One Step Ahead part I | Sirius Black

Chapter 54

{{I think I just failed a test so this chapter is fitting}}

Gwen hates studying.

More than she hates reading and homework. She hates studying. Especially for the classes she despises. The fun ones, Defense against Dark arts, Herbology, they were fine.

But now she was staring aimlessly at her muggles studies notes, her astronomy and potions materials stacked near by to be studied next.

It didn't help that the large windows she was sat under teased the promise of warm spring air. She sighs, slumping down in her chair and silently cursing the exams. She looks up at the stars painted across the ceiling. Most of Ravenclaw preferred studying in the library, but she found it distracting. Too many quills scratching and books being slammed shut.

"Um...Gwen?" The small voice disturbs her from her musing. She lowers her gaze from the ceiling and stares blankly at the young girl in front of her. She has white blonde hair and wide blue eyes that make Gwen wonder if she has Veela ancestry. The girl flushes under the veela's gaze and whispers awkwardly,

"Your friends asked me to get you."

"My friends?" Gwen wonders, smiling faintly as the girl nods rapidly. She seemed younger than Gwen. Maybe a fourth year. Gwen sighs and asks,

"Boys? A group of them?"

"Yes," the girl responds. "And they look rather upset."

Gwen hums, tapping her fingers on her desk while she mulls over the information. The girl still looks nervous, so Gwen asks kindly,

"What's your name?"

"Pandora."

The Veela grins, realization hitting her.

"You're Xeno Lovegood's girlfriend?"

The girl, Pandora, flushes pink and shrugs. Gwen smiles and says warmly, "I happen to find his arguments rather compelling."

Pandora seems to warm up at that, smiling as well. She listens patiently as Gwen says,

"I'm going to let the boys in, but I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't tell. Flitwick is a bit of a stickler about the common room."

Pandora nods rapidly, smiling broadly before she whispers, "I won't tell a soul. It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Gwen."

"You as well, Pandora," She replies gently, watching passively as the girl nods again before scurrying off. Gwen sighs and stands, walking across the circular room.

She pushes open the door, poking her head out and immediately finding the Marauders. She's surprised to see that they're all rather solemn, James looking especially crestfallen. Sirius sees her first, mumbling quietly,

"Can we come in? We've been banished from the common room for now."

Gwen's brow furrows in confusion. She finally sighs, craning her neck to peer up at the door knocker. It doesn't move or make any signs of disapproval so she opens the door wider, quickly ushering the group of quiet boys in.

"Don't touch anything," Gwen warns, looking pointedly at Peter. He smiled sheepishly, quickly shoving his hands into his pockets. Remus is gaping at the common room, his eyes lingering on the shelves of books. Gwen hesitates before saying,

"Go ahead, Remus."

Her friend looks like she's given him a prize. He smiles excitedly before hurrying towards the rows of books. Gwen waves for the other three to follow her back to her table.

She peers around the room, spying a few chairs. She points her wand at them and wordlessly, the chairs come to life and hurry over to the table before returning to their solid state.

Sirius smiles slightly, taking the seat next to hers underneath the windows. James and Peter flop down across from her, James not looking up once since he'd walked into the room.

Gwen frowns and asks quietly, "What happened?"

The boys are silent for a few moments, unsure of what to say. Peter glances back and forth between James and Sirius before piping up,

"We uh...we were messing with Snivellous and then Lily came along and got mad."

Gwen quirks a brow, turning to look at Sirius just as Remus sits down with a book and ads,

"Sirius said he was bored so James started jinxing Snape, but then Snape used some spell that cut James' face. So James used levicorpus and...everyone saw his underwear."

Gwen glances at James, finally noticing the cut on his forehead. She sighs and says quietly,

"Then what?"

"Lily was yelling at us all and then Snape called Lily a mud blood. Said he didn't need her help. And now Lily is upset with Snape and hates us," Sirius concludes, not feeling too terribly over the ordeal. He was only mad that Snape called Lily a horrid name. And that in turn she yelled at his best mate.

James finally looks up from his palms, only because something in his mind is beckoning him. Pulling him. He blinks confusedly, finding pale blue eyes and asking surprisedly,

"How'd you do that?"

Gwen smiles at him while the rest of the marauders look on curiously. She shrugs and teases,

"Charm. Come here, love."

James reluctantly stands and walks over to her side of the table, Sirius bristling slightly at the name she called him. He softens however when he sees James' eyes glistening. Gwen gestures for him to sit down, and when he does she gently removes his glasses from his face. She studies the cut above his brow and sighs, lifting her palm and watching wordlessly as the skin begins to knit together. When she's finished she wraps her arms around the crestfallen boy and hugs him. He's still for a moment, and then he's hugging her back so tightly it forces the air out of her lungs. She doesn't say anything though, just lets the heartbroken boy cry silently.

She'd never met anyone quite like James. He experienced all of his emotions so strongly, he wore his heart on his sleeve. A complete goofball that frequently put his foot in his mouth and did stupid things, but had a kind heart.

She pulls back and wipes his tears, saying plainly, "That was a rather dumb thing of you to do. But don't worry, she'll come around."

"She hates me," James says painfully, his lower lip wobbling. Gwen laughs gently and shakes her head, "It's impossible to hate you, James. I've tried."

James flashes her a grateful smile, the heartfelt moment broken when Remus says curiously,

"Uh, Gwen?"

She turns, keeping one arm wrapped around James as she peers at the boy. He and Sirius are fighting smiles, Sirius snickering quietly when Remus asks,

"Did you list a rubber ducky as a machine?"

He has her muggles studies notes in his hands. She tilts her head and says, "Oh. Well I thought it was."

She pauses before asking confusedly, "What is a rubber ducky?"

Sirius smiles, a surge of affection for the girl replacing the hint of jealousy he'd felt earlier. Especially when he sees James' tears drying as he and the Veela hold onto each other. Her hand grounds the poor boy, reminds him that even when he makes mistakes he isn't really a bad person. James stays close to her, even as Gwen tries to snatch her notes away from Remus and Peter as they guffaw at the rest of her answers.

Sirius scoots over, gently tapping her knee as he leans in and mumbles,

"You continue to surprise me, Ninnie."

She smirks, winking subtly before she's back trying to jump and grab her notes from Remus, his lanky arms far too long for her to reach while James and Peter laugh and watch.