One Step Ahead part I | Sirius Black

Chapter 3

Gwen leans against the stone outside of the potions classroom, humming quietly to herself.

It had already been a long, eventful day. Nearly every class she had consisted of at least one Marauder. They were still butthurt over their failed prank the day before. Remus and Peter were seemingly fine, but Sirius, and by extension James, was still properly angry.

And if the Marauders weren't staring at her, trying to figure out how she'd guessed, then someone else was. Boys would leer, girls would glare. It had taken approximately 15 minutes into her first class for her to contemplate dying her hair. Lily told her to ignore it, Marlene told her to "live it up." So, here she was reading Witch Weekly to see what their hair section had to offer her.

"Ninnie!"

She glances up at the sound, quirking a brow as the boys she'd been seeing all day in and outside of her classes come running towards her.

"Yes, James?" She answers politely, making the boy with crooked glasses grin and turn a rather cute shade of pink. Sirius broods from beside him, saying pointedly,

"Shouldn't you be in class?"

Gwen huffs, furrowing her brows as she replies, "That's rather rich coming from you, Black."

Sirius' scowl deepens. Despite everything they'd attempted to do to her he'd never seen her look beyond irritated. Everyone else would laugh or yell or cry. Gwenyth Whitlock was blasé. Unfazed. And it pissed him off.

"Whatcha reading, Ninnie?" Peter pipes up, peering at the magazine. He answers his own question, saying excitedly, "Oh the hair edition."

Remus looks at the Veela in surprise. She grins sheepishly and mumbles, "Thinking about dying it. What do you think, Potter? Should I go red?"

Her voice is teasing, playful even. James flushes and grumbles embarrassedly,

"Piss off, Whitlock."

She smiles sympathetically and reaches out, gently patting his arm.

"Don't worry, Potter. I'll put in a good word with Lily."

His smile grows cheerful at her words, but Sirius is stuck on what she's said. Dying her hair? He takes in the straight pearly strands, wondering how it had changed so fast.

"I like it."

The Marauders all look at Sirius in shock. His face is still grumpy looking, but the corners of his lips twitch slightly at the wide blue eyes before him. He'd taken her by surprise. Finally, a reaction. Gwen stares at him blankly for a moment before smiling faintly and replying,

"All the more reason I should change it."

James snickers at the subtle burn, Remus covering his mouth with his hand to hide his smile. Sirius rolls his eyes, irritation back as he says briskly,

"Get inside, Whitlock."

She quirks a brow, her smile turning playful again.

"You first."

The four boys share quick looks that nearly goes unnoticed by the Veela. She knew. Again, she knew that they were up to something. Peter grows panicky, his eyes flashing to the door. The blonde witch's theory proves correct when moments later there's a loud bang. Students come flying out of the classroom, gagging on greenish smoke that smelled putrid.

Dungbombs.

Professor Slughorn, a portly man with bulging eyes and a face that was usually smiling. Today, however...he was furious.

"Who is responsible for this?!" He cries, looking around rapidly.

Sirius smirks and elbows James before piping up and yelling,

"Gwen, Sir!"

The Veela sighs internally, bracing for the professor's wrath. He stops short however, asking incredulously,

"Miss Whitlock is that you?"

She was growing rather tired of this.

"Yes, Professor. Detention?"

He's taken aback by her flat tone and willingness for punishment. He stutters in his words before he finally explodes,

"You will be here in the dungeon every night for a week! Is that understood."

Gwen smiles and nods nonchalantly. The man is so flustered by her response and the destruction of her classroom that he groans, waving his hands at the students surrounding them and saying, "Class dismissed."

Sirius gapes at the teacher and the Veela as the students start to disperse. Remus says quietly,

"Gwen, I'll go tell him—"

She waves her hand to brush aside his words, saying kindly, "That's quite alright, Remus. I'm sure you lot have much to do this week."

James raises his eyebrows, trying hard to not laugh at Sirius' crestfallen face. The Veela quietly excuses herself, walking past the Marauders towards the direction of the stairs. She smiles to herself when she hears thundering footsteps moments later.

"How'd you do it?!" Peter begs, making a laugh erupt from the girl that has them all stopping short and staring. Sirius blinks in surprise, wondering if her laugh had always sounded like that. Pretty.

He grins a little, his scowl softening as he relents, "Cmon, Whitlock. You can tell us."

She turns her head and peers over her shoulder at him with eyes that nearly freeze him in place. She smiles at him, something he's not sure he remembers seeing before.

"That's half the fun, Black. Not telling you."

She's just about to round the corner, headed in the opposite direction of where the Marauders are headed. His voice stops her again,

"Don't bother dying your hair."

She pauses, glancing back at where he's standing with his friends. His scowl has been replaced with a smile Gwen has definitely not seen before. At least not towards her. He looks sympathetic almost when he says,

"It won't help. The hair isn't the problem."

She wants to ask him what he means, but then the lads are leaving, hooting and hollering about whatever it is they have planned next.

She shrugs at their antics and wanders up the stairs, heading back to her dorm for what she felt was a well deserved nap.