A/N: I really hope you all enjoy this fic. It was written for the 'Top 100 Song Fic' Challenge by Evangeline Adara Rose. It isn't exactly a pairing that I've ever thought of before, or written before, but it worked for my idea, and I think it's entirely possible. My song was "The Only Exception" by Paramore (obviously) & my character was Sirius Black. I hope you all like my interpretation.
Sirius Black had never given his heart away to a girl before. Never not once in his entire life. He grew up watching his parents spit hate towards each other. He came from a loveless home, and love just wasn't something he understood. He didn't put much stock in the possibility of true love. At least not for him. For some people, like Lily and James, sure it worked, but Sirius wasn't naive enough to let himself believe that he'd ever find somebody like James had found Lily. Until he met her. She had a way of seeing through his defenses, and she knocked them down so easily too. He'd never allowed anyone into his heart like he allowed her. She made him feel alive, and he'd never even kissed her. She was to be married tomorrow, and he knew if he didn't say something now, he would never get the chance. So he asked her to come to his flat, and of course she agreed, he was one of her best friends after all. So there he was, at his kitchen counter, looking into the bright blue eyes of Alice, Longbottom to be, and he had no idea where to begin.
"Are your feet cold?" He asked her, making it sound like a joke, but secretly hoping she'd say yes.
"Toasty warm." She smiled, sipping the coffee he had made for her. "Are you sad?" She asked. His head snapped up from where he'd been looking into his own cup.
"What would make you say that?" He asked.
"I just thought you might be, that Bachelor list you always joke about will be shorter again tomorrow." She laughed. He sighed.
"I am sad, but not because of that." He admitted. Alice's smile dropped.
"Why then?" She asked, a hint of worry in her tone.
"I just feel like I'm missing out." He admitted. "James has Lily. Now Frank has you."
"Aw, Si, don't worry about that." Alice smiled. "You're amazing, there's somebody out there for you, and she's probably great."
"She is." Sirius agreed. "But I'm afraid it's too late for me." He smiled bitterly.
"What do you mean?" Alice asked. Sirius took a deep breath before looking up from his cup of coffee to look her in the eye.
"She's getting married tomorrow you see."
"Oh Sirius." Alice said, startled, setting her coffee down. "You can't mean that."
"I do though Alice." He told her, wishing with all his might that she's see just how serious he was. "I love you. I've never loved anyone before, I've never wanted to love anyone before. Up until now, I'd sworn to myself that I was content with loneliness, because none of it was ever worth the risk. But you, you're the only exception."
Sirius could see the effect his words were having on Alice. She looked as if she really wanted to cry and didn't know much of what to do. He immediately felt guilty for causing her anguish.
"Sirius, you're my best friend, but you've just got to understand, I love you, but not in that way." She told him shakily.
"I know Alice. I just... I needed to tell you, so you knew all of your options before tomorrow. I know the chances of you changing your mind about marrying Frank are slim to none, but I couldn't ignore what's in front of me anymore. I've tried so hard to suppress my feelings for you, but I just can't do it anymore." Sirius told her earnestly. "And I know you'll wake up tomorrow, and marry Frank and be happy to do so. But I just wanted to make sure I haven't been imagining this chemistry between us, that I haven't been dreaming."
"You're not, Sirius, I know you aren't." Alice admitted. "And in any other situation, I'd be happy to be with you. But it just doesn't work like that. I love Frank, I do. Please don't be angry with me." Alice told him, getting up from her chair. "I'm glad you told me, but I really don't think I can stay here now." She told him, heading towards the door and where her jacket was hung. Sirius felt his last little bit of hope crumble.
"It's okay, I understand." Sirius said, following her. "You'll be a beautiful bride Alice." He smiled painfully.
"Thank you Sirius." She returned. "I do hope you'll still be there tomorrow."
"I wouldn't miss it for the world." He told her, swallowing the lump in his throat. Alice hugged him.
"I do love you Sirius, I'm sorry." She told him softly, before releasing him and walking out the front door.
She shut the door behind her, and Sirius cried a few tears for the love he would never get to experience. He had known how likely it was that Alice felt the same, but he had to give it a try. He had at least given himself that. All he could do now was hope that she would be happy, and that Frank would treat her right. With those thoughts in his head, he turned off the kitchen lights and went to lay down in his bed, and drifted off to sleep.
Alice looked at herself in the mirror of the dressing room. She knew she looked more gorgeous than she ever had before in her white gown. Her friends and all of Frank's family were most likely gathered together in the church by now, waiting for the time to come that she would follow her maid of honor, Lily down the aisle, to wed Frank.
The only thing she could think about though, was the conversation she had with Sirius the night before. She had never realised he felt that way about her, and she knew that if she walked down that aisle, she'd hurt him terribly. Sirius was one of her very best friends. He had been there for her through everything. His shoulder was the one she had cried upon when her parents were murdered, and she knew their connection was one not to be questioned. As much as she loved Frank she didn't know if she could do this without Sirius' blessing, and his words the night before haunted her. She needed to speak to him.
"Lily!" Alice called, sticking her head out of the dressing room. "Is Sirius here?" She asked.
"I'm afraid not Alice." Lily shook her head sadly. "Nobody has seen him all day, I don't know what's gotten in to him that he would miss one of his best friends weddings."
"Oh. I'm sure he'll show." Alice responded sadly. "Are you sure he isn't seated already?" She asked hopefully.
"He's not here Alice." Lily told her sadly. "It's time though. I'm going to go tell the piano player that we'll both be ready in five minutes time okay?"
"Yeah... yeah okay." Alice agreed sadly. She shut the door to the fitting room and looked at herself again in the mirror. She couldn't do this. She felt tears forming in her eyes. She stood like that for a few more moments in front of the mirror before shaking her head and opening the door to the dressing room again, to ask Lily to tell the guests that she was sorry but there wouldn't be a wedding that day. When she opened the door however, Sirius was standing in front of it, his hand raised as if he had been about to knock, looking quite dashing in a pair of fine black dress robes.
"Sirius!" Alice cried, lurching forward to hug him.
"Hey Alice." Sirius smiled sadly. "It's about that time huh?"
"Yes, yes it is." She agreed, wiping a tear from her face.
"Why are you crying?" He asked concerned. Alice smiled at him.
"I thought you weren't going to come." She admitted honestly. Sirius smiled that sad little smile again.
"I promised didn't I?" He asked, and she nodded her head. "Actually Alice, there's something I wanted to ask you."
"Anything." Alice told him quickly. Sirius sucked in a deep breath.
"I know you said when your dad died, that you didn't want anyone else to walk you down the aisle. But I was wondering if you'd allow me the honor of giving you away." He asked quietly, afraid of her answer. It was a split second decision he had made that morning, to ask her such a question, but he felt it was something Alice needed, and maybe he needed it too.
Alice smiled a big smile and felt truly happy for the first time that morning. She wanted nothing more than for Sirius' acceptance of her decision to marry Frank, and in his own way, this was him giving it to her.
"I would love that Sirius." She told him quietly.
Lily came around the corner, and seeing Sirius there with Alice, she smiled.
"Oh good Sirius you're here! You better hurry and get to your seat, I'm about to walk." She told the both of them.
"Actually Lily, there's been a last minute change to the program." Alice smiled.
The three of them made their way to the church's lobby, getting ready to walk down the aisle. Music began to play and Lily gave Alice a quick hug before making her way to the top of the aisle.
"Thank you so much for this Sirius, it means a lot to me." Alice told him as they took their places.
"It means a lot to me too Alice." Sirius smiled. "I do love you, and I always will, but I'm not so blind as to see that Frank is the better man for you." Alice just smiled.
They began their walk down the aisle, a hundred faces looking at the pair. Alice truly made a beautiful bride. The walk was entire too short for Sirius, but when they reached the end of the aisle, and the Minister asked who gave this woman away, he smiled and said "I do" before kissing her cheek, whispering another I love you in her ear, and placing her hand in Franks before taking his seat in the front row beside James, who clapped him on the back reassuringly.
Alice and Frank exchanged their vowels, and it was a beautiful ceremony, but when it was over, Alice sought out Sirius' face in the crowd of people, and mouthed an I love you too across the room.
Sirius smiled his first real smile in a long time.
A/N: So what did you think? It's def something different. I almost kind of like the idea of Sirius having at one time been in love with Alice, although I wouldn't want him to suffer after what happened to her and Frank, so I don't know. I think I did well though, considering the Challenge.