Trixie lay awake in her bed early the next morning, staring at the roof of her canopy. She listened to the other girls snoring loudly as she silently planned out her day.
What about James? Did he freak because he saw her and Severus leave together? Maybe she could avoid him…it's a big school. Maybe he didn't notice. Fat chance.
"Oh well, what's done is done," she thought to herself. The question was: whether or not she would do it again. Of course she would, Trixie sensed in Severus a great loneliness, the same loneliness she felt in herself. "I might as well get up; I need to go to the Owlery."
Trixie got out of bed and dressed. Standing in front of the mirror, she eyed the image skeptically as if it might be lying to her. She had a heart-shaped face and lips with well-defined cheekbones. James' trademark stone-grey eyes stared back at her but instead of his mischief hinting around the corners, she had only cool intelligence. James had always wanted her to be in the popular crowd with him. It was probably because he wanted to keep an eye on her; he couldn't have just any guy snogging his precious cousin.
A mere two years ago she had sat among James' group during summer vacation, listening intently about their antics at school. Deluded James had thought that this was because she had a crush on Sirius but he was wrong. Trixie had stuck around them and Wormtail's staring for one reason only: Remus Lupin. Of course, she would never tell James…or anyone for that matter.
Downstairs, the fire had died down but the torches were still going strong which made the common room slightly stuffy. Trixie plopped down on the couch but a sharp movement in the armchair across the room caused her to leap back up again and swear loudly.
"Severus!" she panted with her hand on her heart. "What were you thinking hiding in a corner like that? Merlin!"
"I wasn't hiding, but I'm sorry if I scared you," he said with his hands behind his back.
"No apology needed. I guess I'm just jumpy, being in a new place and all…" she trailed off when she noticed his hands. "What are you hiding?" She asked as she tried to see around her friend's back.
"Oh nothing," Severus said, producing a navy-blue rose in full bloom. "I just thought I'd get you something for your birthday."
Trixie gasped as she took the rose from him. She walked over to a mirror by the door, put her hair in a bun and planted the rose in the middle of it. She stood back admiring the effect.
"Very nice," Severus said from behind her.
She beamed. "Really? You think so?"
Totally unable to describe the delighted look on her face, he just nodded.
She turned around and placed her hands on her hips. "Well, I'm hungry. Are you? Care to show me to the Great Hall?" As they left the common room she looked over at him, clutching her bag of books to her chest. "That was pretty smooth. How'd you know that navy-blue was my favorite color?"
"That's a lot of questions in two minutes," he said looking ahead.
"Well?"
He sighed. "I just speculated. I mean, your invisibility cloak was navy and so was your luggage trunk…" He finally looked over at her.
"Quick, Severus. Very quick. Well, I guess you have to be with James and company always on you tail."
"I can handle myself, fine!" he said defensively.
"And I don't doubt it. I'm just saying that I don't think it's very…wise…that…you try to take on both Sirius and James at the same time," she said trying to choose her words carefully. "Not to mention, that you've probably started your share of duels."
"And I've won my share of them!"
"Boys," she thought. "Oh, Merlin's Beard! I had to go to the Owlery!"
"Why?"
"Oh, um, I just had to send a gift out."
"A gift? On your birthday?"
"Yea. Well, we're already at the Great Hall. I'll do it after lessons."
Severus had a perplexed look on his face but Trixie did not elaborate. She walked over to the Slytherin table and piled her plate. After forfeiting her dinner the previous night, Trixie had an appetite. Severus sat down across from her and did the same.
A small white box plopped down on the table next to her. Trixie looked up in time to see Lupin walking away. He probably did not want to be seen by James, she suspected.
"What is it, Beatrix?" Severus was looking from the box to her face.
"Probably hate mail," she answered with a small smile on her face. She untied the twine and opened the lid. Glittering in the morning sun was a blue amethyst ring. The gem was cut into the shape of an eagle. "Oh my. It-it's beautiful…"
"Why an eagle?"
"Now you're the one asking too many questions. That information is confidential." She slipped the ring on her pinkie and examined it. "Hopefully, James didn't curse it."
Ten minutes later, she stood up. "Well, I'm done. I'm going to head off to…" she checked her schedule, "Transfiguration."
"I'll show you, if—if you want," Severus said.
"Whatever suits you."
One hour later, Trixie came out of her Transfiguration lesson. Four third year boys were gathered outside her classroom. James looked livid.
"Pettigrew," Trixie said with a small nod in his direction. Then with the biggest smile she could muster, she said, "Hi, James! Hi Sirius! Hello, Remus! How was your first class?"
"What…were…you…thinking?" James said very slowly, as if trying his best to keep cool. Remus reached out and grabbed his collar.
"About what, dearest cousin?" Trixie said in a high voice.
"You sat next to him, talked to him, left with him!" James said in a loud enough voice to cause several students to look over at their little drama.
"Who?"
James pointed his wand at her neck, "What are you and owl? Don't play dumb with me," he whispered.
The other boys stepped back and Remus growled, "James, don't do anything stupid." Pettigrew twitched.
Trixie however was unabashed. She looked down at the wand and then spread her arms wide. "What are you going to do? Jinx me? Go, ahead. I dare you. But…be careful of what you eat or drink for the next few years. Maybe you should keep a bezoar handy."
James blinked as this threat hit home. Slowly, James lowered his wand and pursed his lips.
I knew you weren't that stupid," Trixie said lightly. "Besides, can I help it if I think he's sexy?"
"WHAT?" both James and Sirius shrieked. This caused even more students to stop and watch. Wormtail cowered in a corner and Remus cradled his forehead in his hand. Sirius turned around and gagged. James on the other hand, freaked out, and started to hurl hexes at anyone with black hair. Most of them were unintelligible babble and swear words but it was still a good thing that Sirius was standing behind him.
"CALM DOWN! I was just kidding!" Trixie exclaimed, trying to be heard over her cousin's frenzied shouts.
"That's nothing to kid about! Especially with Sirius around," James said breathlessly and jabbing his wand in Sirius' direction. Sirius jumped backward and held up his hands.
"If you don't like my sense of humor," Trixie said with an almighty air, "then don't talk to me." Then she turned on her heel and stalked away waving her arm in the air.
"She was kidding, right Moony?" Wormtail asked the boy who was still hiding his face.
"Who knows, Peter…" he said with a muffled voice.
