Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and events from J.K. Rowling's wonderful Harry Potter books. I am writing this for my own enjoyment and hopefully for the enjoyment of readers. Anything you recognize belongs to JKR. The rest belongs to me.
Chapter 61: Romance in Hogsmeade?
"I still can't believe you're doing this," muttered Marlene as the girls prepared themselves for their trip to Hogsmeade.
"I have to agree with Marlene on this one," said Alice.
Lily finished tying her shoe and sighed. "He's not that bad," she replied.
Marlene snorted and said, "Not that bad, eh? I've never seen a guy so in love with his own image!"
Lily chose not to respond as she brushed out her hair. She opted to leave it down since it was a chilly January morning.
Alice studied Lily while she got ready. "Lily?" she asked. When Lily turned around, Alice said, "You don't seem very enthused about your date with Gilderoy, even if you're pretending you are. Why did you decide to go to Hogsmeade with him instead of James?"
Lily blushed a little before saying, "Potter and I don't exactly get along."
"You mean you don't get along with him," corrected Marlene. "On the train he seemed like he really liked you."
Lily grabbed her cloak and gloves, walking toward the staircase down to the common room, choosing not to answer Marlene.
Fed up, Alice stormed after Lily and stopped her on the staircase. "Lily, I don't know what your problem with him is. He's nice, he's good looking, and it's apparent to everyone except you that he absolutely adores you!"
Lily chewed her lip as she stared at her feet.
"Lily?" prodded Alice. "Even if you don't want to date him, why don't you at least try to be his friend?"
Lily swallowed a knot that was forming in her throat as she pondered what Alice had suggested. She gently shook her head.
Sighing in frustration, Alice asked, "Why NOT?"
"It's better this way," replied Lily in barely a whisper. She pushed her way past Alice and said, "We're going to be late."
Alice watched Lily's retreating figure, wondering what in Merlin's name was going on in her friend's mind. As she reached the common room she almost collided with Sirius. "Sorry," she said.
Sirius smiled at her and said, "No problem." Looking toward the portrait hole he asked her, "Do you know what's going on with Evans? She just left here looking like she was about to start crying."
"She's on her way to meet Lockhart," replied Alice dryly.
Sirius smirked and said, "Oh, I see. Going on a date with that git would have most girls in tears." Shaking his head, he asked, "What possessed her to agree to a date with him, anyway?"
"Marlene and I have been trying to figure that out for two weeks, now," replied Alice.
Sirius glanced behind Alice. "Where is McKinnon?"
"She's getting ready for her date with Matthew Morgan," said Alice.
Sirius raised his eyebrows in confusion and asked, "What happened to that Canton bloke?"
Alice shook her head and said, "Where've you been? They broke up before the holidays!"
"Excuse me for not knowing every detail about McKinnon's love life - not that I really want to," said Sirius. Eyeing Alice, he asked, "So if Evans and McKinnon both have dates to Hogsmeade, what are your plans for today?"
"I was thinking I would pick up some goodies at Honeydukes. I also need to stop by the Quidditch store to pick up some broomstick polish," said Alice. "What about you and your friends?"
"Remus isn't feeling well today so he's sleeping in and probably won't go. Peter already went ahead, hoping to be the first in line at Honeydukes. James has a date with Beverly Fawcett," replied Sirius.
"Really?" asked Alice. "I thought he liked Lily."
"He does. He keeps claiming he's over her but we all know better. He asked her out on the train ride back and she turned him down. Last week when Beverly asked him to Hogsmeade he accepted her invitation. I think he wants to try to move on," said Sirius.
"Hmmm. Maybe it's not such a bad thing," said Alice. "I don't think Lily has any interest in being around him right now. I think it would be better for him to date other girls."
"Agreed," said Sirius. "So, Lyons…if your friends are busy and my friends are busy, how would like to accompany me to Hogsmeade today?" He held out his arm with a smile that made Alice's stomach flutter.
"Alright," she replied, casually taking the arm he had offered.
As they walked to the village, they chatted about various things. Sirius was surprised to realize that he knew very little about Alice Lyons. He had not had the chance to notice her as he usually paid more attention to arguing with McKinnon or helping James with Evans. Out of the three girls Alice had seemed to blend in more with the crowd. Sure, he was on the Quidditch team with her, but he had always thought of her as a quiet, shy girl. Walking with her, he soon discovered that she was quite witty and had a great sense of humor.
Alice wasn't sure whether she should be elated or terrified. There she was, walking arm-in-arm with her crush, Sirius Black. She was pleasantly surprised at how natural it felt to be with him. Usually she saw him goofing around with his friends or finding ways to irritate Marlene. Now that they were alone he was charming and easygoing. If only Marlene could see him now, she thought.
Once they reached the village they did not split up. They stopped at several shops, including Honeydukes, the Quidditch supply shop, and Zonko's. "Come here," coaxed Sirius, leading Alice to a corner of the joke shop. "Can you keep a secret?" he asked with a mischievous smile.
"Of course," she replied, her curiosity piqued.
"Remember a few months ago, that day when the Slytherins broke out into song every time they tried to speak?" he asked.
Alice smiled, remembering. "Yes, of course I do. That was the day that Snape scared the skrewts with his rendition of 'Love Me, Tender' in our Care of Magical Creatures class. He spent the night in the hospital wing after one of the skrewts burned him." Looking at him, her smiled broadened in realization. "That was YOU?"
Sirius grinned and winked at her, sending shivers down her spine. He pointed toward the shelf and said, "This was the secret of that particular prank."
Alice looked at the shelf and saw a jar of Mendelssohn's Magical Music Potion. She laughed and asked, "Even if you used that, how were you able to give it to all of the Slytherins?"
Sirius leaned forward and said, "I won't tell you all the details. After all, I can't have you knowing all of my secrets, but I can say that it helps to have friends in the kitchen."
Alice's eyes lit up as she exclaimed, "You know where the kitchen is? How on Earth did you find it?"
Sirius froze for a moment. He had never realized how blue Alice's eyes were. "Marauder's secret," was all he could say, his eyes glued to hers. Seeing her eyes staring back into his, he suddenly felt the urge to kiss her. He started to lean closer to her when the door suddenly flew open, causing a loud honking noise (rather than the tinkling of a doorbell) to startle the pair. They heard voices and soon saw Marlene and Matthew coming around the corner.
"I just wanted to pick something up…" said Marlene to Matthew. When they looked down the aisle, Marlene was shocked to see Alice with Black, and was even more shocked at their proximity to each other. "Alice…" stuttered Marlene.
"Hi Marlene," replied Alice, defiantly looking her in the eyes. She looked behind Marlene and smiled. "Hi Matthew." The boy behind her smiled back, wondering what was going on.
Sirius felt irritated at the look McKinnon was sending to Alice. It looked like she was blaming her for spending time with him. He glared at McKinnon. Why shouldn't Alice spend time with him, he thought. It was her life and she could decide who she wanted to hang out with. Sirius gave McKinnon a smug grin and casually placed an arm around Alice's shoulders. Casting Alice his most charming smile he asked, "Would like to accompany me for a butterbeer? My treat!"
Alice, annoyed at her friend, but flattered at Sirius' request, smiled at him and said, "That sounds lovely."
The two walked past a shocked Marlene and out of the joke shop. As they approached the Three Broomsticks, Sirius commented, "I guess she's not too thrilled about us hanging out."
Alice replied, "No, I gather she's not."
"You don't have to spend the rest of the day with me, if you don't want to. I don't want to ruin your friendship with her," said Sirius.
Alice looked up at him in surprise. "You won't ruin anything. True, I do value her friendship, but she has no right to decide who I like or don't like. Besides," she added with a smile, "I wouldn't turn down the offer of a free butterbeer. You promised!"
Sirius smiled and said, "So does that mean you like me?"
Alice blushed and stuttered, "W-what?"
"You said McKinnon had no right to decide who you like or don't like. Does that mean you like me?" he asked, his grin widening.
Alice noticed the contrast his white teeth made against his dark features. She paused, her knees feeling too weak to continue walking. She was also very aware that his arm was still around her. She wanted to sound mature and sophisticated, but all that would come out of her mouth was, "I…erm…I-uh…" Seeing amusement sparkling in his eyes, she felt a flush rush to her cheeks and she playfully went to hit him with her bag of Honeydukes sweets, but he quickly caught her arm and pulled her in for a kiss. Alice stood there in surprise, realizing she was getting her first kiss.
It lasted only a few seconds and just as she started gather her senses he pulled back. "I-" he started, but Alice stood on her toes and pulled him in for another kiss, wanting to explore the sensation of his lips on hers. It wasn't exactly what she had expected. It wasn't filled with music and fireworks, but it was warm and soft and rather pleasant. When they finally pulled apart she let out a nervous laugh, realizing that she had dropped her bag of sweets which were scattered across the sidewalk. The pair knelt down and picked up the goodies, Alice blushing whenever they reached for the same item, their hands brushing.
Once everything had been gathered, they finished their journey to the pub and walked inside, welcoming the warmth that came from the fireplace. As Alice looked around, she was surprised to see Frank sitting at a table with Dorcas Meadowes. Sirius followed her gaze and said, "Are you okay with them?"
Alice nodded. "I didn't know that he fancied her," she said. "I'm just surprised to see him pursuing someone else, that's all. I'm glad, really." She found an empty table on the other side of the room, wondering why seeing Frank with someone else would bother her. 'Probably just the flattery of his pursuit that I'm missing,' she thought.
As they sat down Sirius shook his head as he noticed a group across the pub. Alice looked at the group and saw Lily and Lockhart, surrounded by a group of girls who were listening with rapture as Lockhart spun another one of his tales. Lily smiled whenever Lockhart looked at her, but she looked bored and somewhat uncomfortable.
Sirius muttered, "I can't believe she agreed to a date with that guy, I just can't." He wondered how James was doing with his date. Turning back to Alice, he decided to drop the subject of Evans and Lockhart and enjoy his present company. After ordering the drinks, they talked for quite a while. Sirius was pleased that her interest in Quidditch did not remain strictly with the school teams.
"You have to agree, Sirius," she said. "The Tornados don't stand a chance against the Wasps this season."
"You've got to be kidding me," he retorted. "The Wasps have a weaker Seeker than the Tornados."
"Yes," replied Alice, "but they have the best Chasers and Beaters in the league. The Beaters can keep the Tornados' Seeker distracted long enough for the Chasers to outscore them by hundreds of points. By that point even the points the Seeker gets wouldn't be able to make a difference."
Sirius looked at her, clearly impressed. "How did you get to know so much about Quidditch, anyway?"
"My mum used to play for the Wasps," replied Alice. "She was a Chaser. I would love to play for them someday," she added wistfully.
"She played for the Wasps?" Sirius asked incredulously. "I guess I know where your talent comes from now." Seeing her surprise he sheepishly added, "I wasn't crazy that you beat me at getting the Chaser position last year, but you deserved it. Besides," he added, "I like being Beater. I love sending Bludgers at the Slytherins!"
Alice laughed. "I'm glad you made the team this year," she said.
"So it must have been interesting growing up with a mum who played professional Quidditch," said Sirius.
"It was, and it still has its perks," said Alice. "Last summer I got to go to several Wasps games. Mum even managed to arrange a meeting with the team."
"What?!" exclaimed Sirius. "That means…that means you got to meet…"
"Yeah," replied Alice with a broad smile. "I got to meet the best Beater in the league. Ludo Bagman!"
When the last of the butterbeer was gone, Sirius escorted Alice out of the pub. They were walking down the street, happily chatting, when they heard a disturbance coming from a nearby alleyway. When they looked around the corner, they were shocked to see Peter cowering against the wall with three Slytherins looming over him. Sirius was furious to see a gash bleeding on his friend's forehead. He knew that even though Peter was a Marauder, he wasn't good at defending himself. Maybe he could have gotten by against one Slytherin but against three he stood no chance.
Pulling out his wand, Sirius motioned for Alice to stay back but was surprised to see her standing next to him with her wand drawn. She gave him a defiant look that told him that she could take care of herself. Turning back to the scene, Sirius bellowed, "Get your slithering arses away from him!"
Malfoy turned and gave a cold smile to Sirius and Alice. "I'm surprised you care, Black. This cowering mess over here has shown no bravery. I'm surprised he's in Gryffindor. Aren't Gryffindors supposed to be brave, or do you all quiver and cry at the slightest provocation?"
"I'm afraid you're mistaken, Malfoy," said Sirius. "It looks to me like you're the one having difficulty controlling your tears." He raised his wand and shouted, "Conjunctivo!"
The conjunctivitis curse hit Malfoy, who yelled out in pain and reached for his eyes which began to water uncontrollably. Sirius barked out a loud laugh just as Snape aimed a curse at him. Alice quickly pushed Sirius out of the way before it could hit and sent a curse straight at Snape, causing him to fall onto the ground laughing. Seeing the two Gryffindor's with their wands aimed at him, the third Slytherin started to drag Malfoy down the alley until they were out of sight.
"What's going on?" came a voice from behind Sirius and Alice.
Sirius turned to see James approaching them with Beverly. James looked into the alley to see Peter on the ground bleeding and Snape next to him still laughing. Peter pulled himself off the ground and ran over to his friends.
"Thanks," said Peter to Sirius and Alice.
Alice smiled back while Sirius replied, "Don't mention it. Nobody hurts one of my friends and gets away with it."
Peter smiled gratefully. Alice turned to him and said, "Why don't I take you to Madame Pomfrey? You need to have that gash looked at." They walked away while James glared at Snape.
"Snivellus," growled James. By this point the charm on Snape was wearing off and he glared back up at James while grabbing hold of his wand. James was quicker, though, and yelled, "Densaugeo!" The curse hit Snape, who was still on the ground, and his front teeth started to grow. A cry of disgust escaped his lips while Sirius and James snickered at the sight.
"What are you doing?!"
James and Sirius turned around to see Lily standing there with an accusatory glare. Behind her, Lockhart was staring at his reflection in the glass of the shop next door, checking his hair.
"What do you mean?" asked Sirius.
Lily looked at Snape, who was trying to hide the fact that his teeth were growing past his chin. She faced James and asked, "Why do you insist on hexing him at every opportunity? What did he ever do to you?"
"What?!" shouted James. "Evans, you have no idea what he just did!"
"From where I'm standing," started Lily, "there are more of you than him and he's on the ground suffering from hexes that you're throwing at him."
James felt a surge of anger pass through him as he cuttingly replied, "That git and his friends just hurt Peter. You didn't know that because you just arrived and assumed that we were randomly picking on him." He turned and grabbed Beverly's hand, about to walk away before he paused and added, "Ask Alice. You'll probably find her in the hospital wing where she just took Peter!" He then left with Beverly.
Lockhart finally walked up to them and with a goofy smile asked, "What did I miss?"
Sirius shook his head and said, "Evans, you need to get a clue." He left the pair and headed back to Hogwarts, hoping to catch up with Peter at the hospital wing.
Back by the alley, Lily sighed, trying to push down the guilty feelings that were trying to surface.
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A/N: So what did you think about the whole Sirius/Alice thing?
Thanks to the latest reviewers: mystical cah, hpfreak, nanopy, Alicia, Hermione G. Potter, Anu, Nyscat, A New Reader, Mani12191, Golden Phoenix, Remus'sweetie, spanish gurl, and I <3 harry…
Next chapter: The Marauders finish one of their projects.