"Cross my heart and hope to die
I will never tell a lie
I will not run away
I'll go ahead and say
We're not just two of a kind
We're friends for life
Friends for life
Friends for life"

- "Friends for Life" from Fox and the Hound 2

Chapter 6

On the second Monday of October, Alice finally received the package from her parents she had been expecting. She brought the contents with her to lunch and immediately walked over to the Slytherin table. Regulus did not appear surprised to see her, simply looking up at her with a blank expression.

"Alice," he said, "what do you want this time?"

"I have something for you to try," Alice said in a bright tone. Then she proceeded to place a piece of cake on the table in front of him.

Regulus' eyes flickered to the cake and then back to her. "I told you I don't like sweets."

"But this isn't that sweet. Sure, it's chocolate, but it's dark chocolate. Plus, the sponge cake is soaked in coffee, and the bitterness balances out the sweetness." Alice smiled proudly as she looked at the cake. It was a fairly sophisticated dessert, which she hoped would appeal to him.

Regulus sighed. "Fine. I'll give it a try." He cut off a corner of the cake with his fork. Alice watched eagerly as he ate the cake, his expression unchanging.

"Well, what do you think?"

Regulus glanced at her. "It's good. Thank you for sharing it with me." He proceeded to take another bite.

Alice's entire face lit up with happiness. She had done it! She had found something he liked. She grinned widely at him. "You're welcome! So, do you want to be my friend now?"

Regulus responded without looking at her. "No."

Alice's grin faded. "Why not? I've shown genuine interest in you."

"No, you haven't. I know you're just doing this because of Sirius, not me."

Alice frowned as she thought about his. It was partly true. "Maybe Sirius did ask me to talk to you, but that's only because he cares about you. He's worried."

Regulus shook his head. "I'm fine. I don't need your pity."

"It's not pity!"

He look straight at her with a serious expression. "Then tell me one thing you like about me." She opened her mouth to respond but then closed it again. He scoffed and looked away. "I thought so."

Alice stared at him for several long moments. Then she spoke quietly. "I think you're kind."

Regulus looked at her again, the surprise evident on his face. "Kind? Why would you say that?"

"You helped me get across the lake."

"I was repaying you."

"You have a sense of justice. That's another thing I like about you. But I do think you're kind." Alice paused as she tried to put what her intuition told her into words. "I can't really explain how I know it. I just know it's there. I can tell that you put on an act for everyone. You pretend like nothing bothers you and act like you're supposed to, but I can tell there's much more beyond the surface. I am sure you have a reason for hiding, so you don't have to tell me anything. Just know that I see at least a little of who you are. I see your kindness."

Regulus stared at her long and hard, his expression now unreadable. After several moments of silence, he spoke in an even tone, "I suppose we can be... friendly. But we're not friends."

Alice brightened. "Great!" It was a start.

Alice felt more at ease after she made some progress with Regulus. She told Lily all about it, of course. She was grateful to receive her friend's support. The two of them were walking around the courtyard a week later when she spotted Sirius and James over by a tree. Sirius brightened when he saw her and started running in her direction.

"Hey, Alice!" he said happily once he arrived at her side. "Do you want to go running?"

Alice chuckled softly, amused at how he got straight to the point. "Well, I am kind of talking to Lily."

"It's alright," Lily said. "You can go running with him if you want to."

Alice looked past Sirius to James, who was walking over to them. "Aren't you busy, too?"

"Nah, he'll be fine," said Sirius, glancing at his friend. "Isn't that right?"

"What's that?" said James.

"I'm going to take Sirius for a walk," said Alice.

James grinned. "Okay. Just make sure to not keep him out too late."

Alice nodded. "Don't worry. I'll bring him back safe and sound."

"You make it sound like he's a pet," said Lily.

Alice looked at Sirius with a smirk. "Well, it is a puppy." She playfully ruffled his hair.

"Hey!" Sirius exclaimed, ducking away from her. "Don't mess with the hair." His grin told her that he was not actually mad.

James chuckled softly. "Have fun, you two."

"We will," said Alice.

"I'll race you!" Sirius said suddenly before taking off. Alice laughed as she ran after him.

The two of them ran for awhile, enjoying the fresh air. The weather was starting to get chilly this time of year, but Alice did not mind. She loved running and spending time with her friend. Eventually, they tired and found a tree near the Black Lake, settling under it. For awhile, they enjoyed casual chatter. Then Alice decided to speak what was on her mind.

"Sirius?" she began in a hesitant voice. "Can I ask you something that might be a bit sensitive?"

Sirius beamed down at her. "Of course. You can ask me anything."

"Do you mind... telling me about your family? I want to know what it's like at home for you."

Sirius' smile instantly fell, and a guarded expression cross his face. "Why do you want to know that?"

Alice expected his response. He never talked about his family or his own problems. She made sure the compassion shone in her eyes as she gazed at him. "Because you're my friend, and I care about you."

"I don't want to burden you."

"But you wouldn't be burdening me. I would be happy to listen to you. Come on, Sirius. You're always listening to me and offering me advice. I want to be there for you too. I don't want to feel useless."

Sirius' expression softened, and he placed a hand on her shoulder. "You're far from useless, Alice. You make me feel better just by being my friend."

Alice smiled slightly, happy that he thought that way. "That's good to hear, but it's not enough. I want to know more about you. I want to know you trust me the way I trust you. I want our relationship to be equal."

Sirius let out a heavy sigh. "Fine, I'll tell you a little bit, alright? But I'll spare you the details."

Alice felt a wave of relief wash over her. "Thanks, Sirius. That's fine with me."

So, Sirius started talking. He told her all about growing up with his strict parents. It was worse than Alice thought. If he was physically - or magically - abused, he left that part out, but he had definitely been through a lot of emotional trauma. She was glad he spared her the details.

Halfway through, she wrapped an arm around him and leaned against him to give him comfort. He responded by slipping his arm around her in return and pulling her closer to him. Once he stopped, she gazed up at him with empathy in her eyes. "I'm sorry, Sirius," she said softly. "No one should have to go through that."

Sirius nodded, his expression somber. "Thank. It is tough, but it's all I've ever known. Plus, it's not so bad now that I'm at Hogwarts. This is my home. You and my other friends are my real family."

Alice felt a rush of warmth at his words. He made it sound like he relied on her after all. "I'll always be here for you. You know that, right? I'll never let you be alone."

Sirius grinned and squeezed her side. "Thanks, Alice. I'll always be here for you, too. We'll be friends forever."

Alice smiled, liking the thought of that. "Yeah, forever." She leaned her head on his shoulder and he rested her head on top of hers. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the moment.

A few days later, something strange happened. Alice was sitting with Lily during lunch when she noticed someone approached. She looked up to see Regulus standing by her table with his usual stoic expression. She was surprised but gave him a friendly smile.

"Hello, Regulus," she said cheerfully. "How are you doing?"

"I'm fine," he replied.

"Hello there," said Lily.

Alice looked from Regulus to Lily and back again. "Regulus, this is my friend, Lily."

Regulus gave Lily a curt nod. "Nice to meet you."

Lily smiled warmly at him. "You too."

Alice looked at the boy curiously. "Do you need something? You can sit down if you want."

Regulus shook his head. "I only came here to give you this." He held out a rectangular object. She took it and looked at it to see that it was a bar of expensive looking chocolate.

"Oh, thank you." She looked up again, but he was gone. "That was strange."

"He gave you chocolate?" Lily said quizzically.

"Yeah... The good kind."

"What's going on?" Sirius said suddenly as he sat down next to Alice. "Reggie gave you a treat?"

Alice nodded and showed him the chocolate. "What do you think that was about?"

"Maybe he was just being nice because you were nice to him," said Lily.

"That could be it," said Sirius. "He did help you out across the lake to repay you for helping him at home. He may think he needs to keep the relationship equal or something."

Alice frowned as she thought about it. "But friendship shouldn't be about keeping score."

"It's a start, though," said Lily. "It means you actually have a relationship. He's paying attention to you. Maybe eventually you can show him that friendship is about more."

"I... guess so."

Sirius slapped his hand on his shoulder. "You can do it, Alice. You've already had more success than me. I believe in you."

Alice gave him a small smile. "Thanks." She just hoped his faith was well-placed.

So, Alice kept up her efforts with Regulus as the months passed. She found not too sweet sweets and little trinkets to give him, and he would always give her something back. He talked to her sometimes, though it was never about anything deep. She was not too discouraged. She figured this would take a long time, and she had made some progress. Perhaps once he matured a bit, so could their relationship.

It was the beginning of April when Lily nudged her and showed her that Regulus was sitting at the same table as them in the library, albeit in the furthest corner. Alice noticed him looking at her, but when she looked back, he quickly turned his head away. She chuckled softly in amusement.

"I think he likes you," Lily said too quietly for him to hear.

Alice smiled slightly, liking that thought. "Maybe, but he still won't spend time with me other than having a brief conversation."

Lily shrugged. "Perhaps it takes a long time for him to open up to people. He softens around you, though, so I know he likes you." Her eyes fell on the bag of chips between them. "Try offering him a snack."

Alice looked at the bag of chips, then Regulus, then Lily. "I don't know if he'll like that, but I can try." She glanced at the Slytherin boy once more. "Hey, Regulus! Do you want some chips?" When he looked up at her, she slid the bag of chips over to him.

Regulus appeared surprised, but he reached out to take a chip. He carefully examined the food before taking a bite. "Thanks." He turned his attention to the chips, ignoring her.

"See?" said Lily. "He likes you."

Alice titled her head to the side, watching him. "Maybe."

The conversation ended there. She wondered how he would find a way to repay her. She found out that weekend. She was sitting against a tree outside reading a book when Regulus approached her. She noticed the shadow on her book and looked up to give him a smile.

"Hello, Regulus," said said.

"Hi, Alice," he said quietly. He held out something long and thin. "This is for you."

She took the object from him, realizing it was a bookmark. "Thanks." He nodded and then left. Upon closer examination, she realized the bookmark was made from several pressed flowers. She smiled softly. She bet he did it himself.

That evening, Alice met up with Sirius at the astronomy tower. Since it was now spring, she wanted to gaze at the stars with him. He was already waiting for her when she arrived. He grinned and pushed himself off from the railing. "Hey, Alice," he said happily. "Glad you could make it."

Alice smiled as she approached him. "Hey, Sirius. How are you doing?"

"Pretty good. What about you?"

"I'm great!"

Sirius' grin widened. "Excellent! Are you ready to look at the stars? It's a clear night! And it's not too cold."

Alice nodded. "I bet I can find your star quickly!"

He chuckled lightly. "That's no challenge. Sirius is the brightest star in the sky."

Alice ignored him and searched the night sky. She spotted Sirius easily and pointed to the star. "There it is! And that's Canis Major." She traced the constellation with her finger in the air.

Sirius smirked. "Very good, but can you find Regulus?"

Alice grinned at the challenge. She immediately started searching the sky again. This one took a little longer, but she eventually caught sight of the shape of a lion. "Ah, that's Leo." She traced this constellation too. "There's the brightest star, so it must be Regulus."

Sirius appeared impressed. "Wow, you're pretty good!"

Alice smiled proudly. "I pay attention in astronomy class."

"Is there anything else you can find?"

"Yes. Let me show you."

For the next half hour, the two friends explored the night sky. Eventually, Alice brought the conversation back to Leo. She found the constellation strangely appealing. Lions were the symbol of Gryffindor, so maybe that was it.

"Speaking of Regulus," she said, "he gave me a bookmark today. Made from real flowers."

Sirius lifted his eyebrows in surprise. "Really? That doesn't sound like him."

Alice nodded in agreement. It had been unexpected. "It is the most personal gift he's given me, and not just because of the flowers. He must have noticed that I love to read. It was very thoughtful of him."

"I did not know he still had that in him."

Alice tilted her head to the side in thought as she looked at him. Her interactions with Regulus may have all been brief, but she paid attention to everything he did and said. In that way, she managed to learn a few things about him. "I think he's actually quite sweet and gentle."

Sirius appeared surprised again. "Really? I mean, I know he used to be when he was little, but I thought our partners pushed that out of him."

Alice shook her head. "No, it's not gone. It's still there, deep down. He does an excellent job of hiding it, but I can tell. He's softer when he's with me. Even Lily notices it."

Sirius frowned and furrowed his eyebrows. "If that's true, then why isn't he soft around me? If anything, he acts colder towards me than others. I never did anything to upset him. Not intentionally, at least. He knows sometimes I go too far but don't mean it. He can't be mad at me."

Alice noticed the hint of anxiety in his eyes that he usually tried to hide, and her expression softened. She placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I don't know, but there must be a reason. I doubt it's your fault. Maybe he thinks he's protecting you or something."

Now Sirius just appeared confused. "How does that make any sense?"

Alice shrugged. "I don't know. I haven't figured out how his mind works yet. I need to get closer to him for that."

Sirius let out a heavy sigh. "Well, hurry up before it's too late."

Alice rolled her eyes. "I'm doing the best I can. He's not the easiest person to work with."

The irritation left Sirius' face. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to him. She instantly relaxed against him. "I know, I'm sorry. I'm just worried."

Alice appreciated the comfort of his presence. She was grateful to have a friend like him. "I'm doing my best. I'll get through to him."

"I just hope you know what you're doing."

"So do I..."