Come on people, I need more reviews, I know I disappeared for a while, but once I began writing, I couldn't stop. I continued on till I finished the entire third year. Now I'm just going back, splitting the document into chapters and editing the spelling and grammar mistakes. The entire thing should be up by Monday night the latest.
. . . Fist.
In one swift movement Demi managed to regain her senses and swung her left arm straight into Sirius' lip, which promptly split open. Sirius was flung back to the other side of the room, hitting the opposite wall and landing in a heap on the floor. The entire common room was silent.
He felt his face and saw a few teeth in his hand. Blood spewed profusely over his chin and onto his shirt. "B****" he seethed, looking over at Demi.
Demi walked towards him pulling out her wand. "Episkey" she muttered, healing Sirius' lip. "Dentibus fixit" she said, causing his broken teeth to soar back into his open mouth and return to their original state. Finally she looked over his shirt and face, noticing the leftover blood, "Scrougify" she uttered and the mess was gone. "You're welcome."
"Why should I thank you?" Sirius said.
Demi stuck out her hand, and helped Sirius up, "because I am your friend first, and a b**** second" she replied coolly. She turned around and went up the girl's staircase.
Later that night . . .
"So you hit him?" sighed Lily. She wasn't at all concerned about Sirius' welfare, but the consequences her best friend's actions might entail were what worried her. Lily returned a few hours after the incident to see the boys huddled around the fireplace, riffling through books. She'd noticed the small blood stains on the floor and that Sirius looked somewhat disheveled. She had promptly made her way to the girl's staircase, but not before James had attempted to ask her out, again. She found the rest of the girls in the dormitory, silently doing their homework. She asked Demi what had happened, causing Alice and Kiaria to share the story, while Demi smiled to herself.
"He deserved it, he was up in my face" Demi cried indignantly.
"So? Although I have some trouble believing this, Sirius is a person. Did it ever occur to you that he may have feelings for you?" asked Lily, causing the three girls who were smirking at one another to get serious.
"No way. He and I are just good friends," Demi replied. The three girls looked at her with pity. "I'm telling you. He's my brother's best mate. I can't date him, I don't even want to. We have a nice relationship and I don't want to risk it."
"Whatever," said Alice, jumping underneath her covers.
"Your choice mate" said Kiaria, heading to the washroom.
"all you. Oh and by the way, do you mind if I tell Severus that you hit Sirius? It would really make his day. . week . . .month" finished Lily.
"Why not" replied Demi. "It would be nice to let people know Sirius isn't as high and mighty as he thinks he is."
The two laughed and clambered into their beds, respectively.
"Goodnight" said Lily to the other three.
"Don't let the bed bugs bite" they replied, laughing at the muggle rhyme.
"So, let me get this straight. Did you want to kiss her?" asked Peter for, what felt like the sixth time that hour. James and Remus sighed and Frank covered his face with his hands and groaned at the boy's stupidity.
"Shut up Pete. Let me sleep," grumbled Sirius, who was beginning to feel the consequences of one of his 'almost' actions.
The four boys looked at one another before turning off the lights and going to sleep.
A few weeks had passed since the incident in the common room, but everyone could tell that things were still tense between Demi and Sirius. The two were still potions partners but everyone could tell that there was a forced tone as the two conversed in the class. Professor Pavor was still as horrible as ever to Remus, and the boy had to spend three nights every week till the end of the year, helping Mr. Filch clean the school. There was also another change. The days were getting shorter and the weather colder. Winter was coming, and the Gryffindors know that if there was one thing that could bring Sirius and Demi together again, it was Christmas.
"So, when's the next Hogsmeade trip?" asked James, squinting at the board.
"December 17th, the day after our last lessons" replied Demi, from her seat across the room. "Oh, and Jamie, don't squint, we need your eyesight for the match against Ravenclaw tomorrow."
"Don't call me 'Jamie'," he mumbled.
"Okay, how about . . . Jamesipoo," offered Frank, who ducked as a Herbology textbook came hurtling at his head.
"Why are you so interested in the excursion anyway? You never pay attention to what's going on at school?" asked Lily suspiciously.
"We need more pranking supplies, our stocks have been depleted on your stupid slimy friend" said Sirius.
"He's not slimy, nor is he stupid," said Lily, going red.
"He's a git" said Peter.
"Hey-" began Lily.
Kiaria, sensing that an argument was about to begin, changed the topic."Where's Remus?" she asked.
"Detention" said James automatically.
"He's been in detention since, forever. I think he's got more detentions that you now that I think about it," she replied.
"Pavor won't cut him a break, will he?" asked Lily.
"Why are you concerned about him? I thought you hated all of us guys?" asked James.
"No, Frank and Remus are nice, but you three" she said, indicating Peter, Sirius and James, " are completely horrible to me and Sev."
"You are aware that Demi and Remus help us pull a majority of those pranks," James retorted.
"Well at least their egos aren't as big as their heads" she responded, before packing he things away and exiting through the portrait door.
"What's wrong with you three?" asked Demi.
"It's nothing" replied James, as he stared hard at a page in a textbook.
Demi squinted at the cover of the book before asking "what are you reading?"
"Nothing" James replied stiffly.
"It's not nothing James."
"Don't worry about it. It doesn't concern you" he said patiently.
"Fine, but if you get stuck in a stupid situation, don't ask me for help."
"Okay, I'll ask Remus" replied James.
"Ask me what?" said a voice.
The seven Gryffindors looked around and found Remus striding over towards them.
"Nothing, its about the . . . thing" said James.
"Oh, yeah." Remus turned to Demi and said, "It's something we're plotting against Severus."
"And am I not included in these little schemes anymore?" Demi asked, raising an eyebrow. The two other girls looked at one another behind her back. They all know that Demi was basically the female equivalent of Remus in the boy's plots against Severus. To hear that she wouldn't be included would be like asking a wizard to cook without magic. It was just . . . odd.
"Well," began Remus, trying to buy time to come up with an excuse.
"This plan involves things that only boys have," said Sirius suddenly.
"Okay, that's all I need to know" Demi said, turning red.
Remus faced Sirius and mouthed the words, "thank you."
"No problem" mouthed Sirius, as the two sat down and continued their work.
Later that night the four boys were in the room of requirement.
"C'mon James, just try it one more time," said Sirius and Peter egging their friend on.
"I'm trying. It's just hard to focus" said James, whose face was shining with sweat.
"It says you need to focus all of your magic into it. You can't be distracted or it won't work" said Remus patiently.
"Alright. I'll try one more time but that's it. I'm getting tired and we have a match tomorrow," replied James. He pulled put his wand and closed his eyes. He felt his powers surging through his veins and his heard beating loudly. He felt something change on his head, it felt heavier. He kept on concentrating. C'mon I can do it. Just a little more, a little more. It's working. He opened his eyes quickly, and looked to the mirror on his left.
"You've got antlers, mate" said Sirius from behind him.
James tiled his head forward and could feel the pressure on his neck grow. Sprouting from either side of his head were little branches of bone covered with a thin layer of hair. "This is so cool" he squealed.
"Now how do we make them go away," murmured Remus, flipping through the boom open in his lap.
"What?" said James, spinning around to face his friend, trying not to topple over.
"Well, you can hardly walk up to Gryffindor tower looking like that, can you?" said Sirius, coming to stand next to Remus.
"I still can't believe you've done it. All I've managed to do so far is give myself a stomach ache from all the concentrating" sulked Peter.
"Mate, there's a huge difference between concentrating and trying to make yourself shit your pants" said James.
"Okay" said Remus, looking up from the book. "It says you have to do the same thing, but make sure you imagine yourself without the antlers."
"Alright, should be easy," said James. He closed his eyes once more and concentrated hard. He felt his magic rush through his veins and his heart thumping even louder. He imagined himself without the antlers and felt a weight being lifted off his shoulders (literally). He opened up his eyes and felt the top of his head, the antlers were gone.
"Okay, I think that's enough for today," said Sirius, heading to the door. They snuck their way to the tower and clambered into their beds, each falling asleep the moment their head touched the pillow.
"GO GO GRYFFINDOR! GO GO GRYFFINDOR!"
The match was getting more and more intense by the minute. Demi streaked around the pitch dodging bludgers, and ducking through players. The Ravenclaw team knew she was good, and therefore the captains set both beaters after her, and were under strict orders to constantly pelt her with bludgers. Sirius, who'd noticed this within the first five minutes of the game, flew off and covered her as he searched for the snitch.
"Any luck?" Sirius asked.
"No not- wait I SEE IT!" Demi screamed, looking at the opposite end of the pitch, where the Gryffindor goalposts were.
"THEN GO GET IT!" screeched Sirius.
Demi flew forward and Sirius covered her. Baker and Thomas, the two Ravenclaw beaters saw the pair fly forward and followed pelting the couple, bludger after bludger.
Sirius saw the two each gain control of the two bludgers and simultaneously hit them towards Demi's back. Demi, however, was oblivious to the plan and continued forward, her eye still on the snitch. Sirius knowing that he could hit both, chucked his bat in the direction of one of them, knocking it off course. The other was still heading for Demi. HE sped up quickly and . . .
Demi's POV
I was soaring straight towards the snitch. Nearly there, nearly there. We're fifty points up, I've got to get it now. Please Merlin, just this once, just this once. I see the golden ball right in front of me. I reach forward and my hand closes on it. I hear the screams of dozens of Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs in the stands. I can see Sirius' hair from the corner of my eye.
"Bludger-behind. No-bat" he says quickly.
I understand immediately and with one swift motion, I push him aside. I close my eyes. I feel something hard hit my back, and I go flying forward. My broom spins out from underneath me and I hit the ground, face forward, and very hard.
A minute goes by and I open my eyes. Their clotted with mud but I can make out a huge red and gold blur moving towards me. I get ready for the huge group hug I'm about to get, but just as they get close I hear Sirius' voice.
"No, wait. Don't touch her yet," he orders. Even Andrew stops just feet short of where I am laying. I hear light footsteps coming towards me and I see Sirius.
"Does it hurt?" he asks, his face filled with concern.
"No, just a dull throb, like a bruise" I reply. "Help me up," I say.
"No, keep lying down," he replies.
"No, help me up now, or I will find your bat and beat you over the head with it" I growl.
"Fine, have it your way then," he smiles, offering a hand.
I lift mine up and he grasps it tightly. I one swift motion he pulls me up and throws his right arm around my waist and places my left arm over his shoulders.
I look at the crowd standing feet away from me. I see someone moving and the crowd spits out Lily, Frank, James, Peter, Remus, Kiaria, and Alice. They rush forward and give me a hug. Then the crowd moves in, and the screaming resumes.
"We won" I mumble.
"You won, love" Sirius whispers into my ear.
Two weeks had passed. As did the euphoria from the last quidditch match. Sirius and Demi were finally friends again, but with one slight twist.
"So you wouldn't ever go out with me?" Sirius asked once more.
"Well, you are my brother's best mate, and one of my closest friends. I don't think it would ever work out properly," Demi replied.
"What if I was the last man on earth?" asked Sirius.
"You sound like James," she replied, laughing. The two entered the Defence against the Dark Class, and the smiles were wiped off their faces.
"Ah, how nice of you two to finally join us" said Professor Pavor. He turned back to the projection on the screen, as the pair made their way to their seats. Demi sat next to Remus, while Sirius sat behind her next to James.
"What did we miss?" asked Demi. Remus didn't respond. She gave him a quick glance and knew instantly that something was wrong. Remus was pale as a Hogwarts ghost, with a slight greenish tinge to his complexion. There was a slight crease between his eyebrows, which made Demi certain that he was stressed out about something. She turned back to the board.
"- is how you should kill a werewolf. Now, it is not only wizards who need to be wary of werewolves, but muggles as well. The muggle belief is that werewolves can be killed when shot with a silver bullet, that is placed in a gun." He switched to the next slide which depicted a pure silver caliber, with silver ammunition next to it. "Although muggles are extremely ill prepared for such attacks, and a majority die due to the injuries they have sustained, some of them manage to survive and become a werewolf just as a wizard or witch would if they were bitten. Now the difference here is that the muggle would have to be hunted down, as they would be hard to trust with such a large secret. I mean, which one of us hasn't heard of the witch burnings that occurred some several hundred years ago?"
Everyone in the class remained quiet. Even the Slytherins were not used to such extreme measures being placed upon a certain breed.
"Now, I understand that it is the middle of the school year and that the last thing you would want to talk about are your exams, but I have some good news. The exam for this class will be a project. You will each be given a specific field of magic such as Transfiguration or Potions and you must relate what those fields have to how they may protect or even endanger a wizard when a werewolf is near. The only thing I ask you to do as of this moment is to choose your partners and then I will assign you a topic of interest. That is the end of the lesson so far, class dismissed."
The bell rang and the students filed out of the class, each of them not daring to whisper a word. They dropped off their stuff at the Gryffindor tower before heading down to the Great Hall.
"He's mad," said Demi, with a sort of final tone in her voice.
"What's his problem with werewolves? I mean that's all we've been learning about isn't it?" said Kiaria.
"Maybe he's got some sort of prejudice against werewolves," said Demi, as she filled her plate up with salad.
"Mayb if wy gtta wewof he cu chg hiz mid" said Sirius, his mouth full with chicken.
"I beg your pardon?" said Demi, who was now used to her friend's behavior, where food was concerned.
"I said 'maybe if we get a werewolf, he could change his mind'."
"Yeah, because werewolves just fall from the sky," said Frank sarcastically.
Sirius, James, and Remus exchanged looks, while Peter was oblivious to the problem.
"Well, look on the bright side, at least we're done school for the next three weeks" said James.
"Are you staying here for the break or going back home?" asked Peter.
"Home. You lot?" asked James.
"Home" replied Demi, Lily, Alice, Frank, Peter, and Kiaria.
"Sirius, you're coming with me. Oh, and Remus, you can join us whenever you want, so can the rest of you" said James. "Especially you, Evans."
"Do you live in a mansion?" asked Lily, amused.
"Something of the sort," said James absentmindedly.
"Wow," she muttered, turning back to her chicken.
Sirius gave James a wink, while Demi sighed at Lily's response.
The train station was packed with students. The hustle and bustle made it feel as though the school year was ending. The Gryffindors made their way to an empty compartment while Lily and Severus passed on the girls offer to stay with them. Lily knew well enough that Severus would be bullied constantly by James, Peter, and Sirius.
"So, what exactly do you lot plan on doing over the break?' asked Demi.
"Well, my mum told me that Molly and Arthur Weasley just had their first child," said Alice, "so we're going to visit them."
"Aww, boy or girl?" asked Kiaria, while the boys mouthed gagging.
"Boy" said Alice, "I dunno the name."
"Babies are so boring," said James, leaning back and closing his eyes.
"You were a baby once" said Demi.
"Yeah, but I was probably an awesome baby. My mum and dad have photos of me from when I was a baby. I had amazing flying skills even then," he said with pride. "What about you, Sirius?"
Sirius, who'd been gazing out of the window turned back to the conversation and said, " I think we might have a couple of me, from when I was a kid, but my parents were more into portraits, than photos" he said.
"They get portraits made?" said Peter, who was shocked. "They still make those?" he asked looking around the compartment.
"Yes, you idiot. They still make 'em" Sirius sighed.
"My mum and dad have a whole album full of photos of me. We take family ones every year," said Kiaira.
"Same with me" said Alice and Frank.
Just then the compartment door slid open, "anything from the trolley dears?" asked the trolley witch.
Everyone shook their heads as she shut the door and moved on.
"Now that is the opposite of my mum" said Sirius.
"Does she know you're staying with us?" asked James.
"Nope, she doesn't really care where I am," he said. Noticing James was still slightly hesitant he added, "don't worry, she won't show up at your house anyway. I don't think she's ever been outside of our house since I was born, except for when we go to diagon alley or visit family. She has no idea what the outside world looks like. Says she doesn't want to, the muggles are everywhere."
"Don't you ever think she's a bit paranoid?" asked Demi.
"No, she's always been a bit batty" he replied sardonically.
The ride went on and after being yelled at by five different prefects and both the Head boy and girl did the group stop playing exploding snap. It didn't help that they managed to fry off the Head Girl's eyebrows. Demi, Sirius, and James found it difficult to take her seriously.
The train pulled into Kings Cross at 2 o clock and the group said their goodbyes. James' parents were waiting at the barrier.
"You can tell us all about school when we get home. Quick grab my arm," said his father. James, Demi, and Sirius grabs ahold tightly and, in one stomach wrenching moment, they were on the doorstep of Potter Manor.
"'Quickly" said Mrs. Potter as she ushered the three kids inside.
She locked the door and tapped it with her wand. Turning around she smiled at the bewildered children, "how was school?" she asked.
"Mum, what's going on?" asked James.