One Step Ahead part I | Sirius Black

Chapter 11

Gwen yawns loudly, her eyes half open as she aimlessly moves around her lunch.

She'd spent her free period napping, but it did nothing. She was exhausted. The Marauders had been pranking her relentlessly for the last few days, and while Gwen was always just out of reach, it was tiring to be on her toes all of the time.

Lily and Marlene sit down at the Ravenclaw table, flinching when Gwen suddenly shouts,

"Don't eat that!"

Marlene drops the treacle tart she'd just nabbed from the center of the table, staring at the Veela with wide eyes.

"Jawbinding potion. Rather clever," Veela says blearily, laying her ahead down on her crossed arms. She doesn't even look up when she hears a far off curse of disappointment. Lily glares over her shoulder, her eyes finding James' smiling face almost instantly,

"Potter! Come here!"

He jumps to his feet and crawls under the Gryffindor table, much to Remus' irritation. He rushes over and says excitedly,

"Evans! You've finally decided to go out with me???"

Lily scowls, saying flatly, "No. what have you been doing to my friend?"

James glances at where the Veela is resting with her eyes closed, feeling a twinge of guilt at the sight. He's not sure what to say, loyalty to Sirius getting the best of him when he replies irritably,

"She cheated."

Marlene quirks a brow, asking incredulously, "How's that?!"

James frowns when the Veela doesn't even move. He wonders briefly if she's asleep. He turns to Marlene and Lily and says angrily, "She told Jonathan where the snitch was."

"No I didn't," Gwen says suddenly, sitting up to stare at James. He feels a shiver up his spine at her pale eyes, finding them very...creepy. Like she could see through him.

"That's what Sirius thinks?" She wonders, smiling faintly when James nods. "All I told Wood was that he missed the snitch 5 times. So did you James. And thanks to you now I've got to go on a bloody date."

James winces, not because her tone is mean or sharp. It's just the opposite, unimpressed with their antics. He shuffles nervously on his feet, not sure exactly what to say.

Gwen takes pity on him and says tiredly, "It's fine. Sirius is just going to keep pranking until he gets me. Don't worry about it, James."

The boy with crooked glasses nods, mumbling a quick apology before returning to the Gryffindor table with a solemn look on his face.

"What did they want?" Peter asks curiously. Sirius and Remus look up from their lunch, Sirius looking particularly interested. James hesitates, rubbing the back of his neck. The Veela had never been anything but nice to him, and he was feeling rather guilty for the bags under her eyes. They caused that.

"I think we should lay off," James says lowly. Remus, quite liking the girl as well, nods in agreement. Sirius scoffs, "What do you mean?! She practically handed over the win to Ravenclaw!"

"We never get her anyway," Remus points out. "Every prank we've tried she's figured out."

Sirius scowls, saying firmly, "I'm not giving up till I get her." His eyes catch a glimpse of her leaving the hall and he stands, saying quickly,

"Are you coming or not?"

The three remaining Marauders make nervous eye contact before they reluctantly stand and follow. She's walking out on the grounds, a ways away when the boys spot her again.

"Padfoot, let's just go find Snivellous instead," Peter whispers as they grow closer to the unsuspecting Veela.

"No, wormtail! It's not fair that she's always getting away with stuff!"

"But—"

"Levicorpus!"

Gwen suddenly has the world flipped upside down, her hair dangling towards the ground as she's hoisted into the air by her ankle. She merely sighs and says,

"You lot are lucky I wore trousers today."

Her eyes find Sirius, noting his frown even from her upside down position.

"Still mad at me, Black?"

"Just getting payback, Whitlock."

She starts moving, but she doesn't really give it much thought. Not until she sees what it is she's hovering over now. She hadn't realized how close they were to the lake.

"Sirius," She says quickly. "Please don't."

She can barely hear his laughter over the sound of her heart thumping loudly in her ears. The black water below her makes her palms sweat and her lip quiver.

"Sirius," She begs, trying desperately to wriggle around like she can free herself. She's panicked, desperate. She can't do this, can't fall into the water.

"Hold your breath, Ninnie!"

She screams as she's suddenly dropped from the sky and into the lake. It's not the cold of the water that takes her breath away. She freezes, sucking in water, her eyes and nose and lungs burning. Memories she's stifled for years flash across her mind.

Swimming and laughing in the sea as a kid. Finding her mother on that same beach. Face down. Still. Then her pale eyes open but unseeing, her mouth blue and gaped open. Her own screams and cries loud in her ears. She hadn't swam, hadn't touched the water since. She'd boarded the Hogwarts express alone every year.

Her mother was gone. And the ocean was where she found her.

Very few knew the story, only Lily and Dorcas and Marlene. And it had taken nearly four years for them to get it out of her.

She's suddenly yanked to the surface, her lungs heaving for air as she coughs and gags up water. She feels the ground on her back, but she's scared to open her eyes. Scared that she's going to see her mother's white unseeing eyes.

"Ninnie!! Ninnie, open your eyes! Gwen!"

Her eyes fly open and she sees Sirius' pale face hovering above her. Rage suddenly surges through her, replacing the crippling fear from moments before. She shoves him off of her and climbs shakily to her feet.

The Marauders are staring at her in horror. She feels a hand on her arm. She can still see her mother's face.

"Gwen, I—"

She whirls around, her hand flying and making loud contact with cheek. She's not sure if it's tears or lake water coating her face now.

Sirius' stares at her with wide eyes, his lips parted slightly. He'd succeeded, he'd finally gotten a reaction out of her. Her pale eyes, normally so serene, were on fire. He'd never seen her like this. She was pissed. She was crying. His heart lurches to his throat and he tries again, his cheek stinging,

"Gwen, I didn't—"

She raises her hand, cutting him off abruptly. Her jaw is clenched so tight it hurts. The Veela grits out through her teeth, voice just above a whisper,

"Stay the fuck away from me."

She shoves past the three Marauders staring at her, her body shaking from the cold water of the lake and the memories that threaten her heart and mind.