GOOD DOG || Sirius Black

(Fourteen: You Will Be Found *Reprise)

"You don't have to do this."

Even Sirius was surprised by his words as he muttered them to Alex. It was probably the most un-Sirius thing he had ever said. But then again, Alex wasn't exactly the paramount example of herself in that moment either. She was in her pyjamas. Her pyjamas. About to climb out of a window. And these people- these mad, sadistic people- were cheering. Like this was in any way entertaining.

Alex stretched out her arms, and bent over to touch her toes, warming up. Someone wolf whistled, and she winked in their direction. Sirius scowled. She raised her eyebrows at him as she bobbed back up.

"Is that Sirius Black I hear talking?" She muttered right back, leaning close to his face in a teasing way that Sirius didn't like at all, "You really don't want to lose your crown, do you?"

"This isn't about me looking stupid." Sirius snapped.

Alex scoffed, "Oh, it absolutely is." At Sirius' continued expression of disapproval, Alex sighed, "Look, we both know that I have to do this. There's no getting out of it. They'd never let me."

"Screw them." Sirius whispered harshly. He was aware that the entire rest of the room was watching them have this quiet argument, but he didn't exactly care, "If you're doing this just 'cause you're scared of what people'll think, then-"

"I'm not scared of anything anymore, Black." Alex looked him dead in the eyes. Eye contact. Sirius felt again that familiar ball of 'this isn't right' hit his mind, but he believed her, "Remember that, next time you want to screw with me."

Sirius frowned, "I'm not trying to screw with you."

"Oh, Sirius Black," Alex clapped him on the shoulder before striding over to the window. It swung open at her touch, dangling precariously over the drop. Alex crawled up onto the sill, reaching her hand out and up and clutching at something above. Someone passed her a roll of duct tape and a Gryffindor flag on a cocktail stick, which she held between her clenched teeth. She turned to face Sirius one last time before jumping, "What else are you good for?"

And then she swung herself out of the window.

There was a moment of silence, where everyone held just looked at the empty space that Alex had left. The sky was clear, and cold was invading the room, lit up in random spots of illumination by the frozen fairy lights of the stars. Sirius could almost see her outline, the grey-ish wobbling crayon drawing that showed him exactly where she had been.

The spell was broken almost instantly. The crowd swarmed forwards as one as a wave of eager faces, scenting out blood.

Sirius elbowed his way through, his heartbeat in his throat. He stuck his head out the window, almost tipping himself over the edge in his rush to see what was going on.

Twisting himself so that he was facing upwards, he was just quick enough to see Alex's Spider-Man socks disappear over the top of the frame before she disappeared.

All he could do was wait now.

{===}

"Whoa."

Alex woke up in her blue TARDIS pyjamas on the worn old carpet of the Gryffindor Common Room, covered in confetti, her feet bare. Someone had folded up a blanket under her head, and she severely doubted that she had been in front of the fire when she dropped off. She raised her hand to her forehead, blinking against the large bump she felt there. A pounding thudded beneath her skin, but still, she could feel that brilliance, and that mix of exhilaration and a wealth of calm pumping steadily through her bloodstream, clearing her head. The drug still hadn't worn off.