Chapter 7: Nothing I Can't Handle

The next few weeks were both strenuous and amazing for Alex. She grew closer to Sirius as they spent more time together, getting to know

one another. He did simple romantic things for her, like holding a door open, or picking a flower and putting it in her hair. The truth was neither

of them were ready to move into a relationship with the strong feelings they had towards each other, and he appreciated how much she had

realized that. As long as they were near friends or talking about inane things, everything went as usual. It was the brief silences that were the

hardest to bear. The silences that, had they been a couple, would've been filled with caresses and kisses. It was when she barged into their

room to wake Remus up early and found Sirius in a pair of black boxer briefs and all she could manage to do was raise her eyebrows. He had

expected her to run, or at the very least cover her eyes modestly but she didn't do anything of the sort. She simply stared at him in a way that

nearly sent him over the edge.

"You're up early." She said.

"Quidditch practice, luv." said James, who was walking out of the shower with a towel on. Alex's eyes traveled to rest not so briefly on James

abs before looking back over at Sirius. "Care to let a man get dressed?" asked, James, gesturing towards his towel. Alex finally snapped out of

it.

"Oh, yeah, sorry. Just wake up Remus for me and tell him I'll be waiting for him at breakfast." She said, then hurried out. When she reached the

Great Hall she found that she wasn't very hungry for anything on the table and simply waited for Remus to show up. Of course when he did, he

brought three others in tow, one of whom she didn't really want to see right now. At least not fully clothed.

"Did you eat already, Alex?" asked Remus, sitting down and grabbing some bacon.

"I'm not really hungry at the moment." She said, shaking her head.

"Didn't see anything you liked?" asked Sirius, glancing at her. She had the decency to blush slightly.

"Actually, come to think of it, I did." She said and smiled as she watched Sirius tense out of the corner of her eye. "James," she called out, "I

saw that notice you put up. Horrible what happened to Grady. So, seeker tryouts are today?" James nodded.

"Yeah, right before practice." He said, around a mouthful of food. "Why, you interested?" he asked her.

"Yeah, I sure am." She said, looking at Black.

Alex breathed in deeply as she walked out to the pitch. She wasn't nervous. She was focused. She swung her leg over her broom and took off.

She was paired off with a fifth year who sneered at her over his broom.

"Girls shouldn't play sports," he said, "the only thing they're good in is bed." He said, taunting her. Alex smiled back.

"You'd know that wouldn't you?" she said, smiling.

"Yeah, I would." He smiled back.

"What with your mom being a prime example and all." She said, then darted past him as she caught sight of the snitch. Her momentum had

caused him to spin on his broom so she was well ahead of him. Her light build was much better matched for being a seeker than the fifth years

so it was a while before he caught up to her. As he did she noticed a bludger swerving at her from her right. She spun on her broom and

chuckled as she heard it collide with the fifth year. She dodged a couple more bludgers and even the quaffle before she finally wrapped her

hands around the snitch. Just as she did however she was tackled from the side and toppled over in the air, one hand clutching her broom. Just

before her hand slipped off, James came up and grabbed her, settling her over his broom.

"You alright there, luv?" he asked, as Alex reached out to grab her broom. "What happened?"

"Nothing I can't handle, James." She said, glaring at the offending player then presenting James with the snitch.

"Well," James said as they landed, "seems we found our new seeker for the time being." He said. The rest of the team started clapping and Alex

smiled, happy to have made it. The fifth year walked by and shoved into her.

"Figures you'd give the position to your friend." He said to James but kept walking. Alex noticed Sirius pull out his wand and start walking

towards the boy.

"Sirius, no." she said, holding down his wand arm with one hand.

"He's the reason you almost fell off, isn't he? I didn't see him, else I probably would've thrown him off his broom." He said, angrily, trying to push

past her. "As it is I'm going to have to settle on hexing him 'til even Madame Pomfrey can't help him." He said.

"Sirius, really, just calm down." Insisted Alex, finally succeeding in halting him.

"Well, if you're going to do something, do it already!" he said, frustrated.

"Fine!" she muttered, turning around. Sirius, having expected a well aimed hex, was surprised when Alex strode up to the boy and shoved him

to get his attention. "Hey, asshole!" she said, pulling out her wand, "This is for you!" the team watched in shock as she aimed her wand and

without uttering a single word turned around. The boy started laughing and aimed his wand at her. Before he could utter a single word

however, a large yellow-green blob began coming out of his nose. He grasped his nose in confusion then pulled his hand away, each holding a

blob of the stuff that had come out. He watched as right before his eyes each blob took the form of a bat and began attacking his face, even as

more blobs began falling from his nose. He ran, yelling, into the castle, followed by a chorus of laughter.

"Good job, Alex, didn't know you had it in you!" said James, patting her on her back. Alex smiled despite herself and turned towards Sirius.

"You happy now?" she asked him, hands on hips, "I'll probably get a month's worth of detention because of that." Sirius however still looked

upset.

"If he so much as looks at you again I'll pummel him." He said, without looking at her.

"Sirius, it really wasn't that big a deal. Why are you so upset about it?" she asked, "After all, it happened to me, not you." Sirius glanced at her

then turned and stalked off towards the boy's lockers.

When James reached the locker rooms it was to see Sirius leaning his head against his locker.

"Oy, Sirius, mate, you alright?" he asked, sitting down.

"She could've been seriously hurt." He said, simply, sitting down next to his friend and dragging a hand over his face.

"Seriously?" asked James, trying to lighten the mood.

"Imagine if you hadn't caught her in time." His friend replied. "Better yet, imagine it had been Lily." James straightened on the bench.

"I see what you mean mate." He said, nodding slowly. "So what're we going to do to him?" he said. Sirius simply smiled.