"We all bleed the same
We're more beautiful when we come together
We all bleed the same
So tell me why, tell me why
We're divided
If we're gonna fight
Let's fight for each other
If we're gonna shout
Let love be the cry
We all bleed the same
So tell me why, tell me why
We're divided"

- "Bleed the Same" by Mandisa

Chapter 4

"Hello, Alice!" Sirius said cheerfully as soon as she entered the Gryffindor common room.

Alice smiled brightly at him, happy to see her friend. "Good morning, Sirius. How did you sleep?"

Sirius strolled over to her. He appeared very relaxed and at ease, much more so than when she had seen him at his house. "Very well, thanks. I love it here. How about you?"

Alice shrugged. "I slept alright, I suppose."

Sirius nodded in understanding. "It can take some time to get used to a new bed. You'll be fine."

Alice smiled slightly. "You're probably right. I'm not worried."

Sirius grinned. "Good. Now, how about I give you a tour of the castle? I'll take you to all the places you need to know."

Alice felt her heart lift at the offer. That was very thoughtful of him. She knew he would probably want to spend time with his friends he hadn't seen since last year, so she was grateful he was thinking about her. "Isn't this a big place?"

"Sure, but we've got all day. What do you say?"

Alice gave him a bright, genuine smile. Spending time with him sounded a lot better than wandering around alone. "Yes. Let's do it."

Sirius' face lit up at her answer. "Alright! Come on!" He grabbed her hand and energetically pulled her towards the exit to the Gryffindor common room.

The two of them proceeded to explore Hogwarts. Sirius chatted enthusiastically along the way, telling Alice stories of his time in the school. Alice found herself thoroughly entertained. They had only covered half the table when they ran into James.

"Sirius!" James said brightly. "I have a job for you. Oh, hi, Alice."

Alice gave him a polite smile. "Hello, James."

"Hey," said Sirius. "I can't right now. I'm giving Alice a tour."

"This really can't wait," said James.

"It's alright," said Alice. "You can go with him."

Sirius looked at her with uncertainty. "Are you sure? I don't want to leave you alone."

Alice nodded. "I'll be fine."

Sirius hesitated. He turned away from her and scanned the corridor. His eyes lit up when he spotted something. "Hey, Lily!" He ran over to the girl and grabbed her arm as she walked past.

"What do you want?" Lily said in a guarded tone.

"I have to go do something. Will you show Alice around?" Sirius motioned to Alice, who now stood by his side.

Lily's expression softened when she saw the other girl. "Of course. I'll take good care of her."

Sirius grinned. "Thanks!" He clasped Alice on the shoulder. "I'll see you later, Alice." Then he ran off to join James.

Alice smiled as she watched him go. After a moment, she turned her attention to Lily. "I'm sorry about that. He's just trying to look after me. You don't have to stick around."

Lily shook her head. "That's surprisingly sweet of him. And I don't mind. I'd be happy to give you a tour."

Alice gave her a warm smile. "Great. I have half the castle to go."

Lily gave her a bright smile in return. "Then let's get going. I'll show you the half you missed." Alice happily walked beside her, glad to not be alone.

The two girls enjoyed their time together. Lily told Alice things that Sirius would never consider. The tour of the school was cool too. At some point, Alice became distracted when she saw someone familiar pass them by.

"Give me a minute," she said to her companion. "I'll be right back." Then she ran after the boy and placed a hand on his shoulder to stop him. "Regulus!"

The boy turned around and regarded her with a cool expression. "Alice," he said flatly.

Alice ignored his cold attitude and smiled at him. "How are you doing?"

"Fine."

"Do you like Hogwarts?"

"Yes."

"Do you want to-"

Regulus gave her a sharp look. "You're bothering me."

Alice appeared startled. "I'm just trying to be your friend."

"Stop. You don't want to be my friend."

Alice frowned. "Yes, I do."

"No, you don't. If you are friends with Sirius, then you don't want to be friends with me."

Alice understood his logic, but it was wrong in her case. "Actually, I can get along with all sorts of people. I'm sure I'll like you just fine."

Regulus narrowed his eyes at her. "Go back to Sirius. You don't want to be friends with someone like me."

"Why not?"

"It's better if you don't know." Then Regulus turned and walked away, leaving Alice to give a defeated sigh. Still, she noted he didn't say that he didn't like her. That would have made her back off. That told her he was probably protecting himself, which only made him more interesting to her.

"Who was that?" Lily asked as she approached the other girl.

"Regulus Black," said Alice. "Sirius' younger brother."

"He didn't look too happy to see you."

"He's like that with everyone."

"Then why were you talking to him?" Lily sounded curious, not judgmental.

Alice hesitated before deciding she could trust her. "Sirius wants me to try to help him. Regulus isn't like his brother. He believes the pure-blood supremacy nonsense their parents taught them. But Sirius thinks he's still a good kid and that there's a chance I can get through to him."

Lily nodded in understanding. "Well, you may have a hard time getting him to open up if you hang around me."

Alice furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"I know how he probably feels about me. I'm a muggle-born."

Alice got it. She did not even have to think about what to do. "It's alright. If I'm going to try to help him get over his prejudices, I don't want to start by lying to him. He'll have to accept our friendship."

Lily smiled at her. "That's a good way of thinking about it." She suddenly appeared thoughtful. "You know I think it's great what you're trying to do for him. It can be easy to lose yourself in a quest like that, though. If you ever need advice or an object opinion, you can come talk to me."

Alice looked at her in surprise. "Really? You'd help me with a prejudiced pure-blood?"

Lily nodded. "Of course. He learned his prejudices from his parents. Sirius not-withstanding, that's how it normally works. It's not his fault."

Alice's eyes widened. "Y-Yeah. Exactly. That's what I'm always saying, but no one else seems to care to do something about it."

"It's not always easy for everyone to do something. It would be too risky for me personally. But you're a pure-blood, so you may actually be able to make some inroads with Regulus. How can I not support that?"

Alice smiled warmly at her. "Merci. I would love to have your support." She was definitely not used to it. Most people brushed off her concerns. She was happy that Lily was different. Now she was really glad that she came to Hogwarts.

Alice appreciated that she arrived at Hogwarts on Friday, giving her the weekend to become accustomed to her new surroundings. She hung out with Sirius and his friends on Saturday afternoon. Then she spent time with Lily on Sunday morning.

They were wandering around the courtyard when Lily sudden came to a halt and tensed. Alice stopped beside her and looked at her with a frown. "What's wrong?" she asked in concern.

Lily hesitated. "It's just..."

Alice followed her gaze across the courtyard. She stiffened when she saw Sirius and his friends facing off against a boy with long, black hair. She was too far away to tell what exactly they were doing or saying, but it was clear that they were antagonizing the boy. She felt her heart sink. "What's going on?"

Lily let out a heavy sigh. "I suppose you would have to find out sooner or later. Those guys... They're quite the pranksters around here."

Alice nodded. "Yeah, I could see that."

"And sometimes... their pranks cross the line into outright bullying, especially when they target Slytherin students like him."

Alice felt a wave of disbelief. "They... what?" Sirius had been so nice to her. How could he resort to this?"

Lily gave her a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry. I can-"

Alice's eyes narrowed as she watched the boys, anger taking over everything else. "I'll take care of it."

Lily's eyes widened in surprise. "Huh?"

Alive stormed over to the group of Gryffindors, her eyes narrowed. "Hey!" she shouted at them. "What do you think you're doing?"

Sirius brightened when he saw her. "Hey, Alice! Come to join in the fun?"

Alice glanced at the Slytherin boy, noting that he looked like he was having anything but fun. She moved to stand in front of him so the other guys couldn't get to him. "This is not fun. You're bothering him. Cut it out."

"Ah, come on," said James. "You didn't even see what happened. It was funny."

"No, it wasn't," Lily snapped, coming to stand beside Alice. "Cut it out. Now."

"Yeah, back off," said Alice.

Sirius appeared puzzled as he looked at Alice. Then he shook his. "Yeah, this isn't fun anymore. Let's go, guys." He turned away, leading the others off.

Alice let out a sigh before turning to Lily and the Slytherin boy. "I'm sorry about that," she said to the boy.

"You didn't have to intervene," the boy muttered, looking away.

"Yes, I did. It doesn't matter if you're grateful or not. I couldn't let those guys go around thinking they can do that to people."

"It won't make a difference."

Alice frowned. "That's awfully pessimistic."

The boy gave her a funny look. "Who are you, anyway?"

"This is Alice," Lily said helpfully. "She's the new second year student from France. Alice, this is my friend, Severus."

Alice looked between the two curiously. A Gryffindor and Slytherin were friends? According to Sirius, that wasn't supposed to happen. She liked the thought of it. She gave Severus a warm smile. "It's nice to meet you." Severus made a sound of acknowledgment.

"I think it's really great that you stepped in."

Alice nodded. "I'll talk to Sirius about it and see if I can figure out what's going on."

"Are you friends with him or something?" Severus asked, looking like he did not approve.

"Yeah, we're friends."

"Already? You've only been here two days."

"I met him before I came to Hogwarts. My family stayed with his to help me get situated in this country."

A flicker of curiosity cross Severus' face. "Did you families know each other?"

Alice shook her head. "In name only. We met because we're both pure-bloods, and... Our families are looking for a good match."

Severus' eyebrows lifted slightly. "Match? As in... marriage?"

"An arranged marriage?" said Lily.

Alice nodded. "Yes, although my parents would never force me to marry someone I did not want to. They were set up by their families, but they married because they actually fell in love."

"What if you fall in love with someone who is not pure-blood?" Severus asked.

Alice responded without hesitation. "If he is in love with me too, then we will eventually marry no matter what anyone else says."

Severus frowned. "You would go against society like that?"

Lily smiled. "That sounds romantic."

"That sounds naive."

Lily rolled her eyes. "You're such a boy."

"It's not just about the romance," said Alice. "It's about love. The kind of love that makes you take risks and sacrifice for someone. If you can find someone who is willing to always be there for you and would do anything for you, why would something like blood matter? If you can find that type of love, whether it's romantic, familial, or something else, I don't think you should ever let it go."

Lily smiled and nodded approvingly. "I agree. Real love is worth fighting for."

Severus scoffed. "You're such silly girls."

"And you're a silly boy," said Alice. She and Lily looked at each other and laughed.

Alice found Sirius waiting for her in the Gryffindor common room when she returned for the night. He had an unusually serious expression on his face. She stopped in front of him, feeling uncertain about this encounter.

"Hey," Sirius said softly. "I think we should talk."

Alice nodded. "I think we should."

Sirius led her over to a secluded corner where they could not be overheard. Then he wrung his hands and spoke quietly. "Listen, what happened earlier... we were just having some fun."

Alice's eyes narrowed slightly. "Lily told me all about your 'fun.' She said you go way overboard, especially with the Slytherins."

"They deserve it!"

"And why is that?"

"They're all no good!"

Alice felt a wave of disappointment wash over her, and her shoulders slumped. It seemed his prejudice was deep-rooted. She had initially thought he was different from everyone else, but he simply chose not to adopt his family's prejudices. He still had his own just like everyone else. She could not be made at him for it. In group/out group dynamics were part of being human. She was the one who was weird.

Sirius frowned when he saw her expression. "What's wrong?"

Alice held in a sigh. "All Slytherins are no good? What about your brother?"

Sirius opened his mouth to respond but then closed it again. Shame crossed his face for a second, but then he quickly hid it under a confident look. "He's different. You know it's our parents' faults he's like that. He wouldn't have been sorted into Slytherin if we were in a normal family."

Alice raised her eyebrows in disbelief. Sirius thought that Regulus' Slytherin traits were problematic? No wonder he could not get through to his brother. "Please never say that to him. You'll just make things worse. Let me handle him."

Sirius held his hands up in defense. "Okay, okay. You're the expert. We're not going to bother him anyway. We target the Slytherins like Snape who are interested in the dark arts."

Alice was relieved that he had at least somewhat of a rational basis for his actions. "Now curiosity is a crime?"

Sirius crossed his arms. "They'll eventually start practicing."

"That's a reasonable concern, but do you really believe you can bully them into losing interest?"

Sirius shook his head. "That's not why we do it. We know nothing will get them to change their minds."

"Yet, you think Regulus will?"

"I told you, he's different!"

"You think other Slytherins don't have horrible families?"

"Not like ours. Besides, Snape is a half-blood. He doesn't have to deal with pure-blood crap at home, so he has no excuse."

"And yet he is friends with Lily, who is a muggle-born."

Sirius scoffed. "For now."

Alice let out a heavy sigh. This wasn't working. "Sirius, everyone has their own reasons for being the way they are. You're only sympathetic to Regulus because you understand where he's coming from, and you're biased because he's your brother. If he deserves a chance, so does everyone else. You don't know everyone else's stories, so you can't judge them. Bullying them is only going to push them further into their destructive habits. If you want less dark magic in the world, you should trying doing something to dissuade those drawn to it."

Sirius rolled his eyes. "I suppose you think you can change them."

Alice shook her head. "No, I can't change anyone. People have to change themselves. What I can do is offer them support and guidance. Everyone thinks they are on the right path, but others can influence them and show them that their is a better path. They still have to make the choice themselves, but some aren't able to see there's a choice without any help."

"Well, I think it's a waste of time. You won't get anywhere with them. I don't know how you could stand being around people like that."

"The same way I handle being being around you."

Sirius' eyes widened in shock. "What are you talking about? I'm nothing like them!"

"You're not like them, but you have faults I don't like. I hate the way you treat Slytherins and think you're way too prejudiced against them. I'm sure other things will come up that will bother me as well. But you have positive traits that I really love, so I'll remain your friends despite the parts I don't like."

Sirius' expression softened, and he looked almost grateful. "Oh. Thank you. I'll still be friends with you even though I think you're too soft on Slytherins."

Alice had not realized she was worried about being rejected until she felt a rush of relief. She gave him a small smile. "Really? I'm going to call you out if I see you acting like that again."

Sirius grinned. "As long as you don't leave me, that's fine with me. I know your heart's in the right place, so I'll deal with it."

Alice nodded. "And I know you think you're doing the right thing too. Maybe one day we'll figure out who's right."

"That's the spirit!"

Alice smiled and moved in to hug him, which he happily reciprocated. She relaxed in his arms, feeling happy that she found a friend who accepted her despite her differences.

Alice survived her first day of classes. She could tell that Hogwarts was at a different place than her old school, but she was certain she would catch up quickly. She switched off between sitting with Sirius and Lily throughout the day. She found she was able to pay attention a lot more when she was with the latter, which was not a huge surprise.

"So, I see you worked things out with Sirius," Lily said as the girls exited their last class for the day.

Alice nodded. "Yes, we talked about what happened. He's certain what he's doing is right, and I'm certain he's wrong. We're not going to let it affect our friendship. We'll focus on the good we appreciate in each other."

Lily gave her a small smile. "That's good."

"You don't see anything wrong with it?"

"Not at all. As long as he treats you right and you enjoy being with him, I say go for it."

Alice grinned at her. She was glad to have such an understanding friend. "Merci."

"Besides, you did get him to back off yesterday. Maybe you'll be a good influence on him, right?"

Alice nodded. "Yes, hopefully."

"Alice!" someone shouted down the corridor. She turned her head to see Sirius running towards her with a huge grin. "Let's go running!"

Alice looked at him with a startled expression. "Pardon me?"

"You said you like to run, right?"

"Yes..."

Sirius smiled brightly. "Come with me! I'll show you all the great spots outside to run!"

Alice looked at Lily, who chuckled softly and said, "Go on."

Alice smiled as she turned to Sirius. "Alright, show me." She laughed when Sirius grabbed her hand and dragged her away. She had a feeling everything was going to be alright.