Chapter 11: Feet Don't Fail Me Now

Sirius stood on the grass outside the castle and blinked his eyes against the early morning sun. He and Remus had decided to head down to the grounds after their early breakfast to watch the maze being constructed. It was incredible. McGonagall was leading the charge with the other professors following her orders. Sirius and Remus kept themselves partially hidden by a tree though. They weren't technically allowed down yet.

"I'm excited." Remus said. "I know it's important towards our NEWTs, but I'm also hoping it will be fun."

"Me too." Sirius had been enjoying all the preparation so he was really hoping the actual maze was as good.

"Hopefully Lily and Gemma see it that way too." Remus laughed and Sirius chuckled beside him. Both Lily and Gemma had moments of worrying far too much about the maze and the role it would play in their NEWTs. And given both of them were talented witches, they didn't really have anything to worry about.

It had been one week since Sirius's last alone practice with Gemma. Since he had almost kissed her behind that statue. He cursed himself again. What had he been thinking?

Well; he hadn't been thinking. He'd been holding her, already turned on by her earlier grinding and the simple fact that he fancied her. Then she'd looked up at him, her soft pink lips just inches from his, and he'd been desperate, desperate, for a taste.

But then he'd remembered who she was. He'd remembered that she was Gemma Arwin, one of his best friends and not someone to snog behind a statue then walk away from. He respected her; cared for her. He could never kiss her then disregard her like he did other girls. If he dared to cross that line, he would lose her as a friend and he would never let that happen.

So he had pulled back. And she had too.

"Look." Remus interrupted Sirius's thoughts and pointed towards Professor Seymour who was carrying over a well used trunk. Sirius recognised it instantly. "I knew there was going to be a Boggart in there. James bet me two galleons there wouldn't be. He said it was for 'silly little third years', not us 'advanced sixth years'."

Sirius laughed. A Boggart was simple enough to get rid of, but it did emulate the individuals number one fear. And sometimes, no matter how advanced the witch or wizard, seeing that fear realised could easily bring a person to their knees.

"James would think that." Sirius said. "His number one fear is probably that his precious hair falls out and he can't fly anymore."

Remus laughed. "Probably." He paused. "Luckily Lily and I did lots of practice on the Boggart, so I'm feeling confident."

"You practiced together?" Sirius asked because he knew exactly what Remus's Boggart was. It was always the same; the full moon. It wasn't the moon itself that Remus feared, but rather what it represented. The monster he believed he was.

When they'd first learned to defeat a Boggart, they'd been in pairs, so only Sirius had seen Remus's. And he had already known his secret by then. Luckily, no one else in the class had seen; then or since.

"Yes. And I know what you're asking. What did she think about it?" Remus looked at Sirius then took a deep breath. "I told her. I told her what I really am."

"You're Remus." Sirius replied firmly. "First and foremost you are always Remus." He placed a hand on his friends shoulder and squeezed. He wasn't surprised Remus had told Lily. He knew he'd been considering it for a while, given how close the two of them had become. "What did she say?"

Remus smiled. "She said she already knew, but she didn't want to say anything because she wanted me to tell her. She wanted me to be ready to tell her. She gave me a hug, told me exactly what you just said; that I'm Remus first and the werewolf inside me changes nothing. She told me…" Remus paused, as if gathering himself. Sirius could tell Remus was emotionally affected by Lily's response. "She told me I'm still the most honourable person she knows and she's proud to call me her friend."

Sirius smiled. He was relieved to hear that Lily had handled the news well, and had treated Remus right. Not that he had ever really thought she'd do anything else. She was a good friend to him. She was a good, kind person.

Remus continued. "She said some other things too, but I don't want you thinking I'm getting a head as big as yours." He grinned and Sirius laughed.

"We definitely don't want that. You won't fit through the maze."

Laughing together they watched the rest of the maze being built. Sirius watched as Slughorn magically carried a huge table of potion ingredients down and he tried to get a glimpse of the bottles. Gemma and he had been reading up on lots of different potions, agreeing to each own a selection so they both didn't have to remember every single one. They figured that was the most efficient way.

As if summoning her, Sirius turned at the sound of female laughter and saw Gemma and Alice heading down the hill.

Immediately after their moment behind the statue, Gemma had seemed to pull away from him completely. She'd been quiet the next day, as if hesitant to speak to him. But throughout class and practices, they'd pulled themselves back to normal. Sirius had made the decision to simply forget about the moment between them, and look at her as if she was one of the guys. He also made sure they were never completely alone.

He frowned. That didn't seem like the best way to continue their friendship, but it was all he could think of right now. Eventually he'd stop thinking about her as someone pretty to kiss and go back to how things had been before. He'd forgotten about other pretty girls easily enough. Gemma was no different.

"Oi." Alice's loud voice echoed around the trees near them. "You two trying to get a sneaky peak at what's coming?"

Sirius rolled his eyes and turned fully towards them both, focusing on Alice. "No, we're just eager to get started."

"Hmm." Alice narrowed her eyes at them then side stepped and looked out over the maze. "Looks fucking amazing. I can't wait. Ooh look." She turned to Gemma. "Slughorn has Tormentil Tincture there. I wonder if we'll need to make Doxycide. I studied that again last week."

"Now who's getting a sneaky peak." Sirius said quietly, but Alice still heard.

She grinned at him. "Told you about it though, didn't I?"

They all laughed and Remus nodded his head. "We've only seen Seymour head in with the Boggart trunk. You've got better eyesight than us if you can see that Tormentil Tincture."

"Perfect twenty twenty." Alice looked out over the maze. "So, a Boggart is in there? Ha. I knew it."

Remus chuckled. "Let me guess, James bet you there wouldn't be one?"

Alice nodded. "Idiot owes me two galleons now."

"I'll think he'll be paying a few people."

"How are you feeling, Sirius?"

Sirius had been busy listening to Alice and Remus's conversation, so he'd missed Gemma step up beside him. He looked down at her and properly took her in. Her long hair was tied back in a ponytail, but little wisps still fell around her face. She looked excited, her eyes sparkling. She was dressed casually; jeans, trainers, a comfortable top; but somehow she still looked sexy.

He pushed that thought aside and forced himself to think about her as one of the guys. "I'm feeling good. I'm excited. How are you doing?"

"I'm ok. Nervous but excited."

"We've got this, Gem. We're a good team."

She smiled up at him. "We are."

For a moment they simply stared at each other and he was transported back to that night behind the statue. He forced his eyes back to the maze just as Gemma looked down. He needed to keep his focus on the task at hand, not get distracted.

Gemma looked back up at Sirius but he was staring at the maze which was now almost completely built. She turned her attention to it as well. After all, that was why they were here. That was what she needed to focus on.

She'd felt incredibly awkward the day after that night, but Sirius had been exactly the same, so she had told herself to stop being silly. She had even started to wonder if it had all been in her head.

Gradually other students began arriving, including Lily, Mary, James and Peter. They mingled as a group before McGonagall called everyone forward.

"Students. Welcome." McGonagall stood in front of the maze and Gemma stared at it in awe. It was magnificent. Ten foot high walls that revealed absolutely nothing about what was hiding inside. Gemma's body tingled with anticipation. "There are four entrances and four exits to this maze. One pair from each House will enter, and only when that pair returns will a new pair enter. If you encounter a challenge you are unable to complete, raise your wand and send sparks into the air; these should be the colour of your House, so your Head of House can locate you and help you."

"Let's make sure no red sparks go up today, guys." James said.

Sirius and Alice nodded, but Gemma saw Mary shifting uncomfortably. Fortunately both Lily and Peter leaned in to her. Gemma really hoped Mary was ok. She suspected she hadn't slept much last night, which wouldn't have helped.

"When you finish the maze, do not discuss the challenges with other students." McGonagall continued. "We do not want anyone to have an unfair advantage."

Alice leaned in to say something to James and he laughed. No doubt commenting that all eight of them in Gryffindor knew about two tasks already. Gemma didn't feel too bad though. She was sure she'd seen Smethyck from Slytherin hiding out on another hill earlier.

McGonagall continued to talk through the rules before breaking everyone out into their Houses and their pairs. She approached Lily and Remus. "Miss Evans, Mr Lupin. You will enter first. Please follow me."

Gemma and the others called out 'good luck' and cheered them off. Gemma watched as they prepared themselves, then waited for the signal. Everyone cheered as a bell sounded and Remus and Lily ran into the maze.

Only ten minutes had passed before the sight of blue sparks flew into the air. Professor Flitwick disappeared into the maze, then returned a few minutes later. Sirius laughed when blue sparks flew again, and Flitwick found himself going back and forth a few times.

"He should just stay in there with them." He laughed and Gemma couldn't hold back a smile.

After a further thirty or so minutes, Lily and Remus appeared. They hadn't once called for help – only Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff had so far - and they were the first of the four Houses to get out. Gemma cheered them, alongside their friends.

"Very well done, you two." McGonagall said as she walked them back to the group. She turned to Alice and James. "Miss Fortescue, Mr Potter. Follow me."

Once again Gemma and the others called out 'good luck' and watched Alice and James run into the maze. She suspected they wouldn't be in for long. After twenty minutes, all of the original pairs from the other Houses had finished and the second pairs were in. Once again, blue and yellow sparks flew into the air, but no red or green.

"Smethyck and Garth are out already." Sirius nudged her and pointed to the side, a frown on his face. "That can't be right. They didn't ask for help once and it's only been twenty minutes."

Remus looked over in their direction as well. "Slughorn doesn't look happy though, does he?"

Gemma watched as Slughorn scowled at them both, his hands on his hips. Then he pointed at the maze entrance and both Smethyck and Garth turned to head back in.

"They must have cheated." Peter said, sounding as shocked as Gemma felt.

Sirius laughed. "Idiots."

Gemma agreed. What a waste of time. As if Slughorn and the other teachers wouldn't know if a student tried to cheat their way through the maze. They had eyes everywhere. It took a lot to get past them.

Gemma and the others were so busy watching the interaction between Slughorn, Smethyck and Garth, they all missed Alice and James coming out.

"That was a shit welcome." James said, his hands on his hips.

"Language, Mr Potter." McGonagall scolded. "Now, Miss MacDonald, Mr Pettigrew. Follow me."

After wishing Mary and Peter luck, Gemma turned to Alice. "Sorry. We were distracted by Smethyck and Garth. They finished really early but Slughorn sent them back in. We think they cheated."

"No way!" Alice turned to look towards Slughorn who was still scowling. "You're forgiven then. That sounds hilarious. What a pair of idiots."

The others joined them and they watched as green sparks flew into the air. James and Sirius burst out laughing, clearly loving that the pair needed help. Gemma stared back at the maze where Mary and Peter had entered. She really hoped Mary was ok.

Unsure of how much time had passed, Gemma realised that all Houses had their third pair inside the maze. She had to remind herself that it wasn't a competition, but part of her really wanted Gryffindor House to finish first. And with no asks for help; although she'd never be annoyed if someone needed help. A person could only do so much.

"Is that Peter?" Lily shouted, pointing to the maze exit.

Gemma looked up and could just about make out a jean encased leg by the side of the maze wall. "I think so. But why isn't he coming out?"

"Maybe Mary's hurt?" Lily's voice had crept up a notch. She was clearly concerned.

"He'd have called for help if she was. He wouldn't just leave her." James stepped towards Lily. "I'm sure Mary is fine."

They all watched as Peter fully emerged, with Mary close behind him. The look of relief on Mary's face tore at Gemma's heart, but she was so proud of her friend. She knew how nervous Mary had been, how much she hated activities that involved the unknown and possible attack or injury.

Lily ran down the hill towards them and pulled Mary into a huge hug. Then the three of them walked back with McGonagall.

"Well done, you two." McGonagall turned to Gemma and Sirius. "Miss Arwin, Mr Black. Follow me." Gemma gave Mary a quick hug before walking with Sirius down the hill. McGonagall reminded them of the rules, then stopped just ahead of the entrance. "Whenever you're ready."

Gemma turned to Sirius and grinned. "Let's go."

"Ladies first." He winked at her and held out his arm, suggested she precede him.

Gemma laughed. "Don't tell me you're scared already."

But before he could answer, she ran straight into the maze.

Sirius laughed at Gemma's comment as he followed her in. The maze was huge; tall fern walls blocked out most of the sunlight, and as soon as they turned the first corner they came face to face with two Mortis Bats.

"Verdimillious." Gemma cried, her wand aimed at the first bat. Sirius stood behind her and cast the same charm on the second bat. Both bats retreated, so they quickly moved forward.

For a while, they came face to face with a number of other magical creatures, which they quickly removed from their path, then they turned a corner and came to a dead end. In front of them, however, was a cauldron and a selection of ingredients. Gemma stepped forward and started looking at the different bottles, while Sirius picked up the slip of parchment on the side.

"It says here we need to make Doxycide – just as Alice suspected – but also a Befuddlement Draught."

Gemma looked over at him. "I'll make a start on the Doxycide."

Sirius nodded and stepped back. Gemma had Doxycide on her list of agreed potions, so he wouldn't stand in her way, but neither of them had covered Befuddlement. Sirius decided to spend the time thinking back over that potion. He was sure it was relatively simple. Scurvy grass, Lovage and something else. Sneezewort maybe.

Gemma had only just started when six Cornish Pixies suddenly appeared. One went straight for Gemma and grabbed her hair. She batted it away, almost dropping the Hemlock in her hand.

Sirius reacted quickly. "Immobulus." The pixie attached to Gemma's hair froze and Sirius turned his attention to the other five.

"Thanks." Gemma said, pulling the pixie out. "Hate these buggers."

"Me too." Just as Sirius spoke, the pixies woke back up and started attacking again. "Fuck. Immobulus."

Once again Sirius froze the pixies, and once again they came back quickly. They must have been enchanted to only freeze for ten seconds or so.

Gemma continued to work on the Doxycide while Sirius focused on stopping the buggers from messing everything up. Once frozen, he tried to quickly flick them away, making it harder for them to get back and cause mischief.

Once Gemma had made the Doxycide, they swapped over so Sirius could make the Befuddlement Draught while Gemma handled the pixies.

Finally, both potions were complete and the maze opened up before them. At that moment, the pixies unfroze and began another frenzied attack. Sirius pushed Gemma forward. "Go. I'll freeze them one last time then follow. You get to the next task."

Gemma nodded and ran on ahead.

She turned a corner in the maze and almost stumbled when she came face to face with McGonagall. Were they at the end already? Surely not.

"You have failed, Miss Arwin. You have failed all your examinations and you are a disgrace to Gryffindor House and Hogwarts School."

Gemma froze, her heart pounding. Surely this wasn't real.

Suddenly McGonagall transformed into Rufus Scrimgeour, and while Gemma knew deep down this must be the Boggart, her heart still froze. "You will never become an Auror. You are not worthy of the Arwin name. You are nothing – nothing – like your father."

Gemma tried to ignore the fear; tried to remember the words to use to banish these horrible scenes. But then she saw another person standing in front of her and she felt her whole body shake.

"I'm disappointed in you, Gemma." Her father shook his head, his hate and anger directed solely at her. "You are no daughter of mine."

Gemma's heart ached, and she felt the sting of tears behind her eyes. Just as the figure transformed again, back into McGonagall, Gemma heard a shout from behind her.

"Riddikulus."

McGonagall began dancing – badly – and a small laugh escaped her at the sight. The Boggart retreated as Sirius reached her side.

"You ok, Gem?"

She breathed a sigh of relief and looked up at Sirius. "I am, thank you." She shook her head in embarrassment. "Merlin, I just froze."

"Boggart's are better handled in pairs. If I had known it would be the next thing we faced, I'd have never suggested you go alone."

Gemma smiled at Sirius's concern. "I know. It's ok."

"Come on, let's keep moving."

Sirius grabbed her hand and pulled her down the maze. They faced a few more challenges; small magical creatures, another round of potion making – this time without the added pixies – and then a Venomous Tentacula which they both used the Severing Charm on quickly and efficiently.

"We must be near the end soon." Sirius said as they rounded a corner.

"I think so." Gemma marched forward and saw a slither of light ahead. "There." She pointed forward and turned back to Sirius. "I think the end is…"

Before she could complete her sentence, Sirius lunged for her, grabbed her around her waist and moved her to one side, pressing her into the wall of the maze. His body covered hers and her heart pounded. She could feel every inch of him up against her front, while her back was embedded in the fern wall.

"Sirius?"

He looked over his shoulder then pressed himself into her, as if he was trying to avoid something. He looked back at her. "Devil's Snare. It almost caught your leg and now it's licking at my heels." He shuffled forward again, pushing her further into the wall. His face was so close to hers she could feel his breath on her cheek. "Sorry. I'm hoping it retreats soon so we can move on."

Gemma shuffled herself back slightly, although she didn't have much extra room. "It's ok. I'm happy to wait. I don't fancy losing you to this maze, not when we're so close to the end."

Sirius chuckled slightly. "I've got my arms around you, Gem. If it grabs me, you are definitely coming with me."

Gemma looked up at Sirius and slapped him lightly on his arm. "Not fair."

"We're only in this mess because you weren't paying attention." He grinned at her and Gemma laughed.

"Fine. I suppose I should say 'thank you' then."

"I suppose you should." Sirius stared at her intently and Gemma suddenly felt her insides tingle. Merlin's Beard; how were they back in this position again?

Gemma cleared her throat which was suddenly dry. "Thank you."

Sirius dropped his gaze to her mouth, then back up to her eyes. He sighed deeply, then looked back over his shoulder. Slowly he relaxed and pushed himself away from her. "We're good to go."

Gemma nodded and stepped out from the wall, feeling all the pieces of fern that were now stuck to her. She plucked at her hair and shoulders, then brushed down her back, bum and legs. Sirius reached over and grabbed a piece from her hair which she had missed.

She mumbled a quick thanks, then turned towards the exit. They walked quickly, both keeping an eye out for more last minute traps, but there were none. Gemma wondered how many people had been caught by the Devil's Snare and where it would have taken them. Likely to an earlier section of the maze.

They turned the final corner and headed out the exit, enjoying the cheer from their friends. McGonagall came to meet them and Gemma held her breath; the memory of the Boggart still fresh.

"Well done, you two. You may go join your friends."

Gemma breathed a sigh of relief and headed up the hill towards their six friends who were smiling and waving. They all stumbled over each other to ask questions and discuss the maze, now that all eight of them had completed it.

"You completed in a great time guys, and no help either."

"How did you find it?"

"Did you get caught in the Devil's Snare?"

"I was so happy when we had to make Doxycide."

"The Boggart was the worst!"

"Those damn pixies though."

Gemma smiled as she answered various questions and asked some back, overhearing Sirius doing the same. Eventually all other pairs finished the maze and they were able to head back up to the castle. Gemma walked back with Lily and James discussing the Venomous Tentacula, overhearing Alice and Peter discussing the different potions they had made, while Remus, Mary and Sirius talked about the Mortis Bats.

Gemma smiled. It had been a long, tiring day, but it had been fun.

Sirius laughed at Mary's story about Peter fighting off the pixies while she had made the potions. He was pleased to see Mary was ok after the maze. He knew Gemma had been worried about her, but clearly it hadn't been as traumatic as she had feared.

He looked up and watched Gemma's arms fly around as she spoke to Lily and James. He wondered if she was doing impressions of some of the magical creatures they had encountered.

He'd enjoyed the maze, and he was pleased with the time it had taken them. He didn't think there was anything he would do differently; except maybe the Devil's Snare. He'd almost warned Gemma to keep paying attention, but she'd been so happy about seeing the end that he hadn't wanted to say anything. And then he'd seen the Devil's Snare sneaking out to her leg and he had just reacted. He'd thrown himself at her, pulled her away, and had found himself once again pressed up against her.

Luckily he'd been focused on making sure he wasn't caught by the annoying plant, and distracted by the need to finish the maze quickly. Otherwise he might have… Sirius stopped that thought. No. He would not have done anything. End of.

Sirius saw James casually wave to someone, then a new figure appeared up ahead. Garrett. The bloody fifth year Gryffindor Beater who had made the bet about kissing Gemma. James had supposedly spoken to him and Hodgkins, but it didn't look like Garrett had gotten the message.

Sirius clenched his fists as he watched Garrett walk alongside Gemma, clearly asking her – and only her – questions. What was James doing, letting him get so close to her? He should be telling the idiot to fuck off and leave her alone.

Just as Sirius began to increase his pace, Garrett turned and walked off. Sirius was tempted to chase after him, but decided against it. Technically Garrett hadn't done anything wrong, but that didn't mean Sirius wouldn't keep an eye on him. And he'd be having a word with James later too.

At that moment, James reached the castle entrance with Gemma and Lily. He let them both through, then waited for the others. Mary and Alice pushed through next and ran ahead to catch up with the other girls. The guys all hung back.

"Great day, Marauders." James said. "We did Gryffindor proud today."

"We sure did." Remus agreed. "The girls did too."

"Oh definitely." James looked around as if checking no one was listening. "Don't tell her I said this, but Alice was a machine in that maze. That girl is going to be one scary Auror." They all laughed.

"Lily was impressive too." Remus added. "I think everyone thinks she's just good at Potions, but she can really fight. She did not hold back."

James smiled affectionately. "She's tough. But not obviously so. That's what I love about her."

"How are things with you and Lily?" Peter asked. "You seem to be spending more and more time together." Sirius smiled. He and James had spoken about this just the other evening.

"Honestly mate, this maze has been the best thing that has happened. Not only have we spent more time together, it's given me so many opportunities to talk with her."

"Do you think she's interested now? If you asked her, do you think she'd go out with you?"

James sighed. "I don't know. We talk, but it's only about school and spells. She never asks me about anything beyond that and the one time I asked about her family she shut the conversation down."

"Give her a bit more time." Remus said. "You've gone from being full on, in her face and asking her out everyday, to essentially ignoring her, to now being a friend. She'll open up eventually, I'm sure."

James frowned. "I don't want to be her friend. At least, not just her friend."

Sirius laughed. "Like I told you the other night, you need to flirt with her more. Sometimes it looks like you're talking to your mum."

"Shut up." James punched Sirius's arm hard and Sirius half laughed, half scowled. James had a strong right hook. "I don't talk to her like she's my mum. I flirt with her."

Sirius scoffed. "No, you don't."

"What do you know about flirting anyway?" James asked. "You just look at a girl and she starts drooling over you."

Sirius sighed. That was unfortunately true. But he still knew how to flirt. "I know enough. You don't compliment her, you don't touch her, you don't…"

"I'm not going to suddenly start grabbing at her, Sirius." James interrupted. "I'm not that immoral. And I used to tell her all the time how pretty she is. She knows I think she's the most beautiful creature in the world."

"I'm not saying you grab her and start groping her, idiot. I'm saying you should place a hand on her shoulder from time to time, or on her elbow to guide her through a door, or take the opportunity to tuck a piece of her hair behind her ear. All those little touches that girls like."

James frowned but nodded. "Ok..."

"As for the compliments; yes, you did used to compliment her, but you haven't really said anything nice to her in the last few months. Now you two are actually talking, maybe you should start dropping in some nice comments. How nice her hair looks. How pretty her smile is."

James was nodding in agreement and Remus chuckled. "Can't believe Sirius actually knows so much."

Sirius shrugged. Most of this was nonsense he had learned from Chloe – the first girl he had ever kissed, who had taught him everything he needed to know about girls in general – but he had never really put any of it to the test. The odd compliment here, the odd touch there, but mostly girls chased him. Still, it seemed the knowledge was useful for helping his friend pin down the girl of his dreams.

"Yeah, might use some of those tips myself." Peter added.

"Use them on Mary?" Sirius asked, then jumped out of the way of Peter's swinging punch. He didn't need to get hit twice today.

"Shut up."

Sirius laughed. "Sorry mate. Couldn't help myself." He knew there was nothing between Peter and Mary but it was always fun to wind him up.

James started talking through his plan of attack; which centred on him giving Lily one compliment every day and touching her arm at least once a week. Sirius tried to stop himself from rolling his eyes. James needed to just relax into it. But if he needed a system, Sirius wouldn't stop him.