A/N: Well, here I am again. I know it's been a while, and I'm sorry. Just wanted to say thanks to all of my wonderful reviewers! You all get huge cyberhugs! Lol. And now I'm gonna shut up and let y'all read this next chapter. Ta!
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Addison heard the furious whispering of two girls as she walked briskly through the hall on her way to her first class- Advanced Transfiguration. Raising an eyebrow, she wondered briefly what they were discussing before rounding the corner.
And what she saw made her want to run in the other direction. But that would have been ridiculous, so instead she decided to push past them as if they weren't even there.
Trissa and Georgia ceased their plotting as soon as they heard someone round the corner. Looking up and smiling innocently, Trissa prepared to wave a friendly greeting and hoped that whoever it was would continue along their merry way. However, her cool composure was blown the minute the last person in the world she wanted to see at the moment turned the corner. Instead of being composed she found herself staring. With her mouth open.
She felt an elbow dig into her side and quickly clamped her mouth shut. She shot Georgia a thankful look and turned back to Addison who was trying to edge inconspicuously by the two devious girls.
"Addison! Hey!" Georgia greeted with false gusto. Fortunately Georgia had kept her wits about her.
Addison nodded a quick hello and tried to push past them. By this time Trissa was functioning properly. "Where are you going?" She asked, smiling warmly.
"Class?" Addison offered. How do they know me, she wondered. As far as she knew, she had never had a conversation with them in her life. Come to think of it, I've never even spoken to them, Addison remembered.
"So are we!" Trissa exclaimed. "Why don't you walk with us?" She offered. Before Addison could respond she had already grabbed her elbow and was leading her down the hall.
Reluctantly, Addison fell into step with the other two girls. This was exactly what she had been worrying about: unwanted notice from a group of people she had been trying to avoid for the past six years. She should have known that her new look along with Sirius's attentions would bring this. She made a mental note to go back to her original habits.
"What do you have now?" Georgia asked and walked on her other side.
"Um. Advanced Transfiguration. With Professor McGonagall."
"Is that so?" Trissa asked thoughtlessly. She was only half-listening to the conversation. Already she had a plan in mind.
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Sirius did a double-take when he saw Addison walking down the hall with Trissa and Georgia. What was she thinking?
And immediately the answer came to him, and he glared at them. Obviously Trissa had something planned. That bitch! He thought outraged.
James whistled when the three girls came by. Georgia blushed prettily and Trissa continued on without a backward glance. Addison put her head down and tried to remain unnoticed.
"Uh-oh Padfoot. It seems the Queen Bitch is upset with you," James laughed and leaned back against the stone wall.
"No shit," Sirius responded. Remus glanced at his watch.
"We have ten minutes," he informed them carelessly. "I think Georgia fancies you," he added, nodding at James.
"Who could resist me?" He asked, and puffed out his chest. "I am James Potter, Quidditch captain and prefect extraordinaire!" He pranced around.
"Whoa, stud," Sirius teased. Remus and Peter sniggered. James made a whinnying noise, and took off down the hall in a mock-gallop. Remus rolled his eyes, and he and Peter followed.
Something definitely has to be done, Sirius thought, and fast. After a moment of contemplative silence, he set off down the hall after his friends. He too had a plan.
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Addison all but sprinted to the library. She barreled through the doors, almost running over the librarian, who shot her a dirty look. Addison didn't even notice and brushed by her without a backwards glance.
Trissa and Georgia had been following her all day, asking her questions but never waiting for the answer and chattering mindlessly over boys and clothes. It was driving Addison nuts, and she desperately needed to escape. So after her last class, she bolted out of her chair as soon as they were dismissed and sprinted to the last place Trissa Hart and Georgia Nalley would go-the library.
As she slowly got her breath back from running, she walked up and down the rows of old books. The musty smell of old print and parchment filled her nose, and she managed to calm herself a bit. The library was her haven and always a place of refuge. And I definitely need a refuge, Addison thought bitterly. Now she had a chance to think. Addison analyzed everything because she believed every problem had an answer, and this one was not any more difficult than some of the other problems she had solved throughout her life.
She sat down at one of the round tables and buried her head in her hands. By all outward appearances she appeared to be crying. Instead she was trying to focus.
Ok. So here I am in my sixth year and I'm suddenly being noticed by everyone. I was never noticed before. Why is this any different? She was feeling frustrated with herself. Well, I did drastically alter my physical appearance, but still... And then realization struck her. Sirius Black.
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When Remus Lupin walked into the library, he didn't expect himself to end up comforting a girl. A crying girl no less. But here he was trying to figure out a way to best approach her without getting his head snapped off. From his experience that was what happened when you approach an emotional female, and it was definitely not fun.
Clearing his throat, he sat down in the chair opposite her and placed his books on the table. "Mind if I sit here?" He asked gently.
The girl jerked her head up in surprise, and Remus stared at her. This was the girl that Sirius was friends with, and she was definitely not crying. She blinked in confusion before asking politely, "Can I help you?"
Remus felt his cheeks grow hot. She didn't appear to need any sort of comfort, and now he was embarrassing himself. "You seemed upset," he replied awkwardly.
She smiled politely. "No. I'm fine. Thanks though." Giving him another curious look, she reached into her bag and pulled out her Potions homework. Remus did likewise. "Are you friends with Sirius?" She asked, although she knew the answer already.
"Yeah. Remus Lupin." Remus stuck out his hand.
She shook it. "Addison Freeborn."
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Well, this adds to the confusion. Now Sirius Black's best friend is talking to me as if we're old friends. Addison was still analyzing the whole situation and was only half-listening to what Remus was saying to her. She was mildly surprised at how talkative he was. He'd always struck her as being the shy type. Shows how much I know. Addison felt miserable.
Together they finished the Potions essay in record time. "You should've been in Ravenclaw," Addison remarked, clearly pleased to have worked with someone who knew what he was doing and applied himself.
Remus made a face. "No thanks. Gryffindor suits me just fine." He shoved his books in his bag and stood to go. "If you'll excuse me, I have to go now," he said politely.
Addison smiled. "Me too. It was nice meeting you."
"Same."
Addison watched him leave and decided that only one word could describe this situation. Strange.
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Remus walked out of the library in a slight daze. He had just spent an hour having a conversation with a Ravenclaw he had never met before in his life and already he felt as if they were old friends. To be honest, he didn't think she was Sirius's type. She was pretty enough and certainly smart, but she was -way- too down to earth.
Maybe that's a good thing, he thought, maybe Sirius needs a bit of grounding. If his friend didn't seem so interested in her, Remus himself would definitely consider asking her out.
"I need to introduce her to James," Remus muttered. It was time for Moony to play matchmaker.
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A/N: What do you think? Too OOC? Please review and tell me what your opinion is. Also, there should be a semblance of a plot forming pretty soon. (guilty look) I've been a bit slack. That's all. Ta luvs! And thanks for all of your lovely reviews!
TheSiriusSparrow