One Step Ahead part I | Sirius Black

Chapter 12

Lily, Dorcas, and Marlene had no idea what had happened to Gwen. All they knew was that it had involved the Marauders and it made her sick.

The Veela sneezes into her handkerchief, shuddering slightly. She'd been chilled to the bone since her dip in the lake, unwilling to see madam pompfrey despite Lily's encouragement. Jonathan was very nice about rescheduling their date, kind enough to even offer to go buy her some sweets. She'd refused, saying that they would go together as soon as she was better.

Dorcas had tried to get their blonde friend to share what had her so upset, but she wouldn't budge. And her friends knew better than to push.

Marlene whispers to Dorcas while Lily distracts Gwen, "Lily thinks it has to do with her mum."

Dorcas nods, thinking exactly the same thing. "She won't talk about it. I've tried."

Marlene frowns and sighs, "Whatever they did it gave her a bloody cold."

Lily interrupts their quiet chattering, saying quietly,

"Cmon, we're going to Gryffindor. I think I've got some pepperup potion."

Gwen smiles at her friends as they all begin walking, teasing them, "You're all very cute when you're worried. I've told you I'm fine!!"

Marlene laughs and grabs the veela's hand, giving it a squeeze, "We just love you, Gwen. We want you to be okay."

A ball of emotion settles in the Veela's throat and she nods. She loved them too. And she nearly spilled out all of the dark thoughts threatening her brain, but she didn't. Instead she kept them locked up tight.

The portrait eyes Lily disapprovingly when she says the password in front of the Ravenclaw girls.

"Piss off," Marlene grunts at the painting, making Gwen and Dorcas laugh as they're ushered through the portrait hole. It wasn't their first time in the Gryffindor common room, but Gwen noticed something different each time.

Today it was the ornately carved lion in the mantle above the fire. The room was cluttered—way less airy and light than Ravenclaw's—but it was more comfortable. Even the seats. She really really liked the big armchairs that were positioned by the fire. She could spend hours sitting there, relaxing.

Lily sees her looking and laughs, teasing, "Go get your chair Gwen. I'll go grab the potion."

Gwen grins and claps her hands happily, scurrying over to the red armchair calling her name. She lets out a dramatic sigh as soon as she sits down, melting into the warm cushions.

Dorcas snickers, "You know we have armchairs too, Gwen."

"Not like these!" The Veela argues. "This is the most perfect seat I've ever sat on in my life."

Marlene takes a seat on the sofa next to her, teasing, "Didn't you sit on Fabian Prewett's lap last year? I reckon that was probably the best seat of your life."

Gwen grins and shrugs, saying coyly, "He is rather fit. Good kisser."

Marlene gasps and throws one of the pillows with lion embroidery at her face, "Miss. Whitlock!! You've been snogging the prewetts?!"

"Only the one! I was curious...and a tiny bit drunk," She admits, smiling at Dorcas' disapproving looks. The Veela liked boys, found a few to be quite fit. But never really bothered with dating. It seemed far too exhausting, especially now.

Lily reappears from the girls dorm, holding a small potion in her hands. Gwen wouldn't normally take a potion from a student, but Lily was brilliant at the subject.

"Did you make this in that fancy slug club?" Gwen wonders, biting back laughter when the ginger blushes.

"Shut up and drink it!" Lily cries thrusting it into the blondes hands.

"Is it going to make steam come out of my ears? That really makes my nose itch," She complains, eyeing the potion suspiciously. Lily shakes her head, smiling slightly while she replies,

"It's mild. It should make you feel better."

Gwen nods and quickly drinks it, trying not to gag on the peppery taste. Her stomach churns for a moment and then a comforting warmth spreads through her body, finally relieving the bone chilling cold she'd been carrying around. She waits for steam to tickle her ears and nose, but it doesn't come.

"Good job, Lily! My nose doesn't itch at all!"

The ginger flushes with a proud smile on her face and takes a seat next to Marlene and Dorcas. The next few moments are silent. Awkward. Gwen sighs when they all look at her, saying flatly,

"You're not going to let this go are you?"

Dorcas smiles sheepishly, replying gently, "We worry about you."

"I'm fine," Gwen insists, not sure if the warmth in her chest is from the potion or her friends caring smiles. "I just had a little...blip. I feel much better though."

Loud laughter pops the gentle warm bubble surrounding the girls, Gwen's eyes immediately finding the group of infamous boys as they walk into the common room. The Marauders all still at the sight of the girls. Sirius feels his heart sink when Gwen looks away from them, her face stoic. He wants to know what she's thinking. He wants to apologize.

But Dorcas, Lily, and Marlene are glaring at them all. He wonders briefly if they know why she reacts so poorly to what he thought would be a funny dip in the lake.

"H-Hi Gwen," Peter stutters out bravely. Her eyes flicker away from the fire and land on the mousy boy. He holds his breath, his blood freezing under the intensity of her gaze. She finally says calmly,

"Hi, Pete. Doing okay?"

Sirius' hands curl into fists. He scowls when she glances at Remus and James. But she won't look at him. Peter nods quickly at her words, saying quietly,

"Y-yeah. And yourself?"

Lily jumps in before the Veela can speak, her eyes narrowing at James and Sirius while she says harshly,

"She has a cold."

James flushes and rubs the back of his neck, staring uncomfortably at his shoes. Sirius however is mad. He's furious that she won't look at him, won't fight with him. Won't do anything other than sit there with that bored look on her face.

"She's a big baby, that's what she is," He growls, feeling triumphant when her eyes finally land on him. She looks unimpressed with his words, saying flatly,

"I was just leaving."

Lily and Marlene try to get her to stay, but she and Dorcas just stand and walk past the boys, slipping quietly out of the common room.

"What did you do to her?!" Marlene accuses. "She's never done anything to you lot!!"

"I dunked her in the lake! So what?!" Sirius cries indignantly. Lily freezes, gritting her teeth together.

"You did what?" She asks quietly.

"Uh oh," James whispers. He'd been on the receiving end of Lily's wrath before. It was not on the list of things that he wanted to repeat.

Marlene purses her lips and crosses her arms as Lily stands and faces the boys, saying angrily,

"You are selfish, horrible, intolerable people that have no consideration for what other people go through!"

"What pray tell is this crisis that Ninnie has gone through?!" Sirius barks at the ginger, his knuckles white from his clenched fists.

"She's scared of water, you arrogant prick! She found her mother face down in the fucking ocean when she was just a kid!!!" Lily yells finally, Marlene wincing at the volume.

Sirius freezes, staring at Lily with wide eyes. What he'd thought was a helpless prank had been far more than he'd intended.

"Fuck," He groans, storming out of the common room while everyone stares after him in shock.