairs quietly. She heard arguing and followed the noise. Luckily, Bellatrix hadn’t bothered to close the door so Alexis managed to enter and hide against the wall.

“Come now, Sirius,” she was saying, “The time is here. I can’t allow you to carry on this way anymore. It’s time to become a real Black.”

“And if I say no?” he snapped, fighting the invisible bondage she had put him under.

“Well then, you leave me no choice,” she hissed, “Crucio!”

He writhed on the floor. Alexis wanted to help but was too stunned by what she saw to move.

Bellatrix lowered her wand, “that’ll just be the beginning. The Dark Lord won’t allow you to go on protecting mudbloods and blood traitors. If you chose their side, you’ll go the same place they are: extinction.”

“But if I go to your side,” he interrupted, “you can guarantee my safety?”

Bellatrix smiled, “And the safety of any purebloods you can bring to the cause, Potter and Prince for instance.”

“If I go to your side,” he surmised, “you’ll protect me and anyone who comes with me. At what cost?”

“A very small one,” she assured him, “all you have to do is follow the orders of the Dark Lord and you’ll live like you deserve to. Your parents will be proud and you’ll ensure Reggie’s safety once and for all.”

“Is he in trouble?” demanded Sirius, still struggling on the floor.

She frowned, “For the moment. After all, he is the most important person to you.”

“How does that affect his well being?” he wanted to know.

She paused, “As much as I hate to admit it, the mischief you and your fellow Gryffindors are causing has affected the ability of the Dark Lord’s emissaries to recruit new members.”

Sirius stopped struggling for a moment, “And that bothers Voldemort-“

“The Dark Lord!” she interrupted loudly.

“I’ve managed to get myself on his bad side,” he continued, almost smugly, “even though I’m still in school.”

She glared, “As have your little friends. You’re their only hope Sirius. Come to our side. Convince them to come with you and all will be forgiven.”

“Except for those that aren’t pureblood right?” he countered.

She paused, “Precisely. Discuss it with those that are pureblood. You’ll see they’d rather live than sacrifice themselves for their friends.”

He laughed mirthlessly, “You don’t know us very well.”

Bellatrix did not take too kindly to this as was displayed by her casting ‘Crucio’ once again. This time, Ally acted.

“Expelliarmus,” she shouted before Bellatrix had time to stop and perform a shield charm. She heard the wand fall to the floor and Sirius scoot towards it.

“Incarcerous! How does it feel to get a taste of your own medicine, Black?” Ally spat angrily.

“Why you little-“ Bellatrix began.

“Silencio!” Ally cut in, “this time I talk, you listen. You’ve crossed a line. How dare you come here and try to hurt him again! What is wrong with you?? I think it’s about time I make you a threat, no a promise. If you ever come near anyone I care about again, I won’t be able to stop myself from doing you great bodily harm. Do you understand me?”

Bellatrix glared at her. Ally took that to mean ‘yes’ and pointed her wand at Sirius to unbind him. Unfortunately, at that precise moment, her wand flew out of her hand and Bellatrix was free.

“What-,” she began.

“Not what,” a cold voice corrected, “but who? And the answer my dear, is Lord Voldemort.”

Alexis spun to face a man she had never seen but known well enough to fear. He was tall with dark hair and very harsh features. He may have been attractive at one point but that was steadily disappearing. He walked toward her and she instinctively stepped back.

“Leave her alone!” Sirius commanded from the floor. Bellatrix silenced him and for the first time, Alexis noticed that Lucius Malfoy had entered the room.

He leered at her then kneeled down next to Sirius, “Looks like you can’t protect her now, can you Black?”

Alexis gasped, knowing that she may in fact be in grave danger. This seemed to read on her face, as the man in front of her smiled coldly, “Don’t worry. I am not in the habit of harming pureblood students for no reason, particularly one as beautiful as you. What’s your name?”

Ally managed to find her voice, “Alexis Prince.”

“Prince?” he repeated, “are you related to Eileen Prince?”

Alexis answered, confused, “She’s my aunt.”

“I take that to mean she’s related to that Severus character you’re always talking about, Lucius,” he asked.

Lucius nodded but before the mysterious stranger could speak again, Bellatrix piped up, “My Lord, her father’s the auror, Ethan Prince.”

He smirked, “Is that so? We’ve caused quite a lot of trouble for him, haven’t we? Interesting, very interesting. If your father is Ethan Prince, that means your mother is Catherine,” Ally’s eyes widened, “yes, we do our research. Catherine Dumbledore Prince,” he announced, “this is too wonderful. This means your grandfather is-“

“Right behind you,” came a deep, familiar voice from the doorway. Alexis exhaled with relief as she spotted her grandfather standing behind the stranger.

“Dumbledore,” Voldemort smirked, “I was just getting to know your charming granddaughter.”

“You’d do well to step away from my granddaughter, Tom,” he commanded, not bothering to raise his wand.

“Come now Dumbledore,” Voldemort admonished, “I was just getting to know a couple of your students that’s all. Bellatrix here has been telling me quite a lot about her cousin Sirius. I was desperate to meet him.”

“Indeed,” Dumbledore replied, “do you often restrain and ignore people you are desperate to meet?”

“Occasionally,” he smarted. Dumbledore raised his voice ever so slightly, “You should leave Tom. You’re not welcome here.”

“I’ve done nothing wrong Dumbledore,” he hissed.

“Oh, I doubt that very much,” the Headmaster responded lightly, “but that’s not my problem. My sole responsibility is the safety of the students of this school, and as it happens right now, you are holding two of them captive. Leave Tom and remember that Hogwarts will always be off limits to you and your followers.”

Voldemort inclined his head slightly, “As you wish Dumbledore, as you wish. Come Bellatrix, Lucius. We know when we are not wanted. Sirius, it was a pleasure to meet you and,” he turned back to Ally, “Ms. Prince,” he whispered as he kissed her hand, “it was lovely meeting you as well. I daresay we shall meet again soon. Until then.”

He stepped past Dumbledore and after giving both Sirius and Ally a look of great disdain, Bellatrix followed.

Dumbledore turned, “Mr. Black, I’d go to the hospital wing if I were you. You’ll be feeling the side effects of whatever your cousin did to you soon enough, once the adrenaline wears off.”

Sirius stood, wincing slightly and Ally walked over to help him stand. As soon as she was sure her grandfather left, Alexis pushed Sirius against the wall and kissed him hard on the lips, “Don’t ever scare me like that again,” she added after she let him go.

Before either of them could say anything, Ally heard someone clear their throat. Knowing it was James, she turned to her cousin and hissed, “Shut it and help him get to the hospital wing.”

She hurried down the stairs and out of the building before James could say anything.

After a moment, he joked, “So all it took for my cousin to admit her feelings for you was being attacked by homicidal maniacs?”


If anyone is still reading, feedback would be greatly appreciated!

[MarauderGrl]

This chapter makes sense to me but I've reread it so many times I've lost count....that being said, if you have any questions, let me know.

Enjoy!


“I still can’t believe it,” Sirius was saying to James as his friend helped him get into his pajamas, “you saw her do it right? It wasn’t just my imagination?”

James laughed a little, “I saw it, mate. Ally kissed you. To be honest, I still can’t believe it myself.”

Before either could continue, they were interrupted by a small hoard of visitors.

“Thank goodness!” Alice gasped, hugging Sirius tightly. Once she let go, both Peter and Remus hugged him as well.

“I swear Black you have nine lives,” Toni smirked, as she ruffled his hair.

Lily snorted, “There’s no way its still nine, more like five.”

Sirius looked around and Lily read his mind, “Ally’s not here. We couldn’t find her. We thought she might be with the Headmaster telling him what’s happened.”

He sighed and threw himself on the bed, causing a twinge of pain.

Remus frowned, “What is it? She’s okay right?”

“As okay as can be expected,” James shrugged.

Alice arched an eyebrow, “What happened?”

“Well, when we got there Alexis told me to be the lookout while she went upstairs to help Sirius,” recalled James, “well just as Reg told us his mad cousin was holding him hostage and from what I gather banging on about joining their team.”

“Team?” repeated Toni.

“The dark side, Nettie,” he elucidated as she glared at him.

“Well, what happened then Sirius?” demanded Alice knowing he wouldn’t embellish quite as much as James.

“She tried to get me to join as James put it ‘the dark side’,” he recounted, “I told her ‘no’. She cursed me as per usual. Ally stepped in, disarmed her, silenced her, and then threatened her-“

“Go Ally!” cheered Lily just as Toni said, “That’s my girl!”

“Then Voldemort came and disarmed her,” finished Sirius.

“What?” gasped Remus, “is she okay?”

Sirius nodded, “She’s fine. He didn’t even threaten her. He just talked about how he wouldn’t hurt a pureblood especially a pretty one-“

“That *******!” shouted Remus, to everyone’s surprise. Lily put a comforting hand on his shoulder, which seemed to calm him a little.

“My sentiments exactly Rem,” assured Sirius, “anyhow he asked her about Snape and whether or not they were related. Then Dumbledore came and told him to leave and he did.”

“Why did he want to know about Sev?” asked Toni suspiciously.

“Why would he listen to Dumbledore?” Peter wanted to know.

James shook his head, “We don’t know the answer to either of those questions. We might after Ally and Sirius talk to the Headmaster though.”

Toni shook her head, “It’s official. I can no longer be surprised.”

“I don’t know about that,” began James, a smile forming, “there’s one thing we left out-“

“James,” growled Sirius, making a motion toward his friend while simultaneously grimacing with pain, “If you say a word, so help me I’ll-“

“Oooh,” Alice hummed, “must be good if you don’t want us to know. What was it?”

“Did he fall down a flight of stairs on his way out of the Shrieking Shack?” Lily wondered aloud.

Toni shook her head, “No, it’s supposed to be something that would surprise us. That wouldn’t surprise us.” Toni paused, exchanged a look with Remus who looked extremely surprised as well, then smiled like that cat that ate the canary.

“You figured it out?” demanded James.

Sirius shook his head, “There’s no way.”

“Something happened between you and Ally didn’t it?” exclaimed Toni, “that’s why she’s not here! She’s freaking out.” With a glance to Lily and Alice, the three of them got up and practically sprinted out of the hospital wing, while Toni called, “We’ll be back. Long live, Team Sirius!”

The boys exchanged looks while James burst out laughing, “Team Sirius?”

Sirius grinned, “Long story.”

“Maybe Toni is a Seer after all,” offered Peter, as his friends laughed hysterically.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“How can I help Grampy?” Alexis asked as she sat down at her grandfather’s desk.

He lifted his head out of his hands, “I’m here to help you my darling. I can’t believe he got so close…he came here. He attacked my students. It’s my job to protect them and I…”

“Oh Grampy,” she sighed, walking over to him and sitting on his lap, “Everything’s going to be alright. Nothing happened. Sirius will be fine. He’s a fighter.”

Her grandfather shook his head, “Poor Mr. Black. I can’t protect him at home but I should be able to protect him here.”

“Grampy, he’s fine,” she cooed, “he’s strong and capable just like you. He can handle himself. What’s wrong?”

He inhaled deeply, “I taught Tom Riddle as a student-“

“Is that his real name?” she interrupted.

He nodded, “Not only did I teach him but I was the one that told him what he was. He grew up in a muggle orphanage. His mother died giving birth to him and his father never knew him…never wanted to.”

“How horrible for him,” breathed Ally, “but that’s no excuse for what he does…why does he hate muggles so much?”

“Given what you just heard,” he sighed, “what do you think?”

She frowned, “His father was a muggle wasn’t he? Was his mother?”

“No,” he answered, “His mother was a witch, a pureblood witch who became enamored with his father, a very wealthy, very good looking muggle who lived in the same village she did.”

“And when his father found out what his mother was, he abandoned them?” she asked.

“That is one theory about why Tom hates anyone who isn’t pureblood,” he granted.

“But he’s only half blood,” she pointed out to which her grandfather responded, “I’m venturing a guess that his bloodline is something he hasn’t shared with his followers. I’m sure they assume he is because he’s so immensely talented.”

“Blood has nothing to do-“ she began and he shook his head, “I know that my dear. I’m merely stating a belief that his followers hold dear: that the most talented witches and wizards are pureblooded. A theory that holds no water with me, as I’ve been teaching far too long to believe that.”

Alexis sat with her grandfather for a moment before speaking again, “You feel responsible for him don’t you? You feel as though there was something you did or didn’t do made this happen.”

He inhaled deeply, “From time to time, I fear that I hold some responsibility for Tom. I should’ve known what he was. I was never blinded by his charm as the other professors were but I also didn’t realize what he was. If I had-“

“There’s nothing you could do,” Alexis assured him, “you can’t preemptively have someone sent to Azkaban. You have to wait until they do something.”

“I know,” he nodded. She smiled sadly, “What is it you always tell me? It is our choices that make us who we are. He is who is for a lot of reasons and none of them are your fault.”

Her grandfather nodded but before either of them could say anything more the fire changed colors and her parents entered the room.

“Alexis!” gasped her mother, embracing her tightly.

“What happened Albus?” demanded her father.

“I don’t know,” he sighed, “that is why Alexis is here. Tell us what happened.”

Alexis inhaled and began the story, “We were leaving Hogsmeade when Regulus Black came up to us. We had seen him earlier with Sirius but Regulus told us it wasn’t him. His cousin Bellatrix used polyjuice potion to pretend to be Regulus and had Lucius Malfoy distract the real Regulus.”

“What did she want with Sirius?” asked her father.

“Sirius told us that over the break Bellatrix had been training Regulus and attempting to get Sirius to move to their way of thinking,” she explained, “when I got to the Shrieking Shack where she was holding him she was saying that he needed to see reason. He needed to recruit other purebloods and stop fighting against the Slytherins who are trying to recruit here. She told him the best way to protect himself and the people he cared about was to join them. When he refused, she crucioed him. I couldn’t let that happen and she didn’t know I was there because I had disillusioned myself so I disarmed her and told her she needed to leave Sirius alone. Then Voldemort showed up with Lucius Malfoy and he asked me who I was and when I told him my name, he asked if I was related to Sev and when I said yes, he seemed pleased but then Bellatrix told him that I was related to you,” she pointed to her father, “and when she said that he got very excited. He knew who you both were and he knew that I was related to Grampy. Then Grampy came told him to leave and he left.”

Her parents and Grandfather took their seats and Alexis frowned, “Can I leave now?”

Her father opened his mouth to say something but her Grandfather interrupted, “You may go but I’ll be speaking to you and Mr. Black later.”

She nodded, “Thanks Grampy.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“What are you going to do?” Lily asked the next morning as Alexis stood in front of the mirror, taking in her appearance rather critically.

“I don’t know,” she admitted, pulling at her shirt for the tenth time, “I was just going to go see him.”

“I don’t think that’s wise,” Alice whispered, not looking at her friend.

“Why not?” Alexis demanded, eyes wide, “I have to make sure he’s alright.”

“I know,” she admitted, “but what I’m saying is you probably shouldn’t go down there until you know what you’re going to say to him.”

“About what?” her friend questioned.

Toni snorted, “James told us. We know about the kiss.”

Lily and Alice glared at her as they had promised not to mention that until Ally was ready.

Alexis blushed but didn’t comment instead focusing on her hair, “I still think I should go see him.”

“And say what?” shot Toni, “Even after all these years, I’m still in denial about the fact that I love you so I’ve come down here to make you feel even worse?”

“TONI!!!” admonished Lily and Alice.

“What?” she spat, “it’s the truth. For years, we’ve watched her deny her feelings for him. She’s dated one of his best friends and made out with one of the most attractive men I’ve ever seen all to put off the inevitable. If after what just happened, she’s still going to deny it, I’m going to strangle her.”

She turned to a shocked Alexis and continued calmly, “You love him. You know it. We know it. He knows it. He’s waited for you to be ready for ages, so that’s the only thing you have to ask yourself: Are you ready? Are you ready to be with Sirius and finally be happy?”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Madam Nightingale,” she called as she entered the hospital wing, “are you here?”

She wandered past the healer’s empty office and over to his bed. It was the only occupied one in the entire wing. He was sleeping as was only natural after what he had been through at the hands of his psychotic cousin. She didn’t know why she came to see him. He would be out for a while. Still some part of her didn’t want to leave his side. Probably the part of her that Toni had oh so subtly mentioned. For what felt like the hundredth time in her life, she was having conflicting feelings about Sirius Black. He was at times one of the most arrogant berks on the planet with a penchant for bullying as she had seen many times especially when he and her cousin Severus interacted.

Severus, she thought, he’ll never forgive me if I date Black.

The little voice in the back of her head that popped up at the most inappropriate times chose now to speak again: can you really help who you love?

She thought about the other side of Sirius, the one she and very few others saw, the noble, honest person that was always there for her.

Always, the voice reminded her, not like Severus who is becoming increasingly more distant and cold.

He had been there for her for as long as she could remember.

You’ve been there for him too, the voice acknowledged.

She knew it was true. She had spent most of her Hogwarts days helping him gain some semblance of a normal life. His sociopath cousin and that megalomaniacal Lord Voldemort might’ve taken that all away. She didn’t want to think about what would’ve happened to him if her Grandfather hadn’t shown up.

What if something had happened to him? the voice asked: would you have forgiven yourself for never telling him how you feel?

Try as she might to deny it, Toni was right. She was stupidly in love with the arrogant, charming contradiction that was Sirius Black. A horrible thought occurred to her. What if even though I’m willing to admit my feelings for him and he doesn’t care? What if he’s over me again? What if everyone’s wrong and Sirius and I aren’t really meant to be? The horrible thoughts kept coming and they created enough uncertainty in her that she decided to leave. She could wait until he was out of the hospital wing to risk rejection. All she had to do was get out of there without…

Crash! She had managed to knock over the curtains that separated the beds from one another. She was about to disillusion herself when…

“Princess?” he called hoarsely. She knew she couldn’t leave now. She turned around, “Hey, how are you feeling?”

He looked around, “It must be early. What are you doing here?”

“Couldn’t sleep,” she admitted with a shrug, “how are you feeling? Do you need anything?”

He smiled, “Well a repeat of a certain event from last night might help me regain my strength.”

“Which part?” she asked, sarcastically, “the dark magic or the near death experience?”

“The part that hopefully brought you here,” he whispered.

She inhaled sharply. It was now or never, she thought. “Sirius, I-“

“Guess who woke up earlier than they ever have in their entire lives to come and visit their best friend who hopefully knows that they will be lording this over him for all eternity?” announced James, as he, Remus and Peter entered the room each caring a bundle of goods for their friend. They stopped short at the sight of Alexis. They were silent for a moment before Peter muttered, “Looks like we weren’t the only ones with this idea.”

“Actually, I was just,” stammered Ally, “leaving…I’ve…um…got to…do that thing…yeah, the thing. See you guys later!” She raced from the room, bumping into Remus and apologizing quickly.

The boys exchanged awkward glances before Remus spoke up, “Bad timing?”

Sirius put his pillow over his face and responded with a muffled, “You have no idea.”

Alexis hid in the library for a good ten minutes until her friends found her.

“So we went to the hospital wing,” Toni whispered as Alexis pretended to read.

Alice carried on, “We ran into the guys. They said that you were there this morning but left when they showed up.”

Alexis bit her lip and nodded.

“Black looked upset,” added Lily.

“Was he in pain?” Alexis asked quickly.

“Physically? No,” answered Toni, “you could always try again. We’ll get the boys and make sure they don’t interfere.”

“I lost my nerve, Toni,” confessed Alexis, “I was going to do it but the more I think about it the more I think it was a good idea the boys came in when they did. I…He got over me remember?” she demanded almost hysterically, “Remember Lily? That time in the common room when he and James talked about how he had finally gotten over me? When he was dating Jane?”

Lily scoffed, “Yeah right. Are you forgetting why Jane broke up with him? Why Remus was willing to break up with you? Everything is pointing towards this. Everyone knows how the two of you feel about each other except the two of you.”

“I can’t believe it. Lily’s finally Team Sirius,” squeaked Toni, a quick glare from her friend silenced her and she continued, “honestly though Al, the two of you have been meant to be practically since the moment you meant. You have done nothing but save each other and be there for each other over and over again. You’re pretty much in a relationship, minus the good stuff,” she added with a wink.

Alexis laughed a little, “But what about Sev? He warned me. He told me if I ever got involved with Black, he’d never forgive me. We’re already so far apart. This would be the last nail in the coffin.”

“Don’t worry about Severus,” Lily admonished, “Toni and I will talk to him. We’ll remind him how much you mean to him.”

“And so what if he doesn’t approve?” demanded Alice, “Think about it Ally. You’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain. Do it! You’ll regret it if you don’t.”

Alexis sighed heavily, “You’re right. I’m going. Wish me luck.”

“You don’t need it,” Toni assured her. With Alice and Lily nodding, Alexis suddenly felt better. She walked confidently in the direction of the hospital wing. As she figured, the boys were still there. Upon noticing her presence, they got very quiet.

“Do you guys think you could give us a moment?” she questioned boldly. Peter and James just stared at her but Remus answered her immediately, “Of course. Let’s go. We’ll be back later.”

“Thanks Rem,” she managed gratefully. He gathered Peter and James and in spite of their protests shuffled them out of the room. “Good luck,” he called as he closed the door.

“Alright,” she began, sitting down in James’ recently vacated chair, “I’ve got something I have to tell you.”

Sirius forced himself to sit up, “Yes?”

She inhaled heavily then started again, “For the past four years, we’ve gone from enemies, to friends, to best friends. All the while we’ve had people telling us how much we like each other and how we’re meant to be and other such nonsense.”

“Right,” he nodded, obviously a little confused.

She frowned, “Now I’m not the kind of girl who succumbs to peer pressure-“

“I’ve noticed,” he smarted.

“So I’ve tried my hardest to continuously remind myself what a conceited, bullying prat you are, by the way thanks for making that easy for me,” she added.

He rolled his eyes, “Anytime.”

“Now then in spite of all of these obvious imperfections: the arrogance, the mischief making, the psychotic family, the unhealthy attachment to James, the fierce animosity towards Severus,” she recounted, “I’ve come to a rather disconcerting conclusion.”

“And what’s that?” he asked, sarcastically.

“That none of that matters because,” she paused, “no matter how much I’ve tried to deny it, I can’t fight it anymore. I love you Sirius.”

He stared at her for a moment, and then closed his eyes, “Well, Alexis, a part of me has liked you since the moment you first insulted me on the Hogwarts Express,” she smiled slightly at this, “and you’re right. Over the years the two of us have managed to have a fairly interesting friendship,” at this she started to frown, “the entire time, in spite of your harsh honesty, the constant barrage of insults, the bossiness, your mental cousin, your scary Dad, your formidable Grandfather, and your sporadic obnoxiousness, I’ve loved you. I still do.”

Alexis smiled as she got out of her chair and joined him in his hospital bed.

“Well then,” she whispered, inching closer to him, “we’ve got a situation. I love you and you love me. What do you-“

Before she could say anything else, he cut her off with a kiss that met every single expectation she ever had. Wanting to make up for postponing this as long as she had, she moved closer and kissed him back with more passion than even she had expected. When they finally pulled apart, he put his arm around her, “So what do you think? Worth the wait?”

She smiled brightly, “Absolutely,” she paused, “why did we wait again?” After sharing yet another laugh, they drifted off to sleep.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Ms. Prince!” Alexis heard someone shriek. She opened her eyes and saw Madam Nightingale standing over her, looking unnaturally stern, “What are you doing here?” Alexis looked at the clock that told her it was noon.

“I’m sorry Madam Nightingale,” she apologized, “I came to see Sirius early this morning and we must have fallen asleep.”

“Ms. Prince, we have visiting hours for a reason,” she reminded, “you’re impeding Mr. Black’s recovery.”

“She is not,” Sirius muttered drowsily as he tightened his grip around her waist.

“I’m the healer here,” Madam Nightingale reminded him, “If you can’t abide by the rules Ms. Prince, I’ll have to tell the Headmaster-“

“I’m sorry Madam Nightingale,” she repeated, freeing herself from his arms, “It won’t happen again.”

“See that it doesn’t,” she warned before she walked away.

“How are you feeling?” Alexis asked quietly, sitting on the bed next to him.

“Better than I’ve ever felt in my whole life,” he assured her, reaching for her hand.

She smiled, taking his, “So the aftermath of what Bellatrix did? Is it still affecting you?”

“Not as badly as it was,” he replied, “but I’m sure Madam N will make me stay here a bit longer. Will you continue to come impede my recovery?”

“Every chance I get,” she assured him with a smile.

“You know what would make me feel even better?” he asked. Grinning, she leaned towards him, “What’s that Sirius?”

He closed his eyes happily, “That. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of hearing you say my name.”

She smiled, “And I’ll never tire of saying it.” She kissed him lightly, “But I will tire soon if I don’t at least go have lunch. I’ll be right back. I’m sure the boys would like a few moments with you.”

“What boys?” he sighed. She laughed, “Don’t let them hear you say that. I’ll see you soon.”

“Ally?” he whispered.

“Yes?” she responded.

“I love you,” he said quietly careful not to look at her. She knew he was afraid of scaring her so she leaned down and looked into his eyes, “I love you too.”

After another kiss, she headed out, and as she passed Madam Nightingale’s office, she could have sworn she heard her mutter ‘finally’. With a slight smile, Alexis prepared herself for the knowledge that she and Sirius would both be hearing that many times over the next few weeks.

“Alexis!” she heard someone shout.

“Connor,” she gasped, “what a surprise!”

“Look Al,” he began with a frown, “the rumors are starting and you promised Jane and I-“

“They’re true,” she confirmed, “Sirius and I are together.”

He stared at her for a moment, “Congratulations. Jane will be pleased.”

“And you?” she wondered.

“If you’re happy, I’m happy,” he assured her.

“I am,” she smiled.

“I figured as much,” he admitted, “good luck,” he added with a hug.

“Thanks Connor,” she blushed, “tell Jane thanks. I really am glad things worked out for the two of you.”

“So are we,” he chuckled and with a final smile, he left, presumably to tell Jane what all of Hogwarts would know soon enough.

Alexis wasn’t wrong. Her walk to the Great Hall seemed longer than ever before with people staring and whispering as she passed. You’re Sirius Black’s girlfriend now, she reminded herself with a smile, you’d better get used to this.

“Hey, Ally,” Toni said as she sat down with her friends, “how’d it go?”

“Considering we haven’t seen her for hours,” piped up James, “I think we can all guess. Please, my dear cousin, spare me the details though. I want to be able to look my best friend in the eye.”

Alexis blushed furiously, something she never did, “Well if you want to see your best friend you better go now because once I’m finished I’m heading back up there,” she warned with a grin and with that, the boys hurried off in the direction of the hospital wing.

The girls stared at her as she reached for the toast.

“You haven’t stopped smiling since you sat down,” mentioned Toni.

“And you blushed,” added Lily. Alexis shrugged and took a bite of toast, “What can I say? Sirius has that affect on people.”

“I’m sorry,” gasped Alice, “who?”

“Sirius,” repeated Alexis with a smile, secretly loving the chance to say his name again, “you know my tall, funny, smart, occasionally obnoxious yet incredibly good looking boyfriend?”

Lily spit out her drink as Toni’s jaw dropped. Alice outdid them all by shrieking loudly and hugging Alexis.

“If there was any doubt we were together before,” commented Ally, “there isn’t now. Thanks Alice.”

“Oh,” she squealed, “who cares? You and Sirius. Sirius and you. It’s too perfect.”

“Took you long enough,” commented Toni with a grin.

Alexis rolled her eyes, “Don’t I know it? Why didn’t you guys say something?”

She instinctively ducked as her friends all threw the nearest breakfast item at her.

“Connor tells me congratulations are in order,” commented a familiar and welcome voice.

Alexis nodded and stood, “Thank you Jane. For everything.”

“Hey, you too,” she said, glancing over at Connor. The girls exchanged a hug and Jane went off.

“You told Connor before you told us?” demanded Lily angrily.

“He came looking for me,” she shrugged, “I had promised him and Jane a long time ago that they would be the first to know. Sirius and I owed them that.”

“Oh no,” groaned Lily as Toni stood up and rushed over to the entrance to the Great Hall.

Alexis’ face fell, “Sev knows doesn’t he?” Lily nodded and she continued, “Well, I ought to go…I ought to talk to him.”

Lily and Alice nodded, “We’ll be in the hospital wing if you need us.”

Alexis nodded and hurried off in the direction she thought she saw Toni go. After a moment of scanning the grounds, she saw them under the beech tree. With a deep intake of breath, she ran over to them.

Severus and Toni had heard her coming. Her cousin spun around angrily, “Is it true?”

“Sev,” she began, “let me explain.”

“Is. It. True?” he asked in a deadly tone. She hung her head and he guessed the answer, “How could you? Why?”

“I didn’t do it to hurt you Sev,” she pleaded, “please believe me. You have to. I love you both. We can get past this.”

He stared at her, not bothering to mask his pain, “No we can’t.”

“Please, Sev,” she begged, “we’re family.”

He frowned, “I told you there would come a time when you wouldn’t be able to use that anymore. This is it. I hope he’s worth it Alexis.” He started to walk away then turned, “When he hurts you, and he will, don’t come crying to me.” With a swish of his cloak, he hurried to the castle.

“Don’t listen to him,” Toni told her, “he’ll come around.”

“Don’t lie to me,” she groaned, “we both know he won’t.” Toni shook her head, hugged her friend then ran after him.

Just when she thought things couldn’t get any worse, Regulus Black appeared at her side, “The backlash begins.”

“I knew it was coming,” she muttered glumly. She sat down and he smiled haughtily as he joined her, “I’m not just talking about your cousin. I hope you weren’t expecting to make any new girl friends.” She looked at him and saw a couple of girls casting glares her way.

“What makes you think that’s about Sirius?” she asked, “it could be about you maybe they think there’s something going on with you and me,” she arched an eyebrow, “maybe they think I’m already cheating on Sirius with you.”

“Well, alas it doesn’t look as though that will happen,” he sighed with faux despair, while running his hand through his hair.

She laughed, “Don’t worry about me. I haven’t expected to make new female friends for a very long time. Luckily, I’ve already got good ones.”

“That is lucky,” he granted. They sat for a moment before Regulus spoke again, “Don’t worry about Sev. His disapproval isn’t as big a deal as it seems.”

“Especially when there’s your family to consider,” she piped up. He eyed her suspiciously and she smirked, “Like I could forget the way your parents feel about me. I’m more worried about you and Sirius than myself. I don’t have to face them. Of course…there is a chance that we might be able to get away with this. I mean your cousin isn’t around anymore. Who says your parents have to find out?”

“That’s the plan,” shrugged Regulus, “Sirius and I have already decided that we’re taking a less is more approach when it comes to sharing information about our relationships with the parents.”

“Planning on diving into a relationship of your own?” she pressed. He chuckled, “Are you kidding? I can’t waste this,” he added gesturing to his face, “on just one girl.”

Alexis shook her head, “You are your brother’s brother.”

Regulus chuckled, “Oh Ally, so young, so naïve. Those girls never meant anything to Sirius. He only ever wanted you.”

“Yes, well,” she huffed, “he certainly had fun while he was waiting.”

“I seem to remember rumors about him seeing you in a particularly compromising position with Connor Fitzgerald,” he countered, “at least Sirius had the good manners not to do what he did in public.”

She frowned, “Sure, sure,” then after a moment she asked, “What was he doing?”

Before they could continue their conversation, Hagrid showed up, “Ally, Regulus, the Headmaster is lookin' for yeh.” Alexis and Regulus exchanged looks.

“Thanks Hagrid,” Alexis sighed, “Let’s go Reggie.” The two of them made it to Dumbledore’s office rather quickly and once inside Alexis felt obligated to ask, “What are we doing here? I told you everything last night.”

“Young Mr. Black here did not get that chance,” Dumbledore replied, “nor did his brother. Alexis, I would like for you to go to the hospital wing. Regulus and I will join you when we’re finished here.” Alexis nodded and left them.

Alexis arrived in the hospital wing and Sirius was unexpectedly surrounded by a group of girls. Annoyed at what they could be thinking, she cleared her throat, “Ahem.” The group of four turned to her and the smiles seemed frozen to their faces.

“Princess!” called Sirius, happily ignoring the girls, “you’re back! I was starting to think you’d forgotten about me.”

“Never,” she smiled and she strode purposefully over to his bed and after sidestepping one of the girls, she kissed him chastely on the lips.

“Well,” the taller of the two brunettes managed, “perhaps we ought to head out. We’re glad you’re okay Sirius.”

“And we hope you feel better soon,” the blonde added, eyeing Alexis with distaste. Ally glared back and Sirius spoke, “I’m feeling better already,” he added, squeezing Ally’s hand.

The shorter brunette and the red head herded the tall brunette and the blonde, who both looked as though they desperately wanted to say something, out of the room.

“We’ll see you later Sirius,” called the redhead. Alexis let go of his hand and took the chair near his bed. He sat up, “What’s wrong?”

“Who were they?” she asked, her voice unnaturally calm. He frowned, “Some friends…”

“Friends that you’ve kissed?” she pressed. He smirked, “Jealous?”

“Of them?” she snorted, “yeah right.”

“You sound jealous,” he observed.

Her eyes narrowed, “And you sound like someone who’s avoiding the question.”

“I didn’t kiss any of them,” he sighed.

“Not for lack of trying on their part I’m sure,” she hissed. He waved for her to join him on the bed and she did, mostly because now that they were together she had an irresistible urge to be close to him.

“Alexis, look at me,” he smiled, “I love you. Don’t interrupt,” he said, placing a finger over her mouth, “I love you and only you and I have for as long as I can remember. Yes, there were other girls and I’m sure you remember the other guys,” he added to which she nodded,” but the point,” he continued interlacing his fingers with hers, “is that we’re together now and we will be. Forever.” She couldn’t help but smile, “You always know the right thing to say.”

“It’s easy with you,” he admitted. She wrapped her arms around his neck and began kissing him softly before stopping and hopping out of his bed.

“What was that about?” he asked, sounding slightly hurt.

She smirked, “If we had gotten started, we probably wouldn’t have been able to stop which would be bad considering the Headmaster and your brother are about to join us.”

As if on cue, Regulus and Dumbledore entered the room. The headmaster went into Madam Nightingale’s office but Regulus rushed to his brother’s bedside, “Are you okay?”

Sirius shook his head, “I’m fine Reggie. Don’t worry.”

“What did she do?” he asked.

“I have a feeling I should save this for the Headmaster,” his brother sighed. Alexis waited for her grandfather to join them. To her surprise, Madam Nightingale had exited the room and the four of them were alone.

“Alright Mr. Black fill us in,” Dumbledore said, as he sat down, “what happened before Alexis appeared?”

Sirius laid back and closed his eyes. Regulus and Ally exchanged a look and Alexis shook her head, “Sirius, you cannot keep protecting her. This has gone too far.”

He sat up, “I don’t want to make a bigger deal out of this than it is-“

“Sirius,” began Alexis but he shook his head, “Trix attacked me for a reason. She wasn’t going to attack anyone else. I don’t know what you expect to learn from this. It was a family matter.”

“Indeed Mr. Black?” questioned Dumbledore, adopting a stern tone, “well, in that case, I’m asking as Alexis’ grandfather-“

“Grampy,” interrupted Alexis, “I won’t allow you to do that. I won’t be a pawn in your attempt at information. I will talk to him and try to get him to see reason. If I can, I’ll come to you. Will that be alright?”

Her grandfather inhaled but said nothing, only nodded to her and the boys before leaving.

“Alright,” she sighed, “I’m willing to venture a guess that Grampy has it set so that Madam Nightingale will be away for awhile. Please explain to me why are you defending her?”

“I’m not defending her per se,” he explained, “I’m trying to be pragmatic. How do you think the family will react if I tell Dumbledore what she did? I will have betrayed the family in the worst possible way and not only will I be punished, but Reggie and Cissa will be punished as well for not keeping me in line or at the very least not letting them know in advance that I was colluding with blood traitors.”

“So she attacks you and gets away with it?” she hissed.

“Not exactly,” piped up Regulus finally.

Alexis turned to him, “What are you talking about?”

He and Sirius exchanged a look before Sirius spoke to his little brother in a tone Ally had rarely heard him use, “Please Reggie, tell us what you know.”

“Well, last night wasn’t just about Trix being Trix,” he began, “she was being tested…or I should say her loyalty, creativity and ability was. The Dark Lord needs to know that his people can be trusted. He also needs to know what they’re capable of and that they’re willing to do anything for the cause. In order to prove this, he tests them. He chooses the person that means the most to the potential death eater which is a test to prove that no one is of higher priority than him. He then makes the person attempt to coerce their loved one into submitting to the will of the Dark Lord. This tests their ability while simultaneously recruiting more followers.”

Alexis and Sirius sat in silence for a moment before she spoke, “We interrupted Bellatrix’s death eater initiation?”

Regulus nodded and Sirius exhaled, “Well, if we weren’t on his radar before we certainly are now.”

“Fantastic,” groaned Alexis glumly, “just what I need: another reason for your cousin to hate me and to be on the radar of a homicidal megalomaniac.”

Regulus frowned, “All due respect Al, but you were definitely on his radar before, only now he has a face to go with the name. He’s wanted to meet you ever since he found out about your connections.”

“What does he want with her?” asked Sirius, grabbing her hand.

“From what I understand,” Regulus muttered, “he wants to marry her.”

Sirius shot up and Alexis shrieked, “What?”

Regulus rolled his eyes, “He doesn’t want to marry you now…just eventually. He wants marrying the granddaughter of Albus Dumbledore to be part of his legacy.”

“Why the obsession with Dumbledore?” asked Sirius, turning to Alexis, “do they have a history? I couldn’t understand why he left just because Dumbledore told him to.”

Ally sighed, “Grampy taught Voldemort when he was just a student named Tom Riddle. He was also the person that was sent to inform him that he was a wizard.”

“But…the Dark Lord is pureblood,” interrupted Regulus, “he knew he was a wizard.”

Alexis shook her head, “No. He’s halfblood. His mother was a witch; his father was a muggle. His mother died giving birth to him and his father never knew nor cared that he existed. He grew up in a muggle orphanage. Grampy thinks his father is the reason he hates muggles.”

Sirius and Regulus sat in silence for a moment before Sirius spoke, “Well, I’ll tell you one thing: he is NOT marrying you.”

Alexis smirked and Regulus rolled his eyes, “I’d better make it back to the common room.”

“Reg?” piped up Alexis, wishing she didn’t have to ask this particular question, “you’re not going to tell anyone are you?”

“No way Sis,” he assured her, “but you can tell the Headmaster what I told you.”

She smiled, “Thanks Reg.”

He shook his head, “No problem. Take care. I’ll see you soon.”

As Regulus left the hospital wing, Madam Nightingale entered and began fussing over Sirius.

“I’ll be back,” Ally told him, kissing him swiftly on the cheek. She hurried to her grandfather’s office and burst in without thinking. To her surprise, he was not alone. He was sitting with her father and godfather.

“I assume the Brothers Black confided some valuable information with you,” her Grandfather sighed, “what is it?”

Without as much as a ‘hello’ to either of her family members, she launched into her story, “Regulus said that what happened in the Shrieking Shack was Bellatrix’s initiation. Voldemort tests his follower’s loyalty and ability by picking the person that means the most to them and “persuading” them to become Death Eaters. The process also tests the person’s skill with magic.”

The men stared at her before her godfather spoke, “I knew your relationship with young Sirius would come in handy.”

Ethan glared at his best friend but her grandfather piped up, “I really appreciate you coming to me my darling. I knew I could count on you. Is there anything else?”

She bit her lip, “I may have told Reggie what you told me about Voldemort.”

“Why would you do that?” demanded her father.

Alexis shook her head, “Regulus trusted me with this information so I needed to let him in on what I knew. I worry about him. We’re very close.”

“How close?” her father pressed.

She looked down, “He’s family and I told him so. We had a talk about his family and how he isn’t like Sirius and can’t just leave them. I told him if he ever decided to he could come to me and that I would help him.”

“That’s a promise you can’t make Alexis,” Ethan scolded her.

Alexis looked her father in the eye, “I can so. Regulus is a good person. He’s just scared and doesn’t know any better. If he decides he wants to break free of them, I will do everything I can to help him. In the meantime, I’ll do everything I can to protect him. He’s done so for me.”

“This information is hardly worth risking your life,” her godfather weighed in.

She glared at them, “You don’t think he risked his own safety by telling me what he knew? If Voldemort finds out everything Reggie told me, he’d be in big trouble.”

“I’ll grant you the information was valuable but-“ her father began.

Tired of listening to his diatribes against the Black brothers, she snapped, “I didn’t tell you everything he told me.”

“There’s more?” pressed her godfather.

She stood up, “There’s worse.”

“What is it?” her father asked a sense of urgency, filling his voice, “is he planning something? Do you know where? Who? When?”

“I know who,” she shrugged, pacing back and forth.

“Ally, my girl,” her father cooed, standing up and wrapping his arms around her, “Who?”

She looked down, “Me.”

She could feel all eyes on her and finally her grandfather spoke, “What about you?”

Alexis exhaled, “Regulus said that since Voldemort discovered my existence, he’s been wanting to meet me.”

“What does he want with you?” growled her godfather.

“Regulus says he wants to marry me,” she answered, calmly, “he wants the granddaughter of Albus Dumbledore to be part of his legacy.”

The three men stared at her as though they hadn’t quite understood what she said. She frowned, “Well, now that you know, I’ll just be on my way.”

“Where do you think you’re going?” demanded her father.

“I’m going back to the hospital wing,” she shrugged, “I told Sirius I’d be back.”

Alastor Moody stared at her, “You’ve just heard that one of the most powerful dark wizards in existence wants you and you’re not scared?”

She shrugged, “Well, he’s not going to be able to get to me while I’m still at school and he doesn’t want to marry me just yet. I don’t see what the big deal is.”

The men exchanged looks and finally Dumbledore spoke, “You may leave Alexis, but I want you to know that from now on, we’re going to have to ask that you be extremely careful.”

“Alright Grampy,” she nodded, “I’ll see you all later,” she kissed each man on the cheek and left.

As the door closed, the men sat down in silence. A few moments passed before Ethan Prince spoke, “What are we going to do now?”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~

When Alexis entered the hospital wing, she was surprised to see Sirius arguing with the healer.

“I’m fine,” he was saying, “I’m ready to get out of here.”

“Mr. Black, I don’t know what all was done to you and I don’t know what the side effects will be,” she reminded him, “I don’t need you fainting-“

“Men don’t faint,” he interrupted, “we pass out.”

Alexis walked over and attempted to help, “Sirius, we don’t need you being stubborn. You need rest.”

“I can get rest in the dormitory,” he assured her.

Alexis interrupted, “Not under the eyes of a healer.”

“I don’t need a healer,” he scoffed.

“I’ll be the judge of that,” a familiar voice called from the doorway.

Alexis spun around as Madam Nightingale called, “Catie!!” The women embraced and chattered away while Alexis turned to Sirius, “This is going to be interesting. Grampy must’ve contacted her. He’s sitting in his office with Papa and Uncle Alastor.”

“Your dad is here?” choked Sirius. She smiled, “Yes but don’t worry. He’s not going to stop by for a visit.”

“Are you sure?” he asked warily. She shrugged, “I think so.”

Before either of them could say another word, her mother appeared at his bedside, “Hello darling,” she hugged her tightly, “Sirius,” she added, hugging him as well.

“Hello Ms. Prince,” he smiled.

“I’m here to check in on you,” she told him, “I’ve got a little more experience with the ways of dark wizards than Vera here, but she’s been doing a wonderful job,” she added, smiling at her friend.

“Yes, Vera’s been an angel,” cooed Sirius, “a bit too overprotective. Apparently, she thinks I don’t know my own limitations.”

You don’t, thought Alexis as she wandered across the room to organize the mess Madam Nightingale had made while she was treating Sirius.

Madam Nightingale rolled her eyes and sat on the other side of Sirius observing her friend in action. Catherine did a more thorough check up than Madam Nightingale had done and at one point, her mother drew the curtains around his bed.

“Hey, Al,” her cousin called as he entered, “what’s going on back there?” He pointed towards the curtain.

“Mum’s either going to make him very happy or very bitter,” she sighed, rearranging the potion bottles.

“Aunt Cate’s here?” he frowned.

“That she is,” called Catherine as she removed the curtain, “Hello Jamie. Sirius looks fine to me. A little worse for the wear undoubtedly Vera,” she added to her friend, “but I think he can handle himself. If you start to feel anything out of the ordinary, come and see Vera.” She turned to her friend, “If you need anything, get word to me. I’ll be here in a flash, literally,” she added with a wink.

“Ready to leave Cate?” her husband called from the doorway. Ally smiled slightly as Sirius looked as though he’d seen a ghost. James went over and shook his uncle’s hand and hugged his aunt. They both turned to Ally, “Alexis could we have a moment?” She nodded and went to them.

“What do you need?” she asked. Her father gestured at her necklace and she sighed, taking it off, “What are you going to do?”

Her father muttered something and tapped the necklace with his wand, “Tracking device. It’s the least we can do to keep you safe. I’m sure you won’t be taking the necklace off?”

“Not a chance,” she smiled. Her mother shook her head and walked over to Sirius, hugging him carefully, “Feel free to owl if you need me, alright? Take care.”

“Thanks Mrs. Prince,” he nodded.

“You’re welcome Sirius,” she assured him. Her husband stayed at the door, saying goodbye to their daughter, “I want you to be beyond careful. No wandering after curfew. No Forbidden Forest. No Shrieking Shack. No Hagrid’s after dark unless he walks you back to the castle. No-“

“Papa,” she interrupted, “contrary to popular belief, I know how to be careful. I don’t always follow those instincts but they’re there. Trust me, now that I know I’m in danger, I promise I will be so careful even Grandfather won’t be able to complain, deal?”

“Deal,” he nodded, “I trust Mr. Black will be keeping an eye on you as well.”

She frowned, “I’ll be surprised if he ever lets me out of his sight.”

“Good,” her father grunted, and after a quick hug from both her parents, they left.

Alexis went to join her boyfriend and cousin and noticed they seemed to be having a very intense conversation. She had a feeling she knew exactly what they were talking about.

James put his face in his hands and groaned, “It’s never going to get any easier is it?”

Sirius was buttoning his shirt and sighed, “Does seem that way, doesn’t it mate?”

“Alright you two,” she interrupted, “lighten up.” James stood up and embraced her tightly, “Nothing is going to happen to you Al,” he assured her, still squeezing her.

“That’s very sweet James,” she choked, “but if you don’t let go, suffocation will happen.”

“I’m glad you can manage to be funny,” he growled, “I can’t believe this.”

“Can we keep this quiet please?” she groaned, “it’s bad enough having my parents, Uncle Alastor, and Grampy knowing and now you two, just please. Don’t tell anyone.”

They exchanged a look and after a moment nodded. Sirius hopped out of the bed and walked over to her and the three of them left the hospital wing.

“It’s lunch time,” Alexis mentioned looking at her watch, “Are you feeling hungry?”

He nodded, “Food sounds good.” They headed towards the Great Hall and found their friends eating. When Alice spotted them, she looked confused and nudged Toni who nudged Lily.

“Hello all,” Sirius said as he sat down.

“Sirius,” Remus said in a warning tone, “does Madam Nightingale know you’re here?”

He rolled his eyes, “I was released.”

“By Madam Nightingale?” pressed Remus, “it’s not a release unless a healer agrees to it. Otherwise, it’s just breaking out which I wouldn’t put past you.”

“I was released by a healer,” he assured his friend. Alexis took note of the fact that he didn’t mention her mother. Maybe he’s going to keep quiet about the whole Voldemort mess, she thought.

“When we finish up here,” James piped up, “we need to have a little meeting. You ladies don’t mind coming to our dormitory do you? We need somewhere where we won’t be overheard.”

Lily eyed him suspiciously and he rolled his eyes, “Don’t worry Evans. Sirius is the only one who drags girls into his bed.”

Alice started choking on her pumpkin juice and Alexis helped her.

“What girls?” demanded Alice as she sipped water.

“It’s not important,” interjected Ally.

Lily shook her head, “I understand you not wanting to hear about your boyfriend’s less than classy actions with other girls but-“

“It wasn’t girls,” commented Sirius.

“Just one girl?” Lily surmised, “who?”

“Me,” answered Ally, avoiding eye contact.

Toni shook her head, “It’s not as sinister as it sounds. James, Remus and I were all in the room when it happened.”

Before anyone could say anything else, James continued with his train of thought, “Are you in Evans?”

Lily shrugged, “Sure, just don’t get any ideas.” James rolled his eyes but said nothing. Kate Johnson sat down next to him, “Do you have any plans for this afternoon James?”

“Yes,” he admitted, “but I’m available this evening.” She smiled, “That’ll work too. I’ll see you then,” she added, with a smile.

“Is there something we need to know?” asked Alexis, hoping to distract him.

“No,” he responded tersely, “is everyone finished eating?” He looked around and saw that no one had any food on their plates, “Alright, let’s go.” They followed him towards the Gryffindor common room and Alexis whispered to Sirius, “Do you think there’s any way we can get him to drop this?”

“Drop it?” he repeated, “no way. Why do you think I wasn’t about to spend another second away from you?”

She rolled her eyes, “I was afraid of that. I think that’s why my mum released you.”

“What makes you say that?” he asked. She shrugged, “She and Papa suddenly seem to be of the opinion that you’ll keep me safe. Papa put a tracking charm on the necklace because he assumed ‘I wouldn’t be taking it off’ and then I commented that I didn’t think you’d be letting me out of your sight. He approved. Go figure.”

She looked up at him, hoping this news would please him. Instead, his face showed a closed expression and he muttered, “No one here knows what dark wizards are capable of better than me.”

Frowning as she realized that her father was probably of that opinion, she could think of nothing else to say. They made their way up to the boys’ dormitory. Luckily, it was the middle of the day on a Sunday so most were either in the library or in their own rooms working on their homework.

“It’s clean,” gasped Lily as she sat down on James’ bed.

James rolled his eyes, “Yes, well lucky for you it was just our monthly cleaning day. Are you sure you want to sit there?” he added.

She shrugged, “Why not? It was an impulse. Our room has the same layout. This is where my bed is, that’s where Toni’s is,” she added pointing across the room to the bed where Toni and Remus were sitting, “and Alice’s,” she continued point to the bed where Alice was sitting with Peter, “and Ally’s…,” she stopped realizing that Ally and Sirius were sitting on what must’ve been Sirius’ bed so that meant…

She turned to James who realized that she knew she was sitting on his bed, “You can move if you like. I won’t be offended,” he assured her.

She regained her composure, “Don’t be ridiculous Potter. It’s not like we’re doing anything besides sitting on this bed.”

James laughed and hopped onto the windowsill. “Regardless, I’ll give you your space.” She glared at him, “Get down here Potter. You and I are perfectly capable of behaving like civilized human beings.”

James shrugged and lay down at the foot of his bed, “Everyone comfortable?”

“Yes,” nodded Toni, “now what’s going on?”

“We learned some new information after the Shrieking Shack incident and I wanted to share it with all of you,” he explained, “first of all, what Bellatrix did to Sirius wasn’t just her typical way of trying to get him to join her and the rest of the Death Eaters. It was her initiation. Apparently, Voldemort tests people by finding out who means the most to them and forcing them to test their torture skills on that person. It’s his way of making sure that they’re not loyal to anyone other than him. He can also see how capable they are with regard to torture.”

“Sirius is the person that means the most to Bellatrix?” asked Remus, clearly confused.

“According to a conversation I overheard Papa and Uncle Alastor having,” Alexis sighed, “Voldemort has trust issues so he forces or tricks his followers into drinking Veritaserum to make sure they’re not lying to him. That’s obviously how he found out that Sirius means so much to her. I don’t think she would ever admit that freely.”

“This process puts us in trouble,” continued James, “well not all of us but some of us,” he looked from Lily to Toni to Ally and sighed, “as much as I hate to admit this, the three of you are probably the most important people to Severus Snape-“

“Let me stop you right there,” interrupted Toni, “Sev is not a death eater nor is he considering becoming one so we don’t have to worry about any of us getting kidnapped so he can practice dark magic on us.”

James rolled his eyes, “If you want to believe that Toni, fine. I can’t stop you but the three of you better be careful and expect to see one of us around pretty much all the time.”

“Great,” groaned Lily, “stalkers.”

“You’re around us all the time as is Evans,” snapped James, “it’s not that much of a stretch that we’ll continue to be around. We should probably also practice defense more often especially you Al-“

“Alexis knows more about defense than anyone in this room,” Peter pointed out, “except maybe Sirius.”

“Yes but considering Voldemort’s plan for her-“ her cousin shrugged.

“James do we really have to share this information with everyone?” she demanded, “I asked you if you could keep this quiet.”

“I never agreed to that,” he pointed out. She turned to Sirius who hadn’t taken his hands off her since they left the hospital wing, “Come on Sirius. You must understand-“

“I agree with James,” he interrupted, “the more aware everyone, especially those that are constantly around you, is about the situation the better.”

“You do realize,” she hissed looking from her cousin to her boyfriend, “that we’ll have to tell them EVERYTHING including the information I promised my parents I wouldn’t share with ANYONE.”

James and Sirius exchanged a look before Sirius spoke, “If sharing this information keeps you safe, there is no question. If there’s backlash, I’ll take it but I can’t see that your parents would care about us spilling this secret if it meant keeping you safe.”

Alexis rolled her eyes, “Couldn’t we at least ask permission first? I mean that way-“

“Alexis you trust everyone in this room, don’t you?” he asked.

She and Toni exchanged a look, “No Sirius. I don’t. Look, I can guarantee you that everyone is the room is keeping some form of a secret and I’m not going to be the only one that everyone knows everything about. That puts me in an even more vulnerable situation than I’m already in. I’m not willing to let you and James take control of my life and share my secrets with everyone. When I’m ready, I’ll tell the people I trust about this problem. Until then, I’m asking both of you to keep your mouths shut. This isn’t your secret to share.”

James stared at her but Sirius spoke, “You’re right. I’m sorry but I can’t help but worry.”

“I know but you have got to try and relax,” she told him, “my parents, my godfather and Grampy are probably taking measures that we have only learned about to protect me.”

Lily finally spoke, “Ally, what’s going on?”

“I promise I’ll tell you all when I can,” she assured her friends, “try not to worry.”

James frowned, “Alright well if we can’t tell you what’s going on I am going to tell everyone that we all need to be careful. Bellatrix told Sirius that Voldemort knows what we’re doing. We’re on his radar. We all need to be careful, very careful.”

The room got very quiet and Lily sighed, “It’s just going to get worse, isn’t it?”

“Undoubtedly,” groaned James as he closed his eyes.


As always, feedback is greatly appreciated.

[MarauderGrl]

Hey kids! New post. It's not very long and I mulled over part of it (you'll be able to figure out which part by reading) for awhile but eventually decided that it worked that way...there are chances to mix it up in the future. I've got to say the posts have just been coming together lately without much effort but I'm really trying to get everything in. If there's something you want to see more or less of feel free to let me know. Of course, as the writer I get the final say but I am interested as to what parts you guys enjoy more than others. Alright, that's alot of talk I just did now and enjoy the post!

“Ladies,” Alexis groaned that night as she and the girls got ready for bed, “I promise I trust all of you.”

“Just not enough to share your secret,” countered Lily, her voice full of hurt, “I can’t believe you trust Potter and Black more than you trust us.”

“Can I just start off by saying that James knows pretty much all of my secrets,” she hissed, “it goes along with the whole family thing.”

“So Severus knows too?” pressed Alice.

“No,” replied Alexis shaking her head before pausing, “well, he knows half of it.”

“Look,” interrupted Toni, finally giving her two knuts, “I understand you trusting James…I even understand you trusting Sirius…hell, I know exactly why you don’t trust Sev and Peter, however, what I don’t understand is why you think you can’t trust us. Do you really think we’re all keeping secrets?”

Ally embraced her skepticism she inherited from her father, “Yes, I do.”

“Alright,” Toni piped up, “fair enough. I have been keeping a secret. Here goes: I will never be comfortable with Sev and Lily’s friendship. That mixed with his recent behavior makes me think our relationship isn’t going to last very much longer.”

“Sorry Toni,” Lily whispered before saying, “I have a confession to make too. I’ve been keeping a secret but it’s not my place to share...That’s my secret.”

“I already know,” sighed Alexis avoiding eye contact with her friend.

Lily stared at her, “You haven’t told him you know?”

“No,” she shrugged, “I will…soon.”

“Ally, I can’t believe you haven’t told him you know,” gasped Lily, “it’s killing him to keep this secret. He’s so scared. I’ve been trying to convince him to tell-“

“They know,” interrupted Ally, “and before you say anything, they’ve found the perfect way to show him that they don’t care.”

Lily frowned but before they could say more Toni piped up, “If we’re talking about the fact that Remus is a werewolf, you don’t have to act so secretive. Alice and I figured it out as well.”

“You mean everyone who cares about Remus already knows and instead of telling him, you’re all keeping it a secret?” Lily asked, “unbelievable.”

“I’ll promise you something Lil,” intervened Alexis, “after the boys tell him that they know, the rest of us will tell him too. Deal?”

“Deal,” agreed Lily, “I suppose it makes sense that the boys are the first to offer than support.”

“Discounting yourself,” smirked Toni.

Alexis shook her head. She knew how hard it was for Lily and Toni to confess…

“Well, since we’re sharing, I too have something to confess,” decided Alice, “Frank asked me to marry him when I come of age. Given what’s going on out there, I don’t see the point of waiting. I said yes. We’re getting married on my seventeenth birthday.”

The three girls turned to their friend, jaws dropping to the floor.

Lily ran over and embraced Alice, offering her congratulations and volunteering to help plan the wedding.

Toni turned to Alexis, smiling, “Still think your secret is big?”

Ally sighed, “I know it is, but since I know it wasn’t easy for any of you to share your secrets and since I’ve already placed an impenetrable charm on the room, I may as well confess. Nothing that we’ve said will leave this room. Nothing.”

“Deal,” agreed her friends, each placing their hand on the bed, one atop another. Alexis added her hand to the top of the pile, “I’m Albus Dumbledore’s granddaughter and because of that, Voldemort wants to marry me.”

Her friends stared at her, completely silent before Toni spoke, “This is a joke right?”

Alexis shook her head, “I’m really sorry. Grampy and my parents made me promise not to tell anyone. Obviously Sev and James knew and Sirius found out when we went to his office after Sev and Reg were attacked.”

Her friends left their hands where they were and continued staring at her.

“Someone say something,” she pleaded.

“Al,” gasped Lily, tears in her eyes, “Nothing is going to happen to you. He isn’t going to get near you. I promise.” Alexis finally exhaled, pleased that her friend wasn’t upset with her for keeping secrets, “Thank you Lily.”

“Is that what James wanted to tell us?” asked Toni, still holding her friend’s hand. Alexis nodded, “I couldn’t let him say anything-“

“In front of Peter,” her friend finished, knowingly.

Alice looked from Toni to Alexis, “Is there something else Lily and I don’t know?”

Toni and Ally exchanged a look and Lily frowned, “We’re already sharing. What is it?”

Toni bit her lip and Ally nodded.

“A couple weeks ago, I went to the library to meet Sev and catch up on my homework,” Toni began, “well, when I got there I didn’t see Sev so I went to the History of Magic section to find a book about Grindelwald and as I walked toward the section I heard two familiar voices that had no business talking to one another: Sev and Peter.”

“Peter?” squealed Alice and Lily in unison.

Toni nodded and continued, “I listened to their conversation and Peter was reporting to Sev about our attempts to stop the Slytherins and about Ally and Sirius. When I asked them what was going on, they pretended it was nothing. Sev said he just wanted to keep an eye on Ally but I knew better. When I came back I saw Ally and Sirius but I didn’t want to tell the boys because-“

“They trust blindly and you knew Peter could make up some story turning Severus into the villain and they would lap it up,” surmised Lily.

Ally and Toni nodded and Alice shrugged, “Makes sense to me.”

“What makes you so sure Sev is up to something?” asked Lily, “isn’t it possible that he really did just want to find out if Ally was going to date Sirius?”

“Were that the case,” countered Toni, “he could’ve asked me or you but he didn’t…and I actually heard him say he was reporting what Peter told him to Narcissa who reported to Bellatrix who reported to him.”

“Why would Peter betray his friends?” asked Alice.

“For information about Death Eater activity,” sighed Toni, “he got advance notice about when they were plotting stuff so he could make sure his parents were out of the way.”

The girls sat in silence before Lily spoke again, “I think we might be losing Sev.”

“I agree,” nodded Toni, “I can feel him slipping away. He keeps getting more secretive and distant and I hate to say this but what happened between you two,” she added looking at Ally, “it’s just gotten worse. It’s almost like he was looking for an excuse to be...,” she couldn’t finish her sentence.

Alexis frowned, “Well, this night just keeps getting better.”

“So what are we going to do?” asked Alice, “I mean obviously we say nothing about Voldemort thing or the fact that you’re the Headmaster’s granddaughter. We’re waiting until the boy’s reveal their knowledge to Remus before we tell him that we know and love him anyway. We don’t have to worry about Frank and I for a couple of years…but what about Peter? And as much as I hate to say it Severus?”

“Honestly, there’s nothing we can do about the Peter situation,” decided Ally, “I know the boys and in spite of the fact that James, Sirius and Remus all care what I think, I don’t think they’d listen to me when it comes to Peter. They trust him.”

“So what do we do?” asked Lily, emphasizing the word ‘we’.

“We keep an eye on Peter,” shrugged Ally, “it’s all we can do. I think Toni and I might’ve gotten him to see reason when we talked to him and James and I took care of getting his house protected so his parents will be safe which means he can’t use them as an excuse. We just need to let him know that we’re watching and hopefully he’ll want to prove that he’s trustworthy or at the very least he’ll want to stay in line with us watching.”

Toni nodded, “Makes sense to me…” she paused before asking, “What about Sev?”

“Well, I think James was right when he said the three of us mean the most to Sev so I think we should try to get through to him,” she explained, “we’ll each give it a go. If the three of us can’t convince him, he might be a lost cause.”

“I’ll go first,” Toni decided, “then Lily, then you Al. You’ll be our last attempt. Maybe by the time you talk to him, he’ll have calmed down. I’ll try this week, Lils you go sometime next week and Ally you go the week after.”

“Works for me,” the girls agreed.

Alice yawned, “This entire conversation has taken it out of me. Let’s go to sleep.”

“As always Alice,” Alexis managed through a yawn of her own, “you’re right.”

The girls hugged and said goodnight.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The next day was the day of the full moon. The Marauders were ready to test their transfiguration skills and surprise their friend.

As they sat down for breakfast, they could see the expression Remus always had on his face around this time. Before they could begin their attempts at cheering him up, the girls joined him.

“Lazy morning ladies?” joked James as he sipped his pumpkin juice.

“Yes,” nodded Alice, “we had a late night.”

“Doing what?” asked Sirius.

“Oh you know the usual,” interjected Alexis, “pillow fighting in our nightgowns, talking about boys…” The boys all turned to her, even Remus who seemed mildly confused.

“Honestly Sirius,” she laughed, smacking him on the back of the head, “it’s none of your business what we were doing.”

“Besides,” yawned Lily, “I doubt it was anything compared to the kind of rubbish you dolts spend your time on.”

Toni nodded, “Good call Lil.”

As the boys started trading insults with the girls, Alexis noticed a familiar fellow interacting with a vaguely familiar girl. She frowned as she continued to observe Jack O’Malley with an attractive red head she knew she had seen before. The redhead that visited Sirius in the hospital wing, she thought.

“What’s attracted your attention?” whispered Sirius as he leaned down. He followed her line of vision and saw, “Alex and Jack?”

“Alex?” she choked, “her name is Alex???” Sirius shook his head not wanting to bicker with her, “Yes. O’Malley has nerve. I mean seriously picking someone who bears such a striking resemblance to your ex is incredibly tactless.”

Alexis smirked at Sirius critiquing someone’s lack of tact, “We better stop looking before someone notices.”

“What’s got the two of you so distracted?” demanded James, scanning the Great Hall. As soon as he realized what they were looking at he realized soon everyone would be looking in the same direction. Thinking fast as only James could, he pointed his wand in the direction of the Slytherin table and suddenly Severus had bright green hair.

The Great Hall erupted in laughter and all the focus was on Severus who was attempting to return his hair to its natural state. As most people watched his attempts, Toni and Lily both turned to James and reprimanded him in unison.

“Put it right James,” warned Toni.

Lily rolled her eyes, “Grow up Potter.”

Knowing both her cousins as she did, Alexis knew the charm James had used. She pointed her wand at Severus and returned his hair back to normal.

“He would’ve been able to do it himself,” piped up James, “if he focused half as hard in Charms as he does on the Dark Arts.”

Alexis continued watching Severus as he looked around to see who had helped him out. He locked eyes with his cousin but Alexis could tell by the way he looked at her that helping him had made no difference.

She turned around and Sirius muttered, “Ungrateful git.” He looked down at his watch, “Remus isn’t it time for your morning patrol?”

Remus glanced at his friend curiously, “Yes, Sirius, it is.”

“Have fun,” James chuckled as Peter waved goodbye to him. Remus looked over at Alexis who shrugged and he got up and left.

“Subtle, Sirius,” commented Alexis, “very subtle.”

He smirked, her favorite smirk, “Subtlety was never my forte.”

“Don’t I know it?” she laughed.

He nodded to James and Peter and the three of them stood up.

“Sorry ladies,” cooed James, “you’re on your own today.”

Lily smiled, “That’s the best news I’ve heard all day.”

“The day is young Evans,” he countered as she rolled her eyes.

“I’ll see you later beautiful,” Sirius whispered, kissing Alexis on the forehead and joining his friends.

“What should we do today?”asked Toni.

“We should finish up that homework we’ve been putting off,” suggested Alice.

“Fantastic,” muttered Alexis, “just how I wanted to spend my day. Cooped up in the library. Kill me now,” she added to no one in particular.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“Tonight’s the night,” Sirius exclaimed happily as James put an impenetrable charm on the room, “Finally after all that stupid practice, we’re going to make it happen.”

James laughed at his friend, “Hopefully, this time it’ll be a success. Let’s practice some more Pete.” James began helping Peter practice his transformation while Sirius looked on, “It’s a shame you’re so short mate. You’d be scarier if you were something bigger than a rat.”

James rolled his eyes and turned to Peter, “Sirius is obviously forgetting that if you were something bigger we wouldn’t be able to get into the Whomping Willow. Besides, not everyone can be a giant flea ridden dog like our friend here.” Peter chuckled appreciatively and Sirius threw the book nearest him at James, “Not funny. I’m an extremely well groomed dog.”

James picked up the book and eyed the cover curiously before Sirius realized what it was, “Can you toss that back over here?” he asked in his most nonchalant voice.

“Where did you get this?” wondered James, his tone just as casual.

“Library,” his friend shrugged.

“I happen to know for a fact that this book has been out of print for about a decade,” he countered.

“Well the library is full of old books James,” his friend joked.

James looked at him, “This is a personal book. There are no library markers on it.”

They stared at each other for a moment before James cracked a familiar smile, “It was a gift, wasn’t it?”

Sirius frowned, “Nothing gets past you, does it James?”

“Not if I can help it,” he admitted, as he sat down and started thumbing through the book, “Wow, this is going to be really helpful with learning more defense. We’ll be able to protect the girls from a lot more dark magic with this book.”

“The girls?” repeated Sirius as Peter the rat ran in circles on the floor, “I thought you were starting something with Katie.”

“Kate,” corrected James, “is a nice girl…but we were never going to be more than friends.”

“Did you even try?” pressed Sirius.

James shook his head, “I…No, I didn’t. Is that what you want to hear? I love Lily. I want to be with her. I never stopped wanting that.”

Sirius sighed, “James, mate-“

“Don’t,” interrupted his friend, “don’t tell me it’s impossible because I know it’s not. You finally got Alexis to date you didn’t you?”

“That was different,” he sighed, shaking his head, “Ally’s been softening to me over time. She’s never been as against me as Evans has been against you.”

“I’m willing to wait,” he told his friend.

“You’ll be waiting a long time,” frowned Sirius.

“I’ll do it,” he decided, “I can wait for Lily as long as it takes. Ally’s much more stubborn than Lily.”

“Then why does she still call you Potter?” his friend asked.

“It’s not going to be easy,” he agreed, “but was it easy to wait for Ally? Was it easy to watch her with Remus? Was it easy to see her wrapped around Connor Fitzgerald-“

“Alright,” interrupted Sirius loudly, not needing the mental image of his girlfriend with that oaf, “I get it.”

“And all those girls that you snogged while you were trying to pretend like you didn’t care? And Jane?” his friend continued, as though he hadn’t heard him, “that might’ve worked for you but I can’t do that. I’m not you.”

Sirius arched an eyebrow, “Why do I feel like I should be insulted by that?”

Before James could respond, something bit his toe, “Ow, what the hell Pete?”

James pointed his wand at his friend to help him transform, “We should work on the transforming back. You do a decent job of becoming a rat. Your problem comes when you have to turn into a human again.”

“Can I just say how cool it is that we’re animagi?” bragged Sirius, “actually it’s even cooler that we’re unregistered. Can you imagine all the recon we’ll be able to do? It’s going to be so sweet. We’ll be able to pull pranks on a grander scale than ever before…” He noticed his friends exchanging looks and felt compelled to ask, “What? Did I miss something?”

“Well it’s just interesting to hear you talking about pranking and causing mischief when…well…,” James trailed off.

“Well what?” he pressed.

“Ever since Jane broke up with you and things started to come together for you and Al, you’ve been kind of tame,” shrugged James to which Peter nodded.

Sirius frowned, “I have not been tamed. I’ll admit I dialed it down when things started to look promising for Al and me but I had to. Do you think we’d be together now if I kept acting like I had been? I had to show her that I could be serious.”

“Aren’t you always?” smarted Peter to which James and Sirius both rolled their eyes.

Just then Remus entered the room, “What’s going on? Why is there an impenetrable charm on the door?”

“Discussing secret maraudering plans,” explained James.

“Or lack thereof, apparently,” piped up Sirius, “did you know, Rem, that Ally has tamed me?”

Remus suppressed a smile, “It is kind of true.”

“Gee thanks,” growled Sirius, “does everyone think that?”

“Pretty much,” shrugged Peter, “you had to know that part of your reputation was the carefree different girl for every day of the week you had going...with the exception of Jane obviously.”

“So you’re saying my reputation is suffering because I’m with Al?” he prodded.

James shrugged, “You are a lot softer when you’re around her.”

“Well, if being with Al caused a small dip in popularity so be it,” he said loudly, “she’s well worth it.”

“Couldn’t agree more,” James added. While Remus nodded, “You took the words right out of my mouth.”

“Of course, you all realize that I just have to put forth a little more effort to remind people that we’re capable of,” he continued, “gentlemen, I believe it is time to plan a prank worthy of the Marauders.”

“Scarier words were never spoken,” muttered Remus, “we’ll get together when I get back from visiting my mum and get started on the plan, alright James?”

“Of course,” his friend agreed, “after all, we are the brains of the operation.”

“I resent that,” bellowed Sirius, “I’m brilliant…”

“Just not good at doing things stealthy,” finished James, “you’re decent at coming up with ideas but you have zero follow through my friend. Besides, we have to try not to get caught as much now that Remus here is an authority figure.”

“And now that you’ve become convinced that you and Evans belong together,” his friend finished sarcastically.

Remus looked at James who explained, “Sirius is bitter because Kate and I are just friends. He was hoping that I would date her and forget about Lily. I think he’s just worried that if Lily and I get together he’ll have to actually get her to tolerate him.”

“Ha,” snorted Sirius, “you’re the one that needs to worry about her tolerating you. She can’t stand you.”

“Only because of the traits you share,” muttered Remus.

“What?” pressed James, “did she say that?”

Remus bit his lip and Sirius shook his head, “You may as well finish what you started. He’s never going to drop it.”

“Lily was just ranting to me the other night that if you didn’t have so much in common with Sirius that you might not be so annoying,” he sighed.

“What traits? Specifically?” demanded James.

“Her words not mine: the arrogance, the bullying, the troublemaking,” he listed, “those are the things that bother her the most.”

“Arrogance?” he repeated, “I’m not arrogant.”

Sirius laughed, “It just seems that way because you’re comparing yourself with me. I like to think of it as confidence not arrogance.”

“That’s not the way it comes off to most people,” commented Remus.

Sirius turned to him, “Which people?”

“No one that matters to you,” he assured him, “just the general population. The people that matter to you accepted long ago that you are who you are.”

“I’m starting to think Evans is way off,” piped up Sirius, “if people felt the way she did, we wouldn’t be as popular as we are. Come on mate, I bet I could find ten girls who like you as you are. Isn’t that the whole point of being with someone? That they love you as you are and don’t want you to change?”

“Since you’ve already confessed to toning your behavior down for Ally,” interrupted James, “I don’t think you’re in a position to judge.”

“Fine,” he groaned, “I have nothing else to say on the matter of Lily Evans.”

Remus nodded, “I’m going to take a nap.”

“Alright,” nodded James, “come on Sirius, Peter. Let’s go to the library.”

Remus rolled over, “Going to the library? I suppose I better start preparing for the apocalypse.”

“Ahahaha,” feigned James, “get some rest Rem. We’ll see you later.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

That night at dinner, Remus couldn’t help but notice his friends were behaving rather strangely. Not just the boys but the girls as well. Figuring it was best not to ask, he simply ate his dinner ignoring the conversations around him. After dinner, he headed to the hospital wing.

“Hello Remus,” Madam Nightingale called kindly from her office, “I’ll be with you in a moment.” Remus sat quietly and nervously as he had before all of his transformations at Hogwarts. He was constantly terrified that someone would see him in the hospital wing or walking across the grounds.

“Are you ready?” the healer asked. Remus nodded and the two of them went about their routine. After leaving him in the Shrieking Shack, Madam Nightingale headed back to the castle. Unbeknownst to her, however, three fifth year Gryffindors were scurrying down the path she had just come, cloaked in invisibility.

“Ready Pete?” asked Sirius, voice full of excitement. Much to the surprise of his companions, Peter Pettigrew managed to transform into a small brown rat unaided. The rat scurried past the branches of the Whomping Willow and touched the knot on the tree that they knew froze the branches, having watched Madam Nightingale do it during their late night excursions.

The branches froze and Sirius and James exchanged looks. Both boys transformed in unison and in their place stood a beautiful stag and a massive shaggy dog. The dog grabbed the Invisibility Cloak and the wands with his mouth and bounded over to Hagrid’s hut where he hid them strategically outside. The dog quickly returned to the tree and followed the stag down the pathway. When they reached the end of the tunnel, the rat stayed back and the dog went first, followed by the stag then the rat. The dog started up the stairs following the howls of pain. He pushed open the door with his nose and came face to face with a werewolf. The werewolf looked at the dog and started growling. The dog hurried downstairs with the werewolf following closely. The werewolf paused at the bottom of the stairs as he saw the three creatures standing next to one another, calmly, almost proudly. The werewolf somehow felt calm in the presence of these animals. He sat staring at them for a few moments before the dog barked and stood on his hind legs. The werewolf stared at the dog’s odd behavior before a thought occurred to him. The dog looked familiar…as he stared at the stag and the rat he realized they looked familiar too. The dog seemed to sense he recognized them and started barking happily. The stag sat down and even the rat seemed less nervous.

No, thought Remus, it can’t be.

The dog made an odd face for a dog and barked as though to say, it is. For the rest of the night, the werewolf sat in the company of the three animals who tried to make the werewolf feel at ease. They were careful not to advance on him or make any sudden movements. Finally, the werewolf had been lulled into such a calm by the presence of the other animals that he fell asleep.

When Remus woke up the next morning, he was sure he had dreamed the night’s experience. Thinking that the dream had been a welcome change from his normal transformations, he simply put it out of his mind. As he prepared to get out of bed, he heard a noise and rolled over to see the animals still there and sleeping. He rubbed his eyes and once he was certain of their existence, he cleared his throat, “Hey Pup, it’s time to take your friends and go. Madam Nightingale might freak out a little if she sees you when she gets here.”

The dog woke up and looked at the human Remus with the same grey eyes Remus was sure he had seen last night in his dream…except that if it were a dream, the animals wouldn’t still be here. Before he had another moment to consider what was going on, the dog pounced on him and licked his face.

“Gross,” sputtered Remus, “down dog.”

The dog made a noise that sounded suspiciously like a snicker and hurried over to the stag and the rat. The dog prodded the stag awake and swatted the rat with his palm. Both animals woke up and while the rat kept his distance, the stag stood up and walked over to Remus and bowed his head so he could pet him. Remus obliged and the stag gestured toward the tunnel as if to say ‘we’re leaving’. The dog followed the stag and the rat but not before barking at Remus.

Remus realized that the bark sounded just as familiar as the eyes of the dog had been. As he lay down, considering the impossibility of what he was thinking, Madam Nightingale entered the room and helped Remus up and back to Hogwarts. They entered the hospital wing and the healer noticed that the boy didn’t have as many scratches as he usually did.

“Well,” she sighed, “this is a surprise. I was sure I was going to have to heal as many scratches as I usually do. Was last night’s transformation different somehow?”

Remus nodded, “I think I’m finally gaining control over myself when I transform.”

The healer looked skeptical but nodded, “Alright, here’s the potion to help with the after effects,” Remus swallowed the goblet she gave him and nodded to her, “Thank you Madam Nightingale. I’ll see you next time.” She nodded and went into her office to start on her paperwork.

As Remus walked towards Gryffindor tower he couldn’t help but muse over the thoughts going through his mind. It’s impossible, he kept telling himself, completely impossible. He made his way back to the room he shared with his friends and saw James and Peter sleeping soundly. He didn’t see Sirius but the giant dog from last night was sitting on his friend’s bed.

“I’m going mad,” Remus whispered aloud. The dog made the weird snickering noise it had last night and suddenly began to change shapes. Remus grabbed the nearest poster and stared as the dog became his friend. Sirius sat smugly on his bed as Remus tried to regain his breath.

“I think you missed your calling Padfoot,” commented James as he hurried over to Remus, “Your flair for the dramatic might’ve caused Moony’s death.”

“That’s just great,” observed Peter, “all that work to become animagi wasted.”

“He’s fine,” chuckled Sirius, “shocked but fine.”

Remus stared at Sirius before managing, “You licked me. Gross. I have to go wash my face.”

As Remus ran into the bathroom, Peter and James howled with laughter which caused Sirius to snap, “I’ve never had any complaints before.”

After washing his face, he sighed and reentered the room, “Would any of you care to explain?”

Sirius looked at James, “I thought he was supposed to be the smart one?”

“Apparently, it’s all book smarts,” chuckled James, who turned to Remus, “We’ve known you since we were eleven years old. We know how you react to things so we figured the best way to convince you that we didn’t care about your “furry little problem” was to show you that we could be furry too.”

“What problem?” demanded Remus defensively. Sirius pointed his wand at the door and muttered something before turning to Remus, “We know that you’re a werewolf.”

“How…,” he sputtered, “how long have you known?”

“Since third year,” he answered, “we’ve wanted to tell you but we knew how much stock you put in words so we had to find a way to show you. You’re our friend, our brother and you always will be.”

Remus stared at his friends and James frowned, “I wish we had told you sooner. We’re sorry Moony.”

Remus looked at him, confused, “What?”

“Oh,” laughed Sirius, “we’ve come up with nicknames as a sign of solidarity. I’m Padfoot, James is Prongs, Peter is Wormtail and you’re Moony. Good huh?”

“As much as I love you guys for doing the animagi thing for me,” began Remus, “I also have to impress upon you the danger of the situation. I’m not just another dog at the full moon, Sirius. I’m a werewolf. I’m dangerous. I could give one of you the bite-“

“Save it Moony,” interrupted James, “we’ve done our research. I swear people must think we’re morons. First Ally, now you.”

“Alexis?” gasped Remus, “she doesn’t…she can’t…how…did you tell her?”

Sirius rolled his eyes, “Ally’s no idiot. She figured it out last year. She’s also been very you about the whole situation, you should be proud. ‘Are you sure you know what you’re doing?’, ‘These transformations can go horribly wrong’, ‘There’s a reason McGonagall said the Ministry keeps a record of whose an animagus’. She ignored my argument that the Ministry just can’t help but put its nose in everyone’s business.”

Before Remus could say anything else, there was a knock at the door and James walked over and opened it, “Good Morning Al…Ladies.”

“Clearly he wasn’t expecting all of us,” laughed Toni. Alexis frowned, “I knew I forgot something.”

Lily rushed over to Remus, “Remus, you should be laying down. You told me you never feel a hundred percent after the transformations.”

Remus stared around the room and noticed that everyone looked concerned but the boys looked confused.

“Recast the impenetrable charm Sirius,” he sighed, “this is going to get ugly.”

Sirius did as he told just as James glared at him, “You told Evans but you didn’t want to tell us?”

Lily turned on James, “He didn’t tell me. I figured it out and then I told him I knew which is more than any of the rest of you can say. Rem, they know. They all know.”

Remus turned a shade of pale that worried Alexis not only as a friend but as a future healer, she walked over to him, “Remus, relax. Put your head between your knees and breathe. You need to keep your wits about you. We can’t take you to Madam Nightingale. She’ll ask questions. Toni, bring me the food we brought. Alice, get him some water.” Toni hurried over with the basket of food they had convinced the house elves to give them and James poured a glass of water and handed it to Alice.

“Hand me a piece of chocolate, Toni,” instructed Alexis in between counting the breaths that Remus took. Toni took a sizeable chunk of chocolate out of the basket and handed it to Alexis.

“Are you feeling better Rem?” she whispered and he nodded, “alright, I need you to lay down and eat this chocolate. Alice, put the water on his nightstand.” Everyone stared at Remus which he found extremely unnerving.

“Okay everyone,” Ally piped up, “we need to let Remus relax which means we refrain from asking the twenty questions that each of us has.”

“It’s okay Alexis,” managed Remus, “I have a feeling that we need to get this out in the open. Lily told me that she knew so yes, I confided in her. Had anyone else bothered to tell me they knew, I would’ve confided in them as well.”

Toni frowned, “We thought if you wanted to tell us, you would. Alice and I didn’t think it was the kind of thing that you would feel comfortable discussing.”

“I was waiting for the boys to tell you they knew,” commented Alexis, “that’s why we came here this morning. We wanted to check on you and let you know that we know and that we don’t care.”

Remus eyed them all skeptically, “None of you care that once a month I turn into a monster?”

“Of course not,” shrugged Toni helping herself to an apple, “it would be a bit hypocritical of us to disown you for losing it once I month when I lose it every other day, Ally loses it every other week, Sirius every other month…and well, you see where this is going.”

Remus smirked, “My transformations are not the equivalent of you losing your temper.”

“No it’s infinitely worse for you,” she amended, “it's out of your control."

Remus opened his mouth to speak again and Alice cut him off, “Raise your hand if Remus Lupin is still your friend in spite of the fact that he is a werewolf.”

Their hands all went up and she continued, “Just as I thought. You’re stuck with us Rem. You may as well get used to it.” The rest of the group nodded and Remus sighed, “None of you are going to hear me out are you?”

“Nope,” replied James, “we’re not going to let you warn us about how dangerous werewolves are blah blah blah…Raise your hand if you did your research and know what werewolves are capable of.”

Again everyone’s hands went up.

“Alright,” groaned Remus, “you win. All of you. That raise your hand rubbish was truly annoying.”

“Well,” laughed Sirius, “at least we don’t have to worry about him walking on eggshells around us.”

“Good,” agreed James, “everything is as it should be,” he looked at his cousin, “almost everything.”

Alexis rolled her eyes, “We need to talk.” The girls took the hint and after hugging Remus and leaving the basket of food with him they left the room. Sirius looked as though he had every intention of staying so Alexis walked over to him, pulled his head to her and whispered, “I want to talk to James and Remus. I’ll explain later. Take Peter and go.” She kissed him and he nodded, “Come on Pete. Let’s go grab some breakfast. Apparently, the girls only brought enough for Remus. Ridiculous, like werewolves can’t get their own food.” He smiled at Remus who stared at his friend’s ability to say ‘werewolf’ as though it was nothing. Alexis waited for Peter and Sirius to leave before turning to her cousin, “I’ve told the girls and now I’ll tell Remus but I’m not telling Peter.”

“Why not?” asked a bewildered James.

“Because I don’t trust him,” she snapped, “I have my reasons and as this is my secret to share, not yours, I want both of you to promise you’re not going to tell him.”

James still seemed confused but agreed and Remus nodded as well, “What’s going on?”

“I’m Albus Dumbledore’s granddaughter and for that reason Voldemort wants to marry me,” she blurted.

“Well, I knew you were Dumbledore’s granddaughter but that doesn’t explain why Voldemort wants to marry you,” he muttered, his brow furrowed.

“What do you mean you know?” she demanded.

“I’ve known for ages,” he shrugged, “I was just waiting for you to tell me.” She sat down on his bed, snagging a piece of chocolate for herself, “I should’ve known. You know everything. Well, not everything…Apparently, my grandfather taught him when he was a student at Hogwarts and he saw through him, even when he was a kid.”

“Which means he is intimidated by Dumbledore?” guessed Remus.

“I’d say more than intimidated,” corrected James, “I feel safe saying that he’s scared of him. He knows Dumbledore’s smarter and more talented than he is but he’s hoping that one day he’ll be able to finish him…”

“What’s that got to do with Ally?” his friend wondered.

James shrugged, “He either wants her as a way to stick in to Dumbledore in life or he wants her as a trophy after defeating him. Of course, there’s no way he could defeat him so my guess is that he thinks he’ll be able to kidnap Ally as a way to stick it to Dumbledore, Uncle Ethan, and Alastor Moody and throw them off their game. I’m willing to bet he’s hoping that having Ally will distract them and get them to act without thinking. He wants to take out the people who would be the most trouble for him. It makes sense in a weird way. We don’t have to worry about it though. He’s not getting within an inch of you Al,” he added, squeezing his cousin’s hand, “ever.”

Ally smiled, “So I’ve heard. I’m not worried. I’m safe.”

“That’s right you are,” Remus added, putting an arm around her.

“Thanks for being so cool about this Rem,” she laughed.

Before anyone could say anything, Sirius and Peter reentered the room.

“Thought you’d be gone by now Al,” Sirius commented in a voice that indicated he was trying a little too hard to be nonchalant. Remus took his arm from around her, “I need to get to some sleep.”

“Come along Sirius,” Ally said, “let’s talk.”

“We can talk here,” he shrugged, throwing himself on the bed. She rolled her eyes; he is so easy to read. She looked over at James who nodded, “Let’s go down to the common room Pete. Rem, you may want to-“

“Close the curtains and put an impenetrable charm on them?” finished Remus, already pulling his curtains around his bed.

“Right,” laughed James as he and Peter left the room. Ally pulled the curtains around Sirius’ bed and laid down next to him.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, turning on her side to face him.

“Nothing,” he shrugged, looking at the ceiling, “you’re the one who had something she wanted to explain. Go for it.”

“You can’t be upset about seeing me sitting with Remus,” she continued, attempting to ignore his petulance.

“I can’t?” he hissed, “well thanks for telling me what I’m allowed to feel.”

Now she was annoyed. She climbed on top of him, forcing him to look at her and not the ceiling, “You can’t be upset because you know Remus is my friend. Remus is your friend,” she reminded him. He rolled his eyes and she leaned towards him, “I never thought I’d see the day when Sirius Black would doubt himself.”

He finally looked at her, “I’m not doubting me…”

Her eyes narrowed, “I take that to mean you’re doubting me. Alright, let’s remedy that.” She steadied herself with her hands and leaned into him and started kissing him passionately. It took a moment before Sirius responded to her but then he placed his hands on her waist and pulled her close to him. As his hands moved over her body, her arms gave way and she started running her hands through his hair. When she regained her senses, she used her arms to prop herself up again.

“Still having doubts?” she asked, gasping for breath.

He smirked, her favorite smirk, and asked, “If I say yes, do we go another round?” She laughed and attempted to climb off him. He stopped her by grabbing her hips and asking, “Can’t we just talk like this?”

She rolled her eyes, “Fine. What I was going to tell you, before we got sidetracked was that I don’t trust Peter. I don’t want him knowing any of my secrets and I think the less information we entrust him with the better off we’ll all be.” He arched an eyebrow and let go of her. She used this opportunity to climb off him and sit cross legged next to him, “What are you thinking?”

“I’m wondering what Pete did to make you not trust him,” he sighed, “are you going to tell me?”

“No,” she replied, “because I know that all you’ll do is get defensive and it won’t get us anywhere.”

He shook his head, “I still don’t understand.”

She shrugged, “You don’t have to understand. It’s my call.” He frowned but grabbed her arm and pulled him toward her and she smiled, knowing that all was forgiven.

“So I’ve been dying to know,” she asked, making herself comfortable and wrapping his arms around her, “how’d the animagi thing go?”

He smiled as he interlaced his fingers with hers, “It went off without a hitch. Honestly, I was afraid that when I went looking for him that Rem would come out and attack me but once he looked at us, really looked at us, he seemed to regain some of his Remus-ness. Then this morning once he came back and realized what we’d done he went into regained all of his Remus-ness and started admonishing us. I think he’s pleased but he won’t admit it. Not yet anyways…”

She smiled, “I don’t think Remus is happy about you dolts risking your lives but I bet he appreciates the sentiment.”

“Probably,” agreed Sirius, “I have to say being an animagus is wicked cool. Want to see?”

“Not yet,” she smiled, “I want to be surprised.”

“And you want me have time to practice, right?” he laughed.

“Couldn’t hurt,” she shrugged. He kissed her on the top of the head, “I love you.” She turned to face him, “I love you too.”

Just as they were about to start a second round, she heard the door open.

“They’re back,” she whispered. He responded by groaning and she laughed, “Next time.” She hopped out of bed and pushed the curtains back.

“Hello boys,” she said as they stared at her.

“What are you still doing here?” asked James.

“Do you want me to answer that?” she shot back.

Her cousin eyed her then decided, “No, I don’t.”

“Well I’m leaving now,” she assured them. As she turned around to say bye to Sirius, he pulled her to him and kissed her passionately. She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him back.

“Ahem,” coughed James. They broke apart and Sirius shook his head, “I’ll see you later.”

“That you will,” she assured him, “later boys.” She added hurrying out of the room.


Questions, Comments and suggestions go here!

[MarauderGrl]

So...this chapter (like most of the recent ones) took on a life of it's own. It's not my favorite but it sets the stage for upcoming developments. I hope you all enjoy...Oh, and there will totally be quidditch in the next post...I keep pushing it back! Sorry!

Now that their secrets were out in the open, things somehow seemed easier for all of them. Most things anyway…

“Ugh!!!!!” groaned Toni, “I hate transfiguration. Absolutely loathe it. No good can come from it. Ever.”

“I sincerely hope that’s not your essay,” commented James as he took a seat next to her in the common room, “why aren’t you in the library?”

“Distractions,” she replied simply, “why aren’t you?”

“Same reason,” he shrugged, “need a hand?”

“I would settle for some way to magically understand the subject,” she sighed, “you know that’s why I don’t get,” she ranted, turning to him, “For as long as magic has existed, no one’s tried to come up with some sort of way for people to learn magically?”

James arched an eyebrow, “Dark wizards have…then again they always look for the easy way out. It’s why they’re all cowards.”

“Subtle James,” she groaned, “really subtle. You know if you’re attempting to provoke me, go somewhere else. I really need to focus.”

He smiled, slightly, “Alright, Nettie. Would you like my help?”

“Yes, I would,” she agreed, “as long as you don’t call me Nettie again. I’ve really got to break you and Sirius of that habit otherwise you might start to think it’s okay.”

“Toni,” he corrected, “what’s bothering you?”

“I’m having trouble with the theory,” she told him, “I get the wand movements and I can cast most of the spells but I’m can’t exactly explain it in essay form.”

He nodded, “I think I can help.”

After about an hour, Toni felt as though she was starting to understand how to explain herself which was great because she was about to lose her tutor…

“Prongs!” bellowed Sirius Black, “what are you doing? Where are Moony and Wormtail?”

James rolled his eyes, “They’re at the library.”

“And how are we supposed to plan an amazing act of mischief if we’re missing half the team?” his friend asked as he threw himself into a nearby armchair.

“We’re not,” explained James in a patronizing tone, “we’re doing that later remember? Besides what are you doing alone? I didn’t think you left my cousin’s side.”

Sirius smirked, “Thanks for making me sound as pathetic as humanly possible. We’re taking a break so we can get stuff done. After all, absence makes the heart grow fonder.”

Toni laughed, “If you want to leave and go find the others, feel free. I’ve gotten more done today than I expected to. Thanks James.”

“No problem,” he made a motion to get up before turning back to Toni, “are you sure you don’t need any more help?”

“If I do,” she shrugged, “I know who to go to.” They exchanged a smile before James turned to Sirius, “Let’s go Padfoot before you get so bored you start hexing people right here in the common room.”

“Ahahaha,” mocked Sirius, as he stood up to join his friend, “we’ll see you later Nettie.”

Toni stealthily picked up her wand and pointed it at Sirius as the boys started towards the door. A moment after she muttered the spell Severus had taught her, Sirius grabbed his throat and started gesturing to James who, once he realized his friend no longer had a voice, started laughing hysterically. Sirius spun around and stomped over to Toni and started gesturing madly which only caused James to laugh harder and Toni to ignore him.

“What’s going on?” asked Ally as she entered the room, followed by Alice and Lily. Sirius turned to her and angrily pointed from Toni to his throat. Alexis arched an eyebrow, “Did you call her Nettie again?”

He nodded begrudgingly and she continued, “And how many times has she warned you not to?” He shrugged and Ally continued, “Multiple times?” He nodded and she turned to Toni who picked up where Ally left off, “If I lift the spell, do you promise not to call me Nettie ever again?”

He glared at her but nodded. She muttered the countercurse and he was able to talk again.

“Why do I have the feeling you didn’t just silence him?” asked Lily as Sirius started running his tongue over his teeth, “She didn’t. She made my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth.”

“Where did you learn that?” asked James, clearly impressed.

“You don’t want to know,” answered Alexis and Lily in unison. James stared at them for a moment before speaking, “You know Toni perhaps you ought not perform spells he’s taught you. You don’t know where they came from. They could be dangerous.”

Toni glared at him but instead of saying anything, she simply threw her books into her bag and headed up to the room the girls shared.

“Where do you get off judging Potter?” snapped Lily, “I’ve seen you do worse things with spells that they teach us in class. Did it ever occur to you that Sev didn’t learn that spell from anyone? That maybe he’s clever enough to have created it on his own?”

Before James could retort, Lily went after Toni and Alice, shaking her head, followed.

“Honestly James,” sighed Ally, “you’d think by now you’d know better than to insult Severus. It’s not going to get you anywhere especially with Lily.” She started to head towards her friends when Sirius wrapped his arms around her and squeezed her tightly.

“I’m fine Sirius,” she exhaled as she turned to face him. He lifted her chin and looked her in the eyes, “You’re not.”

“I will be,” she amended, “I’ll see you later.” She kissed him swiftly on the cheek and went upstairs.

“Ally’s right,” groaned James as he and Sirius headed out of the portrait hole, “I should know better than that. Nothing short of him actually performing dark magic in front of them will convince any of them that he’s evil.”

“I bet there’s a way we could provoke him into doing that,” commented Sirius.

James arched an eyebrow, “How about we call that Plan B? I’d really rather not let Snivelly use me as target practice.”

“It wouldn’t have to be you,” his friend shrugged, “I could-“

“Haven’t you had enough of people practicing the Dark Arts on you?” asked James.

Sirius shrugged, “If it gets the girls to see reason when it comes to him, I’d do just about anything.”

“Really?” pressed James, sensing the opportunity for a bet, “would you…call Uncle Ethan ‘Dad’?”

“Contrary to popular belief, I do enjoy living,” his friend responded.

James continued, “Would you shave your head?”

“No way!” his friend bellowed as though James had asked that he part with an arm or leg.

“So then you wouldn’t do anything,” corrected his friend.

Sirius rolled his eyes, “Sometimes you can be a real-“

“Allow me to finish that sentence,” sneered a familiar voice. James and Sirius turned to see a familiar and unwelcome face, “What do you want Snivelly?”

“Your wit astounds me,” he responded, folding his arms.

Sirius noticed his relaxed pose and commented, “Feeling comfortable?”

“Well I happen to know for a fact that the two of you would get in big trouble from a certain duo of lovely witches should you feel compelled to attack me,” he teased.

“A trio of lovely witches,” amended James. Both Sirius and Severus stared at him and James continued, “Of course. It’s just like you to forget Nettie-“

“Why would Antoinette care what you idiots do?” he hissed.

“Because she’s our friend,” growled James, “obviously she means more to us than she does to you.”

“She’s dating me, isn’t she?” snapped Snape.

Sirius chuckled, “I can’t for the life of me figure out why.”

“Oh,” he spat, “that’s right. I keep forgetting that you still think there’s a chance for Antoinette and Potter. I hate to be the one to tell you this Black but-“

“That’s as unlikely as you and Lily Evans?” finished James.

Snape’s eyes narrowed, “I don’t know what you’re talking about Potter. We all know you’re the one who is falling all over yourself to get her to notice you. It’s pathetic actually. I guess money can’t buy everything.”

Sirius glared at him, “Money can’t buy everything…however, it can buy shampoo.”

James chuckled appreciatively and Snape sneered, “Typical Black. Always the same boring superficial insults.”

“Because criticizing James for being well off is really clever?” snapped Sirius.

Severus rolled his eyes, “When it comes down to it, we’ll see who’s truly clever.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” demanded James.

“Don’t you know?” snickered Snape, “and here I was thinking you were so well connected. Apparently, your connections leave a lot to be desired.” As he turned on heel, Sirius whispered, “He’s bluffing.”

“You’ll see,” called Severus as he walked away.

Sirius rolled his eyes, “Why didn’t we cast a full body bind and convince him to tell us what he knew?”

“Because you can bet word would’ve gotten back to the girls,” sighed James, “besides there are better ways than force to get information.” Suddenly, James changed directions and Sirius followed, “I thought we were going to find Moony and Wormtail so we could plan.”

“Later,” James told him, “right now we’re going to get some information.”

By the time the two of them reached the Owlery, Sirius was still clueless.

“Who are we owling?” he asked, “your uncle? Moody?”

“Kingsley,” answered James as though it were obvious, “he always tells us if we have any information to offer to let him know. Now, it’s his turn to return the favor.”

Sirius nodded, “I see where you’re going with this.” James scribbled a note to Kingsley and whistled to his owl, “Get this to Kingsley as quickly as you can.” The owl nodded and flew out the window.

“You think we should tell Al and the girls?” asked Sirius. James shook his head, “You know how they’ll react. They’ll accuse us of making it up to make him look bad.”

“Maybe,” his friend shrugged, “or maybe they won’t be able to argue with us now. If we tell them that we heard about this from Snape himself and they find out from Kingsley that we told him immediately after we found out they won’t be able to argue and they’ll see him for who he really is.”

James bit his lip, “I don’t know Padfoot. This could backfire…big time.”

“It’s your call mate,” decided Sirius, “you’ve got the most to lose.”

“How do you figure?” James wondered.

“Simple,” replied his friend, “You’re trying to get in good with Lily and get Toni to see reason if it doesn’t work, they’ll both be angry with you.”

“What about Ally?” he countered.

He shook his head, “Al and I are on solid ground. In time she’ll give up on him. I don’t know that we can say the same for Toni and Lily.”

After much debate, Sirius and James decided to keep what transpired with Severus to themselves and to focus on their prank which required them finding Remus and Peter.

*************

“He didn’t mean to upset you,” Ally attempted for the twelfth time, “you know he worries about you and he doesn’t trust Sev-“

“Which is ridiculous,” finished Lily, “I mean honestly who is he to judge?”

Alice, whose arms were wrapped around Toni, whispered to her friend, “What’s really wrong?”

Toni frowned, “You know I’ve been doubting Sev lately…when James says things like that it makes me wonder if he isn’t right. I mean he isn’t blinded by love like I am. He-”

“He’s blinded by hatred,” interrupted Lily angrily, “why are you letting Potter influence you?”

“I’m not,” Toni shot back, “but don’t you think we should consider the possibility that James is right?”

“Sev’s just going through something right now,” interrupted Lily angrily, glancing quickly in Ally’s direction, “he doesn’t know how to cope so he’s lashing out.”

Toni shook her head and stood up, “I have to talk to him. I can’t keep sitting her hoping that he’s not…”

“One of them?” Alice finished solemnly.

Alexis sighed and threw herself on her bed. She couldn’t help but think that what was going on with Severus was her fault.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Sorry, little Fitzgerald,” chuckled Sirius Black as he bumped into her in the Charms section of the library.

“It’s no problem,” Rose muttered as she continued searching for the book Professor Flitwick had recommended. She felt that he was still standing there and she turned, “Something else?”

He smirked slightly, “You remind be of your oldest brother when you make that face.”

She rolled her eyes, “Gee thanks. Anything else?” He reached over her head and plucked a book from the shelf, “I think this might help.” She looked down and saw that he had found the book she had been searching for, “I hate being short,” she groaned in response. He smiled and she added, “Thank you.”

“No problem kiddo,” he assured her as he walked back to his friends.

She rolled her eyes and went to find an abandoned corner. Sirius Black may have been good looking but she was willing to bet that he wasn’t as wonderful as her brother but that was Alexis Prince’s loss. Besides, she liked Jane…come to that she liked Ally too…She shook her head and returned to her studying.

“If you four don’t keep it down, you’ll have to go,” she heard the librarian threaten. She rolled her eyes and decided to take her learning back to her dormitory. No one ever got anything done with the Marauders around.

She headed out of the library and towards the Gryffindor common room. She attempted to read the book as she walked and stumbled into someone.

“Sorry,” she groaned, putting the book back into her bag. She looked up and saw a very familiar face…except that it couldn’t be…

“Anyone ever tell you, you look like Sirius Black?” she asked.

Regulus smiled, “Every day since the day I was born…there’s a good reason for it though,” he added, “I’m his brother Regulus,” he offered a hand and she smiled, “Rose, Rose Fitzgerald.”

“Ah,” he nodded, “sister of Connor and Ian Fitzgerald.”

She shook her head, “My reputation precedes me I see.”

“Believe me,” he shrugged, “I know the feeling.”

“Well, well,” grunted Walden Macnair, “look what we have here. A little Gryffindor all alone…”

He and his friend Mulciber exchanged a look and Rose took a step back, “Come on, guys,” interrupted Regulus, stepping in front of her, “she’s just a first year.”

“Age doesn’t matter,” reminded another voice as Severus Snape made his presence known, “given the circumstance-“

“She’s pureblood,” interrupted Regulus, “I thought we didn’t-“

“We don’t,” admitted Severus, “not really…but I think the Gryffindors need to be taught a little lesson.”

“And what would that be?” pressed Regulus.

“That no one’s safe,” added Macnair, “Out of the way, Regulus,”

“Come on guys are you really going to curse a first year?” he asked, attempting to make the whole situation sound as stupid as it was.

“No,” interrupted a familiar, and for Regulus welcome, voice, “they’re not.” Regulus knew his brother wasn’t alone and he turned to make sure. As usual, he was accompanied by James Potter, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew.

“Please walk Rose back to Gryffindor tower Reggie,” instructed Sirius.

Regulus grabbed Rose’s hand and took a couple of steps before Severus Snape sneered, “I’m sure you just followed your brother’s instruction out of habit, Regulus, you do remember your cousin’s instructions don’t you?”

“Cissa isn’t going to say anything,” growled Sirius, struggling to control his temper.

“Not that cousin,” Snape responded in a condescending tone. This was more than Sirius could take. He stepped forward, but spoke to his brother, “Go Reg. Don’t worry about this.” Following his brother’s instruction, Regulus pulled Rose into the direction of Gryffindor tower.

“Threaten my little brother again Snape and I won’t be responsible for what happens to you,” Sirius promised.

“I’m not sure what you’re talking about,” drawled Severus, “your brother chose to protect himself by following your cousin’s orders. It’s a pity others don’t have his gift for self preservation. Regulus will be safe now because he’s made the right decision. It’s a pity Alexis won’t.”

“Are you threatening her?” demanded James, stepping forward. Remus and Peter exchanged a look of understanding and Remus stepped towards Sirius while Peter inched towards James

“I would never do anything to hurt her,” he spat, “can either of you say the same? We all know how your family feels about her Black. If they find out the consequences will be dire…”

Sirius raised his wand but James put his hand around his best friend’s wrist and turned to Severus, “Do you think she’ll be safe with Voldemort? He wants to marry her. Did you know that?”

James could’ve sworn he saw a flicker of fear in his enemy’s eyes but he quickly covered, “I am not privy to the Dark Lord’s plans, nor have I had the pleasure of meeting him, but I have a feeling that if he wants Alexis, he won’t hurt her.”

“And you’re okay with that?” shouted James, “you’re okay with a certifiable megalomaniac using our cousin as a pawn?”

Severus rolled his eyes, “It’s not my choice.”

“It is,” countered James, “you can choose to protect her.”

“That’s not my responsibility,” he spat, “it’s yours now. A fact I’m sure pleases you to no end…”

“So you’re just going to abandon her,” pressed James.

“She made her choice,” he shrugged.

“And have you made yours Sev?” asked a disbelieving voice. The group turned and Toni walked out of a dark entryway, “And don’t bother telling me that I don’t know what I heard. James, Sirius, Peter, Rem, you should head back to the common room before you get yourselves into trouble.” Remus and Peter nodded while Sirius and James shook their heads adamantly.

“No way are we living you alone with this idiot,” James told her, gesturing towards Severus for dramatic effect.

“Ally would kill me,” agreed Sirius.

Toni smiled slightly but stood her ground, “Ally knows where I am. The three of you don’t need another detention and Remus is a prefect. Go back to the common room. I’ll be fine.”

Sirius sighed but after exchanging a look with Remus he agreed. James walked towards her and whispered, “Are you sure?”

“Yes, James,” she nodded, “I’m sure.”

After casting a warning glance at Severus, James walked away following his friends.

“Go back to the common room,” instructed Snape and Macnair and Mulciber obeyed.

They stood in silence for a moment before Toni looked at him, “Are you even going to try and explain?”

“Hardly seems worth it,” he shrugged, “it looks as though you’ve already made up your mind.”

“Can you blame me?” she demanded, “the secret chat with Peter that I know you lied about so don’t even bother trying to lie to me again…reporting back to Bellatrix and we all know who she reports to…and don’t think I haven’t noticed the kind of company you surround yourself with.”

“You’ve already decided,” he surmised.

She stared at him, “I want you to tell me that I’m wrong…that I don’t understand…that you have to do all this, not that you want to…explain this to me Sev. Tell me that you love me and that you’ll stop all this. Promise me that you’re not going to become one of them.”

“Look, I’m doing what I have to do to survive Slytherin,” he sighed.

She glared at him and crossed her arms, “You’re going to have to do a lot better than that. Bellatrix and Voldemort have nothing to do with Slytherin House.”

“You really shouldn’t say his name you know,” he commented.

She ignored him and continued, “Are you going to explain why you’re working for him or not?”

“Look,” he snapped, “life outside these walls is exactly the same as life within the castle…except we’re safer here. When we get out of here things will be worse. If surviving out there means keeping connections with less than desirable company, then that’s what I’ll do.”

“So it’s all about staying safe when you’re outside these walls?” she pressed, “don’t you think you can wait for that?”

“No,” he countered, “I need to protect myself…and…”

“And what?” she wondered.

He sighed, “And maybe if I get in good with these people, maybe I can protect you…and Lily…and even Alexis…because the time will come when you’ll all be in danger and I want to be able to protect you from that.”

She eyed him curiously, “What do you mean? ‘The time will come when we’re all in danger’? Do you know something?”

“I know that hanging out with Potter and Black is only going to get you in trouble,” he hissed, “and Ally’s in enough danger as is. I can’t for the life of me understand why she’s willing to risk her life to be with him,” She opened her mouth to respond but he continued, “And please don’t tell me she loves him, I may vomit.”

Toni rolled her eyes, “Fine. I understand that you want to protect us but this is really dangerous-“

“I know,” he admitted, “but I can’t sit idly by while you, Lily and Ally are in danger.” Toni sighed, “Just promise me something?”

“Anything,” he agreed, stepping towards her.

“Promise me that you don’t believe the lies they’re spouting,” she asked, “and that you’ll never-“

“I promise,” he interrupted, “I know they’re wrong.” Toni exhaled deeply as he wrapped his arms around her. For the moment at least, things appeared to be back on track.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Get out of the way Al!” demanded Ian Fitzgerald as Alexis tried to keep him from storming out of the Gryffindor common room. She put her hands on either side of the portrait hole and stood her ground, “No Ian. Rose is fine. Nothing happened. She’s safe. You’re just going to get in trouble. If you fight, you’ll get a detention…you might miss practice…”

“I don’t give a-,” Alexis gave him a warning look and he edited himself, “I’m not worried about quidditch, not when a gang of death eater wannabes is trying hurt my little sister.”

“Look, I understand your frustration believe me, I do,” she assured him,”but-“

Before she could finish, the portrait hole opened and Sirius, James, Remus and Peter attempted to enter.

“Princess,” Sirius whispered, “is there a reason you’re not allowing people to enter the common room?”

“It’s not a matter of keeping people out,” she amended, “it’s a matter of keeping people in.”

“Look,” Regulus piped up, “I should really be going. I mean, I shouldn’t be here.”

“You’ll stay,” snapped Ian without moving his gaze from Ally. Out of the corner of her eye, Ally saw Rose take Regulus hand and whisper something to him.

“Why isn’t my brother allowed to leave?” demanded Sirius, cracking his knuckles threateningly.

“We’re keeping him away from those idiots and we’re waiting for Jane to bring Connor back so your brother and my sister can explain exactly what happened,” explained Ian.

“Al,” James piped up, “if we’re waiting for people to come in, perhaps you ought to move.” Alexis nodded and grabbed Ian by the shoulders and pushed him towards the nearest chair, “Stay.”

“Good Ian,” joked Connor as he made his way into the room. Jane took him to the nearest couch and sat him down.

“What’s going on?” he asked, noticing the demeanor of those around him. Alexis glanced at Remus and James and they took her post in front of the door.

“Alright,” began Alexis, “Rose and Reg are going to tell you what happened-“

“And if you have any questions,” piped up Sirius, “we’ll fill in the blanks.”

Alexis looked up at him and he shrugged, “We were there.”

“Fan-freakin-tastic,” she muttered. He smiled and put an arm around her, “Don’t worry Al. Toni stepped in before anything could happen.”

She exhaled, “Remind me to thank her for that.”

“I repeat,” piped up Connor, “what’s going on?”

Rose sat down on the floor between her brothers and began talking, “I was leaving the library when I ran into Regulus. We started talking and then Severus Snape and his henchmen showed up and they started talking about how I was a lonely little Gryffindor and how the Gryffindors needed to be taught that no one is safe-“

“Did he say what Gryffindors?” asked Ally suddenly.

Rose shook her head, “No just ‘Gryffindors’-“

“I think we all know what Gryffindors he was talking about,” growled Connor while looking in Regulus’ direction, “I find it quite the coincidence that my sister runs into you and then this happens-“

“Watch it Connor,” warned Ally as Sirius made a motion towards him and she stepped between them. She took her boyfriend's hands and wrapped them around her, making it hard for him to reach for his wand.

“Ally’s right Connor,” Rose said as she looked from her brother to Regulus, “Reg stepped in and tried to stop them…then the Marauders showed up and Sirius told Regulus to bring me back here.”

Connor and Ian looked from their sister to each other. Then they stood up and Connor walked over to Sirius while Ian walked over to Regulus. Alexis looked up at Connor and shot him a warning look before stepping out of the way.

“Thank you,” Connor managed to which Sirius shook his head, “No thanks necessary.” Connor offered his hand and Sirius shook it.

Ian smiled, “Thank you Regulus,” He offered the younger Black his hand as well which Regulus shook, “You don’t have to thank me either. I’m just glad I was there.”

Jane walked over to where Alexis stood and asked, “Do you think this is a little too easy?”

Ally nodded, “Oh yes. What do you think we should do?”

“Well,” began Connor, “if the rest of you don’t mind I’d like to talk to my little brother in private,” he turned to Jane, “keep Rose inside will you?” The boys walked toward the door but neither James nor Remus moved.

“If you guys could-,” began Ian.

Alexis and Jane moved in front of James and Remus and Ally spoke, “They’re not going anywhere…”

“And neither are either of you,” finished Jane, “until you’ve calmed down.”

Connor frowned, “Jane, I’m not-“

“You’re not going to do anything because you are a prefect and you can’t run around hexing annoying prats,” she hissed.

“It’s true,” added Remus, his voice full of regret. Ally spared a glance at him and he smiled slightly, “It pops into my mind every once in awhile.”

She smirked before turning to Ian, “And let’s not forget Ava would kill you if you got in trouble, you know she wants to win her last year as captain…”

Ian looked slightly frightened at the idea of having Ava Finnigan on his case, “Connor, do you think maybe we should let this go? I mean nothing happened. Rosie’s okay…”

Alexis could tell Connor wasn’t going to let this go so she turned to him, “Ian is right. Nothing happened,” he opened his mouth to argue but she rose her hand to stop him, “but I know you, so I know you aren’t going to let this go. Need I remind you that Rose is safe? She shares a dormitory with five incredibly talented witches,” at this Connor smiled, “and she lives in the same tower as Ian and these four aren’t completely useless,” James and Remus rolled their eyes and Sirius chuckled, “Thanks darling.”

“What I’m saying,” she continued, “is that Rose is safe. We’ll keep an extra close eye on her but honestly, I’m willing to bet Sev and his idiotic co-conspirators saw the error of their ways. They won’t be going near Rose any time soon.”

“No they won’t,” assured Toni as the portrait hole opened, James pulled her through and she joined them, “I had a talk with Sev and he’s not going to do anything to Rose.”

“What about Mulciber and Macnair?” asked Regulus, “they’ve been getting gutsy lately…”

Toni shrugged, “I’m sure they’ll listen to Sev when he says she’s off limits.”

Connor frowned, “I take no comfort in that information but you’re right Al. Rose is safe here and-“

“We’ll all watch out for her,” finished Jane. Connor wrapped his arms around Jane and sighed, “Then I guess I can’t complain. You two win.” Jane and Alexis exchanged a look.

“Can I leave now?” asked Regulus, “no offense but being in the enemy common room isn’t going to score me any points.”

“Sure Reg,” decided Ally, “I’ll walk you back.” Regulus rolled his eyes but knew better than to argue with her. Sirius hugged his brother, then kissed his girlfriend on the cheek. After the two of them left, Sirius turned to the room at large, “Does anyone else get the feeling that she runs the show?”

Everyone laughed before Rose piped up, “She does, doesn’t she?”


Questions, Comments and suggestions go here!

[MarauderGrl]

Okay, so once again this chapter took a life of its own. I'm afraid it's frightfully long. I really hope it makes sense and flows properly...It did to me but that might be because I read over it 437539845793475 times. You guys will be proud: I FINALLY got quidditch into the post! You have no idea how hard it was so I hope you enjoy...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

As Alexis and Regulus made their way to the Slytherin common room, she took the opportunity to be the protective sister he obviously needed.

“You have to be careful with the other Slytherins,” she reminded him, “I mean I love that you helped Rose but the fact that Mulciber and Macnair saw you isn’t exactly comforting. What if word gets back to Bellatrix?”

“It won’t,” an unfamiliar female voice assured from behind them. Alexis jumped, spun around and instinctively pushed Regulus behind her while simultaneously raising her wand.

“Very impressive,” complimented Narcissa Black as she smirked slightly. Alexis couldn’t help but notice that Narcissa’s smirk reminded her of Sirius smirk, the one she loved.

“It’s okay, Al,” Regulus assured her, wrapping his hand around her wrist and lowering her wand arm, “Cissa doesn’t mean any harm.”

“So I’ve heard,” she frowned, clearly uncomfortable with the older girl's presence.

Narcissa frowned, “You don’t trust me, do you?”

“No,” Alexis answered, as she continued towards the Slytherin common room, placing herself between Regulus and Narcissa.

“I’m not going to curse him you know,” the blonde joked.

Alexis arched an eyebrow, “The Brothers Black haven’t had the best luck with their cousins. I wouldn’t dream of allowing Reggie to find himself in that situation.”

Regulus stared at her, “Ally, that wasn’t very nice. Cissa’s not like Trix.”

“It’s okay Regulus,” his cousin interrupted, “I know why my immediate family is such a sore spot for her. I’m sorry Prince.” Alexis frowned, unable to tell if the apology was genuine.

“What do you have to apologize for?” asked Reg, “Ally knows why Trix did what she did.”

“What I’m talking about has nothing to do with Trix,” she told him.

Before the situation could get any more uncomfortable, Alexis paused, “It’s obvious Reggie trusts you, so I’m going to ask you to look after him. Mulciber and Macnair…,” she sighed, “and possibly my cousin are going to bit slightly put out with him for stepping in and stopping them from being complete idiots.”

Alexis hugged Regulus and ruffled his hair before nodding to Narcissa and heading back to her common room.

“What did you mean?” asked Regulus once he was sure Ally was out of earshot, “Why would Ally have a particular aversion to Uncle Cygnus and Aunt Druella?”

Narcissa shook her head and kept walking, not particularly fond of the idea of destroying her youngest cousin's innocence.

“Is this about the lady they killed?” he asked quietly. Narcissa froze, “How do you know about that?”

He frowned, “I overheard my parents talking about it. Did Ally know the old lady?

“You could say that,” sighed Narcissa, knowing that her cousin wasn't going to let this go any time soon, “the woman was Alexandria Potter, Alexis’ grandmother and James Potter’s aunt.

It was Regulus’ turn to freeze, “Does James know?”

“I don’t know,” shrugged Narcissa, “but I know Alexis does. Trix told her.”

Regulus stared at his older cousin, “If she knows, how could she…how could she be with Sirius? How could she be nice to me?”

“Alexis knows both of you well enough to know that you would never have anything to do with that,” she whispered, “and she loves him.”

“She really does,” he nodded, obviously confused by the idea of loving someone whose family had done so much to hurt yours.

Narcissa smiled, “She loves you too, doesn’t she?”

Regulus looked at her, smiling slightly, “So she says…and you know what? I’m starting to believe her.”

~*~*~*~**~*~*~

“Fitzgerald!” shouted Ava, “Get your head in the game!”

Alexis shook her head and flew towards her friend, “Ian, she’s fine. She’s at the library surrounded by an entourage of people. All you need to worry about is Ava killing you if you play poorly against Ravenclaw.”

“Thanks Al,” he frowned, “now I feel so much better.”

“Anytime,” she smiled as she made her way back to her position before Ava could get on her case.

After another hour and a half of practice, the team made their way to the locker room.

“I’m exhausted,” whined Toni, “there’s no way I’m going to make it back to the castle.”

James rolled his eyes and leaned down, “Climb aboard Nettie.”

Alexis turned, shocked at her cousin’s offer and even more shocked at her friend’s acceptance. The three of them headed back to the castle followed by Ava and Ian, the former lecturing the latter on the importance of being focused. Alexis stood back, observing how naturally her cousin and friend interacted. They make so much sense, she thought before shaking her head. All that time I’ve been spending with Sirius is getting to me. The three of them had almost made it to Gryffindor tower when they heard an argument coming from the opposite direction. They followed the noise and Alexis was surprised that the shouting was coming from such a small person.

“Hey Rose,” she said, loudly, as the three joined a rather large group of people. For a moment, everyone stared silently and Ally couldn’t figure out why until she turned and saw that Toni was still on James’ back. She rolled her eyes and grabbed Rose’s hand, leaving her cousin and friend to fend for themselves.

After they turned the corner that would lead them to Gryffindor Tower, Alexis let go of Rose’s hand and turned to her young friend, “Care to tell me what made you so upset?”

Rose frowned, “I know everyone is just trying to look out for me but honestly, I’ve never been more annoyed in my life.”

“Because they’re crowding you and hovering and treating you as though you’re incapable of looking out for yourself,” the older girl recited.

Rose noticed the understanding look on her face, “Why do I have the feeling that you know exactly what I’m talking about?”

Alexis smiled slightly, “Follow me.” Rose followed as Ally led her to the fifth year dormitory. After casting an impenetrable charm on the door, the older girl rummaged through her trunk and tossed the younger girl a chocolate frog.

“I’m an only child,” she began, “and my mother was an only child. My closest blood relatives are my cousins, both boys. I have a grandfather, an aunt, an uncle, two cousins and my parents…I’m the only girl. Believe me when I say I understand completely how you’re feeling.”

“The card is Dumbledore, do you want it?" Rose asked as she absentmindedly folded the foil wrapping her chocolate frog came in.

Alexis shook her head and the younger girl suddenly said, "Your father is Ethan Prince right?"

“And my godfather is Alastor Moody,” Ally added.

Rose looked up, “The two most famous active aurors are your father and godfather?” She nodded and Rose sighed, “Well, now I know why Dad was so hard on Connor when you didn’t work out. I thought it was the Potter family connection, your Uncle being so wealthy and connected.”

Alexis arched an eyebrow,remembering her interaction with Mr. Fitzgerald, “Your Dad really was pushing Connor to date me wasn’t he?”

Rose rolled her eyes, “Our Dad thinks a lot of his children and he thinks he knows what’s best. He has a really elitist attitude. I couldn’t believe the way he talked about Toni’s parents. Like being Editor in Chief of the Daily Prophet and a top Ministry official are connections to scoff at…”

Did Connor really like me? Ally couldn’t help but wonder.

“He did like you, you know,” Rose told her, as though she could tell what the older girl was thinking, “A lot…the fact that Dad approved was just icing on the cake.”

“So Connor wanted to please your Dad?” wondered Alexis, the idea that the Fitzgerald dad wanted to use her for her connections causing her to dispise him more than she had before.

Rose grinned, as though what Ally had been thinking had shown on her face, “Not really. He hasn’t told Dad about Jane yet because he’s afraid to tell him she’s muggleborn and doesn’t really have any connections in our world.”

“What does your Mum think?” asked Alexis, vaguely recalling that she hadn’t heard much about Mrs. Fitzgerald.

Rose smiled, “Mum knows. She’s supportive. She’s a strong believer in marrying for love.”

“Have you ever noticed that it’s usually moms who are the supportive ones when it comes to relationships?” wondered Alexis, thinking of her situation.

The young girl frowned and Alexis continued, “Anyhow, I’m sorry that they’ve been so intense about this. I’ll talk to them and get them to dial it down a bit.”

Rose nodded, “Thanks Ally.”

The older girl watched and noticed that her young friend's sense of relief seemed to be momentary. Now she appeared preoccupied again.

“Is there anything else I can help with Rose?” she asked, avoiding eye contact so as to make the girl more comfortable.

“Well…,” she paused, biting her lip, “I’m not sure you’re the person to ask for this favor…maybe I should go to Jane.”

Alexis smiled, “If it’s a matter of convincing Connor and Ian to do something…I might be able to help. I do still have some pull with them.”

“What would I need help convincing Connor and Ian about?” she countered, eyes narrowing suspiciously.

“Oh, I don’t know,” she shrugged, “you might need help convincing them to let you be friends with whomever you want.”

The girls stared at each other for a moment before Rose caved, “You know the more I think about it, the more I realize you are the right person to talk to about this. I mean it couldn’t have been easy to convince your parents to approve of you and Sirius. The Black Family reputation is pretty well known.”

“You have no idea,” muttered Alexis, blowing her bangs out of her face.

“But you convinced them eventually didn’t you?” pressed the girl.

“I’m not going to lie and say that my family loves the fact that I’m with Sirius. I mean my Mum adores him but that’s because she’s my mum and she sees how happy he makes me and my Grandfather is pretty supportive as are my Aunt and Uncle, James’ parents. My dad isn’t really his number one fan but I think that has more to do with the fact that I’m his only child. My godfather tries…and even though everyone assumes James is supportive, he has his moments where he goes into big brother mode and reacts negatively…it’s usually when Sirius and I get too close for his comfort though.”

“Yes but your family knows what the Blacks are like,” repeated Rose, “and they still try to support your relationship, right?”

Alexis shifted uncomfortably knowing that there was still one major thing that her family didn’t know about the Blacks, “They try but that’s mostly because they realize that Sirius isn’t like the rest of his family.”

“Neither is Regulus,” she added, suddenly defensive.

Ally smiled slightly, vaguely recalling herself having a similar reaction during a discussion with her father about Sirius, “I know that. Hypothetically, let’s say you and I try to convince your brothers to stay off your case and let you be friends with Regulus. What are the major issues that we’re going to have to deal with?”

It was Rose’s turn to look uncomfortable but a fierce determination showed in her blue eyes, a determination that Alexis had seen on the faces of both of her brothers and realized that the girl was steeling herself for a battle. Rose sighed, “Maybe if I tell you what happened you’ll understand why Connor and Ian dislike the Blacks…well, I think Sirius and Reg may have gotten on their good side but in general…”

“What is it?” asked Ally, sitting down next to her. She always had a morbid need to know what the Black family had done or was doing...

“Our mother,” she began, “our mother is a Black...kind of.”

Whatever Alexis had been expecting to hear, this wasn’t it, “Come again?”

“Our great great grandmother was Isla Black,” Rose explained, “She was disowned when she married our great great grandfather Bob Hitchens who was a muggle.”

Alexis stared at her, “So technically you and your brothers are Blacks?”

“Genetically, yes,” she admitted, “but not really. After all, there’s no such thing as a half blood Black. My mum decided long ago that she didn’t care about not being recognized by them but Dad has this strange obsession with trying to make the Fitzgerald name just as prominent as the Black name but without the negative connotation. It’s like he’s constantly trying to make up for the prestige and wealth that Mum lost when Isla Black Hitchens strayed from the Black family way of doing things.”

“But,” interrupted Ally, “that doesn’t make sense. If she rejected all that the Blacks stood for, why would your dad be so convinced that she would want the prestige and the money?”

“I think he believes that if he gives her the best of everything then he can make up for what she’s lost and give her the wealth and privilege she deserves. As much as most people, Sirius included, would probably love to deny it, there are a lot of benefits to being a Black.”

“If you’re willing to follow the path that’s been laid out for you and not deviate from the norm or be your own person,” spat Ally angrily.

Rose’s eyes widened and she immediately began to apologize, “Oh Ally I’m sorry. I didn’t think about how this subject would make you feel.”

Alexis rose a hand, “Do not apologize Rose. Sirius made the decision not to be a Black a long time ago. He is his own person and that person is who I love. His last name is completely moot.” Rose nodded and Alexis took a moment to take in what she had heard.

“Did you ever meet your great great grandmother?” she asked.

Bewildered, Rose answered, “No.”

“Did your mother ever tell you stories about her?” she continued.

“Yes,” the youngest Fitzgerald replied. After a moment, she realized where this was line of questioning was heading, “You think we can use that to our advantage?”

“Absolutely,” agreed Alexis, proud that the girl had caught on so quickly, “but we’ll need some help from Jane…and when you get the chance, your mum. I bet she’d be willing to back you up and convince your brothers to stop being such prats.”

Rose giggled and embraced her tightly, “Thank you Ally. You have no idea how much better this conversation has made me feel.”

Alexis smiled, hugging her back, “Anytime, kid. Anytime.” When they reached the common room, Alexis was not surprised in the least to see her friends and both Fitzgeralds brothers waiting for them. Rose looked up at her and Ally nodded, “Toni, do you think you could walk Rose back to the library?” Toni nodded and Rose followed, mouthing ‘thank you’ to Alexis as she left.

“Alright, boys and girls we need to have a little chat,” she decided as she sat down on the couch between Remus and Sirius, “Rose really appreciates the fact that you’re all looking out for her. However, she would also like to ask that perhaps, her entourage could be limited to one person at a time, maybe two tops. I told her I’d talk to you all because I’ve been in her position more times than I’d like to admit.”

Connor frowned, “If being followed by a large group of people is the only way to protect her, then so be it. She’ll thank us later.”

“Do you really think she’ll be attacked if she’s with just Toni or just me?” she asked, leaning forward. Connor scooted towards the edge of his chair and countered, “That’s a risk I’m not willing to take.”

“Come on Connor,” she pleaded, “you’re just going to create resentment and she’s going to rebel. Do you really think she wouldn’t be able to find away to get around these entourages? If you keep this up, she’s not going to agree with this and she’ll find a way around it which will put her in even more danger.”

“Believe her,” intervened James from his seat on the floor, “she would know.”

Alexis rolled her eyes and continued staring at Connor who seemed to be considering what she had said. He frowned, “You do have a point. Rosie doesn’t like to be told what to do…she could rebel. He turned to Ian who nodded and added, “And knowing Rose, she would. Al, promise us that you’ll always have someone with her-“

“Someone we approve of,” interrupted Connor.

She rolled her eyes, “I’m supposed to talk to you two about that as well, but for now let’s keep ourselves focused. I will take personal responsibility for Rose’s protection. She’ll never be alone and it would go a long way to help me out if next time you’re with the other prefects you could mention that the suspicious Slytherins have taken a special interest in her. Then we’ll have more eyes on her. Hopefully, all that extra protection will convince them to focus their attention elsewhere. Deal?” she added to the group at large. Jane, Lily, Alice, Peter, Remus and James agreed. Alexis was surprised that Sirius hadn’t answered but expected that Ian and Connor would be the hardest sells.

“Remus,” Lily piped up, “our patrol starts in a couple of minutes.” Remus nodded and he and Lily walked towards the portrait hole before Lily turned, “Hey Al?”

“Yes?” she called back, arching an eyebrow.

Lily smiled, a rare sincere smile, “Good luck.”

“Thanks Lil,” she laughed as she waved goodbye to Remus and Lily.

“Well, I’m supposed to meet Frank on the grounds,” admitted Alice, “so I’ll just be taking my leave.” She grabbed her bag and headed out the portrait hole.

“You know,” James began, “we’ve been promising Hagrid that we’d visit him and today’s as good a day as any. What do you say, Wormtail? Padfoot?”

Peter nodded but Sirius crossed his arms, “You two go on without me.”

“Oh come on Padfoot,” pressured James, “it’s not like anything is going to happen-“ He stopped himself after a look from Sirius and Alexis made a mental note to find out what that was about. James stood up and Peter followed suit, “Are you sure you don’t want to come with?” the latter attempted again. Sirius shook his head and the boys headed out.

Jane sat on the arm of Connor’s chair and Connor pulled her legs onto his lap, while leaning back and preparing for the rest of the conversation. Ian had taken up residence on the floor, propping his legs up on the table that Ally was sitting on. Sirius stuck with his seat on the couch, putting his feet on the other side of her.

“So Rose asked me for a favor and I told her I’d try,” she began.

Connor immediately interrupted, “If this is about the little Black, then stop right there.”

“What’s wrong with my brother?” demanded Sirius, leaning forward.

“He’s bad news,” supplied Ian, “no offense Black. You know I like you well enough but you’re a Gryffindor which means you might be different. Your little brother seems to be following in the steps of the rest of your family and I’m not going to let Rosie get caught up in that.”

“They just want to be friends,” snapped Ally, “honestly, it’s not like I’m trying to marry them off!”

Jane nodded and placed a hand on Connor’s shoulder, “Ally has a point. They’re young and neither of them have a lot of friends. Would you really want to deny Rose a good friend when she has so few?”

“This is about the family isn’t it?” asked Sirius suddenly.

“Of course it is,” hissed Connor, “where have you been?”

“I mean it’s about more than just your fear that Reggie is a ‘typical’ Black,” he whispered before taking in the empty common room and continuing, “this is about Isla, isn’t it?”

Alexis’s head snapped to the direction of her boyfriend, “You know?”

“Of course,” he sighed, rolling his eyes.

“Any reason you didn’t tell me?” she demanded, crossing her arms.

He shook his head, “The family’s dirty laundry doesn’t exactly make for fun conversation.”

Attempting to avoid a fight, Alexis shifted the focus back to Rose and Regulus, “So what’s the problem? Do you not like them for denying your mother her birthright?”

“It’s not about the money or prestige,” Connor answered defensively.

“And it isn’t about being like our father either,” finished Ian, “it’s about protecting Rose. The Black family has already wronged us. Is it really so illogical that we would want to protect Rosie from having the same thing happen again?”

“Regulus isn’t like the rest of them,” Alexis hissed, pushing her hair out of her face.

“You wouldn’t understand,” countered Connor, “the Black family has never directly done your family harm.” Alexis and Sirius exchanged a look that didn’t go unnoticed.

“What was that about?” demanded Ian.

“My family has lost something more important than money because of the Blacks,” she answered, while moving from the table to a space on the floor in front of Sirius. She wrapped an arm around his leg and continued, “But I would NEVER fault Sirius or Regulus for the actions of other Blacks, and neither should you. Your mother doesn’t.”

“Exactly what did Rosie tell you?” asked Connor, obviously curious.

“She told me enough,” shrugged Alexis, “the point is Rose and Regulus have become friends and you cannot stop her. You can try which would no doubt create animosity between yourselves and your little sister or you can accept that young though she may be, it’s her life and she’ll do whatever she wants with it.”

“You give our little sister an awful lot of credit,” commented Ian, “what makes you so sure she won’t just accept our advice and leave him alone?”

Alexis smiled, “Because whether you want to admit it or not, Rose is more like the both of you than you know. I’ve seen how determined she is…and well…”

“If your admonishments do anything,” Jane added, “they’ll only make Regulus more appealing.”

“Precisely,” nodded Ally, “I can list countless movies, books, and stories, both muggle and wizarding, that attest to this fact.”

Connor and Ian exchanged a look then Ian turned to Ally, “We’ll think about it, okay?”

“I’ll settle for that,” she smirked, before adding, “for now anyway.” She stood up and grabbed Sirius’s hand, pulling him towards the boys’ dormitory. When they finally made it to the fifth floor, she pushed him in and locked the door behind them.

“This could either be very good or very bad,” observed Sirius, as he lay down on his bed. Alexis sat cross-legged on the foot of the bed and he sighed, “Very bad.”

“How come you never told me about the Fitzgeralds being Blacks?” she asked, her voice strained as she attempted to stay calm.

“Well technically they’re not,” he shrugged, “and not only that but they’ve managed to create a reputation of one of the most anti Black families in the wizarding world. How do you think it would look if word got out that they were Blacks? I know how it is for people to look at you a certain way after they hear the family name.”

“You could’ve told me,” she repeated stubbornly, crossing her arms.

He rolled his eyes, “Come on Al. Do you tell me everything? Besides when would I have told you? When you were snogging Fitzgerald? That would’ve made for a lovely conversation. ‘Hey, I know you’re comparing and contrasting Fitzgerald and I so I thought I’d give you yet another reason to loathe me and like him. My family, in a step of pureblood elitism on the grandest of scales, disowned his great great grandmother because she married a muggle.’ Yes, that would’ve worked beautifully.”

She couldn’t help but smile, “You don’t have to be a prat about it,” she scolded, swatting his leg.

“Besides,” he continued, “as disturbing as it is to think about most pureblood families are distantly related in some way.”

“Then why is it your family keeps marrying within the same ones?” she smarted.

He rolled his eyes and reached forward, grabbing her hand and pulling her towards him, “Yes, well fortunately I’ve already begun bunking tradition. Otherwise, I’d be-“

“Be what?” she pressed, wrapping her arms around him.

He shook his head, “Oh no. No way am I telling you.”

“I thought you didn’t know who they were attempting to marry you to,” she shrieked, sitting up, “who is it? Does she go here?”

“I’m not telling you,” he responded in a sing song voice.

She grinned evilly, “Oh, I’m willing to bet I can change that.” She began kissing him softly on the neck and moving towards his lips.

He groaned, “Still not telling.”

She paused and leaned in, their faces inches apart, “Really? Still not telling?” She reached for the buttons on his shirt and he smirked, “Don’t start something you’re not willing to finish.”

“Oh I’m more than willing,” she assured him as she began unbuttoning his shirt. By the time she had unbuttoned and removed it, they had completely forgotten themselves…and it couldn’t have happened at a worse time.

“Hey Padfoot, why did you-“ began James loudly. He stopped and looked as though he’d been petrified.

“What’s going on?” asked Remus as he entered the room followed by Peter. Sirius reached for his shirt and began buttoning it as a disillusioned Ally started her attempt to make it past her cousin and his friends. Before she could make it more than two steps, James temporarily regained the use of his voice, “You may as well make yourself reappear Alexis. I heard you fall off the bed.” She continued her attempt to make it to the door. Unfortunately, Remus was blocking the doorway, “Ms. Prince, I suggest you make your presence known. As a prefect, it would be my responsibility to summon Professor McGonagall-“

“Oh alright Remus,” she snapped, lifting the disillusionment charm. She attempted to adjust her hair and shirt, “What?”

James stared but said nothing. Remus, however, felt compelled to speak, “In the future Al, do you think you could make sure that no one witnesses these exploits? I really don’t want to have to report you two.”

“I will try my best Rem,” she assured him, “I really ought to be going.” She turned to Sirius and mouthed ‘Later’ before heading out of the door. Sirius glanced at James, worried that he hadn’t managed to speak or move, “Prongs?”

“I have to leave,” he said suddenly avoiding eye contact with his friend. Peter looked at Remus who shook his head. Peter shrugged and lay down on his bed, drawing his curtains.

Sirius and Remus stood and let the awkwardness of the situation wash over them before Sirius finally spoke.

“It wasn’t what it looked like?” he offered lamely.

Remus chuckled, “You’re definitely going to want to try something better with Prongs.”

“It really wasn’t,” he continued, “she was trying to get me to share some information-“

His friend shrugged, “So did it work?”

“It would have,” he admitted, “if James hadn’t come in at that particular moment. Should I go talk to him?”

Remus shook his head, “Not unless you want him to punch you in the face,” he answered bluntly.

“Thanks for the honesty, Moony,” his friend laughed.

“Anytime Padfoot,” he assured him, with a clasp on the back.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Um,” coughed a voice, “is everything alright?” James turned, surprised to see Lily Evans leaning against the wall in the Owlery, staring intently at him.

“No,” he confessed, “thanks for asking.” He turned away, expecting her to leave so he could focus on getting that image out of his head.

“Do you need anything?” she asked, her voice full of sincerity.

“Not unless you’re willing to perform ‘obliviate’ on me,” he muttered.

She sat down next to him, “Trying to forget something?”

“Yes,” he replied shortly.

“Did you do something you regret?” she pressed.

“Sort of,” he admitted, “I gave Ally and Sirius my blessing.”

Lily stared at him, “Okay, I’ll bite. What happened?”

“You’ll bite?” he repeated, clearly confused.

She giggled, a sound James had never heard come from her, “It’s a figure of speech. Have you ever gone finishing?”

“Yes,” he nodded, still confused.

“Okay well you know how when you go fishing you use bait to lure the fish to you?” she explained.

“Yes,” he repeated, now it was her turn to look surprised and he elaborated, “my Dad wanted to try it the muggle way.”

“Well, when someone says ‘I’ll bite’ it means they’re taking the bait,” she elucidated, “you baited me by answering cryptically when I asked what was wrong.”

James smiled, “Makes sense. Well, I almost caught Ally and Sirius in a really compromising position-“

“Almost?” she repeated, smirking slightly.

“Well Ally was clever enough to jump off the bed and disillusion herself but it was pretty obvious what was going on,” he mumbled, “He was shirtless.”

Lily laughed, inadvertently reminding James how much he loved the sound, “You can’t be surprised. This is Sirius Black we’re talking about.”

“I know,” he sighed, “the problem is that his love for Ally seemed so pure…Honestly it never occurred to me that he might…”

“Put his hands on her,” she finished delicately.

“Exactly,” he nodded, “I also didn’t realize that catching them in that situation would cause me to want to punch my best friend in the face.”

“Well, as much as I would enjoy seeing that,” she confessed, “it’s probably for the best that you didn’t. You know it annoys Ally when you act like she can’t look after herself. She and Severus used to have the same problem,” she added before realizing what she had said, “I never said that.”

“Said what?” he wondered, already willing to go along with the act. She smiled, “Since you’ve been almost tolerable,” she decided, “let me give you a little advice. Ask Sirius and Alexis to keep it chaste around you. They’ll respect that. They both love you.”

He smiled, “You’re probably right Evans. Thanks.”

“No problem,” she told him, surprised that she meant it, “if only we could get along this well under normal circumstances.”

“We’re too different,” he shrugged, “or so I’ve heard.” She nodded, “Well, I’m going to head back to the common room. Ready to come with?”

“Thanks but I think I need another minute,” he sighed.

“Good luck,” she wished, “I’ll see you around Potter.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“How long has he been gone?” asked Alexis, joining Sirius in the armchair he was currently occupying.

“Since he caught us,” he frowned, “I really didn’t think he would get so upset. He’s been so supportive.”

“Sirius,” she smiled, laying her head against his chest and intertwining her fingers in his, “James does support us. The problem is seeing anyone, including his best friend, with their hands on his innocent baby cousin is bound to make him furious. He’s protective…ridiculously so. It’s actually one of the only things he and Sev have in common.”

Ignoring the comment about Snape, he sighed, “But he knows I wouldn’t hurt you. We’ve talked about my being with you more times than he probably cares to admit.”

“Yes,” she granted, “but hearing about your noble intentions and seeing the physical part of our relationship are two very different things.”

“Undoubtedly,” agreed Lily as she entered the room. Alexis turned and saw her friend with a bizarre look on her face, “What’s up Lils?”

She smiled, “Potter is coming back pretty soon. Maybe you don’t want to be in that position upon his return.”

Sirius and Alexis stared at her and she shrugged, “Suit yourselves.” She headed upstairs and Ally kissed Sirius quickly before hopping off his lap, “Just in case,” she added, as she made herself comfortable on the couch.

He nodded, “You think Evans actually talked to him?”

“It’s possible,” she shrugged, “Lily has a soft spot for people who find themselves in less than desirable situations. She likes to help.” He scratched his chin and she piped up, “Oh and don’t think that just because we were interrupted that I’m going to forget about what we were discussing.”

“I sincerely hope you don’t,” he smirked, “hopefully I’ll be able to distract you again.”

She snorted, “What makes you think you distracted me?”

“Oh, I vaguely recall you being unable to keep your hands off me,” he reminded, “made you forget all about your questions didn’t I?”

She rolled her eyes, “Please, I had you exactly where I wanted you.”

“I don’t doubt that for a second,” he responded smartly, “I can’t believe that Prongs thinks I’m corrupting his innocent baby cousin. If only he knew the truth…”

“Tell him,” she laughed, “I dare you.”

“Tell him what?” asked James as he joined them, taking a seat on the sofa, farther away from his cousin than she would like. Ally frowned and Sirius shook his head, “Are you alright?”

“Well, I did consider erasing my memory for a moment but Lily talked me out of it,” he joked.

Alexis arched an eyebrow, “Lily talked you out of it? Lily Evans?”

“One in the same,” he smirked, “but don’t try and change the subject. I have a favor to ask the two of you.”

“Name it,” they responded in unison.

James smiled, “I’m glad you’re offering. I really need the two of you to try and limit the public displays when I’m around.”

“We do,” Ally piped up, “and to be fair, what you walked in on…well technically, you weren’t around…and in our defense, the door was locked.”

“It took everything I had not to punch Sirius in the face when I walked in,” admitted James, slightly abashed.

“Why must everyone punch you in the face?” Ally asked her boyfriend, “Couldn’t they punch you in something slightly less important? Like the stomach?”

Before Sirius could respond, James continued, “Alright so maybe you set up some sort of system so I know when the two of you are going to be in there like that…or at least close the curtains so I don’t actually have to see anything. Then I can go on pretending the two of you are playing chess or something.”

“We will start using the curtains,” agreed Ally, moving towards him.

“And I’ll enchant them so they can only be opened from the inside so that your innocent eyes don’t witness anything too painful,” Sirius added.

James smiled, “Thanks for understanding. Lily was right.” Before he could get up, Ally grabbed him and hugged him. He shook his head and went towards the dormitory before Ally and Sirius turned to each other.

“Lily was right?” she repeated, dumbfounded.

“Looks like there might be hope for them yet,” he suggested, before kissing her on the forehead and following his friend.

“You still owe me an explanation,” she called before he got too far away.

“Good luck with that,” he called back. She rolled her eyes and decided to go upstairs. Going to bed early never hurt anyone and she’d had a long day.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

At breakfast the next morning, Ally felt as though she had missed something important by chatting with Rose the day before. To her surprise, James and Toni were sitting on either side of Peter, avoiding eye contact with one another. After trying desperately to catch either of their attention, she went with an easier method.

“Hey Rem,” she whispered, attempting to play it cool, “are you up for a visit to the library?”

Remus smirked slightly, “Can we actually get some studying done after we gossip?”

“Of course,” she answered, using her normal voice.

“Of course what?” asked Sirius, as he took a seat on her other side.

She kissed him on the cheek, “Remus and I are going to the library this morning to get some work done.”

“Is that your subtle way of telling me I’m not invited?” he asked, his face darkening. She frowned, “You can come if you like.”

“No thanks,” he mumbled, stabbing his food with more force than necessary. Ally made a motion at Remus and the two of them stood up.

“Bye?” Ally offered though it came out as more of a question than a statement. Their friends mumbled something incoherent and she shrugged, following Remus out of the Great Hall.

“What was that about?” demanded Sirius as soon as his girlfriend and good friend were out of earshot.

“They’re just friends,” Toni practically shouted, “honestly, it’s like no one around here can be friends with the opposite sex without everyone jumping down their throat!” She shook her head and stormed out of the Great Hall.

“Such a flair for the dramatic,” commented Alice, as she joined them.

“She made a fair point,” James snapped before turning to Sirius, “and you should remember that Ally and Toni are a lot alike. Keep up this jealous boyfriend routine and she’ll turn on you.” He stood up and started towards the door before Sirius stood up and called, “What do you mean ‘jealous’?” The two of them began snapping at each other as they headed out.

Alice exchanged a look with Lily who shrugged and turned to Peter, “Care to join us for some studying?”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“Okay Rem,” she began as she sat down, “Tell me everything.”

“About Toni and Prongs?” he reiterated.

She smirked, “Yes, for now just Toni and James.”

“Well,” he frowned, “you can imagine our surprise upon seeing them that way. The minute you left Toni hopped off his back but I guess she really was exhausted because she wasn’t able to stand properly so Prongs wrapped an arm around her waist. Well obviously Padfoot was over the moon so he immediately asked when Toni broke up with Snape. Well that didn’t go over too well with Toni or Lily. Toni completely lost her temper and started shouting at him about how he needed to mind his own business and Lily as usual sided with Sev and told Sirius where he could go…”

“But?” she pressed, knowing there had to be more to the story than that.

Remus shifted uneasily and Ally leaned forward, “Come on Rem. You know you can’t keep secrets from me…”

“Not for lack of trying,” he assured her, “well, for some reason unbeknownst to all of us, Lily felt compelled to admonish Toni for being so ‘comfortable’ with Prongs when she was dating Snape. She said something like ‘how is Sev supposed to feel when he sees you with James?’ and ‘He’s going through enough right now. He doesn’t need this too.’ Obviously, Toni did not take this well but then this morning, before you got there, they were chatting so I don’t know what Lily said between last night and this morning but whatever it was must’ve stuck with her.”

Alexis was sure she knew exactly why Lily reacted the way she did and she was even more sure she knew what Lily had said to make Toni feel guilty about her friendship with James.

“The whole situation is completely ridiculous,” she hissed, “why is it that people can’t see that members of the opposite sex can be friends without something dodgy happening? You and I are friends and nothing is going on other than friendship.”

Remus looked a little uncomfortable and mumbled something. Alexis frowned, “What was that?”

“I said ‘tell that to Padfoot’,” he repeated, looking downcast, “every time he sees us together he treats me like a leper. I wish he could just see that you love him and that I’m your friend and I’m his friend.” Alexis saw the toll this was taking on him and stood up suddenly, “I’m going to talk to them…both of them. This whole mess isn’t fair to anyone.”

“Ally,” he began in a warning tone, “you know how he gets-“

“Yes, I do,” she countered, “and he needs to get over it. I’m not going to feel guilty about being friends with you and I’m not going to let him take his insecurities out on you. It’s unfair. You’ve been nothing but great to both of us. It’s time he’s reminded of that.”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Okay, okay,” Sirius sighed, “I get it. You and Nettie are just friends. Can you blame me for hoping though? Honestly, like you’re a fan of Nettie and Snape…”

“You know I’m not,” James grunted, “but you’ve really got to stop being so vocal about your disdain for them. It’s not going to score you any points.” Sirius nodded and James felt obliged to continued, “You know what else isn’t doing you any favors?”

Sirius rolled his eyes, “Please enlighten me, Prongs.”

“If you keep acting like a jealous prat every time another guy looks at Al,” he finished bluntly.

“Thanks Prongs,” he huffed, “don’t spare my feelings.”

“I’m just trying to help,” his friend assured him.

“It’s not easy you know,” snapped Sirius, “I keep thinking that one day Ally’s going to wake up and realize that her life would be so much easier if she were with someone else.”

“Since when has Ally ever done anything because it was easy?” chuckled James.

“Easy is highly overrated,” she assured them as she appeared seemingly out of nowhere. She sat down in between her cousin and her boyfriend under the shade of the beech tree and sighed.

“What’s wrong?” asked James, taking in the worried look on her face. She inhaled deeply then exhaled while simultaneously laying her head against the base of the tree.

“First things first,” she began turning to her cousin, “Never, ever feel like you have to explain your friendship with Toni to ANYONE. There aren’t a lot of people in this world that Toni trusts but she does trust you.”

“Thank you,” he smiled, as though a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

She closed her eyes before continuing, “It’s true James. Toni counts you as one of her closest friends and I know you think of her the same way. To hell with what everyone else thinks.” Sirius and James exchanged a look of surprise as Alexis rarely swore. She pulled herself up, “Now then, I hate to ask but do you think you could give Sirius and me a moment.”

James made a face and she smirked, “It’s not like that. We just need to talk.” He nodded and headed off to the castle.

“If this is going to be a lecture,” he began preemptively, “please can we not do this now?”

She arched an eyebrow, “Why not?”

“Because,” he sighed, laying down on the grass, “James has already given me some advice and I think one lecture a day is all I can handle.”

In spite of the fact that she really wanted to give him a piece of her mind, she could tell by the preoccupied look on his face that he was already mulling over the advice James had given so he wasn’t likely to process hers as well. She also hated the idea of both she and James criticizing him in the span of one day.

“Alright,” she sighed, “you win.”

“Thanks Princess,” he moaned, before wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her towards him. She sighed contently and wrapped her arms around him. As usual, being this close to him immediately removed all of her stress.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Before they realized it, it was the weekend again and it was time for the final game before the Quidditch Cup.

“Are we ready to kick some-,” the Gryffindor quidditch captain looked over her shoulder to make sure the Head of House wasn’t behind her, “Ravenclaw a**?”

Alexis frowned, “Ava, darling, there are some impressionable ears in this room. Can we keep the swearing to a minimum?”

“Fine,” she shrugged, “the point is we have to destroy Ravenclaw. I’d love to go out like Noah…with my winning streak intact.”

“We’ll try out best,” assured James, running a hand through his hair as he often did when he was nervous…or attempting to impress someone.

“Alright,” Ava called, “let’s show ‘em how it’s done!” Ava headed out followed by Olivia and Nate. Toni, James and Ally followed suit with Ian bringing up the rear.

“Are you alright?” asked Alexis, “you’ve been really quiet…”

He shook his head, “Yeah, yes. I’m fine.”

“If this is about Rose, she’s fine,” she assured him. Before she could say anything else, Ava motioned them forward. They took their positions and Alexis almost fell off her broom. The Ravenclaw seeker was Alex, the redhead who was seeing Jack O’Malley and who had visited Sirius in the hospital.

I’m taking her down, thought Alexis as she smiled sarcastically at the girl, who smiled back, seemingly as eager to face off against her. Ava and the Ravenclaw captain, a tall blonde girl that Alexis thought looked vaguely familiar, shook hands and Madam Hooch blew the whistle. The game began and Alexis took her place in the air above the stands.

The Ravenclaw team seemed to anticipate every move the Gryffindors made and matters were only made worse by the fact that there was only one way to make this happen. Ally vaguely recalled the last time they had played Ravenclaw and hoped that Ava wouldn’t say…

“Butterfly!” the Captain shrieked, as she dodged a bludger. Alexis immediately turned her focus to James and Toni, watching their every move.

“Prince!!!” shrieked Ava Finnigan, “Focus!”

Alexis shook her head and nodded in Ava’s direction. She just had to focus on finding the snitch when the point margin got to the right place. Fifty point margin, she thought as she looked at the scoreboard and saw that there was a thirty point margin at the moment. She flew over to Nate and whispered, “Hey. You mind if I give that a shot?”

He stared at her, clearly confused and she smiled, “Butterfly?”

He shrugged and handed over his beater’s club just as Olivia shot a bludger her way. She moved her arm back, steadied her aim and shot the bludger in the direction of the other seeker. She heard a ‘thud’ as contact was made and she watched with satisfaction as Alex was knocked off her broom. As she attempted to get back on, Alexis smirked and handed Nate back the bat, “That made my week. Thanks Nate.”

Alexis looked at the scoreboard pleased to see that during her exploit either James, Toni or Ava had scored. The margin was now at fifty points. After mistakenly catching glints of hairclips from the Slytherin section, which probably wasn’t an accident, she spotted the snitch hovering over the Ravenclaw keeper. She sped in the direction of the goal, casting a quick glance behind her for Alex. She didn’t see her competition anywhere. As she sped confidently in the direction of the snitch she heard Toni shout, “Look out Al!” Without looking back, Alexis heard a bludger closing in on her. She reached out for the snitch and just as her fingers closed around the fluttering gold wings of the snitch, she felt an immense amount of pain as the bludger made contact with her left arm.

She heard a few groans amongst the deafening cheering of the crowd. She turned to face the Gryffindor section and raised her right hand and attempted to smile through the pain. Before she had a chance to wave, she was embraced tightly by Ava who began shrieking, “We’re in! We’re going to fight for the Cup! Oh Al, dearest, you were amazing. Fantastic. Fantastically amazing!”

Ally grimaced, “Ava, I know you’re excited but do you think you could let me go? My arm is killing me.”

Ava nodded and she helped Alexis get to the ground. There they met the rest of the team.

“Well done, Al,” praised Olivia.

Nate frowned, “How’s the arm?”

“I think it’s just broken,” she sighed.

James glared at her, “Oh is that all? 'Just broken'? Well, that’s wonderful.”

“Yeah,” agreed Toni, sarcastically, “maybe next time you could 'just' get a concussion.”

“What is it with you Potters?” demanded Ian as he joined the fray, “always getting injured.”

“Hey at least I didn’t get knocked unconscious!” snapped Alexis defensively.

“Small favors,” grumbled James as they made their way to the changing room. In spite of Alexis’s protests that she was fine, Toni insisted on helping her get out of her quidditch robes and into her regular clothes.

“Can we go to the hospital wing now?” demanded James loudly, as the girls reentered the main room.

“I suppose,” groaned Ally, “Madam Nightingale is going to kill me. You know-“ she cast a glance at her teammates who were waiting for her, “I could probably mend this myself…”

Before any of her teammates could protests, Sirius entered the locker room followed by the rest of their friends, “You most certainly will not,” he growled, “you will leave it alone. You will be treated by a qualified, legal healer even if I have to throw you over my shoulders and carry you there. Is that clear?”

Alexis could tell he was furious so she didn’t argue. Instead she followed after him, sparing a glance at the rest of the room, “Head back to the common room and start the festivities. I’ll join you as soon as I can.”

The team nodded and after a look from Sirius, their friends followed the rest of the Gryffindors back to their common room.

The two of them walked in silence to the Hospital Wing and as they entered Madam Nightingale hurried over to them, “I owe the Headmaster a galleon,” she commented.

Sirius and Alexis stared at her and she continued as she worked her magic on Alexis, “I was sure you would try and put this right yourself. The Headmaster said you would come here. I’m glad to see you appreciate my abilities Mr. Black even if you ignore them when it comes to yourself.”

Sirius frowned, “She’ll be fine, won’t she Vera?”

The nurse’s lips thinned but she ignored the use of her given name, “Yes, Mr. Black. She’ll be fine. I wouldn’t advise anything to dangerous at the moment. Do you think you can restrain yourself Ms. Prince?”

“She will,” Sirius answered shortly. The healer looked at Alexis curiously who simply nodded.

“Alright,” she decided, “you’re good to go. I’ll check on you when you come to help out tomorrow.”

“Of course,” Ally nodded. She followed Sirius out of the hospital wing and finally spoke, “Are you ever going to talk to me?”

He glared at her, “I can’t believe you would do something so petty and immature. You do realize that bludger could’ve knocked you off your broom? Could’ve hit you in the head? Could’ve knocked you unconscious?”

“Yes,” she granted, “it could have but it didn’t. You should be pleased but it sounds like you’re disappointed.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” he scoffed, “of course I’m pleased you’re not worse off but really? Did you have to antagonize her?”

“What are you talking about?” she demanded.

“No way did you think Alex was just going to let you get away with that,” he growled, still walking ahead of her.

“What are you talking about?” she repeated, her temper starting to flare.

He turned around and pushed her into the nearest classroom, “You really thought Alex would just stand by and let you make a fool of her and do nothing about it?”

“I wanted to test my beater skills,” she lied, “besides, in case you didn’t notice, we were struggling out there and switching positions is always a viable option during the butterfly play.”

He leaned up against the wall, “So all of that was just about quidditch?”

“Well, I’ll admit there was a part of me that wanted to put her in her place,” she confessed, unabashed.

“And where exactly is her place?” he asked, still frowning at her.

“Not with you,” she snapped, “unless that’s what you’d prefer…”

He stared at her, “I am not even going to dignify that with a response.”

“Oh but Remus and I have to dignify our friendship at every turn,” she hissed angrily, “even though you know there’s nothing going on which is more than I can say for you and that…that…cheap imitation of Lily!”

“Are you accusing me of something?” he demanded, his temper flaring.

“I just think it’s interesting that Remus and I have to defend our friendship every time you see us together when he’s only a FRIEND to both of us,” she reminded him, “but you don’t feel that I have the right to be worried about this girl who is OBVIOUSLY interested in you! You’re a hypocrite!” she finished angrily. She started towards the door but he didn’t move.

This angered her more and something else occurred to her, “By the way, it’s really rich that you scold me for being immature when that’s all you ever do. Pranking at every turn, risking your life at the full moon…”

“The risks I take are not reckless or stupid,” he countered.

She rolled her eyes, “Whatever you say,” she gestured for him to move and this time he did.

“When you want to apologize,” she added, “you know where I am.” She continued her angry exit before he was able to say anything then practically sprinted to the common room where she was met with cheers and hugs of congratulations. She grabbed a butterbeer and joined her friends.

“Where’s Sirius?” asked Alice from her seat next to Frank.

“Hopefully getting drowned by the Giant Squid,” she snapped angrily, taking a sip from her drink. She shook her head, “I’m not in the mood for this. I’d like some time alone if you ladies don’t mind.” Her friends nodded and she headed up the stairs to the room she and the girls shared.

“What was that?” asked Toni, looking from James to Remus hoping that one of them could explain. Before either boy could offer a proper explanation, Sirius entered and stomped over to them, “Has anyone seen my sweet tempered girlfriend?”

“She went upstairs,” Alice answered as everyone else stared.

James frowned, “What happened Padfoot?”

“You were all there!” he practically shouted, “you saw her risk her safety on a lark. How can I not be livid?”

“It was just quidditch,” commented Toni, clearly confused.

He shook his head, “It was not. I can’t believe none of you noticed how reckless she was being up there!” He suddenly noticed Nate and Olivia and called them over, “Nate, why did you give her your beater’s bat?” he demanded without so much as a ‘congratulations on your win’.

Nate frowned, “She said she wanted to practice her beater skills.”

Ava leaned over the seat that Ian Fitzgerald was occupying, “What’s going on over here?”

Sirius turned on Ava next, “Finnigan, have you been telling your players to risk their safety to win?”

“If this is about Al,” she began defensively, “she did what she had to do, what all quidditch players do. James has done it. I’ve done it. Connor’s done it,” she added nodding towards Ian and Rose.

“We’re not talking about those people,” he snapped, “we’re talking about Ally.”

Ava rolled her eyes, “Black, Alexis was on the quidditch team before she was with you. Whatever your problem is, it’s on you to fix it. Quidditch is messy. It’s dangerous. If you can’t handle that, it’s no one’s problem but your own.”

“Did you tell her to take the beater’s bat?” Sirius asked directly.

“No,” Ava shrugged, “but I’m glad she did. We do what we have to do to win. Try and explain that to him,” she added to the rest of the team as she headed back to her friends.

“Sirius,” Jane piped up, “perhaps you want to calm down? Why don’t you go for a walk?”

“I don’t need a walk Jane,” he groaned, placing his head in his hands, “I need not to be in love with a crazy woman.”

To everyone’s surprise, Lily patted Sirius on the back, “I’m going to give it a go. No promises though.”

Sirius looked up at her, his face full of gratitude, “Thank you Evans. I really appreciate it.”

Lily graced him with a rare smile and nodded before heading upstairs.

“Wow,” breathed Alice, “that’s the second time in the span of two weeks that Lily has helped a Marauder.”

“We should document it,” commented Frank, semi-seriously.

Toni smirked and raised a hand, “That deserves a high five Longbottom.”

Frank smiled and obliged.

“Evans helping Padfoot and Prongs…,” repeated Peter, “first or second sign of the apocalypse?”

The group laughed and continued their celebration.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Al?” called Lily as she entered the room.

Alexis opened the curtain that she had pulled around her bed, “I thought I asked to be left alone.”

“You did,” nodded Lily, taking a seat on her friend’s bed, “But as your best friend, it is my responsibility to tell you that your boyfriend who, as much as I hate to admit this, loves and adores you is downstairs pulling his hair out because he is so frustrated with you.”

Alexis rolled her eyes, “Yes, well I’m not exactly thrilled with him either.”

“One thing at a time,” instructed Lily, “he seems to be under the impression that today’s incident was more than just typical quidditch. Is he right?”

Alexis shifted uncomfortably and Lily seemed to guess the answer, “What happened?”

“You know Alex right?” sighed Ally, feeling relieved at the idea of confessing to someone…and if it had to be anyone, she was glad it was Lily. She had a feeling her friend would understand.

Sure enough, Lily’s face shifted from the kind hearted expression it usually possessed to a sour one she had rarely seen, “I’m familiar with her existence. Yes.”

“I knew you’d understand,” Ally smiled, “well obviously now you know she’s the seeker for Ravenclaw. I was totally surprised but I figured I couldn’t let the opportunity go to waste.”

“So Black is right,” surmised Lily, lips pursed, “you did do it on a whim.”

Again, Ally fidgeted, “Not really. I had orders to do the unexpected and what could be more unexpected than the seeker taking possession of a beater’s bat?”

Lily giggled, a rare occurrence, “As much as he adores you, I don’t think even Black will buy that.”

“He didn’t,” her friend admitted with a slight smile.

“So basically you hit a bludger at the girl because…?” she trailed off.

“Because she’s an evil harlot,” accused Ally, “she was after Sirius and when that didn’t work she set her sights on Jack. I wasn’t going to sit back and let either of us be insulted. She deserved what she got.”

Lily smiled slightly, “She didn’t get much. You’re the one with the broken arm,” before Ally could protest, she continued, “As much as I appreciate you feeling the need to protect our reputations, you must realize how immature this whole mess sounds.”

“Why do I always have to be the one who is mature?” she whined, “has it ever occurred to anyone that I might like to be petty and spiteful every once in a while?”

“Well,” sighed her friend, “if that’s the case, I think you might’ve picked the wrong partner. When you’re with someone like Black, you’ll always have to be the responsible one.”

“I really hope that’s not true,” groaned Alexis, “I mean honestly, is it so hard to believe that from time to time, my jealousy gets the best of me? It’s hard to be with someone that the entire female population of the school,” Lily cast her a look and she added, “Present company excluded of course…well, you know.”

“Al,” she sighed, “I can’t believe I’m saying this because you’re always so sure of yourself but you’re selling yourself short. You’re beautiful, intelligent, funny…and most importantly of all, Black…,” she paused before admitting, “he loves you. I know, I know. You never thought you’d see the day but it’s true. He’s done so many things lately that just prove what most everyone has always known. I think the problem is that you need to believe it…”

Ally’s look of shock had not left her face and Lily smirked, “And do you know the best way to convince yourself of what I’m telling you?”

She shook her head and her friend replied, “Talk to him!”

Lily grabbed her arm and pulled her down the staircase before Ally found her voice, “Lily!”

“No,” her friend smirked, “there will be no ‘Lily-ing’ me. You will make up,” she made a face before adding, “please spare me the details. And then the two of you can go back to being sickeningly adorable. Understood?”

Before Ally could answer, Lily walked across the room, with her in tow and proceeded to push her into Sirius, “Talk. Now.”

Sirius stared from Ally to Lily before smirking, Ally’s favorite smirk, “Whatever you say Evans.”

He grabbed Ally’s hand and led her upstairs to the dormitory.

It took all of three seconds for James to turn to Lily, “Evans,” he whined, “I was going to go to sleep. Now I’ll have to wait forever for the two of them to ‘make up’,” he used air quotes on the last part.

Lily smirked, taking a seat next to Remus, “You didn’t really think you’d be getting any sleep did you?”

“She has a point you know,” commented Remus, “Padfoot would’ve kept us up all night complaining about Ally…”

“See?” Lily responded smugly, “I’m helping.”

“What is going on with you Evans?” demanded James, starting at her suspiciously, “why are you being nice? Did you lose a bet?”

Lily rolled her eyes, “No you git. I was trying to be civil because I thought judging by the way we got along the other day that maybe we could be cordial to one another. Sadly I was mistaken. I should’ve known it was a fluke.” She put down her drink and headed upstairs before James could apologize.

“I really do put my foot in it when I’m around her, don’t I?” he asked his friends.

“Yep,” nodded Toni.

“More than anyone I know,” added Remus, taking a sip of his drink.

He frowned, “Thanks.”




It really was long wasn't it?

[MarauderGrl]

Hello all!!! Once again, the post took on a life of it's own. Contrary to popular belief, I did not mean for it to end on a cliffie. It just worked out that way I feel like I'm spoiling/annoying you guys with the super long posts. I'm sorry.

Enjoy!



Sirius sat down on his bed and Ally followed, sitting at the edge of the bed. They sat for a moment before he spoke, “I guess I’ll be going first. I will apologize for losing my temper and making you feel like you have to justify your friendship with Remus. However, I will not apologize for calling you out on your reckless behavior, nor will I apologize for being jealous of Remus.”

“Well I will apologize for getting myself injured today,” she countered, “but I will not apologize for what I did to her, nor will I apologize for what I said about her.”

“You don’t have to be jealous of me and Alex,” he sighed, “there’s nothing going on.”

“Maybe not at the moment,” she granted, “but you can’t tell me that she isn’t hovering in the background waiting for something to happen to break us up.”

“So what if she is?” he shrugged, “I don’t want to be with her-“

“And I don’t want to be with Remus,” she piped up.

Again they sat in silence before she spoke, “I’m sorry if you think I put myself in unnecessary danger today. I know you worry. I just really wanted to…I let my jealousy get the best of me. I’m sorry Sirius.”

He smiled and repositioned himself so that he was laying next to her and he sighed, “Thank you. I know that wasn’t easy for you. I’m sorry that I’m jealous of Remus-“

She looked down at him, “You needn’t be, you know. I love you, you idiot.”

He chuckled and pulled her hand to him, “I love you too, you know. The problem is that I know that there must be times when you remember that being with Remus again would be so much easier for you-“

She grabbed his face and moved it towards her so that her face was inches from his, “Look at me Sirius. I love you. I want to be with you. No one else. Just you. Do you want to be with me?”

“Since the first time I saw you,” he answered honestly.

She smiled, “Good,” she added, wrapping his arms around her, “Now if only we could remember that…” She reached for her necklace, “I’ve got an idea!”

She hopped off the bed and crossed the room so quickly he didn’t have the chance to find out where she was going. He shook his head, knowing that in spite of how well they knew each other, she was constantly surprising him.

Sirius was surprised the next morning when Alexis hopped onto his bed, “Rise and shine!” she added in a quiet voice.

“Where did you go last night?” he asked, as she grabbed his arm.

“I told you,” she reminded him, “I had an idea,” he realized she was tying something around his wrist, “Lily has this weird habit of making bracelets when she’s nervous…only she does hers without magic. She says it helps calm her nerves. Anyway, she had some extra supplies so I snagged them and made this. I say ‘made’ in the loosest sense of the word since I didn’t technically make the string…or the beads…nor did I do the intricate braiding thing that Lily does…well, I kind of did it but not really because I used magic which Lily couldn’t help but remind me was a copout but I needed to have it done by this morning.”

He lifted his wrist and saw that she had taken a weird sort of string and braided into the bracelet were two beads, one maroon, one gold.

“The string is called ‘hemp’,” she explained, curling up next to him and grabbing his arm so he could see it, “Lily says it’s a really strong material so it won’t fray or get worn out,” she looked up at him, “kind of like us right? Of course, I used magic to make ensure that it would withstand anything. Anyway, this bead,” she added, pointing to the maroon one, “represents you because you’re so bold and passionate,” she told him to which he laughed, “and the gold one is me-“

“Because you’re so valuable,” he teased.

She smirked, “No…it represents my sunny disposition…and it didn’t hurt that the colors were our house colors so no one will know the significance but us.”

She stroked the necklace he had given her for Christmas and smiled, “Now we both have reminders that we belong together.”

“I never needed a reminder,” he assured her, “but I love it…,” he assured her before kissing her on the forehead, “and I will wear it every day.”

“Good,” she grinned, “that’s what I was hoping for. Now then, no more jealousy?”

“No more jealousy,” he assured her, pulling her closer to him.

“And you’ll apologize to Remus,” she added. He nodded, “I will.”

“Good,” she repeated, “now I have to sneak out of here before they wake up.” He opened his mouth to protest but she kissed him quickly, “I’ll see you at breakfast.” She stepped quietly over to the door and made her exit just as Remus woke up. He yawned and stretched before looking over at his friend, “What are you doing awake?”

“I had a visitor,” he admitted, after checking to ensure that James was asleep.

Remus shook his head, “All’s well?”

“It will be,” granted Sirius, “as soon as you accept my apology.” He walked over to Remus’ bed where Remus sat, apparently unable to move due to severe shock.

“I’m sorry Moony,” he confessed, “I know when it comes to you and Ally I act like a prat-“

“Padfoot,” Remus interrupted, “you don’t have to.”

“I do,” countered Sirius, “let me finish. When I see you and Al together, I get jealous because of how good you two were together. Sometimes I think she’d be better off with you worry that she might realize that too.”

“After all that’s happened to get you and Ally together,” chuckled Remus, “you’d have to do something pretty drastic to get her to give up on you. And as far as this crazy theory that life would be easier for Ally if she were with me, need I remind you of something fairly significant?”

“And what would that be?” his friend demanded, insulted that his theory wasn’t being taken seriously.

“Werewolf,” he answered simply, “that little piece of information complicates everything.”

Sirius smiled, “Fair enough…you forgive me though right?”

“There’s nothing to forgive,” Remus assured him. Sirius arched an eyebrow and Remus smirked, “Fine. I forgive you. Happy?”

“Very much so,” his friend smiled before hopping off the bed, “looks like you won’t be first to the loo this morning.”

Remus lay back down, definitely willing to take advantage of the fact that he could get in a few more minutes of sleep while Sirius primped.

After Remus finished getting dressed, the two of them walked down to the Great Hall together, laughing and joking, awkwardness removed.

“Well, well, well,” laughed Alice, “what do we have here? Sirius Black awake early on a Sunday morning?”

“That is exactly what you have here, Alice dear,” he chuckled as he took his seat next to Alexis and Remus sat down next to Lily.

Toni and Lily exchanged looks but avoided commenting on his annoying perkiness at this time of the morning. It was best not to tempt fate when it came to his moods.

Alexis put down her goblet and announced, “We’re going to study for Transfiguration-“

“Again,” added Toni glumly.

Alexis turned to her, “Well, it’s either Transfiguration or Potions since you nailed your last Charms essay.”

“Really?” asked Remus, “why didn’t you say anything?”

Toni shrugged, “It’s no big deal.”

“I beg to differ!” Sirius exclaimed, “well done, Net-Toni,” he finished hurriedly.

“What has Net-Toni done?” asked James as he and Peter joined the group, “Thanks for waking us up by the way Padfoot.”

“Toni got an ‘Outstanding’ on her last Charms essay,” Alexis informed him. James smiled proudly, “Well done!” he added before hugging her, “I knew you could do it.”

“I think we’re all forgetting to give credit where credit is due,” she laughed, “I owe you Lils.”

Lily blushed a little, “It was all you.”

“So what’s it going to be Toni?” asked Alexis, “Potions or Transfiguration?”

She seemed to consider this question for a moment before answering, “Transfiguration, as long as you promise to tutor me in Potions after we finish with it.”

“You WANT to study?” Alice deduced, clearly confused.

“I need to,” amended Toni, “Kingsley warned me that I need to start taking my classes seriously or I’ll end up with some boring job that contributes nothing to the world.”

“When did hear from Kingsley?” asked James in an attempt at nonchalance.

“This was a while ago,” she admitted, “but I’ve only recently decided to take the advice.”

As if on cue, Kingsley’s owl landed in front of Toni.

“Your ears must be burning,” Toni smiled, as she handed the barn owl a piece of toast. As she unfurled the letter, her face went from excited at the prospect of hearing from her brother to near tears after she had read the first couple of lines. James instinctively put an arm around her and she handed him the letter as she buried her face in his shoulder.

“What is it?” asked Alexis. James looked up and whispered, “We need to go to the common room. All of us,” he added as he cast a look in Frank and Alice’s direction. The group stood up in unison and walked hurriedly to their common room. Before they could sit down, Toni whispered to James and he nodded, “Our room.”

Again, the group followed his lead, everyone confused and worried. After they had entered the room, James placed an impenetrable charm on the door before handing the letter to Sirius and continuing his attempt to comfort Toni.

Sirius’s face darkened as he read it aloud:

Dear Toni,

I really hate to be the one to tell you this but I don’t really have a choice. As much as it bothers Mum, it’ll be in the Daily Prophet tomorrow anyway because the interim editor decided it was newsworthy. Dad is missing. He left the office last Friday and no one has seen him since. Obviously, the aurors and the rest of the magical law enforcement department have stepped up security at the Ministry but Mum thinks it’s too little too late. Personally, I don’t think whatever happened to Dad happened at the Ministry. The whole place has been practically on lock down for the past couple of weeks, aurors everywhere. Anyway, Mum’s taken a hiatus from the paper and Mr. Prince has been assigned to the case while Alastor Moody takes over at Headquarters. I’m the trainee on the case for obvious reasons and Mr. Prince seems certain we’ll find Dad. I am too, so please don’t worry too much. The best in the department are on the case. We’ll find him. Assuming you’ll share this information with Sirius and James, tell them to visit the Headmaster as soon as possible. Mr. Prince and I need to talk to them. They had some information that may prove valuable to the case. I’m coming to Hogsmeade this weekend. Stay strong, little sis. Use your friends. That’s what they’re there for.

I love you,

Kingsley

PS Don’t worry. We’ll find him.

Alexis looked from Sirius to James before whispering to the former, “What’s going on?”

“I’ll tell you later Alexis,” he whispered back, kissing her forehead. Ally could tell that whatever he knew it wasn’t something she was likely to enjoy hearing. Sirius never called her by her given name. He nodded to James who gestured to Lily who was nearest him. She nodded and went to take James’s place as the shoulder Toni could cry on. Frank whispered something to Alice before following the boys out. Peter and Remus seemed uncomfortable and Ally whispered to Remus, “It’s okay. We’ll leave if you want.” Remus shook his head, “That’s unnecessary. We’ll be in the common room if you need us.”

“Thanks Rem,” she told him as she hugged him quickly and he and Peter left.

Alexis and Alice joined Lily and Toni on James’s bed. None of them knew what to say. Alexis knew better than to compare what happened to her Grandmother to what was going on with Mr. Shacklebolt. She didn’t want to think about Toni losing her dad…and as selfish as she knew it was, she was worried about her father. Toni’s dad was just a cog in the Ministry machine, albeit, a well placed cog but a cog nonetheless. Her father fought dark wizards for a living. She wished there was something she could do…some way she could find out if Mr. Shacklebolt was at least alive…find out what their plans were for him. It was then that she realized, there was. It was stupid and dangerous and her family and friends would probably kill her for even thinking it but it was a viable option.

“Toni,” Alice spoke finally, shaking Ally out of her stupor, “I know it doesn’t mean much but we’re here for you...if you need anything.”

Through sobs Toni responded, “Thanks Alice. I just don’t understand. My dad is just a bureaucrat. He pushes papers for a living. What could they want with him?”

Lily shook her head, “You can’t go thinking like that. You’ll drive yourself mad trying to figure out the logic behind their plans.”

“But there is some logic,” countered Toni sadly, “they must have a plan. They must need him for something,” she turned to Alexis, “what do you think your dad would say if we asked him? I mean, it’s an auror’s job to think like a dark wizard. What would he say?”

“I don’t know,” lied Ally, “I don’t pay attention to what my dad does.”

Toni shook her head, “Tell me Ally, I know you know. If I can see this from a logical standpoint, I might be able to make some sense of it. Come on, Al, it’ll make me feel better. Please?”

Alexis ignored the looks from Alice and Lily and inhaled deeply. If Papa is letting Kingsley work the case, there can’t be a problem with me telling Toni what I know. She cleared her throat, “Well, if Papa were here he’d say just what you have, that they must need him for something. Then Papa and the other aurors would try to figure out what your dad had access to and how the dark wizards could use that information. Once they find out why your father was targeted, they’ll be able to stop them from doing whatever it is they have planned. Ideally, anyway.”

“But would they be able to find my dad before the Death Eaters decided he was no longer useful?” asked her friend, through teary eyes.

“That’s always part of the plan,” Ally assured her.

“How would they go about finding him?” she asked.

Ally shook her head, “I’m not quite sure.”

Toni frowned, “I wish there was a way we could at least know he’s alive.”

“There is,” countered Lily. Alexis and Alice looked at her dubiously and she continued unabashed, “Do you feel like your dad is gone?”

“No,” their friend answered after a moment.

Lily smiled, not bothering to remove her arm from her friend’s shoulder, “Well then there you go.”

“Thanks Lily,” sighed Toni, before lying down, “I’m just going to close my eyes.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“What’s going on?” asked Frank, as he followed Sirius and James, “should I organize a meeting with the other prefects?”

“Not yet,” answered Sirius, “after we meet with Kingsley and Mr. Prince, we’ll know more…”

Frank shook his head, “What do you guys know? If it’s something that can help, I should know. Toni is one of Alice’s best friends. I have to do what I can to help.”

James frowned, “If you want to help, go back to the common room and make sure the girls don’t go anywhere. I know them. They’ll probably start sneaking around, trying to find out more information and we don’t really need them getting in trouble.”

“What makes you think they’d do that?” wondered Frank.

“Well,” granted James, “it might not have occurred to Evans and Alice, but you better believe it occurred to Toni and Ally.”

Frank nodded, “Say no more. I’m on it.”

The boys continued to the Headmaster’s office. When they got to the griffin that protected the entry way, Sirius turned to James, “How are we playing this?”

“Complete honesty,” answered James, immediately, “no games, no secrets. We tell Uncle Ethan and Kingsley everything. We’re not going to hold anything back. This isn’t something we can solve on our own. We’re leaving this to the professionals. Are we clear?”

“We’re clear,” agreed Sirius, somewhat surprised at the fierceness of his friend’s reaction.

“And you’ll help me convince Ally of that too?” he pressed, “Merlin knows we don’t need her sleuthing around this mess. For someone who doesn’t want to be an auror, she sure doesn’t mind putting her life on the line.”

Sirius looked down at the bracelet she gave him and muttered, “Tell me about it.”

“Hello James,” his uncle said as the boys entered the Headmaster’s office, “Sirius,” he added, nodding to the other boy. Kingsley nodded to them as well and as James took the seat nearest him, he asked, “How’s Toni?”

“She’s a mess,” James answered, “but that’s to be expected. She’s with the girls right now.”

“Alright,” Ethan Prince began, getting straight down to business, “tell me what made you send an owl to Kingsley about suspicious activity days before Mr. Shacklebolt went missing.”

Sirius and James exchanged a look and James took the lead. He knew it would be hard for his uncle to believe anything Sirius said about his other nephew, “Sirius and I were going to meet Peter and Remus that morning to study,” at this his uncle arched an eyebrow and James looked at the Headmaster who pretended to ignore the conversation and he continued, “Fine we were planning a prank. Anyways,” he continued before his uncle could admonish him, “on our way to meet Rem and Peter we ran into Snape.”

“And what did my nephew say?” asked Ethan, gesturing at Kingsley to keep writing.

James frowned, “We were exchanging insults and then Sirius commented that he wasn’t clever. Then Snape said ‘we’ll see who’s really clever.’ When I asked what he meant by that he got smug and was like ‘don’t you know? Here I was thinking you were connected. Then Sirius said he was bluffing and Snape said ‘we’ll see’.”

Ethan shook his head and ran a hand through his hair, “Anything else?”

“Well,” James sighed, casting a quick glance at Sirius, “lately, he’s been a bit…well, stupid Uncle Ethan. He’s hanging out with Mulciber and Macnair and you know about their parents. The other day we stopped him from attacking a first year.”

“What do you mean attacking?” he asked, brow furrowed.

“Well, he, Mulciber and Macnair ran into Rose Fitzgerald and Sirius’s little brother Regulus,” he recited, “Regulus told us that Snape said something about Gryffindors needing to know that no one was safe. We stepped in before they could do any damage but I think it was pretty obvious that they were going to do something to Rose. We’ve got that taken care of now though. The prefects are on red alert as is most of Gryffindor.”

As the aurors sat in silence, Ethan musing and Kingsley scribbling in his notes, Sirius decided it was his turn to speak, “I know you may not want to hear this but…that day that the Slytherins tried to attack Rose? Well, James kind of left something out.”

James glared at him and Sirius continued, “You wanted us to tell the truth. The truth is that before we could actually do anything like duel or fight them…Toni showed up…and she…well, she and Snape had a conversation and when she came back she said that everything was okay. I just think if you want to get to the bottom of exactly what Snape knew you should know that.”

“Well,” interrupted James, “since we’re sharing everything. You should also know that Ally thinks this whole mess is her fault since she started dating Sirius and Snape disowned her. The day of the Rose incident, I asked him if he knew that Voldemort wanted Ally and he said he didn’t but that he thought if Voldemort wanted her, then he wouldn’t hurt her. Then he said it wasn’t his job to protect Ally anymore. It was mine.”

Ethan shook his head in complete and utter disbelief, “Thank you boys. Your information has been helpful. Hopefully, we’ll be able to find some clues about Mr. Shacklebolt’s disappearance…in the meantime, be careful and keep an eye on my daughter. Unfortunately, you never know when she’s going to do something genuinely stupid.”

“Yes, sir,” Sirius nodded, standing up. James nodded as well, “We’re on it Uncle Ethan.”

Before they left the room another thought occurred to Sirius, he turned to his girlfriend’s father and cleared his throat.

Ethan looked up, “Yes? Was there something else?”

“Just one other thing,” admitted Sirius as he exchanged a look with the Headmaster, “Remember when…well, when Voldemort showed up in Hogsmeade?”

“Vaguely,” he muttered as Kingsley stopped writing and looked from his mentor to his friend, clearly unaware of what had happened.

Sirius sighed, “I don’t know if Ally told you but when he was talking to us, he mentioned Snape. Apparently, Lucius Malfoy has been singing his praises and…”

“And?” pressed Kingsley, momentarily forgetting his position as trainee.

“I recently got confirmation that Voldemort has every intention of recruiting Snape,” finished Sirius to everyone’s surprise, “Snape’s already working for him, attempting to recruit here.”

“And who did you get this confirmation from?” Ethan wondered.

Sirius ran a hand through his hair before exhaling, “Someone who knows what they’re talking about.”

“A family member?” pressed the older man.

Sirius arched an eyebrow, “Is that really important?”

“We need to make sure that the leads we’re following are legitimate,” the auror said.

“And you want to know which of my family members is willing to pass information to the black sheep,” he paused, “no pun intended.”

He chuckled, “The thought did occur to me.”

“Well, it wasn’t one of the ones you’re after,” the boy assured him, “it was Cissa. She and Reggie are privy to an awful lot of information-“

“Valuable information?” the older man pressured.

Sirius shook his head, “Don’t bother trying to get them to turn informant. They both value being Blacks way too much to do so.”

“But they’re still willing to share information with you,” countered the auror.

“Yes, well that’s because I’m still family,” he responded, “for the moment anyway.”

Ethan stared at the boy in front of him and could think of nothing more to say then, “Thank you Sirius.”

“You’re welcome,” the boy finished before motioning to his friend that it was time to take their leave.

They left the office each absorbed in their own thoughts. Finally James spoke, “You know, I think we’ve been right about Snape all along. I mean I guess it never occurred to me because I’ve never sat and thought about it but all signs are pointing to death eater aren’t they?”

“Seems like it,” agreed Sirius, “it’s just too bad Al is convinced this whole mess is her fault. He’s been acting shifty since before we got together.”

“Definitely,” added James, “if only there were some way to convince her, Lily and Nettie that they’re not safe around him. He’s trouble.”

“Well,” his friend sighed, “I would venture a guess that after this weekend Nettie might have all the information she needs to lead her to the right conclusion.”

James frowned, “It’s going to break her heart…if she believes it.”

His friend stared at him, “You don’t think she’ll believe Kingsley?”

“I don’t know,” he shrugged, “for her sake, I hope she does.”

“Me too,” agreed Sirius.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“I’m doomed,” Severus muttered as he threw himself into the chair nearest the fire, “my uncle is here meeting with the Headmaster and he brought along my girlfriend’s auror trainee brother…and the icing on the cake, Potter and Black are their star witnesses.”

“How did you find this out?” asked Mulciber, attempting to wedge his wide into a nearby chair before giving up and taking a spot on the floor.

“I saw Toni was upset this morning,” he recounted, conveniently leaving out the part where she turned to his arch enemy for comfort, “so I went to stake out Gryffindor tower waiting for either Lily or Toni to come out so I could find out what was going on.”

“And?” prodded Macnair, from his place on the sofa.

Severus sighed, putting his head against the back of his chair and closing his eyes, “And Lily came out-“

“And what did the mudblood say?” demanded Mulciber.

“If you two would stop interrupting maybe I could finish the story,” he snapped, immune to the use of that particular word, “she came out to sneak some food from the kitchens so that when Toni woke up she’d have some food. She told me that Toni had gotten a letter from her brother that said their father had been kidnapped and that he and my uncle were at Hogwarts and that they needed to talk to Potter and Black because of some letter they sent Shacklebolt. I’m completely screwed. There’s no way I’m going to be able to talk my way out of this one. If I had known that the person they were going to kidnap was going to be my girlfriend’s father, I certainly wouldn’t have flaunted that knowledge in front of Mr. Popular and the blood traitor. What am I going to do?”

“Have you been practicing your occlumency?” asked Macnair, the smarter of his two companions. Severus nodded and he continued, “Alright, well, we can go up to the dormitory and I’ll practice breaking into your mind. Hopefully, by the time your uncle gets the chance to question you, you’ll be able to show no knowledge of this whole mess. No harm, no foul.”

Mulciber grinned humorlessly, “And you can go back to snogging your incredibly hot girlfriend and trying to score with the mudblood.”

“You’re an idiot,” Severus told him, “I’m not interested in Lily.”

“That’s good,” commented Macnair, “because the time will come when you’ll have to meet the Dark Lord so you can become one of us…and it would really help if you could stop drooling over Lily Evans before that time came.”

“How do you mean?” asked Severus, slightly confused and forgetting to deny his feelings for Lily.

“I mean,” explained Macnair, “that the Dark Lord will want proof that you believe in the cause and if you’re pining for the mudblood, attractive though she undoubtedly is, he’ll question your allegiance,” at this point both he and Mulciber turned to Severus and Mulciber continued where Macnair had left off, “And believe us when we tell you that having your allegiance questioned by the Dark Lord is the last thing a lot of people live to see.”

Severus gulped and Macnair continued, “So before we take you to him, you’ll want to make sure that you know what you’re doing…that you’re devoted to the cause…”

“There’s still time to back out you know,” commented Mulciber, “the Dark Lord doesn’t initiate people until they’re sixteen anyway. He lowered the age last year for special cases.”

“So if you’re too cowardly,” began Macnair.

“I’m not a coward,” hissed Severus, “and when the Dark Lord calls on me, I’ll be ready.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“Are you sure we should be doing this now?” Remus asked skeptically, “in light of what’s going on with Toni, it seems in especially bad taste.”

James bit his lip and turned to Sirius, “He has a point you know.”

“He always has a point,” observed Sirius as he went over the ingredients in his Potions kit for what felt like the hundredth time that morning, “we usually just ignore him or convince him that he’s mistaken.” He looked up, “Are you backing out on me Prongs?”

“You know I never back out on prank,” replied James quickly, “but I’m just wondering if this one is in particularly bad taste…considering present…”

“We can change the target if that would make you two feel less guilty,” groaned Sirius, “I swear, the way you two are going on, you’d think we were pranking Nettie herself.”

Remus frowned, “I know that you and Prongs have pretty much condemned Snape to a slow painful death but Toni hasn’t and she needs her friends,” James made a face and Remus continued sternly, “all of her friends to support her. We can’t honestly say we’re trying our best to lend our support if we’re using her boyfriend-“

“Alright Moony,” interrupted Sirius, “we hear you loud and clear. Firstly, I’d like to point out that pulling a prank in Potions, Nettie’s least favorite class, will likely put a smile on her face…” He trailed off and a look that had not graced his face for quite some time, “I’ve got the perfect plan.”

“Oh no,” groaned Remus.

“No Moony,” he shushed him, “it’s perfect: Slughorn!”

“Slughorn, what?” asked James, immediately suspicious and in spite of himself, intrigued.

“We make Slughorn the target,” Sirius explained, almost giddy, “I’ll use my potion. It’ll be perfect. I’ll slip the stuff into my potion while he’s praising Ally and that’ll take so much time that by the time he leans over my potion ‘Bam!’ the potion explodes covering his face with the impossible to remove slime! It’s perfect. Oh, I amaze myself.”

James shook his head and Remus scowled, “That plan is not going to work. For starters, the potion won’t just get him, it’ll get you-“

“A sacrifice I’m willing to make in order to put a smile on Nettie’s face,” he interrupted immediately.

“Well that’s very sweet,” mocked Remus, “but what I was going to say was that it won’t just get you and Slughorn. It’ll also get Ally.”

Peter chuckled at the idea and James and Sirius exchanged a look. Sirius mood was temporarily dampered before he waved a hand and said, “I’ll just ask Ally to run and grab something for me before it happens.”

“And if she doesn’t go get whatever it is you ask her to?” pressed Remus.

“Well then it’s very lucky for me that I know exactly how to remove the slime,” shrugged Sirius.

“I don’t know Padfoot,” James muttered, “maybe it isn’t the best idea. You know Al doesn’t like these pranks. I’m willing to bet my right arm that she won’t be too fond of being the target of one either.”

“First of all, she won’t be the target,” he began, “she’ll be collateral damage-“

“Can I be there when you tell her that?” asked Remus, smirking slightly.

“And second of all,” he continued, ignoring his friend’s comment, “this is Al we’re talking about. It’s not like it’s Evans or Dean. She’s not as much a stickler for the rules as they are and if it makes Nettie smile, I’m sure she’ll be all in.”

“But if you warn her in advance, then she’ll be in on the prank,” said Remus, making a last ditch attempt to get them to call it off, “and then she’ll be punished too. Are you willing to risk that?”

“Don’t be ridiculous Moony,” scoffed Sirius, “there will be no punishment for this. I fully intend to charm my way out of it.”

“Fantastic,” muttered James, “we’ll have detention for months.”

“Are you doubting my ability to charm?” demanded Sirius, as though he were highly affronted.

Remus checked his watch, “We’ll be finding out soon enough. It’s time for Care of the Magical Creatures.”

“Right you are Moony,” Sirius said cheerfully, apparently forgetting he was supposed to be affronted.

“Do we have time to grab breakfast?” asked Peter suddenly.

“If we grab something portable like toast,” granted Remus, “then yes…if we hurry.”

The boys grabbed their bags and practically ran to the Great Hall.

“Morning Princess,” Sirius managed as he reached over her to grab some toast.

“Morning,” she replied, as she sipped her coffee and read the Daily Prophet.

“See you in Potions,” he added, before quickly kissing her on the cheek and hurrying off. Alexis looked up in time to see James grab Toni’s bag and the two of them following Sirius.

“That was odd,” she commented to Lily who looked up from her plate and decided, “They’re up to something.”

“What makes you think that?” she asked, pouring herself another cup of coffee.

Lily wiped her face with her napkin before smiling, “Because they were running late. The only time that happens is when Remus loses track of time while attempting to convince them not to do something stupid or reckless.”

“Touché,” nodded Alexis, who sipped her coffee before asking, “What do you think it is?”

“I’m sure we’ll find out soon enough,” her friend shrugged, “I have to return a book to the library. Want to come with?”

“Sure,” she answered, draining the last of her coffee. Lily stared at her, “How many cups this morning?”

“Four?” she guessed while her friend shook her head, “That stuff will kill you.”

“At least I’ll be awake enough to be aware of my death,” she countered. Lily laughed, “Come on.”

Upon entering the library, Alexis spotted a familiar duo. Smiling slightly, she gestured to Lily that she’d be right back.

“Hello Rogulus,” she joked as she sat down across the table from them.

“Rogulus?” repeated Regulus, clearly confused.

“It’s a combination of Rose and Regulus,” she explained, “I guess you could be Regose if you prefer.”

“What’s with you this morning?” Rose asked, worried about the older girl’s sanity.

“She had four cups of coffee,” elucidated Lily.

“Ah,” nodded Regulus whilst Rose frowned, “I had five and I’m not making up nicknames for people.”

“You had five cups of coffee?” repeated Lily in disbelief before becoming stern, “do Ian and Connor know you drink coffee?”

“It’s not something I advertise,” she shrugged, “they say it stunts your growth-“

“It does,” agreed Lily, “it also-“

“Alright,” Alexis interrupted, “let’s not kill my caffeine buzz. Reg, I have a question for you.”

“How can I help my favorite girl…,” he began, before casting a glance at Rose and amending the statement, “over the age of fourteen?”

Both Lily and Rose laughed before Alexis mussed his hair, “You still have a lot to learn about girls…which brings me back to my question. Do you happen to know who your parents intended to marry Sirius off to?”

“Intend,” the young boy amended without thinking.

Alexis arched an eyebrow, “Intend?”

Regulus looked terrified and stammered, “I…well…they…and…”

“Who is it?” asked Lily, curious and completely ignoring the look of shock on her friend’s face.

“A…Alex Crouch,” he managed, before standing up quickly, “I have to go.” Regulus ran out of the room so fast that he missed Madam Pince’s admonishments. Alexis sat in silence for a couple more moments before Lily reminded her, “Ally? Class?”

Alexis shook herself out of her stupor, “Right. Class.” Rose looked at Lily and whispered, “Do you think you need help getting her to class?”

Lily frowned, “No. We should be fine. Besides, you’ve got to get to class. Thanks Rose.”

“Anytime,” Rose assured her, before casting another worried glance at Alexis. Lily pulled her friend out of her seat and led her to class. Alexis couldn’t believe what she had heard. Intend? They still intend to use him as a pawn in the elitist game? She frowned, He made it sound like they had given up on him. He had never hinted that they still intended to marry him off…and to Alex, really? Alex?

Maybe he didn’t know, a voice in the back of her head suggested.

No way, she disagreed, he knows everything. He would’ve known this. Was that why he had been so defensive of Alex after the quidditch match?

Before she could answer that question, she and Lily entered the Potions’ classroom.

“Ally?” Lily frowned, “are you sure you’re focused enough for this?”

Alexis nodded, “Of course.”

“Because Professor Slughorn would definitely let you out of today’s class if you asked,” her friend suggested.

“No,” she replied, “I’ll be fine. I can brew a potion in my sleep.” She noticed her friend’s look of doubt and she smiled, “I’m going to enjoy proving you wrong.”

Lily smirked, “Good luck.”

They both took their respective seats and after a moment, Alexis smelled his cologne and felt him wrap his arms around her, “Hello beautiful,” he whispered.

She shook her head and removed his arms. She couldn’t think clearly with him being that close to her.

“What’s wrong now?” he asked, clearly a little annoyed.

“Nothing,” she hissed. He opened his mouth to argue but at that moment, their professor entered the room and began speaking, “Good morning class.”

There was a scattering of ‘good morning professor’ and he continued, “Today we’re going to be working on something that I’m sure you’ll all find fascinating: the beautification potion. Granted, it’s purpose seems a bit silly but it is not an easy potion to make. That being said, good luck,” he added as the instructions appeared on the blackboard, “I’ll be coming around to offer advice and insight as usual.”

He started at the front of the class. Alexis noticed he seemed to be going out of his way to offer Toni genuine advice rather than criticize as he usually did. Grampy must’ve talked to him, she thought as she added the first ingredient to the potion. She was off to a decent start on the potion but it did get progressively more difficult and Sirius’s constant attempts to make her talk to him weren’t helping.

“Now is not the time,” she hissed, determinately not looking at him, “we’ll talk later.”

“Come on Al,” he whispered, invading her personal space, “at least tell me what’s wrong.” She shook her head, trying to focus on her potion and after Professor Slughorn spared a glance at the two of them, he returned to his work.

In spite of her attempts to focus on her work, her mind wandered to how exactly Sirius intended to get out of this supposed engagement…maybe he had no intention of getting out of it at all…maybe Alex wasn’t stalking him so much as she was keeping an eye on her fiancé. Thinking about Sirius as someone else’s fiancé made her livid.

“Ms. Prince,” Professor Slughorn said as he appeared at her side. She leapt before turning to him, “I’m sorry Professor. I was-“

“Obviously distracted,” finished the Professor, who cast a glance at Sirius, “Perhaps I made a mistake with the seating arrangement.”

She shook her head, “No Professor, my being distracted had nothing to do with the seating arrangement,” she assured him.

He looked over at Toni and whispered, “Of course, my dear.” He eyed her potion which was nowhere near where it was supposed to be, “Would you like to start over?” he offered.

She frowned, “No Professor, I think I know where I went wrong. I think I can put it right.” The moment she said this she knocked a vial off the table and as she bent down to get it, the Professor turned to Sirius’s potion which proceeded to explode, a thick layer of slime covering both Sirius and Professor Slughorn.

Alexis, unaware of the fact that it had been Sirius’s potion that had exploded, immediately began apologizing, “Professor, I’m so sorry. I didn't think I had botched the potion that badly. I was sure that I had just added the last two in the ingredients in the wrong order. I am so sorry. Let me help,” she attempted to vanish the slime from the Professor but it didn’t work. If anything, it appeared as though her attempt only made the slime to harden. She looked at Lily for help as the rest of the class continued laughing hysterically.

“Ms. Evans,” the Professor called, “please keep the class under control while Mr. Black and I go to Madam Nightingale. Lead the way Mr. Black,” he added as the two of them walked out of the room. Alexis stared at her desk and noticed that her potion didn’t appear to be the source of the explosion. It was Sirius’s. She frowned, as she attempted to figure out what had happened.

“Alright everyone,” Lily called, “you should probably all get back to work,” she added as she walked to the front of the room with a vial of her finished potion.

“Of course, she can make it,” commented an unfortunate looking Slytherin girl, “probably uses it daily.”

James glared at her, “It’s a shame you can’t make it as you appear to be in desperate need of it.”

The girl’s lip curled, “In some circles, looks aren’t as important as other attributes…such as bloodlines. We can’t all be blood traitors Potter.”

Remus chose this moment to step in, “Agatha, perhaps you ought to remember that Lily is a prefect and can therefore punish you for disrupting the class. Professor Slughorn left her in charge, after all.”

The girl named Agatha apparently wasn’t as dumb as she looked as she heeded Remus’s advice. Lily gave him a look of gratitude. The class appeared to be over the excitement at the professor getting slimed and one by one they filtered to the front to turn in their vials. Lily nodded as she checked everyone’s name off the list. Finally it was only Lily and Ally, as Ally had decided to try and clean the mess that Sirius has made. Lily frowned, “I don’t think that’s coming off.”

“I can try,” she shrugged, “besides I’m hoping to be here when Professor Slughorn gets back.”

“Why?” wondered Lily, “you fixed the potion.”

“Yes,” she granted, “but I feel compelled to apologize and hopefully get back on his good side. Besides, I can’t leave you here alone.”

Lily took her seat, “I appreciate that.”

After a moment or two, Professor Slughorn returned, “That isn’t necessary Ms. Prince. I stopped by Professor Flitwick’s office and he told me how to get rid of it.” The professor flicked his wand and muttered an incantation she had never heard before and the slime disappeared.

Alexis frowned, “I want to apologize Professor for my lack of focus today. I-“

“Nonsense my girl,” he interrupted, “did you fix the potion?”

Ally nodded and he smiled, “Then all’s well. Thank you Ms. Evans,” he added turning to Lily, “I really appreciate you taking charge like that.” Lily smiled, “It was no problem sir.”

He turned to both of them, “I was planning another gathering in a couple of weeks. I was hoping you’d both attend. It’s been so long since I’ve met with either one of you outside of class what with the prefect and quidditch responsibilities.”

“We’ll try our best, Professor,” Lily assured him while Alexis nodded.

“Wonderful,” he smiled, “wonderful. Thank you ladies.”

They nodded and headed towards the Great Hall for lunch.

“Those idiots,” Lily hissed suddenly, “how did they get away with it?”

Ally rolled her eyes, “I have no idea.” She paused, as she made it to the entry of the Great Hall…”You know I’m not all that hungry. Big breakfast.”

“Al, five cups of coffee does not make a big breakfast,” her friend warned, “I know you’re upset but-“

“I just,” she sighed, “I can’t deal with it now. I’m going to go nap until Ancient Runes.”

“Alright,” agreed Lily, shaking her head.

After parting ways, Lily headed into the Great Hall and took her seat near Alice.

“Where’s Ally?” asked Remus. Lily shrugged, “She wasn’t feeling well. She decided to go take a nap.”

Sirius frowned, “What’s going on with her?” Lily arched an eyebrow but said nothing. He glared, “Am I to presume that the look on your face is an indication that I somehow created this mess?”

“If the shoe fits,” she finished in a sing song voice.

Before Sirius could respond, Regulus entered the Great Hall and sprinted over to his brother, “I am sooooo sorry Sirius. Beyond sorry. It was just a slip of the tongue but Ally caught it. I should’ve known better. I’m so sorry. I had to confess the rest after I let the first part slip you know how she is…”

Sirius’s confusion must’ve shown on his face and Regulus paled before turning to Lily, “He has no idea what I’m talking about does he?”

Lily shook her head, “Nope.”

“But feel free to enlighten me little brother,” he piped up.

“Um, so…,” he began as he sat down next to him, “you know that Ally knows that Mum and Dad picked someone for you to marry right?”

“Yes,” responded Sirius through gritted teeth as the rest of the group looked on in surprise, save for Lily who was eating and reading over her defense against the dark arts book.

“Well,” his little brother continued, steeling himself for the full force of his brother’s reaction, “now she knows who.”

Sirius closed his eyes and his lips started moving as though he were whispering to himself before turning to his little brother, “Anything else?”

Reg answered, unnecessarily, “Sorry. She had me cornered. There was no way out.”

“It’s alright Reg,” he mumbled, placing his head on the table, “you can go now.”

Regulus cast another apologetic glance at his brother then hurried over to his House table.

Lily stood up, throwing an apple into her bag, “Come on Black. Time for Ancient Runes.”

“And the hits just keep on coming,” he added glumly.

After walking to the classroom in silence, they entered. Alexis was already there and she was sitting on the far right of the table as opposed to her usual seat in the middle. Lily frowned and took the middle. She took the apple out of her bag and handed it to her friend. Alexis smiled and Lily whispered, “He knows. Reg told him.” She nodded and Sirius leaned across the table, “We have to talk.”

She sighed, “I know.”

After class, he grabbed her bag and the two of them headed off to the grounds which would hopefully ensure a civilized conversation rather than a heated one.

“So…,” he sighed as he sat down, “you know.”

“I know,” she nodded, sitting cross legged in front of him.

“And?” he pressed.

“Are you going to?” she wondered.

He stared at her, “You cannot really be asking me that!”

“It’s a legitimate question,” she shrugged, “I mean I know you’re not like you’re family but how are you going to get out of an agreement like this?”

He shook his head, “The same way I always intended to get out from under them. As soon as I come of age, I’m leaving.”

“And you can just do that?” she asked, shocked.

“Of course,” he agreed, “I mean it’ll be awful being away from Reggie like that but that place has not been my home for a very long time.”

“What about Alex?” she questioned, “I mean she’s invested a lot of time into being around you which I guess now I understand. I mean she’s your fiancé and everything. Is that why you got mad when I hit a bludger at her?”

“Unbelievable!” he bellowed, “First of all, she is not my fiancé. I don’t think of her that way and she doesn’t think of me that way either. Second, I already told you why I got upset about the quidditch thing. I was worried about you.” He lifted his wrist to show her the bracelet, “All those things we said to each other the other day? I meant them. Did you?”

“Of course,” she answered, slightly offended. He smirked, “Then stop acting so neurotic. I can only handle so much.”

She laughed, “Is that a fact?”

“No,” he countered, reaching for her hand and pulling her towards him, “I can take all the neurotic you have to offer…it’s just not as much fun as the alternative.”

“Oh really?” she laughed, “and what alternative is that?” He hugged her tightly and began kissing her neck, “Oh…that alternative…”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Early Friday morning before the castle had woken up, Alexis made her way to the Owlery. She had debated the letter that was now in her hand for the better part of a week but eventually she had decided. She had to do it. Someone needed to help Mr. Shacklebolt. She wasn’t sure that her plan would work but it was worth a shot. She couldn’t just sit back while her friend waited every day to hear if her father was alive. Ignoring the voice in the back of her head that told her she was making a colossal mistake, she entered the owlery and whistled to Alastor.

“Okay,” she began, as she looked at her owl, “this is really important. Deliver this letter to the person it’s addressed to. No one else. No detours…and come right back. If he sends a response, deliver it to my room, not the Great Hall. Understand?”

Alastor clicked his beak at her and she assumed that meant ‘yes’. She tied the letter to his leg and watched as he flew out.

She closed her eyes and thought: I hope I don’t regret this…

“I love that Kingsley has sent me a letter every day this week to remind me that he’s coming to Hogsmeade tomorrow,” Toni was saying as Ally joined the table, “like I could forget.”

“Where were you this morning?” Sirius asked as he kissed Alexis and poured her a cup of coffee.

“Nowhere important,” she shrugged, taking the coffee from him, “just off mailing a letter.”

Lily shook her head, “You’ve got to stop enabling her caffeine addiction.”

“I have trouble saying ‘no’ to her,” he countered, “besides, she’s a lot more fun when she’s caffeinated.”

“She appreciates that,” commented Ally, as she reached for a piece of toast.

“I’m thinking we should get some OWL study time in,” Alice contributed.

“You’re right,” Toni answered unexpectedly, “I’ve been really distracted lately.”

“No one can fault you for that,” Remus assured her, patting her on the back.

She smiled, sadly, “I know Rem. It’ll be nice to focus on something other than…that.”

“Let’s do it,” Ally agreed, finishing off her last cup of coffee.

After a few hours of studying, Toni stood up.

“Leaving?” joked Ally.

Toni smirked, “No, I’ve just got to walk around for a second. Does anyone need me to grab a book?”

Lily scribbled a title on a piece of paper and handed it to her friend, “Thank you.”

“No problem,” she assured her. She headed towards the Defense against the Dark Arts section and ran into someone as she looked down to read the title, “Sorry.”

“It’s alright Antoinette,” Severus whispered, “how are you?”

She bit her lip and began to tear up, “Severus,” she whispered before she broke down completely.

“It’s alright,” he repeated, pulling her to him. Their hug only lasted a moment before someone had pulled them apart and pushed her into the arms of someone else while the person who pulled them apart, pointed his wand directly at Snape, “What did you do?”

Toni struggled to free herself from Sirius’s grasp, “He didn’t do anything James. He was comforting me.”

“That’s rather hypocritical,” surmised James, still glaring at Snape, “even for you Snivelly. Were you planning on telling Nettie now or later that you knew?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about Potter,” spat Snape, “but I do know that if you don’t let me go soon, I won’t have any alternative but to curse you into oblivion.”

“Good luck with that,” growled James as he pointed to Sirius’ pocket which held Severus’ wand, “and you know exactly what I’m talking about…and soon Nettie will too.” Severus stared at him attempting to tell whether or not he was telling the truth. He was, even without the use of legillmens, James Potter was an open book.

Toni turned to Sirius, “Let me go.”

“No way,” he countered, “we’re getting you away from him even if it means carrying you out of here.”

“Try it and die,” she threatened before turning to James, “Let him go.”

“No,” he stated defiantly, “he will stay away from you.”

“James,” another voice whispered, “let him go.” He turned to see his cousin leaning against the shelf, arms crossed. She then turned to him, “Let her go. Now.” Sirius stared at her as did James and she shook her head, “Let them go…let them be together…” She glanced unexpectedly at Severus and added, “Even if it is only for today.” Toni glanced at her friend, “What do you mean?”

“You’ll see,” she replied cryptically, “Come on Jamie,” he got up and walked over to her before turning back to Toni who was helping Severus off the floor, “he won’t hurt her. Not today anyway,” she added. James nodded and went back to their table.

“Come on Sirius,” she pleaded. He stared at Severus and Toni before warning the latter, “Be careful,” and the former, “Hurt her, and you’ll pay.” He grabbed Ally’s hand and she cast another glance in their direction.

“Thanks Al,” Toni told her before Ally shook her head, “Don’t thank me. I know I’m going to regret this.” She locked eyes with her cousin and he could see that she was genuinely disappointed in him. He looked away and whispered to Toni, “Let’s go for a walk.” She nodded.

“I can’t believe you’re letting Nettie be alone with him,” muttered James, as he sat glaring at the library doors as though they had done him some great personal wrong.

She sighed sadly, “They only have today. I couldn’t take that from either of them.”

“Why do I get the distinct impression that the three of you know something the rest of us don’t?” Lily commented, finally putting her book down.

“Because we do,” answered Sirius smartly, “and you’ll hear all about it…sooner than you think.”

Ally picked up Lily’s book, “Let’s get to work, shall we?” Sirius wrapped an arm around her and whispered, “You’re not fooling anyone. It’ll all work out. I promise,” he added before kissing her on top of her head.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The next morning, Alexis didn’t need an alarm clock to wake her up. She immediately rolled out of bed, grabbed the clothes she had laid out the night before and ran to the loo. Once inside, she proceeded to vomit. What a way to start the day, she thought. She pulled on her favorite sapphire blue cashmere sweater and a pair of corduroy trousers that she knew fit perfectly. When it came to what to do with her hair, she used decided to leave it the way it was, tousled and slightly messy. She smiled for a moment thinking that it almost resembled James’s hair except prettier of course. She used a dab of concealer before dusting powder over her face, curling her eyelashes, applying mascara and a dab of lip gloss. She looked in the mirror before deciding that a simple pair of silver studs wouldn’t be overkill. She usually liked bigger earrings but she feared that if she did that or added more makeup her friends would be able to tell she was up to something. Unfortunately, even she wasn’t quite sure what it was she was doing.

“Al,” whispered Toni from outside the door, “Are you done?”

She opened the door and nodded. She noted that though her friend had looked slightly better last night after she returned from her day with Severus, she was looking miserable this morning. When she thought about what Kingsley was going to tell her today, she knew the worst was yet to come. Before she had the chance to think about it any further, she heard a tapping at the window. For the first time in her life, she dreaded the sight of Alastor. She walked over to let him in before his tapping awoke Alice or Lily. Alastor landed on the windowsill and stretched his leg out. She removed the letter and went to pet him. Apparently he was put out with her as he bit her finger and ruffled his feathers indignantly. Alexis smirked thinking that his namesake would be proud that he objected to this particular delivery. She unfurled the letter and read:

Alexis,

I was pleased and surprised to receive your correspondence. I do have some knowledge of Mr. Shacklebolt’s whereabouts; however, as your Grandfather pointed out during my last trip to Hogsmeade, I’m not particularly welcome. I would be willing to make an exception for you though. If you’re willing to meet me in the lowest cave of the mountains, I will share my information with you. Obviously, I would prefer for you to come alone. However, if you are not amenable to that, feel free to bring your cousin Severus. I’ve been looking forward to meeting him. I look forward to seeing you this afternoon.

Lord Voldemort

Ha, she thought, like I’d really bring Sev to him. Fat chance.

But you’re bringing yourself to him, the annoying voice in the back of her head pointed out.

It’s for the best, she thought, before realizing, “Great I’m answering the voices in my head.”

She heard Lily moving and she turned around. Her friend sat up and took in her appearance, “You look nice.”

“Thanks,” she muttered…and here she was hoping that no one would notice…

“It’s all yours Lily,” yawned Toni as she came out. She took one look at Ally and frowned, “You look nice.”

She frowned, “Thanks.”

“Any particular reason?” she asked, regaining a bit of her mischievous sparkle. Ally knew that she had better play along, for her friend’s sake if nothing else, “Sirius and I have been bickering a lot lately. I wanted to…”

“Remind him that you’re worth the effort?” her friend supplied knowingly.

Alexis giggled, “Exactly.”

“Well,” her friend smirked, “in that outfit, I’m sure you’ll have no trouble. Wear your boots. It’ll make snogging easier.”

“Thanks,” she laughed, reaching for her brown boots. Of course, now that she thought about it, her boots wouldn’t make hiking to the first level of caves in Hogsmeade easy but she was willing to sacrifice that to make Toni feel normal again. If worst came to worst, she would take them off.

After Alice finished getting ready the four of them headed for the Great Hall to grab some breakfast before heading to Hogsmeade. The moment Toni sat down, James and Sirius took seats on either side of her. This caused Toni to roll her eyes, “Did my brother suggest this?”

“Nope,” James assured her as he made a face at Sirius and Ally’s ‘good morning’ ritual, “we thought of it all on our own. Impressed?”

Toni smiled, “Not in the slightest.”

“Glad to see we can make you laugh without sliming Slughorn,” commented Sirius as he handed Ally a cup of coffee.

Ally arched an eyebrow, “How did you get out of detention?”

“That implies Ole Sluggy knew it was intentional,” he chuckled, “he had no clue. He thought it was an accident. That I reached into my potions kit and picked up the wrong thing,” he smiled and did a pretty good impression of their professor, “It’s fine Mr. Black. I understand. Next time, you ought to find a different place for your pranking materials. It could’ve been Ms. Prince getting slimed and then where would you be?”

Alexis had to laugh and he smirked, her favorite smirk, “He did however convince me to go to his next Slug Club meeting and begged me to bring you with me.”

“It’s fine,” she shrugged, “I’ve already agreed to it.” He exhaled, “Fantastic. I was afraid I might have to agree to something ridiculous in order to get you to go.”

Alexis frowned, “Aw, that would’ve been fun. Maybe I finally could’ve convinced you to cut your hair. I might never get that chance again.”

“Does it really bother you?” he asked, shaking his hair so it fell in his face. She smiled and pushed it back, “No, not really.” He smiled back wrapping an arm around her, “Good. You look fantastic,” he added which caused James to clear his throat loudly and Lily to feign gagging.

Sirius rolled his eyes, “You know if you two would just get together already you could be snogging each other instead of watching us.” Both James and Lily grabbed the nearest breakfast item and threw them at Sirius, who blocked Ally from getting hit.

“My hero,” she laughed, as she picked the crumbs off his sweater.

“Disgusting,” commented Toni. Remus decided to take the high road and ignore the whole mess, “Let’s head towards Hogsmeade.”

“Good idea,” granted Toni, “we may as well get this over with.”

“Do you mind if we come with you?” asked James. Toni rolled her eyes, “If you really want to.”

“I do,” he assured her. Lily piped up suddenly, “I want to come to. You don’t mind do you Toni?”

“No,” she decided, after looking at her friend, “I don’t mind at all.”

Sirius whispered to Ally, “Do you want to go too?”

“No,” she whispered, “I promised someone I’d meet them but I’ll be back by the time it’s time to go back.”

“Anyone I know?” he asked, curious as this was the first time she had mentioned this plan.

“My dad,” she answered with her rehearsed response, “he’s coming into town with Kingsley and he thought it’d be nice if we got together. You don’t mind do you?”

“Of course not,” he smiled, “I’m glad you’ll be safe.”

She winked, “Always.”

The group made their way to Hogsmeade. Toni, James, Lily and Sirius, who had decided to join them once he found out about Ally’s plans, headed to the Three Broomsticks where Kingsley was supposed to meet Toni. Frank and Alice went off together as was natural. Hogsmeade visits were one of the few times when they managed to fit each other into their respective busy schedules. Remus and Peter decided not to crowd the rest of the group so they went off to find something to do.

Ally turned to the group, “Alright, I’m going to grab something for my dad and then I’m spending the day with him so I’ll see you all later.”

Lily, James and Toni looked at her curiously as this was the first they were hearing about this visit. Sirius nodded before turning to James, “Cover your eyes mate.”

James shook his head and entered the Three Broomsticks while Sirius embraced Ally tightly, lifting her slightly off the ground and kissing her passionately. As they broke apart she smiled, “What was that for?”

“Because I love you,” he reminded her, as he placed her back on the ground but did not let go.

“I love you too,” she assured him, “so much,” she added, kissing him quickly, “I’ll see you later.” He nodded and let her go, watching as she headed into the nearest shop. She waited until he went into the Three Broomsticks before she left and headed toward the base of the caves.

“Well, I’ll be damned,” a familiar voice drawled as she reached the deserted end of the street. Alexis turned around, her hand tightening around her wand, “I’m sure you will be. What are you doing here Lucius?”

“I’m your escort,” he explained as though it were obvious, “the Dark Lord didn’t want you to get hurt or lost.”

“How thoughtful,” she managed, thinking of Toni so that her resolve strengthened. Alexis looked around, hoping that no one saw them. “I’m going to disillusion myself so that no one sees me going into the caves,” she told her companion.

“Beautiful and smart,” he smirked, “the Dark Lord has good taste.” Alexis rolled her eyes as she disillusioned herself and started on her way up the mountain.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Kingsley!” Toni cried as her brother entered the tavern. She practically knocked over the table in her attempt to get to him and threw herself into her brother’s arms.

“Toni,” he sighed, wrapping his arms around her, “how are you doing little sis?” She continued hugging him as he attempted to walk, “Toni? Can you let me get to the table?”

“Sure,” she agreed, leading him to her table. He took in the group, “Where’s the rest?”

“The rest?” she repeated. He shrugged, “I assumed they’d all be here…especially Ally. She usually doesn’t waste any time getting involved.”

Sirius stared at him, “She’s meeting her dad?”

“No,” Kingsley countered, “Mr. Prince is following a lead…” Sirius stood up and swore loudly, “I should’ve known.”

“Should’ve known what?” Lily asked, “she’s probably just getting you a gift or something.”

“No Evans,” James agreed, joining his friend, “she’s up to something. We need to find her.”

“Hang on a second,” Kingsley interrupted, “I can let you go wandering around on your own.”

“We’re not on our own,” corrected Sirius, “we’re together and we’ll grab Remus and Peter on the way.”

“No,” stated Kingsley in such a firm voice that Sirius and James almost considered listening to him, “I can’t let you run off on your own. Give me a minute to get help.” He walked over to the bar and began talking to Madam Rosmerta who pointed him in the direction of the nearest fire. Kingsley turned back to the group and warned, “Do nothing until I get back.”

They nodded and once he left the room, Sirius and James exchanged a look, “Ready?”

“No you don’t,” warned Lily, “it’s reckless and stupid and in case you need reminding, it’s dangerous out there. You can’t go wandering around Hogsmeade on your own. Kingsley said-“

“Look Evans,” interrupted Sirius, his eyes flashing dangerously, “If you think that I’m going to let Ally run around in the dangerous environment you just mentioned, alone and unprotected, you’ve got another thing coming.”

Lily stared at him, slightly frightened and James intervened, “Come on Padfoot. Let’s go.”

The two of them headed towards the door. Lily fought with herself, struggling to make the right decision. You could catch up with them you know, she thought…

Or you could wait for Kingsley, another more reasonable part of her brain pointed out.

“I’ll tell Kingsley,” Toni told her, placing a hand on her shoulder. Lily jumped, forgetting that Toni was there. Lily looked at her and Toni nodded, “Do it.”

Lily grabbed her cloak and hurried out the door. Toni sat waiting for her brother and when he reappeared, Alastor Moody was with him. The two of them reached the table and Moody demanded, “Where are they?”

“Where do you think?” snapped Toni. Kingsley groaned, “Toni! I told them to stay here.”

She rolled her eyes, “Has it really been that long? You actually thought they’d stay?”

“Do they even know where to look?” demanded Mad Eye.

“Do you?” she countered. Mad Eye and Toni stared at each other before Moody spoke again, “Too sassy for your own good you know?”

“I’ve been told,” she smirked as she stood up, “So what’s the plan?”

~*~*~*~*~

“Kingsley will be along soon,” Remus reminded his friends as they stood in the Shrieking Shack, “Are you sure this is a good idea?”

“This is Ally we’re talking about,” Sirius told him and after a moment of his friends staring at him, Remus nodded, “Alright, what’s the plan?”

“I was wondering the same thing,” Lily commented as she entered the room.

“What are you doing here Evans?” demanded James. Lily’s eyes narrowed, “Ally’s my friend. If you think I’m leaving her fate in your less than capable hands, you’re supremely mistaken,” she assured him, crossing her arms.

“Alright,” interrupted Sirius, “first we find her. Then we find out what she’s up to…”

“How do we find her?” asked Lily.

Remus’s brow furrowed, “Peter and I saw her walking towards the base of the caves but we figured she was just killing time before meeting her dad. She likes looking at the mountains.”

Lily, Sirius and James nodded while Peter whispered, “Do you think she’s meeting someone in the caves?”

“If she was planning on climbing mountains, she’s definitely wearing the wrong shoes,” commented Lily.

Remus frowned, “She was wearing the wrong clothes for mountain climbing period. Those pants were way too tight.”

The rest of the room stared at him and he blushed, “Sorry,” he added to Sirius and James. Sirius waved his apology away as though it would mess up his train of thought, “Inappropriate outfit for mountain climbing…Ally’s smarter than that. I think Wormtail’s right. I think she’s meeting someone…”

“Who?” wondered Peter.

James shook his head, reaching into his rucksack and tossing his Invisibility Cloak to Remus, “We don’t have time for that now. We find her first, ask questions later. Moony, you and Evans go to the trailhead and start your way up. Padfoot, Wormtail and I will…meet you there.”

“Why aren’t you taking the trailhead?” demanded Lily hotly, “If you think I can’t find my footing as well as you all-“

“You can’t,” countered Sirius heading towards the door, James and Peter following closely behind.

“I can too,” Lily assured Remus, as they headed towards the trailhead, “I hike every vacation. Dad is teaching me how to mountain climb.”

“I don’t doubt your abilities Lily,” he told her, “neither do they…they just know a rather risky shortcut and in spite of what they like to think, Padfoot and Prongs are chauvinists. They think girls need to be protected.”

Lily rolled her eyes, “Really? I hadn’t noticed.”

“Yeah,” smirked Remus, “I think their beliefs are being tested by being friends with such fiercely independent girls.”

Lily smiled as her cloak caught on a tree. Remus went to help her and she shook her head, “Leave it. We’ll come back for it. Ally’s more important.”

Before their conversation could go any farther, Remus spotted a familiar rat. The rat stood on his hind legs and Remus nodded. Lily looked around and spotted the rat, “What’s a rat that well groomed doing so far out here? He looks like he might be somebody’s pet.”

“He is,” Remus answered, smirking slightly, “he’s Prongs’s.”

Lily frowned, clearly confused, “I didn’t know Potter had a rat.”

“We’re following him,” Remus replied, ignoring her commentary, “he’s going to lead us to Padfoot and Prongs.” Still confused, Lily followed.

~*~*~*~*~*~

“I’m fine, Malfoy,” she spat, as they reached the cave, “take your hands off me if you want to keep them attached to your person.”

Lucius smirked, taking his hands off her waist, “Forgive me Alexis. I was only trying to help.”

She glared at him, “Sure you were.” As they entered the cave, Alexis was annoyed to see that Bellatrix Black was waiting for her.

“Scared Prince?” she sneered.

Alexis rolled her eyes, “More like annoyed.”

“Surely you didn’t think the Dark Lord would come alone,” the older girl countered.

“Yes, I imagine he has an immense fear of fifteen year old witches,” smarted Ally.

“I don’t fear you at all Alexis,” a cold voice drawled as Voldemort himself entered the cave.

“I figured as much,” Alexis responded as Lucius and Bellatrix bowed. Alexis smiled slightly at the proud Bellatrix bowing to anyone.

“My power and talent merit reverence from those who normally wouldn’t show it,” he commented as though he had read her mind. After a moment, it occurred to her he probably had. Closing her mind, she turned to face him.

“How long have you known occlumency?” he asked, clearly impressed.

“A while,” she answered succinctly not willing to give him more information than necessary.

“Very well,” he nodded, “Down to business then. I regret to inform you that Mr. Shacklebolt will not be joining us. He is otherwise engaged.”

“Is that death eater speak for ‘he’s dead’?” she demanded hotly.

He smirked, distorting his already frightening face, “Perhaps. What are you offering in exchange for this information?”

“What is it that you want with me?” she countered, fear creeping into her voice.

He sighed, “It has come to my attention that you already know what I want. It’s unfortunate that my followers are not more discreet. I take it lack of discretion is how you deduced that I would be able to answer your questions.”

“Everyone knows that when something bad happens, it’s usually your doing,” she shrugged in an attempt at nonchalance.

“So are you willing to give me what I want voluntarily?” he asked, staring intently at her and ignoring her comment.

She smirked, “In exchange for the whereabouts of my friend’s father? I don’t know. That doesn’t seem like the best deal for me does it?”

“You are a shrewd young lady,” he complimented, “learn that from your father, did you?”

“I’ve learned a lot of things from a lot of people,” she countered, “I think you disclosing the location of my dear friend’s father would be a definite step in the right direction.”

“You can hardly expect him to tell you what you want to know for that measly concession,” hissed Bellatrix.

Voldemort silenced her with a look, “Taking into consideration that Mr. Shacklebolt’s body,” Alexis looked down and he continued, “yes, you were right to assume he is no longer living. His body will be of no further use to us and if you think your friend and her family might appreciate being able to mourn his loss properly, I will tell you where it is.”

“You will?” she managed, staring at him.

“Of course,” he smiled, his face looking as frightening as ever despite the gesture, “so long as you assure me that I am not wasting my time. When the time comes…”

She inhaled, “When the time comes, what?”

“When the time comes,” he repeated, staring back at her, “I have your word that you will accept your place at my side.”

Before the shock could register on her face, Alexis felt someone throw her onto the ground.

“Whatever you had planned,” she heard a familiar voice growl, “forget it.”

“Sirius, what are you doing here?” demanded Bellatrix.

“Mr. Black,” Voldemort called, “we meet again. Who is your friend?”

“James,” Alexis’s muffled voice managed, “get off of me.” Her cousin obeyed picking her up off the ground, “What was that?” she demanded, brushing the rock and dirt off her sweater.

“I had to get you out of the line of fire in case they started firing off curses,” he explained, before pushing her behind him.

“James?” repeated Voldemort, “James Potter?”

James turned to him, “Yes,” he answered bravely.

“You are cousins,” Voldemort continued, looking at James in a way that made Ally nervous.

There was a noise outside and Lucius Malfoy returned, with Remus holding him by the collar. When Lily spotted Alexis, she ran to her, “Al! What were you thinking?”

“This cave is getting crowded,” observed Voldemort, “I take it you all came to make sure that your friend was safe. Now that you know she is, my followers and I shall be going. I do not doubt that more unexpected visitors will be appearing momentarily. Alexis,” he added, “I will be owling you the answer to your question. I expect to receive yours as well.”

He spared a glance at Remus, “Do you think that you could let Lucius go? He obviously means you no harm.”

After a look from Sirius, he obliged. Voldemort shook his head and before leaving commented, “You’re all very brave…or very stupid.” With a pop, he disapparated.

“You made a big mistake,” Lucius spat, glaring at Remus and to everyone’s surprise, Lily.

“So did you,” Lily retaliated, glaring back.

“Mudblood,” he muttered before disapparating to join his master.

Bellatrix shook her head and turned to Sirius, “I hope the gravity of today’s situation makes you realize what an idiot you’re being.”

“And I hope the absurdity of today’s events have made you realize how pointless what you’re doing is,” he countered, “honestly, Trix, what was he expecting from today? There are aurors in Hogsmeade; they’re probably on their way here now. Why would he risk coming here?”

“Ask her,” she spat, glaring at Alexis. Sirius looked from his cousin to his girlfriend, “What are you talking about Trix?”

Bellatrix rolled her eyes, “Let’s just say that all that danger people accuse you of putting her in? She does a pretty bang up job of that all by herself.” She disapparated before he could ask her anything else.

At this moment, the entire group turned to Ally.

She sighed, bracing herself for the onslaught, “I can explain-“

“I’ll just bet you can,” growled a familiar gravelly voice. Alexis closed her eyes and turned to face her godfather and Kingsley who assured her, “Your father will be meeting us in the Headmaster’s office.”

“I can hardly wait,” she groaned.



For the record, I'm really bad at editing my own work, so if something doesn't make sense ask and I'll be more than happy to clarify.

[MarauderGrl]

Hello everyone. This post was actually supposed to have alot more action so to speak in it than dialogue but given I've just hit a snag in my plan I had to rearrange some things. My apologies if it seems irritatingly wordy. Action...or at the very least, less internal dialogue in the next post. You have my word. Anyhow, new post!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Severus,” his uncle began, sitting down across from him, “I’m going to a going to go out on a limb and assume you know why I'm here."

Severus avoided eye contact by taking in the Headmaster’s office, as he had never been there before.

“Severus,” his uncle repeated, his tone showing signs of annoyance, “I know you know why I’m here. What I don’t know is how deep you’re in with Voldemort.”

“You shouldn’t say his name,” he recited, instinctively.

“The only people that don’t call him by his name are his followers,” his uncle commented, taking in his nephew’s appearance intently.

Severus answered, “I’m not a death eater.”

“Not yet, anyway,” his uncle surmised from the tone of his voice, “but you want to be, don’t you?”

“Why would you say that?” he demanded immediately defensive, “I’m sure Potter and Black have been filling your head with all sorts of lies about me.”

“I don’t take what anyone says at face value, you know that,” he interrupted, “I make up my own mind once I have the facts. Let me tell you what facts I have now: Fact) You made a snide comment to James and Sirius days before Mr. Shacklebolt went missing about who was ‘really clever’. Fact) When Voldemort came to Hogsmeade with Bellatrix Black, he mentioned you to Alexis and Sirius. Fact) Professor Morgan says you know more about the dark arts than any of her other students. Fact) Professor Slughorn says you’re an immensely talented potion brewer. As you know, Voldemort prides himself on surrounding himself with people who possess helpful talents. Fact) You are friends with the children of death eaters. Fact) You and those death eater children are not only attempting to recruit followers for him but you’ve already started his tactics of intimidation. I heard about Rose Fitzgerald. ”

“Anything else?” his nephew hissed, petulantly.

“You should know that even though, I don’t know everything yet,” he admitted, hoping to make the boy a little less defensive, “I will soon enough. Kingsley is meeting with his sister and then I’ll know more…so if there’s anything you want to tell me, now’s the time.”

“There isn’t,” he muttered, “but it seems as though you have more to say. Feel free.”

“I know that you’ve disowned my daughter,” he whispered, sounding pained, “your cousin who loves you, whose always loved you-“

“Just not as much as she loves being with Sirius Black,” he spat, his voice full of venom.

He raised his eyebrows, “That is not true and you know it. She loves you. You’re her family.”

“Yes,” the boy countered, “which means she didn’t choose me, but she certainly didn’t waste any time choosing him. This conversation isn’t getting us anywhere,” he decided, “now that you’ve listed all your complaints Uncle Ethan you can ask the question I know brought you here.”

“Severus,” the auror sighed, looking closer to his age than his nephew had ever seen him look, “I know that he’s going to offer you a place among his followers.” At this, his nephew looked surprised, “What makes you say that?”

“I’m an auror,” he replied, simply, “I have my sources. My question to you is will you be accepting his offer?”

Severus stared at his uncle for a moment and the older man frowned, “I see. You’ve made your choice.”

“I didn’t say anything,” the boy piped up.

His uncle shook his head, “The occlumency was answer enough. Can I say one more thing?”

“Of course,” he nodded, wondering what he could possibly have to say.

Ethan leaned down and looked his nephew directly in the eyes, “When you decide that you’ve had enough…when you realize what a horrible mistake you’ve made…if you make that mistake at all, there’s still time to change your mind. Anyhow, if you do make the wrong choice and you want out, I’m here for you. Your cousin is here for you. I know Albus and your aunt would be there for you as well.”

Before Severus could say anything else, a head appeared in the fire, “Ethan!”

“What is it?” he asked the face of his partner and best friend.

“It’s Alexis,” he answered, and both Severus and Ethan froze, “she’s missing. She told the boys that she was meeting you and when Shacklebolt told them you weren’t here, they ran off after her.”

Ethan swore and Severus looked up at him, “You don’t think…You don’t think the Dark Lord has anything to do with this do you? I mean Potter said he-“

“He does,” Ethan groaned, cutting his nephew short. He returned his attention to the fire and saw that his friend was gone. Before he could run through the horrible thoughts that occur to a father when their child goes missing, his friend’s head reappeared, “They’ve found her Ethan. She was in one of the caves. Shacklebolt and I are on our way. We’ll meet you in Dumbledore's office after we’ve got her.”

Ethan nodded and turned to Severus who seemed to regain what color he was capable of, “You can stay if you want, you know.”

Severus shook his head, “No thanks Uncle Ethan.” He headed towards the door before turning back, “But thank you for what you said…the last part anyway.”

“I meant every word,” he assured his nephew. Severus nodded and closed the door behind him. Just as he did, a figure came through the fire.

Alexis coughed and attempted to brush the soot off of her sweater while simultaneously avoiding eye contact with her father. Before he could corner her, they were joined by her godfather, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Toni, Peter, Remus, James, Lily and Sirius. They all turned on her but before anyone could speak, they were joined by two more adults who were looking immensely displeased.

“Mr. Pettigrew,” Moody began, “I want to thank you for coming to us even if you were acting under the orders of Potter and Black. You may leave since of everyone under the age of sixteen in this room, you are the most innocent.” Peter nodded and scurried towards the door.

Moody turned to Toni and Kingsley, “Because you didn’t get a proper conversation today, perhaps you want to go back to Hogsmeade.”

Toni shook her head, “I can answer Kingsley’s questions in front of everyone. I imagine first you all want to have a little heart to heart with Ally.”

Alexis glared at her and mouthed ‘thanks a lot.’ Toni shrugged and Ethan and Catherine Prince turned to their daughter.

“Would you like to explain what you were thinking?” her mother asked in a pseudo sweet voice.

Alexis gulped, nothing scared her more than her mother when she was upset, “No?”

Her mother laughed mirthlessly, “Oh, I’m sorry, you must’ve mistaken that for a question.” She crossed her arms and walked towards her. Catherine Prince was perhaps an inch taller than her daughter but in that moment, Alexis could’ve sworn she was a giant.

“Um,” she began, looking at her boots, “Toni is one of my best friends,” she began, looking at Toni who was obviously confused, “and I couldn’t stand to see her suffering. When we lost Gamma, at least we knew what had happened to her but Mr. Shacklebolt…well, the only people that knew what happened to him were…”

“The ones who had taken him,” finished her grandfather, his voice deathly calm. Alexis knew he already knew what she had done. She felt herself getting smaller as she continued, “Exactly. I knew that…I knew that Voldemort wanted me,” she managed, her voice getting stronger, “so I figured there was a chance that he would tell me what had happened to Mr. Shacklebolt.”

She finally looked up and saw everyone staring at her with either disbelief or anger. She continued, “I wrote him a letter yesterday. I told him that I wanted to know what had happened to my friend’s father. He wrote me back and told me that he’d meet me in the caves since he didn’t want to risk going into Hogsmeade again.”

“And he asked that you come alone?” her father inferred.

“Not exactly,” she mumbled, looking down again, “he told me that if I felt nervous I could bring Sev because he wanted to meet him,” she looked up, “I wasn’t going to risk Sev’s safety that way-“

“Yes, heaven forbid you should risk his safety,” Sirius blurted unexpectedly, “to hell with your own.” Alexis looked up at him and she saw his lip was red from holding back everything he wanted to say to her.

Feeling immensely guilty, she looked away, “He told me what happened to Mr. Shacklebolt.”

There was a sharp intake of breath from the room at large and Toni walked over to her, "Is he-" Ally looked away and Toni turned to Kingsley who pulled his little sister to him and embraced her tightly.

"I'm so sorry Toni," Ally managed through tears, "I really am. You have to know that if there was anything I could've done...I would have...anything."

Toni shook her head, "You've done more than I would have asked."

"Shacklebolt," Moody began, both Toni and Kingsley looked at him and he smiled, sadly, "perhaps the two of you would like to leave...and finish your visit. Maybe," he turned to Dumbledore who nodded and finished, "Perhaps the two of you would like to visit your mother." Toni nodded, tears in her eyes and she let go of her brother and embraced both the Headmaster and the auror. Dumbledore returned her hug and Moody patted her back awkwardly. As her brother went towards the door, Toni turned to her friend, "I know why you did what you did...part of me even understands why you did it," Ally smiled but Toni's eyes narrowed, "but if you ever do anything that stupid or dangerous again, I'll curse you into oblivion."

Alexis smiled, "Thanks Toni." Her friend shook her head and followed her brother out of the room.

Her Grandfather conjured chairs for the rest of the people in the room and they all took the seat nearest them. They sat in silence for a moment before Ally decided she may as well attempt to explain what had happened, "Can I explain?"

They exchanged looks and her mother hissed, "Please do."

"Well," she began, "please let me finish before you start in on me, just let me get through the whole thing. It occured to me after we found out that Mr. Shacklebolt was missing that Voldemort was probably responsible-"

"No, really?" muttered James just as Lily snapped, "You don't say?"

Alexis glared at the two of them," I thought you weren't going to interrupt?" They both rolled their eyes and she continued, "anyhow, I thought about how miserable we were after we lost Gamma but we didn't have to suffer through not knowing what happened to her. She was gone and we knew where she was and were able to say our goodbyes...the Shacklebolts didn't have that and it broke my heart. I love them both. I knew there was a chance that if I wrote him he would tell me what I wanted to know or at least arrange to see me and then tell me-"

"You've got to be kidding me!" shrieked Lily, having heard all she needed to, "you could NOT really think that he would just arrange a meeting with you and tell you everything you wanted to hear over a cup of tea, did you? You CANNOT be that naive Ally. When Alice, Frank, and these two," she added, gesturing in the direction of Sirius and James, "talked about being aurors after graduation you kept harping on the dangerous situations they would be putting themselves in. Newsflash Al, they would have at least had training and back up. You hiked up to those caves alone, without backup, without telling anyone where you were going, and handed yourself over to Voldemort. You do realize, don't you that he murders and kidnaps on a whim? If a person so much as looks at him the wrong way, they are murdered. If they have anything he wants, he kidnaps them and tortures them until they can't take it anymore and he eventually gets what he wants. You cannot believe that you are so special that he wouldn't even consider killing you," Alexis looked as though she was going to interrupt but Lily carried on, "And don't even think about mentioning his stupid wanting to marry you thing because honestly, Al, the idea of sticking it to your father and Grandfather while they're both alive is probably much more appealing to him than the idea of having you as a trophy. Think about it! If he really wanted a trophy, he could find something alot less annoying than you to keep on his mantle. You are not invincible. You do not have a protective shield around you that stops people from killing you. You're human Ally and people die....you should know that better than anyone else," she cried, abandoning all sense of propriety, "People die because he kills them. You are not an exception to the rule and the sooner you realize that and at least start acting like you have something resembling self preservation skills the better off we'll all be."

She paused to catch her breath and Remus stood up and put an arm around her. Both Sirius and James sat in awe and the adults seemed proud that at least one of them understood the severity of the situation.

"Mr. Lupin," the Headmaster spoke quietly, "perhaps you'd like to take Ms. Evans to the hospital wing so that Madam Nightingale can provide her with something to calm her nerves." Lily looked as though she was going to protest so he added, "I insist." Remus nodded and led her towards the door. Alexis desperately wanted to say something to her friend before she left but couldn't think of anything. Before they could leave, her grandfather added, "I shall ask that the two of you speak to no one about today's events," he peered over his half moon spectacles and reiterated, "No one, Ms. Evans."

Lily nodded, looking confused and followed Remus out of the office.

"Mr. Black," Moody said suddenly, "perhaps we ought to leave as well. This is a family matter." Sirius nodded and got up to leave but Catherine shook her head, "Nonsense, Alastor. You and Sirius are as good as family," at this Sirius looked humbled and Ethan cast a glance of annoyance at his wife, "you'll stay," she added kindly before turning on her daughter, "I hope you realize that Lily was right. What you did was stupid and reckless and to be perfectly honest, pointless-"

"No it wasn't!" Alexis interrupted, feeling obligated to defend herself, "he said he'd tell me where Mr. Shacklebolt was. He's going to send a letter with the whereabouts of the," she paused before saying, "body. It wasn't pointless."

The adults stared at her while Sirius turned to her, "And what did you promise him in exchange for this information?"

She could see the hurt in his eyes. She hated the idea that Bellatrix was right about her ability to get into trouble on her own and she could tell he was even more upset by the fact that his cousin appeared to be the rational one at the moment. She looked at him and answered in little more than a whisper, "You know I didn't mean it."

"You can't even say it," he countered, his voice full of anger, "admit it. You promised him you."

She shook her head, "Technically no-"

"But if Remus and Lily hadn't walked in at that moment, you would have," he pressed. She knew it was a mark of how angry he was that he didn't go out of his way to call Lily 'Evans' nor did he use Remus's nickname. She sighed, "I would have yes but I wouldn't have meant it. He had to know I didn't mean it-"

It was her godfather's turn to go on a tirade, "Do you think that matters? He takes what he wants and if he really wanted you Ally, there would be very little you, especially alone like you were, would've been able to do to stop him. Besides, if he really wanted to you he wouldn't ask. He'd just take. All you're doing is playing into his sick delusions about how the world works."

"What do you mean?" she asked, fear creeping into her voice.

Her father took up where Moody have left off, "As you know he thinks that people who aren't pureblood don't deserve to live. Well, now he's extended that belief to purebloods who don't agree with him," he looked around the room before adding, "essentially everyone in this room is now a target for his followers. By corresponding with him and agreeing to meet with him, you encouraged him. He might even actually see this as you giving him permission to pursue you or as you agreeing with his actions."

"That's ridiculous," she hissed angrily and her father continued, "I didn't say it made sense. I'm just saying that's the way he thinks. You know Alastor and I have to figure out the way the dark wizards's minds work before we figure out how to stop them. Honey, I need you to realize how incredibly stupid what you did was. You cannot go around thinking you can do whatever you want and that you'll be safe because you are who you are. I will not always be around. Everyone in this room is going to die someday and if things keep getting worse that day might be coming sooner than expected. My point is this: everyone in this room including the people who were here before love you and care about what happens to you-"

"I love you all too," she interrupted, "that's why I-"

"Alexis," he interrupted angrily, "stop justifying what you did. It was stupid and dangerous. End of story. I don't care what noble excuse you think you have for what you did. The truth is you're lucky to be alive and if you don't believe that perhaps you ought to ask Mr. Shacklebolt or your grandmother what happens to people who get on the wrong side of Voldemort."

"That was low," she responded tearfully.

Her mother intervened, placing a hand on her husband's arm, "Your father is trying to remind you that there have been good people...good witches and wizards alot older and more talented than you are that have been taken from us by Voldemort and his followers and they did not walk stupidly, nor voluntarily, towards death. We've got enough to worry about without you wandering off and taking meetings with Death Eaters."

Alexis frowned as she considered what her mother had said. It was true. Innocent people who had done nothing but mind their own business had been killed by Voldemort, she thought, who's to say he wouldn't do the same to me? Better not risk it.

"Alright," she agreed, finally, "I understand. I promise I won't do anything else to put myself in danger. No matter how noble I think my reasoning is. I will leave Voldemort and his followers to the professionals." She could see the looks of relief on her parents's faces. Her godfather and grandfather looked skeptical. I'll just have to convince them, she thought. She turned to her cousin and boyfriend and saw that the former seemed to be relieved but the latter seemed suspicious. Great, she thought, that's going to be fun.

"Can we leave now?" she asked, hoping to get this over with as soon as possible.

Her parents and grandfather exchanged looks and seemed to come to silent agreement.

"I suppose," her mother nodded before turning to James and Sirius, "Thank you boys. Try and keep an eye on her will you?"

"We'll try," James assured her whilst Sirius shook his head, "For all the good it'll do."

Alexis couldn't be sure but she was almost certain that her father and godfather were supressing smiles. Fantastic, she thought, bonding at my expense.

"Before you leave Ms. Prince," her grandfather called, apparently returning to his role as Headmaster, "it is my duty to inform you that because you broke the rules of Hogsmeade visits, you'll be restricted from going on any more visits until such a time as I and your Head of House," Alexis gulped. She had completely forgotten about Professor McGonagall, what punishment is she going to dole out? "Until such a time that I and your Head of House deem your responsible enough to regain that privilege." He peered at her solemnly before adding, with something of his old self, "Professor McGonagall will not be deducting any points and after careful consideration of a rather convincing argument she made, I will allow her to punish you as she sees fit." Alexis wanted to bang her head on the nearest desk. She was sure that whatever punishment McGonagall had decided on would keep her from anything other than class, studying for her OWLs and doing homework. She could only hope that McGonagall's love of quidditch would allow her to stay on the team.

"Professor McGonagall would like you in her office, first thing tomorrow morning," he finished.

Lovely, she thought.

Her godfather had a strange look on his face as he stood and reached for his cloak, "As Head of the Auror Department, it is my responsibility to inform you that from now on, all forms of correspondence, be they addressed to you or sent from you, will be monitored until there is proper evidence that you are not in fact, in contact with the suspected terrorist known as Lord Voldemort.

Alexis stared from him to her father as though waiting for one of them to begin laughing. After a moment of this, she knew it was wishful thinking.

"Anything else Mr. Moody?" she asked, in a pseudo innocent voice.

"That'll be all," he answered smugly.

She shook her head and after hugging her parents, her grandfather and her godfather she headed towards the door. She heard the boys exchanging goodbyes with the adults and decided to wait for them at the bottom of the staircase...not that waiting for them was the best of ideas...especially since she was fairly certain they weren't finished admonishing her for her stupidity.

She heard a noise and spun around. She made a move towards the noise and realized she had stepped on something. Realizing it was nothing but a piece of parchment, she squatted down and picked it up.

Ally,

We need to talk. Soon. You pick the time and place and I'll make it work.

I'm glad you're okay.

Severus

PS Don't ever do something that stupid again! Please?

Stunned, she held the parchment as though she was sure any moment it would disappear. It wasn't until she heard the voices of her boyfriend and cousin that she stuffed the parchment into her cloak and turned around. She was surprised when James walked over to her and embraced her. She wasn't surprised when he whispered, "I love you, Al, even though you're reckless moron."

She rolled her eyes and whispered back, "I love you too Jamie. Even though you're a hypocrite." He chuckled a little then stepped back, "I'm going to go to the hospital wing to check on Evans."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" she asked, arching an eyebrow. He smirked, "No but I need an excuse not to be there when you two fight and inevitably make up."

"Thank you Prongs," Sirius grunted, "for once again, making me sound completely pathetic."

James rolled his eyes, "Padfoot, I don't have to say anything. You do pathetic all on your own." Sirius pushed him and James stuck his tongue out and walked off towards the hospital wing.

Alexis turned to Sirius who was determinately avoiding making eye contact with her. He started in the direction of the dormitory, "Come. Now."

Alexis decided this probably wasn't the best time to remind him that she wasn't a dog. She followed, attempting to figure out whether she could make him forget he was mad at her or if she would have to apologize again. When they got to the portrait hole, Sirius muttered the password and waited for her to enter first. Well, she thought, the chivalry is still there. The annoying voice in the back of her hand piped up, He probably just wants to make sure you don't run off again, you idiot.

"Hey Ally, Sirius," called Rose, "are you back from-" The young girl fell silent after a look from Sirius and looked at her friend curiously and the older girl shook her head. She really didn't feel like explaining this to more people than necessary. Upon entering the dormitory, they saw Peter who took one look at Sirius then proceeded to grab his herbology book and head for the door closing it firmly behind him as he left.

Alexis walked over to where Sirius was standing, running his hands through his hair. She wrapped her arms around him and looked up, "I'm sorry Sirius," she whispered in her most sincere voice. She really was sorry but she had a feeling he wasn't going to make this easy. As he removed her arms and led her to his bed, she realized she was probably right. When he sat on the floor in front of the foot of the bed instead of on the bed with her, she knew she was.

Again, he avoided eye contact and directed his tirade at Remus's bed, "Alexis, name the scariest thing I've ever done, in your opinion."

"Well," she frowned, sensing where this was headed, "I was pretty scared when you and the boys decided to keep Remus company during his transformations but I've always known that Rem wouldn't hurt you so..."

"Okay," he interrupted, "name the scariest situation I've ever been in."

"Probably when Bellatrix was holding you at the Shrieking Shack," she admitted, "but to be honest, Wickham torturing you in our second year and Bellatrix in our first year also come to mind...and last summer when all those disappearances were happening and you were at home..."

"Basically anything that my family was involved in," he surmised, still avoiding eye contact. She nodded, "Yes."

"And what about my family scares you?" he pressed. She sighed, "That they're into the dark arts and they're pureblood maniacs...and that they have no tolerance for people that don't agree with them...including you. Alright, I get your point."

"Did any of the things you listed sound familiar?" he asked, ignoring the last part of her statement. She hopped off the bed and moved to sit in front of him, "I said I get it."

"Do you?" he demanded, finally looking her in the eyes, "because my family actually can't kill me. Incidentally it would create too many questions, but he could kill you...or worse, he could take you away from us...all of us, everyone who loves you. Do you want that?"

"No!" she answered quickly, "of course not!"

He stared at her, eyes narrowing, "Alright then promise me-"

"I've already promised," she began. He put a finger to her mouth, "Let me finish will you?"

She rolled her eyes and he proceeded, "Thank you. Promise me that you will never let anything happen to you. Promise me that you will never do anything that stupid or reckless again, and don't even think of interrupting and comparing what the Marauders and I do to what you've done because it is not the same. Promise me that we'll be together forever and that no one will take you from me..."

"I promise," she assured him, climbing onto his lap and embracing him tightly, "I really am sorry Sirius. I didn't mean to scare you. I know it was stupid. I just really wanted to help Toni and Kingsley and I didn't let myself think about what might happen-"

He pulled her face towards his and began kissing her softly as she attempted to continue her apology.

"I just really wanted to help," she added between kisses. He smiled slightly, "I know Princess and I love you for wanting to help but in the future can you not risk your life to do it?"

She smiled back, "I think I can manage that." He picked her up and climbed onto his bed with her in his arms. As he gently placed her onto the bed and leaned in to kiss her, the door burst open.

"Of all the things I've witnesssed today," Remus commented, dryly as he entered, "this is by far the most disturbing. You two might want to make yourselves presentable. The rest of them are on their way up."

Alexis immediately hopped off Sirius's bed and moved over to her cousin's just as Frank, Alice, Peter, and Lily entered the room. She turned to her friend, "I thought you said the rest were coming."

"I didn't say who the 'rest' were," he amended smugly. Ally threw James's pillow at him, "Prat!"

"Is anyone going to tell us what happened?" demanded Alice, "Frank and I come back from Hogsmeade only to learn that you're all either in the hospital wing or the Headmaster's office."

Before Alexis could say anything, Regulus Black stormed in looking livid, "Are you a complete idiot? I mean, I knew you'd have to be kind of dumb to date my brother-"

"Hey!" Sirius interrupted but Regulus continued as though he hadn't heard him, "I mean really? You thought to yourself: today I'm going to send a letter to the Dark Lord and give myself to him on a silver platter. Honestly Prince if I had known you were going to use the information to do something so completely idiotic, I never would've told you!"

"It's good to see you Reg," commented James as he and Toni entered the room. He tossed Lily her cloak, "Here you go Evans."

Lily's jaw dropped momentarily before she remembered herself, "Thank you Potter. You didn't have to. It's an old cloak-"

"It was no problem Evans," he assured her, "I went back to Hogsmeade to meet Toni and walk her back. Kingsley told me when she'd be back before they left-"

"Yes and apparently, I'm completely incapable of making my way back to school by myself," commented Toni as she joined Ally on James's bed, "honestly, you'd think I was you or something," she added to her friend.

Ally pursed her lips, "How long am I going to listen to that?"

"Well, the mocking is in direct correlation to how stupid you were," her friend observed, "so I'd say quite some time."

"Oh the hilarity," she replied rolling her eyes at this point Regulus threw the nearest shoe at his brother.

"Ow, Reggie! What the bloody hell was that for?" he demanded, rubbing his arm.

"Oh good," he sighed, with pseudo relief, "I haven't gone invisible. Now will someone kindly tell me what in Merlin's name happened?"

"How did you get in here anyway?" demanded Sirius, still rubbing his arm and looking as though he wished his brother had not been able to get into his dormitory.

"Rosie," his brother shrugged as though it were no big deal. To his brother, it was a very big deal, "She's only a first year Reggie and she's a Fitzgerald."

"Yes because I should absolutely take advice from you when it comes to girls," countered the younger boy, arching an eyebrow.

"I think I'm insulted," Ally pouted, "more insulted than when you came in and called me a 'complete idiot'."

His expression did not soften, "If the shoe fits-"

"Buy one in every color?" joked Toni. At this point every eye in the room was on Antoinette Shacklebolt who boldly addressed them, "While I was with my Mum and Kingsley, they reminded me of something. That wit that both annoys and amuses you was a gift from my father, so I intend to use it at every opportunity. I realize at the moment we're all focusing on what a moron Al was-"

"Thanks Toni," her friend managed, through gritted teeth.

"No problem," she nodded, before continuing, "and she was a complete-"

"I think they get it," her friend hissed.

Toni nodded and continued, "There's no denying that what she did can't be considered 'smart' by any means but it was loyal and it did help. However, I don't doubt that now she knows that she can't go around risking her life to be a good friend. None of us can. The world isn't safe. There's no arguing about it but as we sit here in this castle protected by one of the most powerful and amazing wizards who ever lived, not to mention a host of teachers who in most cases treat us like their own children, that we are safe. We're safe as long as we're here. I understand that we should do what we can to keep our friends and family within the castle safe but I don't think we should try and get involved with what's going on out there. Not yet anyway. We're not ready. For now, we keep being students. We keep learning all we can. We keep order," she added to Frank, Alice, Lily and Remus before adding to the others, "or in some cases disorder. Because before we know it we will be out there and we will have to pick sides but for now, we should just be kids..."

Everyone stared at her. Alice and Lily were slightly teary eyed, Frank and Remus looked punch drunk. Sirius put an arm around Ally and gestured for Regulus to join them which he did. Peter was nodding his agreement and James wrapped an arm around her before kissing her on the forehead, "You're right Nettie."

She smiled, "I know. I stole parts of the speech from the lecture Kingsley gave me so I was bound to offer a few gems."

The group laughed and as James and Toni filled Frank and Alice in on what had happened with occassional editing or revising from Remus, Lily and Peter, Sirius sat in between his brother and girlfriend.

Regulus turned to Ally, "What you did really was stupid you know...Trix even said so in her letter..."

"Well if Bellatrix said it-," she began before Sirius interrupted, "He has a point you know. When Bellatrix says something is stupid, you know it's moronic."

She smirked, "Than how do you explain your choices?"

"I'm not kidding Al," he frowned, his arm tightening around her, "when it comes to Voldemort, Trix does nothing but sing his praises so if she's saying you're in danger, it might behoove us to listen."

"Yes," she replied sarcastically, "because your cousin has nothing but my best interests at heart."

"Look I don't agree with everything she says but occasionally she has her moments," he confessed.

She stared at him but said nothing. He seemed to sense she wanted to though.

"What?" he pressed. She shot a glance at Regulus remembering what he had told her then shook her head, "It's nothing Sirius. I'm sure you're right. Even Bellatrix is bound to have moments of clarity."

Sirius nodded, oblivious to the silent exchange between his brother and girlfriend, "Hey that's not how it happened!" He had apparently overheard a part of James's version of the story that he disagreed with so he walked over to offer his interpretation of events.

This gave Regulus and Ally a chance to chat.

"Thanks for not telling Sirius what I told you about him and Trix," he whispered, glancing over at his brother, "I don't think he likes thinking about how close they used to be. That was the first time in ages I've heard him say anything resembling nice about her."

She smirked, "Me either. How lovely. My act of stupidity makes him think your cousin has more common sense than I do."

"Well, today wasn't exactly a testament to your logic," he observed. She arched an eyebrow, "What do you know?"

"Pretty much everything," he admitted, "I only asked you because I wanted to hear your side of the story but I think Trix gave a pretty accurate portrayal of things minus a few choice words of course."

"Of course," she repeated, rolling her eyes and feeling fairly certain she could guess the 'choice words'. After a moment, another thought occured to her, "Did she write you?"

"Well...technically, she wrote Cissa," he clarified, "but she let me read it."

"So...your family knows...everything," she worried. Regulus shook his head, "No. Cissa and I did damage control. We told Trix that Sirius coming to the rescue was all about proving he was a Gryffindor and his friendship with James."

"Who's idea was that?" she finally managed through her shock.

"Cissa's," he shrugged, "she's nothing like Trix. I mean she's not like Sirius or Andi but she sometimes thinks about doing what they did...I think she's more sympathetic to them than even they know."

Alexis frowned, "And she looks after you right?"

"Yes," he answered, "she pretty much took over where Trix left off with the good cousin thing. I don't know what I'm going to do when she's gone."

"What do you mean?" she asked. He looked over at Sirius before turning back to her, "Promise you won't tell him."

"I promise," she assured him before he frowned, "Promise me you won't overreact either."

"I promise," she repeated, curious and concerned.

"Well, some of the other Slytherins-" he began.

"The ones who are gravitating towards Death Eater status," she interrupted.

Regulus glared, "Yes...anyway, those Slytherins are exactly pleased with the fact that I keep in touch with my brother-"

"Or that you act like a decent human being and protect first years from being attacked," she finished, angrily.

He nodded, "Yes. Fortunately Cissa is Bellatrix's sister and her status as a pureblood elitist is solidified so she's able to keep them off my case. I don't know what I'll do without her."

"You'll be fine," she assured him, ruffling his hair, "talk it over with Sirius this summer and I'm sure he'll back you up and he'll understand any...need to keep up appearances."

"Really?" he asked, looking slightly more optimistic.

"Absolutely," she replied, "he's had to do it before. He'll understand. He loves you kid."

"I love him too," he admitted, "and you as well you stupid girl." He hugged her unexpectedly and she laughed, "This is starting to feel like a theme in my life. I love you. You're a moron." He chuckled and when he let go, she smiled, "I love you too Reggie. I hope you know that."

He nodded just as a book barely missed his head.

"Hey!" he practically shouted.

Sirius smirked, "Oh, good. I haven't gone invisible. Keep your hands off my girlfriend little brother or I'll have to hurt you."

Regulus rolled his eyes, "Oh yes Sirius. I've come to steal Ally away from you. I thought it would be nice to be with someone who would drive me insane."

Ally pushed him off the bed, "Thanks alot kid."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

She knocked on the door, preparing for the worst.

"Come in Ms. Prince," called Professor McGonagall. Ally took a deep breath and entered. The two of them stood staring at each other before her Head of House spoke, "Please tell me how you could be so incredibly idiotic?"

Alexis sat down, accepting that she would have to hear this lecture yet again, "I wanted to help my friends Professor and it was the only thing I could think of to do."

McGonagall stared at her for a moment before sitting down at her desk, "Be that as it may perhaps-"

"It would be best if I left the detective work to the professionals?" she offered, hoping to get this over with quickly.

"Precisely," she nodded, gracing her with a thin lipped smile, "You know I adore you Alexis as do your family and friends. We'd all like to keep you around."

"I'd like to stick around," she assured her.

The Professor nodded then looked down, "Alright now I have scheduled detentions for the rest of the year."

Alexis' jaw dropped and McGonagall continued, "I have scheduled once weekly detentions with each of the professors during which time you will do whatever they need. This should not interfere with your classes, your OWL progress or your quidditch. It will however cut into your social life but that is the price you have to pay for such a foolish choice."

Alexis had resigned herself to such a punishment, "Is there anything else Professor?"

Minerva McGonagall stared at the young witch in front of her and decided, "No."

Alexis sighed, thinking, it could be worse and headed for breakfast.

Upon entering the Great Hall, she made her way over to her friends.

"Coffee," she muttered as she placed her head on the table. Sirius poured her a cup and handed it over, "How bad?"

"Weekly detentions to last either all day Saturday or Sunday depending on the weekend's quidditch schedule until the end of term," she told him, as she took the cup from him.

"With who?" he asked, placing a couple of pieces of toast on her plate.

She frowned, "A different professor every week."

"Wow," he breathed as she took a bite of toast, "that's pretty intense." James glared at him and Sirius responded, "I didn't say she didn't deserve it. I just said that it was intense. It is. Can you imagine? Having to spend an entire day with a different professor every week?" He shuddered involuntarily.

She rolled her eyes. Sirius and Toni may have been willing to forgive her but the rest of them continued to express their disdain and disappointment at every turn. Now that she thought about it these detentions might be a blessing in disguise. She could get away from the constant criticizing. Sure, the professors would offer their opinions as well but that was fine. At least it wouldn't be the same professor every week.

They have to mellow out eventually, she thought as she followed her friends to Charms. After they entered the classroom, she rummaged through her bag and found a piece of parchment.

Sev's note, she thought, immediately feeling guilty. Hopefully, he wouldn't be too insulted. She ran through her weekly schedule and realized that Friday night would work best for her. How she was going to explain to Sirius and her friends that she was going to be gone for a couple of hours was a problem she wasn't looking forward to but if it meant getting to see her cousin and maybe even opening lines of communication again it was well worth it. She made a mental note to run into Regulus the first opportunity she got so that he could pass her response to Sev.

Incidentally, it was a very good thing that she had a meeting with her cousin to look forward to. When she entered Charms, she had a feeling that Professor Flitwick knew exactly what she had did in Hogsmeade and not just that she had broken the rules by going for a hike. By the end of class, she had no doubt.

"Ms. Prince, a word, please," he squeaked, "no dawdling Mr. Black, you'll want to be on time to your next class." Sirius cast her an apologetic look and she nodded that it was fine.

"Ms. Prince," the Professor began, "I'm sure you've heard this from your family and friends, the Headmaster and your Head of House but what you did was incredibly dangerous. There is a difference between bravely walking into battle and offering yourself up as a human sacrifice. What you did was undoubtedly the latter. Now I happen to know for a fact that you're a smart and talented witch. Don't let that famous Gryffindor bravery get you into trouble again. I shall see you Saturday for your detention."

"What will I be doing Professor?" she wondered.

He smiled slightly, "Oh I'm sure my first year class from Friday afternoon will provide you with ample opportunity to be of assistance."

"First year what?" she asked, hoping it would be Ravenclaw. In her experience, they were bound to be more successful than any other group.

"It's a double period," he informed her, "first year Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs."

Alexis groaned inwardly. She knew first year Gryffindors were more excited than anything else so you never knew what to expect...and the Hufflepuffs were...well, Hufflepuffs. She nodded and went in the direction of History of Magic.

"What did he say?" asked Toni as she took a seat next to her.

"I'm going to be spending this Saturday with him," she sighed, "cleaning up whatever mess the first years make Friday afternoon I'm sure."

"Which first years?" she asked, hoping to make her friend feel better.

"Hufflepuff and Gryffindor," her friend answered. Toni grimaced, "Sorry, it could be worse though."

"How?" she asked, reaching into her bag for a spare piece of parchment to take notes on.

"Could be Slytherins and Gryffindors," she shrugged. Ally nodded, "That's true."

Before they could continue their discussion, Professor Binns entered and began lecturing on the Goblin Rebellions. Knowing quite a bit about the topic, Alexis decided now would be a good time to write her response to her cousin's note.

Sev,

Don't worry. I won't be doing anything like that again. Trust me. I have detentions on the weekends to compliment my quidditch practice so I can meet you this Friday night. I'm going to Slughorn's party but I'm sure you'll be there too so we can sneak out early and chat.

I'm glad you want to talk to me again.

Ally

Toni nudged her, "Binns is looking at us. At least pretend to be listening or falling asleep."

She nodded and slid the note into her bag. She proceeded to open her History of Magic book (the one assigned by her professor and not the one that her grandfather gave her) and pretend to listen. After class, the Professor disappeared into the blackboard, "Could it be possible that I was lucky enough not to be assigned to Professor Binns for one of my detentions?"

"It's possible," granted Toni before James added, "He probably didn't want to hang out with a student all day."

Ally arched an eyebrow, very aware that this was the first time her cousin had spoken to her that day, "The feeling is more than mutual." As they walked to lunch, Alexis spotted Rose Fitzgerald and she hurried to catch up, leaving her friends confused.

"Rose!" she called. The young girl turned around, with a look very reminiscent of her oldest brother, "Hey Rose, do you know where Reggie is?"

Rose looked around before answering, "Oh, he just stepped out to have a spot of tea with dark wizards," the girl paused before adding, "oh, no wait. That's you."

Alexis rolled her eyes, "Are you done?"

"Are you?" the younger girl countered. Alexis nodded, "Yes, now then do you know when Regulus's next free period is?"

Rose appeared to be racking her brain before she answered, "This afternoon around three. I'm supposed to meet him at the library."

Alexis frowned, "I have Ancient Runes at that time. Do you think you could do me a favor?"

"Perhaps," Rose smirked, "depending on what it is. If it requires me to risk my life, I'm going to have to regretfully decline."

"It's nothing that dramatic," she smiled, "I need you to give him this note and then ask him to give it to my cousin."

"Um, you do know that you were just with James don't you?" she reminded, as though confused.

"My other cousin," she whispered, making sure no one could hear them.

Rose's eyes widened, "Oh...okay...are you sure?"

"Yes, Rosie I'm sure," she answered hurriedly, "thank you and thank Reggie for me will you? You're an angel."

"So I've been told," the girl muttered, seeming as though she didn't think it was a compliment which Alexis had fully intended it to be. She frowned, I'll deal with that later. As she sat down at the table, she determinately avoided eye contact with her friends lest she have to see their looks of disapproval. She glanced over at the Slytherin table and saw that Narcissa and Regulus appeared to be having a rather heated discussion. Interesting, she thought, very interesting.

She was inform about to inform Sirius of this when Ava Finnigan sat down in front of her and said, in an annoyed but humorless tone, "Well at least your detentions won't interfere with quidditch. A word of advice?" She continued before Ally could stop her, "Reign in your desire to climb mountains, will ya? McGonagall probably won't be so understanding next time."

The older girl shook her head and went to join her friends and her boyfriend of the week. Alexis noticed she seemed to have taken Sirius's two week rule to heart. Alexis shook her head, eventually even Ava would find her match.

Speaking of matches, Connor and Jane had taken the seats in front of Ally and Sirius. Fearing that the reason Connor had strayed from his seat at the Hufflepuff table was so that the two prefects could lecture her, she thought it best to just get it over with. She looked up to see one half of the happy couple looking less than happy.

"What's wrong Jane?" she asked, trying to keep the excitement at someone else having a problem out of her voice.

Jane rolled her eyes, "Connor is trying to convince me to accompany him to Slughorn's latest party and I'm trying to convince him I would rather chew off my own arm than do so."

"Have you gone to one since...," she trailed off, not wanting to remind Connor of the fact that Jane dated Sirius. Personally, she wasn't jealous but she thought that perhaps it was best not to remind Connor and Sirius of one of the many times they had gone up against each other.

"Since the one she went to with Black?" finished Connor, nonchalantly...or as nonchalantly as one could be with the vein in his neck throbbing, "No, she hasn't."

"Nor do I want to," Jane hissed, turning to Remus, "you understand, don't you? It was painful just being there," she turned to Toni as well, "tell him Toni."

Toni arched an eyebrow, "Well, considering that the one I went to forced me not only to hang out with Slughorn but to meet your dad as well, I think my memories might be slightly more painful but yes, Jane I absolutely understand your not wanting to go." She turned to Connor and continued, "You can always turn him down you know. Tell him you had to patrol or you got attacked by one of the creepy crawlies in the Forbidden Forest. Slughorn's so thick he'll probably believe you even without evidence...just in case though you might want to have someone bite you or beat you up or something."

While most of the group laughed hysterically, Ally and Lily tried to be a bit more diplomatic than Toni had been.

"Perhaps you could leave early?" offered Lily, "Ally's done it." At this she nodded, "Just tell him you have an early patrol or something. It's not like he can make you stay."

Jane stopped laughing long enough to comment, "If you promise that we can leave early, I will go with you."

"How about if around eight you start to come down with a mysterious illness that requires us to leave?" he suggested, hoping that she would accept this offer.

She nodded, "Works for me," she looked at Sirius and Ally, "will you two be there as well?"

Ally nodded, "Yes, you'll have at least two friendly faces there."

"Three," added Lily, "I'll be there of course."

"Like Slughorn would let you out of it," chuckled James. She rolled her eyes, "Not all of us have connections with the entire wizarding world Potter. Some of have to make them on our own."

James shrugged and returned to his food, not wanting to get into an argument with Lily...at least not today.

"So what's on the agenda for all the...," wondered Toni before pausing and turning to Remus, "I feel like we should have a name for our festivities as well."

Remus smirked slightly, "Well, my 'festivities' will include studying for Potions and Defense. I still haven't gotten those grades up-"

"No," interrupted Toni, shaking her head, "no talk of OWLs or studying or books or prefect duties or quidditch or anything remotely school related."

"So what will we be talking about at this gathering?" asked James, humoring her as he often did.

She smiled, "Nothing. We will talk about absolutely nothing of significance. It's going to be fantastic. Frank, Alice, Peter, Remus, James, me of course...who else...?"

She scanned the table, "Hey Ian, do you have to go to the Slug Club thing?"

Ian nodded, glumly, and Toni continued, "Want to get out of it?"

"I tried," he assured her, "he basically said nothing short of loss of limb would excuse me. Apparently, it's not enough to have one Fitzgerald. He has to have all of them."

"Tell me about it," commented Rose, "you would think as a first year I would get out of this whole thing but alas, no such luck. I tried to convince him I was a potions nightmare by blowing up my cauldron-"

"Been there, done that," commented Sirius which merited laughter from the other Marauders, Toni and even a smile from Ally.

Rose smirked, "But he just chalked it up to nerves. At least I won't have to go alone-"

"That's right," Connor interrupted, "you can go with Ian-"

"No, she can't," Ian muttered just as Rose hummed, "No I can't." The siblings exchanged looks and James muttered, "Shall will get out of the line of fire?" Most agreed but Sirius and Ally shook their heads. Knowing that their friends were incredible busybodies, the rest of the group left them there.

"What do you mean you can't?" Connor demanded, casting a glance at Sirius who immediately snapped, "Well, she's not going with me! Frankly she's a bit young for me and I don't think Al would-"

"Shut it Sirius," hissed Jane and Ally in unison. Connor stared at his little sister and she rolled her eyes, "Honestly Connor, I'm going with a friend. Relax."

"Is this friend a boy or a girl?" her oldest brother asked, clearly not relaxing.

"I think your question is 'is this friend a Black?'," amended Sirius, sparing a glance at his little brother.

Rose glared at him and Connor demanded, "Is it?"

She shrugged, "Yes, it's Reg. I'm not sure why it matters. We both found ourselves in a similar predicament: having to go to this stupid get together because of our last names. Why shouldn't we go together?"

"I'll tell you why," began Connor before Sirius interrupted, standing up suddenly, "Don't worry about it Fitzgerald. I've got it covered." Ally noticed Regulus had just left and Sirius seemed determined to follow him. "We'll be late for Ancient Runes," she attempted, grabbing her bag.

"Ancient Runes isn't for another hour," he countered, ignoring her protest.

Rose got up to follow, "Honestly, you'd think I had accused Reg of some sort of horrible crime."

"Where do you think you're going?" Connor demanded. R

ose arched an eyebrow, "I know precisely where I'm going. I'm going to stop Sirius before he makes a bigger prat of himself than he usually does." She grabbed her bag following in the direction of the others.

Before Connor could follow, Jane grabbed his arm and pulled him down, "Sirius is going to make a big enough scene all by himself. He does not need your help."

Connor stayed seated, seething for a moment when something occured to Jane, "Who are you taking Ian? You must be going with someone if you weren't willing to go with Rose."

At this Connor sat up and looked at his little brother who looked as though he wanted nothing more than to disappear.

"Well?" prodded Connor, suddenly curious. Before he could answer, Ava Finnigan leaned over Ian's shoulder and whispered, "I'll see you Friday night." She smiled widely, nodded to Connor and Jane and went to catch up with her friends who were leaving the Great Hall.

"Ava?" Connor managed once he regained the use of his voice, "Ava Finnigan?"

Ian tried his hardest to melt into the bench. When that didn't work, he answered, "Don't go thinking it's something it's not. I needed someone to keep me company at this ridiculous gathering and I spend so much time with Ava as is...she just made the most sense to ask."

"Right," agreed Jane before Connor added, "And the fact that she's a tall, smart, funny, gorgeous blonde who plays quidditch has nothing to do with it."

"No it doesn't," the younger boy muttered, "I know she's out of my league."

When Jane smiled, Connor stared at her as though she were insane, "You know who he needs to talk to?"

"Someone with a draught of confidence on hand?" he suggested.

She laughed, "Something like that." It took him a couple of moments before he realized who she was suggesting.

"No way," he practically shouted, "I can give him advice. He doesn't-"

"This is beyond advice," she countered, "this is about him learning to be sure of himself..and who better to teach him that then someone who never doubts himself?"

Before Connor could add anything else, Jane turned to Ian, "I think I might know someone who can help you."

"Really?" Ian asked, looking more hopeful than his brother had ever seen him look.

This was all it took for Connor to add, with a hint of a smirk, "Seriously."



For the record, I'm really bad at editing my own work not to mention it's really late, so if something doesn't make sense ask and I'll be more than happy to clarify.

[MarauderGrl]

Because this chapter took so long to get right, (I seriously had two versions that eventually got melded together [hopefully it makes sense; if not, please let me know]) I don't think I'll be finishing the fifth year before classes start up as I had originally planned. Oh well, I still have every intention of finishing it. On that note, enjoy!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“What do you think you’re going to accomplish other than looking like a complete prat?” demanded Alexis as she attempted to stop Sirius from pouncing on his brother.

“Regulus has got a lot to learn,” he muttered, seemingly to himself, “he can’t just hang around with whomever he wants. It will get back to them…”

In an attempt to remind her boyfriend of her presence, Alexis stepped in front of him, “Explain.”

He exhaled deeply, “He cannot take Rose to Slughorn’s party. Slughorn is an acquaintance of our parents. They invite him over to basically report on what Reggie is doing. He can’t honestly believe that Slughorn wouldn’t mention his being friends with a Fitzgerald to our parents. I’m sure you recall how Malachi Fitzgerald feels about the Blacks?”

She nodded and he continued, “Pales into comparison to how the Blacks feel about him…or more specifically, his wife. You think my family are bad when it comes to muggleborns and blood traitors? Take a moment to think about how they must feel about people who were blessed enough to be born Blacks and then throw it all away to run off with people of whom the family doesn’t approve.”

Alexis didn’t like to think about how the Blacks felt about people who had betrayed their family…it reminded her of the fact that just by being who he was, Sirius had ‘betrayed’ them and even though she would never say it aloud, she was constantly worried about how they would react when they found out Sirius planned to leave when he came of age…

“Al?” he asked, looking worried, “what’s wrong?”

She shook her head, “Nothing…other than the fact that you’re meddling in your little brother’s life. So what if he goes with Rose? It’s not like it means anything. They’re just friends.”

He rubbed his temples, apparently very frustrated by the fact that she didn’t understand, “Al, sweetheart, I love you but it’s times like this when you really show how naïve you are. I realize it’s not romantic. My parents will too. That’s beside the point. They will NOT tolerate another disappointment. If they find out that Reggie is friends with the descendant of someone who betrayed the family, there’s no telling what they will do. I need to talk to him and make him snap out of it.”

Alexis stared at him, “I don’t understand. I thought you’d be proud that Reg was taking a detour from the path that your family laid out for him.”

“That’s just it,” he interrupted, “he’s not. I don’t know what he’s thinking-”

“That makes two of us,” Narcissa Black added, as she joined them. Alexis wasn’t sure how to feel about the tall blonde standing before her. She didn’t trust her completely but after what Regulus had told her, she couldn’t exactly hate her either. She settled for ignoring her presence.

“I still don’t get it,” she stated bluntly, crossing her arms.

“You wouldn’t,” piped up Narcissa, “you’re not a Black.” She turned to Sirius, “We need to talk…but first we need to find Reggie and talk to him.”

“Fantastic,” commented Rose Fitzgerald as she reached them, “now he’ll have to listen to both of his you rant and rave about bloodlines. Has it ever occurred to either of you that maybe he just wants to be a normal student while he’s here? That maybe he’d enjoy not having to worry about how the family would react to the things that he does? Honestly, you’re not royalty.”

“Tell that to our family,” muttered Sirius as Narcissa shook her head, “Blacks don’t do normal. Not unless they want to be blasted off the family tree.”

“Literally,” added Sirius with a grimace.

Rose rolled her eyes, “People survive being disowned by the Black family. I would know.”

“Regulus doesn’t agree,” Narcissa told her, “he’s got a choice to make and he’s got to make it soon. Sirius is completely right in trying to stop this friendship the two of you have before it’s too late-”

“Too late for what?” demanded Rose hotly. Narcissa looked at the girl with something Ally thought resembled sympathy but she couldn’t be sure, “Too late for you.”

“Did you just threaten me?” Rose asked, eyes narrowed.

Narcissa frowned, “No. I was talking about your heart. I’m certain Regulus will choose the family and when he does, your little friendship will have to end…and I’m pretty sure severing ties with him will be incredibly painful for you. Sirius and I are trying to spare you.”

Sirius took a deep breath, “I never thought I’d say this but Cissa’s right.”

“Don’t you think you’re getting ahead of yourselves?” asked Rose, “shouldn’t you let Regulus make his own decisions?”

In spite of the fact that she felt like she had walked into an alternate universe, Ally knew neither she nor Rose were going to get through to Sirius or Narcissa. She looked at her watch, “It’s time to head for Ancient Runes.” Knowing that she had tried that before, he looked down at her watch, “Huh. We must’ve talked longer than I thought. Cissa, this afternoon before dinner, grab Reg and meet me on the grounds.”

She nodded, “Will do,” she paused before adding, “it’s good to be on the same team again Sirius…even if it is only for the moment.” Sirius arched an eyebrow but nodded all the same.

As they walked off in the direction of the Ancient Runes class, Rose turned on Narcissa, “I’m not scared of you. I just think you should know that.”

“I suppose it helps that I’m not particularly frightening,” she responded sarcastically, “my sister though…she’s the stuff of which nightmares are made. Good luck, little Fitzgerald, you’ll need it.” With that, she headed off towards her Potions class.

Rose rolled her eyes and went to meet Regulus in the library. At least I have a good excuse for being late, she thought.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“You must’ve misunderstood,” Regulus decided after he stopped reading the same paragraph he had been looking at for the past hour, “yes, that’s it. You’ve misunderstood.”

Rose looked affronted, “I was standing right in front of them. I’m not sure how I could’ve.”

He frowned, “Cissa and Sirius never agree on anything. Ever. Not even before Hogwarts when we all got along. You must be mistaken.”

“Well,” she sighed, grabbing his wrist and checking his watch, “you could always try and catch up with Sirius now. He should be getting out of Ancient Runes by now.”

After putting his books away, he turned to her, “You must’ve misunderstood Rose. That’s the only explanation.”

Just as she was about to protest, his cousin Narcissa appeared, seemingly out of nowhere.

“Come along Regulus,” she stated tersely, avoiding eye contact with Rose, “we’ve got to go meet Sirius.”

Regulus stared at her, sure he had heard wrong and Rose rolled her eyes, muttering, “I told you so.”

They walked in silence to one of the trees near the lake. Regulus was completely confused and wasn’t even bothering trying to figure out what was happening. A few moments later Sirius appeared, “Sorry I’m late. James and Ally didn’t want me to come by myself.” He turned to Narcissa, “Apparently, they thought you might pull a Trix and start cursing me.”

“You say that so nonchalantly,” she sighed, sadly, “like it’s no big deal. Like it doesn’t bother you in the least that Trix who once adored you with every fiber of her being…who once braved the wrath of your parents and ours on Christmas Eve because you accidentally caused the pudding to explode all over Mother’s immaculate dining room…is now-”

“Treating me with the same apathy and disdain with which she treats most everyone else?” he finished, indifferently, “why should it bother me?”

Narcissa’s eyes narrowed, “Don’t lie to me Sirius. I know it hurts to have her treat you this way. If you would just-”

“No Cissa,” he interrupted, “no way. I don’t want to be one of Voldemort’s minions and Trix has made her decision.”

His cousin frowned, “You know it’s not as bad as you make it out to be. If you just stop rebelling and be the man the family wants you to be-”

“A soulless elitist who thinks that being a Black makes you better than everyone else?” he finished angrily, “no thanks Cissa. That’s not who I am. It never has been and it never will be.”

“Be reasonable Sirius,” she pleaded, suddenly looking scared, “if you keep on the path that you’re on now they’ll have no choice but to disinherit you and when they do, you’ll be-”

“Fair game?” he offered.

“In danger,” she finished, her tone hushed, “You’re right. Trix is already following the Dark Lord’s instructions, so is my fiancé-”

“They’re not still going to make you marry him, are they?” he shuddered, thinking of Lucius Malfoy, “he’s such a pompous idiot…and you’ll have to have children with him. I mean they’ll be good looking kids, after all they’ll be Blacks,” Narcissa and Regulus laughed whilst Sirius smirked, “but what if they inherit his brains…or lack thereof?”

She shrugged, “It’s not like I have a choice.”

“You do!” he practically shouted, “you both do!” he added turning to his brother, “you don’t have to be like them. In spite of what you’ve said, I know neither of you actually believe this Voldemort rubbish, killing anyone who doesn’t fit into his master plan…you must see how insane it is.”

“Of course, it is,” Narcissa agreed, waving a hand dismissively, “but the point is we’re safe. Me, Regulus…all the Blacks really, we’re safe. Why would we risk that?”

“To do the right thing,” he replied simply, crossing his arms.

His cousin rolled her eyes, “It all sounds very noble when you say it like that but why? I mean what do you get out of it?”

Shaking his head, he answered in spite of himself, “Piece of mind, Cissa. I get piece of mind. I can live with myself knowing that I haven’t just stepped aside and let Voldemort do whatever he wants.”

Regulus and Narcissa stared at him before the latter finally spoke, “Well, I guess that makes you the better person.” Knowing that he wouldn’t be able to convince either of them that this wasn’t the case, he spoke again, “We’re not really talking about what we’re supposed to be talking about.”

“And what pray tell is that?” asked Regulus, fairly certain it had something to do with him.

“You,” confirmed Narcissa, “more specifically you and Rose Fitzgerald.”

“For the love of Merlin,” he groaned, “Rose and I are friends. What is the big deal?”

Narcissa deferred to Sirius who took the lead, “The big deal, little brother, is that you’ve just said you’re not willing to risk your safety…Hanging out with Rose definitely constitutes a risk.”

“If you’re talking about Connor and Ian,” he began to which Sirius laughed his bark like laugh, “I’m not worried about the Brothers Fitzgerald. They seem to be warming up to me-”

“And even if they weren’t Prince and Thompson have quite a hold over them,” finished Narcissa, looking at her nails.

Sirius chose to ignore the idea that his girlfriend had some sort of influence over Connor Fitzgerald and continued, “This is more about our family than hers.”

“What do you mean?” his brother asked, clearly confused.

Sirius rolled his eyes, “Alright I know since I’m the black sheep,” Narcissa smirked, “you don’t really understand what it’s like to be on the family’s bad side. Allow me to explain. The family is NOT going to take kindly to you and Rose going to Slughorn’s party together. Chances are on one of his visits he will let it slip and then Mother and Father will punish you for fraternizing with blood traitors...or whatever it is the Fitzgeralds would be considered. Do you remember that letter they sent you after those Slytherins attacked you?” He cleared his throat and did a frighteningly accurate imitation of their father, “I expect this kind of rubbish from your brother but not from you.” He adopted his normal voice, “Do you really want to get into that kind of trouble? You don’t have to go with anyone. You can just meet Rose there.”

“I don’t want to hurt her feelings,” his little brother muttered, “she’s my friend.”

Sirius groaned loudly in exasperation, “You don’t want to hurt your friend’s feelings about a party and that makes perfect sense to you. But my desire to protect my friends from people like our family is completely incomprehensible! Ugh,” he turned to Narcissa, “I hate our family.”

She smiled, a smile reminiscent of the one she used to give him when they were younger, “At least you don’t have to marry Alex after all.”

Sirius smirked, “Did Reggie tell you Ally found out about that?”

“No!” she laughed, “what happened?”

He rolled his eyes, “She got all moody and asked if I was going to do it. Honestly, I love her but sometimes she’s completely off her rocker.”

“Yes, from what I understand she goes around arranging meetings with the Dark Lord,” commented Narcissa wryly, “not exactly the kind of thing a sane person does.”

He frowned, “Too true.” He paused and in spite of himself asked, “What did Trix’s letter say?”

She sighed, “Basically it said you were making a huge mistake choosing Ally and James over your real family and that hopefully after risking your life because of her stupidity you’d realize it and come back to the family. I haven’t had the heart to write back and tell her it didn’t happen.”

He smirked, rubbing his palms together, “Allow me.”

“No,” she hissed, smacking him on the back of the head, “You’ve got to learn how to keep your mouth shut Sirius. I swear you wouldn’t get into half the trouble you get into both here and at home if you’d just learn when to shut it.”

“Hey,” he glared, rubbing the back of his head, “that hurt.” She smiled sadly, “I’m going to miss seeing you Sirius…even if it is few and far between like it has been.”

He wrapped an arm around her, “If you decide you want to leave, I’m here for you Cissa…and,” he paused unsure whether or not to continue, “and I know Andi would be too.”

She exhaled deeply, “I still can’t believe she’s living with him. I miss her so much.”

“They’re engaged you know,” he whispered, still not sure if this was the best conversation to have.

A tear went down the side of her face, “I know. It’s so unfair. Why? Why can’t the two of you just be…like the rest of us? Why do you have to be so difficult?”

“Why do you ask questions you don’t want the answer to?” he demanded, temper flaring.

“I guess I just want to understand what could be worth risking everything you have,” she answered honestly.

He stared at her for a second as though measuring her sincerity before replying, “We both realized that what we had didn’t compare to what we found. Andi found love with someone she wasn’t expecting and she wasn’t willing to give it up for reasons that didn’t make sense to her.”

“And you?” she pressed, still genuinely curious.

“I had started to question the family way before I got here and when I was being sorted, the hat seemed to pick up on the fact that I wanted to prove that I wasn‘t just another Black. Being sorted into Gryffindor was the catalyst. It showed me that I could be different,” he shrugged, “and I found people who liked me for who I was. My friends made all the difference. They showed me that there were people out there willing to see the good in others, no matter what their last name was. I’ll owe them for that forever.”

“But what about the family?” she asked, “they love you Sirius.”

He shook his head, “They loved the idea of the obedient first born son that would cement the family legacy and follow their every wish. I don’t think they ever loved me…but that’s fine. I have people who love me now.”

“We love you Sirius,” countered his cousin, her voice barely more than a whisper, “me, Reggie, Trix, Andi…we love you.”

As much as it pained him to say it, he admitted, “I love you too all of you…even Trix a little bit but that doesn’t change anything. I’m still on my way to being disinherited…Andi already has been. I think it’s time for you to wake up Cissy and realize that we’ve all chosen our paths…and they just don’t lead back to the happy family the five of us used to be. I’m sorry. If either of you ever decide to change your minds, Andi and I are here for you.”

The three of them sat in silence as they watched the sun set.

“Alright, you win,” Regulus said suddenly, “I’ll talk to Rose and meet her at Slughorn’s party…and I promise not to give Slughorn any ideas. I’ll invite someone else.”

Sirius and Narcissa exchanged a look then Sirius nodded, “Good call. Just make sure you explain it to Rose.” He looked down at his watch, “We should head to dinner.” His brother and cousin nodded and the boys helped Narcissa off the ground.

She dusted off her robes, “I can’t believe I let the two of you talk me into sitting on the ground. My robes are filthy.” The boys chuckled as the three of them walked back to the castle. When they made it to the Great Hall, they noticed a bit of unwanted attention from their respective houses.

“I’ve got it covered,” muttered Narcissa out of the corner of her mouth as she grabbed Regulus’s hand and pulled him over to the Slytherin table in a rather dramatic fashion.

Sirius had to smile, no one ever gave Cissa the credit she deserved.

As he sat down, he couldn’t ignore the looks he was getting from his friends. They all had enough tact not to say anything. Connor and Ian Fitzgerald on the other hand…

“Going over to the dark side?” asked Connor as he sat down to the left of him.

To his right, Ian arched an eyebrow, “What was that?”

“That was my doing you both a favour,” he shrugged, emptying his goblet of pumpkin juice.

Connor eyed him disbelievingly, “Please enlighten us.”

“You’ll see,” he answered cryptically.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

After meeting with Regulus the next afternoon, Rose marched into her room, muttering to herself angrily.

“What’s got you all hot and bothered?” her best friend and roommate Eleanor Kennedy asked, looking up from her Herbology homework.

“Elle,” she gasped, “you startled me.” Elle arched an eyebrow and she shook her head, “Forget it.”

“Can’t,” she shrugged, moving her books aside and reaching for her pillow.

“Using that pillow can’t be sanitary you know,” she commented, looking for a way to throw her friend for a loop. She could tell it was working because Elle’s arms tightened around the pillow and she had her best ‘well I never face’ on, “I’ll have you know that my future husband is very clean…as is his pillow.”

“I still can’t believe you snuck into their room and switched his pillow with yours without anyone noticing,” she laughed, recalling her friend’s look of triumph after she returned from a not too well thought out dare.

Elle grinned, “I still can’t believe my luck. He had tossed the pillow off the bed so the switch was easy. I was more worried about getting caught. I thought for sure they’d be able to hear someone sneaking in…”

“Me too,” agreed Rose, “I’m actually shocked they don’t have intruder charms.”

“We can both guess why they don’t,” her best friend commented, eyes alight with mischief.

Rose decided to humour her, “Why is that?”

“It’s obvious, Ro,” she laughed, running a hand through her hair, “if they had an intruder charm, it would go off every time Alexis Prince snuck over to visit Sirius Black.”

Rose could see a light bulb go off over her friend’s head and she immediately put the kibosh on whatever idea her friend had, “No!”

Elle stuck out her bottom lip, “You didn’t even let me-”

“No!” Rose repeated.

“But if-”

“No!”

“Oh Ro, you’re no fun,” she groaned, “keep it up and you’ll be a prefect!”

“Your future husband is a prefect,” Rose pointed out.

Elle stuck her tongue out before adding, “Only because the other three are complete idiots.”

“James and Sirius are practically first in their year for everything,” countered Rose.

Her friend waved a hand dismissively, “I didn’t mean that Potter and Black weren’t talented. There’s no denying that. I’m talking about the pranks. I mean they always do stuff that is so obviously their handiwork. They don’t even bother to hide it. They may as well put ‘This prank brought to you courtesy of the Marauders’ on the foreheads of the people they pull one over on. Remus on the other hand,” a dreamy look crossed her face and Rose interrupted, “You do realize that James and Sirius probably want to get caught right?”


“Thank you for making my point,” she nodded, snapping out of her daydream, “Idiots.”

Rose couldn’t argue with that and Elle seemed to sense it, “Now as much as I love talking about my future husband, I have a feeling he wasn’t the one who upset you.”

Rose glared at her and she shrugged, “You’re easy to read Ro.”

“Oh alright,” she hissed, “you win. Regulus found me the other day and told me that he was just going to meet me at Slughorn’s party. I guess so that way it wouldn’t look like a date. Anyway, today I go to the library hoping to run into him and finalize plans, you know make sure we get there around the same time and what do you think he’s doing?”

“Snogging a third year Ravenclaw,” finished Elle quickly.

“How did you know that?” she demanded. Her friend shrugged, “Liam saw them.”

Rose arched an eyebrow, “I didn’t see Liam there.”

“You wouldn’t have,” she reminded her, “according to Liam you ran out of the library before he could catch up to you…so he came to find me. It was rather easy, the whole twin thing really worked to our advantage. Anyway, he came to find me so I could be here when you needed to talk.”

“Well, if you knew,” she groaned, throwing herself onto her bed, “why did you ask?”

Her friend shrugged, “I was going to let you vent but you took so long beating around the bush that I decided to cut through it. I’ve even got a plan.”

“There are no scarier words in the world to hear coming from you,” the other girl sighed before asking in spite of herself, “What’s the plan?”

Elle grinned, “Why don’t you take Liam?”

Rose paused, “You know, that’s not the worst idea you’ve ever had.”

“Keep that up,” warned Elle, jokingly, “and I’ll tell Liam not to go with you Friday night.”

Rose arched an eyebrow, “Perhaps I ought to go talk to your twin right now so he can’t back out of it.” Her friend smiled and returned to her homework. As Rose left the girl’s dormitory, she entered the common room. Seeing the Marauders in the corner, she hoped they wouldn’t notice her. Luckily, they appeared to be absorbed in something else. Probably a prank, she thought. She walked into the boy’s dormitory and stopped on the first floor. Knocking gently on the door, she hoped that Liam was alone. Again, luck was on her side.

“Hey Rose,” Liam Kennedy smiled, as he opened the door. His blue eyes and blonde hair, very different from his sister’s dark hair and green eyes, made him look rather un Irish for someone with a name like his but according to Elle, Liam took after their mum whereas she took after their father. Rose always thought it was weird that twins should look so different but the twins had explained that they were fraternal, not identical.

“What can I do for you?” he asked, moving his books so she could take a seat on his bed.

Rose smiled, “Well, I was kind of hoping you could do me a favour…it’s a big one but considering I don’t have many guy friends…”

“You want me to come to Slughorn’s party with you,” he guessed.

She looked up at him, “How did you know that? Did Elle tell you?”

“No,” he answered honestly, avoiding eye contact.

“You just guessed?” she asked, sighing heavily.

“Well, considering what I witnessed at the library, I figured you‘d need another option,” he confessed to his Herbology book before looking up, “I’m sorry he turned out to be such a-”

“Thanks Liam,” she interrupted, not really up to discussing Regulus with anyone but Elle, “so will you come?”

Liam shrugged, “Sure why not? We might even be able to convince the elitist not to invite you anymore…I mean you’re friends with muggleborns-”

“Perish the thought!” she added, jokingly before adding in a more serious tone, “I wish that were the case. He appears to make exceptions for some. From what I hear, he’s been worshipping the ground Lily Evans walks on since she got here.”

“Who wouldn’t?” asked Liam without thinking. He turned bright red and Rose laughed, “You and Elle are going to be the death of me. Seriously, with your crush on Lily and her crush on Remus Lupin…what is with you two? I mean they’re fifth years!”

“Age is nothing but a number,” he responded. She shook her head, “At least Lupin is single, you’ll have to fight James Potter for Evans…” she paused before turning to him and adding, “Actually, I would pay a lot of money to see that .”

“I don’t much fancy going up against James Potter in a duel,” he confessed, as she feigned disappointment, “from what I hear, the only people who can out duel him are his cousin and Sirius Black.”

“I’ve heard that too,” she nodded, “don’t know if it’s true though. I suppose the only people that do are the other fifth year Gryffindors. Well, I have to head back over to my dormitory and hopefully get some work done.” She stood up and he walked her to the door. She smiled slightly at his chivalry until he proceeded to follow her.

“I can make it back to my dormitory,” she assured him. He smirked, “I’m sure you can. This is more about me getting my Defence book. I left it in the common room earlier.”

This time when they entered the common room all of the Gryffindor fifth years were sitting in the corner that had been previously occupied by only the boys.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” he groaned. Rose turned to him, “What?”

“My defence book is under the couch that is currently occupied by-” Rose looked over and saw Lupin, Potter, and Black sitting on the large sofa while Pettigrew occupied a spot on the floor and the girls sat at the table.

“I’ll get it,” she told him, “it’s the least I can do for someone willing to sit through a Slughorn party with me.” She walked over and when Sirius caught sight of her, he stood up and embraced her while simultaneously shouting, “Little Fitzgerald!”

James grabbed his shirt which placed him back on the sofa, “Give her a break, Padfoot.”

“Thanks James,” she smiled, as she bent down to get Liam’s book.

“Looking for something?” asked Remus lightly. Rose paused, realizing the book was no longer under the couch.

“Yes,” she smirked, “I assume you have it?” Remus smiled and handed her the book before adding, “Liam needn’t be afraid of us.”

“Yeah, we don’t bite,” blurted James stupidly before Alexis deadpanned without looking up, “Speak for yourself cuz.”

There was a chorus of disgusted noises while Rose motioned Liam over. Blushing furiously, the young boy joined them. Sirius and James exchanged a look of knowing which caused him to blush even more and provoked Toni into throwing a rolled up piece of parchment at them, “Give him a break,” she added before turning to Liam, “You’re Liam Kennedy right? Elle’s twin?”

Liam nodded, “You know Elle?”

“We’ve had the privilege,” Alice commented, not looking up from her work.

Alexis finished the sentence she was writing before looking up and smiling, “Any friend of Rosie’s is a friend of ours.” Liam smiled, and seemed to return to his normal colour, “Thanks. I actually have to get back to my homework.” He muttered a sarcastic ‘thanks’ to Rose before heading back to the boys’ dormitory.

“Any particular reason you were coming out of the boys’ dormitory Ms. Fitzgerald?” asked Remus in the voice that Sirius and James had christened his ‘professor voice’.

Ally rolled her eyes, “Give her a break Rem. It wasn’t anything-”

“I’m sure it was nothing like what happens when you enter our dormitory,” he interrupted lightly.

Ally’s eyes narrowed, “Sleep with one eye open, Lupin.”

The group responded by making a symphony of weirdest noises know to man and Remus replied, not even bothering to look up, “I don’t think that’s entirely appropriate in front of Padfoot here.”

Alexis couldn’t help but smirk, “Oh, you’ve caught me Rem. I was totally planning to sneak into your room and ravage you.”

“My ears!” yelled James dramatically, “my ears! Quick someone erase my memory!”

“There are impressionable people around Al,” Lily scolded, “perhaps you ought to censor yourself.”

“Good luck with that,” muttered Toni just as Rose said, “I’ve heard worse.”

Rose frowned, “I’ll just be taking my leave.”

“Hey if you need anything-” Ally began.

“I know,” the young girl replied, “Thanks.” Alexis smiled and Rose left.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

That Friday night, in spite of herself, Ally was actually looking forward to Slughorn’s party if for no other reason than afterwards, she would get to talk to her cousin. Severus had written back that he would meet her towards the end of the party and then they could go from there. Ally knew it was stupid to get her hopes up but she really wanted him to come to his senses. She shook her head as she finished getting ready. As usual, the party gave her the chance to indulge her girly side. After much debate, she had decided on a simple knee length violet dress with a beaded empire waist and a matching beaded circular neckline that made a necklace unnecessary. The dress was made of silk so it flowed away from her. Her outfit was nothing compared to Lily’s, however, much to her surprise. The usually simple Lily had chosen a white chiffon halter dress and a pair of red peep toe heels.

“Um Lils?” she whispered as she reached for her strappy black heels that complimented the colour of the beading on her dress, “what’s with the ensemble?”

The colour rose in Lily’s cheeks as she answered, “I’m kind of hoping that I get the attention of someone tonight.”

“You’ll be getting the attention of everyone tonight,” she assured her as she checked her hair. Toni had done an amazingly meticulous job, her hair perfectly smooth in the front and the curls of the up do perfectly set in back. She knew Sirius wouldn’t particularly like her hair being so immaculately done as it meant that he wouldn’t be able to touch it. Smiling slightly, another thought occurred to her, “This attention that you’re hoping to receive. Anyone in particular?”

Lily adjusted the messy chignon at the base of her neck before turning to her friend, “Promise not to say anything?”

“Who would I tell?” she asked, shifting guiltily sure she knew exactly who Lily was thinking. Could she really help it if she told Sirius everything?

Lily smirked, “It’s not about you telling people so much as I’d rather not hear your opinion. No offence,” she added, seeing that she had inadvertently hurt her friend, “it’s just well. It’s not a big deal. I’m not trying to date him. I just want to have some fun.”

“Right,” her friend agreed, now immensely curious, “who is it?”

“Grant McLaggen,” she confessed quickly. Alexis smiled, “The head boy?”

“Yes,” she nodded, “we’ve been flirting and well he’s leaving at the end of term anyway…” Alexis understood what her friend was getting at. She’d done it before. Sometimes a girl just needs a cute guy to snog, she thought, flashing back to the one time she’d let that feeling get the best of her. She immediately shook her head, thinking of the time she found herself in a very compromising position with Connor Fitzgerald was definitely NOT what she needed to be doing.

“Let’s go meet Sirius,” Alexis decided, suddenly, “I’m pretty sure we’ll run into others who are headed in our direction as well.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Alright, now, what’s the rule?” Sirius asked, as he adjusted Ian’s tie. Connor rolled his eyes and Ian answered, “I am who I am. If she doesn’t like it, it’s her loss.”

“Exactly,” nodded Sirius, “if, and I say if because it probably won’t happen, but if you start to doubt yourself just repeat the rule.” He paused before adding, “In your head of course. If you repeat it aloud Ava might think you‘re a nutter. Any questions?”

“No,” Ian shook his head, “I think I’m good.” He looked from Connor to Sirius, “Thanks guys. I’m feeling good.”

“That’s great little brother,” Connor nodded, before looking at his watch, “we should head down. Jane and the girls should be ready by now.” Sirius nodded and grabbed his jacket. Ian looked over at him, “Why aren’t you wearing a tie?”

Sirius shook his head, “I’m not really a tie kind of guy but trust me, with a girl like Ava, you want to wear a tie.”

Connor and Ian exchanged a look of confusion and he repeated, “Trust me.”

The brothers nodded and followed him down the stairs. Surprisingly, the girls were already waiting.

“You’re ready before me?” Sirius called, wrapping an arm around Ally and pulling her towards him, “This is definitely a first.” She reached up, which made easier by her footwear choice, and pulled him into a kiss.

“There are impressionable students in this room,” Toni called as she, James, Remus, Peter, Alice and Frank entered through the portrait hole. They were each holding either food, drinks, or decorations. James made a retching noise and Ally and Sirius stepped away from each other.

“You’re going to wish you had stayed,” smirked Toni as she and the rest of the group started setting up their own soiree.

“Trust me,” Rose said as she entered the room, “I already do.” Rose was wearing a dark blue sweater and a black skirt with black flats.

“You look lovely,” Alexis told her. Rose arched an eyebrow, “Right back at you. You look beautiful.” She turned to Lily, “Both of you.” Lily smiled.

“Sorry, I was running late,” Ava confessed as she entered the room. Ally was stunned into silence. Tomboy Ava was wearing a rather short strapless bright yellow dress and a pair of bright blue flats. She sighed slightly to herself. There were certain wardrobe choices that only girls who looked like Ava could make work. Ian finally managed to speak, “Ava, you look wonderful.”

“Thank you, Ian,” she smiled, linking arms with him, “let’s get this show on the road!” Ian and Ava headed towards the portrait hole followed by Connor and Jane, who looked very pretty in a simple light pink dress and gold flats.

“Sorry I’m late,” Liam muttered as he entered the common room. He turned to Rose, “I don’t have to wear a tie, do I?”

“Absolutely not,” she assured him, as she grasped his hand and followed her brothers and their dates.

“Well, Evans,” Sirius grinned, offering her an arm, “would you like for me to escort you as well? I’m sure Ally wouldn’t mind.” Alexis rolled her eyes and Lily actually laughed, “No thanks Black. I know my way to the dungeons.” She turned to Toni and Remus and added, “Make sure you break this up before it gets too late. I don’t want the noise keeping people awake or bringing McGonagall-”

“We know, Lily,” Remus told her, rolling his eyes, “honestly, you’d think you were the only Gryffindor prefect.”

Lily arched an eyebrow, “Alright Rem. I get it. Sorry. Have fun!”

“But not too much fun right?” countered Toni as she stood on a table, pointing her wand at a shiny silver disco ball.

Lily laughed, “Oh what the hell. Have as much fun as you want. I won’t be here to take the fall if you get in trouble.” With that, she walked out of the room leaving a very surprised group in her wake.

“Have fun tonight,” repeated Ally as she and Sirius made their way out of Gryffindor tower.

“What’s going on with Evans?” asked Sirius as they walked towards the dungeons. Ally shrugged, “Nothing. I think she’s just tired of being the responsible one. Every now and then a girl’s got to let her hair down.” Sirius smirked as he pointed at her perfectly coiffed head, “I guess today’s not a now or a then.”

She stuck out her tongue, “I happen to love it. Toni’s a natural.” He poked her hair, “Yes, but it’s a shame your hair doesn’t appear to be natural at the moment.” She smacked his hand, “Rude.”

“Just promise me that later you will let your hair down,” he asked, in what could only be considered a suggestive tone. She smirked, “I should’ve known you’d go there.”

“I can’t help it,” he smirked, her favourite smirk, wrapping an arm around her waist. She smiled and pulled him into the nearest classroom, “Try not to touch the hair,” she added.

“What took you two so long?” asked Lily as they entered the dungeon half an hour later.

“We had to…,” she paused, looking to Sirius for help.

Looking around the room, he unhelpfully answered, “We took a little detour.”

“Say no more,” Lily laughed. Sirius gestured to the punch bowl and Alexis nodded. As he walked away, she started to survey the room before she spotted Grant McLaggen talking to one of his friends. She nudged Lily, “Now’s your chance.” Lily turned to her friend, “How do I look?”

“Fantastic,” she answered, honestly. Lily smiled and headed over to where Grant was standing. Sirius returned and handed his girlfriend a glass of punch, “So McLaggen’s the reason…”

“The reason what?” she asked before taking a sip of her drink. He smiled, “The reason Evans is dressed the way she is, the reason she was so cheerful earlier, the reason you made the hair comment.”

“Don’t go making something out of nothing,” she warned, “it’s just…”

“An attraction thing?” he offered. She nodded, “Exactly. I’m sure you remember-”

“Hey,” Connor interrupted, looking rather pleased, “I’ve got to give you credit where credit is due.” He pointed over at Ian and Ava who were dancing quite close and laughing.

Sirius smirked, “I didn’t do anything.”

“What’s going on?” Ally wondered aloud.

Connor turned to her, smiling in spite of himself, “I’m surprised he hasn’t told you.”

“I don’t like to brag,” shrugged Sirius which caused Jane to laugh, “Since when?”

He frowned, “You wound me Ms. Thompson.”

“Aw, poor Sirius,” she laughed before adding, “how about if I promise you a dance as a peace offering?”

He smirked, “That just might work. I want to see my handiwork.” He turned to Connor, “Fill Ally in will you?”

Connor nodded and Sirius led Jane to the dance floor.

“Alright,” she hissed, very suspicious, “what’s going on here? You and Sirius are acting civil…almost friendly. It’s creeping me out.”

Connor laughed, “Black and I have been getting along quite well lately. He’s did Ian a solid today and I really appreciate it. Turns out you and Jane may have been right. Looks like he might not be such a bad guy after all.”

“Can I get that in writing?” she asked, after her shock wore off.

“You’re hilarious,” he smirked, glancing over at the dance floor where Sirius was currently sharing a dance with Ava and Jane was dancing with Connor. The song was fun and fast paced which seemed to allow Jane and Sirius to interrogate their respective partners.

“What exactly did Sirius do for Ian?” she asked, watching the duos interact.

“Well, Ian’s not exactly the boldest of guys,” he began.

She arched an eyebrow, “It must skip a generation.”

“Anyhow,” he continued, ignoring her interruption, “well, Jane had this theory that maybe if Ian got a pep talk from the King of Confidence-”

“Also known as the King of Arrogance,” she added helpfully, recalling one of the nicer nicknames he had given Sirius.

“Yes, well, everything seems to be working out for the best,” he observed as Jane and Sirius reunited as partners and Ava and Ian did the same. Alexis looked over and noticed that Rose and her guest appeared to have decided to make their way to the dance floor as well.

“So how do you feel about Rose’s escort?” she asked, smiling slightly.

“Liam‘s a good kid,” he answered, a smile creeping onto his face, “Smart, got his head on straight…”

“You like him a lot, don’t you?” she laughed.

Connor smiled, “Yes. He’s a good person. He offered to accompany Rosie tonight after he witnessed Regulus Black’s less than stellar behaviour this afternoon.”

“What happened?” she wondered, attempting to recall any gossip she may have heard earlier that day.

“Rose went to meet him at the library,” he muttered, cracking his knuckles threateningly while looking over at Regulus’s table where he seemed to be attempting to remove his date‘s face with his lips, “to figure out when they were going to meet here and what should she witness but young Mr. Black snogging the Ravenclaw that he’s here with tonight. Liam saw and he and his sister decided that he would be Rosie’s escort so she could have a buffer if he had the nerve to bother her. He hasn’t yet.”

“I can’t imagine why,” she commented sarcastically.

He turned to face her, “He just proved himself to be the kind of kid Ian and I thought he was. I’m just glad Rosie didn’t date him. It was just a little crush. She’ll get over him and hopefully be a lot wiser.”

“Making romantic mistakes doesn’t exactly make you wiser,” she reminded him, “you can’t help who you fall in love with.”

“So I’ve heard,” he smirked, before asking, “you are happy with him though, aren’t you?”

“Most of the time,” she answered bluntly, “and you and Jane?”

“Jane’s the best,” he nodded, “she’s smart, funny, beautiful…”

“Have you told your parents about her?” she inquired in the most innocent tone she could manage.

“How much did Rosie tell you?” he groaned.

“Pretty much everything,” she shrugged, “she trusts me.”

“She told me you’re like the big sister she always wanted,” he confessed, a weird look crossing his face.

“And she’s like the little sister I never had,” agreed Alexis, casting a look at the young girl and smiling, “she’s a sweetheart.”

She noticed the weird look had yet to leave his face, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” he responded quickly.

“Come on Fitzgerald, spill,” she demanded.

He sighed heavily, “I just wish she liked Jane as much as she likes you.”

“She adores Jane,” she assured him quickly. He nodded, “Oh, I know…I just think she likes you more.”

She frowned, “I’m sure that’s not true. Jane is a wonderful person…a much better person than I am.”

Connor shook his head but decided not to comment. She couldn’t stand the awkwardness, “Come on, let’s dance.”

They reached the dance floor and a familiar song came on. She laughed, “Looks like Professor Slughorn doesn’t have very many records.”

He smirked, “At least this time you’re not looking at me like you want to curse me.”

“Yes, well at least this time you’re not acting like a world class git,” she countered, sticking her tongue out at him.

“Touché, Al,” he chuckled, wrapping an arm around her and pulling him to her. Alexis had forgotten how strong the attraction between the two of them was. Being in such close proximity definitely wasn’t a good idea but considering the fact that she had been the one to suggest that they dance, she was stuck. As soon as the song ended, she excused herself and headed over to the punch bowl. After a moment, her cousin appeared at her side.

As he reached for a cup, he muttered, “Find me when you’re ready.”

“Will do,” she promised. He poured a glass and walked back over to a group of Slytherins that included Mulciber, Macnair, Narcissa Black and Regulus who apparently seemed to have found a date with amazing lung capacity. Way to keep it classy, Reg, she thought, I really hope Rose doesn’t see that.

Luckily, at that moment, Professor Slughorn decided to give his usual toast of welcome.

“Hello, everyone!” he called after tapping his glass loudly to get everyone’s attention. “I’d like to welcome you all to our last gathering before the end of term. I really am very pleased to have all of you here and I’m incredibly grateful that my older students have made room in their busy schedules for this little soiree,” at this point, he spared a glance in the direction of Ally, Sirius and Connor, “that being said, I hope you all enjoy this evening’s festivities.”

The group clapped and Ally turned to Sirius, “We’re not going to get out of here early are we?”

“Not likely,” he muttered, as Slughorn came over to them.

“Mr. Black,” he began, “Ms. Prince,” he added, “I’m so pleased that the two of you managed to squeeze me in to your busy schedules.”

“It was no problem,” Alexis assured him, “we haven’t been getting out much…studying for OWLs you know-”

“Well then you must enjoy yourselves while you have the chance,” the Professor informed them before heading off to make his rounds.

“You heard him,” said Sirius, pulling her close to him and dragging her onto the dance floor. Unlike the last time they danced together at one of Slughorn‘s soirees, this time they were extremely close and completely absorbed in one another.

“It’s sickening,” Severus muttered, sitting down next to Narcissa who seemed completely apathetic to everything going on around her.

“It must be nice,” she whispered to no one in particular. Severus stared at her but decided to ignore her outburst. She probably didn’t even realize she had said it aloud.

“Well you two look absolutely thrilled to be here,” Regulus commented, as he joined them apparently able to separate himself from the Ravenclaw he had brought with him.

“Where’s your date?” demanded Narcissa, breaking out of her daze and looking around.

Regulus groaned, “Relax Cissa. She’s around here somewhere. I just needed a break. She’s a good snog but Merlin is she boring!”

Narcissa seemed to calm down slightly, “Just don’t allow yourself to get distracted.”

“By what?” he asked, clearly confused. Narcissa rolled her eyes, “The youngest Fitzgerald.”

Regulus shook his head, “If Rose was here, I would’ve noticed by now.”

“Unlikely,” countered Severus, “seeing as this is the first time you’ve come up for air since we got here.” Regulus was scanning through room when his eyes landed on Rose. He couldn’t help but notice that she looked very pretty but Narcissa had been right. The Fitzgeralds were no good. There was a reason they had been banished from the family. They weren’t even pureblood anymore. As he stared, Rose seemed to sense his eyes on her. She looked up from her conversation meeting his eyes for a split second before immediately returning to the conversation and deliberately avoiding eye contact with him.

I won’t leave early, she thought, I won’t let him think he’s gotten to me. I can do this. I have Liam and my brothers and Jane and Ally. I’ll be fine.

“You’ll be fine,” repeated a female voice as Jane took a seat next to her.

“You certainly will,” added Ally as she joined them.

“Ian and Ava really seem to be hitting it off,” commented Sirius as took the seat next to her, completely oblivious to the faces of the girls around him. As the group looked up to watch the duo’s progress, they spotted Ava pulling Ian, by the tie, out of the room.

Alexis and Jane exchanged a look while Sirius and Connor were less subtle, choosing to high five instead.

“Well done,” praised Connor. Sirius bowed, “Thank you, thank you.”

“Don’t inflate his already massive ego,” a wry voice commented as Lily joined them.

“Punch?” Alexis offered, hoping to be filled in on the details of her friend’s evening.

“Punch,” agreed Lily, leading her friend by the hand.

Alexis turned to her the minute they reached the punch bowl, “So? How’s it going?”

“Really well,” Lily nodded, “he’s funny and gorgeous. At the moment, that’s all he needs to be.”

“So has there been snogging yet?” her friend asked bluntly.

Lily rolled her eyes, “You’ve been hanging around Black too much.”

Determined to show her maturity, she stuck out her tongue before demanding, “So has there?”

“Not yet,” she admitted, “but there will be. We were just going to sneak out early. Do you think anyone will notice?”

“Nope,” she confirmed, “now that Sirius and I are here you rank third, possibly fourth on the importance scale.”

“Ha,” scoffed Lily, “unlikely.”

“True,” her friend granted, “but I will try my best to make sure you are not missed.”

Lily embraced her friend quickly, “You’re the best Al.”

“So I’ve heard,” she deadpanned, grabbing two glasses of punch before heading back over to her group which had returned to their table.

“You haven’t thanked me for Rosie and Reg’s situation,” Sirius was pouting as Ally joined the table. “What are you talking about?” she demanded, a sense of unease creeping into her mind.

Sirius practically jumped out of his seat, “Darling, I didn’t see you there.”

“Obviously,” she growled, “I’ll repeat my question: what are you talking about? What did you do?”

He shifted uneasily as Jane and Connor looked on in interest, “Narcissa and I had a little chat with Reggie and made him realize that hanging out with Rose wasn’t good for either one of them-”

“That’s not really your choice to make is it?” she interrupted.

“No,” he admitted, “and I didn’t make it. Cissa and I just advised him. It’s not my fault if he took the advice.”

She crossed her arms, “You knew damn good and well that Reggie would do as you and your cousin told him. Your brother is a lot of things but strong willed isn’t one of them.”

“It was what’s best,” he repeated stubbornly before turning to Connor, “I know you agree with me Fitzgerald.”

Ally turned to him and he shrugged, “I do agree. That shouldn’t surprise you Al. I’ve been saying that for ages.” He rose a glass in Sirius’s direction before turning pale.

“What’s going on here?” demanded Rose in a tone that vaguely reminded Ally of Professor McGonagall.

She instinctively glanced towards the exit and saw her cousin motioning her to join him. Remembering their agreement to meet, she smiled, “Good luck boys. I’ve got to run.”

“Where are you going?” demanded Sirius.

“None of your business,” she snapped still angry at his actions regarding his brother and Rose, “unlike Reggie, I do what I want.” She nodded to the rest of the group before heading out.

Sirius watched as she left the room and before he could stand up, Rose snapped, “You’re not going anywhere. Ally’s fine. Now feel free to explain exactly what you did and why you did it.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“The grounds?” she suggested as they matched one another’s stride. He nodded, “The grounds.” They walked in silence until they reached the lake. Then they sat down and without preamble, Alexis turned to him, “He wants to recruit you, you know.”

“I know,” he admitted, avoiding eye contact.

In the darkness he couldn’t clearly see her frown but he could make out the outline, “How do you know?”

“Your dad told me,” he lied, pulling his left ear. She rolled her eyes, “It may be dark but I’m not blind. You’re lying.”

“Your dad did tell me,” he assured her. She nodded, “But you already knew. Who told you?”

“Trying to catch the Dark Lord’s sympathizers?” he asked, sarcastically.

She arched an eyebrow, “Are you admitting to being one of them?”

They sat in silence before he sighed, “I’ll tell you what I told Antoinette. My relationships with the Blacks and the other Slytherins were made out of self preservation. I don’t believe that muggleborns aren’t worthy of life. I’m half blood and I have muggleborn friends-”

“All the more reason not to offer yourself to him,” she countered, knowing this was her chance to make her cousin see reason.

“You’re one to talk,” he drawled sarcastically, “from what I’ve heard the Dark Lord is hoping to have you as his wife. I assume you know as well hence your offering yourself to him in exchange for information on the whereabouts of Antoinette’s father.”

“That was a stupid mistake,” she admitted, “I only did it because I was desperate to find out what happened to Toni’s father. If you had been as willing to share information with me as you were to make snide comments to James, perhaps we all could’ve been saved the trouble.”

He stared at her, “I had no idea they were talking about Mr. Shacklebolt.”

“Would that have changed anything?” she demanded, angrily, “You’ve already chosen your side. You can’t think that just because you’re on his good side that he’ll protect the ones you love. The Blacks are a prime example. Bellatrix has tortured Sirius because of his orders. If she as his ‘devoted servant’ can’t protect her own family, what makes you think you can protect your friends?”

“Bellatrix has chosen to be loyal to the Dark Lord. Besides, it’s not like she’s particularly fond of Black anyway.”

“She was…is,” she shook her head, “that’s why she attacked him earlier this term. He was testing her loyalty by forcing her to torture the person who means the most to her. It’s what he does.”

Severus looked surprised, “That doesn’t make any sense at all.”

“Wake up Severus,” she hissed, “why do you think she was so adamant about keeping him away from Gryffindors, blood traitors and muggleborns? Because this whole time she’s been hoping she could get him to see reason,” she paused before adding, “the two of you are more alike than I care to admit.”

“If you really feel that way, then why are you bothering with me?” he wondered, obviously insulted.

“Because as stupid as you’re being…as stubborn as you’ve been lately,” she sighed, “I have to try. You’re my cousin. I love you and you’re about to make a huge mistake.”

He stared at her for a moment before speaking, slowly and deliberately, “Sometimes people make choices that others view as mistakes but they stick with their decision because it’s what’s right for them.”

“Are you kidding me?” she spat, livid with him for comparing her love life to his current predicament, “loving Sirius,” he looked away and she grabbed his face, forcing him to look her in the eye, “Loving Sirius is not wrong. What Voldemort and his followers are doing is undeniably evil. Can you honestly tell me that you would rather be one of them simply for the sake of saving your own skin rather than be the person I know you are, deep down. My cousin, who took the blame when I accidentally set the couch on fire…who befriended Lily and helped her understand what she is and how to reconcile that with who she is…the person that Toni, defensive, cautious Toni, allowed herself to fall in love with. She trusts you, they trust you…we all trust you. We all love you. Are you going to betray that? Are you going to abandon the people who love you just to save your own ***?”

For a moment, Ally felt like she had gotten through to him. She saw a flicker of the cousin that she loved but it passed so quickly that she couldn’t be certain she didn’t imagine it as a closed expression appeared on his face.

“When did you learn occlumency?” she demanded, letting go of him and taking a step back, “and more importantly, why are you using it against me?”

He inhaled deeply, “I’m doing what is best for me…and in the end, I think you’ll realize that one of us made the right decision. I’m sorry Alexis. I have to do this.”

“So that’s it,” she whispered, eyes brimming with tears, “just like that. You’re throwing us away: me, Lily, Toni, Papa. Anyone who ever gave a damn about you.”

“I lost you months ago Alexis,” he sighed, “and Uncle Ethan before that. I care for Lily a great deal. She’s one of my best friends…and Toni, well, I’m setting Toni free. I know she’s been wanting to break up with me ever since her talk with Kingsley so I’ll just make it easy for her.”

Unable to believe the words coming from her cousin, she stood there frozen in shock.

“We are who we are,” he finished, “you’ve made your choice and I’ve made mine.” With that, he turned on heel and walked in the direction of the Slytherin dormitories.

After a moment or two, Alexis remembered herself and started towards Gryffindor tower. She had almost made it to the portrait hole when she heard a familiar voice shout, “Leave her alone, McLaggen.”

Realizing that her other cousin appeared to be confronting the Head Boy, she felt obligated to find out what was happening. She turned the corner and entered a usually deserted corridor to find James standing between Lily and Grant McLaggen. Lily looked upset but appeared to be in a decent enough state to protest James coming to her defence.

“I’m fine Potter,” she managed as she sniffled. Alexis noticed her hair was a mess…and not the kind of mess that comes from snogging.

“What’s going on here?” demanded Alexis, her voice stronger than she expected. It was then that she noticed that James appeared to be pointing his wand at Grant who was smirking sarcastically.

“Your cousin was just about to curse the Head Boy,” he explained, “a stupid move even for him. Not only would he lose points from Gryffindor…but then the detention...”

“Cursing you would be worth it,” spat James, his eyes full of loathing, “and it’s been a while since I’ve had a stay in detention.”

“It’s not worth it Potter,” Lily snapped, regaining some of her composure.

“I think that’s my call to make Evans,” James countered, not looking away from Grant.

Alexis sighed before stepping between her cousin and the person he wanted to curse.

“You heard Lily,” she told him, adopting her best sisterly tone, “from what I’ve gathered you’re doing this for her. She’s told you it’s not necessary. Let it be.”

His eyes narrowed, “You don’t know-”

“No but I have a fairly good idea,” she assured him before turning to Grant, “If I were you, I would think seriously about what you’ve just done. Walk away and thank your lucky stars that I’m feeling generous tonight…because so help me if you come near Lily again, I won’t be responsible for what I do to you, nor will I be capable of restraining my cousin.”

“Are you threatening me Prince?” he demanded, reaching for his wand.

“Trust me,” she warned, “you don’t want to do that.”

“Oh really?” he snapped, “why’s that?”

“Because I’m the daughter of an auror,” she growled, “and believe me when I tell you my father has taught me things you’ve only learned about.”

“And her boyfriend,” an unexpected voice added, as Sirius appeared behind him, wand at the base of his neck, “has been taught things you can’t even imagine. Pull another stunt like the one you just pulled McLaggen and you’ll live to regret it.”

“Are you threatening me Black?” he asked, slightly unnerved by his current situation.

Sirius rolled his eyes, “Yes, you oaf. I’m threatening you. Well spotted.”

“Well then I suppose I should be going,” he decided unexpectedly, “after all, we all know what the Blacks are capable of.” He turned and hurried off before anyone could say anything else.

The four of them stood in silence before Sirius finally turned to face Lily, “Are you alright Evans?”

“I’m fine,” Lily sighed, avoiding eye contact with both boys, “feeling incredible stupid but physically fine.” Alexis wrapped an arm around her best friend and led her to the dormitory.

“What happened?” Sirius asked his best friend as soon as the girls were out of earshot. James turned to his friend, “I left to go to the kitchens and get more food when I heard Lily shouting at McLaggen to stop. I walked down the corridor and saw that he had her trapped in the corner. He’s a big guy and she couldn’t get around him. He was…,“ James had to stop and close his eyes in order to regain his composure, “He was trying to do something that she wasn’t okay with so I intervened. I had to.”

“You’ll get no argument from me mate,” replied his friend, “we might not have been able to take care of him just now but…I think I know a way we can.”

James smiled, “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

“Usually,” came his friend’s response.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“I was so stupid Al,” Lily cried as she attempted to brush her hair, “you were right. I should’ve known him better. It was so dumb.”

“Hey,” her friend frowned taking the brush from her and sitting behind her, “it could’ve happened to anyone. I know a ton of people, myself included, who have engaged in mindless snogging. It was just bad luck that McLaggen turned out to be a disgusting pervert. You have nothing to feel bad about.”

Lily sighed, “I wish that were true. I swear I have the worst luck with guys. Either they date me for the sake of having a girlfriend like Jack, or they try and use me like McLaggen or they just want me because they can’t have me like Potter.”

Alexis paused mid brushstroke, “That’s not why James likes you.”

“Not tonight Al,” groaned Lily, “I know he’s your cousin and you love him and feel obligated to protect him but to me, he’ll always be a spoiled, arrogant, bullying, attention seeking prat.”

Ally bit her lip to stop herself from retorting. In light of the evening’s events, she didn’t think it was the wise to come to her cousin’s defence.

They sat in silence for a moment before Lily spoke, “Did you see Remus snogging Mina, the Hufflepuff prefect when we came in?”


Well, what did we think? As always, questions and comments go here!

[MarauderGrl]

Hello all! Here's the penultimate post of their fifth year. The next one has all the fun stuff but I like this one...once again, it took on a life as its own. The posts have been doing that lately. I'm hoping to have the next one done sometime within the next month but who knows if that'll happen or not. Anyhow, here it is. Enjoy!

~*~*~*~*~*~

He sighed heavily, “I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings Rose but I had to do what needed to be done. You said Sirius explained things to you…”

“I didn’t say I accepted his explanation,” the girl countered angrily; “I don’t understand why Sirius is telling you to be exactly the kind of person he always hoped you wouldn’t be.”

“And what kind of person is that?” he demanded, the Black family temper flaring.

Her eyes narrowed in anger, “The kind of person who worries about how your family is going to react to what you do…I thought he supported our friendship.”

“He did,” admitted Regulus, “until he realized that being friends with you hadn’t changed my mind about the big picture. Now he’s just trying to keep me out of trouble. He knows that the family would not react well if they found out about the two of us being friends. He’s trying to protect me. He always tries to protect me.”

She shook her head, unwilling to let her sympathy get the better of her, “I don’t understand how your parents would find out about us going to Slughorn’s party together or why it was necessary for you to snog someone else for the entire evening.”

“That part was my fault,” he confessed, avoiding eye contact, “Sirius told me to tell you so your feelings wouldn’t get hurt-”

“My feelings aren’t hurt,” she snapped, “I’m just trying to understand why my good friend is acting like such an idiot. Acting like just another arrogant, bloodline obsessed,” she stopped herself.

“Arrogant, bloodline obsessed what?” he asked, in spite of the fact that he was fairly certain that he knew.

“Black,” she spat, her voice full of venom which counteracted her hurt nicely.

“Well if you have such a problem with my last name, Fitzgerald,” he shot back, placing the emphasis on her surname, “why were you even friends with me to begin with?”

“I thought you were different,” she choked, attempting to hold back tears.

He stared at her, “Sorry to disappoint. If you wanted different, you befriended the wrong Black.”

Rose shook her head, unable to believe what she was hearing, “So that’s the way you want it?”

“That’s the way it is,” he shrugged.

“Fine,” she stated simply, pulling herself together. She started towards Gryffindor tower, fully expecting him to follow and at least attempt to apologize but after a few moments of walking, she realized that he had no intention of chasing after her.

“He didn’t come after me,” she whispered aloud, eyes brimming with tears. She didn’t even bother to cover her tears or her anger as she entered the common room. The party that Toni Shacklebolt arranged appeared to be dying down. For this she was glad because a room full of older students was not something she wanted to deal with. Luckily for her, her presence went unnoticed.

When she entered her room, however, Elle immediately pounced on her, “Finally. Liam said you left ages ago. He wanted to follow but he knew better because well, we knew what was going to happen.”

Rose looked up, tears falling from her face, “And what was that?”

Elle shook her head, it was a mark of how badly she felt for her friend that she didn’t gloat about being right. She simply pulled her friend to her and let her cry until she couldn’t cry anymore.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“I’m furious with you Rem,” Alexis told him as he sat down that morning for breakfast, “absolutely livid and you will be hearing about it from now until the end of time. How dare you keep such important information a secret?”

“Stop being ridiculous Al,” he told her, attempting to downplay the evening’s events.

“You were snogging Mina!” she practically shrieked, much to his embarrassment, “I thought she was dating Kingsley.”

“She was and now she’s not,” he muttered, avoiding eye contact, “don’t you have detention?”

She looked down at her watch. She was due in Flitwick’s office in ten minutes.

“You win,” she told him, “for now. When I get finished with detention you better believe I’m going to hunt you down.”

He rolled his eyes, “You’d better get a move on, wouldn’t want to be late.” She glared at him but stomped off nonetheless.

“Hey Rem,” Lily smiled as she sat down with him. They were usually the first ones awake on the weekends so they had time to sit and chat while they waited for the others.

He looked around to make sure none of the other early risers were paying attention to them before speaking, “I heard about what happened with McLaggen last night. Are you alright?”

“I’m fine Remus,” she sighed, “still feeling incredibly stupid. I should’ve listened to Ally and learned more about him but I just…”

“Wanted to throw caution to the wind and have some fun,” he suggested, smirking slightly.

“Ah, the Mina explanation,” she grinned, rubbing her hands together, “Al’s going to kill you for confiding in me first.”

He waved her comment aside, “She’ll get over it. As I was saying I understand where you’re coming from. Mina’s a seventh year so she’ll be gone soon. There’s no need to have any of those relationship talks because she won’t be here for one. It’s short, sweet, and to the point.”

“For her as well?” she pressed, remembering how she felt when she realized that she was more attached to Jack than he was to her.

Remus nodded, “Of course. I’ve thought this plan through for awhile. I think the idea of the two week relationship may have its merits. Just don’t tell-”

“Do my ears deceive me?” Sirius demanded in his most dramatic voice as he, James and Peter joined them, “Perfect Prefect Remus taking the advice of the evil reckless Sirius Black to heart? I may faint.” He put a hand to his forehead dramatically.

Remus smirked, “My motives are a lot less dodgy than yours, my friend.”

“Well, I never-,” he began before pausing; “actually, I have…many times. Anyhow, have you two seen Al? We haven’t had a proper conversation since last night.”

“Yes and as we’re all well aware it’s practically a sin for the two of you to go a few hours without conversing,” commented James sarcastically. Sirius did not respond, a sure sign that James was in a foul mood. Moments later, Connor and Ian Fitzgerald joined them.

“Has anyone seen Rosie?” asked Connor without preamble.

The group shook their heads in unison and Ian looked around, “Where’s Ally?”

“Detention,” answered Sirius shortly. There was a pause before Ian continued, “What about Toni or Alice?”

“Library,” Lily replied, “they had plans to study this morning. Is everything alright?”

Connor shook his head, remembering that Lily had left before his sister went for her chat with Regulus Black, “She caught up with the little Black after Slughorn’s party…according to Liam anyway.”

As if on cue, Liam entered the Great Hall and walked over to the Fitzgerald brothers, “Elle told me to tell you guys not to worry. She’s taking good care of Ro but at the moment, Ro’s not up to leaving the dormitory. She‘s not particularly fond of being the person everyone gossips about,” he explained unnecessarily.

“But she’s alright,” Ian pressed, biting his lip.

Liam smiled, “Of course, she is. She’s Ro. She’s tough. I’m sure she’ll be down for dinner if for no other reason than to put the rumours to rest and let everyone know she’s just fine in spite of what that selfish coward did to her.”

At this, Sirius arched an eyebrow and the first year unexpectedly snapped, “What I said was a compliment in comparison to what I was thinking.”

Sirius nodded, knowing the kid was angry about his friend getting hurt. Honestly, so was he but he knew it had to be done. Better sooner than later, he reminded himself.

Connor and Ian were casting not so stealth glances towards the Slytherin table.

“I’d hate to have to give you a detention,” Lily warned suddenly, “and I’m sure the two of you would hate to explain to Jane and Ava that you have even less time to spend with them because you couldn’t control your tempers.”

Before either of them could respond, Jane and Ava walked in chatting quickly. They spotted Connor and Ian and marched over to them.

“We talked to Rose,” began Ava.

“And she said if you do anything to,” Jane continued, “and this is a direct quote,” she added, “if you do anything to ‘defend her honour’, she’ll curse the both of you into oblivion.”

Connor smiled proudly, “That’s our sister.”

“Well now that we’ve settled that, perhaps you can help me with the Arithmancy homework,” his girlfriend suggested. Connor nodded and the two of them headed off in the direction of the library.

“Speaking of Arithmancy,” Remus frowned, “I have to meet Alice in the library. I’m starting to wonder why we took this class again. It’s so difficult.”

“Because you’re masochists?” offered Sirius, pouring a cup of coffee.

“What are you doing?” asked Lily, arching an eyebrow, “you don’t drink coffee Black.”

Sirius frowned, eyeing the coffee with resentment, “I poured it out of habit. Oh Merlin, I’m turning into one of those guys…Prongs, Wormtail, you have to help me!”

“We thought you’d never ask,” Peter joked. Even James laughed before casting a sideways glance at his friend, “We could always work on…”

“Absolutely,” he agreed standing up immediately, “let’s go do something productive.”

“Step one,” said Lily as she took a sip of the cup of coffee Sirius had just poured, “look up the word ‘productive’. You seem to be confused about its definition.”

“Oh Evans,” he chuckled, sarcastically, “you’re too much. Enjoy the coffee. I promise not to tell Al you drank it. Wouldn’t want to be a hypocrite, would you?”

“Get lost Black,” she responded sweetly. He saluted her and followed James and Peter out. It took a moment before Lily realized she was practically alone. Ian and Ava were currently preoccupied and she didn’t really want to go to the library. She had caught up on most of her studying and she really needed a break. A moment passed before she realized exactly what she could do. Smiling slightly at the idea that the rule breaking ways of her friends and the Marauders were starting to rub off on her, she left the Great Hall and started towards the kitchens.

After her trip to the kitchens, she returned to Gryffindor tower where much to her chagrin the boys were using the common room for planning their prank. At least have the decency to plan mischief in your dormitory, she thought, but not wanting to worsen James Potter’s already foul mood she decided not to voice her opinion.

“Evans!” he called suddenly, “what’s that you’ve got?”

In spite of herself, she walked over to them. After all, Potter had helped her after her encounter with McLaggen and hadn’t mentioned it since.

“Well, what is it?” demanded Sirius, curious as always. He enjoyed being constantly aware of what those around him were doing.

She sat the package down and Peter frowned, “It smells like…treacle tart…and,” he sniffed causing Sirius and James to laugh.

“It’s dessert Wormtail,” confirmed Sirius, “from the smell of it, at least five different kinds…”

Lily arched an eyebrow, “I’m impressed. You’ve got a good sense of smell Black. They are in fact desserts from the kitchens.”

“Why Ms. Evans,” James smirked, a shadow of his usual self creeping up, “what reason could be good enough for a prefect to break the rules?”

“Rose,” she shrugged, “she may not want to admit it but she definitely had romantic feelings for Regulus and what happened must’ve crushed her. As a girl with a number of girlfriends, I’m very aware of what that feels like and what the remedy is…”

“Dessert?” surmised James, smiling slightly.

“Among other things,” she nodded. He frowned, “What other things?”

“Well, as good as the Hogwarts desserts are they don’t offer the same appeal as certain specialty items.”

“Such as Honeyduke’s items and butterbeer,” suggested Sirius, “treats that first years couldn’t normally get their hands on.”

Surprised at what quick studies they were, she nodded, “Precisely Black. I was just heading up to the dormitory to go through our trunks. I know Ally keeps a massive amount of chocolate in her trunk…and she has some specialty coffee that she might be willing to part with…even though it is against my better judgment to provide an eleven year old with coffee…then Toni has-” She was highly affronted when both James and Sirius stood up suddenly and headed towards their room.

“Rude,” she called to them.

James turned, still smiling, “We’ll be right back. Please wait.”

Considering he had said ’please’, she nodded. Completely dumbfounded, she stood for a moment before sitting down and looking at the plans that Peter appeared to be pouring over. From what she could see, it looked like a map…a very detailed map…of Hogwarts.

“Wow,” she breathed, “that’s really intricate. Did you draw this?”

He nodded before realizing Lily was looking at the map. He folded it up before she could get a closer look. “Sorry,” he muttered, “I don’t think James and Sirius would appreciate you seeing this particular item.”

She shrugged, “Fair enough.”

“Alright Evans,” called James as he and Sirius returned, the latter carrying a Zonko’s bag, “here’s our contribution. We can part with these items for a good cause…like cheering up a nice kid like Rose.”

Lily was taken aback. For the second time in recent memory, James seemed to be doing something nice for someone even though there was nothing in it for him.

“Thanks Potter,” she managed finally before adding, “You too Black.”

“No worries,” replied Sirius nonchalantly, already eager to get back to what they were doing before.

Lily started to head upstairs before James grabbed her arm and pulled her aside, “I’m sorry about last night. I know you don’t like it when I get involved in your business because you think I’m doing it for attention or whatever but last night I had to do something. I couldn’t let him hurt you. I know you don’t believe me but I care about what happens to you. You mean so much to Ally and Toni and even though we have our differences I know when it comes down to it you’re a good person. I mean look at what you’re doing for Rose and you hardly know her…,” he trailed off, apparently embarrassed by his rambling, as could be seen by the pink tint on his cheeks that made him look like he had just hopped off his broom. He ran a hand through his hair and looked away. It was then Lily realized that James wasn’t actually all that bad looking…

I did not just think that, she told herself before turning to him, determined to get that thought out of her head, “I appreciate what you did last night Potter. You’re right. I don’t like to be rescued. I don’t believe in it. I believe in rescuing myself but last night was a situation I never expected to find myself in and my brain froze and I didn’t think like a witch…,” she paused, shaking her head, “what I mean to say is…thank you.”

He stared at her before genuinely smiling, “You’re welcome Evans.” She smiled back before grabbing both the desserts and the Zonko’s bag and headed upstairs.

James turned, a smile still plastered on his face, to Sirius and Peter: the latter looking confused and the former grinning slightly, “There may be hope for you yet.”

~*~*~*~*~

Knock, knock.

Elle Kennedy turned to her friend who was still in her pyjamas. Rose frowned, “Ask who it is.”

“Who is it?” asked Elle.

“Lily,” a familiar voice called, “Lily Evans.”

Rose arched an eyebrow and nodded.

“To what do we owe the pleasure?” wondered Elle as she opened the door.

“I come baring gifts,” the prefect explained, smiling sympathetically, “we’ve all been there. I’ve got some desserts from the kitchens,” she began pulling things out of her bag, “sweets from Honeydukes with lots of different kinds of chocolate of course.” She paused, “And against my better judgment I’m providing you with this gourmet coffee that Al really loves. She doesn’t drink it often but she has a ton of it at home so don’t worry. Then,” she frowned, lifting a Zonko’s bag, “I’m not quite sure what’s in here…it comes to you courtesy of Potter and Black though so whatever it is I’m sure it will be good…”

Rose stared at her, “Wow, Lily. This is completely unnecessary but thank you. Does Ally know you stole her coffee? Do the others know you raided their trunks?”

“No but they won’t care,” she shrugged, “Hogsmeade isn’t going anywhere and like I said Al has a ton of that coffee at home.”

“Thanks,” the young girl breathed. Lily smiled, “I’m going to head out so you and Elle can have your privacy.” She paused, before moving towards the door, “Do you need a hug?”

Rose smiled, “Sure.”

Lily walked over and hugged her tightly, “This too shall pass and everything will work out for the best. You’ll see.”

She let go, nodded to Elle and closed the door behind her.

“She really is the nicest girl,” commented Rose as she rifled through the chocolate, trying to decide what to eat first.

“Yep,” nodded Elle, reaching into the Zonko’s bag, “which is exactly why she needs James Potter.”

Rose stared at her, “How do you figure?”

“Well,” her friend continued, reading the label of the product she was holding, “nice girls like Lily Evans don’t understand certain things like fun, humour, excitement, things of that nature…anyhow, girls like Lily don’t understand these things but guys like James teach them balance. You’ll see…give it time.”

“Right,” smirked Rose, “Lily Evans and James Potter…be serious.”

“Nah, I’d rather be Remus,” her friend deadpanned, looking up from the bag she was rummaging through.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

That night, her mood improved by a large amount of sweets and having spent the entire afternoon being entertained by her best friend, Rose Fitzgerald entered the Great Hall. As delicious as the sugary treats and coffee had been, she knew she’d need better nourishment than that…and besides, she didn’t want everyone thinking that she was a mess after what had happened with Regulus. As expected, there was a fair amount of whispering as she passed the other tables, but Rose held her head high, determined not to let that bother her. Small minds discuss people, great minds discuss ideas, she reminded herself.

“Hello Rosie,” Ian smiled as she took the seat between him and Liam. Elle took the seat across from her which coincidentally gave her an unobstructed view of Remus Lupin.

“It’s good to see you out and about,” whispered Liam stealthily as he reached over her for the pitcher of pumpkin juice. She smiled, “Thanks. It’s good to be out. Though I must admit, Elle and I did have quite a bit of fun.”

“Really?” he pressed, “doing what?”

She laughed, “A little of this, a little of that.”

She looked up, wondering why the usually chatty Elle was so quiet. Her friend looked livid as was stabbing her food with more force than necessary. She looked down the table and noticed that Remus Lupin had been joined by her brother’s fellow Hufflepuff prefect, Mina. They seemed rather cozy…She wondered if she had missed something important.

“Hey Liam,” she whispered, “what’s going on with Remus and Mina?”

Casting a surreptitious glance at his sister, he muttered so that only Rose could hear him, “They’re a couple now.”

“Since when?” she demanded, completely shocked.

He shook his head, “Later. I don’t want Elle to overhear.”

As though she knew exactly what her brother was thinking, Elle turned to them, “What are the two of you whispering about?”

“Nothing,” they answered far too quickly for her liking.

“You’re both horrible liars,” she replied simply.

Down the table, Alexis was eyeing Mina with a look of distaste similar to that of Elle. Sure she and Mina had been friends, but that was before she started toying with Remus’s affection. She recalled a discussion they had not too long ago in the Three Broomsticks about relationships in which Mina had been singing the praises of older boys in general and Kingsley Shacklebolt in particular. No way was someone going to use Remus while they really had feelings for someone else, not on her watch anyway.

She felt a sharp jab in her side and looked up to see her cousin eyeing her curiously, “What’s with the face?”

“What face?” she asked, pseudo innocently.

James smirked, “The ‘hell hath no fury like Alexis Prince’ face.”

She opened her mouth to respond before Sirius interrupted from her other side, “Don’t bother denying it Al. You’ve been glaring at Mina since she sat down. I thought you two were friends.”

“And I thought she was with Kingsley,” she responded feigning calm, “so what’s she doing with Remus?”

“Ally,” warned Lily, “you don’t know the whole story.”

“Lil’s right,” agreed Alice, “don’t start throwing curses just yet.”

Alexis turned to Toni, hoping for an ally, “Do you know what happened with Kingsley and Mina?”

“They just drifted apart,” she shrugged, casting a look at Remus and Mina, “is it really wise to have this conversation within earshot of the person we’re talking about?” She mouthed ‘werewolf’ to reemphasize her point.

At this, Alexis noticed a familiar expression of annoyance cross Remus’s face and realized that he must’ve been able to hear everything they were saying. At that point, she decided to say nothing…for the moment anyway. She still hadn’t gotten a proper explanation from Remus, having spent the day in detention with Professor Flitwick. Fortunately, for her, he had simply used her as an assistant and not as a maid as some professors were wont to do.

After a few minutes, Mina kissed Remus on the cheek and headed out of the Great Hall. Without a second thought as to how it would look, Alexis immediately hopped out of her seat, and not so stealthy followed.

Remus looked down at the rest of the table, hoping someone would volunteer to accompany him. Peter always one to shy away from action looked down at his food. James and Toni seemed to be contemplating it. Sirius had an odd expression that he couldn’t quite place. Alice didn’t exactly enjoy intervening when it came to Ally.

“Oh alright,” Lily piped up finally, “Cowards,” she added somewhat ruefully, somewhat seriously at the others.

“Mina!” Alexis called as the girl she was searching for turned the corner, “Hold on a second. I want a word with you.” She hurried forward, turning the same corner.

The Hufflepuff turned around, smiling, “Sure Al, what’s up?”

“Funny, with the exception of the name, that was my question,” she countered, arching an eyebrow.

“I don’t understand,” the prefect frowned.

Alexis smirked, “What’s going on between you and Remus?”

“I’m not sure that’s any of your concern,” she countered, a touch of defensiveness creeping into her voice.

“Oh it most certainly is,” Ally assured her, “you see when it comes to my friends, you’ll find that everything is my business.”

It was Mina’s turn to arch an eyebrow, “What’s going on with Remus and I has nothing to do with you.”

“Be that as it may,” she granted, “it has everything to do with Remus. You think I want to see him get hurt? It wasn’t that long ago you were proclaiming your love for Kingsley. Now, you’re all over Rem. What’s that about?”

“I’ve worded it as delicately as I can,” the older girl sighed, “apparently, it’s not sinking it. Whatever is going on between Remus and I is none of your business. Does that clarify things?”

Mina turned her back and Alexis hissed, “I repeat, when it comes to my friends-“

At this Mina turned and faced Ally, “Your friend? I wonder if you would be reacting this way if I were a guy and I were trying to date Lily? I think this is less about your FRIEND Rem than it is your ex-boyfriend Remus.”

“They’re one in the same,” she countered, not sure where this was headed.

Mina smiled, “But it’s not the same thing is it?”

“Look I don’t know what you’re going on about,” snapped Ally, “all I know is that I’m not going to let you use Rem to get over whatever feelings you may have for Kingsley.”

“Ha!” choked Mina, “Just because you don’t realize what an awesome guy Remus is all on his own doesn’t mean other girls haven’t.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” demanded Ally, stepping forward so that they were inches apart.

“It means,” Mina continued, also stepping forward, “that just because you used Remus to deny your feelings for Sirius Black doesn’t mean that that is the only purpose he serves for every other girl at Hogwarts. In case you haven’t noticed, Remus Lupin is a great guy, one of the best guys…and it was only matter of time before someone decided to become involved with him.” Alexis glared at her and Mina added, “And as his EX-girlfriend, you get zero say in who he chooses to be with, so if I were you, I’d back off.”

“I never used Remus,” spat Ally, itching to grab her wand and teach the girl before her a lesson, “and I certainly don’t need you to tell me what an amazing guy he is. I loved him…part of me always will which is why I’m talking to you right now. If you intend to hurt him, so help me Mina-“

“Alexis!” a familiar voice admonished as he and Lily turned the corner, “what do you think you’re doing?”

“Just having a friendly chat with Mina,” she shrugged.

His brow furrowed, “It certainly didn’t sound very friendly to me.”

“You misheard,” she muttered avoiding eye contact with him.

“Alexis,” he sighed, “I don’t need you coming to my defense or threatening the girls I’m dating. It’s hard enough for me to date without you meddling.”

“I was just-“ she began.

“Just don’t,” he told her, his voice firm.

She lifted her hands in defeat, “Fine. I won’t.” After sparing one last distasteful look at Mina, Alexis headed off in the direction of Gryffindor tower. Lily frowned, “I apologize for Ally’s behavior Mina, as you’re no doubt aware, she has a dreadful temper.”

Mina smirked, “No worries.” Lily managed a slight smile before heading off after her friend.

“I’m really sorry Mina,” Remus apologized, his voice a mix of sincerity and frustration, “one of the hardest things in the world is to get Alexis to keep out of other people’s business. Hopefully, she got the message-“

“Don’t worry about it Remus,” she assured him, embracing him quickly, “I know Alexis. Once she realizes that she rushed to judgment on this whole thing, she’ll drop it and apologize. No harm, no foul.”

He managed a slight smile in response, “Ever the optimist…”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“What did you think was going to happen?” demanded Toni after Alexis finished recounting her interaction with Mina.

“I was hoping that she would realize that I was onto her and that she would leave Remus alone,” she hissed, “he doesn’t deserve to be hurt again.”

“And no one here would argue that point with you,” Lily assured her, “but perhaps, you should’ve talked to Remus beforehand. Then you would know exactly how attached he is to her-“

“What are you talking about?” she asked. Lily shook her head, “You’ll have to talk to Rem.”

“After the way he just spoke to me? Unlikely,” she answered angrily.

Lily shrugged, “Well, then you’ll never know.”

Biting her lip, she weighed her options…she could swallow her pride and talk to Remus or she could lay in her bed all night driving herself crazy trying to figure it out…

“Alright,” she sighed, “I’m going.” She rummaged through her trunk and found her last chocolate frog, “just in case a bribe is necessary.”

Her friends laughed and Lily managed, “Good luck.”

“Thanks Lil,” she called back before muttering to herself, “I have the feeling I’m going to need it.”

She reached the common room, scanning it to see if Remus was there. She sighed heavily, realizing that he must be in his room…with Sirius, James and Peter...

Fantastic, she thought as she climbed the stairs that would take her to their room. Deciding it was best to start this visit out on at least semi formal terms, she knocked on the door.

“Coming,” called James’s voice. She heard him swear and was sure he had walked into someone’s trunk…again. After opening the door and seeing who it was, he asked, “Since when do you knock Al?”

“Since I’ve angered the person I came here to see,” she shrugged, “Remus is here, isn’t he?”

James nodded and motioned for her to enter.

“I just can’t believe her!” Remus’s voice was calling from the loo, “I mean honestly, what right does she have to go throwing accusations around? Honestly, she is the most infuriating, meddlesome, trouble making-“ at this point he opened the door and exited. After stopping short at the sight of her, he managed a rather calm, “What are you doing here?”

“I came to apologize,” she mumbled, avoiding eye contact.

“I’m sorry, what was that?” Sirius called loudly from his bed, “we can’t hear you over in the cheap seats.”

“Shut it!” she shot back before turning to Remus and repeating, “I came to apologize. Remus, I’m sorry.”

“Are you now?” he asked sarcastically, “could it be because Lily told you what was going on between Mina and me?”

“No,” she assured him, “All Lily told me was that I didn’t know the full story and that I needed to come over and talk to you about this whole thing before it got blown way out of proportion.”

“I see,” was his reply. She groaned, “Look Rem I’m sorry okay. You’re right. I had no right to go making judgments without knowing the whole story. Mina didn’t deserve to be treated like that and you didn’t deserve to be treated like…like you didn’t know what was best for you. That was wrong and I apologize. My only excuse is that you’re my friend…one of my best friends and I hated the idea of someone using you. I was trying to protect you from getting hurt and in doing so, I was the one who did the hurting. I’m sorry Remus. Please forgive me.”

By the end of her speech she was near tears and wasn’t sure why. The stress of what was going on around her seemed to be getting to her at the worst possible time, and the idea of Remus being angry with her was the worst of it.

“Hey,” he sighed, walking over and embracing her, “there’s no need to get so upset. Of course, I forgive you. Calm down.”

“I don’t know why I’m so upset about this,” she managed through sniffles, “it’s like I can handle anything but this. Weird huh?”

He chuckled, “Very weird.” He looked down at her, “Would you like to hear the whole story?”

She nodded and he smirked, “Alright.” She pulled the chocolate frog out of her pocket, “Peace offering? It’s my last one.”

He smiled, “You don’t have to do that.”

“Yes, I do,” she assured him, “besides, my Mum’s sending more. I told her about Rose’s gift basket and she realized that I would need replacement chocolate, especially with exams approaching.”

“We’ll give you two some privacy,” decided Sirius getting up and walking towards the door.

“But I’m in my pyjamas Padfoot!” James practically shrieked, “why can’t they leave?”

“Because this isn’t the kind of conversation they can have in the common room,” explained Sirius, “it wouldn’t exactly do wonders for the reputation of Nice Guy Remus Lupin.”

Remus responded by throwing his chocolate frog wrapper at his friend.

Sirius laughed as he moved out of the way, “You’re going to have to pick that up you know. Come on James. No one is going to care if you’re in your pyjamas.”

“Easy for you to say,” grumbled James, reaching for his robe.

“Oh yes, because adding the robe makes it look infinitely better,” chuckled Sirius, “you look like Regulus on Christmas morning.”

“Gee thanks,” James replied, adopting a dreaming voice, “I’ve always wanted to look like one of the Black brothers. Oh wait,” he paused, using his normal voice to add, “Not in this lifetime.”

Sirius smirked, “I could always take the attention off you by going down in what I sleep in…”

“You will not!” Alexis snapped from her seat on the floor next to Remus, “You’ve already got 80 percent of the female population lusting after you-“

“Only 80 percent?” he turned to James, “My numbers are going down. This shirtless thing might just be the answer.” He reached for his shirt and Ally hopped off the floor, “You’re not going anywhere. You all can stay here. You seem to know what’s going on already.”

Sirius sighed dramatically, “If you insist…”

“Thanks Al,” James smiled. Peter simply rolled his eyes and got back into bed.

“So Rem, tell the story,” instructed Ally as she attempted to make herself comfortable on the floor, “Can one of you hand me a pillow or something?”

At this point, three pillows came flying at her. She smiled, “Thanks. Ready Rem?”

He sighed, “Yes but first I need you to promise that you won’t interrupt and that you’ll save your comments to the very end.”

“Sure,” she answered before adding, “the story won’t take long will it?”

“Trying to measure how long you can keep yourself from giving a running commentary?” he countered.

“Perhaps,” she replied simply.

He chuckled, “Mina and I are keeping things very, very casual. She and Kingsley broke up because he didn’t have time for her and she wasn’t ready for a serious relationship and well, I can’t have a serious relationship for reasons which should be obvious-“

“What reasons?” she demanded, “every girl at this school with half a brain knows that out of all the guys here you definitely rank in the top five. In fact, Mina said that you were one of the best guys which was the only thing she said that I actually agreed with. You’re smart, funny, honest, loyal, cute-“

“As much as I appreciate that Al,” he interrupted, “you’re forgetting that once a month all of my good qualities go out of the window and I become a monster.”

“You become a werewolf,” she corrected, “not a monster…anyone who knows you could never use that word to describe you.”

“Was this your idea of not interrupting?” he asked, torn between annoyance and appreciation.

She rolled her eyes, “Fine. Continue.”

“Thank you,” he nodded, “now then neither of us were looking for a serious relationship. We’d been talking a lot on patrols and stuff and then I don’t know…it just happened. We talked about it and made our expectations very clear. We’re just having fun. No one is going to get hurt.”

“It’s been my experience that when people go into things expecting to ‘just have fun’, someone usually gets hurt,” she sighed, thinking of both Connor and Lily.

“We’ve talked about it,” he repeated, “we both know what to expect.”

She arched an eyebrow, “You’re sure?”

“Of course I am,” he assured her.

“And Mina’s okay with this?” she asked.

He smirked, “Worried about Mina’s feelings now?”

“I know,” she rolled her eyes, “I was a complete nightmare. I have every intention of apologizing to her. You know this whole mess could’ve been avoided if you had just confided in me this morning.”

“How was I to know you were going to completely overreact?” he demanded.

“Oh please,” she scoffed, “it’s not like this is the first time I’ve gone off because I thought someone I care about was being hurt!”

“And no doubt it won’t be the last,” added Sirius from his bed.

She smirked, “No doubt.” She looked down at her watch, “I should be getting back. I need to sleep. Tomorrow being what it is...”

“Gryffindor versus Slytherin,” James smiled, “or as it will be called our..what will it be Al our fourth year straight winning the cup?”

“Don’t get too confident James,” she smirked, “their seeker is younger, faster and smaller than I am...anything could happen.”

“It better not!” piped up Sirius, “Reggie and I have a bet that I REALLY don’t want to lose.”

“Oh really?” she smirked, walking towards his bed, “care to share the details?”

“Thinking of throwing the match?” he joked, moving towards the edge of the bed.

She laughed, “Never…I just want to know what happens if I’m not as quick as Reg…”

He grabbed her arm and pulled her towards him, “Well, it looks like we might have a problem. If your reflexes are no match for me, how are they going to stack up against my brother?”

“Considering he’s in better shape,” she added solemnly.

“Oh really?” he chuckled, “I managed to catch you, didn’t I?”

“Yes but was I really trying to keep away from you?” she countered, pulling him towards her.

“Alright, alright,” interrupted James, “that’s enough of that.”

Her grip still tight, she whispered, “We should’ve closed the curtains.”

“Next time,” he promised before kissing her quickly.

“One more?” she smiled, “for good luck?”

“Well, I suppose…,” he began, feigning hesitance as she kissed him as hard as she could. As she let go, he smirked, her favourite smirk, “Good luck tomorrow.”

“Luck is for those without skill,” she reminded him before hopping off the bed, “I’ll see you all tomorrow.”


As always, questions, comments, and feedback go here!