Disclaimer:I don't own the Harry Potter characters. I never will! Everyone belongs to J.K. Rowling, except for Peter's girlfriend Grace. I'm pleased to say I own her.


Glitter, Spice, and Everything Nice

Chapter 3 - The Girls' Chapter

Grace Addams was a seventh-year Ravenclaw. She was a bright, vivacious girl with a brilliant smile and a sweet temperament. She was a little on the pudgy side, but her bouncy blonde curls and sparkling sapphire eyes drew attention away from her waistline. She always had a kind word and a smile for everyone, and was an expert at listening and giving advice. She had been Lily Evans' best friend since the age of six, and the two girls loved each other like sisters.

But today, the day after the debut of Sirius' alter ego, Grace wasn't at all her usual, perky self. Instead, she was so completely unlike herself that students who normally called to her or waved in the corridors didn't recognise her at all.

Grace shuffled outside into the early Sunday-morning sunshine, her clogs flip-flopping as she headed for the spot near the lake where she, Lily, and Karen always met. She plopped down on the grass, smoothing her skirt over her knees before resting her chin in her hands and staring out across the lake with a long, anxious sigh.

"Grace!" Lily was running across the grass, her long red hair trailing like a banner in the wind, her saucy red skirt flipping prettily around her knees. Karen followed at a more leisurely pace, dressed in blue-and-green-striped bellbottoms and a green sweater.

"Whatever is the matter, darling?" Lily inquired, kneeling beside Grace and kissing her cheek. "You look positively depressed. Has one of the Slytherins been teasing you again?"

"No," Grace sighed. "It's nothing, really."

"Are you sure?" Karen asked skeptically. "Your bottom lip could serve as a ledge for suicidal jumpers."

The analogy was so ridiculous that Grace burst out laughing. She suddenly felt a lot better, and decided to tell the truth.

"I'm just put out because I was asked on a date," she confessed.

Lily and Karen blinked in disbelief. The idea of anyone being put out after being chatted up was hard to imagine. They stared at Grace, waiting for some sort of explanation. After a few seconds of puzzled silence, Grace elaborated.

"By Peter Pettigrew."

"Ohhh," the other two said in unison. Peter was the small, mousy boy who trailed along after James Potter and Sirius Black, a look of exalted adoration upon his pudgy face as he gazed at his friends. He was completely incompetent at lessons and was a dismal failure when it came to being charming, witty, or any other quality essential to an excellent boyfriend. Of course they couldn't judge him from what little they knew or saw of him; but it was easy to see why Grace was so fussed.

"When did he ask you out?" Karen asked in confusion.

"Yesterday afternoon, right after lunch. Everyone was so busy looking at Sirius Black in those ridiculous clothes of yours, that he snuck away and asked me while everyone's attention was elsewhere. Blocked my view of Black's legs, too," she said, a little sadly.

"Well, what did you say?" Lily wanted to know.

"I told him I'd think about it. I guess that's more than anyone's ever told him, because he looked really happy when I said it." Grace felt even more depressed when she thought that she was probably the only girl Peter had ever had an interest in - at least, the first girl he had fancied who hadn't been swiftly courted and dumped by either Potter or Black. Potter had dated several girls in the past, trying to prove he didn't care that Lily didn't like him (and failing miserably). Black had been quite the skirt-chaser until halfway through sixth year, when he suddenly started dating Remus Lupin - a puzzle no one at Hogwarts had yet figured out.

Grace shook herself out of her thoughts. "So... well, that's why I'm out of it," she said lamely.

"Oh, love." Lily patted her leg sympathetically. "It's hard to turn someone down. But if you really don't want to go with him, it might be easier if you just reject him. No good ever came out of a relationship where one person didn't love the other."

"I can't stand to tell him no," Grace said hopelessly. "All I can think of is what a blow it would be to him, if the first girl he ever asks out refuses. I don't want to go, but I hate the idea of telling him that."

"Why don't you just try it?" Karen suggested. "One trip to Hogsmeade can't hurt, can it? It would make the both of you feel better. If you don't like him after that, by all means drop him, but at least give him a chance. That's what I would do."

"Oh, you would not!" Lily cried, nudging Karen with her elbow. But Grace nodded. The sparkle in her eyes and the radiant smile had returned.

"That's only fair. I think I will do it your way, Karen."

Karen straightened up and tossed her shoulder-length brown hair out of her eyes, mollified. "Thank you, dear. Now, Lils" - she was suddenly businesslike - "I have a question for you. Why in the world did you accept Potter's invitation to Hogsmeade, after all these years of hating him and avoiding him and referring to him as an 'arrogant, bullying toerag'?"

Lily squirmed uncomfortably. She had been afraid of having her motives under scrutiny, but there was no way she could lie to her closest friends. They would see through a fib in an instant, so there was no other option. "It's kind of a long story," she said.

"We've got time," Karen crossed her legs and leaned comfortably against Grace's shoulder.

Lily sighed. "Well... I was so mad at him after that thing with Snape. You saw it, you know what happened. I mean, I don't like Snape much but compared to Potter and his friends..." she clenched her fists. "Potter and Black and Pettigrew - and even Remus, for Merlin's sake - got me so angry. I know Remus a little, from Charms Club, and he's usually this really sweet, thoughtful bloke. I get on better with him than any of his friends, and always have. I didn't speak to him for a week after that, until he apologised to me. But Potter... and Black, but mostly Potter... they were so... stupid." She glanced towards the spot where it had happened, and bit her lip.

"It drove me mad that people could be so cruel. In my mind, Voldemort's followers are evil enough, do we really need such childish taunting and bullying going on at school as well? So I ignored Potter for the rest of the year. And for all of last year. Well - almost all."

Her cheeks flushed as she remembered. "It was so stupid, but it still makes me feel ashamed. It was a day or so before we went home, and I was bringing a bunch of books back to the library for Professor Flitwick. And that awful Slytherin girl - Bellatrix Black, she was a seventh year - came out of nowhere. I don't know what had her ruffled. But she was in a towering temper, and came stomping around the corner smack into me. We fell down, and I spilled the books all over the corridor. But Bellatrix had the nerve to act like it was all my fault. She shrieked at me and threw a book at my head, and started screaming about how all Mudbloods should die and all that. I was trying to pick up those stupid books and there she was, yelling her fool head off about the 'pure-blooded dignity of the wizarding world' and blah, blah, blah. She kept trying to kick me at the same time. I dodged a few, but she got me every now and then, too.

"Potter came around the corner, saw what was going on, and went mad at Bellatrix. Yelled things like "Clear off or I'll tell Sirius what you were doing, and he'll be happy to talk to you about it", stuff like that. She left, and he bent down to help me pick up the books. I must have looked a sight, because I was crying by then and my mascara was dribbling down my face, my hair all mussed up, and my sleeve was torn where Bellatrix had snagged it on one of those ugly pointed granny boots she wore. But he didn't say anything at first. He stacked up the books and just waited until I'd stopped crying. Then he mopped me up with his handkerchief and said, "I'm sorry, Evans," like it was his fault! Then he picked up the books and said, "I'll return these, don't worry about it," and left. I felt so stupid, standing there with his handkerchief, and I hadn't even said thank you." she shifted. "It wasn't the first time he'd yelled at someone who insulted me, but it was the first time he did anything without trying to get me to go out with him, or pressing me about liking him, or even saying anything sarcastic or mean. I felt so bad, but I was embarrassed, too, so I avoided him until we came back to school. I figure I owe him for what he did."

"Wow," Grace said, wide-eyed.

"I did notice Potter hasn't been bothering you like he has every other year," Karen said thoughtfully. "Who knows? Maybe he's growing up."

"Maybe he is," Lily said softly.


After dinner that night, Grace stood outside the doors of the Great Hall, shifting from foot to foot and gnawing on her fingernails as she scanned the slow trickle of people who emerged, gorged and sleepy, from the Hall. Her stomach seemed full of fluttering, feathery butterflies, and she wondered if she could make it for another few minutes without becoming ill.

Her heart jumped when she saw the familiar dark heads of Sirius Black and James Potter moving through the crowd; the mousy head of Peter Pettigrew and the tawny head of Remus Lupin trailed behind.

Grace slid off the base of the statue of Rowena Ravenclaw she had been sitting on, and pushed her way through the mass of students until she was right behind the four boys. One of them had obviously just told a joke, because they were all sniggering heartily. Grace hesitated, then reached out and tugged at Peter's sleeve.

He turned around, looking half-defiant, half-scared - an expression of one who is often bullied and constantly promises oneself that the next encounter will be different, the next encounter will show that one was not to be trifled with. But it faded when he recognised her, and he looked nervous but not angry. "Grace."

"Pete?" James was looking at them curiously. Sirius and Remus had paused on the stairs - holding hands, Grace noted. Peter waved at them.

"I'll catch you up," he said simply. There was a pause, during which Grace feared that Peter's friends would stick around and listen in, giggling at everything they said; but they only shrugged and headed for their common room. Grace swallowed.

"What did you want?" His grey eyes were wary.

"I just... I was just going to answer your question," she said, blushing.

"Oh!" he looked suddenly hopeful.

She drew a deep breath. "I'll go. T-to Hogsmeade with you, I mean."

His smile was shy and lovely. "Really?"

"Yes."

"Thank you," he said.

"You're welcome," she said awkwardly.

"Well -"

"Goodnight." Grace turned away and hurried up the stairs, blushing furiously. She would have felt more confident about her decision had she turned that moment to see Peter standing motionless in the entrance hall, a dazzling smile on his face.

To Be Continued.



(A/N: A short note on clothing. In my version of the HP universe, I try to keep a balance between Muggle clothes and wizard's robes - not like the movies, which concentrate heavily on one or the other; or the books, where the children just seem to wear robes over their Muggle clothes. It's different in my stories. During the week, the children wear robes and uniforms; on weekends, they wear Muggle clothes. Maybe it's a little unrealistic, since each child would have to bring twice the clothes to Hogwarts; but just bear with me, okay? It makes things easier. I just wanted to clear that up, especially since this story will have a switching of clothes every now and again, and I didn't want anyone to be confused.)