Alice Spills the Beans
Alice was sitting alone at the Gryffindor table for a moment, lost in her thoughts of Frank Longbottom and their delightful summer fling that had turned into so much more. Alice bit back her tears as she thought of her best friend, Lily, and all that Lily had been through this summer. She glanced at the door, wondering what was taking her so long to get to the table. She felt the warm grasp of something impure upon her heart as she watched the Marauders strutting in like a three person brick wall, with little Peter following along behind.
She couldn't help but smile at them, admiring exactly how good looking they were, at least James and Sirius were. Alice wished that Lily would hurry up and get to the table, if nothing more to draw the attention of the Marauders closer to her. Alice loved Frank, yes, but the thought of a sordid little affair with Sirius was enough for her to break a sweat and get all fluttery in the stomach.
"Alice," Sirius said slyly, a slick smile on his face as he wiggled his eye brows at her suggestively. Alice hadn't realized how close Sirius was until he spoke.
"Sirius," Alice replied with a smile she hope came off as friendly.
"You know, you shouldn't stare," Sirius chastised playful. The heat rose to Alice's cheeks and she shook her head.
"I wasn't staring. I was glaring," Alice covered. Sirius laughed and sat down next to Alice at the table much to her surprise.
"So, Alice," James started as he took the seat across from Sirius. "Why was Lily late coming back to school?"
"What do you mean?" Alice asked as she feigned naivety.
"She was three weeks late for the start of term," James said. "Surely you noticed that your best friend wasn't there in your dorm for the first three weeks."
"I knew it seemed quiet and bitching-free," Alice laughed as she took to stirring the tea she had poured for herself.
"Come on, Alice, for me," Sirius coaxed as he placed his arm around her shoulders. The brown haired girl swallowed nervously and looked around.
"Um," Alice hesitated. Satisfied that Lily wasn't there, she leaned forward towards James. "Lily was late because she was attending her parents' funeral. Our authorities say they believe that it was a killing curse. They suspect Death Eaters."
"Oh, no," James said in unison with Remus and Sirius.
"Don't say anything, though, otherwise she'll start crying again," Alice begged. Alice's eyes were swimming with tears. "Lily is beside herself. She was out with her sister shopping and she blames herself for letting them die."
"How could she possibly blame herself?" James asked as he shook his head. "She wasn't even there."
"She thinks that if she had been there, she had been home instead of shopping, she might have been able to save them," Alice said as she allowed Sirius' arm remain on her shoulders.
"And, if she had been there, then she probably would be dead, too," Sirius said. "While Evans is not my type, I certainly wouldn't want her dead. Not with the way Prongs here is all hot to trot over her."
"Shut up," James laughed.
"Alice?" Lily asked as she was surprised to see her best friend with the arm of the best friend of the most bothersome boy in the school over her. Lily had her arms crossed against her breasts. She had changed into her school uniform, her white oxford shirt neatly pressed and paired with her pleated plaid skirt.
"Hi, Lily," Alice said brightly as she shoved Sirius' arm off her shoulders. She pushed Sirius away. "Come sit here. Scoot, Sirius, you guys don't even sit down here."
Sirius rolled his eyes grinning and made room for Lily on the bench next to him. Lily sat, storing her bag on the floor between her knees. Sirius looked over at Lily and Alice, thrilled that he was positioned in such a way that he could see Lily's bra peaking from between the buttons.
"So, what's up?" Lily asked as she glanced at the Marauders.
"Oh, um," Alice stalled. She didn't want to lie to Lily, but didn't want Lily to know that Alice had spilled the beans of Lily's absence from school.
"Quidditch," James lied casually. "I am trying to get Alice to convince you to come to at least one match. As the head girl, it is your duty to your house and your school to support Quidditch."
"Ugh!" Lily groaned as she screwed her face up in a rather comical and disdainful way. "I hate Quidditch."
"You actually hate everything that has to do with flying," Alice reminded her. Lily nodded seriously.
"Falling off once is all I need to instill my strong belief that my two feet belong firmly planted on the ground," Lily said.
"Ah-hah!" Sirius exclaimed loudly, making Alice and Lily jump. "You just have had the wrong broom instructor. James could get you up and flying like a bird!"
"Right," Lily said sarcastically. "Like I am going to let James get me on the back of his broom."
"Scared?" James taunted with his cocky smirk. Lily finally let her eyes fall on him, sitting there in front of her.
"Funny," Lily replied as she begun eating.
"Lily, let him teach you," Alice encouraged. She knew flying, or the fear of falling at least, would take her mind off the sadness that seemed to threaten to consume Lily.
"Really, Alice, I don't have the free time to go jumping on to the back of a broom," Lily insisted.
"Come on, Lily," James teased. "I promise, I won't bite."
"Do you really think flying is that important?" Lily asked skeptically as she pulled out her day planner. She sighed and flipped through the book.
"Of course," James said grinning. He reached across the table and took her planner, flipping to the first free period that they shared. He wrote `Go flying with James' in her planner, complete with a little heart over the letter `i' in flying.
"Fine, but I don't draw hearts when I dot letters," Lily groaned as she read the entry that James had created for her. She looked at Alice. "So, Alice, what does one wear when they are forced to fly?"
"I just wear clothes," Alice said as she glanced at Lily's neatly pressed uniform. "Though, I doubt a skirt would be a good choice for a first lesson."
"Only lesson," Lily reminded Alice gently as they watched the Marauders leave the table and head out the Great Hall.
"Right, only," Alice agreed smiling though she believed differently.
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