A/N: For my reviewers; I know there aren’t many of you, but for what you’ve written - thank you! I really appreciate your encouragement, it makes writing all the more worthwhile.
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters, they belong to J.K. Rowling. I am not making money off this. However some of them are mine, you'll know which.
III
The next day, the Gryffindors woke early to a rainy thunderstorm. The racket had wakened them before they were prepared and they were not happy. Down in the common room, most of them sat trying to get a little rest before classes.
“Come on Lily, we’re going to miss breakfast!” Allene urged. She herself didn’t mind mornings, unlike others.
“Hm? Ugh. No...” Lily yawned. “I'm too sleepy. You go on without me, I'll be down for Transfiguration.” And she settled back into her drowsy stupor.
Allene rolled her eyes. Casting about for someone else who seemed awake, she spotted Sirius and James talking eagerly in a corner. She walked over to them, a grin on her face.
“Hey guys? What’re you up to?” she asked cheerfully.
“Erm, nothing actually. Why?” James asked.
“Just curious. Are you ever going to go to breakfast? Because no else seems up for it this morning,”
“Oh, yeah, sure. We’ll go. I'm hungry anyway. Can’t wait to get my hands on some bacon and eggs. Mmm,” James responded, his eyes glazing over at the thought. “You coming Sirius?”
“Yeah, just let me get my bag.”
They waited for Sirius to dash upstairs, then left the room. Allene glanced once more at Lily. Sure enough, she was still there, snoozing away before the fire.
Once they got to the Great Hall, which was overcast by gloomy clouds above, they settled down with Remus, Peter, and Serena.
“Where’s Daniella?” Allene asked, at the same time Serena asked “Where’s Lily?”
“Sleeping,” they both said, then giggled.
“Well somebody’d better wake them before class. You know how McGonagall hates late people,” Remus said, always the voice of reason. “But in the meantime - let’s eat!” Maybe not always.
A leisurely meal followed, punctured by loud thunder claps from above. At a quarter to nine, Allene offered to run upstairs and wake the two sleepyheads since she’d forgotten her book bag anyway.
She bounded up the stairs two at a time - trying to avoid Peeves along the way. He’d taken to tossing spare bits of parchment, and then cackling something about “ickle firsties”. Finally at the portrait, Allene practically spit out the password and clambered in.
There, lying in exactly the same position was Lily. Next to her, standing on one foot was Daniella.
“Good morning Allene! I was just going to wake her once I'd finished tying my shoes,” she said, holding her other shoe up.
“Ok. You can go though - get to class. Tell Serena we’ll be there in a bit.”
Obediently, Dani grabbed her hat and promptly left.
“Lily!” Allene yelled, shaking her. “LILY! Wake up, you dolt! We’re going to be late!”
At last Lily moved. She grumbled a bit and then asked Allene, “What time is it?”
“It’s eight fifty-eight! We have TWO minutes! Get up already! I'll grab your books and stuff, you just get changed!”
Immediately Lily’s attitude changed. She jumped off the sofa and bounded up the stairs to her dorm. How could she have been so foolish?
Downstairs, Allene was searching about for Lily’s copy of A Beginner’s Guide to Transfiguration. Just as she was ready to give up, she heard the portrait creak open. She spun around and saw that Sirius had climbed in, a mischievous grin on his face.
“Sirius! What are you doing here! Gave me a nice fright, you did!”
“Sorry there. Was just wondering whether you’d ever make it to class. It starts in about a minute, you know.”
“Yes, I know! I’ve just been helping Lily get organized. Speaking thereof, LILY!” she shrieked. But it was too late, there was no way they’d make it in time.
As she yelled, Lily hopped down the stairs. At the bottom, she stopped and bowed triumphantly. Her hair was in a disarray, her hat lopsided, and her skirt on sideways, but she’d made it.
“Good Godric Lil, you’re a mess,” Sirius said, laughing behind a hand. “But now that you’re here, let’s go. Oh, don’t worry about that,” he said, as he saw Allene open her mouth about the lost textbook. “We’ll get it later. For now, you two can share.”
Allene and Lily exchanged glances, where had this quick-on-his-feet boy come from? It didn’t matter really, so they all three raced out of the common room.
They skidded to a halt by their classroom door, which was significantly closed.
“Oh no! What do we do now?” Lily moaned, feeling thoroughly guilty.
“Well we’d better just get it over with,” Sirius said as his hand turned on the knob, opening the heavy oak door.
Inside, Professor McGonagall was instructing the class on some new sort of spell. As the late students tried desperately to sneak in unnoticed, her head turned sharply.
“Oh welcome Mr. Black, Misses Tranquile and Evans. A bit late are we?” They nodded. “No matter. Ten points each from the Gryffindor glass and detentions tomorrow evening.” She then turned back to the classroom, a slight grimace on her face.
Sirius slid down next to James as Lily and Allene sat behind.
“Jeez Sirius, that was lucky,” James whispered, in the midst of frantically copying down McGonagall’s every word.
“Are you crazy? For being ten minutes late, we get thirty points knocked off and a detention! That’s not luck at all! It’s bloody unreasonable!” Sirius all but yelled back, as McGonagall was nearing them.
The rest of the class went rather quickly. By the end, all of the Gryffindors (minus Peter) had successfully transfigured their knitting needles into drinking straws. As they scuttled out, Professor McGonagall motioned for Allene, Lily, and Sirius to stay behind.
“You three will serve your detentions after dinner. Meet Mr. Flie in the fourth corridor. Now hurry up and begone!
They hustled out of the room, eager to find their friends.
After break, Lily, Allene, Daniella, and Serena hurried upstairs to grab their Potions supplies. As they came out of the portrait hole and rounded the corner, they bumped into a gang of older Slytherins.
“You’ll want to watch where you’re going girlies,” one sneered. “There are dangerous things lurking these halls.”
“We can take care of ourselves, thanks. Now move out of the way,” Allene said, shocking even herself by her courage.
“Now what was that? A firstie out of line? That’ll have to be dealt with, it isn’t right,” a tall, bewitchingly beautiful girl stepped out of the crowd, wand raised.
Just as Allene was about to run and hide - far, far away - someone came bounding to the rescue.
“Stop!” he yelled.
They all turned to look, except the girl.
“Stop I said! Bella - are you out of your mind? Leave her alone! Go!” Sirius yelled.
The girl, now known as Bella, grumpily shoved her wand back into her robes. “What’re you doing Sirius? Defending your little friends? Be careful Cousin, you can’t always win.” And with a last angry look, she and the other Slytherins took off.
“Allene? Are you ok?” Sirius asked.
“Of course she is! She could’ve held her own! This wasn’t an excuse to boost your macho ego, you know. We were all right behind her,” Lily blurted out, evidently shaken.
“Oh, so that’s what you were doing. Helping her, not cowering,” he shot back.
“Enough!” shouted Allene. She turned to face Lily. “He’s right, you know. You could’ve offered a little support.” When Lily opened her mouth to reply, Allene kept going, “But as much as I like you Lil, I'm not sure I could’ve helped you either.”
Lily nodded understandingly.
“As for you, Sirius, thank you so very much. Although your bravery may have showed to hinder only a relative, I appreciate it. Now can we all please go?”
On their way to Potions, Allene was talking with Sirius.
“You’re aware that, if you’d like to look good in my eyes, you shouldn’t insult my friends. Even if they are a little fiery,” she was telling him.
“I got it, no more insulting Lily. Fair enough.”
An hour later, the first year Gryffindors and Slytherins piled into the Great Hall - both fresh from their class. As they sat, Remus said to his friends,
“That was a complete disaster.”
“Tell me about it, mate,” James said. “I hate those lousy snakes.”
“I don’t know how I'm ever going to be able to concentrate on my measuring - let alone stirring - with them snickering all the time.”
“Ah, calm down Remus. It wasn’t so bad. They’re harmless, full of empty threats. All you have to do is ignore them. Except that Snape guy, make fun of him every chance you get,” Sirius offered.
“Easy for you to say ‘ignore’,” Allene said, inviting herself to their conversation. “You’re related to half of them!” And they all laughed.
“Yeah Sirius - how is it that you’re not in Slytherin right now?” Serena questioned.
“I dunno actually. Rumour has it the Sorting Hat’s just been messed up lately. It’s a fluke.”
“Oh don’t say that!” Allene exclaimed. “The Slytherins are so horrible! I could never picture you with them!”
“Well thanks a bunch, but it’s true. Narcissa says the Ravenclaws are all notoriously stupid recently! And you know that isn’t right! The smart kids - like Remus here - have been wrongly Sorted!” Sirius explained.
“Not to say you’re not as brave as a Gryffindor, mate,” James added to his friend.
“No offense taken,” Remus replied good-naturedly.
“See, even Peter here doesn’t fit. Not a speck of courage in ‘im,” Sirius said, further proving his point.
“Oh stop now! Let’s eat,” shouted Lily, as her stomach grumbled and everyone chuckled.