To her surprise, Ava spent quite some time thinking over the right date for Sirius. Not that she would admit it, but she felt that he couldn't go with just anyone. His date would have to be laid-back and okay with him flirting and dancing with other girls. But still not someone he would get bored with. She had to put up with his fun unpredictable personality too. The days drew closer to the dance as she went through every girl of an appropriate age at school. Or at least she felt like she had, about ten times.
"So who's it going to be?" Sirius asked her at lunch one day. He hadn't brought it up and just waited for her to decide whom he should take. He didn't really mind at all that she took the task upon herself. It just meant he didn't have to worry about it. And if he didn't like who she had picked, he didn't have to go with her.
"Haven't found her yet." She smiled with a sardonic laugh at herself. "You might be out of luck."
"Luck's my middle name," Sirius grinned wickedly at her. Her only response was a roll of the eyes.
"I thought it was Lee," Peter joked, "Sirius Lee Black, get it?"
Ava laughed at his corniness. She really did wonder what Sirius middle name was. She couldn't picture him with one. He was probably one of those kids simply without a middle name. "How about someone younger?"
"Well, you already mentioned most of the girls in the whole bloody school," he teased her. "But I do have standards. Yeah, ha ha," he faked amusement at her exaggerated surprise at the fact that he had standards. "I don't go for kids or tots, fifth year or above. Preferably sixth and above, but there are some nice little numbers in that year, hitting consent age and all."
Ava sighed. That made her job harder. But that was the age limit she was limiting herself to for him anyways. Anything below that was, erm, not right. She had decided.
"So, find yourself a date yet, or too busy with this guy's little black book?" Remus asked her as he sat down.
"It would be at the bottom of my to-do list," Ava told him, uninterested at finding herself a date. A few guys had asked her, but she had told them she that the ball was so far away, she wasn't going to plan like crazy like an over enthused sugarcoated girl. She was just going to go with the flow, maybe go alone, maybe not even go she told them. That didn't stop them from asking though. She said that much to Remus too.
"Hmm," Remus mulled it over. He had recently found out about a bet going on with the sixth and seventh year boys, excluding the marauders, to see who would be the first one to go out with Ava. He hadn't been amused when he found out. He had yet to tell James and Sirius, they both seemed defense over her. Sirius for his own reasons. He had told Remus that they had gotten to know one another well since the escapade from earlier in the semester. James seemed concerned over her for Lily's sake. Lily would not be happy either, so he kept this information to himself. He would tell Ava though if she picked the wrong guy to go with, Remus secretly smiled doubting she would. He had confidence in her.
"You ask anyone yet, Remus?" she asked him jarring him back to the conversation.
"Devon had been dropping hints," he laughed. She hadn't been dropping. More like throwing hints, or the obvious fact, at him. "I'm just going to wait until she gets so fed up she asks me. It's fun to watch her sweat and fume."
"Well, she will," Ava laughed at Devon's antics, "get fed up I mean. Devon gets what Devon wants. And you're it, mate."
Remus gave an embellished shrug. He didn't mine being pursued. Just like the rest of the marauders, he had done his fair share in the past. It was fun to sit back now and be the one that didn't have to work.
"You're going to have your hands full with her," Ava still laughing at the thought of Remus and Devon together. They were different, one laidback and somewhat studious, the other high maintenance and erratic.
After classes that afternoon. Ava sat in the courtyard, people watching, or more precise, girl watching. Not too many people came out to the courtyard now that it was snowing some. Ava found peace in nature though. Once the remaining girls had gone inside, Ava sighed at the quietness. It was nice, and she was free to think.
Ava didn't know where she was going to find Sirius the right date. Feeling like she was looking for the perfect date, she corrected herself. It just had to be a good match, not perfect. Ana gave up on her and decided to go with the first guy who asked her, who it turned out was Marcus. Ava had turned him down, but didn't tell Ana that. She grew irritated, wishing she had never opened her mouth. She hadn't even thought about whether she was going to go or not, let alone a date. She was about to give up when at cold wind whipped by her as the idea hit her full in the face.
Peter was walking through the outside hall, gripping his robe tightly around him. He ran into a sixth year girl and they walked quickly to dinner as he asked her to the dance. He looked out to the yard and saw Ava there, sending the girl on ahead he went out to her.
"It is way to cold to be walking around out here, dinner's on." He gave her a gentle pull and walked back with her back to the dining hall. He told her that the girl he had just been with was his date for the dance. Finding out about the bet, he asked curiously, "You pick anyone yet?"
"Not yet," she had a small smile on her face though.
They walked over to Lily who sat with James. Remus was talking with Isobel, who waved at Ava but turned to listen to Remus tell her some details about William and giving her conversations starters for him. Sirius was talking to Heather, who was giggly and blushing. Ava sat down across from Sirius, who looked like he was in pain talking to Heather- her shrill voice could be heard across the room.
She gave one last giggle and ran of to the other end of the table. Sirius gave an exhausted sigh, and turned to see Ava wearing a brilliant smile. His eyes big, he pointed in the direction that Heather went, "It better not be her."
"Nope," Ava rocked to both sides excitedly. "Not only did I find you the right date, I found you the perfect date."
He looked suspiciously at her-perfect did rarely exist. He raised his eyebrow in question at her.
"Me!" she said with a gesture towards herself. She now had control over her excitement. Sirius, although thrilled, was curious as to why she decided she would be the right/perfect date for him. She had turned him down once upon a time after all. She saw the question in his eyes, despite the shocked small smile on his lips. "Well, think about it.
"We already friends." She counted off on her fingers the reasons. "I'm the right age. And best of all, you don't have to dance we me all night. You can flirt and dance with whomever you want, and I won't get upset. I can dance with whomever I want, or leave when I want. No commitment."
He nodded as he listened. She did have a point. But he couldn't help be slightly put off at the fact that she thought he wouldn't pay attention to her if she was his date. He did appreciate the fact she had considered his 'needs', though whatever she thought they might be. As for her dancing with other guys, he supposed that was up to her, no matter he felt about the matter.
"Deal" he stuck out his hand. She shook it with a smile, which he returned. He looked at her. She looked in need of some teasing. "And here I thought you weren't going to come through. I'd be stuck with whatever didn't have a date yet."
She smiled slightly, her head tilted to the side, "Well, ok, maybe I'm not the right and perfect date, but it will work out well enough." She nodded encouragingly.
"No, you're right and perfect," Sirius tried to make her feel better. He hadn't realized what he had said, or how he had put it. "Problem solved. We are all taken care of now. You did ask Angie right, Peter?"
"Yeah, saw and asked her on the way in. Found this one outside in the wicked weather." He jerked a thumb at Ava.
Ava shrugged nonchalantly. She liked the weather like this. The summer, fall and spring were all nice too, but she felt peaceful with the winter. After dinner, Ava and Lily stopped by the library to study. The midterms were almost upon them.
"So do you have a date yet?" Lily whispered to her after a while of studying quietly in the library. "Time's running out you know. You need to pick someone."
"Yeah I have someone to go with," she nodded, avoiding calling it a date.
"Well who?" Lily asked impatiently after waiting sometime for Ava to answer.
"I'm going with Sirius," Ava said casually looking up at her friend. Her voice sounded like it wasn't that big of a deal. Lily squealed as if she had just sat on a tack. The librarian 'shh'ed at them. Lily covered her mouth with hers hands jumping up and down in her chair. Ava gave her a look, thinking Lily had gone mad. Lily finally regained her composure.
"You said you were going to find him the right date," Lily whispered excitedly. "Guess you found it, eh?"
"No, I didn't actually, I'm just the substitute." Ava shrugged. "He needs someone to save him from what he doesn't want to do, like dancing with someone, without him having to be rude. And someone who won't care at his flirtations. Well, and it saves me from having to go with someone I don't want thinking it was more than just a date."
"What are you going to wear?"
"I don't know. I don't have any dress robes."
"Well, I meant what are you going to wear under that." Lily looked at her, a huge smile coming to her lips. "But don't worry, we'll find you the right dress and robe."
Ava nodded politely, secretly wondering what she had gotten herself into. Lily continued to quietly squeal with delight. After a few more minutes of trying to study, Lily hopped up and drug Ava back to their dorm.
"On the way out of the Three Broomsticks, I went and bought that robe, but I made James wait outside so he wouldn't see it yet." She pulled it out of the bag slowly, finally holding it up in front of her. The robe shimmered an emerald green in the candlelight. Devon and Isobel walked in at that very moment to see Lily hold the robe up to herself.
"Oh, Lily!" Devon cooed rushing over. "It's beautiful."
"It matches her eyes perfectly, look." Isobel brushed and held Lily hair back from her face. "It is the perfect compliment, the red and green."
Ava did think Lily looked beautiful, even envious of her friend. But she couldn't bare any more ball talk. She couldn't imagine the three of them trying to find her a dress and robe. Maybe she shouldn't go she warned herself.
"What about you, Altair?" Devon woke her back up. She looked over to find all three looking at her expectantly. She grinned sheepishly at them.
"She's just dreaming about Sirius," Lily mock whispered to them. Isobel's eyes grew huge at this. She covered her mouth. Devon looked impressed.
"We're just going as friends," Ava said stopping it before things got out of hand. "What did you ask me?"
"What do you want to wear?" Isobel asked her. Ava shot her a look-she knew Ava didn't have anything. Isobel smiled weakly.
"I don't have anything. I didn't bring anything." She looked at Isobel, had she thought to bring a dress robe for herself? She asked her.
Isobel shrugged, "yeah, my mother had me throw it in at the last minute. But I packed special clothes."
Lily went over to her trunk. She pulled out her old robe, which was gently used. She smiled at Ava and gave it to her. "This is my favorite. I love it so much I barely use it so I won't ruin it. You can wear it." she saw Ava's face-unsure at the gift, so she assured her, "borrow it."
"And I have just the dress for you," Devon pulled Ava up and other to her trunk. She pulled a mass of clothe out and wad it into Ava's hands. "I got some new stuff too, so you're welcome to this if you want."
Ava smiled at them all. She was really touched at her friends and their generosity. She didn't consider it a handout because she planned to return back their clothes. She would just borrow them for the night.
:: Well, we are getting there. I know it seems like I am dragging this out, but I think it is worth it for the new goal I have in mind. Just be patient and bear with me. Sigh, they are so cute together, but oblivious, eh? Remus sees it though! I love him too, the cutie!!