Disclaimer: we don't own it! Please stop asking!
A/N: btw, we decided that Dobby still lives as well.
Chapter 3
Breakfast and Newts
The next morning, Alyce woke up snuggled deep in a pile of blankets. Sirius was next to her, snoring softly. Alyce watched his face and smiled, remembering him carrying her up to an empty room late the previous night. After a few minutes under her watchful gaze, Sirius began to stir.
"Good morning," he mumbled, stretching his arms over his head.
"Morning, old man," Alyce replied. She jumped out of the bed and giggled at the look on his face.
"Who are you calling 'old?'" he asked. She just smiled and began picking up her clothes. Sirius looked on confusedly. "Now why are you picking up your clothes? You aren't actually thinking of putting them on, are you?"
"Well you don't expect me to laze about all day, do you?" she asked. "I'm gonna go and see if I can find any food."
"But why would you want to leave?" Sirius asked, sitting up.
"I don't know about you, but I haven't eaten since yesterday's lunch, and that was my own cooking," she laughed, pulling her pants up on her hips and looking for her bra. Sirius handed it to her with a grin.
"Okay," he said, standing up to stretch. "But then can we come back up here?" He too started searching for his clothes.
"If you truly wish to test your stamina," she said teasingly as she tossed him his pants.
"Don't forget who you're talking to," he said with a wicked grin.
"How could I?"
A few minutes later, they made their way down to the kitchens. All of the houselfs were in a mad rush, preparing what looked to be a feast.
"Dobby?" Alyce said tentatively, holding Sirius's hand tenderly in her own.
"Yes, miss?" Dobby asked, appearing almost instantly in front of them.
"What's going on?" Sirius asked, motioning to all of the food with his freehand.
"We are getting ready for breakfast, sir. There are a great many people in the Great Hall waiting for it," Dobby said.
"Thanks, Dobby," Alyce said. She and Sirius turned to leave.
"Is there anything else Dobby can do for you, sir and miss?" Dobby asked.
"No, Dobby. Thanks," Sirius said, not unkindly.
Sirius and Alyce left the kitchens and made their way to the Great Hall. When they opened the doors and walked in, it was packed. The tables were narrower than usual, and there was an extra table betwixt the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables. Not that anyone was paying any attention to which house they were in. Families sat together wherever they could find the room. Alyce and Sirius found a spot in between Lily and Harry at the middle table, Alyce sat by Lily and Sirius by Harry. All of the teachers were at the staff table, except for Snape, who was on Lily's other side.
"So where were you last night?" Lily asked Alyce. "I didn't see you at all."
"Oh, it depends," Alyce replied with a shrug. She suddenly had a glint in her eye as the light bulb above her head clicked on. "Most likely in the same position you were, at one point or another."
Lily gave her a 'look' and bursted out laughing. She was soon joined by Alyce, Sirius, and, surprisingly, Snape. Harry looked like he was about to vomit on the Ravenclaw fifth year across from him. This made the other four laugh even harder. A lot of people started shooting looks at them, and then openly stared at Snape. Eventually, they calmed back down and people went back to their own conversations.
McGonagall stood up and cleared her throat. Silence erupted.
"I would like to begin," she began, "by saying that Professor Snape has agreed to step down as Headmaster." Cheering erupted from all of the students. Snape stood up and nodded good-naturedly at all of them. "And," McGonagall added after the applause had died down, "that I shall be taking over that position." Again, there was a raucous of applause. McGonagall again waited for the applause to die down. "And, because for most of us this year was so broken, all exams are cancelled." The applause grew, if possible, louder. "However, for the fifth and seventh years that don't wish to be back again next year, the option of taking the O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s is still available. Now, please enjoy this bountiful feast." McGonagall sat back down and food magically appeared on every table. Alyce attacked it as if she had never encountered such bounty. Sirius watched in amazement as she stuffed about five pieces of bacon into her mouth. She felt his eyes on her and shot him a curious look. Sirius laughed.
Alyce swallowed her bacon. "How would you like living for almost a year on my cooking?" she asked. "The only thing I'm good at is grilling steak, and you don't get much of that when you're on the run from the British Government."
"Did I say anything?" Sirius asked innocently.
"No," Alyce replied, turning back to her food, "but you were thinking it."
"Alyce, you know 75 percent of the time I did the cooking, and I'm hoping it wasn't that bad," Lily said with a mock glare.
"Yes, but for the last week or so you have been pent up writing letters to a certain someone so I took up the cooking all last week," Alyce said nudging Lily into Snape. Lily blushed.
"Anyway," said Lily in a way that said 'hey I'm changing the subject,' "are you going to take your N.E.W.T.s?"
Alyce swallowed a monstrous mouthful of pancake before answering. "Well," she said with a smile, "someone has to compete with you for the best score."
"You're going down," Lily said, narrowing her eyes in competition.
"I bet I'll get a better score in Charms than you," Alyce said, the competitive glint in her eyes as well.
"Oh yeah, well I bet I'll get a better score in Muggles Studies than you," Lily countered.
"Name your terms," Alyce said.
"If I get a better score in Muggles Studies than you do, than you have too…" Lily paused to ponder for a moment. Alyce took the opportunity to shovel more food into her mouth. "You have to dye your hair neon green for a day."
Alyce swallowed her food and her jaw dropped. "But I love my blonde hair!" Lily gave her a look. "Alright. But if I do better in Charms that you do, than you have to admit in front of everyone that you think that Professor Snape is the sexiest man alive and you love running you fingers through his greasy locks."
Lily thought for a moment. She stuck out her right hand. "Deal."
Alyce extended hers and they shook on it. "Deal," she repeated.
