Ah…more teen angst and dramatics…(runs to put on Dawson's Creek soundtrack)
Lily was laughing at something Gideon had said when Gari came to sit next to her. For a few moments, the redhead ignored her friend. She didn't want to talk about James, nor her interest in Gideon. Unfortunately, Gideon made an exit to get another drink, leaving Gari with an opportunity to speak. Before she could begin, Lily spoke.
"Gari, I'm sorry for snapping at you earlier," Lily actually looked quite embarrassed. "But I just don't want to talk about James Potter anymore."
"I know," Gari replied. "But it's just the end of October…you both are going to have to work together until the end of the year. Couldn't you try to get along with him? Just one more chance?"
Lily shook her head somewhat sorrowfully. "One more chance? He's had dozens of chances, Gari, but they just ran out." She glanced over to where Kim and Beth were drooling over Lucius. "Besides, he seems to be moving on just fine."
"Oh, Lily, don't be ridiculous," Gari said impatiently. "You know as well as I do that Kim and Beth will hit on anything that breathes." She glanced at the girls again, to now see Kim eyeing Sirius. "Speaking of which…"
Lily looked at Kim and laughed, but sobered quickly. "About Sirius…what did he have to say about Lynn?"
"Oh…" Gari blushed. "You know how Lynn is. Do I really have to explain?"
Lily shook her head, smiling knowingly. "No, I guess not." She studied her friend for a moment. "So it doesn't bother you?"
"Of course it does," Gari said quickly. "But…I don't know. I like Sirius a lot, Lily."
Lily nodded, yet not understanding. Gari glanced up at her and laughed.
"I don't expect you to understand, Lils," Gari told her, pulling her into a hug. "My relationship with Sirius is…complicated."
"If he hurts you, you know I'll hex him," Lily said fiercely.
"I know you will," Gari replied, hugging Lily again.
As the ball wound down, the students gradually left in small groups back to their dormitories. Gari, Sirius, Rayven, and Remus went in the direction of the Gryffindor tower, while Lily went for the Head tower, which was near Gideon and his fellow Ravenclaws' common room.
"So do you think we'll need to pour a bucket of water on him in the morning?" Gari asked Sirius as they walked back, referring to James.
Sirius laughed and nodded. "That, along with a hangover potion."
They rounded another corner, when there was suddenly a piercing scream amidst the laughter. All of the other students in the hallway stopped too and listened.
"That sounds like Alice," Frank Longbottom said, looking suddenly fearful.
"Wasn't she at the ball?" Rayven asked him as they jogged in the opposite direction towards the scream.
"She was tired, so she left early," Frank replied, looking guilty. "Damn it, I shouldn't have let her talk me into staying. I should have walked her back."
"Don't worry, mate, she's probably fine," Sirius said firmly, though his eyes looked a little uncertain.
Again, there was a scream.
"Oh God, that's her," Frank cried, looking around for any sign of his girlfriend.
A muffled cry came from a nearby classroom. Frank opened the door and gasped at what he saw. Alice had silver cords wrapped around her and tearstains on her cheeks. But what really shocked them was the purple spots on her face, the stiffness of her body which shrieked 'petrificus totalus', and the amount of pink goo coming out of her ears.
"Get the hell away from her!" Sirius said sharply, pulling out his wand and pointing it at the three people putting the hexes on Alice. Unsurprisingly, they were all Slytherins. Bellatrix Black, Rodolphus Lestrange, and Severus Snape looked extremely amused at the sight of the embarrassed and hurt Alice on the floor.
Bellatrix glanced at Sirius' wand in a somewhat bored fashion. "Or you'll do what?"
"You honestly think you'll get away with this?" Frank exclaimed. "Rayven and Remus just ran for help. Why the hell would you do this?"
"Because they can," Sirius hissed through gritted teeth. "I said back the hell off, Snivellus." He turned his wand on Snape, who was multiplying the amount of purple spots on her face.
Snape smirked, but it melted away when Sirius cried "Expelliarmus!" and Snape went flying backwards. Gari issued the same spell on Bellatrix, but the Slytherin laughed cruelly and blocked it.
"That the best you've got?" Bellatrix mocked.
"Petrificus totalus!" Gari shouted, and Bellatrix went rigid. Rodolphus made a move to curse Gari, but Frank shot 'expelliarmus' his way and sent his wand flying.
"Good Heavens!" Professor McGonagall had entered the room, looking shocked. She was white in the face and then looked at Alice on the floor, who was whimpering.
"Oh, Alice," Frank moaned slightly as he untied the cords around her. When she was free, the rigidness left and she flung herself into his arms, sobbing.
"What is the meaning of this?" Professor McGonagall yelled at the three Slytherins. "How dare you do this to this poor girl! I've never seen such horrid, despicable behavior in all my years!" She looked almost sick at the sight of them. Professor McGonagall looked at Professor Stiffien, who had also entered and looked stunned as well. "Mary, will you please take Ms. Bell to the hospital wing?" She glanced at Frank. "Mr. Longbottom should go as well."
"Of course," Professor Stiffien replied, looking unbelievably pale too. "Come here, Alice," She put a comforting arm around the girl. "Don't worry, it'll be all right…"
Professor Stiffien passed Sigismund in the doorway as she left, and Gari couldn't miss the look of fury she shot his way.
"And you three, follow me to the Headmaster," McGonagall turned on her heal and started to walk. The Slytherins followed grudgingly and slowly, until McGonagall snapped at them: "Move!"
Sirius and Gari looked at each other. Gari finally broke the horrible silence, her voice shaking. "They're sick…they're really sick…"
Sirius glared daggers at Sigismund, who was regarding them neither kindly nor coldly. "They're Slytherins. What else are they good for but torturing people?"
He put an arm around Gari and shoved passed Sigismund roughly. Sigismund didn't even glance the boy's way. He stared at the spot where Alice had been lying for several long moments before leaving.
"How are you feeling?" Gari sat down next to Alice's bed in the hospital wing the next morning. Lily came with her, having heard through the grapevine what had happened to Alice the night before.
"Better…" Alice put on a strong voice, though there were dried tearstains on her cheeks, and she still looked horribly pale. They spots were gone, and she'd stopped oozing pink pus. "I just…I just don't know why they did it…I'm pureblood…" She glanced at Lily, turned a little pink, and stammered, "N-not th-that…that that's a reason…"
Lily grasped her hand and gave it a little squeeze. "It's alright."
Alice smiled softly at her, but then the mask melted away. She broke down, sobbing again.
"Oh, Alice," Gari put her arms around her friend. "Shh…it's okay."
"Alice?" Frank came over and sat on the edge of the bed. "Love, it's alright…it's over now."
Gari released Alice, who collapsed against Frank, still sobbing. Gari looked at Lily, who had fear swirling in her eyes. As they left the hospital wing, Lily paused a moment.
"Am I horrible for being glad that it wasn't me?" Lily asked.
Gari paused as well. "No…I mean, it could have just as easily have been any of us. They were just looking for fun or something." Gari looked horribly bitter and angry as she said it.
"What do you think Dumbledore will do?" Lily asked as they started walking again.
Gari rolled her eyes. "Probably just suspension…that's the most he can do, really. None of the spells they used caused any lasting damage." She glanced back at the hospital wing. "Physical, at least."
Lily nodded and continued walking, while Gari's gaze lingered at the hospital wing door, thinking back to Alice's cries and screams, and her hatred of the Slytherins increased even more.
I decided to put this part in because I just reread the Order of the Pheonix, and does anyone else feel incredibly sad for Neville? Oh my God, I wanted to cry! He's a little bit of geek, and then we find out about his parents! But also, I like Alice and Frank a lot, so they'll be in this story a bit more, and then they'll be in the sequel a lot. (Whoops…alright, I can tell you, this is the first part of trilogy...that's your cue to cheer.)