Harry Potter and the Forgotten Friends

CHAPTER TEN: EXPLAIN PLEASE…!

Riley looked at her silent parents. "Well… why do you act so weird around Harry? Do you hate him, or something?" Riley crossed her arms in front of herself.


Sirius and Arabella snapped out of their trance, and looked over at Riley. Arabella smiled nervously at Riley, while Sirius kept looking at the ground.

"This is going to be hard to explain," Arabella said, looking at Riley. "You might want to get comfortable, and don't get mad at us when we tell you this."

"Stop looking at the ground, and help me." She muttered to Sirius, so that only he could here her.

He looked up from the ground and looked over at Riley. He smiled, and tried to think of something to say. Riley looked at both of them, waiting and wondering why they just wouldn't tell her. She would still like them, even if they hadn't told her something all these years. They were her parents and she had enough sense not to be mad over some small thing.

"Well, why we act weird around Harry? We knew his parents at school, and I was best friends with his dad, while your mother was best friends with Harry's mother. And, after school, we kind-of lost both after 1981." Sirius explained, trying to be vague about it.

Arabella looked at him, and sighed. That would just invoke Riley to ask more questions to them. She looked over at Riley who was in deep thought.

'They knew Harry's parents in school, oh, what a big secret that is. There has to be more to this, then that. If they thought that I would be mad over that… what were they doin—wait! They lost touch after 1981? But… yeah… Harry's parents would have been alive for at least two other years. Something isn't right. Why do they look so sad talking about his parents?' Riley pondered.

"That's it?" She started off. "You thought I would get mad if you knew Harry's parents back when you went to school? You'd have to be crazy if I was mad about that!" Riley laughed. "But one thing. From what Harry told me, his parents would still have been alive for another two years. So you mean, right after you all were done school at seventeen you automatically lost touch with them, but stayed in touch with Alexis' dad?" Riley said, sceptical of what they were telling her.

Sirius sighed, looking at Riley. This was going to be harder then he thought. Arabella sunk down into the couch, massaging her temple in defeat. Riley was smart, too smart for them. Explaining about knowing James and Lily, and how their death had to do with them. If they told Riley the truth, she might turn on them.

"Well… what your father means," Arabella said, dragging Sirius onto the couch as well. "We lost touch from them for a year. The next year, Alexis' dad had a reunion for the Marau—er, for his friends. Harry's parents were there, and so were we. We all caught back up, and before we knew it, they were dead. We never got a chance to say goodbye." Arabella explained, breaking into tears.

Riley looked at her parents and sighed. She walked as her dad drew her mother into a hug, trying to comfort her.

'So, that's why their like that around Harry. They had just met up with his parents, and patched up the lost friendship, and soon enough they were dead. Oh, I want to ask them why they died, so I could tell Harry, but I don't want to make mom cry again… I'll wait till later and ask dad.' Riley thought, reasoning with herself.

She smiled and looked up at her parents. "Um, can I still invite Riley over tonight?" She hoped she could.

Sirius looked up at Riley. He nodded, and looked back to Arabella. She was still crying, and Sirius sighed. All he could do was hold her, and try to comfort her. Riley nodded, and muttered a 'thank you' and left the living room and up the stairs out of sight.

She sat down on the stool in the hallway. She picked the phone up off the cradle and quickly dialled Alexis' number. The phone rang for a while, until a voice picked up on the other line.

"Hello?"

"Hi. Is Alexis there? It's Riley."

"Oh hello Riley. Just hang on a moment."

"OK, thanks Mrs. Lupin."

The phone went silent as it was set down on the table. Riley waited, hearing bits of conversation that drifted into the phone. She heard her calling to Alexis that Riley was on the phone. Then she thought she heard something about learning magic, but she thought that she was just hearing that. There was no such thing as magic. A voice then came onto the other side of the phone.

"Hi Riley."

"Hey Alexis. Are you doing anything tonight?"

"Um I don't think so. Why?"

"Do you want to come over tonight? We can invite Harry over, and have a pow wow!"

The two girls burst out into giggles on the phone. "I'll go and ask." Alexis managed to say through a fit of giggles. Riley heard the phone go dead, as Alexis ran off to find her parents. She returned several seconds later, with an answer.

"I'm aloud! When do you want me to come over?"

"Now?"

"OK. Bye!"

"Bye!"

The phone then clicked on both ends, as the phones were put back on their cradles.

"Mom! Dad! I'm going over to Riley's house now. I'll see you in a bit. Bye!" Alexis said, as she made her way to front door grabbing her shoes. Her parents appeared at the top of the stairs looking down at her.

"Alright. Have fun, don't stay over to long." Her mother replied.

Alexis nodded and opened the door. She quickly shut it, and walked down the driveway and onto the sidewalk. Riley only lived two blocks away, so it wouldn't take to long to get there. Alexis slid into a fast jog trying to get there as fast as she could. Alexis was the best sprinter at her school, because of her size. She had a small frame and was medium height. Soon enough she reached the driveway of Riley's house. She walked up the driveway and up to the door. She knocked on the door and waited. The door opened and Alexis looked up.

"Hello Alexis. Riley is up in the tree house." Arabella said, looking down at Alexis.

Alexis nodded, and looked at the tree house.

"Thanks." She called, as she sprinted across the lawn and to the base of the tree.

She slowly climbed up the ladder. She was afraid of heights and always went slow up the ladder. She quickly reached the top of the ladder and looked around. Riley wasn't in there. Alexis sighed, and climbed into the tree house, sitting down in one of the beanbag chair, waiting. A rustle of leaves were heard out the window, and a figure appeared on the other side, and jumped through the open space and into the tree house. She looked around to see Alexis sitting in a beanbag chair, looking up at Riley.

"Hello Alexis. So good of you to come to my home, so fast! I was out getting a breather." Riley said, sinking down in the bean chair with a sophisticated look and voice.

Alexis laughed at Riley sense of humour. "Guess what, 'Lexi! I found out what tie my parents have to Harry and his parents!"

Alexis dropped her laugh immediately, and looked at Riley with a look of shock. 'She can't know! This is not going the way everyone planned.' She then smiled, getting her old 'happy' look back on. "What did you find out?" She asked, hopefully.

"My parents! They were friends with Harry's parents until they left school at seventeen. They met again at your dad's party and became friends again. But, then, they died and they never got to say goodbye. That's all my parents could tell me, because my mom started crying, and my dad was trying to comfort her. Do you know anything about it?" Riley asked.

Alexis looked at her. "No." She said slowly, shaking her head. "Why could I know? Harry's just my friend."

Riley eyed her suspiciously. "Don't play dumb with me, Alexis Lupin! I know that you know something. Tell me."

"I know nothing. My parents are friends with your parents and were friends with Harry's parents. If you want to investigate ask my parents." Alexis said, her voice getting louder and louder.

"Fine Alexis! I will!" Riley yelled back.

"I'm going home. Call me when you get back to your senses." Alexis muttered.

She stood up from the beanbag chair, and walked over to the open wall, and grabbed onto the rope, and hung there with her eyes closed. Riley rolled her eyes, and leaned against the wall.

"Poor Alexis. Would you like my help and go down the ladder, instead?" Riley mocked.

"Shut up, Black!" Alexis replied, her temper getting the better side of her.

Riley huffed and walked away. She climbed out a window, to sit on a tree branch hidden form view of Alexis Lupin. Alexis held onto the rope for dear life. A voice floated up from the ground.

"Alexis? Are you OK?"

Alexis opened her eyes, and looked down. She caught glimpse of someone before her eyes closed. It looked like it was Riley's mother.

"Alexis. Let go off the rope. I'll catch you." Her mother called up.

Alexis gulped and let go off the rope. She didn't scream, but her eyes were clamped shut and her fists were balled up, just hoping that she would be caught. She was. She thanked her as she was put down on the ground, and then she started to the driveway to leave.

"Alexis? What's wrong with you and Riley?" She asked, seeing Riley sitting with her back to Alexis.

"Broken Friendship. Waste of time." She called back, walking off their property and down the street.

Arabella sighed. Why did Riley always have to be like this? She shook her head and walked back into the house. With both Riley and Alexis' tempers, they just needed to cool down. They would be fine in a couple days. All they needed was to be apart from each other.

*~*

Alexis reached her house in no time. She walked up the driveway and into the house. She slammed the door behind her, making her parents jump in the living room. Remus then appeared in the archway of the living room.

"Alexis? What's wrong?" He asked, seeing her fume away as she took her shoes off throwing them in a corner.

She looked up at her father; he looked worried. She glared at him, and stormed into the living room, ignoring the question. Viola looked up from the chair, to see Alexis storming in, and Remus following her. She raised an eyebrow at them. Remus shrugged his shoulders, and sunk down into one of the other chairs. Alexis huffed, and sank down into the couch. She crossed her arms, and glared darkly at the ground. Remus and Viola looked at her, in concern. The only time she looked like that was when she had a fight with her best friend… Riley.

"Honey? Are you OK? What happened at Riley's?" Viola asked, turning her CD player off.

Alexis just cast a look over at her, remaining silent.

"Alexis… tell us. Don't make us force it out of you." Remus replied, with a smirk.

Alexis huffed. "Fine, it's all Black's fault! She knows that I know something about why her parents and my parents knows Harry's parents well, I didn't know what to do. Her temper then took over and we started to fight, and we both stormed out," Alexis replied. Her parents remained silent. "So, if you don't mind. I will be in my room." She said, standing up, and stormed out.

Her parents watched her leave. She stomped up the stairs, making every step loud. She walked across the landing, and into her room. She slammed her door, and let out an ear-piercing scream. Both Remus and Viola ended up clamping their hands over their ears. Alexis' scream was so loud they didn't hear the 'pop' of their new houseguests. Alexis' scream then died down, and their new guests spoke up.

"Bad time?"

The two whirled around to see a confused Sirius and a defeated Arabella.

"Hey guys. It's not a bad time. We need to talk to you guys. Riley got all mad at Alexis for someth—" Viola was cut off as Arabella held a hand up.

"We know, Viola. It's not Alexis' fault, nor Riley's. And, it's not ours either!" Arabella quickly put it from the expression on Viola's face. "We shouldn't have told Riley that we met back up with Harry's parents at Alexis' parents party. We didn't know that Alexis was coming over, and we didn't think she would ask her. As you know, time take's its course and there's nothing we can do about it." Arabella said, Sirius nodding at her side.

Viola smiled faintly, agreeing with Arabella. She waved to the couch for them to sit down in, which they did. The four spent the time, trying what to do with Alexis and Riley. They finally came to an idea at about ten thirty at night. They were going to have to leave it. Alexis and Riley would come around eventually, maybe; just maybe, Harry would be able to work things about between them. Maybe…! After that, they bided each other goodnight, and the Blacks appearated back to their house. 

TO BE CONTINUED…

I actually hadn't planned for Alexis and Riley to break up, but it just ended up like that. *snaps fingers* So, don't worry, about the two of them. Also, if you want me to e-mail you the updates when there out, just leave me your e-mail address. I have some of yours, but not all. Well,  R&R!!!!!

By the way,

Marron04: Thanks for the idea! I hadn't thought of that, but maybe I'll do that now.

Coconut-ice agent h/h:  Thanks for the "insight" on the picture.

~~ Fire Spirit