Chapter 11: A Big Surprise

"Aleks,"

"Mmmph,"

"Aleks, get up,"

"Five more minutes,"

"Aleks, we have to get you ready for Hogsmeade,"

"Ten more minutes, then,"

BANG! "ALEKSANDRA ALISON CRYSTAL GENEVIEVE JACALYNN SARAH GIGGEL, GET YOUR FAT BUTT OUT OF BED, WE NEED TO MAKE YOU LOOK BETTER THAN THE UGLINESS YOU LOOK RIGHT NOW!"

I jumped and landed on my bum on the floor next to my bed. Marie had just jumped up from her seat on my bed, and Julianna looked like a freak storm standing in the bathroom doorway.

I observed my friends, noticing that both were still in their pyjamas, with no makeup and hair that had obviously not been brushed since last night. Then I turned to the clock on Marie's nightstand and saw that it read six o'clock AM. AM as in morning. Six o'clock as in a full four hours before I even had to meet up with Daniel. Six o'clock AM as in the time that I should be asleep. Someone is going to get killed.

"Whose brilliant idea was it to wake me up a full four hours before I had to meet my cousin in the Entrance Hall?"

"It was mine, now go shower," Julianna said, hauling me up and shoving me toward the bathroom door, and then locking it behind me.

"I should be asleep right now!" I shouted as I turned the water on, knowing I probably was not going to win. When Julianna wants to do something, it always happens one way or another.

"Hurry up; we have a schedule to keep!" Julianna shouted through the door ten minutes later, "And don't bother changing back into clothes, just throw a robe on. Marie, why didn't I start this last night?" After a silent pause, "Marie…? Marie!" There was a thump and a cry from Marie, leading me to believe that she had been cruelly awoken.

"Jules, you're a witch. Aleks could be ready in five minutes if you would only let her." Marie said, irritated, as I turned the water off and dried myself, then put a robe on and stepped out.

"But it's so much more fun the Muggle way!" Julianna said as she pushed me down into a chair in front of the vanity that we all shared and proceeded to dry my hair with her wand. Yes, Julianna, very Muggle of you.

"Marie, go gather all of Aleks's things. This may take a while." Julianna commanded, gesturing to my head. She's so sweet.

Julianna continued to chatter for the next two hours, while doing my hair and makeup. Marie went back to bed after getting my things, and I started nodding off every five minutes, only for Julianna to shove me awake again and demand that I pay attention to how she does things so that I would be able to do them in the future.

All she really did was produce a heating charm for her wand and curl my hair around it, and then held half of it back with a silver comb set with several tiny emeralds that my grandmother had sent me as a back to school present. My makeup ended up a bit darker than what I would define as natural, but I wasn't about to fight with my best friend. She could be scary at times. The last piece of my outfit was my emerald pendant with a tiny silver chain to hang around my neck.

After slipping on my purple dress that I had described to Daniel and some silver heels that were way too tall to be casual, I started heading out of the dorm to go to breakfast. Entering the Common Room, I saw that the Marauders were up at eight o'clock in the morning on a Saturday. I swear, they are the oddest blokes I have ever met in my life.

"Hello, boys," I said, walking up to them expertly in my heels. Well, what I would like to say is expertly since I hadn't practiced in them since summer. But that's not the point.

"Hello, graceful," Sirius said as he stood up so he could stop me from falling over. I swore, those heels would be the death of me.

I pushed his hands away as I regained my balance, intent on walking around the room as practice.

"Why are you dressed like that?" James asked as I passed the fireplace, becoming smoother with every step.

"I'm going to brunch with my cousin, you dolt." I said in response, righting myself after I nearly tripped over the rug.

"Well I know that, but why does it look like you're about to enter a beauty pageant or something?"

"Because I am," I said at the same time as Sirius, Marie, and Julianna said, "Because she is."

"Do we have a stereo in here?" Peter asked, looking up from his Muggle Studies notes.

"I still don't get it," James said after we all laughed at Peter's comment, which turned out to be serious and even funnier.

"When purebloods get together, you always try to out-do each other in everything, including appearance, which is why I have to wear a bloody dress to Hogsmeade. Any more questions?" I said a bit irritably after nearly tripping again.

"No." Everyone said after a short but awkward pause in which I finally made a lap around the Common Room without a problem.

"Alright, let's go to the Great Hall then." I said, making my way to the Portrait Hole.

"But I thought you were going to brunch later?" Remus asked, confused, as he followed me with the others.

"Do you honestly expect me to actually eat anything when I go out to eat with some purebloods?" I asked rhetorically.

I turned the corner as I said this sentence to see Daniel and Erik talking in front of Daniel's office. I felt conflicted as I automatically reached for Sirius's hand to make a show of it to Erik, knowing Daniel didn't approve. I decided that I could explain to Daniel later before he wrote his letter to my mother.

Sirius and I strode past the two on our way to the Great Hall, probably looking like the superior purebloods we were supposed to be with our nicer-than-usual appearance and cold demeanour. I noticed Daniel giving me a glance that said "we'll talk about this later" before looking over my appearance and nodding his approval.

Turning another corner, I looked up at Sirius and said, "You know, I do believe I am almost as tall as you in these heels."

He snorted. "You barely reach my chin in those shoes."

"…Yeah, but it's better than your shoulder, at least." I said.

"You don't normally even reach my shoulder, either," He responded.

"Almost!"

"Not even!" Sirius said.

"I'm not that short." I huffed after a short pause.

"Sorry, love, but you really are that short." Sirius said, taking his hand out of mine and wrapping his arm around my shoulders.

"Well from now on all I'm wearing is these heels, so it doesn't matter either way," I replied.

"Why would you do that?" Sirius asked incredulously, "You're perfect the way you are."

I blushed and was quiet as we made our way down the Marble Staircase.

Finally reaching the Great Hall, we all gathered at the Gryffindor Table and took our usual seats at the end. Marie was in a conversation with Remus and Peter and Julianna was bantering with James, so I turned to Sirius to chat.

"Let's play the Question Game," I said, as it was something we normally did since a couple of weeks ago so we could get to know each other even better.

"Alright, I'll go first this time. What is your favourite Muggle song?" Sirius asked.

"I'll have to say Summer of '69 by Bryan Adams," I replied honestly.

"Really, why?"

"It's about the best time of his life. It's happy. I want to have a summer just like that. Except for the bit about being in a band. I can't sing or play an instrument for my life."

"I'll have to agree with you on that one," he said, earning a light smack on the shoulder from me.

"Ouch- your turn," He said.

"Okay.. Um, what's your idea of the perfect girl?" I asked.

Sirius gave me a questioning look.

"What? Since we're not technically a couple, that is not a weird question at all, in my opinion." I said honestly.

"Okay, well, she would have to be much shorter than me, first of all," I nodded. Sirius Black had always gone for much shorter girls from what I had observed.

"And she would have to have light blue eyes," That sounded about right, a lot of the girls he seemed to have fancied had blue eyes.

"And freckles are adorable on certain people," This is where I got confused. Only a few of his exes had freckles.

"She would have to be funny, sarcastic, and fairly smart," Well that was a lot of girls in the school, and also a very general description.

"And I seem to have a thing for redheads," Okay, what was going on here? I was the only redhead to even be friends with Sirius.

And then it clicked. I looked up to see Sirius smirking at me.

"You're just playing with me!" I exclaimed, hitting him on the shoulder again, only a bit more forcefully this time.

"No, I'm actually being completely serious, pun intended," Sirius said.

"Wait… so what are you saying?" I asked, thinking I knew but not wanting to sound like an idiot when I guessed- if I was wrong.

"I am saying…" Sirius said, then raised his voice so that the others of our group could hear, but no one else, "Aleks, would you go on a date with me? A real date, not like this fake relationship we have had going on here."

I don't think my smile could have gotten any wider.

"Why, yes, Sirius, I think I would quite enjoy that. How does this afternoon in Hogsmeade sound?"

A/N: Okay, this is the shortest chapter I think I have ever and will ever write, but I had this sitting on my computer and couldn't think of a brilliant transition from this scene to the next, so I 'm stopping it here. Don't complain. Thanks.

Now, a very special thank you to all of you who have read, reviewed, favourited, etc. I love you all.

Blue Luver5000: You're a doll. I'm sorry this took so long, but the next chapter is like the first scene I came up with when starting this story, so I hope to have it up soon!

nacho5: hahaha Don't worry I'll start writing the next chapter as soon as possible. I hope to have it up within a week, but my life is a bit of chaos at the moment so excuse me if it turns out I've lied to you.

Spot'sGalFrom1899: Aw, shucks. I'm blushing. That review made my day every time I saw it on my e-mail. You're a sweetheart.