It's Nice To Have A Friend

7 - I Feel Fine

"Padfoot! Mal! Wake up! We're going to the pitch in an hour!" James yelled. Mallory groaned and buried her face. "Get your arses up!"

Sirius groaned beside her. She felt his fingers run through her hair. Immediately, she sprung away. "I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed, cheeks burning. 

Sirius rubbed his eyes as he looked up at her. "Why?" he mumbled sleepily. 

"I was just— In your— And I—" she stumbled, her cheeks burning in embarrassment.

"It's fine, Mals. Nothing Freddy has to know." He was so calm about it as Mallory's eyes widened at the realization. Freddy. How could she do that to Freddy? Mallory must have made a face since Sirius added, "Or you can tell him, I suppose. I figured you wouldn't want to, but it's your call." 

"I'm so sorry," she stated again.

"Relax. I'm sure your terrible boy—" Sirius started. 

"Oi! Get a move on!" James interrupted, throwing the covers off the two teenagers.

Mallory stared at Sirius, her lips pressed into a thin line as she debated whether she should say something to defend Freddy. She knew that it wouldn't change Sirius's mind about him. 

"Today!" James insisted. Mallory looked at him as he crossed his arms over his chest and popped his hip. 

"We'll get up. Just give us a second," Sirius grumbled, sitting up and running a hand through his hair. 

"I'm not leaving you two alone until you're on your feet." 

Mallory sighed and slowly stood. She glanced over her shoulder at Sirius one last time before she smiled and grabbed her clothes, neatly folded beside the bed. "I'll see you guys in a few minutes," she remarked as she exited the dorm. 

As she entered the girls' dormitory, all four girls were already getting ready. "Hey, Mallory," Alice greeted her with a warm smile. 

"Hey, Alice," Mallory replied. She paced over to her laundry basket and placed her dirty clothes with the others before she walked to her wardrobe and stared at the contents, searching for an outfit. 

"Mal, who's the boy in this picture?" Mary asked. Mallory hadn't had a lot of interactions with her roommate, Mary. She had dark olive skin and dark curls that fell to her shoulders. From what Mallory observed, Mary was incredibly bubbly and if Mallory ever needed any boy advice, Mary was the one to go to. However, Marlene warned Mallory that Mary was unable to keep her mouth shut.

"That's my boy..." Mallory looked over her shoulder to see the picture Mary was pointing at. Mallory crinkled her face in disgust as she noticed the family picture. "My brother."

Mary's brows raised. "Can I meet him?" she pressed, earning a loud laugh from Marlene. 

"He is kind of cute," Lily added, a small smile stretching across her lips. 

Mallory glanced between the two girls. Never had she imagined that her dorm mates would have a thing for her brother. "You could meet him," she admitted, "but he has a girlfriend." 

"Damn. He's hot," Mary grumbled, turning away from the picture. "If they break up, tell me."

"Ew. No," Mallory said, not believing the girls were saying those things about her brother. It had to be because he was foreign to them. He was American. That was the only logical explanation to Mallory.

"And this boy is your boyfriend, right?" Lily asked, walking over to Mallory's bed. She picked up the picture of Mallory and Freddy holding hands and looking at the sunset.