One Step Ahead part I | Sirius Black

Chapter 27

Gwen pulls her hat tighter over her ears, her teeth chattering as the wind blows.

It picks up loose snow, causing white flurries in the air that dance back and forth in front of her. While she thought winter was beautiful, she hated the cold.

"Hi, Gwen!"

She peers over her shoulder, smiling at the three boys coming her way. James, Remus, and Peter all smile and wave, Peter piping up and asking,

"Why aren't you with the girls?"

"It's just me today, I'm afraid. Marlene hates snow and Dorcas is studying."

"What about Lily?" James asks eagerly, looking down at her with so much hope in his eyes that she can't tell him. She can't tell him that Lily is currently on a date with Amos Diggory, the boy she's fancied for months.

"Not sure," Gwen shrugs, looking at the mountains around them. James' shoulders slump, but Remus says warmly, "How about you join us, Gwen? We're down one anyway."

She nods once, saying plainly, "I suppose that works. What's on the agenda?"

James looks reinvigorated as he says happily, "Zonkos first, then the three broomsticks."

The group of four begin walking down the path framed by white dusted stone walls on either side. Gwen wrinkles her nose when more snow is blown into her face. She rubs her gloved hands together, asking,

"Mind if we make a stop by Honeydukes?"

Peter makes a noise of agreement before Remus nods and asks, "I was going to ask you Gwen, is that where you got that chocolate?"

She smiles slightly, glancing up at the lanky boy walking next to her as she shakes her head,

No," She says with mirth. "It's from France. I'll get you some more over the holiday."

Remus' excited grin fades as he wonders, "You're going home for the holidays?"

James and Remus make eye contact, Peter too busy to notice anything amiss as he ponders what it is he'll buy from Honeydukes. Gwen hums a quiet yes. The sudden silence makes her look up at meet James' concerned gaze. She feels a surge of affection for the boy, but laughs and says quietly,

"Don't worry, lads. I like my quiet holiday."

"But—" James is cut off when she arches a brow and gives him a meaningful look, insisting,

"I've been alone on Christmas for a long time, James."

He doesn't say anything more, sensing from her tone that she doesn't really want to discuss it. He briefly contemplated asking if Sirius knows about this, or if she knows that Sirius will be going home for the holidays as well. James had tried to convince his friend to come home with him, but he refused. He didn't want to be a burden.

"Well you could always come to mine for—"

"I'm not going to intrude on your Christmas, Potter. I'm not a bloody child. I'm fine, and the last thing I want to be is a burden," Gwen sighs. James nearly tells her that she sounds a lot like Sirius but he refrains, instead following the witch as they head into Honeydukes.

Gwen stops short just in the doorway, falling over her feet not so very gracefully when the force of three boys runs into her back.

She smiles when Peter quickly offers his hands and pulls her to her feet, mumbling, "Sorry, Gwen. Though you did stop rather abruptly."

"Yes, well," She whispers, "Lily and Amos are in the corner. I didn't want James to see."

Realization dawns on Peter and he quickly nods, turning to Remus and James and saying firmly,

"If you guys want to go to Zonkos I'll go ahead and buy everyone's sweets. My treat!"

Remus and James look at their normally quiet friend in surprise, glancing at each other before Remus pipes up and says,

"Thanks, Wormtail. We'll go to Zonkos and then grab a table."

He flushes when Gwen winks at him before she leaves with the two boys, huddling in between them as they brave the bitter cold. James and Remus usher the shivering Veela into the joke shop, Remus wondering casually,

"Don't you want to know where Sirius is?"

"He's got detention for getting caught about to shag that Slytherin. Mona, I think."

James blinks rapidly, taken aback by her nonplussed tone. He and Remus share a look, both of them under the impression that Gwen and Sirius were something a bit more than friends. Remus shrugs and mutters,

"Padfoot is a moron."

"So is his girlfriend," James grunts, nodding his head in the direction of the Veela already on the other side of the shop. She smiles faintly at the dungbombs and frogspawn soap. Her smile turns into a grin when she spies the nose biting teacups. She grabs one, deciding that she liked the picture in her mind she had of Sirius getting mad at her with a teacup hanging from his nose.

She turns to pay, slamming straight into a rather tall person wearing a blue coat. Gwen cringes and slowly looks up, her heart lurching at the sight of Jonathan Woods face. He's still bruised, though they're an aged yellow and green.

"Gwen," He breathes, reaching out and grabbing her arm. She flinches away, elbowing the display behind her as she pulls her arm free.

"Don't," She warns.

"I-I was drunk, I swear I didn't mean it! The guys were talking and I just—"

"Just told them that you were going to fuck me for a bit of luck?"

He winces at the severity of her words coming out in such an unimpressed tone. He tries to grab her hand again, but she backs even further away, growing nervous when she realizes she has no where else to go.

"Please," He begs. "Let me make it up to you."

"Ninnie?"

She feels relief flood her when she peers over Jonathan's shoulder and sees James and Remus staring angrily at the boy.

"Back off, Wood," James growls, shoving past him to reach for Gwen's hand. She gladly takes it, smiling gratefully up at him. Jonathan goes to move after them but Remus blocks his way, saying firmly,

"You heard him. Fuck off."

James and Remus both stand behind her like body guards while she quickly pays for her prank item. Jonathan tries again to speak, but is silenced by the glares of the Gryffindor's. There was no way he could take them on, not when he was already battered from Sirius.

Gwen grins as they leave the distraught looking boy behind in the shop, asking playfully, "Do you suppose this is what the minister of magic feels like?"

"We've got your back, Ninnie," James says with both seriousness and laughter in his voice. She laughs too when they both loop their arms through hers as they walk, Remus saying with dramatic flare,

"No one talks shit about our friend and gets away with it!"

Gwen decides later—when Remus and James and Peter are all sitting with her in a booth at the three broomsticks—that this is what having brothers must feel like. It makes her normally unfazed attitude one of laughter, unable to contain herself around the boys.

Especially when they'd so blatantly declared them all friends, something Gwen hadn't realized she'd been hoping for until it happened.