The Marauders: Year Four

What Would Sirius Do?

What Would Sirius Do?

James had watched Lily and Severus Snape leave the Great Hall, and he'd caught Annalee up into his arms the moment they had. "Let's got for a walk," he suggested.

She shook her head, "No, I want to keep dancing!" she said, "This is so much fun. Aren't you having so much fun?"

"Yeah, a blast, but listen, I'm really hot -- just a quick walk."

Annalee frowned, but she relented, and followed James off the dance floor. James started for the entrance hall, "Wait, where are you going?" she asked, she'd stopped at the refreshment table, pointing to the punch and eggnog.

"I told you, I'm hot," James said, running a hand through his hair to make sure it was still messed up, "I'm just going to step outside a moment."

"Outside!" Annalee exclaimed, "James, it's probably 'round about 12-below out there. Are you mad? I can't go out there like this!" Her dress was sleeveless - he'd been thinking all night that it had to have been held in place by magic because some of the dance moves she'd been doing... well, he imagined it should've fallen down or something might've fallen out otherwise.

"So stay here then," he said. "Look, Peter Pettigrew's right over there, so that's the table my mates are at. I'll only be a moment. I've just got to go out and get a breather or I'm going to pass out, love." He fanned himself dramatically.

Annalee looked nervous, "Maybe I should go with you, if you think you might pass out --"

"I'll be fine, don't get cold on account of me. Go on, get some food and drink and I'll be back in a moment." He waved her off and before she could change her mind again, he hurried to duck out of the Great Hall.

Annalee sighed and frowned and went over to the table where Peter was sitting and lowered herself into the seat that Sirius had been in before. Peter was just eating the very last of the gingerbread cake that he'd brought over - all of it, even the pieces he'd intended for Sirius. He had crumbs all down the front of him and when Annalee sat down, heaving the heaviest sigh he'd ever heard, he rushed to frantically sweep them all off himself in a panic, staring over at the back of her head with wide, panicked eyes. She kept her eyes on the dance floor, not even looking at him, but her hands on her knees, running her fingers over the merlot colored velvet.

Peter swallowed and tried to say something - the first time only getting a funny hhhUUUHHhhh sound to squeak out, barely audibly. He closed his eyes, red-faced, but she hadn't noticed the sound, or at least hadn't reacted to it, so he took a deep breath and told himself firmly, she's just a girl, just a girl, just any old girl, like talking to Evans, same as Evans He cleared his throat.

Annalee turned around.

Peter felt his guts tie in knots. "Hhhhhhhhi," he said, drawing out the H-sound as he had to force the rest of it to come out.

"Hullo," she said sullenly.

Merlin, even sad she's beautiful. Peter thought. Like a crying swan. So graceful, so beautiful, so incredible, a dream, a picture of perfection, an angel...

She's just a girl though, Peter. Just a girl. Just like Lily Evans is a girl. Just a girl. You can do this.

"How's... Dancing... The dancing... and James.... The... is it... the... good going?" he stammered stupidly.

Bloody hell, was that even English? I'm such an idiot. Idiot. IDIOT. Peter, you're an idiot. Oh she thinks I'm stupid now. She's right, Peter, you are stupid. A stupid idiot. STUPID, STUPID, STUPID...