The Bonds of Friendship

Paybacks are a Bitch

~10~

Severus walked out of the Great Hall, his O.W.L.s examination questions still in his hand. He needed something to keep his mind off of Aleanor, and this was the only thing working. Reading over them, he made his way towards the lake. Lucius would be too busy looking for Narcissa to pay him any mind, so the threat of any inquisition on his friend's part as to why he was not escorting the Gryffindor no longer exsisted. Since breakfast, Lucius had been making off hand comments on Aleanor's absence in the midst of such an important examination had already put Severus in anything but a congenial mood.

Finding a nice shady spot next to a clump of bushes, he continued to go over his answers in his mind, debating with himself whether or not he had given the best answer possible. Several, he was sure he had given outstanding responses to, a few he thought he could have given a bit more detail. Well, a little too late for that now, isn't it? Taking a deep breath, he decided it would only upset him further if he continued this train of thought, so he stood up, stuffing his O.W.L. paper in his bag. Perhaps he'd go relax in the quiet of the library, though the setting always served to remind him of Aleanor. Better there than out here sulking under watchful eyes. Setting off from his secluded spot, he soon wished he had jumped into the bushes instead.

"All right, Snivellus?"

Dropping his bag, Severus immediately reached in his robes for his wand. Not now! Before he had it aimed at Potter, his self-centered adversary had disarmed him. Watching his wand fly up and over his head, landing about twelve feet behind him, Severus leapt for it, only to be stopped by Potter.

"Impedimenta!"

Yet another episode of torment was upon him, one more nightmarish exhibit in front of the entire school. As Potter and Black poked fun at him in his upside down state, several onlookers laughed.

"You-wait. You-wait..." he panted, glaring at Potter, wishing he could wrap his hands around the twats throat and personally squeeze the pathetic life out of him. It wasn't exactly the smartest thing to say, considering the thorough cleansing Potter soon gave him for the outburst of obscenities that poured from his mouth a moment later.

"Leave him ALONE!" Lily had arrived. Normally, the two acknowledged each other's presence, if only for Aleanor, but they had done little beyond pleasantries. Having her best friend suddenly step in for his sake actually made him feel some relief. If anyone could put a leash on Potter, it was certainly the emerald eyed Lily.

Potter began running his hand through his hair. Narcistic, pretentious twat! "All right, Evans?" Leave it to four-eyes to turn a public demonstration of proper humiliation techniques into a pathetic display of sappy flirtation.

The look on Lily's face was much like the one Aleanor wore when confronting the self-righteous prat. It seemed the two girls had the same attitude about Potters pranks. "Leave him alone. What's he done to you?"

The surrounding audience laughed as Potter replied, "Well, it's more the fact that he exists, if you know what I mean..."

"You think you're funny," Lily replied coldly as Black and Pettigrew laughed, sidekick number four, Lupin did nothing to intervene, as usual, "But you're just an arrogant, bullying toerag, Potter. Leave him alone."

Quickly, Potter said, "I will if you go out with me, Evans. Go on...Go out with me, and I'll never lay a wand on old Snivelly again."

Slowly, the jinx was wearing off, and Severus inched his way back to his wand while Lily was providing the perfect distraction. Wrapping his spindly fingers around the wooden item he turned to find his victory short lived. Black quickly noticed he had regained possession of his wand just before he succeeded in slashing the side of Potter's face.

As usual, Potter's retaliation came swiftly, and before he had time to register what has happening to him, Severus found himself hanging upside down, his robes falling over his head, revealing everything underneath. May Aleanor never hear of this...

~~~*~~~

"WHAT?" Aleanor shouted, causing some first years to loose a hold of their hand of Exploding Snap, cards flying all over the table in the Gryffindor common room. She could feel the glares on her back, but she didn't care in the least. To hell with their damn game!

Lily's face paled. "Well, I tried to stop him, but then Snape called me a Mudblood..."

"And so you just let him conue!" She could feel her heart pounding against her ribs. How Lily, her best friend, could let those two imbeciles do that to Severus upset her beyond all words. She trusted Lily to have had more sense, and heart, than that. "You know he doesn't really think that! If you were in his shoes, wouldn't you have been a little miffed? Possibly say things you didn't mean?" Aleanor was pacing the floor, glaring at anyone and everyone who looked her way, including Lily. No one had tried to stop Potter and Black. There wasn't a hex in this world good enough for the two.

Her emerald-eyed friend stood silent, her gaze falling to the floor. "I-I'm sorry Alie."

Rolling her eyes with a huff, she walked right past Lily and headed up the staircase for their dorm. Aleanor had to get out of there; she had to have some time to think. A moment longer looking at her best friend and she'd end up saying something she would later regret. Lily she could forgive, eventually, but Potter and Black... she would get back at the dark duo... and good.

***~~~~***

The following year, Aleanor sat in the library; her and Severus still banned from being there together. As she sat reading, she felt the table shudder as a heavy book was dropped on it, her inkwell sitting beside her nearly falling over from the force. Calmly, she reached over and steadied it, her eyes still on the book in front of her.

"He's at it again."

Slowly, Aleanor rolled her eyes upwards to find Lily sitting across from her, flipping open the large book that had caused the disturbance, a look of harassment on her face. "Potter, Alie, who else?" Lily groaned

Aleanor laughed. She knew perfectly well who she was talking about, but biting her tongue and letting her friend say his name as if it pained her was much more fun. He still wasn't leaving her friend alone, nor did it seem he ever would; at least not until he got what he wanted. For the past week Aleanor had been thinking of a plan, an idea of how to finally get back at Black and Potter, and now it seemed it was coming together. Why not turn the tables on the one and strike up some tension? "Hey Lil, wanna drive him up a wall for once?"

Looking up from her book, she chuckled. "Yeah, but how in the world do you annoy The Annoyance?"

"Well, actually, this would take care of Potter and Black at the samtime," she grinned, closing her own book since this new topic was much more interesting. "You know how Black's birthday is coming up?" Lily nodded. "Well, I thought we could give him a birthday to remember... with a little help of course."

Lily sat taking notes out the book, her quill moving despite their discussion. "How the hell is that going to get Potter?"

"Well, it will, don't worry... in a round about way. It's a shame Wallis moved back to America, she'd have loved this." Aleanor scanned the Library, it wasn't above the four Gryffindors to be nosing about. Satisfied with the apparent lack of people in their vicinity, she continued, "But first we need to get some girls together who would be willing to help."

Lily chuckled. "That won't be hard if it involves Black." If there was one thing most girls at Hogwarts agreed upon, it was that Black certainly was desireable. He had the looks, the connections, the wit, and above all, confidence.

A devious grin spread on Aleanor's face. "Good. I'll also need to get some help from Severus." Her friend rolled her eyes. Ever since that day after the O.W.L.s, those two had been anything but agreeable around each other. "Lily... I know he's not your favorite person, but trust me; if he can pull off what I hope he can pull off... Black will NEVER forget this."

Her lip curling up a bit, Lily grudgingly agreed. "Fine, but this had better be good!"

~~~*~~~

Severus' eyes widened. "You want me to ask them to do WHAT?"

Aleanor shifted on her seat in the empty classroom. She knew she was asking for the impossible, but he was Malfoy's best friend, if they would even consider a proposal from anyone, it'd be Severus, even if only for Malfoy's sake. Still, she had to try. "Just hang on him, drool over him, whatever, to make him go mad."

"You're nuts for even suggesting that!" he exclaimed, closing his book and heading towards the door of the empty classroom.

"Oh come on!" she said, dashing ahead of him to block his retreat. "Think about it. What would you do if that happened to you?" she asked, cocking an eyebrow and gesturing towards him as if to stress the point.

His face contorted as he replied, "What would I do? I'd think I'd died and gone to Hell."

"Exactly," Aleanor grinned, "now do you get it?"

A wide grin slowly crept across the pale boy's face until it stretched from one side of his face clear across to the other. "Actually I do." Still smiling he dropped his book, grabbing her by the ams and pulling her into a kiss. "I'll get them to help, no matter the cost."

"Thanks," she replied, grabbing his tie and pulling him in for yet another kiss.

~~~*~~~

Lucius sat eating breakfast, Severus across from him, watching Aleanor at the Gryffindor table as usual. Since his dark friend had awoken that morning, he had been cheery. It was unnatural and disturbing. Snapes just didn't do cheerful, or at least not well. "Sev, what the hell has got you so damned... happy?" He cringed with the word. A Slytherin- happy... it usually meant someone was about to get the cursing of a lifetime, and Severus was not the hands-on type...

Grinning, Severus' only reply was, "You'll see."

Suddenly, his friend realized a commotion was brewing behind him. Spinning around, he found a crowd of girls forming around one end of the Gryffindor table. "What in bloody hell is going on? Did Black start some sign-up sheet for his snogging sessions or something?" He looked back at his dark haired friend, who still bore a sickening grin on his face. Lucius couldn't take the suspense much longer. Secrets held from him were not easily tolerated. "Well! What is it? Or am I going to have to see for myself?" he barked angrily at his friend.

Severus chuckled and took a quick drink from his glass. "Settle down Luc, it's nothing. Just a little birthday present." He turned his attention back to his meal. Again, his friend's demeanor was worrying. Still looking at his plate he added, "Oh, and whatever happens today, don't get upset at Cissa. It's all an act."

"An act? Cissa doesn't act," Lucius replied with a snarl, finding it hard to picture his intended as anything but introverted.

The dark haired boy chuckled as he finished a bite of toast. "And here you plan on making her your bride. Do you know nothing about the Blacks?"

Lucius did not like what his friend was implying. Of course he knew Cissa, he knew her better than his Gryffindor obsessed companion. Instead of giving his question the dignity of a response, he returned to his breakfast, still fuming. Besides, a scene between two Slytherins here in public was uncalled for.

He'd curse Severus later.

****

Everything was off to a perfect start. Right on cue, just as Black and Potter sat down to eat breakfast, nearly half the girls in the school, from every house except Slytherin of course, swarmed around the Gryffindor table, struggling to be the first to give Black his birthday present. It was pure chaos and Aleanor loved it. So did Black, judging by the smile on his face. Men and their egos; they were so predictable. Just as Aleanor and Lily expected, Black was eating up the attention of all these girls arguing over him and his affections, and here he hadn't done a thing to provoke it. It appeared he could have his choice of any girl in the school. Sitting several feet down from the dark duo, Lily leaned over to Aleanor and whispered, "Men are so gullible."

As the day went on, Black's nerves seemed to be slowly fraying. Apparently he couldn't handle running into a crazed, lovesick girl everywhere he turned. In class they sat oowing and aawing over his every word. In the corridors, they clung to his arms, the back of his robes, begging for him to take them into an empty classroom to 'talk'. At lunch, he actually ended up grabbing his food and running to the boys' lavatory to eat in peace.

The whole time, Potter was laughing it up. "Come on Sirius! You always said you could have any girl in the school... so take your pick already!"

All the while Lily and Aleanor watched and waited. The best was yet to come.

****

Dinner finally arrived, and Severus sat across from Lucius as usual, looking over at Cissa. With a sly grin, the blonde girl nodded and nudged her older sister in the side. "What?" the fiery Bella answered, looking over at Severus before adding, "Oh, yeah," and nodding as well. They still planned on doing it. Good.

As they were finishing their meals, the Black sisters got up, pulling small wrapped packages out of their robes. Lucius looked up at Cissa as she went to walk past him. "Where are you going?"

"Over there," she replied, motioning towards the Gryffindor table, her package in her hand, "don't worry, it's only in fun." And with that the blonde gave the pale boy a kiss on the cheek and left.

Lucius turned to Severus. "What are they going to do?" He knew something was up, and damnit, he wanted to know what!

"Probably off to give their dear cousin a birthday present," his friend replied coolly, his eyes on his plate as he finished the last of his treacle.

After glaring for a moment, Lucius looked over his shoulder as the two girls drew closer to Gryffindor table. "Dear cousin? Are they mad?"

Severus chuckled, drawing Lucius' attention back on him as he wiped his lips with his napkin before saying, "No, but Black's about to be!"

****

Aleanor was sitting facing the Slytherin table as usual and as she saw Narcissa and Bellatrix stand up, she nudged Lily who sat beside her. "Lil, we're on." Quickly swallowing a bite, her emerald-eyed friend nodded and set her napkin on the table beside her plate. "Here goes nothing," she giggled.

Aleanor looked across the table at Black and Potter. "Oh, Sirius..." The redhead never addressed him like this and so the dark haired boy's head snapped up, a look of dumbfoundedness on his face. Aleanor had to choke back a laugh. "I got you something," she said sweetly, holding out a beautifully wrapped box as she smiled at him.

Lily grabbed at her arm, ripping the package back just before Black could take it. "Alie!" she shouted, drawing the attention of nearly every Gryffindor, but especially Potter, who always could be counted on to have an ear in her direction. "You KNEW I was getting Sirius a present! How could you? You already have a boyfriend!"

Aleanor painted a look of disgust on her face. "What? So I can't keep my options open? At least I'm not afraid to show Sirius how I feel about him! You just toy with Potter because he's his best friend! How better to get to him then through Potter?" At this point, Potter's face went ghost white, Sirius' mouth bobbing open and shut like a beached fish. Remus had stopped mid-bite, his fork suspended in midair as Peter eyed the scene over his glass of pumpkin juice.

Grabbing the box out of Aleanor's hand, Lily chucked it at Sirius. "Here, then give him your stupid present. So you got him a pair of disappearing knickers," Ly looked over at Black, a playful glint in her eyes, "I'll give him a pair of my own." Peter gave a squeak before going into a fit of coughs, Remus' fork falling onto his plate with a dull thunk as his peas went air born, his eyes darting between Potter and Lily. Potter looked ready to faint as all the blood in his face drained, Black even more so as it was apparent he hadn't taken a breath in over a minute, though he somehow managed to form two words a short time later.

"Y-your own?" Black stammered, his eyes wide in shock at hearing his best friend's love interest talking about giving him a pair of her panties.

Lily winked. "And you can get them yourself," she said in a soft, sultry whisper, though she had sure it was barely loud enough for Potter to hear as well.

As an uncontrollable grin began to spread over Black's face, Potter nailed his best friend in the arm. "Sirius! You lay one finger n Evans and I'll personally strangle the pathetic, back-stabbing life out of you!"

"James!" Black cried in shock, rubbing at his arm, "I wouldn't touch Lily... ever! I know bloody well you have your eye on her, out of anyone, you should know I have more honor than that!"

"Well, you certainly didn't say NO!" his four-eyed friend quickly rebutted, several Gryffindors quietly taking their leave of the scene as he did.

"Oh, so I'm a bloody bastard for not automatically saying no?" Black asked, "Forgive me if I was too shocked to think straight. Then the next time I see you eyeing up that brunette Ravenclaw, I'll remind you of what a hormonal prat you're beig since you're suppose to oogling Evans!"

Aleanor nudged Lily as the dark duo continued arguing. Looking over at her friend, the blue-eyed girl winked. Perfect plan, perfect plan.

****

...Sirius! You lay one finger on Evans and I'll personally strangle the pathetic, backstabbing life out of you!...

Lucius never imagined he'd love to hear Potter's voice fill the Great Hall at dinner, but he had been mistaken. This was entertaining. .

Spinning around on the bench, he and most of the rest of the Slytherin table stared over at the explosive scene playing out at the Gryffindor table. Potter and Black arguing for all the school to hear, every respectable Slytherin's dream. Grinning, he looked back at Severus, "Did you know about this?"

Grinning from ear to ear, his dark haired friend replied, "Of course. But it's only begun."

"Really?" the blonde asked in interest. His best friend might not be a man of action like himself, but he certainly was the wittier of the two. What ever was coming, he trusted Severus to have planned a spectacular performance. Turning back around, he saw that Cissa and Bella were only a few feet from the two Gryffindors..

****

Lily nudged Aleanor again drawing her attention away from her cup as she had reached for it to take a drink. "They're coming."

Looking just past Black, cup in hand, she saw Narcissa and Bellatrix approaching them. Grinning she replied, "This ought to be good."