One Step Ahead part I | Sirius Black

Chapter 20

"And then she just said they had to leave and dragged the twat out of the bloody shop!" Sirius cries, throwing his hands into the air.

A very pale looking Remus regards him sympathetically while James grins wickedly, muttering, "I don't think I've ever heard you sound so jealous, Padfoot."

"Fuck off, Prongs. If I were jealous would I have just shagged Vanessa in the bloody bathroom?" He barks, scowling at his friends amused smile.

"Veronica,"

Sirius jumps at the familiar voice, cringing before he glances over his shoulder. He expects anger or...something. But Gwen just smiles faintly, looking rather frazzled. He wants to curse himself for being concerned when he notes the dark circles under her eyes and her crumpled school shirt. She looks so tired, so unusually not put together.

Her eyes leave him before he can speak, landing on the boy at the table next to him. The only person that looked worse for ware was Remus Lupin. She lays a hand gently on his arm and whispers something that James and Sirius can't hear, despite their obvious straining.

Remus looks at her gratefully when she sets a tiny package in his hand. Chocolate. She'd bought him chocolate. Sirius frowns, wondering how someone so frustrating and complex could be so effortlessly kind.

The Veela takes a seat at the table in front of them, sitting next to Dorcas. Her brunette friend looks up and smiles, saying cheekily, "Been off with our quidditch captain?"

James jumps in, leaning forward to say playfully, "Looks an awful lot like you've been shagging, Ninnie."

Gwen peers over her shoulder at the boy with glasses and teases, "Seems like the thing to do these days."

Sirius feels a lurch in his gut that has him nearly puking in his cauldron, especially when James asks,

"Shagging? Or getting a boyfriend?"

Gwen scoffs, "Who said I had a boyfriend?"

Sirius exhales the breath he's holding. Gwen was too good for someone like Jonathan Wood. Sirius had a nasty feeling about the bloke, though when he told the Marauders they just laughed. Dorcas quirks a brow at her friend and says uncomfortably,

"Uh...he did. He's been telling the whole castle that you're together."

Gwen wrinkles her nose, saying incredulously, "We're just friends."

"Friends don't snog," Sirius points out, freezing when she whirls around and bites out, "That's bloody rich coming from you."

He scowls, taken aback by her anger towards him. Her eyes are like chips of ice, cold and sharp and pissed. She's still pissed at him. He huffs and sits up straighter. Well he was still absolutely furious with her. Though the reason why was getting harder for him to remember.

"That wasn't even a snog," He barks and Gwen grows angrier. Because it hurt when he'd yelled at her, hurt when he kissed her so gently and then regarded her so angrily. She'd thought they were getting somewhere, moving past whatever issue he had with her. Now she wasn't so sure.

"Just the same I guess," She says sarcastically before her tone cuts him, "Merlin knows you can't be good at it. Not after that little show."

"Oi, bite me Whitlock! I'll snog you right here and right now!" He grunts, earning a surprised look from Dorcas, James, and Remus.

Gwen smiles flatly and replies, "No thanks. Apparently I've gotten myself a boyfriend for all of my kissing needs."

Dorcas winces, especially when she sees the rage written across the Gryffindor boys face. Remus notices it too and quickly intervenes, mumbling wearily, "Can we please not fight? Please?"

Gwen softens at his tired tone and clammy looking face. He looked horrible. Ill. She nods once and faces forward, deciding that ignoring Sirius was the best way to go. She'd had it with his mood swings, deciding he liked her one minute and then being pissed at her the next.

She'd rather him just start pranking her again, because then there weren't feelings involved. Like disappointment. Disappointment that this was all adding up in her head to prove that she and Sirius Black couldn't be friends after all.

Sirius stares at the back of her head and feels a twinge of regret. He should just apologize, tell her that he was wrong. But she causes an unravel-able ball of emotions to tangle in his chest. He doesn't even know where to begin, what to address. So instead he sits silently.

Class draws on and on and Gwen nearly falls asleep from the droning of Slughorn's voice. But then the bell rings and she's grabbing her things a muttering a quick farewell to Dorcas before she flees the classroom.

Just the person she's looking for is lingering in the halls, a smile already on his face. Gwen smiles back, walking over to him and saying flatly, "So apparently I've got a boyfriend now?"

He has the decency to look embarrassed, flushing a faint shade of red that makes Gwen laugh quietly. He mumbles bashfully, "I wondered if you'd hear about that. Sorry, Lockheart was talking about asking you out...I guess I got a little carried away."

"A little?" She questions, quirking a brow at him in disbelief. He shrugs and smiles, reaching out and gently adjusting her crumpled collar without saying anything. She hesitates, wondering if any of this is a good idea. But Jonathan is warm, steady. He's nice and doesn't want to bicker with her. And while the fact that he thinks he can say they're dating leaves an uncomfortable feeling in her stomach, she decides it's probably fine. Truth be told, she wasn't really that invested.

"I thought boyfriends kissed their girlfriends?" She teases, grinning as his expression morphs into shock and then mirth. He chuckles and pulls her closer by the front of her wrinkled shirt, silencing her laughter with his lips.

They're as warm as he is, gentle and unsure. Gwen cups his cheek carefully with her hand, smiling against his lips as he gains some confidence and teases her lower lip with his teeth. It's not eventful, accompanied by an explosion of fireworks or goo goo eyes. But Gwen always liked simplicity. She gently pulls away, laughing at his goofy smile. He flushes and grumbles, "Shut it, Gwen."

She laughs some more, following after him as he begins walking away with an embarrassed look on his face.

"Wait!" She laughs, running to catch up. She grins up at him and teases, "That was lovely, Jonathan."

"You're evil," He groans, cheeks still red as he bumps her with his hip.

Sirius watches on angrily from the doorway of the potions classroom. Anger. That was certainly an emotion he could identify. But the reason behind it was lost on him, despite James, Remus, and Dorcas sharing knowing looks.