GOOD DOG || Sirius Black

(Thirty Three: Noceur)

Noceur: one who stays up late.

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"What's happening? No don't tell me. If it means I have to get up, I don't want to know."

 Alex blinked her eyes open groggily to see Marlene McKinnon standing over her with a wicked grin on her face and a pillow in her hands. Her entire expression fell as she noticed that her victim was awake. The pillow flopped disappointingly to the floor. Marlene stuck her bottom lip out in a sulk and refused to answer Alex's question.

Over the other girl's shoulder, Alex could see Lily Evans packing her things into her trunk. A similar one rested at the foot of Marlene's bed. Alex frowned, "Actually, tell me. What's going on?"

"We're going home for half-term." Lily called without turning around, "Apparently it's not safe here."

"Bollocks." Alex said without thinking.

Marlene slouched away and fell backwards onto her bed, "Someone's on their drugs. Though, for once, I quite agree."

"But the parents don't." Lily informed them both, snapping the fastenings safely shut on her trunk and heaving it off the bed, "So onto the train we go."

Marlene sat up, "Good news, it's three days to Valentines, so at least we don't have to put up with all the Cupids and roses. I'm allergic."

"To which?" Lily asked curiously.

"Both." Marlene answered, "And to bullshit in general."

Alex glanced between them for a moment, eyes wide like she was digesting new information, "How long have you been friends?"

Marlene and Lily shared a look. Marlene, for once appearing confused, turned back to Alex, "Pretty much since the first train ride. Why?"

"I've never had female friends." Alex answered simply.

Lily smiled, "Yeah, you have."

Alex gave her an alarmed expression, "I have?"

Marlene swung an arm around her shoulder, and dropped her trunk, already full of everything Alex usually packed into it for Christmas break, onto the end of her bed, "You just haven't realised it."

Alex Fawley, in her exhausted state, didn't retain anything from the next twelve hours, except falling onto her bed at home, fully dressed, and passing out cold. Anything else was erased in the buzz of travel and really not wanting to be awake. She slept for ages- she couldn't have said how long, but by the time the sharp knocks at her bedroom window woke her up, she was beginning to feel this sensation that some ignorantly blissful folk call 'well-rested'.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

"No, thank you." Alex murmured sleepily, "Not today."

Knock! Knock! Knock!

"Dad, your pencils are in the draw. Mum, I've done all my homework. Let's pretend that's not a lie. Micah, I don't care about your cat videos. Please leave me alone."

Knock! Knock! Knock!

"Merlin, Fawley, wake up. I'm freezing my arse off."

It was at this point that she realised the tapping sound was coming not from her bedroom door, but the small pane of glass in the wall next to her bed. Pulling a face at the wardrobe opposite her, Alex threw off the covers to see the face of Sirius Black, grinning at her from the other side of the window.

"I hate you." She groaned, banging her head against the wall softly before sliding up the glass.

Sirius' grin widened, as he hopped the pane, striding over the brand new desk just under the window with his muddy feet and traipsing into her room. The boy seemed to take a moment to absorb the space again before turning to face her, and taking a second to absorb her appearance with much the same manner, "Bed head. Nice."