Tim Lockwood was everything that Sirius Black was not.
While Sirius would be the boy to date if one wanted to anger her parents, Tim would be the boy to win over parents. Tim was the boy every little girl dreamed of marrying one day.
Unlike Sirius, Tim had never goten a detention – nor had he ever broken a school rule. Tim was a Hufflepuff prefect and probably would've been Head Boy had Prongs not been chosen in his stead.
Tim Lockwood was charming and respectful. He pulled out chairs for girls and opened doors for them. He was a gentleman.
Tim never hurt anyone; he was always kind. He was nothing like Sirius Black.
Sirius wondered if that was what Victoria liked about Tim.
Sirius walked into the common room one October morning to see Crooks sitting on one of the couches. Smiling to himself, he hopped over the back of the couch and landed in the spot next to her.
"Are you going to Hogsmeade with this weekend, Crooks?" he asked nonchalantly
"Tim and I are going together, Snuffles." she replied as a small smile graced his features.
He was blindsided. "Lockwood? Tim Lockwood, that git?"
"I don't see anything wrong with him." she said, scrunching her eyebrows as she turned to look at him.
"That's the problem." Sirius stressed as his stomach twisted. "He's…he's clean! No mischief, no excitement! No trouble!" he said as if it was the worst thing in the world. "He's...he's…" 'He's not me'—but Sirius could not say that to her.
"Maybe I've had enough trouble for awhile." she shrugged. Lily called her over then, leaving Sirius to watch her go with the hope burning in his chest that she could never have enough trouble for where there was trouble he was sure to be around.
Sirius did not think straight when it came to Victoria—usually he did not think at all. Thus, the only thing on his mind was preventing the date at all costs. The thought that Crooks may have actually wanted to go on the date was not a possibility in his mind.
On the morning of, Sirius found Lockwood and put his ill-devised plan into action.
"Hey Lockwood." he called, seeing the Hufflepuff boy in the corridor.
"Yeah, Black?" the tall boy asked amiably.
"Got a message from Victoria. She's ill. Can't make it to Hogsmeade today."
"Oh." Tim looked disappointed; Sirius' stomach churned guiltily, but he shrugged it off.
"Tell her I hope she feels better soon, alright?"
"Alright," Sirius agreed, but he was already zooming away.
His plan had seemed brilliant when scheming. His goal was to get Crooks away from Lockwood. All he planned to do was tell Tim the date was cancelled. When Crooks went to met him, Tim wouldn't be there. Crooks would realize Tim wasn't worth her time and hang out with Sirius instead. The plan was perfect—in Sirius' mind.
They heard the portrait hole open and in she walked with her head down.
"How'd it go, Vick?" Prongs called out.
"He didn't show." she muttered.
His heart constricted at the sound of her voice. She was sad. That didn't make sense.
"She liked him." Prongs muttered as he turned back toward his friends.
"Why?" Sirius asked; his eyes were fixed on her retreating figure.
"Dunno. She was just really excited about the date." Prongs muttered. "I say we get back at the git that hurt her."
Sirius did not think she had actually liked Tim. He didn't want to believe it was true. He never wanted to hurt her and that was exactly what he had done. Sirius had to make it right.
"I told Lockwood she was sick." Sirius admitted once the four were alone that night in the common room.
Moony looked up at him curiously. "What do you mean Padfoot?"
"I told Lockwood their date was canceled so that he wouldn't show."
"Can't believe you, Padfoot." Prongs muttered.
"What do you want from me, Prongs? You know how I feel about—"
"If you cared about her, you wouldn't have hurt her like this!" Moony said in exasperation.
"Now she's heartbroken." Prongs added.
"She's not heart-broken, she's just…a little hurt." he tried to reason.
"A little? The guy she really liked just stood her up!"
"He's not right for her!" Padfoot defended.
"And you are?"
"No! I know I don't deserve her! That's why I've suffered as her friend for six years! I don't deserve her—that fact is thrown in my face every time I see her. I couldn't take the pain of watching her with him because if anyone deserved her, it would be Tim. He deserves her but I care about her more! I know I do!"
"Maybe you care for her more, Padfoot," Moony said slowly, "but Tim would never hurt her like you did today."
Sirius only watched in silence as his friends left him to stew in his own shame.
Sirius knew he had to repair the damage he had created, even if it meant losing Crooks to someone else. The following day, in between classes, Sirius found Tim again.
"Lockwood."
"Hey Black. What's—"
"Look, I…lied to you." the Gryffindor admitted with a sheepish ruffle of his black locks.
"About what?" the sandy haired Hufflepuff asked good-naturedly as he shifted the bag on his shoulder.
"About Vic. She wasn't sick. She thinks you stood her up."
The boy looked stricken. "Why—"
"Don't ask why. I'm just trying to make it right."
"Well…how?"
"Well…look, tell her that you happened upon me pranking someone and that you tried to stop me so I…stupefied you. Tell her you missed your date because you were unconscious in the hospital wing. Blame it all on me." Sirius insisted.
Sirius knew, as he left Lockwood that night, that Crooks would be furious with him when she found out. He could not tell her the truth. If Lockwood told Crooks why he really didn't show, she would demand an explanation for his actions and he couldn't tell her the truth. He could not tell her that he ruined his date because of his feelings for her.
"What the hell is wrong with you?"
She was mad. Actually, she was more than mad. She was furious. At him. Every ounce of rage in her body was aimed at him. Her red curls were jiggling with her anger.
"Crooks—"
"You cursed him because he caught you doing some stupid prank? What is your problem?"
"Victoria—"
"Honestly, you knew! You knew how much I liked him. You knew how important that date was to me. You let me believe he stood me up when you knew where he was! God!" she shook her head as she trembled with anger. "Is no one is allowed to be happy if you aren't? I'm sorry if the hordes of girls you cycle through every month aren't enough for you! You just had to wreck my date. I honestly don't know why I bother with you—"
"If I'm not worth it, why are you wasting your time yelling at me when you could be off snogging Lockwood?" he shouted in return.
"Sometimes, I wonder if you're even worth the trouble it is to be friends with you."
She hissed as she turned to go.
And in his anger at losing her, he shouted at her retreating back: "Trust me, I'm not!"