Hogsmeade Horrors
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Disclaimer: Okay. We don't own it. Neither do you. Unless J.K. Rowling is reading the fic. In which case, she does. But, whatever.
Ths Chapter is dedicated to Maggie. Thanks to her threats toward my life, this chapter is up tonight, instead of in two days.
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"Brie, are you sure you really want to go out with Justin? You really don't have to." It was the morning of the Hogsmeade trip, and Emma was trying desperately to get Bria to reconsider her date.
"Yes. I am sure! I don't want to not, because then Sirius would think I was not doing this because he's forbidden me to. So I have no choice, do I?"
"You know, this is insane. I am sure that Sirius is sorry for what he did. But you don't have to go out with a boy you don't like to prove him wrong."
"Who said I didn't like him?" Bria was beginning to get annoyed at her friends. They were all convinced that she had no interest in Justin, and though this was true, she did wish they would stop making the assumption. She could like Justin. She just didn't.
"You know, you are one of the most stubborn people I know. Even Lily is willing to admit when she does things just to bug James. But you won't admit that you do things just to hack Sirius off."
"I'm not. I really WANT to go out with Justin."
"Yeah. Because Sirius doesn't want you to."
"Guess what?" Alice asked, running up to them from the common room, and cutting off any reply Bria might have had.
"What?" Emma asked somewhat relieved that she didn't have to argue with Bria anymore.
"Frank asked me to Hogsmeade earlier! I have to go get ready!" And with that she scampered off.
"Is she aware that we're supposed to be leaving in ten minutes?" Bria asked, laughing somewhat.
"I doubt it. But as you can see, you're not nearly excited enough for this date."
"Well—"
"Ugh! I don't believe it! James just asked me to Hogsmeade! I cannot believe the nerve of that boy! Just because I'm tutoring him in potions, he thinks he can start asking me out again! I cannot believe him! I am going to kill him! Did anyone see which way he went? He must be punished." Lily finally stopped storming for a minute, and glared demonically at her two friends.
"Lily, are you okay? It's not that big a deal." Bria said, attempting to be soothing, not something she was normally particularly good at.
"Oh! You are in a huge fight with Sirius right now because you were asked out. I'm not as bad as you."
"Yeah, but SIRIUS didn't ask me out, it was because someone else did. So I am not being as bad as you."
"I must find him and kill him. Bye Emma, I'll meet you at The Three Broomsticks after I've found and killed James."
"Bye." Emma said with a sigh. "How do I pick my friends? Not a normal one among them."
"What about Remus? He's pretty normal." Bria asked mischievously.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"I think you know."
"Really? I'm pretty sure I don't. Honestly, Brie, I don't get you sometimes. If I didn't know better, I would think you were suggesting that I fancy Remus."
"Well, you have to admit it, Em, you have been spending an awful lot of time with him. Alone."
Tell her we've been plotting ways to bring her a Sirius together, or tell her I like Remus? Emma mused. But ho! A third option, you say? Ah yes, deny everything. "Bria, you are insane. Remus and I are in no way romantically involved and we have no plot to be so in the future."
Bria held up her hands. "Fine. Fine. But I'm sure I'm not the only one who thinks it."
Emma grumbled something and shoved Bria toward her wardrobe. "Dress. You'll be late."
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Sirius was cold. He was cold and annoyed, actually, but mostly cold. It was only mid October but the air had cooled down considerably since September ended and left Sirius alone, without a scarf, and cold.
He knew that waiting outside just to make sure Bria didn't pass him was insane and ridiculous. Somehow, though, he couldn't make himself turn around and go into a shop. He had awoken that morning feeling cold and annoyed. The feeling had stuck. Originally, he had told himself that he would simply not go to Hogsmeade today. Now, however, at 11:30, he found himself just outside Zonko's, scanning the street for Bria. She was wearing a brightly coloured hat today – he'd seen it from the other end of the Gryffindor table that morning as they started the day ignoring each other – so she wouldn't be hard to spot.
Perhaps she's decided not to go after all. He thought brightly. His hopes were dashed as her brightly coloured hat came bouncing up the street. The hat was not alone. It was on Bria's head, and Bria was walking next to Justin – the great wanker – as they made their way into The Three Broomsticks.
Sirius shivered and glanced around for someone who might have an extra scarf.
The perfect candidate appeared from a bookstore. Ahh, Remus, he always has scarves.
He skulked ever closer with the intention of just snatching it off his neck. But Remus turned at just the moment Sirius was reaching for his neck.
"Were you planning on strangling me then, Padfoot?"
"No. I just want your scarf. Aha!" He managed to get the scarf off his friend's neck and started to run off.
"Accio scarf!"
"Aw! Moony, that just wasn't nice! I'm cold."
"Well, maybe you should have thought of this earlier. I won't relinquish my own scarf, but I will buy you a butterbeer. Come on." Remus held the door to The Three Broomsticks for Sirius.
"No! I can't go in there. Why don't you just bring me one out here?"
"Because, I don't want to."
"But I don't want to go in there."
"Is Bria in there?" Remus asked, closing the door again.
"Perhaps." Sirius shoved his hands into the pockets of his jacket and walked a few paces away from the pub, glaring moodily at a couple down the road.
"Sirius," Remus called soothingly, "You're going to have to face them eventually. You share a dorm with Justin, you see Bria every day in classes and at meals… You're going to be in each other's company. Just come inside and get a butterbeer, okay?"
Sirius sighed. "Couldn't we just go down to the Hog's Head?"
"No. We couldn't. We are going to someplace sanitary. We are going in here."
Sirius gave in and allowed himself to be pulled into The Three Broomsticks. "You know, you should have come here with Emma."
"Why would I have done that?" He looked at his feet so Sirius wouldn't notice the color rising in his face.
Sirius handed Remus a bottle of butterbeer and grinned over the rim. "Oh, well, I dunno."
"You're an arse."
Sirius licked the rim of his bottle and Remus shoved him away. "Go away, Sirius."
"Hey, you dragged me in here."
"Well, tone it down, will you?"
"Aw, you're no fun. I didn't mean anything, and you know that."
"You don't really mean that. You're just afraid you won't get free butterbeer."
"I can't afford my own."
"I know."
"Which is where you come in."
Remus rolled his eyes. "Someday I'm going to make you pay me back for all the times I've bought you things."
"Sure you will. Just like you'll someday get a girlfriend."
"I will." Remus said, somewhat defensively.
"Hello, there's Bria. Bloody terrific. Why am I in here again?"
"Because I lured you with drink."
"Can I leave now that I've had it?"
"No. You must go and talk to Bria."
"That wasn't part of the deal! I don't want to!" Sirius said, slouching low in his seat.
"Bria! Come here!" Remus waved his arm over his head, making it impossible to miss.
"Thanks Moony. That isn't hard to miss at all is it? Is she coming over?"
"Yes. And she's bringing Justin."
"Ah! Now you've done it! Are you trying to kill me? Where's James and his invisibility cloak when you need it?"
"Sirius, I think you should- Get out from under the table! Stop hiding." Remus attempted to drag Sirius out into the room again.
"Yeah Remus?" Sirius could see Bria's shoes poking out from beneath her robes.
"Um, are you having fun?"
"Yeah. Is that all you wanted, and why are you here alone?"
"Er, yes. That's all I wanted. Have fun then."
Once Bria's shoes had gone away Sirius came back out.
"Thanks for making me look like a prat, Sirius."
"You were acting like a git." Sirius got up and grabbed Remus's scarf. "I'm leaving."
"Where are you going?"
"I have a date."
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"Rose! Can I talk with you for a moment?"
Rose turned to see Sirius running up to her. Am I still asleep, or did Sirius just say he wanted to talk to me?
"Sirius! How are you?" She pouted a little in hopes of seducing him.
"Er, listen, I wanted to apologize for ditching you all the time. You want to hang out for the rest of this trip? We could grab a butterbeer."
"Yes! That sounds perfect!" Rose quickly attached herself to his arm, and started dragging him along the street.
Sirius had a flash of foreboding, but shoved it away. If Bria could do whatever she wanted, so could he.
"Okay, let's go."
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Bria and Justin walked into entrance hall. Okay. That was a lame date. Maybe Emma's right and I only went on it because Sirius told me I couldn't. I should apologize to him.
Just then she saw him coming into the castle grounds. "What perfect timing."
"Justin, I'm gonna go and talk to Sirius, I'll see you at dinner." With that she headed back out into the cold.
Sirius was really beginning to regret saying he wanted to spend time with Rose. She was VERY annoying, and wouldn't shut up. "…And then he was like, 'No! I swear, I'm NOT gay!' and Mischa was like, 'Yes you are, stop denying it.'…"
Sirius saw someone walking across the grounds towards them. "Bria?"
"No! I'm Rose." Rose stopped and pouted. "Why would you call me Bria? I'm prettier than she is!"
Sirius tried to shake Rose off. "No. Bria is over there. Will you let go of me? I want to talk to her."
"But Sirius!"
"Sirius? Can I talk to you?"
"Yeah."
"Bria! Wait!" Justin came running up from the castle. "Do you want to go out again sometime?"
"Sure. I'll see you at dinner Justin. Bye."
"Um, Bria, can we talk later?" Sirius asked, no longer feeling like talking to Bria at all. "I'm in the middle of a date with Rose."
"You went out with Rose?"
"Yeah. And I'm still on my date. So, do you mind?"
Bria stared at him in shock. What in the world had happened to him? Had he gone completely crazy? First he started yelling at her for no apparent reason, and now he was dating Rose? Did he have a brain tumor or something?
"Okay. I'll see you later I guess."
Bria turned, and headed back towards the castle. She decided she'd just go to bed. She didn't really feel like dealing with Emma and her questions. Besides, Emma would probably be talking to Remus all through dinner. She smiled to herself. There was definitely something going on there. She wondered how long it would take for them to admit it.
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The next day
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Bria woke up the next day feeling somewhat reminiscent of the day after Sirius had flipped out on her. She wandered into the loo and started brushing her hair. She'd been in there for a few minutes when she heard someone coming. She really didn't feel like dealing with anyone, so she went into a stall to finish brushing her hair.
"Did you hear about Rose?" She heard a girl, whose name she couldn't remember, ask someone. She thought they might be 5th years.
"Yeah! I can't believe it. I thought Sirius had more taste than all that."
"Me too. I would never have thought that he liked her from the way he's always running away from her."
"Not to mention, I saw her hanging out with Samantha. I never would have thought someone like that would sleep with a guy on the first date. I would have figured she was saving herself for marriage."
What did she just say? Sirius SLEPT with Rose? I can't believe it! Now I know he's gone crazy! Maybe we should get him to St. Mungo's.
The girls were talking again. "Shame, really. I mean, everyone knows he's slept with a few girls but I've always imagined him to be a little less shallow."
"I'd still let him sleep with me."
"I'm sure you would, but still. I mean, Rose told me herself this morning. It's not like it's a rumor, or anything. Why would Rose lie?"
"Sirius Black, sleeping with the exchange student. Pity."