Ebb and Flow

Hogwarts, June 1976

***

Althea stared at her full plate of sausages and eggs. The last Hogsmeade visit of the school year was that afternoon and she did not feel much up to it. As Mary Macdonald and Martha Lennon eagerly chatted away with Jane about the new style of robes at Gladrags, Althea sighed sadly and poked her cooling eggs with her fork. Two days ago, she had spent her evening in Hogsmeade, dodging McGonagall and a likely detention--if not expulsion--with Sirius Black. She thought to the thrill of escaping and the mischievous glint in Sirius's eyes as they found themselves alone in that street. Althea heard Jane's squeaky gasp and she knew Sirius Black had entered the Great Hall. Staring at her eggs, she heard his deliberate footsteps walk toward them and she prayed he would leave her alone. The footsteps stopped before her. She refused to look up from her plate.

"Meadows."

Jane gasped.

Althea's empty stomach churned violently.

"Hogsmeade's today," he said, and with slight hesitation in his voice continued, "would you go with me?"

Althea seemed to stare through her plate as Jane gasped, "Yes!"

Lily caught her breath and reached for Althea's hand under the table.

"Good," he replied as Althea's vision began to blur. "Good."

After Sirius left, Jane leaned forward, slamming her palms against the table. "I don't believe this!" she squealed and made a squeaking noise of triumph. "Sirius Black, the Sirius Black, asked me to Hogsmeade!" she said and sighed happily. "Bloody hell! What will I wear?"

"How about that blue dress?" Mary offered as Althea slowly lifted her head.

Althea glanced in Sirius's direction. Sirius, pale, sat next to James and seemed to force a smile as James cheerfully slapped him upon the back. I had to, she thought, feeling the tears well inside her. Althea had not expected Sirius to ask Jane out to Hogsmeade. She had expected him to take her confession of Jane's crush and her loyalty to her friends as her reason for rejecting him, not for him to consider Jane as a potential date. James wrinkled his nose and pulled a face as he looked toward their end of the table.

"I--I have to go," Althea whispered as Jane continued to gush with Mary about hairstyles.

"I'll go, too," Lily said as Althea stood.

"No, no," Althea said as Jane had lifted a portion of her hair. "She needs to look her best for Sirius."

With her head bent, digging her nails into her clenched fists to stave off her crying, Althea hastily left the Great Hall with Lily shortly behind her. Once in the courtyard, Althea did not hide her tears. It should be you, you stupid girl, she thought, the stone, flowers, and moss obscured by her tears. She heard Lily's footsteps behind her. She had divulged to Lily all that happened that night--from the Quidditch game to the kiss--except for Sirius Black's confession.

"Oh, I want to hex him!" Lily growled, placing her hand upon Althea's shaking back. "I will. I will hex him."

Althea covered her face with her hands.

"That was exceptionally cruel!"

Althea nodded. "I know."

"Asking Jane out right in front of you!" Lily said and growled. "He is such a--"

"Don't," she interrupted and sniffed.

"Althea--"

Althea let her hands fall to her sides. "He did so because I told him to."

"What?"

"I told him," she said, attempting to suppress her trembling lower lip. "I was just as cruel," she said and looked into Lily's large green eyes. "He wrote those letters."

"Sirius Black?"

Althea nodded.

Lily sat upon the stone bench and ran her fingers through her thick red hair.

"He told me that night," she said, wringing her hands in front of her, "and I rejected him."

Lily, open-mouthed, stared at Althea.

"I couldn't go out with him," she said, sitting next to Lily. "I didn't want to upset--"

"But you did--you did go out with him."

"I know, but--"

"You fancy him," she said, placing her hand upon Althea's, "and--my God--he fancies you."

Althea nodded and sniffed. "Very much so," she murmured and furrowed her eyebrows. "How could I have been so stupid? I shouldn't have gone out with him! I shouldn't have kissed him!"

Lily let go of Althea's hand and placed her arm around Althea's back. "But you wanted to," she said softly and kissed Althea's temple. "You can mend this."

"I can't," she said, turning her face toward Lily. "What about Jane?

Lily wiped the wet strands of hair from Althea's face. "He has a brother, who is just as rich and almost as good-looking."

"What about you?"

Lily smiled sympathetically. "And as for me, I just want to know about the snogging."

Althea smiled a faint smile. "I left the roof with my honor intact."

Lily raised an eyebrow. "The roof?"

"Yeah," Althea said and nodded toward the Hogwarts roof. "Up there."

Lily looked up toward the roof and grinned. "Who would've thought the boy known for broom cupboards could be such a romantic?"

***

Althea lifted her third Chocolate Frog to her lips. She bit down on the chocolate head and felt the charmed piece of chocolate struggle against her. I'll never get used to that, she thought, shoving the rest of the chocolate into her mouth. She tossed her third card of Agrippa onto the moist moss-covered earth. As she sat upon the fallen tree, she stretched her legs before her--kicking a few foil wrappers away from her.

"Good Lord," she murmured, looking about her, "I've eaten almost the entire lot."

She massaged her stomach. She had settled herself close to the Shrieking Shack with a bag of sweets from Honeydukes. Lily had coaxed Althea to Hogsmeade, but she didn't dare venture near the village for fear of throwing up as Jane dragged Sirius into Madam Puddifoot's. I'd never take you to Madam Puddifoot's, she thought and took a bite of licorice wand. She laughed darkly at the thought of Sirius sitting among the cherubs. She imagined his face in a grimace as he sipped his tea.

Althea heard the snap of twigs as someone approached. James Potter, slightly annoyed, hurriedly walked toward Althea. Oh dear, she thought, taking a toffee from her bag.

"Morrigan!" he said and messed the back of his hair. "I have to speak with you."

Althea held up her bag of sweets. "Toffee? Chocolate Frog?"

James shook his head. "Morrigan," he said and pointed toward the village, "my best friend is on a date in my Granny's sitting room!"

Althea shrugged. "He asked Jane."

James made a noise of disgust.

"What would have me do?" she asked, unwrapping a toffee. "Maybe he fancies her."

James groaned, throwing his head back. "He doesn't fancy her!"

Althea lifted the toffee to her lips, but frowned as it flew out of her hand. "What'd you do that for?"

"He'd hex me if he knew I was here," he said, stepping forward--crushing the wrappers into the moist earth. "He fancies you."

"I know," she said, resting her hands against the rough bark, "but--"

"What's wrong with him, then?"

Althea shrugged. "Nothing."

"Exactly!" he said, throwing his hands up into the air. "Why'd you say no?"

Althea sighed. "Jane."

James's hands fell heavily to his sides as he looked--with a puzzled expression--at Althea. "She's so bloody daft!"

"Oi!" she shouted, sitting forward.

"Come off it, Morrigan, you're just as annoyed with her as we are."

"Shut it," she said and picked at the loose bark. "I thought you'd understand friendship."

"I do," he said through gritted teeth. "It's why I'm here."

"What would you have me do? You forget that Lily's my best friend and we're both friends with Jane. If Sirius and I--it would put her in the middle," she said and grunted quietly as she pulled off a substantial piece of park. "Jane is the one he's supposed to like."

"He's fancied you since we were eleven."

Althea stopped pulling at the bark. "What? No, he hasn't."

James laughed quietly, knowingly. "I teased him about it," he said, sitting next to her. "He started to tease you after that."

"Oh right, teasing," she said and scratched the tip of her nose. "Calling me a Muck--"

James made a loud noise of disgust. "It was his bloody family!" he said, slamming his hand against the fallen tree. "You have no idea--"

"He told me," she said quietly. "His mum is awful."

James nodded. "She thinks I'm barely acceptable."

Althea quickly turned toward James. "You?"

James smiled crookedly. "Yeah," he breathed, "but now that my father gave that speech in defense of Muggle-borns at the Ministry, I reckon my invitation will be withdrawn for the summer."

Althea made a face.

"We're all he's got," he said and nudged Althea.

***

"Oh, that disgusting rat!" Jane huffed, folding her arms. "He crawled into my teacup!"

Althea stood in the doorway to the fifth-year girls' dormitory. Jane sat upon her bed, handkerchief in her hand, flanked by Lily and Mary, with a concerned Martha sitting behind her. Althea sighed as she entered. What did Sirius do, she wondered and tossed her almost empty bag of sweets upon her bed. She knew that Sirius would not surrender quietly to an afternoon in Madam Puddifoot's tearoom. Althea sat upon the floor, cross-legged, in front of Jane.

Jane sniffed. "Black--Black was so noble," she said and patted her eye with her pink handkerchief. "He turned the table over to protect me from that horrific creature...well, after Lupin fell onto it--"

"Remus Lupin?" Althea questioned, barely able to contain her amusement at the absurdity of Remus in such a ghastly place. "Are you sure?"

"I'm very sure, Althea!" Jane snapped, balling her handkerchief into her fist. "Oh, and that awful dog of yours!"

"Snuffles?" Althea said, raising an eyebrow. "That dog was in the bloody tearoom?"

Jane nodded. "Started to chase that ghastly little vermin round," she said, her bottom lip started to quiver. "A beastly thing, Althea! All the tables and chairs were turned over!"

Brilliant dog, she thought, suppressing her smile. I reckon he's a stray from Hogsmeade, then.

"Then Potter--"

Lily let out an audible groan.

"--started to shout hexes at that rat," she explained, narrowing her eyes. "He wouldn't stop laughing."

Althea clenched her teeth together to stifle her laughter. Where did the boys find the dog and rat, she thought as Jane lamented about the rat scampering across her shoe. Oh, but this was so cruel!

"Black joined him--the poor cherubs!"

"Ha!" Althea quickly covered her mouth.

Lily, fighting her own smile, gave Althea a pleading look.

"It was all over," she said and sighed sadly. "Pettigrew was under the table eating the cakes."

Martha tenderly placed her hand upon Jane's shoulder. "Were they really banned?"

"Yes!" Jane squeaked and let out a sob. "For life!"