Disclaimer: I own nothing of Harry Potter, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, or the REM song Losing My Religion. Don't sue!
A/N: Thanks reviewers, don't forget to check out my greatest journal for notes, see either chapter ten (twisting the hellmouth) or my homepage ) for the site. The review button is your friend (and my lifeline) so please use it.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Losing My Religion
Life is bigger
It's bigger than you
And you are not me
The lengths that I will go to
The distance in your eyes
Oh no I've said too much
I set it up
That's me in the corner
That's me in the spotlight
Losing my religion
Trying to keep up with you
And I don't know if I can do it
Oh no I've said too much
I haven't said enough
I thought that I heard you laughing
I thought that I heard you sing
I think I though I saw you try
All the fifth-year Gryffindors were gathered in the Common Room save for one.
"Where's Sirius?" Dawn murmured in Peter's ear.
He shrugged. "He wasn't in the dorm, I haven't seen him since Care of Magical Creatures," the chubby boy whispered back, hurriedly smoothing down his mousy hair.
Dawn shook her head slightly in reply. "No, he was in Divination with James and I after that, then he just disappeared on us."
They didn't have time to continue the conversation; Lily was ushering them all to the portrait hole to get to the front steps of the castle, where the parents would be arriving at any moment. The five girls and three boys hurried out to the entrance, where pretty much the rest of the school had already gathered.
Dumbledore and McGonagall had planned for a nice, ordered greeting where students would line up by year and House group so their parents would know just where to fins them. What they got was chaos at its most chaotic. As the carriages rolled up the drive, pulled by the Thestrals so few could actually see, students dodged in and out between them, looking in all the windows. Doors flew open as parents and children fought to get at each other, shrieks and laughter pierced the chilly dusk.
"Ok, has anyone seen their par-" Lily turned to speak to her group and broke off abruptly. Only James and Dawn still stood behind her. She sighed, then simply shrugged at Dawn and hurled herself into the fray, fighting her way towards a blond woman and a tall man with red hair the exact same shade as hers.
Dawn felt James' fingers squeeze her own in a show of support. "All right, Kitten?"
She forced a small smile. Her family's absence only hurt if she allowed herself to think about it. "I'm ok, James, I promise. Now go. You know you want to."
James grinned in appreciation, tossed a quick "I'll be back in a bit," in her direction, and plunged into the crowd, leaving Dawn completely alone. She stood around awkwardly for a few minutes, watching the rest of the students greeting their families. Stretching up on her toes, Dawn craned her neck to try and catch sight of one of her friends in the throng, bout found no-one. She sighed and plopped back into a more flat-footed stance. Giving up, and figuring she should probably let the boys spend what little time they had with their parents, Dawn moved to head off to the Great Hall for dinner alone.
"Where d'you think you're sneaking off to?" a voice hissed in her ear as a pair of arms clamped about her waist, knocking her off balance.
Dawn squealed loudly. "James!" she hissed back, batting a hand at his arm. "You scared the death outta me!"
"Sorry," James grinned, as usual looking supremely unapologetic. Dawn frowned at him until she caught sight of the two people he was with and her trademark bashfulness kicked in.
"Kitten, this is my Mum and Dad. Mum, Dad, this is our Kitten, Dawn Summers," James introduced, stepping clear of her so she was left void of any cover.
"Hi," Dawn stammered, blushing as each of the senior Potters shook her hand.
"Lovely to meet you at last, Dawn. James has told us so much about you in his letters," Mrs Potter smiled warmly, hazel eyes so much like James' twinkling at the timid young girl.
Petrified, Dawn's eyes widened. Dear God, what exactly had James been saying about her? Seeing the look of terror come over her, James started to laugh. "It was all good, Kitten, don't you worry," he assured her, playfully ruffling her hair.
As she was smoothing it back down, something, or rather someone caught Dawn's eye. A stern-looking, formidable woman in a heavy black cloak stalked past, shooting a contemptuous glare at James as she went. And right by her side was Regulus Black. Something clicked in Dawn's mind.
"Was that Sirius' mom?" she asked quietly in James' ear. James, eyeing both the woman and Regulus with severe dislike, merely nodded. They all headed to the Great Hall for dinner, Mr Potter embarrassing and pleasing Dawn all at once by insisting she join them for the meal, but Dawn still caught no sign of Sirius.
Dawn sat down with the Potters, next to James, and Remus soon joined her on the other side with his family, with the Pettigrews sitting across the table from them. But still no sign of Sirius. Dawn was introduced to both Remus and Peter's parents as Dumbledore stood to open the feast.
"Welcome to Hogwarts, parents of our young Witches and Wizards. I sincerely hope you enjoy your stay, please make the castle your home for the weekend. And now I invite you to eat, drink and be merry. Tuck in."
At the last two words, large and extravagant platters of food had appeared on the tables, but Dawn was so busy craning her neck to see if Sirius had come in yet that she didn't notice. Remus placed a calming hand on her arm.
"He'll be here when he's ready, Dawnie. Just give him some time," the werewolf said quietly.
Dawn frowned to herself. Sure, Sirius had mentioned at least a hundred times that he and his mother didn't get along, but she didn't believe it could be that bad, really. Could it? She turned her attention to her dinner, but as the happy conversation swirled around her, Dawn felt a jolt of homesickness so strong it was almost a physical pain. She was brought out of herself by the realisation that Mrs Potter's friendly chatter was being directed at her, but the questions were hardly distracting from her pain.
"So your family has not come, Dawn? That's a shame, dear, why couldn't they make it?" Mrs Potter enquired innocently. Remus and James both flinched inwardly, hoping Dawn would be able to handle the painful personal questions. If she became upset in front of everybody, they both knew it would only lead to further pain and embarrassment for their sensitive friend. Remus cursed himself for not thinking to warn all their parents earlier about the dangers of drawing attention to the absence of Dawn's family.
Dawn inhaled deeply before calmly answering the question, albeit quietly. "They're too far away."
"What do your parents do? If you don't mind my asking, of course," Mr Potter piped up.
"Um... well, uh... I don't know..." Dawn paled.
"You don't know?" Mr Lupin broke in with a frown. "What does that mean?"
James and Remus immediately grabbed one of Dawn's hands each under the table and she felt a little better under their influence. "Well, my Dad left before my tenth birthday, I've probably only seen him three times since. He's some sort of businessman, I guess. And my Mom... she died about nine months ago. Brain tumour. After that it was just me and my sister Buffy, but with everything that's happened this last year, we were separated and even Professor Dumbledore couldn't find her."
"Oh Dawn!" Mrs Potter exclaimed, reaching around her son to give the girl he'd described as a sister a comforting squeeze. Dawn smiled at the motherly gesture, the few tears sparkling in her eyes drying up.
During the exchange, she hadn't noticed Sirius quietly come into the Great Hall and sit down a few seats along from the Lupins. It was several minutes before she flicked her gaze along the extended Gryffindor table and fixed on a familiar wave of black hair. Dawn stared at Sirius as he morosely chased his food around his plate, feeling the urge to run up and throw her arms around him. She turned her head towards the Slytherin table, where Mrs Black was glaring venomously at her eldest son.
"Excuse me," Dawn said quickly, pushing her empty plate away and getting out of her seat. She walked along the Gryffindor table to slip in beside her boyfriend, and Sirius slowly turned his head to fix uncharacteristically dull blue eyes on her, as if mildly surprised to see his own girlfriend. Forgetting her usual shyness in public, Dawn wrapped an arm about Sirius' waist.
"I was worried," she whispered. "Are you alright, Sirius?"
He shrugged moodily, stabbing at a piece of chicken with his fork. "You should've stuck with the Potters. She's gonna be on your case too, now," he mumbled.
"I was worried about you," Dawn repeated, choosing to ignore his warning. "Please eat something, you'll need your strength. Isn't that what you lot are always telling me?" she reminded him with a cute smile.
Finally cracking a small smile of his own, Sirius gave Dawn a quick peck on the cheek and began to eat properly. Dawn felt a prickling sensation on the back of her neck and turned to face the source of her discomfort.
A pair of pale blue eyes, the exact colour and shape as Sirius' were boring into hers. However, there was one big difference between the eyes of mother and son; Mrs Black's eyes were ice-cold, and Dawn resisted the urge to shiver under the frozen glare. She could see Regulus whispering something in his mother's ear, and distinctly saw his lips form the word 'Mudblood' more than once. A flash of anger coursed through Dawn's veins as she turned back to face her place at the table. She didn't really care what the Blacks thought of her, she knew they'd never see past her 'dirty' blood anyway, but how dare they be so callous to their own flesh and blood? Especially someone with a heart the size of Sirius'. Unconsciously, she shifted a little closer to him and tightened her hold on his waist.
"I'm all right Kitten, don't sweat it. Really," he blessed her with a wide grin, some of the devious sparkle reviving in his eyes. Dawn shifted over to give him some space. "I didn't mean for you to move," he pouted, feeling her arm slip away.
Dawn giggled as Sirius wrapped his arms around her waist and tried to pull her into his lap. "Stop it," she blushed, slapping at his hands. "We're in the middle of the entire school!"
"Maybe they could learn something," Sirius smirked, leaning into her neck.
"Black!" Professor McGonagall's voice rang out from the Head table, freezing Sirius in his tracks. Dawn's cheeks were flaming with embarrassment, which only deepened when Sirius opened his mouth to speak.
"We'll finish this later," he told her, drawing loud snickers from students and parents alike within earshot.
"You wish," Dawn mumbled, at which Peter, Remus and James in particular snorted loudly.
"Bad luck, Padfoot," James called, laughing.
"I quite like her," Mr Potter commented as a tiny smile finally creased Dawn's lips.
"Very sweet girl. She'll be good for these boys of ours," Mrs Potter predicted, to which Remus and Peter's parents quickly agreed.
Dinner finally ended when Dumbledore dismissed the students to their dormitories and invited the parents to make their way to the fourth floor, and their accommodation. Dawn was pleased to note the way Mr Potter warmly shook Sirius' hand in greeting, and Mrs Potter gave him one of her motherly hugs and a kiss on the cheek. The five friends, and three sets of their parents walked together up to the fourth floor, where the Lupins, Potters and Pettigrews all said their goodnights and disappeared into their rooms. The group turned to make their way upstairs to Gryffindor tower when a bony hand closed around Sirius' upper arm.
"I want a word with you," Mrs Black snarled in his ear, yanking him roughly aside.
"Hi Mum. Good to see you too," Sirius snapped, yanking his arm right back. The others silently watched the altercation, the boys all-too used to the show, though Dawn's eyes were wide and fearful and James' hand was gripping her arm.
"Where have you been, boy? I left specific instruction for you to be waiting for me with your brother. We were to dine together at the Slytherin table, where those of the noble house of Black belong."
"I don't belong there," Sirius seethed.
Mrs Black arched an eyebrow. "No. You belong up in your tower of Mudbloods and worse, blood-traitor!"
"Better than your stinking dungeon!" Sirius burst out suddenly, turning on his heel and storming away, pushing roughly past his friends in the process.
Dawn shook James off and fled after him, leaving the other three boys far behind. However, Sirius had a head start, and he could move very quickly when it suited him, so he was all the way up in the boys' dorm when she caught him.
"Sirius?" she asked quietly, pushing the door open.
She jumped back in alarm at the sound of glass shattering against a wall. Sirius stood in the middle of the room, panting and shaking with anger.
"Sirius?" Dawn tried again, taking a few timid steps towards him. He did not respond. He stood, still quavering with rage, staring at the remains of the glass water goblet he'd pitched with all his might at the far wall. Dawn bit her lip. He was scaring her a little, the way Spike used to sometimes, on the rare occasion when the vampire truly lost his temper. Very quietly, as if afraid making too much of a sound would set Sirius off again, she skirted him and made her way over to the shards of glass.
"Reparo," she flicked her wand and the glass reformed into the best water goblet Dawn could manage, which she picked up and set on the nearest bedside table, Remus'. It seemed that with her spell Sirius had finally noticed her presence.
When Dawn turned around, he was looking at her, the fury slowly seeping out of him although his eyes still flashed dangerously. Suddenly unafraid, Dawn he'd hurt her no more than Spike ever would, she rushed over and enveloped him in the tightest hug she could manage.
Sirius felt the slender arms lock around him and latched onto Dawn, drawing comfort from the warmth of her body. He buried his face in her silky hair.
"Hey Kitten," he mumbled, soft brown strands tickling his lips.
"Hey yourself Padfoot," Dawn returned, blushing into his neck a little. Much as she'd come to love the nickname the boys had given her, she never could quite get used to actually saying 'Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs' herself.
"I'm sorry," she finally said, her breath warm against his neck.
"Sorry for what?" Sirius frowned. She hadn't done anything wrong. Merlin, he didn't think she was even capable of doing anything wrong.
Eyes shining with heartbroken tears threatening to fall, Dawn looked up and held Sirius' gaze. "That they can't appreciate you for who you are. They're really missing out on something special," she explained, referring to his mother and brother.
Sirius stared down at Dawn, moved beyond words. Nobody had ever told him he was something special before, unless they were referring to his knack for getting into trouble. He was hit with a tidal wave of emotion so suddenly and powerfully that he didn't even have time to brace himself. Sirius snapped his eyes closed, but not before Dawn recognised the fat tears welling in them. Wordlessly, she took him by the hand and led him to his bed, pushing him gently down to the mattress. Dawn hopped up beside him and stretched herself out before reaching for Sirius.
As Dawn drew his head down to cradle into her neck, a single, anguished sob escaped Sirius' throat. She tightened her embrace and he burrowed himself deeper into her neck, pride forgotten as the tears began to fall.
Half an hour later, Remus stepped into the boys' dorm to check on the couple. He smirked and shook his head at the sight of them. They were both fast asleep on top of the covers of Sirius' bed, Dawn laid out on her back with Sirius' tearstained face cradled into the crook of her neck. As the werewolf watched, Sirius shifted in his sleep so he was now pillowed against Dawn's chest, a dreamy smile washing over his face.
"Padfoot, you really are a dog, mate," Remus muttered under his breath, tugging the curtains of his friend's bed closed.
There was something pressing against her chest, holding her down. Dawn slowly opened her eyes, almost afraid of what she would find until she laid eyes on her captor. Sirius was sleeping soundly, half on top of her, a contented smile playing around the corners of his mouth.
And Dawn wasn't surprised he was happy, despite the horrible night he'd had. His face was snuggled right into certain girly parts of hers, and to top off the effect, at some point during the night a few of her buttons had popped open, meaning that when Sirius woke up, the first view he would be treated to was a nice view of her rose pink, lacy bra.
Dawn could feel the hear creeping up her cheeks at just the thought of it, and was certain her heart was slamming against her ribcage so loud that it could wake Sirius at any moment. Very slowly, inch by inch, she extracted herself from Sirius' embrace, tugging her skirt free when it got caught under him. She hastily refastened her shirt before slipping through the bed curtains. She blinked a moment in the pale early morning light.
With the stealth of someone who'd done so many times, Dawn slipped from the fifth-year boys' dorms, down the stairs, across the dull Common Room and up into the fifth-year girls' dorms undetected. Creeping silently around, she gathered her things and went into the bathroom for a long, hot shower. She knew she could take her time because Lily was the only other girl who rose at a decent hour on Saturdays, even the Saturdays with Quidditch matches, like this one.
Forty-five minutes later, Dawn stepped into the near-deserted Great Hall for breakfast. She sat alone with a bowl of cereal and a plate of toast until a new voice caught her attention.
"Mind if I join you, dear?"
"Not at all. Good morning Mrs Potter," Dawn smiled at the woman who'd claimed the seat beside her. She turned her attention back to her breakfast for the time being, still a little unsure of James' mother.
"Um... are you excited about the Quidditch match today?" she finally asked, making a brave stab at conversation.
Mrs Potter rewarded Dawn for her efforts with a bright smile over her coffee. "Oh yes, Dawn. But only because James is playing. Parents rarely get to see their children play while they're at Hogwarts. It's a shame it's Gryffindor versus Slytherin though, those games were far too rough even in my day."
"You played Quidditch?" Dawn blinked stupidly.
Mrs Potter let out a light laugh. "Oh Merlin no! I could barely even get a broomstick in the air. It was Mr Potter on the Gryffindor team, though he was a natural Seeker, not a Chaser like James."
"Oh," Dawn said, feeling stupid.
"Do you enjoy Quidditch, Dawn?" Mrs Potter asked gently, sensing the girl's sudden quietness. "Are you excited for today's match?"
Dawn shrugged. "I've never seen an actual game, but James took me down to watch a couple of practices a few weeks ago. It seems a bit rough, and so easy to get hurt! I'll probably have my face buried in Sirius' shoulder with a death grip on his hand the entire time," she predicted with a little grimace.
"I can't imagine Sirius minding," Mrs Potter noted with a giggled Dawn couldn't help but match.
"Uh-oh, they're giggling. That's one of the signs of the apocalypse," James moaned as the Potter men arrived at the slowly filling Gryffindor table.
"No, that's Buffy buying formal wear," Dawn returned absently, missing the quizzical glances James' parents shot at her.
"Right. Well, giggling females is definitely a danger zone, in any event," Mr Potter deadpanned. "Morning dear. Good morning, Dawn. How are you?"
"Fine thanks Mr Potter. Hey James."
"Morning Sunshine," James quipped in a sing-song sort of voice, ruffling Dawn's hair annoyingly before heaping his plate an inch high with bacon and eggs. "Need my strength for the match," he reasoned.
"You don't have a match every day," Dawn countered, seeing no difference from his usual breakfast.
"Good point," James conceded and added another layer to his mountain of food.
"Hey, where can I get one of those?" asked Sirius as he materialised at the table and stared at James' plate. "Morning, Mr and Mrs P, morning Dawnie," he slid in beside her, smacking a quick kiss to Dawn's temple as he went.
Breakfast passed quickly, as the boys could all eat at a phenomenal pace, and soon enough Dawn found herself wedged in between Sirius and Peter in the stands, waiting for the Quidditch match due to begin within minutes. Remus had departed for his commentary position in the top box, Professor McGonagall by his side, sending him stern warning looks. The normally polite, well-spoken boy had an uncanny tendency to lose his temper and his head in the heat of the moment when he commentated. Especially when Gryffindor and Slytherin were involved. Suddenly, the werewolf's booming voice, magnified by his magical megaphone, filled the air.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the Hogwarts Quidditch Cup. Today's match has Slytherin going up against the undefeated might of Gryffindor!"
At this, the doors leading to the locker rooms banged open and seven scarlet blurs streaked into the sky, closely followed by seven green streaks. Screams and cheers echoed loudly as even the visiting parents joined their children in barracking for their team of choice. Sirius fought the urge to laugh as he watched Dawn's fingers twitching suspiciously like she wanted to clap them over her ears. Madam Hooch began the match by releasing the Snitch, the Bludgers, and tossing up the Quaffle, and Remus' commentary was almost drowned out by the crowd.
The players zoomed around, weaving in and out between each other, James with the Quaffle tucked safely under his arm. One of the Slytherin Beaters belted a Bludger at him; Dawn shrieked and seized Sirius' arm, but James merely dodged the Bludger and hurled the Quaffle almost lazily through the left-side hoop.
"Ten points, Gryffindor!" Remus yelled excitedly. "First goal of the match comes two minutes in, scored by none other than star Chaser James Potter! Slytherin in possession now, snaking their way down the pitch-"
"Lupin!" McGonagall snapped harshly. "It is not possible for one to 'snake' on a broomstick."
"Then it's a wonder Slytherin is even able to field a team," Remus remarked. "Right then, back to the action. Slytherin Chaser takes aim and ooh, nice deflection by the Gryffindor Keeper. It's Gryffindor back in control now..."
The game wore on, becoming increasingly more violent as Gryffindor pulled further and further away from Slytherin, who played dirtier and dirtier as their frustrations increased. By the third time James had been blindsided by a Bludger courtesy of the Slytherin Beaters, Dawn had her face buried so deeply into Sirius' neck, her arms clamped so tight around his waist, he was beginning to wonder if he would be able to extract her by the time he next needed to use the bathroom. Remus, meanwhile, was becoming increasingly passionate and forgetful of McGonagall's presence in his commentary.
"Prong- Potter back in possession now, and I daresay he has a nasty lump on that hard noggin' of his by now, two on his tail, deck them both James! –Only joking, Professor," Remus added as an afterthought, swinging his megaphone out of Professor McGonagall's reach.
"Potter still streaking towards the goal, but what's this? BOTH SEEKERS HAVE SPOTTED THE SNITCH!"
Even Dawn turned her head just slightly away from the safety of Sirius' neck to watch the two Seekers pelting neck-and-neck towards the far end of the pitch. The entire stadium held its breath as one as the Seekers drew closer and closer to the fluttering Snitch. Suddenly, one of the Slytherin Chasers sped towards the Gryffindor Seeker, looking to knock him off course from behind.
"Oh no!" Remus screamed into his megaphone. "Slytherin as usual going for the behind the back shot on the Gryffindor Seeker, the dirty gits –but what's this?- Potter storming into the fray-!"
Dawn shrieked as James pelter full-speed at the three other players grouped together, sure he'd crash into the lot of them and go tumbling all that way to the ground. She heard a series of sounds around her, Peter squeaking in fright, Mrs Potter, Mrs Lupin and Mrs Pettigrew all gasping audibly, Mr Potter's voice saying "James!" in a forbidding undertone, but she barely registered them. Sirius had tensed against her, Dawn pointedly ignored the considerable four-letter word that slipped from his lips, so softly he probably didn't even realise he'd said it aloud.
The game of chicken continued to play out in the air, neither James or the two Slytherins he was up against seemed willing to back down. The Gryffindor Seeker had edged over a few inches, just to give James an opening. It was with just a metre to spare that James made his move. Using the gap the Seeker had provided, he angled his broom that way and slowed suddenly, the back end of his broom swinging partially into the Slytherins' paths. While the Slytherin Seeker and Chaser were deflected by James, the Gryffindor Seeker zipped in behind him and scooped up the Snitch. Remus was screaming into his megaphone by this stage.
"The deflection by Potter and the Gryffindor Seeker snatches up the Golden Snitch! That's game over for Slytherin, Gryffindor wins!"
There was a pregnant pause during which every spectator exhaled, taking the time to process two very important facts. The first was that the game was over, the second was that nobody had died. Then there was chaos in the stands, all of Gryffindor and most of Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff were screaming at the top of their lungs. The Slytherin section was moodily quiet for the most part, although some of the green-clad spectators were crying foul over James' tactics. The Gryffindor team were embracing mid-air, James' broad grin was barely visible in amongst the tangle of arms.
Sirius shared a look with Peter over Dawn's head. When Peter nodded in understanding, Sirius grabbed Dawn's elbow. "C'mon," he breathed in her ear.
They waved to the parents and fought their way through the stands. When they were clear of the bulk of the spectators, Dawn shot a questioning glance at Sirius and Peter. "Where are we sneaking off to?"
"Hogsmeade," Peter whispered. "We need supplies for the party."
"What party?"
"The victory party, of course," Peter replied in a voice that just screamed 'duh' as they arrived at the statue of the one-eyes witch. Dawn helped Peter keep a lookout while Sirius tapped the hump of the witch with his wand.
"Dissendium."
"Wicked cool," Dawn grinned as an opening appeared. They slid into the dark tunnel, Peter tripping and slamming into his more lithe friends so the trio landed in an ungainly heap on the ground. Hearing the winces coming from beneath him, Peter quickly scrambled up.
"I'm sorry!"
"It's ok Peter," Dawn assured him. A moment later she was giggling wildly as Sirius' lips found her throat in the dark and left a little trail of kisses along the column.
"Don't mind in the least, Wormtail," Sirius joked, his voice muffled due to the fact that he'd chosen to keep his lips attached to Dawn's skin. She giggled harder and nuzzled him affectionately.
Peter finally located his wand and lit it up, prompting Sirius to scramble to their feet and brush the dirt from their clothing. They lit their own wands, and the three wandered off down the passage towards Honeydukes.
"How are we going to get away with a party this afternoon?" Dawn had to ask. "I mean, everyone except me has at least one parent here. That's a lot of parents to catch us, not to mention all those Professors."
Sirius smirked. "You know how I love a challenge."
"Besides," Peter piped up. "My Dad told us while you were busy screaming at James getting hit by a Bludger that there's a meeting with all the parents and Professors this afternoon. Every adult in the castle will be in the Great Hall."
Dawn arched an eyebrow at a sheepishly grinning Sirius. "Challenging, honey. Really."
"You look pretty," Sirius commented as Dawn stepped into the Common Room, dressed in her dress robes of soft blue.
"You're looking pretty good yourself," Dawn replied, casting an appreciative eye over Sirius in his own dress robes. They were solid black, but much sharper and sleeker than his regular school robes.
They wandered slowly towards the Great Hall, neither in any particular hurry, both enjoying the final few moments of peace in which they could be alone. There were very few people still milling around outside the Great Hall, most had already gone in to find a seat. The House tables were gone, only the Head table remained in its usual spot, the rest of the Hall had been given over to numerous small tables that could seat up to six people.
There wasn't a place for Sirius at the table of Blacks. Mrs Black and Regulus were sitting with Bellatrix, Narcissa and their parents, Sirius didn't even waste a glance in their direction. James waved them over to where he and his parents were sitting, about as far from most of the Slytherins as possible.
"C'mon," James called happily. "You two are eating with us."
"We insist," his mother added, and there was something in her sweet tone that told the young couple declining the offer was not an option. Not that they'd ever want to decline.
Dawn and Sirius sank gratefully into their chairs. There was one spare seat at their table but nobody seemed to mind. At the next table over sat the unlikely combination of the Evans and Pettigrew families. Lily's muggle parents, fascinated by all things magical, were plying all three Pettigrews with questions, though the Wizarding family looked only too pleased to answer. Lily herself merely looked bored. Dawn waved and the redhead rolled her eyes. A moment later she was nodding her head pointedly at another nearby table. Dawn shifted discreetly to look.
Isabel and Remus were sharing a table, though with both sets of their parents crowding in on each side Dawn had never seen either of them looking so distinctly uncomfortable. The parents of the two dating half-blooded students were chattering easily away together, though with the way Isabel's father kept rapid-firing questions at Remus without warning, the poor boy was going paler than the day before the full moon. Every inch of Isabel's expression was screaming 'Merlin save me!', Dawn shot her a wince of sympathy. Then she shared another look with Lily and the two girls broke into fits of silent giggles.
"Er, Dawn? What's so funny?" James frowned.
Reigning in control of herself, Dawn smiled brightly. "Don't worry about it James. Just girl talk,' she explained.
Sirius and James shared a confused look with James' father, but Mrs Potter's face held a knowing smile. James opened his mouth to ask.
"Don't ask honey," his mother cut across him and Dawn giggled.
There were little menus set by each plate at the table, Dawn noticed for the first time when the males she was dining with picked theirs up to study them. A quick glance about the Hall showed her that somehow a few tables were already filled with food.
"What do you want for dinner, Kitten?" Sirius asked, not lifting his eyes from scanning the choices before him.
"A Happy Meal," Dawn murmured absently, busy trying to lip-read the story Mrs Lupin was animatedly telling a giggling Isabel while Remus sank lower and lower in his seat. Finally she turned her attention back to her own table and blinked.
"I was being sarcastic," she told the nonplussed Happy Meal now set before her.
"I didn't even know the House-Elves could do that," James said, and promptly ordered a pizza. Dawn dug around in the bright cardboard Happy Meal box that looked completely out of place at Hogwarts.
"Ooh, they even packed the little toy surprise!" she squealed in delight and dug out her toy. She examined the fluffy little kitten key-ring in her hand, then passed it to Sirius. "It's no multicoloured glass rose, but you can have it if you like."
"Aw, honey, you shouldn't have!" Sirius grinned, smacking a loud kiss to Dawn's cheek. He looked his gift over happily before stowing it safely in his pocket.
James was making gagging noises over his pizza but his parents were smiling dreamily at each other, the adorable display of affection reawakening memories of their own childhood romance. But not all who had watched the little moment between Sirius and Dawn were smiling. Trying to ignore the sensation of being watched would be like trying to ignore Voldemort himself taking the spare seat at their table and joining them for a quick bite to eat.
Dawn automatically looked to the left. Lucius Malfoy and Rodolphus Lestrange leered at her. She looked to the right. An entire table of Blacks were glaring at her. She tore her gaze hastily away from them and shifted uncomfortably. Sirius looked at her out of the corner of his eye but said nothing. The meal wore on, though Dawn and Sirius felt forced into an uncomfortable sort of silence. Dawn had never been particularly at ease under the spotlight, but the glares Sirius' family had zeroed in on them were not so much like spotlights as laser death-rays. She was counting the seconds until they figured out the easiest way to turn her into a puddle of Mudblood goo on the ground. It felt like forever before the remains of everybody's meals disappeared, Dumbledore gave everybody a moment to stand before the tables were whisked off to the sides.
"I trust you are enjoying your time together," Dumbledore smiled happily. "Now, I'd like to invite our students to join their parents for the opening dance of the evening."
James cocked an eyebrow at his mother. "Well come on then. Let's get this over with, woman!"
Mrs Potter only laughed and placed her hand in her son's. "And to think your father and I were actually wondering why you hadn't got yourself a nice girlfriend."
Sirius sniggered, though his smile faltered when he saw his own mother stand up with Regulus. Dawn squeezed his hand under the table. Mr Potter watched the interaction with a thoughtful expression before fixing Dawn with a pointed look.
"You know, I'd really love to dance," he hinted with all the subtlety of an exploding dungbomb.
"I'll dance with you, Mr P," Sirius joked.
Dawn's smile was just a little bittersweet. Her own Dad had never, ever danced with her. A part of her felt a little guilty for not particularly caring that Hank Summers had lost all his chances without even knowing it.
"Mr Potter, would you like to dance with me?" she blushed.
He grinned, and in that moment both Dawn and Sirius caught a glimpse of what James would look like as an adult. "I'd be honoured, Miss Summers."
Dawn's gaze flickered to Sirius in silent askance, and he immediately gave a nod of permission, allowing Dawn to be led to the dance floor by his best friend's father. Sirius stood off to the side, a lone spectator until he was joined by Mr Lupin and Mr Pettigrew.
"Looks like we've all been shafted," Mr Lupin joked easily.
Dawn knew she was giggling far too much, but she couldn't help it. Mr Potter was a riot, she could see so much of James when she looked at him. The thin face, long fingers, messy hair, the wild, humorous streak a mile wide... James had got it all right here. He was telling her about the time his boss, the Head Auror Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody had turned three rabbits inside-out because they'd hopped across a crime scene. Apparently he'd thought they might be the attackers returning and wasn't willing to take any chances, and Dawn was thinking Anya would like the ending to that story.
She was also thinking Xander would have enjoyed hearing about Mr Potter taking Sirius and James with him to work at the Ministry of Magic one day, when the boys were just seven years old. They'd come across a nine year-old Lucius Malfoy, and instantly disliking him, had somehow managed to pour a box of red-ants down the blonde's robes and get away undetected. If he hadn't heard them holed up in the men's room gloating over it, Mr Potter swore he'd never have even suspected the innocent-faced boys.
As her giggles began to subside, Dawn once again felt the countless hostile glares trained on her. It wasn't long before she was moping and staring at her feet, and Mr Potter was watching her sympathetically, though he did not truly understand the source of Dawn's sudden disquiet.
"I'm sorry your family couldn't be here, Dawn," he said softly.
Dawn glanced up, trying to smile for his benefit. "Me too. But I'm ok, you know, in good company and all that."
A grin flashed over Mr Potter's face before it settled into a look of caring, something paternal that Dawn no longer recognised as a part of her own contrived past. "I'm sure they'd have loved to be here, and they'd be so proud to see what you're becoming. You're a wonderful young lady, Dawn, and I'm proud to have met you."
Dawn's eyes were suddenly over-bright, wet with tears. Mr Potter pushed her chin up slightly, a nervous edge creeping into his demeanour. "Hey now, no crying on my watch. Jams will kill me!"
Dawn blinked the tiny droplets back. "Thankyou," she choked as the dance came to an end.
Lily and Isabel cut in and whisked her off to dance with them, though Dawn could never quite relax and just enjoy herself with all the unwanted attention she was receiving. Those people who unfortunately happened to be related to her boyfriend were just relentless! Every which way she turned, there was one of them giving her the evil eye. Or if not a Black, then another Slytherin... Lucius Malfoy, Rodolphus Lestrange, and she was pretty sure Severus Snape had actually poked his tongue out at her one time. Classy. Dawn closed her eyes and willed it all to go away.
Remus had been standing by with James, Sirius and James' father, but he spotted something and wandered off all of a sudden. Sirius and James, however, were under intense questioning from Mr Potter, with no such hope of escape.
"Still after that fiery little redhead, son?"
"Oh yes," James replied enthusiastically.
"That old-fashioned Potter charm worn her down yet?"
Sirius sniggered. "The Potter charm work on the Tigerlily? Yeah, right."
James glared at his supposed best friend, though the blow was softened somewhat by his unshakeable broad grin. "Evans danced with me last Hogsmeade night, and I haven't been hexed by her in almost two weeks. That's a record, Dad!"
Sirius leaned over to speak confidentially to Mr Potter. "That last bat-bogey hex Lily hit him with was so bad Dawn got really upset and begged her not to do it again. Then I had to give her a galleon to bribe Evans to stop hexing him."
The elder Potter chuckled. "And speaking of Dawn... given up on chasing random skirts, I see Sirius. It's nice to see you maturing a little more this year," he commented as if Sirius was one of his own.
Sirius couldn't wipe the grin from his face if he tried. Even with his family trying their hardest to place the Cruciatus curse on him by the power of their steely glares. "Think I've found a winner, Mr P," he had surprisingly little trouble admitting.
"Not with my sister you don't," James muttered.
Remus, meanwhile, had timed his movements to perfection. Lucius Malfoy arrived at the otherwise deserted punchbowl a mere second before him. The older boy looked him up and down with a sneer, but Remus did not back down. He wasn't a Marauder for nothing.
"Stay away from her," he said, quiet and calm as you please, casually pouring himself a goblet of punch.
"Are you threatening me, half-blood?" Malfoy returned waspishly.
"I'm warning you," Remus countered, allowing a slight wolfish growl into his normally cultured tones. "You hurt her, and I'll make damned sure you regret it a thousand times over."
Malfoy laughed. "What makes you think you can hurt me, pathetic little piece of trash that you are?"
"What makes you think it's just me you've got to worry about?"
With that final, lingering threat, Remus pushed past Malfoy, careful to knock into the bigger boy's shoulder as he went. Malfoy scowled, then took a sip of punch from his goblet. Less than five minutes later, he had broken out with a severe case of acne... snot green acne. Remus fingered the empty vial in his pocket with a rare self-satisfied grin. It didn't even cross the mind of a single Professor to question him over the Slytherin's alarming new affliction.
Dawn soon tired of dancing- it was no fun when several people seemed to be willing her to fall flat on her face and make a fool of herself anyway. And when she caught Bellatrix trying to slip her wand out discreetly, Dawn thought it best she clear out before the other girl could get a clear shot at her. She quickly sought out Sirius, alone at a table, though when she sat they settled into an uncomfortable silence and avoided each other's gazes.
"I'm sorry," Sirius finally mumbled to the table, but Dawn gave a slight shake of her head.
"It's not your fault. I already told you, you don't need to be sorry for what's not your fault, remember?" she murmured back, her attention also fairly well fixed on the table.
"Kitten? Thanks for being here," Sirius finally offered, causing Dawn to look up and catch his eye. They leaned in simultaneously, for a split second forgetting their host of critics who, unfortunately, had most definitely not forgotten them. Sirius and Dawn's lips had touched ever so lightly, just for one brief moment.
"Disgusting," a chilling voice sneered.
When the pair pulled hastily apart, Bellatrix was standing just behind Sirius' chair, contempt rolling off her in waves. Dawn stared up at the dark-featured girl while Sirius twisted in his seat to glare.
"The shame of it all, cousin. Flaunting it about out here in front of everyone- in front of your mother," Bellatrix hissed. She nodded her head at an unbelievably irate-looking Mrs Black, watching the scene from nearby. Sirius glanced coolly at his mother, the only sign of acknowledgement he afforded her.
"I've hexed you once before, Bella. What makes you think I'd hesitate the second time?" he asked quietly, seriously. Both cousins were reaching for their wands, but Dawn surprised them (and herself) by being on her feet with her own wand in hand well before either Black was ready to attack.
"Back off," she said quietly, her eyes wide but locked determinedly onto the dark depths of Bellatrix's.
"What did you just say to me, Mudblood?" Bellatrix snapped.
Dawn would've given every pair of knickers the boys had bought her just to be able to cringe and hide behind Sirius until the scary girl slithered away. But if she hid behind Sirius now, she'd be hiding behind him forever. And he'd probably get sick of being a human shield. She squared her shoulders and clenched her fists, more to stop the shaking from being too noticeable than to appear intimidating.
"I said back off." Well, that had come out more forceful than she'd dared hope for. Maybe she should've added a 'bitch' to that. She was acutely aware of all the movement around her, she sensed Bellatrix's friends drawing closer just as she knew her own were massing at her back, but Dawn steeled herself to hold her adversary's stare.
"Miss Black! Miss Summers!"
Even if she was about to get into trouble, Dawn had never been so glad to hear the ever-stern voice of Professor McGonagall. "This is no time for petty arguments, lower those wands immediately! An appalling display in front of all these parents, indeed! That's twenty points each from Gryffindor and Slytherin for your behaviour!"
With an obviously false nod of contrition, Bellatrix turned and stalked off, her friends withdrawing alongside her. Dawn drew in a shuddering breath and looked down. Sirius' mother's glare had just intensified a thousand-fold. McGonagall gave her a slightly softened look, as if she was sorry for having to punish Dawn, and left the scene.
"Kitten," Sirius began, laying his hand on her shoulder. "Are you-"
"I'm sorry- I can't," Dawn gasped, shoving his hand off of her. "They're watching me, I can't stand it anymore."
She fled, leaving Sirius standing alone in the middle of a crowded room. He instinctively moved to follow, but something told him that he should just leave her be for one evening. That a little space to breathe would be best for her... he wouldn't mind that himself. He was almost used to it, but his family had put Dawn under enough strain without even lifting a finger against her. Sirius shot his mother a quick glare, wondering exactly what the woman had in store for him and Dawn before the weekend was out.
He waited an hour after Dawn left, though when Sirius left the Great Hall the festivities were still in full swing. He kept his wand out and his senses sharp, half expecting an attack from his own family, but Sirius made it to the quiet Gryffindor tower without incident. He pushed open the door to the dorm of the Marauders and paused. Remus, James and Peter he knew were still in the Great Hall, but there was a presence already in the dark room. Specifically, in his bed.
Silently, Sirius crept over and looked down at Dawn, a smile creasing his features despite himself as he watched her sleeping. He hadn't expected to see her tonight. Eyes closed and still, she lay quiet and peacefully, the straps of her camisole peeking out from beneath his blankets on her smooth shoulders. The blue dress robes she'd discarded were folded neatly on his bedside table, he had no idea why but Sirius loved the way she did that. He shrugged out of his own robes, not bothering to pick them up off the floor, and was working on his belt buckle when Dawn's eyes fluttered open.
"Didn't mean to wake you," Sirius murmured apologetically as she sat up, blanket shrouding her, her knees pulled up to her chest.
Dawn watched him a moment. "You're not mad at me, are you?" she asked. "For running out and not being there for you like I said I would, I mean. I'm sorry. I freaked."
Sirius shook his head, in truth a little relieved that she had no hard feelings towards him for what she was enduring because of who he was. "You stood up for me, Dawn. Nobody but James has ever really done that before. No I'm not mad, but I was worried about you. You were pretty upset back there," Sirius returned, stepping out of his pants and sitting just a bit behind Dawn on his bed.
Dawn suddenly felt very underdressed in only her camisole and underpants, and Sirius in just his boxers, not troubling himself with the shirt he usually slept in. This hadn't occurred to her when she'd come tearing in an hour ago, she'd only wanted to sleep in here so she'd feel a little safer when she woke up with Sirius in the morning. Trading her robes for bed covers had seemed like a good idea at the time, but she hadn't counted on actually waking when Sirius came in. Her hair was suddenly swept aside, Dawn drew in a sharp breath when she felt the warm lips that started moving against the back of her neck. Sirius shifted closer to her back, his arm wrapped around Dawn's waist as her head tilted to the side, increasing his access to her skin. He started to kiss his way along her shoulder until he came to the strap of her camisole and brought his free hand up to brush it aside.
"Sirius!" Dawn gasped out the slight reprimand when she felt the strap slide off her shoulder. Her own hand flew up to hold her camisole in place and protect her modesty.
Obediently, Sirius left her sparse clothing alone and laid down, drawing Dawn into his chest. Dawn stretched up for one long, deep kiss, then settled back against him. She was asleep in minutes, leaving Sirius awake and almost growling in frustration.
A/N: Don't worry, things are about to get very interesting for this unhappy family!
Anoron
