One Step Ahead Part II | Sirius Black

Gwen stands on the end of the street, silent.

Observing. Marlene would tell her it's creepy, but that had never been enough to sway her.

Three children, muggles certainly, are rolling around in the snow. The flakes are falling harder, nearly obscuring the street from her vision. The youngest child, a girl with brown hair, is wearing a pink hat that stands out against the startling white.

"Is it embarrassing to say I'm jealous of them?"

Gwen smiles, her eyes not straying from the children screeching and laughing. Dorcas Meadows comes to stand by her shoulder, joining her in peering out at the children.

"A bit," Gwen answers honestly, her smile growing when Dorcas lets out a gusty sigh. Like a tired parent. Thank Merlin she had Dorcas. Her true north.

She blinks, folding her hands together neatly before glancing at her friend, "I take it Sirius is upset with me?"

Dorcas' cheeks grow perfectly, apple round when she smiles. Gwen had noticed that first. Not her kinky brown hair or the splotches of dark ink that seemed tattooed to her warm skin from frantic note taking. Gwen noticed her smile, a complete and full expression of happiness. As much as she loved her mother, even she had never smiled like that. It was uniquely Dorcas.

"Actually," Gwen quirks a brow at her friend, turning to face her fully. Dorcas flashes her perfect teeth and says warmly, "He seems...resigned. James was more worried than him. He told me if he hadn't heard from you in another hour, he'd be worried. His trust in you is admirable, Ninnie."

Gwen feels her own lips quirk into a smile. Merlin, the universe got it right when it gave her Sirius Black. She refrains from pointing out Dorcas' use of her unfortunate marauder-given name. She was beginning to like it,

"In fact," Dorcas sounds softer, gentle even. Her eyes are borderline emotional in the way that Marlene and Gwen used to roll their eyes about. Dorcas and Lily were always more emotional. "You leaving today evidently was encouragement."

Gwen blinks at her, feels her heart take flight when her friend says quietly, "He's at Mia and Monty's right now. Remus and Little are cooking, Lily is knitting. James and Sirius and Marls were all playing quidditch when I left. It feels...it feels like home again. Even though they're missing."

That pitiful grief monster claws at her chest, but it's weapons are dull thanks to Dorcas' words. Gwen feels her smile grow, feels the pain lessen.

"Sirius is at the Potters?" She questions, not necessarily surprised. She knew he would eventually, but she also knew that talking him into it would lead to failure and perhaps more raging. Staying at Grimmauld Place had been hard. Being at the Potters had been harder. Until now.

"Yes," Dorcas replies, studying her friend carefully. To the rest of the world, the Veela is a beacon. Light and dreamy almost in nature, seemingly free. Dorcas was perhaps the only person that knew the invisible shackles she wore around her ankles. Shackles that used to keep her chained to the shore, away from the water she loved oh so much. They'd loosened over time, rusted and faded. But death had an odd way of tightening those chains.

Gwen keeps her eyes on the children while Dorcas speaks, "I think you forget that I have a one way ticket into your brain, Ninnie. I see you, empty thoughts, riddles, feelings. I see it all. And I respect that you don't want to talk about it, but I want to remind you that I've been figuring you out since you were eleven years old."

Gwen cracks a grin, and Dorcas does too. They look younger under the winter sky. The Veela quirks a brow, teasing, "Forgive me, I'm not very good at subliminal messages. Are you flirting with me, Cas?"

Dorcas scowls at the nickname and gives Gwen a quick shove, and just like that the serious of the moment disappeared. But the meaningful feelings are left behind. Feelings that Gwen tucks away in that place in her heart saved just for things Dorcas says. She was right. Dorcas knew her. Knew when she was anxious, sad. When she was going to say something far to blunt or crass. Dorcas was her keeper, and Gwen was her riddle.

"Would you mind terribly helping me with something, Dorcas?"

For as much as she knew her, Dorcas still struggled to read the Veela's nuances in her behavior. Sirius had maybe taken over that roll. Her brows knit together in concern, "Of course! What do you need?"

Gwen blinks, her eyes shockingly light in the cool glow of winter. Her hands come together neatly in front of her and she says plainly, "Seeing as your father is a muggle, and I failed muggle studies, I think the only way you and I will survive this is if you drive."

"Drive?" Skeptical. Dorcas initially suspects that she's pulling her leg, but the Veela had never been one for practical jokes. The serene look on her face just proves her point. Gwen smiles when Dorcas asks incredulously, "Drive what?"

Gwen tilts her head, replying as if Dorcas is the crazy one, "Sirius' present of course."

Dorcas stares in a mix of awe and horror as the Veela mindlessly waves her hand. Appearing next to her, the glamour slowly slipping away from it, is a rather large motorcycle. It's a glimmering black that looks like the sky when snowflakes begin to dapple it's surface, the side car looking a tad bit worse for wear and far more rusted.

Dorcas and Gwen stand in silence, both peering at the motorbike. Dorcas is seemingly stunned, but Gwen is more than happy to wait patiently. She didn't care to speak first. She grins when Dorcas finally manages a question in a squeaking voice, "If you can't drive, how did it get here?!"

Gwen blinks, tilting her head. Her question is an honest one, "Is it too on the nose if I say magic?"

Dorcas' flat glare has her answering with a little more information, her lips twitching into a smile, "A gentleman kindly offered to fly it here for me."

Her gaping friend nearly makes her laugh, but then doubt creeps in, and Gwen shuffles her feet in the growing snow, wishing it were warm sand,

"Is it too much?" She asks nervously, reaching up to touch her hair. She stops short, flushing slightly when she realizes that's what Sirius does. Touches her hair when she's unsure. Actually, he just likes touching her hair. Her chest constrict is with a tinge or panic, "I thought he might like it, but I reckon—"

"Gwen," Dorcas snorts, interrupting her planing to be rid of the bike. "If he hadn't already proposed, he'd drop to both knees over this."

A rush of relief cools her burning chest and she nods, saying nonchalantly, "He actually wasn't on his knee, he was—"

"Gwen!" Dorcas cries, slapping her hands over her ears. Gwen smiles, miming zipping her lips shut. Dorcas reluctantly drops her hands, sighing, "Won't muggles see this?"

"Yes," Gwen quips, "But I've already thought of how to combat that."

"Do you plan on sharing the answer to your riddle, Ninnie?"

She can't resist the grin that breaks out across her face. She loved Dorcas. She just loved her. Her need to know the answer, her determination to do what's right. She would've made a fine Gryffindor. Her willingness to learn and listen made her a brilliant Ravenclaw.

And she knows that Dorcas loves her too.

Even when Dorcas, ever so brilliant and neurotic, wants to wring her neck for saying so simply, so bluntly,

"No."

{{ <3 some of you will be happy to know that I have a "blueprint" of sorts for both Remus and George stories. They are a long way off since I have others to finish first, but I do have a couple of chapters for the George one! Maybe a teaser in the future......;)}}