51 ~ The Thing About Boys

There is always that one friend who escalates every conversation immediately

     "I can't do this," I heard a whining voice and opened my eyes. The curtains around my bed were open, which could only mean that the girls would have woken me soon anyway. Now, however, I had woken up on my own, because Alice seemed to be suffering a nervous breakdown.     I rubbed my eyes and sat up in bed. Thankfully I had braided my hair yesterday, so it did not look like a bird's nest, which was positive, because today was the last Hogsmeade weekend before Christmas and the reason for Alice's panic was understandable.     Last week after Charms, none other than Frank Longbottom had stopped her in the corridor. Ever since their collision on the Hogwarts Express, Longbottom had seemed to want to talk to Alice, but she had always run away. After Charms, however, he had followed her, cornered her and then asked whether she wanted to go to Hogsmeade with him.     That Alice had nearly fainted was obvious, and equally that she had only managed a stammering answer. Her brain had shut down so badly that Frank had had to ask her again, which was why she had come to lunch with us afterwards bright red in the face. Since that day Alice had been completely finished with her life, and today the day had come.

For me it's just too early...

     That was what I thought whilst yawning in a sitting position and the other girls talked at Alice.     "You'll see, it's going to be fantastic!" Dorcas said enthusiastically, making a strange hand gesture.          "You do fancy him, don't you?" Mare asked.     Alice nodded. She still sat in bed with her legs pulled up against herself. She did not seem capable of getting ready for Hogsmeade, which was unfortunately entertaining to some extent.

I don't understand this thing with boys.

     I genuinely did not understand how one could make such drama out of boys, though I had also never been in such a situation before. Equally, I firmly believed that being the mad Aquila did not exactly count amongst the advantages when it came to starting dating.     It did not bother me, nor could I blame anyone for staying away from an Aquila. I also did not try to get close to boys myself. It was enough for me that I had made half-peace with the Marauders, or at least I thought so. Almost a month had passed since the full moon in November and the full moon in December was shortly before the holidays, which began in a week. That was why I had spent the last three weeks speaking more with the boys and Remus again.     A change the girls were absolutely not pleased about, and Elizabeth could be counted amongst them. Since she did not interfere in my life, however, she did not care, because as was well known, she only disliked Black.     I had also mainly had more to do with Remus. We had started meeting in the library again and the boys seemed happy that I no longer called them by their surnames. They had also apologised, which I had accepted, though I too had had much to apologise for.

But whether we'll become best friends? I didn't know, didn't need to know. My sixth year was not even halfway over yet, and I did not know what the future would bring.

     With those thoughts I stood up and examined my Wiggentree. The girls' conversation in the background I tuned out. My sapling was well on its way to losing all its leaves.     "Yeah, I did fancy Frank, but not anymore now," Alice said quietly.          "You're just scared," I stated.     "Yeah...?"     Lily stepped out of the bathroom and said: "You don't need to be scared. He asked whether you'd go to Hogsmeade with him. He also told you in the corridor that he thinks you're pretty too, remember?"     After her words I turned around and could see Alice's cheeks turning red, which made all of us laugh.     Afterwards the girls talked about Alice and Frank and I searched for something to wear. Since I was a messy person, I found my Gryffindor jumper beneath my bed, and took a normal pair of jeans into the bathroom with me. After all, I was not going on a date.

Less stress at least.

     Once inside the bathroom, I changed. There was a very specific reason for that; I could not risk the girls seeing my newest scars. I did not want them to worry, because of course I had not told them that I had fought another werewolf, Remus, during the full moon before last. Only once the scars were less fresh and with the help of good ointments could I explain to the girls in summer that they came from normal wolves. I had not told them that I kept my consciousness as a werewolf, so I would have to pretend that I myself did not know the origin, that perhaps I had attacked myself.     For the moment, however, that did not matter. I took my gaze away from the mirror. The scars had already healed well and they did not bother me either. In my thoughts I was to blame for getting them.     Remus would not understand that, but for me it was completely normal to get scars in a fight. I already had when I still lived together with my wolf pack. For me it was nothing new.     With those thoughts I stepped out of the bathroom. The girls were getting ready, consequently we headed to Hogsmeade.

     Not long afterwards we had stepped out of the carriages and Hogsmeade was being overrun by the students of Hogwarts. Everywhere one found young witches and wizards who still had to buy last Christmas presents. Unfortunately I counted amongst those people as well.     Ever since fifth year, the girls and I had only ever given each other something small, even if it was only sweets, but unfortunately I had not even bought such a small thing for them.     That was why I currently found myself with Lily, Dorcas and Mare in Honeydukes and would then say goodbye to them for a short while. Later we would meet in the Three Broomsticks and speculate about Alice's date. At present, however, I was in Honeydukes, until a voice tore me from my thoughts.

Elizabeth's POV:

     "Since when do you even eat wine gums?" an exceedingly pleasant voice beside me asked, slightly disgusted.          I took my gaze away from the packaged sweets in front of me. Then I looked at Severus, who leaned beside me and absolutely did not want to be in Honeydukes. I had, however, forced him to spend time with me before he went to the Three Broomsticks with his friends.     "Since they started tasting good to me," I replied dryly to his question and found the correct sort. Mutt had preferred the cherry flavour, which was the only good thing about Sirius Orion Black.          "Aha."     I studied Sev. He wore his beanie even though we were inside the warm Honeydukes, and his pitch-black hair framed his face. His equally black eyes looked at me in annoyance, since my answer had been such a brilliant one.

Sometimes I wonder how I put up with you, Sev.

     "Don't you want anything?" I asked instead, ignoring my nasty inner voice.          The Slytherin in front of me merely shrugged his shoulders, but then his eyes searched the shop. When they widened, and in a distinctly negative way, I knew that he had spotted something else.     "What?" I wanted to know and stood beside him on tiptoe, because the boy kept growing taller, "Oh, Evans..." I muttered.          Severus stepped backwards. Since their argument at the end of fifth year, the two had not spoken to one another, but unfortunately I spotted a certain Phil beside Evans. She was picking out chocolate.     Since Sev would leave me after our visit to Honeydukes, I decided to keep the redhead company.          "No, Lizzy!" my companion demanded and tried to hold me back by my shoulder, but I had other plans. Determinedly I walked towards Phil and her strange friends, Severus following unwillingly. Unwillingly because I had dragged him along by his sleeve, causing him to stumble forwards.     I knew he did not want to go near Evans, but as a Slytherin he had to remain at my side. I would never walk alone towards a group of Gryffindors.

I haven't sunk that low yet.

     With that thought I reached Phil.          "Hey!" I said, feeling Sev's judgemental stare burning into the back of my neck.     He still found it strange that I had been talking to Phil since this year, because to him she was the mad Aquila who got along with the Marauders and Evans. To me, however, Phil was a person without prejudice, although she did not seem able to stand Severus, which was explainable through her friendship with Evans.     I did not care, even if my younger brother Rabastan, who was in Regulus Black's year, had already spoken to me about it. As my brother, he naturally had the same parents, and he knew that the Dark Powers were rising.     The Aquila name was infamous, which was why nobody in Slytherin wanted anything to do with Phil, even if her father had been a great criminal.     All of that had resulted in me remaining at Hogwarts this Christmas, because I absolutely did not want to go home considering the current circumstances. At Hogwarts and with Phil I would have my peace.     I was not, however, a blood traitor, because I was a Lestrange, even if I would avoid my family for one Christmas. My brother was sulking because of it, but I wanted to see my parents and family again only in summer.

Simply a bit of distance from home.

     "So, what are you up to then?" I quickly continued asking, leaving the world of my thoughts.I startled Phil slightly, as a result of which she looked at me and gifted me a smile in greeting, which disappeared when she spotted Severus.     "Aquila," Sev greeted politely.          Phil nodded briefly. "Snape," came from her lips and I was thoroughly amused. The two were the best proof that prejudice was not a good foundation for a relationship.     "Buying chocolate," Phil then answered my question, and just as I wanted to continue the conversation, her friends approached from behind.     "Phil, we were just going to-" Meadowes began, when she discovered that Severus and I were with Phil. "Lestrange," the brunette greeted instead, and my grin widened.     I had never had anything to do with Evans' friends before. I found it amusing that they disliked me. Prejudice indeed.          "Meadowes," I returned her greeting, except that I gifted her a smile, which confused her. Yes, marvellous.     "Dorcas?" another voice asked and the other Gryffindor girls approached. Macdonald and Evans joined us, while Severus looked as though he would rather die a thousand deaths. Marvellous once again.          "A lovely day in Hogsmeade, isn't it?" I asked the girls in front of me, looking at them. One could tell that they were only still in the shop because their friend Phil was friends with the evil Slytherin Lestrange. Well, if we were already friends after nearly four months of knowing one another.     "Yeah, but a bit stressful," Phil replied, noticing the tension that mainly came from Evans and Severus. The two stared at each other expressionlessly, but luckily for everyone, the tension dissolved.     Phil explained to her friends that she still had to buy presents because she had forgotten, and if her friends had no problem with it, she would join them later at the Three Broomsticks.     The three Gryffindors agreed and then left us. Severus too, like a proud Slytherin, fled whilst I continued speaking with Phil.

Phil's POV:

     The encounter with Elizabeth in Honeydukes had gone strangely, but once all the other people involved were gone, everything was as usual. Elizabeth told me that she had bought wine gums, and also that she was staying at Hogwarts this Christmas.     "Otherwise you'll be all lonely," she explained to me, though I could not imagine that was the only reason. I did not want to ask further, however.     We left Honeydukes. Elizabeth then dragged me to Zonko's. There, however, our favourite figures awaited us, or three of them at least, because Sirius Black, James Potter and Peter Pettigrew were inside the shop.

Where's Remus?

     That was what I wondered, but naturally I got no answer, because the Marauders spotted us.          "So, looking for new items to play pranks with?" Sirius asked provocatively. He walked across the entire shop just to tell us that. James and Peter followed.     "Well, this is interesting," Elizabeth said and found a strange metallic rod, then looked at Sirius and continued: "This could be shoved very nicely up your arse, but I wouldn't know which one to choose; your face looks confusingly similar to an arse."     After that speech, one heard James Potter inhale loudly. I bit my tongue, because I had not expected things to turn serious so quickly.          "You'd first have to get very close to me for that, Lestrange," Sirius replied calmly and stepped towards her. The dark-haired girl remained standing still, looking at the person opposite her.     "Oh, for such purposes I shall be able to overcome my disgust, thank you for your concern." she pressed the end of the rod against his chest, which was wrapped in a black coat, and pushed him backwards. Sirius Black merely shrugged his shoulders, however. He did not seem interested in having a major conversation.          "Then have fun in Zonko's, but don't forget that every strike from your side shall be answered by us."     "Should we be scared?" I asked now and the three of them looked at me. I held Sirius' gaze, who eyed me closely.          "Maybe," he answered, whereupon Elizabeth's familiar laughter rang out. It sounded forced, which it was, because when we had played the prank on the boys, I had heard her genuine laugh. This one sounded almost the same, but the pauses between her laughs were uneven.     In any case, I knew that Sirius could not stand her laughter to save his life, which Elizabeth had told me. It was the reason why she exaggerated it even more.

Yeah, she's simply a Slytherin, or just nasty, provocative.

     "If I should ever be scared of you lot, then something in this world has gone terribly wrong," Elizabeth explained, "So go ahead, we'll do our thing and you'll do yours, which, considering last time, didn't work out all too well, did it? What did it actually feel like to walk straight into your own trap?"          "You used a bloody secret passage!" Sirius snapped back.     His friend, James Potter, seemed to want to calm him down, but I had to answer something: "A secret passage you didn't know about."          Immediately Sirius' gaze shot towards me and he raised his voice, though he also looked at Elizabeth: "This is your bad influence, Lestrange; Phil used to be very nice."     "My bad influence?" she asked amused, "Exactly, you know, I force Phil to talk to me. Or perhaps I've simply given her room to grow, how about that?"     She crossed her arms over her chest. I had to think about her words.

Room to grow?

     Yeah, I believed one could call it that. Whenever I had spent time with Elizabeth, she had given me my freedom. I had also started talking back to the boys more ever since I had known Elizabeth. I came out of my shell more and was less afraid of many people.     I still would not walk up to a large group of people, but ever since I had spent time with Elizabeth, the Slytherins left me alone, just like everyone else.     Even before that I had not been popular because of my surname. Occasionally I had received disdainful looks. Now people barely paid any attention to me anymore, which I preferred.     I could not claim that I had completely cast aside my reserved nature, because I would still remain cautious. I did, however, believe that I was on a good path towards letting my past rest and becoming the person I truly was inside, even if I was only at the beginning of my journey.

     "I didn't know you could be that tough," Elizabeth said after the Marauders had left us alone, because Sirius and Elizabeth had nearly shouted at each other, to the point that James had dragged his friend out of the shop.          "Lately I say what I'm thinking more often," I explained and we were just finishing our shopping in Zonko's.     "Then just be careful you don't say something you regret."          "Fair point too..."     Cold air hit us. During the last few days it had snowed lightly and the roofs of Hogsmeade's houses carried a thin white blanket. Even now it had started snowing again and Elizabeth pulled her Slytherin scarf tighter around her neck. We were currently walking through the little village, across the main square.     The girl beside me was telling me something, but I was not listening, because my attention had been caught. I saw a familiar head of brown hair, which could only belong to Remus Lupin.     In that moment the question of why he was not out with his friends answered itself; he was not alone. The girl with whom he had already spoken after the won match against Hufflepuff was with him. Apparently something more had developed between them.

Apparently, even though it is obvious, because they're kissing right now.

     A sight which strangely enough I could not bear to look at, though I put it down to the fact that I found the whole dating thing odd.     That was why I turned back to Elizabeth and for some reason I no longer felt like meeting the girls in the Three Broomsticks, where they were speculating about Alice's date.Instead I visited a bookshop that had opened recently, and Elizabeth followed. Together we spent the day in Hogsmeade. I told the girls that I had lost track of time.     To ease my conscience, besides sweets I bought them a larger Christmas present as well, and in the evening I asked Alice about her date. She spent the whole night gushing about Frank Longbottom, who had kissed her on the cheek. As for me, after that day I understood the thing with boys even less.