"Okay, team. New mission."
"I thought we agreed we were going to call ourselves 'The Thunderbirds' from now on?"
"I didn't agree to that. Moony, did you agree to that?"
"No. I thought we were the Scooby Gang."
"Wormtail?"
"I think Thunderbirds is cool."
Sirius Black rolled his eyes. The boys were sat in the Gryffindor dormitory, lounging lazily over beds and armchairs. Remus was folded up on the window seat with a book on his knees, James was sprawled across his bed, poking at a snitch he'd stolen last year with Peter watching him avidly and Sirius was standing, trying to command the attention of his friends. For the first time, he thought he knew how Minnie felt.
Logan, the fifth member of the dormitory, was missing, as he was most of the time in a free period, presumably off with Alex somewhere.
"Prongs," Sirius began. James looked up, "What do you know about Alex Fawley?"
James frowned, "The girl from the train? She's Logan's mate, right? Why don't you ask him?"
"'Cause I'm talking to you, aren't I?" Sirius didn't want the knowledge of his interest in Alex getting back to her, though he wasn't quite sure why he was so bothered.
James leant back on his bed, seemingly satisfied, "Pureblood; one of the twenty-eight, but not an important one. Her parents are Black family wannabees. They haven't outright declared war on muggleborns, but they're still looking for an... advantageous match for their kids."
Sirius chewed his lip thoughtfully, "She's got a brother, right?"
"Micah." James confirmed, "Slytherin. You know him, don't you?"
Sirius did. Micah Fawley wasn't one of the worst of them, arrogant as they come, though. He always seemed to do inexplicably well at everything. A bit too much of a teacher's pet for Sirius's liking.
He snorted his disapproval, "One of Snivelous's buddies?"
"That's the one."
Sirius knew first hand that families were often made up of people you would think shared nothing in common, most principally blood. Still, his only real experience of twins had been the Prewett brothers, and they were as close as they came. Maybe Alex Fawley was more interesting than she seemed.
"She's done nothing wrong." Remus's voice crept out from behind his book, "She doesn't deserve whatever you've got planned."
"Why do you always assume the worst about me?" Sirius pouted.
"You have to admit, I'm usually right." Remus pointed out.
"I admit nothing!" Sirius clambered onto an armchair, shooting his finger into the air in indignation.
Remus, without looking up, shot a spell from behind his book. It hit Sirius square in the chest, sending him toppling onto his bed.
"Argh!" Sirius cried, flinging his arms out to cushion his fall, "Man down! Go on without me! Carry my name always in your hearts and-"
"Lunch." James mused, looking at the dusty old clock shaped like the Queen's face that stood proudly on the mantelpiece. James's parents had thought it would be a funny gift for some reason none of them quite understood.
Sirius bounced upright instantly, "And suddenly I am recovered."
"Shocking." Remus sighed, closing his book and clambering to his feet. Working together, Remus and Sirius dragged James off his bed, Peter scrambling hurriedly to follow.
"Go Go Power Rangers!"
"Prongs, no."
{===}
The Great Hall was full of people, cramming the benches, laughing and cheering and generally being teenagers. Usually, Sirius would have been one of the loud voices filling he space, but today all his mind could see was how it must look to someone like Alex Fawley. The closest thing he picture was one of the Black family balls, when he was a child. Disapproving looks seeping from every angle, always watching. Sirius remembered the feeling of having his tongue tied, knowing that his beliefs were different, but not being able to say them out loud. He imagined that feeling all the time and shuddered.
His eyes scanned unconsciously up and down the Gryffindor bench, conscious of a single absence.
"Hey, Logan?"
The blonde haired boy looked up, and grinned, "Yeah, Sirius?"
"Where's Alex?" Sirius felt oddly nervous about asking that question. He didn't want to come off as if he were plotting something. Not for the first time, his reputation seemed like a hindrance. "Is she okay?"
"She's fine. She'll probably be here later." Logan's voice sounded very suspicious. Sirius didn't blame him.
"Right." He looked down. He wasn't sure how to act. He couldn't quite remember what he normally did at lunch. He was pretty sure it had something to do with eating. That's right. Food. That is what lunch was about: the consumption of food and beverages in the middle of the day. Sirius looked at a chicken down the table. No, okay. That was too far away. But there were pork pies in front of him and he didn't like pork pies.
What would Sirius Black do? Be an ass about it. There you go.
"Yo, Prongs!" He yelled at James, who was sat opposite him, "Pass us the chicken!"
James shot a disgruntled look at the bird down the table, "Why can't you get it yourself, you prat?"
"I can't be bothered!"
A sudden thought hit him. Alex wasn't here, and that meant she could be in a million other places, doing a million other things that were all viable possibilities. In fact, what was in Sirius's head had an extremely low probability of being true, especially considering the fact that he did not know Alex Fawley, and probably never would. But there was a chance, a small chance, that he could find her again. He didn't really think about why he wanted to find her- Sirius rarely questioned motives, in particular his own.
He just stood up, made some vague excuse that he wouldn't remember in a few hours, and left.
{===}
"Accio book! A-accio book! Dammit. Why wont it work? Accio book!"
Alex's palms were starting to get sweaty. Her wand slipped in her grip and she had to use her other hand to steady her shaking. She was aiming the twig at her potions book, which was resting on the grass a few feet away, stubbornly refusing to budge. The frozen stone cold of Hogwarts seeped through her robe behind her back. She sat against the side of the castle, not on the side facing the lake, or the Quidditch Pitch, or anywhere interesting. The edge of the Forbidden Forest peeked out from the horizon. Alex nestled herself further into the small dip in the wall she had found and refocused her attention on the spell.
"Accio book!"
It could have been Alex's imagination, but she could have sworn the green leather of the cover gave the smallest of twitches. Shoving down any feelings of accomplishment, she glared at the book and tried again.
"Accio book!"
Nothing happened. Logan would be able to do this. Probably everyone would be able to do this. Alex knew third years who could accomplish an 'accio' charm. She needed to do this. Bracelet. Camera. Necklace.
"Accio book!"
Bracelet. Camera. Necklace.
"Accio book!"
Bracelet. Camera. Necklace. Bracelet. Camera. Necklace. Bracelet. Camera. Necklace. Bracelet. Camera. Necklace. Bracelet-
"Dammit! Dammit! Dammit! Shit! Fuck!"
Alex was ready to admit defeat, lay down and never get up again. And Christmas would come and she would be submerged in snow and frozen solid except probably not because Merlin knows it never snowed on Christmas Day because that was all commercialised bullcrap and everything she thought was magical when she was a kid was a lie and what did it matter anyway because magic never fucking worked for her and-
"Bark!"
Alex's head jerked up, swivelling frantically back and forth as she searched for the source of the suspiciously dog-like noise. The same large canine from a few nights ago was padding over the grass towards her. She grinned, and didn't bother trying to hide how desperately relieved the grin was.
"Hello again."
She brushed away the frustrated tears that had been spilling down her cheeks and sat up on her knees.
It could have been her imagination, but Alex could have sworn the dog's mouth was curved upwards at the corners into a smug grin.
"Were you... Looking for me?" Alex asked, feeling stupid a moment later.
The dog didn't seem to register her question, but went straight to the camera hanging around her neck, nudging the lense with their nose. Alex reacted instantly, pulling the camera high out of the dog's reach.
"You want me to take your picture?" Alex smiled slightly.
The dog ran around in a perfect circle to demonstrate their enthusiasm.
"Okay, I'm not used to having working models." Alex began adjusting settings in the way that had become second nature to her.
She could already feel the loss of having to leave her music at home, headphones probably still lying on the kitchen counter where she'd left them, but it would have broken her soul to abandon her camera as well. Her happiest memories were made in the blue light of her computer screen, some random obscure YouTube rock band locking her off from reality, and editing photos from that day in between shameless headbangs.
"I really need to come up with a name for you." Alex frowned in the general direction of the sun, wandering around the dog in search of the correct angle, before shaking her head and returning to her point of origin. The dog followed her with their head, tongue lolling out lazily, "Something other than none-gender-specific-dog."
The dog barked to show their approval.
"Okay," Alex knelt down, camera in hand and snapped a couple of shots, "Something regal and fitting of a dog of your standing."
The dog puffed their chest out.
"I've got it!" Alex declared in a hush voice, "Snuffles."
Everything about the dog deflated. He whined incredulously at Alex, who quickly hit the shutter button.
Click!
"That was so perfect." Alex burst into a fit of giggles at the sight of the image. The dog's head was drooping, his fur lay flat, his ears down. It was the literal picture of disappointment.
Snuffles huffed and turned themselves so that his back was to Alex.
"Oh, come on! Don't be like that!" Alex moaned.
Snuffles flopped down indignantly onto the earth, ignoring her.
"Snuffles?"
Alex set her camera on the ground and walked around the dog and crouched in front of them.
"Don't be mad at me." She pleaded quietly, telling herself it was okay to be needy because Snuffles couldn't really understand her anyway.
The dog flicked their eyes up to Alex for a brief moment before Snuffles leapt on her, their size knocking Alex onto her back. Snuffles attacked mercilessly, licking her face.
Alex laughed.
And she didn't worry about who was listening.