Hello everyone! I am a bit tired and sleepy at the moment, who knows why. I still figured I'd put this up before I tried to rest.

Many thanks to my new beta, junieyes, who's amazing! :D

Okay I am too exhausted to remember what I had to say exactly, but I wanted to point to the fact that this is another element from the old story. The dance that happens in The Three Broomsticks was something I was particularly proud of when I wrote it, mostly because I had circumvented the problem of having to recreate a Yule Ball and still held a dance! So here we go.


Old Man Goriot by Honore de Balzac

Of course the book had changed by morning. It was on his sidetable when he woke up. Sirius flipped through the new one. French. Well, a translation of a French book. She was really branching out, was she not? He ignored his heart, which was thrilled at the thought of another letter and pulled the telltale note out.

Dear S,

I know The Source is a lot heavier than what I usually send, but I really love it. For many of the same reasons that you liked it – it's got a lot to say about how we do our histories, about how we write the stories of our people. There was just something so incomprehensibly large about some of the moments in that book. When God is prayed to, when they start doing agriculture. Sometimes when I read – I feel this… giantness in the stories we read. Something so big and inescapable that it takes over everything I'm thinking and feeling. It happened so many times when I was reading The Source, I had to share it with you.

This book isn't incomprehensibly large, though. It's kind of small in it's scale – detailed, it's a smaller story about a smaller person. Nothing giant gets resolved, as our relationship with God. It's a story about an unlikely friendship between a young student and an old man. I hope you like it.

Best,

Reader

"Oh, this is a good one," said Remus, approaching from behind. "I really like it."

"You do?" frowned Sirius. He flipped the book over to read the blurb.

"Of course. Balzac has written some really good stuff. I wish I knew enough French to read it in the original."

"I think she has a thing for the French," said Sirius dryly. "I should really think again about this whole thing. Can't have a girl who likes the French stuff this much. Even Madame Bovary…"

"She made you read Madame Bovary?" asked Remus, returning to his bed and hunting for his shoes. "Merlin, she's a brave one to give you that."

"Shut up," said Sirius, but he was smiling. "Anyway. Oh –"

He stared at the book. There was a bit of blue on the cover. Something light – sky blue, or periwinkle.

He hoped it hadn't come from him. He didn't think she'd take kindly to having anything spilled on her books. But he checked all his belongings, and he had nothing which was periwinkle blue.


Several new developments occurred once January started petering to an end. Sarah became aware that June was becoming the target of a rather vicious set of groupies. Unfortunately, so did Sirius. The fanclub avoided doing anything to her while he was there, for fear of his ire – but she had seen him looking a little angry and glaring at her when her bag ripped for the third time or something.

Secondly – the interest in Sirius Black's correspondence and reading habits had died down. Even Lily, who had been trying to find the person very earnestly – had somewhat given up. "She's clearly decided to be a secret," June heard her confiding to Marlene and Mary. June was really impressed with herself – none of them once thought of her – someone they'd spent six years sharing a room with? She had to commend her powers for invisibility.

Thirdly, the pretty barmaid in The Three Broomsticks had announced a dance. The tickets for this dance were inexpensive and affordable, and most people were excited at the prospect of a party that was not half as exclusive as Slughorn's dinners. Excitement began to build up for the February dance, since it was only about two weeks away.

June was roped into this whole thing by forces beyond her control: Sarah had demanded that she come. Lily had tried scolded her into it as well – but Sarah was more effective. "Do you really not want to be there to see who Sirius is going to dance with?" she asked, while they sat in their usual spot in the library.

"I," said June, mustering up a shadow of dignity, "Could be least concerned –"

"Pack it off, Williams, I'm not your dorm mates," said Sarah, flipping through her essay. "I know you want to be there. You like fun things as much as any of us, and I'll protect you from unwanted social interaction."

June went pink. "I have nothing to wear," she said, handing Sarah the tape measure.

"Lucky thing is we don't need dress robes for this," sighed Sarah – she measured her roll of parchment. "Or even I wouldn't want to come."

"Well, what do we wear?"

"Muggle clothes would do, I would guess," said Sarah. She snapped the tape measure shut, and shuffled her papers. "Not a formal thing, is it? And dress robes are very formal. I think everyone is going to do dresses – from the girls."

"Well I have none of those either," said June, alarmed.

"Shouldn't be a problem," said Sarah. "Do you want to go shopping?"

"I don't have… erm – money, either."

Sarah gave her a long, hard look. "Alright. Borrow one of mine."

"Really?" asked June, brightening up.

"Yes," said Sarah.

"Don't we need dates as well?"

"This isn't a ball, Williams," she said. "We just need tickets. Tell me you have the galleons to spare!"

"I do, I do," said June hurriedly.

"We'll go together, unless someone asks us," said Sarah, putting her essay back in her bag. "We'll dance, drink butterbeer, and have some of the no doubt spiked punch."

"The punch will be spiked?"

"Why do you think there's a roaring trade in firewhisky currently? Some of it is being organised by your boyfriend, you know."

"He's not my boyfriend," said June, glaring. "But fine, I catch the drift. And no one is going to ask me, so you might be stuck with me."

Unfortunately, Lily was of the same (wrong) opinion that June had to come, date or not. James Potter had – to everyone's surprise – not asked her. Unworried, she had been asked out by Tom Wilkes, and had said yes. He was a seventh year, not in Slytherin, of reasonable height, and reasonably dreamy eyes. Not much more was needed.

June also noticed another development as the dance came closer: Lily and her friends had just started demanding her company. Ambushed in the common room one day, June was listening to all three of them discuss what they were wearing.

"You don't have to think so much, Mary," said Marlene. "You have that silver necklace your mother gave, don't you? Wear that with the red dress you got over summer. You'll look good."

"And make up?" asked Mary, sitting at June's feet as June neatly did her hair into a plait.

"Something smoky, maybe," said Lily, bent over her homework.

"You have a date, Williams?" asked Marlene.

June was not worried about being asked out at all, she didn't think anyone had even noticed her as a person long enough to ask her out. She shook her head. "I think Sarah and I are going together."

Marlene groaned. "Going with Sarah Freegood would be infinitely preferable to going with Jonathan Sterne."

"Then why are you doing it?" asked Mary.

"Because unlike some people, I didn't get asked out by Terry Sims."

"Shut up, Marlene. Jonathan is cute," said Lily.

"And also so stupid."

"There," said June, finishing Mary's plait. "Lily?"

Lily abandoned her homework and sat at June's knees. June deftly began to separate her hair. She had done a French braid for Mary, so she thought she might do a fishtail for Lily.

"And what are you wearing, June?" asked Lily.

"Sarah said I could borrow something from her."

"Freegood is a good influence on you," said Marlene.

Lily nodded a little too vigorously. "Here's hoping for a good evening, without being bothered by Severus!"

"Hear, hear!" said Marlene. June grinned at Lily in approval. And then, the most bizarre thing happened:

James Potter hopped over the headrest and fell into the sofa next to June. "Good evening, Ladies."

"What do you want, Potter?" asked Lily.

"Actually, I was making good on your promise," he said somewhat formally.

"What promise?"

"I read the book. I wanted to ask you a few things."

Lily raised her eyebrows. "Book?"

"Pride and Prejudice."

Lily's eyebrows, already halfway to her hairline, almost seemed lost in her hair by now. "You read it."

"Yes, and I have many questions," said James. "Is this the only thing she wrote? How come Elizabeth doesn't realise Mr Darcy likes her? Why the hell does Austen write it the way she does – like, why does it end –"

Before James could continue, the other three girls had a quick conversation with their eyebrows. "Okay!" said Mary, springing to her feet. "I have to go now, Lily."

"So do I," said Marlene, grabbing June by the arm and helping her up. "And so does June. We have to think of something for the dance, you know –"

"Hang on –"

"Have a good reading session!" said Mary, and all three of them turned their back on her. Their last vision was of Lily fuming at them.

As soon as they were out of earshot, all three of them started laughing.

"Oh my god," said Mary, gasping for breath.

"I cannot believe James Potter's tactics have become actually good," said Marlene. "I figured he'd pine for another year."

"Why Pride and Prejudice?" asked June. She was watching carefully – Mary and Marlene exchanged a quick look.

They weren't very subtle, thought June, with wry amusement.


It was a few days away from the dance, and she and Sarah had rummaged through all her things and picked out something pretty for June. It was a white dress, lacey and A-cut. She thought it suited her very well, so she had carried it back to her dorms, where Lily and the others had generously donated earrings and a necklace to go with. Marlene had thrown in a denim jacket, and promised June that she would look good.

Lily had tried insisting on wearing heels, but here was where June drew the line. She was as excited (by which she meant – a combination of dread and anticipation) as any other person for the dance, but she didn't think she had it in her to wear heels. She could manage in flats, she promised. Then Mary gave her a pair of sneakers which somewhat went with the whole thing – so June obliged. As long as it wasn't heels.

She promised everyone to be early and get ready. Lily was being particularly strict about this sort of thing – she had very strongly reprimanded June, before June had broken any sort of promises. June got away from the dormitory only by giving many, many excuses about her potions essay.

After she got away from everyone else, she made her way to the library. She knew Sirius would be there, and she hated herself for looking forward to it somewhat.

Before she could get to the library – and largely because she was in a good mood at having found something to wear – she was again caught unawares.

"Fuck!" she swore, as the trip jinx hit her, and she toppled over. She counted till three, and the jelly legs jinx hit her.

"This again," she sighed. "Almost not worth it, going to do my homework… anything could be a violent attack."

"Williams?"

Fuck.

"Um – I'm – erm – It's not what it looks like!"

Sirius approached her menacingly. He bent over her, and grimly performed the counter curse. "Really?" he asked. Then he looked up, and before June could stop him – crept forward, into the corner where two girls were still (idiotically) hiding.

"What's this?" he thundered, having finally encountered them.

June, still suffering from the after effects of the jelly-legs, tripped after him. "It's nothing," she promised, dragging him away by his elbow.

The two girls, slightly terrified, nodded.

Sirius looked angry enough to do something properly dangerous, so June gripped his arm.

She dragged him away with some effort, and he turned his glare to her. "Stop," she said. "They're stupid, but they're nothing special."

"I know this has been happening a lot. You think I don't know their handiwork when I see it? God, Williams, and you never do anything –"

June coloured, unable to meet his eyes.

"Williams, you really are –"

"That's enough, Black," said June, with more confidence than she was feeling. "We're going to the library, yes? I have a potions essay I want to work on. Things are hard enough without you making them harder, you know? I mean, I have to go for a dance. I know nothing about dancing."

He deflated, but only just. Perhaps it was the use of his surname, but he calmed down, and allowed himself to be lead. June was still holding his forearm, and instantly dropped it when she realised she was.

"What?" she asked. He was staring at her hand.

"Nail polish?" he asked, teasing.

June went red, immediately hiding her fingers. Whatever was left of the nail polish was already a chipped and messy remnant. "Mary – she – I don't – I mean, it was her –"

"It's pretty. Blue suits you. I feel like I've seen it before – it seems familiar."

She had no idea where he could have encountered periwinkle blue nail polish, but she took his word for it.


Love reviews as always!