One Step Ahead part I | Sirius Black

Chapter 158

Gwen's last dinner at Hogwarts was where her first had been.

The Ravenclaw table was bustling with excitement. First year's eager to go home, sixth years eager to start their last year at Hogwarts. Dorcas was cemented to her side. That was familiar too. As were the looks she was getting from the Marauders.

"Marlene is mad at me," The curly haired witch mumbles, the sound muffled around the potatoes she was spooning into her mouth.

"How fitting, Sirius is upset with me." Gwen muses, taking a sip of her water. She glances at Dorcas out of the corner of her eye, frowning and reaching up to stop her friend's spoon from pushing more food into her mouth.

It breaks the spell that Dorcas is evidently under. She sighs and sets down her spoon, saying gratefully, "Thank you."

Gwen laughs and nods, asking quietly, "Why is Marlene upset with you?"

Dorcas hesitates, her eyes avoiding the perceptive ones before her when she finally says, "I'm not ready to meet her parents."

Gwen's brows furrow in confusion. Dorcas had been the one to encourage Marlene to go public, to tell her that loving someone, no matter who they are, can't ever be wrong. She'd been instrumental in Regulus gaining confidence, Remus too. She didn't recognize the nervous girl sitting next to her.

"Are you going to tell me why?" Gwen wonders plainly, taking a bite of her roll and mumbling around it, "Or am I meant to guess?"

Dorcas rolls her eyes at her friend, elbowing her in the side before saying lowly, "They come from a long line of Scottish purebloods. I'm not sure they'll take kindly to me."

"But Marlene's told them that you're a girl?" Gwen asks, tilting her head to the side.

Dorcas gives a tiny shake of her head, whispering, "No. She hasn't."

Gwen's eyes widen a fraction, just enough for Dorcas to notice and cry out, "See! I knew I should be worried!!!"

"I never said that," Gwen counters, frowning when Dorcas retorts, "Your face implied it."

"My face can't imply anything," Gwen muses. "It's simply a face."

Dorcas points her spoon at Gwen and says pointedly, "Perhaps we should discuss your problems for a change."

Gwen wrinkles her nose, waving off her friend's words. Dorcas insists, carrying on knowingly, "Sirius has been staring at you so hard that I'm shocked there aren't holes in your forehead."

The Veela's eyes narrow, tone curt as she replies, "He can look all he likes. He just can't touch."

Dorcas' brows furrow in confusion, though she decides it's probably best that she not ask. She breezes by the Veela's statement, asking, "Why is he upset with you?"

"That, my dear friend, is a riddle I have yet to solve," Gwen mutters, reluctantly glancing up to meet the grey eyes that have been seeking out her's. He looks irritable, moody and sullen. He and the rest of the Marauders quickly look away when the Veela catches them speaking to each other. Her eyes narrow further, but her view of them is suddenly blocked by a rather familiar set of grey eyes.

"Little," Dorcas greets, smirking slightly. "We're just discussing Gwenyth and Sirius' relationship troubles."

Regulus quirks a brow, snagging a potato from Dorcas' plate and chewing it thoroughly before wondering, "And what might those troubles be?"

Gwen clenches her fist, her face stony as she replies, "He's been keeping secrets—"

"As have you," Regulus interjects, earning a noise of agreement from Dorcas. Gwen presses her lips together in a firm line. He was right, as much as she hated to admit it. She couldn't fault Sirius for not telling her he knew about the Order, not when she'd been omitting details about her whereabouts and tasks. It wasn't fair of her. But it wasn't fair of him to not trust her either.

Regulus hesitates, glancing at Dorcas when the Veela grows silent and tense. They sit for a few awkward moments, Dorcas finally attempting to break the silence by clearing her throat.

Regulus feels a twinge of fear when the Veela pins him with her pale stare. But then she sighs, voice strained as she admits lowly, "My...attitude can sometimes be perceived as carelessness. I know I've upset him. He thinks I'm going to disappear."

Dorcas' eyes nearly fall out of her head at her friend's words. She and Regulus share a stunned look before Dorcas says encouragingly, "I suppose. But you are allowed to be upset with him, Gwen. Just as he's allowed to be upset with you."

Gwen nods, her eyes flickering back to Regulus. He grins and shrugs, conceding, "I'd be upset too if I were you. Keep it up, Gwen. I find his bad mood to be enjoyable."

The Veela cracks a smile, gently nudging the Slytherin's foot with her own below the table. He glances down the table, eyes finding a pair of Ravenclaw's that he'd come to like. His brows knit together as he asks, "Gwen?"

"Yes, Little?" She responds, pushing her dinner aside and propping her Witch Weekly up on the table.

"Why didn't you give Dumbledore Pandora's name? Aren't you friends with Xenophilius?"

Dorcas blinks, looking thoughtful herself. She liked the couple as well, though it hadn't occurred to her that they wouldn't be selected to be involved in the Order. She and Regulus both look at Gwen, finding her smiling to herself. She doesn't look up from her reading when she responds,

"There's a fine line between being eccentric, and being self-important."

Regulus balks at the slight against her friend, his voice a hurried whisper when he counters, "I thought you said he was smart!"

"He's brilliant," Gwen replies honestly. Dorcas can't help her grin at her flat tone when she continues, "Most Ravenclaw's are."

Dorcas turns to a very confused looking Regulus and asks cheekily, "That answers your question then, doesn't it?"

He cracks a rueful smile. They both knew that Gwen rarely ever answered questions fully. She probably wasn't going to now. He frowns slightly when he realizes that this is the last time that he will sit at this table. With his real friends.

Dorcas notes the small change in his mood, reaching across to clasp his hand. Gwen doesn't stop reading, just says wistfully, "Remember when Reggie watched choked on whiskey at Quidditch try outs?"

Dorcas shoots pumpkin juice out of her nose at the flat expression that appears on Regulus' face, quickly reaching for a napkin to hide her grin behind when he shoots her a disapproving look.

"How could I forget?" Dorcas wonders, snorting, "You'd have thought we'd poisoned him!"

Regulus sighs, glancing at the Veela and spying her smile behind her magazine. He softens slightly, his cheeks flushing when he realizes what she's doing. He's forgetting that this is the end of something, and instead he's remembering the start. When she'd practically forced him into their group.

He rolls his eyes at Dorcas' giggling, pleading sarcastically, "Please do share more embarrassing stories, Gwen. I'm on the edge of my seat."

"Would you like one about Dorcas?" Gwen hums, and Regulus smirks when the curly haired Ravenclaw that had been laughing at his expense suddenly grows silent.

"Gwenyth," She warns, though Gwen had never been one to stop once she'd started.

"I'll never forget finding Dorcas and Marlene in the Green house," The Veela sighs, earning a dramatic gasp from Regulus and a whine from Dorcas.

"Qu'as-tu vu?" [what did you see?] Regulus wonders playfully, swatting away Dorcas' hands when she goes to smack him.

Gwen laughs, ducking to avoid Dorcas' wrath and replying with mirth, "Plus que je ne voulais!"
[More than I wanted to!]

Dorcas scowls as they laugh, a reluctant twitch of her lips revealing that she too was amused.

And despite the uncertainty of the future and the rifts in their relationships, each of them feel rather content with their last night at Hogwarts.

{{I didn't edit...oh well! I've got free time today so I figured I'd update again :) remember the good old days of multiple updates in one day?}}