A/N: Thanks for your all support and reviews. I'm at the point in my writing in general where I'm feeling a little burned out and have been wanting to crawl into bed and pull the covers over me for a good while...sometimes the muses are evil and just hide the inspiration...anyhow. Here's the next chapter. Have a lovely weekend everyone!
After carefully making their way back to the Portrait Hole under the protection of the invisibility cloak Rowan had wandered back to her study table and began to clear her things. Sirius watched her quietly for a moment and then came over started to neatly stack her notes.
He admired the elegant cursive handwriting.
"Hey Rowan,"
"Yea Sirius?"
"Remember how I asked you to come to the Halloween Ball, to go for fun as mates and generally not have to worry about other people?"
"Yeaaaaaaa,"
"Well would you like to be my date for the Winter Formal? C'mon, give me a break, let us go to ONE dance in our Hogwarts career as mates together."
"Aw man Sirius can't we just go alone and hang out together at the damn ball?" Rowan complained.
"But that's effectively going to the same stupid thing in the first place! Might as well just put the cat in the bag and go to this thing together."
She sighed and raked a hand through her hair. "Okay fine. But promise me you're not going to do anything outrageously stupid."
"Like what?"
"Like trying to slow dance to Satuday Night Fever?" Referring to the muggle film that they had watched one time in the theatre during a holiday. Sirius found the outfits in the film hilarious.
"Oh. Aw man c'mon it's fun. The songs are SO cheesy!"
"Sirius!"
"Okay okay, I won't do anything too stupid. But I make no guarantees," he warned.
"Fair enough. Can't get everything. And don't even think about trying to slide your clever hands anywhere. Otherwise I'll chop it off." She threatened, a smile on her face ruined it though.
"Duly noted."
"I HATE SHOPPING FOR GIRS!" James bellowed storming out a store.
"I hate shopping," Peter sighed.
"I hate shopping with you," Remus moaned tipping his head back and staring at the snow flakes falling down.
They were in Hogsmeade. It was Saturday afternoon and literally the entire school was in Hogsmeade enjoying time away from the Castle.
The Marauders however were experiencing a sort of personalized mini hell trying to accomplish their Christmas shopping.
"I don't know what to buy her! I don't know what to buy my mum! TELL ME WHAT TO BUY!" James demanded clutching Sirius by the shoulders bordering on the insane.
"Crotchless undies?" Sirius blurted out the first thing on his mind a little scared of how wild James' eyes were wheedling in his sockets.
"WHAT!" James shouted. Sirius covered his head in the event that James might start slapping him.
"SORRY! It just came out? Mate I'm just as stupid and clueless as you in this boat! We're oarsmen paddling the same sinking boat!" Sirius cried.
Remus and Peter sniggered and paused to look at a window display. "Jewellery?" Peter suggested.
"I would but we've only been going out for…" James counted on his fingers and Sirius snorted. "Two and half months? More or less?"
"But you've been in love with her for four years," Remus reminded him. "I think that should count for some months. Like four. Or five."
"Remus as much as I appreciate your input, what if Lily doesn't find this track of thinking factual? I don't want to scare her off."
"Have you seen how lovey dovey you two are?" Peter scoffed.
"No. Most of the time I'm busy trying to distract her from studying her books so she could study me," James huffed. Sirius let out a bark like laugh.
"Mate that's not a good thing," Sirius teased.
"Think of what she's into. What does she like?" Peter pressed him.
"Reading."
"Get a her first edition book?" Remus suggested.
"Mooney, do I look like a can buy a first edition book of something?" James looked at him.
"Yes!" Sirius replied flicking James lightly on the forehead.
"Shaddup. Where am I going to find a first edition book of something? Next idea please!"
"Clothes?" Remus contributed.
James wrinkled his nose.
"Rainbow coloured changing ink?" Sirius said eyeing a pot that was on display in a store.
"She's Lily, not Rowan." James reminded.
"Right. Well I'm going to get it for Ro then," Sirius decided tramping into the shop.
The boys continued to muck around fruitlessly for a while. Poor James was at his wit's end in regards to finding a Christmas gift for his girlfriend.
"That looks nice," Remus commented passing by an antique/junk shop. The lads stopped and peered into the window display.
"What does?"
"That box thingy," Remus pointed.
"Oh! Yeah it does. Let's go take a looksie."
"Looksie? Really Prongs?" Sirius said in disbelief.
James rolled his eyes and shoved Sirius into the shop.
Whistling quietly Sirius took a scan of the store. It was filled to the brim with junk. Or antiques. Depends on how you look at it.
James inquired about the box in the display and Remus and Peter had flocked towards a display of assorted pots and ceramics. Sirius quirked an eyebrow. He didn't know Peter liked...pottery.
Sirius found himself wandering about and stopped by a glass display of jewellery. He pause and took a brief moment to appraise the things in there.
Man there was so some ugly jewellery. The fact that some person had worn it, in public, was astonishing. Some were such eyesores.
However, here and there Sirius found a nice looking piece and thought if he was a girl, he might wear it. Then he mentally face palmed himself at this thoughts and shook his head.
Then something caught his eye that made him bend down closer to look at it.
He had been looking for something else to give to Rowan for Christmas. He wanted something a little bit more special cos it was their last Christmas in Hogwarts and plus, well, it was Rowan and as each day passed he found himself increasingly thinking more and more about what it would be like to kiss her.
It wasn't as if he liked or fancied her or anything.
He was just merely curious about her that's all.
That was normal. He was a bloke. She was a girl. They were friends. It was natural to be curious.
And even more common to actually act on those curious thoughts. People did those kinds of things all the time!
Sirius snapped out of his thoughts and studied the necklace more closely.
It was a circular, psychedelic designed pendent silver and delicate, but with a blue stone in the middle of it that shone dully. With a little polishing up and some magic it could shine brilliantly.
He was irresistibly reminded of her own bright blue eyes.
That did it.
He had to buy it for her.
Feeling happy with his find Sirius and the boys left the shop feeling better than they had when they had entered. James had a sweet musical jewellery box in hand that would make a nice gift to Lily, ( he hoped. Remus and Sirius had assured him that it would and if it didn't, then she was an idiot.)
"Whatcha buy for Ro?" Peter asked as they made their way to the Three Broomsticks.
"Nothin much. A necklace." Sirius casually replied.
James and Remus halted in their tracks and looked at him. Puzzled he raised his shoulders. "What?"
"Padfoot…you bought her jewellery?" Remus asked disbelievingly.
"Yeaaahhhh so?"
"She's your mate!" James said exasperated.
"So?"
"So! That's…I dunno. Be careful," James warned.
"Jesus what is it with you and Rowan man? I'm her mate too! I care for her." Sirius huffed.
"That's my point." James replied darkly. Remus shot him a look and Peter sighed.
"You guys are acting spotty. What's going on?" Sirius narrowed his eyes collapsing on a chair.
"Nothing…"
"TELL ME!" Sirius stamped his foot.
"Fine. We just catch you….looking at her a lot. And hanging out a lot with her late at night." Remus sighed.
"So? She's an insomniac, half the time I can't sleep either! We like to hang out at night." Sirius said defensively.
"Are you sure you're not mistaking making out with hanging out?" Peter said before he could stop himself.
Sirius glared at him. Sparks could have shot out his eyes.
"Just what the fuck are you getting on about?" Sirius said coolly.
"You look at her a lot," James began.
"Well SHE'S PRETTY!" Sirius said loudly before James continued, " And sometimes we can't help but think that…you fancy her."
Sirius ran a hand over his face. "Well you're dead wrong Prongs. She's my mate and god knows we'd make a terrible couple with us being all temperamental and half the time she's going to cause herself to self implode…"
"I think you guys would make a nice couple," Peter objected. The boys looked at him. He shrugged. "What? I'm allowed to have my opinions too!"
"That you are but, really? Padfoot and Rowan?" James wrinkled his noise even though he privately agreed with him but did not know how he felt his almost sister snogging his best friend.
"it wouldn't be so ridiculous James. Remember what she said, some relationships come out of the friendships and they're the best ones. Besides, they're both good looking so aesthetically speaking, they'd make a pretty picture." Remus said bordering the line of gentle teasing.
"Shaddup. I don't fancy her. Besides, I'm just stating the obvious when I say she's fit." Sirius said annoyed. He took a swig of his butterbeer and stared out of the snow-covered window clearly irritated.
Whilst the marauders were busy teasing Sirius, the girls were going through a trying experience trying to find a formal dress for the the Winter Formal.
Or rather, Rowan was going through a trying experience.
"I HATE DRESS SHOPPING!" she roared stomping flat-footed out of yet another dress shop.
Marlene laughed and Lily rolled her eyes following her. "Relax would ya? You'll find one!"
"LOOK WHOSE TALKING! You've already found two! Tell me again what are you going to do with the second one?" Rowan demanded.
"Wear it on some other occasion I guess. They were having a sale!" Marlene defended.
"C'mon let's go take a look at that shop." Lily sighed pushing Rowan in the direction of yet another dress shop.
"Why I can't I just wear the dress I wore last year? Or better yet the dress I wore two years ago?" Rowan griped shoving dresses aside as she searched.
"Do you still fit in them?" Lily asked.
"'Course I do. Why wouldn't?"
"'Cos you're not fifteen anymore?"
"Unfortunately for me, I have not grown any taller or any bigger in any areas since fifteen. No, wait, actually fourteen." Rowan grumbled referring to her small stature.
Marlene tittered a bit and then showed her a deep purple dress. Rowan stared at it.
"It has a bow." She said stating the obvious.
"So?"
"It's a big bow."
"And?"
"It's a really big, big bow!"
"Your point?"
"ROWAN DOESN'T DO BOWS!" Rowan threw up her hands in the air.
"You're impossible." Marlene hung the dress back up.
"God. Sirius doesn't give two flying fucks for what I wear. I could come in a towel and he'd be happy I bet." Rowan continued to grouse.
""Course he would. He's Sirius. He's a boy." Lily snorted.
"What does he have to do with your dress shopping?" Marlene inquired a little confused.
"Nothing. We're just going to the formal together." Rowan replied studying another dress.
"YOU'RE WHAT?" Lily screeched. Several other girls looked at her queerly and she blushed.
"We're going to the ball together. It's not a big deal girls. We're going as mates. For once I think he doesn't want to worry about his date ambushing him or something."
"Going as mates?" Marlene asked sceptically.
"Yeah…why does that sound so impossible to you lot?"
"'Cos it's Sirius."
"So?"
"He's Sirius! He just has this weird, doppler affect on all girls." Lily waved a hand.
"He never had an effect on you," Rowan pointed out.
"Well, erm, I might have had a fleeting crush on him way back in the fourth year," Lily blushed. Rowan laughed.
"Oh me, too. Even now I have a little crush on him," Marlene sighed.
"You have a boyfriend, so do you!" Rowan pointed a finger at them.
"I have an aesthetic crush. An appreciation if you will, a fine, fine appreciation for that boy's look," Marlene answered fondly.
"He's not a piece of expensive cheese or wine," Rowan defended her mate.
"I can't believe you two are going." Lily shook her head.
"What? Why? Why is this so ridiculous?" Rowan asked glancing critically at a grey, silvery dress.
"It's not ridiculous. It's just the fact that it's Sirius. And well you're you. And I don't know. I don't know what I'm talking about." Lily rambled.
Rowan shook her head and looked at the dress once more. It had some terrible ruffles in places that didn't appeal to her, but she liked the fabric, it was slippery, smooth, and she liked the colour.
The dress had potential. It just needed a little tinkering with. Like most things in life.
A/N: Raise your hand if you've experienced a similar hell when shopping for your friends or significant other? Both of my hands are raised. Ok now I'm off to go crawl under the covers for awhile. See if I can find my inspiration again. I'd really love if you could review or share some of your thoughts. xoxoxo