DISCLAIMER: I don't own J.K.'s characters. Only Katie.

Track Seven: Weark by AJR

"No thank you" is what I should've said, I should be in bed
But temptations of trouble on my tongue, troubles yet to come

One sip, bad for me
One hit, bad for me
One kiss, bad for me
But I give in so easily
And no thank you is how it should've gone
I should stay strong

But I'm weak, and what's wrong with that?
Boy, oh boy I love it when I fall for that

Chapter 7 - Weak

Thursday September 15, 1977

It was late by the time James and Sirius headed back through the tunnels from Hogsmeade to the castle. It was tradition for them to go together for the last pick-up before any party, prank, or plan they'd dreamed up and even though it wouldn't be the last that year, it was definitely a special trip as it was their last 'welcome back' to Hogwarts. In honor of this, they each had a particularly large case of food and sweets on their backs and were walking through the dark in companionable silence.

As Sirius had expected, James had had no end of jokes and poking to offer about Katie Prewett throughout the day, wondering loudly to anyone who would listen how Katie had managed to 'domesticate the dog'. But now that they were alone, James decided it was time they had a more serious chat. Especially considering that the idiot had been smirking to himself as they walked along and James had a good idea what about.

"Seemed to enjoy yourself today, Pads. You almost make me think the monogamous life might suit you," he gave Sirius a knowing look.

As was his custom when he would rather not talk about his feelings, Sirius laughed and shrugged it off, "You can shove your ideas about settling down with some nice girl up your arse, Prongs. It's not the life for me. I'm just using my excellent and detailed knowledge of the dating scene at Hogwarts to help out a friend."

James lifted an amused brow, "So she's your friend now?"

"You know what I mean," Sirius rolled his eyes.

"Actually I don't," he replied good-naturedly. "To be honest, Padfoot, it's one of the few times I can ever recall not being sure what the fuck you're up to. All she did was heal a black eye, why do you feel so indebted to her?"

James was starting to think he knew the answer but he'd learned from years of experience with Sirius that you often had to force him to answers he made a point to avoid.

Sirius shifted the straps holding the box on his back with an uncomfortable expression. James had always read him too easily. He dug in his pocket and took out a cigarette, lit it, and debated whether he really wanted to answer the question. The trouble wasn't that he did, in fact, think of her as a friend, it was the fact that it bothered him that he thought so. As he'd thought that afternoon when she'd healed his bruised eye, the fact that she pulled at him was a problem.

James grinned, "So you like her, then?"

Sirius shot him a dirty look, "Not in the way you mean."

James gave him a dry look, "Mate, there's only one way to like a girl like that."

"Well I don't," Sirius protested but let out a barking laugh when James only rolled his eyes in exasperation. There was clearly no getting around this talk. "Alright, you fucking arse. I do like her, I'll admit it but it's not something that will stick. I just see a lot of myself in her, that's all. She's alone a lot, mostly her own doing I might add, only a has a few cousins left that are truly family, and only a few people who care about her. It's not a life anyone should have to live. I should know. And for whatever reason, she's set her heart on fucking Bones, so I reckon, what can it hurt to help her feel a little less alone?"

Sirius paused, took a drag off his cigarette and considered the dark tunnel in front of him, "She's definitely started to grow on me, I guess. I feel bad for her. Am I getting soft?"

James considered his friend thoughtfully. Never mind the fact that Sirius rarely felt pity for anyone or anything, it also seemed he was utterly in love with the girl as well. James wondered briefly how long it would take him to come around to that fact but decided it couldn't hurt to give him a little shove in the right direction, "Dunno, mate. What happens when she finally gets this big date with Bones?"

Sirius took another drag and smirked, "I'll wait around long enough to say I told you so when he ends up being exactly what I told her he was and we'll both move on. And hopefully she'll have learned her lesson."

"And the fact that she's grown on you?" James asked curiously.

Sirius shrugged, "Like I said before, it's not the life for me."

"What if she decides that answer isn't good enough for her?"

They had come to a stop just outside of the secret passage behind the hump on the witch statue and Sirius gave James a decidedly nasty look before pulling out the map to check that it was safe. He glanced over it and the stuffed it back in his pocket before answering, "Based on her reactions today, I'd say that it won't be a problem."

Considering the girl had spent multiple hours with Sirius on many different occasions and didn't seem to have fallen in love with him or caused him bodily harm, it made James think that it could very much be a problem. But he could see that they weren't ready for that conversation quite yet.

So instead, James nodded his head accordingly as he hoisted Sirius up and out, "You're probably right, Padfoot. I'm sure things will go back to normal once Bones asks her out."

Friday September 16, 1977

"Well, my dear, you've done it again!" Marlene exclaimed as she and Alice took the seats on either side of her in Charms the next morning after breakfast. The rest of their classmates were also starting to file in around them and some were already starting to send surreptitious glances Katie's way.

The exact reason she had avoided breakfast, she thought uncomfortably. Immature busybodies, the lot of them.

"The whole bloody school is talking about you and Eddie this morning," Alice grinned. "I'm so proud of you, Prewett. A scandal one day and the newest 'it couple' the next. Who are you and what have you done with my best mate?"

"I'll let you know if I find her," Katie replied with a pained expression.

"Oh come off it!" Lily scoffed taking the seat in front of her. "I told you all the boy needed was a little convincing. Have you told Sirius yet?"

"I haven't," Katie replied feeling slightly suspicious. "Why do you ask?"

"Oh no reason," Lily replied lightly. "It was just that James seemed bothered by the news about Eddie this morning but absolutely refused to talk about it. Not normal for him. I just wondered if it had something to do with Sirius."

"Bothered how?" Katie asked. Her natural tendency to overreact began to kick in and she suddenly wondered what all Sirius may or may not have been telling people the day before. Especially his best mate. "Did it seem like he talked to Sirius? If he did I should probably find him and-"

"No you should not," Alice replied firmly sensing the growing anxiety in her mate's voice. "Sirius and James have nothing to do with this and even if they did it's not your concern anymore. You've got a date with Eddie Bones to worry about."

Katie took a deep, settling breath and shrugged, "I'm still feeling like it's too good to be true."

"Oh Merlin," Marlene groaned and rolled her eyes at Alice. "Is she always this mental about boys?"

"Not always. This one is a special case," Alice replied dryly.

"I'm happy, alright?" Katie exclaimed but sank lower in her chair when a few people in front of them turned to look. "It's just that I'm not going to get my hopes up. I haven't had the best luck with these sorts of things."

"But he's kissed you already, hasn't he?" Lily asked turning around in her chair. "Seems serious to me."

"But isn't it all a bit quick?" Katie asked, worrying her bottom lip with her teeth. "I mean, don't you usually have the date and then the kiss?"

"Only if you're you, Katie," Alice replied gently. "Boys like Eddie kiss with no date most of the time. Besides, you said you wanted him to right? Seems like that special advice you got paid off."

Despite the insistent little voice in her head telling her it was all some fluke, her friends' reassurances were starting to fan the tiny, glowing flame of happy in her stomach that she'd been trying to avoid since the night before. She smiled hesitantly, "Paid off rather well, I suppose."

The other three girls laughed and Katie finally grinned as a blush creeped into her cheeks, "Alright, its bloody brilliant."

"Do you know what he's planning yet?" Lily asked and her smile became mischievous. "I could bring it up to James that we double date with you."

Marlene found this hilarious, "Oh dear Godric, what I would pay to see James on a double date with Eddie Bones."

"Shh," Lily hissed as James and Sirius walked in with Remus and Peter in tow. "We'll discuss this later, Katie. I fully intend to talk him into it."

And with that, all four girls quickly sat up in their seats and pretended not to notice the four boys that took the seats directly next to them as Flitwick began class.

Katie noticed that Sirius hadn't so much as glanced her way but she took that as a good sign. Their agreement had been fulfilled after all. It wasn't like they were friends and he certainly wasn't fond of Eddie so it wouldn't be any surprise if he didn't approve of her achievement. Still, she'd been hoping to tell him how smoothly it had gone and to thank him.

Oh well, she gave a mental shrug. She didn't need to think about Sirius and his mental mood swings anymore. She had a date to look forward to and at the moment that was more than enough to keep her occupied. Sirius would sort himself out.

Katie checked her watch as she caught the sun sinking dangerously low through the stable doors. She had only intended to spend an hour or two with the newborn Moon Calves that afternoon but it looked like it had turned into three or four.

She hung the food bowl she'd been cleaning on the wall and sighed. If Alice and Sirius hadn't been expecting her in about fifteen minutes to prep for the party, she probably would have skipped the party all together and stayed safely tucked away with the calves in the peaceful, dark little den. Despite her happiness over Eddie, dodging and combating all the curious stares and questions the last two days had completed depleted her social energies and she wasn't sure how she was going to get through the party.

Still, she felt much more herself after spending some quality time with Kettleburn's newest additions to the Hogwarts creature collection. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad.

Closing the door to the calves den, she stuck her head into the back room where Kettleburn was tending to the broken wing of one of the school owls. He was talking quietly to it, mostly under his breath, and seeing the way the animal looked adoringly at him as he worked on her wing made Katie smile. There weren't many grown men to be found who would or could sweet talk a bird.

"I'm off, Professor!" she announced and both he and the owl glanced up at her.

"Have fun this evening," Kettleburn replied, his smile making his eyes crinkle. "Try not to cause too much trouble, eh?"

"Why, Professor, I have no idea what you're talking about," she replied teasingly and they both laughed. "I'll see you bright and early Monday morning. It's time to replant the Bowtruckles and their tree, I think. And we should talk about introducing the Sixth Years to the Moon Calves and possibly having them come down for a few midnight shifts to let the babies out. The mother seemed much more comfortable around me today. "

"I shall look forward to both, Miss Prewett. Now off with you, the animals will keep for the weekend," he waved her off with a gentle shooing motion and she left the barn feeling amused and content. Perhaps, the party would be a nice change of pace. With the exception of a certain roommate she didn't care to think about, her fellow Gryffindors seemed uninterested in her personal life for the most part.

And they definitely knew how to throw a party, she thought with a grin.

"Well someone's in a jolly mood."

The doors to the castle had been propped open to let the unseasonably warm autumn breeze in and Katie found Sirius leaning easily against the door jamb as though he'd been waiting for her. He, however, didn't appear particularly jolly.

Katie smiled anyway, best not to indulge his moods, "I was just visiting with the newborn Moon Calves at the barn. They're finally eating solid foods and I was introducing them to some new vegetables today."

"I think you've brought some of them back with you," he replied glancing down to her feet and back.

Katie glanced down and groaned, she was covered in dirt, hay, and bit of greens from the feeding, "Merlin, I'm sorry. I'm such a mess!"

He tilted his head to the side as he fell into step beside her as they headed up the marble staircase in the entrance hall, "Why do you apologize for things you're passionate about? You shouldn't be ashamed of the work you do."

The tone in his voice suggested it annoyed him but he looked mostly indifferent. Katie chewed on her lip, not sure how to answer. He wasn't the first to criticize this particular fault of hers but the way he said it made her feel particularly self-conscious. She shrugged uncomfortably, "Um, habit I suppose. My mother always used to scold my father and I when we'd come into the house covered in filth after trekking through the woods."

Sirius could practically see the anxiety on her face and had to make an effort not to roll his eyes. After how their last few lessons had progressed, he'd almost forgotten how flighty she could be and for some reason it seriously irritated him.

Katie glanced up at him and saw the irritation on his face and wanted to moan in frustration. She'd told herself she wasn't going to worry about the state of Sirius' mood but here she was trying to figure out how she could less annoy him.

She cleared her throat, "So I meant to thank you at some point today. I guess you heard about me and Eddie."

He raised a perfectly arched brow and glanced briefly at her, "I hadn't, actually."

"Oh," she replied in surprise and wondered briefly just where he had been most of the day that he hadn't heard the news. "Well, I'd say you're a success at teaching. Eddie asked me to Hogsmeade last night. I really didn't think I'd manage to pull it off. At least not so soon, at any rate."

"I didn't doubt you," he pointed out as they arrived at the Portrait Hole.

They both stopped and stood for a moment in silence. Katie couldn't help wondering what he was thinking. When she found him standing in the entrance way, it almost seemed like he had been waiting for her and now she had the distinct impression that there was something more he wanted to say. For some reason, that thought filled her with unreasonable dread.

"So, um, I guess that makes us even then, doesn't it? You're officially off the hook?" she smiled hesitantly hoping that was the cause of his he just wanted to be done with her.

He looked up and gave her a lopsided smile, "S'pose it does. I'm happy for you. I'm glad you got what you wanted."

He said the password before she could respond and waited as she climbed through the Portrait Hole ahead of him. Alice was waiting for them just inside.

"Alright then? Ready to get decorating? Merlin, Katie, you're filthy! Where have you been?" she exclaimed before catching sight of what was apparently an awkward expression on both Sirius and Katie's faces. She paused and raised an eyebrow, "Everything all right?"

"Of course," Katie replied quickly and glanced nervously at Sirius. She was still sure he had something on his mind that she didn't want to hear. "I was just in the stable with Professor Kettleburn. I'll just go up and change. I wouldn't want the boys' dormitory to smell like a barn."

"Well hurry up," Alice said with a lingering look at Sirius. "You're both late and we've got a lot to do."

"I'll head up now and get started," Sirius offered and his face suddenly cleared as though whatever internal debate he'd been having was resolved. "I've got to check in on Remus first anyway."

Without waiting for a send off, he headed up the tower stairs two at a time and quickly disappeared around the corner of the first landing. Alice turned back to Katie looking suspicious, "You're sure everything is alright?"

"Yes, Alice. Why wouldn't it be?" Katie repeated, feigning exasperation. "I just ran into him on my way upstairs and we were talking about Eddie. I'm sure he's just pleased that he doesn't have to deal with me anymore."

"Didn't seem pleased to me," Alice muttered but Katie chose to ignore her as they began climbing the stairs to the girls' dormitories.

"I'm honestly surprised the boys suggested using their dormitory for the party tonight," Marlene was saying as she pinned her curls into a bun. "They've lost their best snogging spot, haven't they?"

Lily snorted, "They're creative. I'm sure they'll make do."

The redhead looked over at Alice and Katie who were arguing over yet another outfit, "Oy, if you two don't decide I'm making you both go naked."

"Now that's hardly fair," Alice protested. "I've been dressed for nearly an hour. It's not my fault that Katie is the most indecisive person in Britain."

"And it's not my fault that you're wearing my favorite skirt," Katie tossed her hair over her shoulder in dismissal as she went back to consider the other skirt and two pairs of trousers laid out on her bed.

"Well, maybe if you hadn't lost my favorite skirt this summer I'd have asked first. But seeing as you did, it was fair game. Really, I don't see why you don't wear the black one with-"

"Enough!" Lily exclaimed. She walked over to the bed and picked up the high waisted trousers Katie had worn to her first lesson with Sirius and promptly stuffed them into her hands. "Wear these ones. Sirius told James about them on four different occasions the last time you wore them and that was only when I was around. Clearly, they're bloke approved and they make your bum look spectacular."

Katie frowned, "Sirius talked to James about my pants?"

Lily gave her a smug smile, "It was more about the bum in the pants. But yes, he did. A lot."

"I'm not sure how I feel about that," Katie replied but began tugging the pants on anyway. She had the perfect top in a deep Gryffindor red that tied right above her belly button and showed off just the right amount of skin. It was a shame Eddie wouldn't be around.

"Love, if you don't make the boys drool what's the point in this ritual we have before every party?" Marlene laughed, turning back and forth to admire the skin tight, brown suede skirt she was wearing. "Trust me. I told Lily this for years. Just because you don't want to snog the bloke doesn't mean you can't enjoy making him go a bit mental."

"Almost seems cruel," Alice sighed and they all burst into laughter.

Katie grinned as well.

Perhaps her friends had the right idea, she though buttoning up the blouse and tying it at her waist. She'd always been more concerned about the end game than actually playing it when it came to boys. In fact, as she reflected she started hearing a little voice in her head that sounded all too much like Sirius telling her to, what had he said? Embrace the bad girl for a change? Maybe it was time she did a little embracing.

"Well now that that's settled and we're properly late, I say we go make our entrance!" Alice announced and threw open the dormitory door. "Ready or not, here we come."

The party had been rolling for nearly half an hour when Lyssa Shacklebolt and Mary MacDonald arrived but there was still no sign of the other half of the seventh year girls much to James' impatience and Sirius' great annoyance. James was acting like a randy fourteen year old boy who had just had his first go at second base and was going to die if he didn't have another go soon.

"Will you stop that," Sirius demanded when James yet again pulled out his lucky Snitch to fiddle with it while he look anxiously around the room for a glimpse of red hair. "For Godric's sake, she'll be here, Prongs. She's not going to skip out on a party her bloody boyfriend is hosting."

James scowled, "Well you think she'd maybe be on time since her bloody boyfriend is, in fact, hosting."

"Girls have routines before this sort of thing, Prongs," Sirius replied easily and gave his best mate a knowing look. "It's when they do all those secret rituals that make them smell good enough to make you want to take a bite. It's all part of their bigger plan to make an ass out of you. Which Evans has done a proper job of, I might add."

"Oh sod off," James replied but grinned. "She has though, hasn't she? I think I'm in love, Padfoot."

"Oh Merlin, don't make me gag," Sirius made a face. "I'm drunk enough for that shite yet. Just promise me she won't start hanging about all the time. She's growing on me but she's still a bit of a wet blanket."

"Ah, there they are!" James suddenly exclaimed, completely ignoring Sirius' request and heading for the door.

Uninterested in watching James fawn over Lily, he stayed put but looked up to find that his joke about secret rituals may have had some merit to it. Because Katie Prewett definitely made him want to take a bite and he was suddenly starving.

Godric's beard, she was wearing the trousers she'd worn to their first lesson, the kind that would make any bloke want to peel her out of them. And he especially liked the top she'd tied just above the waist of her pants that gave a tantalizing view of skin every time she moved. As he'd thought once or twice during their lessons, it was hard to imagine that the girl didn't know how sexy she was. Nothing about that pretty picture screamed lack of confidence.

"Shall I get you a napkin for that drool, Pads?" Remus was smirking heavily as he joined Sirius and turned to watch James greet the girls. "I have to hand it to you, you really took your job seriously with that one. I've never seen Katie Prewett look like a conquering queen before. You'd think she'd been ruling this school all along."

"Seems to be now, at any rate," Sirius replied with a shrug and forced himself to turn away. "Shall we get started setting up?"

Katie felt eyes on her the second she walked in the room, but unlike the rest of the day, the looks were warm, welcoming, and appreciative. The decorations had turned out nicely. The top half of the room had been bewitched to look like the night sky and it made her feel like she was in the middle of some wilderness. Though she'd never been into any forest that smelled like beer, food, and smoke, she thought with a laugh.

The party was already in full swing which was exciting to walk into and within seconds James Potter had claimed their small group to show them around.

"Thought you might not be coming," he replied with a dashing grin as he scooped Lily into his arms and planted a kiss firmly on her lips. "To be honest, I'm tempted to kick them all out so we can have our own party. You look amazing, Lils."

Blushing furiously but clearly pleased, Lily shoved at him until he set her back down, "You will do nothing of the sort. Why don't you get us some drinks? It'll help me stop thinking about how many rules we're breaking."

"Probably a wise choice," James agreed and offered the other three girls a mischievous grin. "Right this way, ladies."

Grabbing Lily's hand, he led them toward the back of the room where Remus and Sirius were running a good business handing out drinks. Remus was pouring beers and rationing firewhiskey and Sirius seemed to be creating an elaborate set up of some sort that included firewhisky, a potion that was an appealing looking orange color, and what Katie was fairly certain were cigarettes.

"What'll it be tonight, ladies?" Remus asked with a warm smile. He seemed to have lost his typically pale complexion and Katie was sure that it was mostly due to the shots of firewhiskey he'd been taking. "There's beer, wine, whiskey, and if you wait just a moment Sirius will introduce you to Dragon Whiskey."

"So what exactly is this Dragon Whiskey?" Lily asked skeptically.

"The particulars of that are a trade secret, love," Sirius informed her as he finally turned his attention to James and the four girls. He glanced briefly at Katie but as he'd been doing all day, barely acknowledged her and continued. "But I can teach you how it's done."

Lily hesitated but Alice pulled her over to Sirius' table, "C'mon you. It's a right of passage. Frank made me do one this summer when we had a party at James' place. It doesn't hurt just don't drink anything for a while until it hits you."

"Don't be scared, Evans," Sirius said with a chuckle and lit one of the cigarettes.

"I'm not scared, I just don't see what the big deal is. Why won't anyone tell me what this is about?"

To her credit, she didn't look the least bit apprehensive, Katie though. Only slightly annoyed.

"Alright so here's how it works," Sirius began and motioned across the table. "First you take a hit off the cig, deep breath and hold it in. While you're holding the smoke in, you'll follow it with a shot of fire whiskey and then immediately with a shot of the potion at the end of the table. As soon as you've swallowed the potion, exhale forcefully."

"What happens then?" Lily asked betraying just a hint of apprehension and glancing accusingly at her boyfriend. He only gave her a quick grin and a shrug.

"We'll see if our fiery red head lives up to her reputation," Sirius replied with a smirk. "Now stop stalling and give it a go. Everyone step back."

With a supportive look from Alice, Lily took a deep drag from the cigarette and exchanged it for the shot Sirius offered her. Still holding her breath, she knocked back the whiskey and then followed it quickly with the orange potion. Looking directly at James, she lifted a single eyebrow and pushed the smoke and air from her lungs as hard as she could.

The result was an explosion of red and orange flames that looked very much as though Lily had suddenly learned to breathe fire. A collective shout went up around the room and an enthusiastic round of applause followed as the smoke dispersed through the room.

"Bravo, Evans! That's the best first attempt I've ever seen," Sirius exclaimed and seemed genuinely impressed.

Lily was also looking impressed, "I have to hand it to you, Sirius. That was a clever bit of magic. The flames weren't even warm."

He gave her a small bow, "High praise, red."

"You're welcome," she laughed and held onto James when he wrapped his arms around her waist from behind. "Whew, it's also extremely potent."

"We needed to get you warmed up," James informed her and nuzzled into the corner between her neck and shoulder.

Lily glanced back at him suspiciously, "For what, exactly?"

"For beer pong," James stated firmly and scowled at his Head Chaser and best mate. "Sirius and Marlene are in need of a good beating and I happen to know you're pretty good at this game."

"Who do you think taught her?" Marlene replied smartly. "You won't beat us, Potter. You'll retire from Hogwarts having never tasted that victory. I promise."

"We'll see. Remus, I need two beers. Oy, you lot! Off the beer table, it's time for the professionals to show you how it's done," James snatched the beers from Remus and took off to deal with the protests from the game in progress.

Marlene grabbed Lily by the arm and offered Alice and Katie a happy grin, "Wish her luck! She's going to need it. C'mon, Sirius. We've some business to attend to."

As the rest of their mates disappeared Alice turned back to Katie with a smile, "Frank won't be here until later. What do you say we do a few shots of fire whiskey and get out on the dance floor."

Katie held out a hand to Remus who promptly put a shot into it, "You're on!"

Later that evening…

It would never be said that Gryffindors didn't know how to have a good time, Katie mused as she collapsed onto an overstuffed chair several hours later feeling insanely happy and fairly drunk. It would definitely be a night to remember.

She and Alice had danced till their feet were sore and once Frank arrived Katie had been surprised to find Remus, adorably drunk and sweetly asking if he could dance with her. Not long after, Marlene and Sirius officially met defeat at the hands of James and Lily and somewhere in the resulting chaos someone had convinced Katie to also participate in more Dragon Whiskeys. The four girls had then spent the past hour dancing off the whiskey until she'd found her way to her present position in a wonderfully comfy armchair and greatly in need of a rest.

The party was still going strong and likely would be for some time, but as she watched, couples drifted out the door and here and there someone gave up the ghost and decided to sleep where they were sitting. All in all, it had been a perfect evening and despite her earlier feelings she was feeling happy glow all the way to her toes.

Across the room, Sirius had taken a similar break from a particularly intense Quidditch conversation when he spotted Katie sprawled out in a chair looking for all the world like she needed a proper kiss.

He scowled. Not that he was going to oblige her but he'd be damned if he was going to let her pass up such a prime opportunity. It was, he decided, time for a game of spin the bottle. He grabbed Marlene's arm as she walked by with a sixth year boy and lifted an eyebrow, "Spread the word. Spin the bottle in ten minutes."

"Oooo, you always know just the thing!" Marlene cooed and grinned happily. "I'll invite only the best."

He watched her drag the poor, unsuspecting boy behind her as she headed off to collect what he was certain would be an entertaining group for spin the bottle. He turned back to Katie. He had inviting of his own to do.

Making his way around the room so that he could approach her from behind, he leaned over the back of her chair and spoke quietly into her ear, "Having fun?"

Thinking it may have been Remus, she turned with a smile but quickly discovered it was not. Sirius was leaning casually over the back of her chair and was quite clearly sloshed.

"I am," she answered with a small smile wondering why her stomach had just done a lazy sort of somersault.

"I'm glad," he offered her a hand and pulled her up from the chair, steadying her with a hand on the waist when she stumbled slightly. The resulting embarrassed giggle from her made him grin and he pulled her in a little closer, "I have a proposition for you, Prewett."

Feeling fuzzy and just a little more drunk than she was used to she gave him a frank look and pursed her lips, "And what exactly did you have in mind?"

"How about a game of spin the bottle," he suggested, his hand squeezing her hip where it was wrapped around her waist.

"I've never played," she admitted and felt her stomach do another somersault. "It seems kind of silly."

"You worry too much," he insisted and fixed her with an intense look. "Of course it's silly. That's the point, have a little fun.."

"Is this another lesson?" she inquired curiously and discovered she was having deja vu, recalling a similar moment on top of the Astronomy Tower when they'd been just a little too close for comfort. "I thought we were done with those."

"This one's on the house," he replied firmly. "Now just be a good girl and come along."

Seeing that he'd set his mind to it, she gave a resigned laugh. She could think about the consequences later, "Alright, you big bully. Let me get another drink and I'll join you."

"Brilliant," he squeezed her hip once more and released her. He nodded towards the windows where Marlene had already begun gathering people, "You've got five minutes or I'm coming to find you."

"Yes, yes," she said and nudged him towards the growing group of spin the bottle players. "I'll be right along."

He headed off with one last glance back at her and she headed to the drink table wondering what exactly Sirius' intentions were. He'd avoided her most of the evening and had been acting very strangely most of the day before that. The thoughts she'd been avoiding all day began to surface and she finally let herself wonder if maybe something was happening between them.

The thought was unsettling to say the least and she immediately shook it off as a very unlikely possibility. After all, he hadn't suggested she play spin the bottle so that he could kiss her, had he? Of course not. And that seemed entirely the sort of thing he have suggested if that's what he intended.

No, he was probably just feeling sorry for her again. The boy really didn't think she was capable of having an ounce of fun on her own.

"You think you're so clever, don't you Prewett?"

Pulled abruptly from her thoughts, Katie looked up to discover a very drunk Mary MacDonald blocking her path to the drink table.

"I'm sorry, what are you on about?" Katie asked, slightly surprised at the irritation in her own voice.

"Eddie will see right through these games you're playing with him. Everyone knows you're just toying with him, trying to make Sirius jealous so he'll actually notice you. It's sad, really, that you have to stoop to something so low. I can't wait until they both see what you really are."

"And what is that?" Katie found her fists curling and an unfamiliar anger building in her chest as she glared at her fellow Gryffindor. She was beginning to find she'd had quite enough of Mary MacDonald and her drama.

"A worthless, easy little slag! It's the only reason Eddie wants you. He figures you're an easy snog but you won't keep his attention for long. Boring girls like you never do. You'll see, he'll come crawling back to me before you ever go on your bloody date," her voice was becoming shriller as she got more upset and people were beginning to stare.

Clenching her fist in an effort to control her temper, Katie attempted to get past her before things went any further, "You're drunk, Mary. Why don't you just go to bed?"

"Why don't you just go to hell!" she shouted and shoved Katie backwards. "You're just like your parents! Worthless, spineless losers! No one else's parents have died. Were yours so useless that they didn't even put up a fight? I don't know how Eddie can even stand looking at you. You're-"

"Shut up!" Katie suddenly exploded and whipped her wand from her pocket. "Just shut up or I swear I'll hex you into next year."

Mary's eyes had gone round but she had had enough liquid courage that she felt confident enough to take a step towards Katie's outstretched wand, "You wouldn't dare."

The twist of rage and grief in Katie's chest was doing dangerous things to her self control and when Mary took that step she very nearly lost her grip and suddenly found herself with her wand pointed straight at Mary's forehead. People were starting to gather around them but Katie found that she didn't care, "We both know you wouldn't stand a chance, Mary. Now take it back. Apologize for what you said about my parents."

Mary's eyes went even wider when Katie moved in but as the crowd of people gathered closer it seemed to assure her she would be safe. Though clearly nervous, she smirked nastily, "Never. They deserved to die and you'll probably go the same way."

Looking back, Katie wouldn't remember making the choice but in a split second she dropped her wand hand and quite gracefully smashed her other fist into Mary's jaw. The other girl hit the floor with a screech and without so much as a backward glance, Katie took off for the door. She wanted nothing more than to escape before the anger in her chest gave way to something much, much worse and much less easy to control.

Knowing she'd be followed to her dormitory, she decided that leaving the Tower altogether was her best bet and headed through the Common Room instead of up the stairs to the girls dormitories. The Fat Lady gave an indignant squawk when she burst through the Portrait Hole but she ignored the Lady's warning shouts about curfew and stumbled blindly up the corridor thinking only that she wanted to get as far from Mary MacDonald as she could.

By the time she lost her steam, she was standing in front of an enormous tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy in a section of the corridor lit with only a single torch. Thinking it was as good a place as any, she sat down against the tapestry and promptly had herself a good cry.

Mary hadn't been the first to suggest that her parents were weak or cowards and she likely wouldn't be the last. But it didn't make it any easier to hear, no matter how far from the truth it might be. Mary had also known exactly how to get under her skin where Eddie was concerned and that stung.

Wasn't she already afraid it was too good to be true? Nevermind that Mary was likely just bitter and heartbroken over her break up, hearing her echo Katie's own anxious thoughts had been painfully on target.

Katie groaned into her hands. How had things become such a mess?

When did you become such a mess, Prewett, she thought angrily and rubbed her hands over her face in an attempt to calm the flow of tears. She glared angrily at the wall across from her. She was starting to wonder if her life would ever find normalcy again.

As the tears finally began to slow, she became aware of footsteps heading up the corridor towards her. For a moment, she considered finding a place to hide but decided it wasn't worth the effort. So instead she pulled her knees to her chest, rested her forehead on them, and waited. If it was a teacher, she would just have to deal with the consequences.

The footsteps approached moments later but whoever it was merely paused and said nothing.

Alice, then, she thought in relief and lifted her head.

But it was Sirius standing in front of her. Slightly shocked, she simply stared at him.

Thinking the silence likely meant it was safe, he closed the distance between them and sat down on the ground next to her. He could tell from her expression that she wasn't quite sure what to do with him and decided he'd just let her get used to it first and settled in.

And so they sat that way, arms touching, not saying a word for a long time. Katie feeling like she had something stuck in her throat, and Sirius simply waiting for her to adjust.

Finally, feeling that she'd relaxed, he shifted his shoulders into hers and asked, "Want to talk about it?"

She sniffled a bit, swallowed against the lump in her throat, and shrugged, "Probably."

He nodded as if that meant something important and settled back against the wall again to wait.

Katie, however, was caught somewhere between confusion and gratitude. What in the world was he doing there? Determined to get to the bottom of it, she turned to look at him, "Why are you here?"

He leaned his head back against the wall and glanced sideways at her, "I know what you're going through."

"And I suppose you're here to tell me Mary's just a goose and I need to suck it up," she replied sadly, fully expecting Sirius to be the type who couldn't be bothered to grieve for anyone or anything. Not souless, but perhaps a bit cold-hearted.

He frowned, "If that's what you think you need, maybe. But it's more that I know how infuriating it can be when people just want to unload their sympathy on you and I thought you might prefer someone who will listen and not offer a damn apology."

Before that exact moment, Katie had never been able to put that particular feeling into words but hearing him say it, it suddenly became quite obvious he did understand. Even as she'd healed and the grief had made her numb, there had still always been that shadow of knowing in other people's eyes and in knowing, feeling sorry for her. She hadn't realized until now that it bothered her. She couldn't imagine that it would have sat well with Sirius either.

She silently reached over and took his hand before he could protest, "You grieved for them, your family. I didn't think that you would."

"James is my family now," he replied firmly, his hand flexed like he was going to pull away but instead he slipped his fingers through hers. The physical link somehow made an uncomfortable topic more tolerable. "But yes, even as angry as I was, with a family as evil as mine, you still grieve when it's gone."

"I shouldn't have listened to her," Katie said softly. "She was just trying to get a reaction out of me."

"I'd say it worked," Sirius chuckled remembering the way Mary had been squawling like a baby when he'd left to find Katie. "She's got a hell of bruise on her jaw already."

Katie winced, "I punched her because I was afraid I might kill her if I used magic."

"Both would have served her right," he scowled. "She's a bloody coward."

In spite of herself, Katie laughed dryly, "She is. But I suppose she was grieving too."

"Doesn't excuse what she did," he declared angrily. "She's lucky you have such amazing self control."

"One of the many talents I learned from my parents," she replied and could feel herself on the verge of tears again. He had asked her if she wanted to talk about it. It seemed that she did. "They died protecting Molly and Arthur's boys. Did you know?"

Sirius shook his head. Feeling exhausted even by the memory, she settled her head on his shoulder and let a few tears escape, "They fought off the Death Eaters long enough for help to get there. They saved the boys but they didn't make it out."

Sirius rested his chin on her head. He'd known her parents had died violently but he hadn't known the details. It made what Mary had said that much worse and her punishment decidedly lacking in Sirius' eyes.

Katie sighed heavily, "Anyway, I don't think I can face Mary again tonight. I've decided I'm sleeping right here in the corridor."

"Bit drafty," Sirius observed and looked around as if there might be something more appealing close by.

"Do you have another solution?" her laugh was genuine, if a bit watery.

He got to his feet and pulled her up as well. He began pacing back and forth in front of the opposite wall as if he were thinking very going so far as to stroke the stubble on his cheeks like Sherlock Holmes. She shook her head at his antics, "Out with it then."

But no sooner had the words left her mouth, then there was suddenly a door where there hadn't been before and Sirius was standing to the right of it looking entirely too pleased with himself.

"How in the world did you manage that?" she demanded. The boy was a never ending wonder.

"It's a secret that I expect you'll keep," he stressed the last word but didn't seem terribly concerned. "The castle is full of them."

"Where does it go?" she moved toward the door and studied it intently. It didn't look anything like any other door in Hogwarts. In fact, it looked like it belonged in a much more modern building.

"The simple answer? Wherever you need it to," he said and opened the door to lead her through. "Tonight it's nothing special but it's a warm place to sleep at least."

To Katie's amazement, they had walked straight into a very cozy bedroom. Muggle and wizard rock band posters were plastered across the walls, a record player stood in the corner, and there was a pile of magazines on the dresser that all seemed to be about something called motorcycles. In the middle of the room was a huge, comfy looking bed covered in mountains of pillows and blankets and there was a pile of Quidditch gear just inside the door.

The room had a distinct Sirius vibe and she suddenly realized that it was likely his own bedroom.

"If you'd rather not sleep in my bed we can try something else," he offered but seemed pleased with his choice despite it. "But no one will bother you here. I'll tell the boys not to disturb the room this weekend. Do you want to change it?"

"No," she said quickly and headed toward the bed. She sat down on the edge and found it as gloriously squishy as she'd hoped. "Thank you. It seems I owe you a favor now, doesn't it?"

He shook his head, the alcohol was starting to wear off and he was starting to regret his choice in sanctuary. Why had he chosen his own bedroom of all places? Damn sentimental git. He shook it off, "You don't owe me anything, Prewett. Just get some rest."

She stood up again and shook her head with a soft laugh, "You're a lot sweeter than you want people to know, Starboy. But I promise not to tell. Now turn around while I get out of these bloody pants and into this bed."

A lot sweeter than you want people to know…

Sirius just shook his head as he turned his back. It was Katie who was sweet and wanted to see good in people where there was very little. While she did have a knack for pulling out the last few threads of his compassion, she really didn't understand how wrong she was about him.

Still, he found it interesting that he wanted to maintain the illusion for her.

"Alright, you can turn around," she said and he turned to find her buried blissfully under his blankets and burrowing into the pillows.

He couldn't help the grin, "Comfortable?"

"Ridiculously," she sighed and closed her eyes. "Thank you for this."

"Don't mention it," he said shortly and began heading towards the door. "Sleep well."

"Sirius?"

He glanced back at her and she appeared to be struggling with her next sentence.

"Will you stay with me?"

His eyebrows shot up in response and she choked on a laugh, "Not like that. Just at least until I fall asleep? I'd rather not be alone if you don't mind."

Thinking he probably should mind but finding that he didn't, he nodded, "I'll transfigure a chair."

"Don't be ridiculous, this bed is enormous," she began scooching herself to far side of the bed like an inchworm, careful to stay fully wrapped in the blanket. Sirius found the movement both childish and charming. "See? There's plenty of room."

"I don't believe I've ever been invited to bed quite like this, Prewett," he chuckled but slipped off his shoes and grabbed one of the magazines on the dresser before climbing into the bed. He stayed on top of the blankets and sat up against the headboard next to her.

"Thanks, Starboy," she sighed sleepily and snuggled further into the blankets. "Sweet dreams."

"Sweet dreams, Katie," he replied softly but she had already drifted off into the beginnings of sleep. He sat for a moment and looked at her burrowed into the blankets on his bed and he suddenly found it strange that it hadn't been his childhood bedroom, or even his bedroom at the Potter's that he had offered.

No, he had offered her the only room that had ever been truly his. The one he'd spent most of the past summer in, waking up alone and satisfied in the knowledge that finally having his own place meant true freedom. Even James had only visited two or three times.

He was in trouble, he suddenly realized. And it shot through him like a bolt of lightning. She'd crawled inside his head like a damn song you can't stop singing and was stubbornly refusing to leave.

And Merlin's beard, he only kept encouraging it.

He closed his eyes and attempted to stem the unfamiliar flow of panic. Was this how James always felt around Lily, he wondered in irritation. Like a loose canon? Never sure how he would react around her? Sirius decided he didn't care for the feeling and scowled up at the ceiling.

Feelings, he decided, were rubbish. Why did anyone in their right minds enjoy this?

For a moment he considered getting the hell out of that room but as if knowing his thoughts, Katie turned over in her sleep and cuddled closer to him in an unconscious ploy to make him stay.

"Ah bollocks," he muttered.

With another few choice words under his breath, he pulled a blanket over his lap and fluffed the pillows behind him. As he settled back, she sighed in her sleep and he flipped open his motorcycle magazine with a shake of his head. He was getting soft.

But then, running away from one's feelings could always wait until morning.

xoxo ASiriusObsession