Loverboy

"It's so bitter"

Ollie decided to go to all her classes, and act like she hadn't seen Ava and Sirius. After all, she was his girlfriend. Ollie also pretended she wasn't aware of this, but her actions changed; no longer did she flirt, jokingly or not, with Sirius, or spend any time alone with him. She spent all her time with Marlene and Lily and Josephine, or with Remus, or with her four male friends.

That blissful overlooking didn't last quite long enough for Ollie to accept that, hey, maybe that sick, sick joke was the push that Sirius needed to find who he really wanted.

One bleak Tuesday evening, Peter begged Ollie to come and talk about "that animal thing." Ollie resigned herself to this, and sat with James, Sirius, and Peter on the grounds.

Sirius had brought a book that was meant to tell how to become an Animagus, but was displeased to discover that those pages had been enchanted to hide most of that information. There was, however, enough left to discern what they had to do. The first step was to keep a whole Mandrake leaf in your mouth for twenty-eight days, or a month.

Ollie held up the small bag that she'd stored the leaves in from a few weeks prior, and all four took one. They placed in their mouth and all of them screwed their faces in disgust.

"It'sch scho bitther," Ollie complained, the obtrusive plant matter changing the way she talked.

Grimacing, Sirius added, "And grainy."

"Do we really have to keep tis in our mouts for a mont?" James whined.

"Urgh," Peter interjected, "it tastes like how Stinksap smells."

They, after a few more minutes, adjusted to the feel of the Mandrake leaves in their mouths, managing to talk normally.

"Ugh, it's so uncomfortable," Ollie noted, as the quartet walked back to the castle. 

When they entered the Gryffindor common room, Marlene glanced up from her and Dorcas's game of Exploding Snap. Her face hardened when she saw Sirius was among the group.

"Hi, guys. And Ollie. And I guess Black, too," she said, the last part icy. Sirius's mouth dropped open, shocked at the sudden shift in Marlene's attitude towards him.

James's face mimicked Sirius's, but not in an insulting way; he, too, was genuinely appalled by Marlene's tone. Peter looked confused, but there wasn't really much more to say on that. He didn't understand what was happening, but had enough wit to tell that Marlene was not happy with Sirius.

Ollie let out a sharp laugh, and replied, "Aww, Marlene. You don't have to despise Sirius."

"But you're my best friend, Ollie. I do have to belittle that nasty little two-timer."

James's jaw dropped further, if that was possible. Peter covered his mouth with his thin hand, his mouth gaping as well. Sirius looked offended, confused and angry at this proclamation.

Remus came down the stairs, a set of robes draped over his arm. He stared, wide-eyed, at the scene in front of him. 

"What...?"

"Remus, you know what happened," Marlene said, a slight accusatory tone underlying in her words. "How about you... enlighten these fools."

Ollie was about to jump to Remus's defense, when he began, "Well, the other day, me and Ollie were going to this really nice spot in the courtyard, and well... We weren't the only ones who'd sought it out. Sirius was there, in the tree, and Ava was there, too, and we saw you guys snogging. And now Ollie is pissed at you because she thought that you had some decency to not flip between her and Ava. And I'm upset at you because for one thing, you're kind of screwing Ollie over, and for another, AVA'S YOUR COUSIN, WHAT THE HELL!? And Marlene is mad because she's Ollie other best friend, and (like me) would kill for her, and seems ready to, and Marlene McKinnon put that wand down right this instant." Marlene dropped the mahogany stick, glaring at Sirius.

"What the hell?" James said, processing everything that Remus just explained to them. "Sirius, why the hell are you screwing Ollie over like that?"

"I DIDN'T KNOW THAT I WAS," Sirius shouted in his defense. "Ollie," he added in a softer tone, turning to the small Japanese girl looking fiercely at him, "I'm sorry. I didn't realize that you'd seen that, or that you'd felt that way."

Ollie's murderous glare calmed down, but didn't soften. "I can tell as much for myself, Sirius," she replied, her voice quiet, but fuming.

Peter moved to stand by Ollie, and threw in, "As much as I hate seeing you guys fight, I'm going to have to agree with Ollie."

Ollie looked satisfied with herself for a second, but it was only a second. No. This wasn't what she wanted. She had sworn, along with Sirius and James and Peter and Remus, to never make each other pick sides.

"Peter, no," Ollie said, her words soft, like a blanket of reassurance. "We're both in the wrong. There's no need to pick sides like this. It's alright." She looked at Sirius, a defiant determination to keep Peter's mind safe from their confusing and heated fights coursing through her veins and shining through her eyes.

"Ollie's right. We're both wrong, and we're both right. It's some turbulence in our Quidditch game. Makes it a lot harder, but it's nothing we can't fix," Sirius agreed, looking at Ollie, guilt and shame in his eyes.

"Well, I think I'll just go to bed now," James said, dragging Peter along with him. Peter, oblivious to what was going on, swatted James's hand away, and walked behind him on his own.

"I can walk for myself, James," he protested.

James had taken Peter away because he could tell that Remus and Marlene were ready to beat the living daylights out of Sirius, and he didn't want Peter to see any violence between their friends.

Meanwhile, Ollie was dragging Marlene up to their dorms. "As much as I appreciate how much of a good and somewhat overprotective friend you are, Marlene, I kind of don't want Sirius's body lying on the floor, entirely mutilated. Let's get you to bed, and you, too, boys," she called out louder, "get to bed, and don't fight, lest Peter sees."

Sirius called up, "Sorry, Ollie. Goodnight."

"Goodnight," Remus echoed.

"Goodnight. I love you both, unfortunately," Ollie replied.

"Night, men," Marlene said, warranting a smack in the head from Ollie. "Ah," she said sharply.

---

We don't want little baby peter to be sad now do we? ily guys, see you hopefully soon. 

1078 words