A/N: Hello, my sweet ones.
Well, here we are, chapter number 10! And guess what, IT'S A TWO PARTER!
It's a crazy old world. Not only are we in double figues chapter-wise, but...
I NOW HAVE A BETA!
HURRAH!
Not only that, but a wonderful and lovely and talented beta!
I feel I have reached a milestone, physically... mentally... egotistically.
HEADOVERJONAS4LIFE!!!!
So there should be a dramtic decreas in typoes, and a dramatic increase in awesomeness from here-on in.
You lucky sods!
This is the most longest chapter I have ever written in my pathetic little life. It's amazing. AND you shall be getting the next half of the chapter very soon!
I know. It's almost too brilltastic to take in.
Anyway, to business!
Hollys Bella: I love you! Well, you're about to find out, aren't you?
HeadoverJonas4Life: Do I even need to tell you how amazing you are? Yes? YOU'RE INCREDIBLE!!!
mrsgrabeel92: Thankyou YET AGAIN. You're so lovely to keep reviewing like this :) Your need is fulfilled, I hope? For now... :P
Ivy G: Thanks, I hope you are pleasantly surprised.
And thankyou sooo much to everyone who favourites as well, you're lovely. :)
You lot rule the world,
TheGreenEyedIdiot xx
* * *
Each one of the girls finally got to appreciate how slowly time moved when you were anticipating something the night before Halloween.
"Oh my God, it's tomorrow? Where the hell did those two days go? I can't deal with this.. Maggie! The emergency chocolate!"
All of them, that is, apart from Lily.
"The emergency chocolate? Lils, are you sure?"
"Yes, I'm sure Mags! Why wouldn't I be sure? Quickly, dear, quickly! I'm feeling faint!"
Alex climbed lazily to her feel and peered down at Lily, who was lying on her bed.
"Mmm. Better do what she says, Mags. It's looking critical."
Alice pulled out a wizarding stethoscope.
"Alice, what...?"
But Alice wasn't listening. Leaping from her own bed to Lily's, she sat down cross-legged next to the girl and peered down at her over imaginary spectacles.
"Oh dear, lord. Nurse! The screens, the screens!"
"What screens? It's chocolate or nothing, mate. Take it or leave it." Maggie replied, decidedly confused.
Alex retreated the short distance to her bed to watch Alice expertly waft the chocolate around under Lily's nose.
"Where! Who are the monkeys...?"
Alice breathed out and wiped her forehead. "She's gonna make it. Good job, everyone. Good job."
Lily was now fully alert and glaring at Alice, a piece of slightly melted chocolate still dangling from the brunette's fingers. Lily grabbed it and shoved it into her mouth.
"I can't believe it's tomorrow..."
"It's truly wonderful how you manage to get right back into out previous conversation after you very nearly died. I'm proud of you, Lils." Alice said, folding her stethoscope and stashing it in her trunk.
Lily merely glared. Again.
"Fun as this is, kids," Alex interjected, her tone clearly stating the reverse, "I was wondering if any of you had any final guesses as to what The Plan is. Alice?"
"Hm? Oh," she looked up from her trunk. "Nah. I'm sticking with my original theory."
"Which one?"
"Err.. the one with the gnomes."
"Sirius and Potter have not captured a herd of gnomes and trained them to ambush us, Frosty. It's just... no." Lily said, exasperated.
"I think it's highly probable." Alex cut in, backing her friend up.
Alice looked smug. "See? Ha. And Alex knows everything."
"I didn't say I agreed, I said it was highly probable. I still think they're planning on having several house elves knock us out upon entering and drag us back to their lair, where they will sap us of our knowledge and probably rape Lily and me."
Alice immediately asked why Maggie and herself were spared the rape, to which Alex promptly replied; "Maggie is too sweet. It would be the sexual equivalent of killing a bunny. And Frank would muller them if they tried it on with you."
Looking appeased if anything, Alice nodded and accepted the theory without any further ado. Maggie appeared stunned, further likening herself to a rabbit, and Lily furious.
"For the love of ALL that is holy! Listen to me: no small household creatures are going to maim us in any way, no raping will take place, and no sexual bunnies will be violated, got it?"
Maggie regained her voice suddenly. "I am not a rabbit!"
Alex nodded sympathetically at Maggie - "I know exactly how you feel." - while Alice glared at Lily. "Just because your love for Jamie has narrowed your horizons, do not immediately assume we are all similarly blinded. SEE THE LIGHT, EVANS, SEE THE LIGHT!"
Lily often wondered why she spoke to her two best friends.
Lily did not often come up with a reason.
* * *
"Looking forward to tonight, ladeez?" Sirius slid onto the bench between Alex and Lily, flinging an arm around both.
Ignoring the odd sensation in her stomach that seemed to have occured around the time that Sirius had sat down, and increase as he wrapped his arm around her, Alex replied, "Yeah, I guess. It'll be a relief to know what all the hype was about, to be honest."
Lily smirked at her. "Mmm. Tell me, Sirius; are there any house elves involved in this project of yours?" She glanced triumphantly at Alex.
"What? Why do you want to know?" Both girls widened their eyes at each other.
"Er... no reason. Come on, you must be able to tell us that much?" Alex fluttered her eyelashes and smiled sweetly.
"Um. Ok.... I... yeah, there were a couple. They're to vital to The Plan. Essential, really."
Lily looked as if she was going to fall off her chair. Alex's voice went high pitched and terrified as she replied, "Oh right, well, thats all we need really. Thanks."
"Ok. Bye. Oh, and girls?"
They turned. "Yes?" Lily called back.
"Dress nicely." He smirked, "See you later."
"O...k.." Alex mouthed, before both girls turned and sprinted out of the Great hall.
* * *
"Oh. Dear. Merlin."
"I know."
"And he said-"
"I know."
"The house elves-"
"I know."
"'Dress nicely'???"
"I know!"
"Sadistic prat!"
"I know."
"You better hope he uses contraception, is all I'm going to say."
"I kno- wait, what?"
"Well, you don't want to get preggers, do you? Then you'd be screwed - if you'll forgive the pun."
"Preggers?"
"Y'know... up the pole, expecting, 'in family way', with child-"
"I know what it means, you bloody fool."
"Don't ask, then!"
"I wasn't! I was disbelievingly repeating significant parts of your speech for effect!"
"Well, you could have said that. That was a load of wasted synonyms right there!"
"Alice, I love you, but you're a complete and utter spaz."
"I know, I know. I think it's because you've come back to me, my love. I've got a shit load of pent-up wubbish littering my mind and I need an outlet. You are the nearest human being."
"I'm honoured."
"Don't mention it."
"I'm pretty sure I didn't in the first place..."
"Shh, Ally."
"Right. Yes."
"Sooo... WHAT ON EARTH ARE YOU GOING TO DO?"
"I was thinking that perhaps..."
"Yes?"
"No, it wouldn't work..." Alex muttered to herself. "Where would we get the goats from?"
"All right, Ally; here is the plan; we go there,"
"Yes."
"We... call for every house elf in a ten metre radius..."
"Yes."
"And then we laugh and laugh and tell the bastards that they are failures!"
"Yes!"
"Right, what colour eyeshadow shall I wear?"
* * *
At seven o'clock on the dot, the four girls were stood outside the newly materialized door to the Room of Requirement.
"Er. I'll go first, shall I?" Maggie volunteered.
"NO! First call for house elves!" Alice cried.
"Oh yeah. Er... ahem. CALLING ALL HOUSE ELVES IN A TEN METRE RADIUS FROM THE SPOT I'M STANDING IN. GO BACK TO THE KITCHENS IMMEDIATELY. THAT MEANS NOW." A couple of faint pops were heard, and then silence.
"Merlin's culottes, it's quiet here." Maggie muttered.
"Merlin had culottes?"
"Shut up, Alex." Lily grunted.
"It's a perfectly valid point! I was unaware that one of the greatest wizards of all time owned culottes! I feel I have the right to know such things!"
Suddenly, the door opened.
"If you girls are down wittering about culottes and house elves, do you want to come in?" James' face bore a wide grin as he beconed them inside and shut the door behind them.
An audiable gasp was heard from the girls as they looked around them. The room was huge, more of a hall than a room, but the ceilings were low and draped with gauzy purple hangings. The edges of the room were littered with small tables and sofas, and one corner housed an enourmous bar, stocked, no doubt, with stolen booze. The walls were painted deep purple and black, and the whole room gave off a dark, smoky vibe.
"You'll be interested to know that the minute Sirius came in it automatically added an upstairs section, housing several bedrooms complete with locking doors." Remus joked, as he decended said stairs, located in the opposite corner to the bar.
Sirius shrugged. "I have needs. The minute Ally turned up you know it must have given us a couple more rooms."
Alex shrugged in imitation of Sirius. "I have neeeeeds." She mocked him in a high-pitched voice, causing him to frown and jut out his lower lip.
Alice seemed to be in shock. "It's awesome, guys! You're genius'!"
James looked pleased. "We've invited nigh on half the school - fifth to seventh years, anyway. They're all turning up after the feast, though. We thought you'd appreciate seeing it first."
Lily smiled broadly and leapt spontaneously onto James, hugging him tightly around the neck. "Oh james! It's great, you guys are great!" James looked a bit shocked, but eagerly returned the hug, pressing his face into Lily's hair.
Maggie had leapt upon Remus, and Alice was locked in deep conversation with Peter, so Alex had no choice but to approach Sirius.
"Not bad, Black." She grinned.
"Thankyou, Burke."
"You did a good job."
"I've been known to do that quite often. Why is it that people always seem so shocked?"
Alex laughed and took another step towards him. "I have no idea, Siri-poo. Perhaps because their poor brains are unable to comprehend the thought of Sirius Black ever caring about anything?"
Her brain was screaming DANGEROUS!!! STEP BACK, STEP BACK!!! at her, but she was disinclined to listen at this point. The fact that her hand was brushing his thigh was making it a bit harder to concentrate than would necessarily be expected.
"That's a shame." He replied lightly. "There are several things I care about a great deal. It would be a shame to miss out on them simply because people didn't believe me capable of caring."
Something told her they weren't talking about the party any more.
"Really? That's interesting. Care to share?"
Sirius gave her a sharp look, but her gaze remained politely interested and amused. Nothing more or less.
"Well, for example, there are several... people that I-"
"All right, Ally-pally?"
Alex turned sharply, coming face-to-face with Elliott. Remus stood behind him, gesturing helplessly that he had no idea how the boy had gotten in.
Alice whipered audiably to Lily, "Bloody hell. There is nothing you could sdo to make me wish I was Alex at this exact moment."
"What?" Lily replied, bewildered.
Alice rolled her eyes. "Well, obviously Sirius is madly in love with her, and she seems to return the feelings on some level, Ashwell has a raging crush on her, and seems to think that she returns the feelings, and Remy, as you know, has been unrequitedly in love with her for ever, he's only just started to get over it. And now they've formed a layer around her and she has no means of escape! Oh, Lils, we should do something."
"Well, why don't you?"
"Are you kidding? This is far too funny for me to simply swoop in there like a gigantic bat and rescue her! Good Merlin, Lils, have you learnt nothing from me?"
Lily shook her head, Alice chuckled, Peter smirked at Alex's predicament, and Maggie blinked back tears.
Meanwhile, Alex was slightly panicked. Which way to turn? Oh, Merlin's baggiest culottes!
"...thought I'd come early. Help set up, you know. I hope that isn't a problem?"
"'Course it isn't, is it Pads? Pads?"
"You could have said." Sirius growled his words.
Elliott laughed easily, "Oh, sorry, the thought didn't cross my mind. I just sort assumed that since Ally was going to be here..." He looked Sirius dead in the eye. "Well, we're so close... I didn't think it'd be a problem."
"Of course it isn't a problem, we'd love the help. Sirius, why don't you go help Prongs upstairs? Elliott can help Peter behind the bar."
Sirius gave Elliott one last glare before nodding stiffly at Remus and disappearing upstairs. Elliott smirked at Sirius' retreating back, smiled at Alex, and moved to the bar with Peter trailing after him.
"Oh, Remus, thank you sooo much! I thought I was going to melt! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"
Remus blushed slightly and accepted Alex's hug, before muttering that 'it was nothing' and 'should check on Sirius'.
Maggie watched Remus walk up the stairs before approaching Peter.
"Petey, give me a firewhiskey."
"You sure, Mags? We haven't even started yet."
"Oh, it's started, Pete. And I'm going to be needing that firewhiskey if I want to finish it."
Peter, completely bewildered, decided it would probably be best just to give her the firewhiskey.
* * *
"Sirius! Siri-poo! Padffffoot..."
"'Ello, Ally."
"Ahehehe... Ello.. Ally... that sounds silly. Brilllllltastic par-tay, Siri-poo!" Alex collapsed into Sirius' arms.
"You, my dear, are pish... pisshhe.. pished! You're pished!" Sirius slurred triumphantly.
"Fished? Fish? What have fish to do with this?"
"I'm not sure..."
"Mmm. Siri-poo?"
"Yes?"
"I can't feel my legs."
"Oh. Do you want me to carry you?"
"Mm.. oops! Sorry, Elliott, that probably won't stain, don't worryyy.."
"Is everything alright, Ally? Black?"
"Shh, Ellie! Sirius is carrying me upstairs."
"What-?"
"Not now, Ellie! Come on, Siri-poo, up!"
As Sirius carried Alex slowly up the stairs, Alex watched him intently. She wasn't quite as drunk as she seemed, and something was bothering him.
"Siri-p... Sirius?"
"Yeah?"
"I... I'm sorry."
"I know you are."
"I love you, you know."
"You're drunk, Ally."
"So are you."
"What's your point?"
"I... I don't know. But Siri... Padfoot... I do love you... maybe not as much as you love me... but I do!"
"Alex, stop it."
"Hmph. Fine. I'm getting down."
To her surprise, Sirius didn't protest. His arms went limp and his eyes glazed as he stared down at her. "See you, Ally."
"Bye... Sirius..."
"Why did you say you loved him?"
"Elliott?"
"Why? You don't love him. Why did you say that?"
"Because... because I do, Elliott." Suddenly she wasn't drunk at all. Something in Elliott's tone of voice sent shivers down her spine.
Possessive... dangerous.
"No. You don't. You don't love him."
It was an order.
"Don't tell me what I do and don't do!" Her speech was confused, but the anger was clear.
"You don't love him. You love me."
"I- what? What? Of course I don't love you! Why would you think that?"
"You love me, Ally... Alex... Alexa."
"No, I don't."
"Yes you do. So you shouldn't lie to Black like that." His eyes flashed. "Tell him you hate him!"
"But I don't!"
"Tell. Him. You. Hate. Him." He pulled out his wand.
Alex breathed out. Finally.
"That isn't a good idea, Ashwell."
"Tell him!"
"No."
"Imper-!"
"Stupefy!"
Alex shot out her spell before Elliott had even finished his, the alcohol in her bloodstream barely affecting her reaction time. As she watched the light go out of Elliott eyes as in slow motion, Alex thought about what had just happened. She had been in real trouble. If she hadn't been so ridiculously good with a wand there was no way she would have got out of that unscathed.
She slid down the wall and put her head in one hand, adrenaline pumping belatedly around her system. The other hand closed around a half-empty bottle of firewhiskey. She loved Sirius. She did. Not properly. Not even half as much as he liked her, but she did.
Well, Burke, we have two options.
Go on.
1. Tell Sirius.
Er.
Alright, 2. Shag the nearest human and hope to get it out of our system?
Er...
Right at that moment the sound of Rowena Scintha's loud laughter drifted over the crowd towards her. Sirius and Rowena were locked in a passionate embrace, Sirius having apparently just whispered something into the brunette's ear, which caused the giggling.
Her stomach dropped.
Two it is, then.
* * *
A/N: Sorry to stop there! But it was so bloody LONG.
Next half will will be primarily in Remus' and James' POV's, so we have variety :)
If you like it and can't wait for the next part, tell me!
And if you hate it and want me to go far, far away, with all writing implements in a ten-mile radius of me locked safely away, then tell me!
You can't tell me I don't welcome criticism, now can you? :P
Drink up me hearties, yo ho!
TheGreenEyedIdiot xx