Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

Hold on Tight	By : cls2256 Category: HP Canon Characters paired with Original Characters > Het - Male/Female Views: 7315 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 2
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of its characters. This fic is for entertainment purposes only!

Chapter List
- 1-one
- 2-two
- 3-three
- 4-four
- 5-five
- 6-six
- 7-seven
- 8-eight
- 9-nine
- 10-ten
- 11-eleven
- 12-twelve
- 13-thirteen
- 14-fourteen
- 15-fifteen
- 16-sixteen
- 17-seventeen
- 18-eighteen
- 19-nineteen
- 20-twenty
- 21-twenty one
- 22-twenty two
- 23-twenty three
- 24-twenty four
- 25-twenty five
- 26-twenty six
- 27-twenty seven
- 28-twenty eight
- 29-Twenty nine
- 13
- 14
- 15
AUTHORS NOTES:
Yikes, it has been a minute! My apologies profusely. I ended up having surgery on my wrist which prevented me from doing much typing, as well as a slammed few weeks in preparation for said surgery at work, and BAM- here we are 2 1/2 months later.
Hoping my next update is not NEARLY as long in between. I can now type without too much pain in my wrist, so that will certainly help the situation.
Thanks for your patience with this update! You all are AWESOME!
"I'll call in sick—"
"Sirius you can't do that,"
"I can't let you go to your appointment alone—"
"I'll be fine, it's just a checkup."
Allie laughed easily as she pulled on a cream-colored sweater. Her curls frizzed instantly as they sprung out from the neck hole. Little flyaways charged with static magnetized upward towards the ceiling. She turned to the mirror and frowned, attempting to smooth her hair back down, but only made it worse. Sirius couldn't help but smile at her struggle, despite his bitter mood. He was supposed to work breakfast shift today, but Allie had a pregnancy scan scheduled this morning at St. Mungo's.
"I should be there with you," he insisted.
Allie spun around and kissed his forehead. "I know you want to be there, and I appreciate it, but believe me, if you call in sick, my mother will have your head."
"Yeah, yeah," Sirius grumbled.
"I'll be at work shortly after," Allie continued, smiling, "I'll fill you in."
"At least let me walk you,"
"You don't have time," Allie laughed, "you need to be out the door right now anyway."
Sirius rolled his eyes but was then startled by a rapid tapping sound on the window pane. He whirled around, then smiled as he spotted the fluffy white bird in the windowsill. She cocked her head to him and hooted, her cry muffled by the envelope clasped tightly in her beak. Sirius grinned,
"Hedwig," he said, breathing out as if he were letting out a breath of relief. "I've been waiting for a letter from Harry all week,"
Allie opened the window, and Hedwig flew in, dropping a letter in Sirius's lap before perching herself onto the dresser, hooting for a treat. Sirius eagerly tore open the envelope as Allie rummaged through her school bag for a biscuit.
Sirius,
The first week of classes has gone fairly well. The homework load is pretty heavy, especially from Snape, but I was expecting that. Allie is in quite a few of my classes, as I'm sure she has told you. She doesn't talk much— how is the new job working out?
I wanted to run a thought by you. I think Draco Malfoy has taken the place of his father as a Death Eater. I overheard him speaking with a few of his housemates on the train, making it seem as if he had bigger plans for this year rather than just school work. Hermione and Ron don't think he's capable, or that Voldemort would be interested in a teenager, but something just feels off. I wasn't sure if the Order had heard anything over the sort.
The first Hogsmeade weekend is in just a couple of weeks. I would love to see you if you can make it.
Harry
Sirius's eyes darted back and forth rapidly, following the words on the parchment as he skimmed harry's letter a second time.
"Have you noticed anything strange about the Malfoy boy?" Sirius asked, "Draco? Spitting image of his father?"
Allie shifted her weight and crossed her arms, frowning.
"No," she said slowly, "why do you ask?"
Sirius thought back to the day he collided with Draco in Knockturn Alley. His erratic behavior had seemed odd, despite him being a Death Eater's child in a rough end of Wizarding London.
"I'd like you to keep an eye on him," Sirius requested, "Harry seems to think something is up with him."
"Like what?" she asked.
"Like he could be replacing his father amongst the ranks of the Death Eaters."
"He's a child Sirius," Allie laughed acerbically. "What would a 16-year-old be of use for?"
"And what are your father and brother of use for?" Sirius snapped, "He doesn't care about ages and backgrounds—people are of use to him until their not, and he kills them off."
Allie's posture hunched as she flushed and looked down at the floor. Sirius rubbed his face roughly with his palms and groaned with frustration.
"I'm sorry," he said, much calmer, "that was insensitive."
"Yes, it was," she whispered.
Sirius opened his mouth to speak again but wasn't sure how to proceed. He felt his cheeks grow warm as he stared foolishly at her. She looked at her watch, then ushered to the door.
"You need to go, you're going to be late, and so am I."
Sirius sighed heavily, figuring it was most likely best to leave the conversation where it was for now.
"Alright," he said, "I'll see you soon?"
"Mhmm," she hummed.
Sirius stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her, kissing her forehead. So softly, he wasn't sure she would've been able to hear him, he whispered.
"Forgive me, kitten."
Allie looked up to him morosely, but gave him a slight nod, showing him she had heard him. He glanced at the clock, he'd need to apparate now, he'd wasted too much time. He kissed her again, then trotted off down the stairs, hurrying to apparate from the front porch step.
Sirius entered the Leaky Cauldron as quietly as he could from the back entrance. He'd made it there just a few minutes late but was hoping to pretend he'd been in the bathroom this entire time. His plan was thwarted when he discovered Colleen standing in the middle of the kitchen, waiting for him. She looked at him disapprovingly, placing her hands on her hips.
"You're late," She said cooly.
"Yes, but only by —" Sirius looked at his watch. "-two minutes."
Colleen's eyes burned with irritation, making Sirius regret saying anything at all. Despite her look that could kill, she spoke with unnerving calmness.
"I'm sure something... significant held you up this morning. I, however, trust that it will not happen again; otherwise, we'll have to have a discussion about it."
"Yes, ma'am," Sirius said, as politely as he could muster. "Won't happen again."
Colleen gave him one last stern look before turning on her heel and making her way back to her office.
"Ooh, you got in trouble…"
Shannon stood in the doorway between the kitchen and dining room, snickering at Sirius like a little girl would if she witnessed her sibling getting a scolding. Sirius rolled his eyes, huffing.
"I was two minutes late," he said contemptuously.
"And she'll kill you if it happens again, trust me," Shannon said, "The one thing Mum won't stand for is tardiness- I'm sure Allie told you that, didn't she?"
Sirius rolled his eyes and turned his back to Shannon as he began clanking pots and pans to seem busy so She would go away. Instead of retreating, she hollered over the ruckus,
"Can you make me an omelet? I'm hungry!"
The breakfast shift continued on as typical from there. Colleen spent most of her time back in her office, only emerging to check the dining room every half hour or so. She ignored Sirius as she did so, which he was thankful for.
He was beginning to see how mundane this job could be, seeing the same orders come in over and over.
Breakfast platter, table 8. Three french toasts, table 12. Sausage and eggs, and Leaky omelet table 3.
Sirius moved about the kitchen, cooking and plating each ticket as it appeared in the window. He'd come to accept that each of his shifts was the exact same— tickets appear in the window, he makes the food, and the servers take the food from him, and then give him more tickets.
Sure, there was the variation from Breakfast to Lunch to Dinner, where breakfast he primary plated breakfast platters of eggs, bacon, sausage, and potato hash, to lunches of Leaky soup and salad combos, to dinners of fish and chips and Reuben sandwiches. Still, despite the differences in entrees, the work was all the same.
He'd grown fond of Tyler, the 12-year old dishwasher who'd been cursed as a squib as Shannon had. He went to a muggle school during the day, then came and washed dishes in the evenings. Sirius felt he was too young to have a job, that he should be out running around with his friends, but the poor child didn't seem to have very many of those. He never talked about his friends at school; even when Sirius asked about his pals, Tyler didn't have much to say. He reminded Sirius of a young Remus, mild-mannered and kind, but misunderstood. Remus hadn't known friends really until he met James, Sirius, and Peter.
A pain grew in Sirius's left shoulder as the shift went on. He stretched, wincing as he tried to extend beyond what he was able. Maybe he slept on his shoulder wrong? Maybe he overdid it when he was faking busy to Shannon? He sighed— he wasn't 20 years old anymore. It seemed like at his age if he sneezed wrong his entire back would go out. Sirius cursed under his breath—he wasn't even that old.
"Kink in your shoulder?"
Lenore's smooth purr directed his attention to the doorway of the kitchen. She stood in the frame, one arm raised above her head and supporting herself with her forearm.
"Yeah," he grunted
He winced as he attempted to stretch once more. Lenore moved gracefully over to a barstool next to the prep table. She pulled the stool out and patted it. Her sleeve pulled up ever so slightly, showcasing small purple bruises on her wrist.
"Sit," she ordered casually. "Let me see it."
With uncertainty, Sirius blinked a few times before taking a seat. Lenore's slender fingers trailed up his upper arm with gentle pressure, searching around his shoulder until finding the golf-ball-sized knot. She pressed her thumb firmly into his muscle and braced the cap of his shoulder with the other hand. Sirius hissed in pain.
"Just breathe," Lenore said smoothly, "your shoulder is very tight."
Sirius took in a few sharp but deep breaths, his muscle jumping underneath the pressure of Lenore's thumb.
"What happened to your wrist?" Sirius asked through gritted teeth.
Lenore snickered softly, "I like to play a little rough," she said coyly.
Sirius's ears burned hot. "A little?"
Lenore smirked as she began to knead his muscle. She leaned in to speak into his ear, and Sirius now noticed small bruises encircling her neck as well.
"Pain and pleasure are of the same coin," Lenore murmured, "We can't have one without the other."
Heat flooded Sirius's cheeks as thoughts of Lenore handcuffed to a four-poster, strong hands gripping her neck as she tried to gasp, her dark eyes alive with excitement flashed through his mind. He felt a slight stir in his trousers but was immediately distracted by the heavy kitchen door slamming.
Allie bustled in the kitchen, stumbling to a stop as she noticed Lenore and Sirius. Her expression fell as her eyes darted to one another. Her cheeks flushed a deep shade of crimson. Lenore continued to work on Sirius's shoulder, now smirking at Allie.
"Bonjour, Allie," Lenore said, smirking.
"G-good morning," Allie said, just above a whisper.
Sirius immediately felt uncomfortable and shook off Lenore's hand. "I think it's better now, Thanks, Lenore."
Sirius thought he saw a flash of irritation cross Lenore's expression as she stepped away from him. As quick as he might've seen it, it was gone. She exited the kitchen without another word, but winked at Allie as she went by. After an uncomfortable moment of silence, Allie spoke, her voice soft and small, much like a mouse's squeak.
"Is your shoulder bothering you?"
"Yeah," Sirius said, "nasty knot."
She swallowed before nodding and looking down at the floor, whispering.
"I have something back at the house that could help. I can get that for you later if you'd like."
"That'd be great, kitten," Sirius said softly, "thanks."
There was another uncomfortable pause before Sirius coughed and changed the subject.
"How was your scan?"
Allie gave him a weak smile. "All is well. Baby is progressing normally."
Sirius smiled broadly. "That's fantastic news."
"Indeed," she nodded. "Well, I should get to—"
"Yeah, yeah," Sirius said, forcing casualness "your mum wouldn't want you clocking on late."
Allie gave an awkward laugh, then darted out of the kitchen. Sirius groaned and rubbed his face roughly with his palms. All Lenore was doing was helping him with his shoulder, why did he feel like he had just done something wrong? Was it due to the nature of their conversation? Or just the way Allie reacted to seeing Lenore and him together?
"Sirius!"
Sirius looked up to see Alma scowling at him from the window.
"Where the hell is table 24's breakfast platters?!"
Sirius sat down hard at the kitchen table that evening. He took a large swig of scotch, enjoying the burn of the liquor going down his throat and warming his belly.
"Ahhh,"
He sighed in satisfaction— a nice glass of scotch was the perfect way to unwind. The slight thought if his liver's opposition to this idea crossed his mind, but he paid no mind to it. He had twelve years of sobriety to make up for.
His shoulder continued to ache as he attempted to stretch out the sore muscle. He grabbed a spare bit of parchment and his quill and began to draft a letter back to Harry.
Harry,
So great to hear from you. The job is alright, not glamorous, but it passes the time.
Things here have been mostly quiet, but I fear I am being followed. I haven't had a chance to ask any of the others if they have noticed the same, but I wouldn't be surprised if they have. Allie hasn't seen anything, but I feel she is too focused on her studies to notice.
Allie did tell me about your comment to Snape. As I'm sure it landed you in detention, hopefully, you won't have to spend too long polishing cauldrons or whatnot. I'm sure I'm supposed to encourage you to respect your professors and follow all implemented rules. I was never very good at this myself, and personally, I think it's brilliant you gave Snivellus cheek.
As for the Malfoy boy, I think you might be onto something, but I warn you—tread very carefully. Accusations without hard evidence to back up your claim will only do harm. You have your cloak, put it to good use, and find the evidence you need.
Keep an eye out around the castle for anything suspicious. Write to me if you see anything out of place, even if it seems small. Of course, call on Allie if you need anything immediate. She tells me you're quite the star of your Potions class— as much as you are like your father, you must've inherited some of your mother's raw abilities as well.
Talk soon, sending you all the best,
Sirius
"Hi, Sirius,"
Had it been Allie that spoke, Sirius wouldn't have paid any mind to someone talking to him from the doorway, but the unexpected female voice made him nearly jump out of his seat. Sirius looked up quickly to find it was Tonks that stood in the doorway of the kitchen.
"Tonks," he breathed "I didn't even hear you come in."
"I don't know how," Tonks laughed, but a smile wasn't on her face "I kicked that damned umbrella stand again and nearly woke your mother’s portrait. I swear you should move that thing to another spot…"
Sirius set his quill down and poured himself a glass of scotch.
"What can I do for you?" Sirius asked, "if you're here for Allie, she is still at work."
"No, I wanted to talk to you—"
Tonks sat down, and Sirius couldn't help but notice how horrible she looked. Her hair was a mousy brown and frizzy, and she hadn't even bothered metamorphosing the bags from her eyes. He wasn't sure if he'd ever seen Tonks in this state—she always had herself put together.
"–We're being followed, all of us."
Sirius blinked at her for a moment, then nodded slowly. "I know."
Tonks raised an eyebrow "have you spotted someone following you and Allie?"
"Just me, Allie claims she hasn't seen anything, but I'm not sure she's exactly looking out."
Tonks sighed and nodded. "I'm not sure who they've got tailing who, but you need to be careful what you do and where you go alone. Molly was attacked in Diagon Alley last night."
"What??" Sirius rose from his seat without thinking, "Arthur didn't even send an owl, is she ok?"
"Yes, she's alright," Tonks said calmly "she held them off then disapparated once she was able, but she was alone. She doesn't want to leave the house now it freaked her out so bad."
Sirius frowned. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, he heard footsteps pitter-pattering down the kitchen stairs.
"Wotcher, Allie," Tonks said, giving her a cordial nod.
"Oh, Hi Tonks," Allie blushed as she looked down at her blouse and back at Tonks. She had a large splatter of spaghetti sauce on her shirt. "I didn't know you'd be here."
"I came by to speak with Sirius, but I'm glad you're here. Sit,"
Tonks shared the same information with Allie as she just had with Sirius. Her forehead creased as she contemplated what Tonks was saying before she spoke.
"I don't believe I'm being followed," she said softly,
'I bet you are," Tonks said, "You just haven't been looking out."
Allie flushed, appearing slightly irritated by Tonks’s blunt statement.
"Well, I need to get going," Tonks said, "I'll see you two round."
Tonks retreated, leaving Allie and Sirius alone in awkward silence. She coughed, then turned to Sirius.
"Your day was good, yeah?"
"Yeah, good day, I guess," he said, with stiff politeness. "Yours?"
"Fine, fine," she shifted her weight, uncomfortably, "How's your, um, shoulder?"
"Bit sore. I must've slept wrong on it, or overdid it lifting fry baskets."
"Maybe," Allie said, "Lenore didn't fix it this morning?"
"No, uh, not completely," he answered honestly "It helped a little, though."
Allie forced a polite smile. "Let me get that salve for you."
Sirius let out an audible breath as she exited, cursing whatever awkwardness was going on between them. Was there something he should apologize for? Did he do something wrong? Was she upset?
Allie returned with an amber jar of a thick paste, not making eye contact.
"Remove your shirt, please," she asked softly, but politely.
Sirius chuckled at her formality but did as he was told. Allie gently spread the salve over his entire upper shoulder, and then began to slowly knead. Sirius winced as she hit his knot.
"Sorry," she said sympathetically, "it works better if you work it in."
"It's alright," he said through clenched teeth.
She spent about five minutes kneading and working the salve into his skin until his shoulder was pain-free.
"How's that?" she whispered.
He rolled his shoulder a couple of times, then turned his head and grinned at her.
"I'm like a new man. thank you, kitten."
Allie's fingers lingered nervously on his skin. He could feel her fingertips tremble as she seemed to be looking for words to say next. He opened his mouth to say something, what exactly he wasn't sure, but he needed to say something to cut the awkwardness between them.
"I—"
"Do you think she is pretty?"
She'd cut him off, but Sirius didn't bother finishing his sentence. He looked at her quizzically,
"Who? Lenore?"
Allie blinked for a moment, then nodded stiffly. Sirius frowned, taking one of her trembling hands in his.
"Why do you ask if I think she is pretty?"
"It's just, um—" Allie's cheeks turned a twinge of pink "Rod was going on and on about crude things about her. A lot of the male customers do as well, and I, well…"
Allie trailed off, looking to the floor. Sirius smiled at her and laughed easily.
"Rod Thorson is a dog," Sirius said "he'd fuck anything with a pair of tits. What does that have to do with me thinking Lenore is pretty?"
Allie shrugged. "He made a comment about how she always looks at you, and I didn't know if you..."
She trailed off once more, her flush darkening.
"Look at her the way Rod claims she looks at me?"
Allie opened and closed her mouth a couple of times, but seemingly couldn't find the words she wanted to say. Sirius exhaled deeply, shaking his head.
"She's attractive, yes, but so are many other women," he said honestly, "Including you, kitten."
The version of Allie today was different than the Allie Sirius had experienced for the last 6 months. He'd watched Allie blossom around the members of the Order, growing more social and comfortable with each of them each day. He watched her open up more than he could've imagined around him, growing into self-confidence that he never expected. She came a long way from the shy, quiet woman he shared a prison cell with.
Just the other day, she'd flooed in unexpectedly midday, pushing Sirius onto the bed and tugging at his belt with impressive strength.
"I've got ten minutes," she said, "Can you be done by then?"
He'd grinned ear to ear as he watched her drop her panties to the floor, eyes filled with need.
"I think so,"
She'd left him on the bed with half his clothes torn off, drunk with love and lust, giving him a coy wink as she stepped into a whoosh of emerald flames. The scratches down his chest burned for a couple of hours after, but he hadn't cared. It was unbelievably hot.
A different girl sat before him than the one that had come home for a quick romp. This was the shy, timid girl he knew from Azkaban, shoulders hunched with uncertainty and furiously picking a hangnail on her left index finger.
Sirius seized her by the waist and pulled her into his lap. Allie's cry of surprise died against his mouth as he kissed her with bruising force. She clung to him for dear life, but Sirius had a firm hold on her and would not let her go if his life depended on it. As he broke the kiss, his face just inches away from hers, he tucked one of her curls behind her ear with his free hand.
"You know you're the only woman for me," he whispered huskily, "you have nothing to worry about."
Allie looked at him, her emerald eyes staring into his brown, appearing to be searching his expression for any shred of insincerity. After a moment, he felt her body relax slightly, and she nodded, whispering underneath her breath.
"Ok."
Allie found herself sneaking glances at Lenore the entire work shift the following day, observing apathetically how grateful she moved about the dining room. Her petite frame slid between the tight tables with ease. Her charming smile enchanted all the male customers, her exotic beauty something to marvel at. It made her extremely self-conscious to watch Lenore's graceful presence, as it made Allie feel like she was a gangly, swollen mess in comparison. Her ankles were twice the size they typically were, thanks to her extreme fluid retention and long hours on her feet as a server. Allie couldn't help but stare at Lenore's ankles— dainty, delicate, beautiful. She'd kill to have her ankles look like that.
Jack was not immune to Lenore's enchanting appearance, as Allie had noticed. She'd seen how his eyes followed her across the room, watching her every move from behind the bar. Of course, he'd find her attractive, Allie thought, everyone did.
Allie cursed herself for being able to pick up on subtle glances between co-workers. Still, if there was a Death Eater following her, she had no idea. How was it that everyone else in the Order of the Phoenix was being followed except for her? Maybe her stalker was just that good at staying hidden—that, or they didn't consider her worth following.
She wasn't sure what she was contributing to the Order if she were honest with herself. All her time was either spent here at the Leaky Cauldron, or at Hogwarts. She wasn't really a contributing member when she was knee-deep in textbooks, but it's how it had to be. If she wanted a future for her, Sirius and the baby, she needed to take her tests to get a decent job. Unless they were all killed by Death Eaters first, of course.
Jack kept his glances at Lenore sweet, and his glances at Allie laced in venom. Yes, she understood that she left him a week before they were supposed to get married, but that was nearly 5 months ago—she had hoped he'd mellowed out just a smidge.
They ran into each other uncomfortably in the back alley of the Leaky Cauldron as Jack was throwing cartons away. Allie wasn't going to say anything, just keep her head down, but Jack spoke.
"Is your mom really keeping him on in the kitchen?"
Allie knew Jack was speaking of Sirius.
"Yes," she whispered, nodding.
Jack shook his head and swore under his breath "This place is really going to shit."
A flash of irritation crossed her. She stood up a little straighter and looked him in the eye.
"I asked her to hire him."
"Oh," Jack looked bemused, "you got him this job so you could dangle him in front of me like a carrot?"
Any shred of self-confidence Allie had was quickly ripped away from her. She felt herself start to deflate, her shoulders hunching as she shook her head quickly.
"No, no, Sirius was having trouble finding a job —"
Jack cut her off before she had a chance to continue. "So you thought 'hey, I'll get him to come work with the guy I dumped and me and it'll be all rainbows and smiles,' right?"
"No, I—"
"God, Allie— I didn't think you could get any lower," Jack spat, "you really had me fooled into thinking you were a good person."
"Jack—"
Allie reached for him, desperate to get him to calm down and understand, but he ripped his arm away before she could touch him.
"Don't touch me," he growled, "Don't you dare touch me you— you—whoring, no good—"
Allie began to shake at the foul, cruel words spewing from Jack's mouth. Hot tears burned her eyes as he continued his rant.
Once he was finished with his cruel insults, Jack stormed back inside, and Allie lost it. She fell to the ground, sobbing profusely. She sucked in deep, desperate breaths, only to choke and lose control of her breathing once more. Raindrops spotted the asphalt around her as Jack's horrible slurs echoed in her head over and over.
"Shhh, it's alright, chamallow, shhh..."
She felt a gentle hand on her back, rubbing in small circles. She looked up to see Lenore, giving her a relaxed smile.
"Come inside, it's starting to rain."
"I can't g—go back-ins—side there," Allie choked.
"You can't stay out here, ma cheri," Lenore said smoothly, "you'll catch a chill out here in the rain—come, come, I insist."
Allie allowed Lenore to pull her up. She blubbered, quickly grabbing her apron to wipe the snot from her nose before Lenore saw. If she did see, she didn't pay any mind. Lenore led Allie inside and upstairs to an empty guest room, out of sight and earshot of the other employees so she could regain her composure in private. Allie silently thanked Lenore for this—the last thing she wanted was Jack seeing her like this, or having Shannon or Alma hound her about what was wrong.
"I think I know what happened," Lenore said smoothly, "let me get you some water, stay put, I'll be back."
She returned a couple of minutes later with a large pitcher of water and a tall glass. Inside the glass pitcher were chunks of fresh pineapple and shreds of ginger floating about. Allie had reduced from wracking sobs to hiccupping sniffles.
"Was Jack being cruel to you?" Lenore asked.
Allie blinked a few tears, then nodded. "He's so angry at me for what I did."
"For you leaving him for Sirius?"
Allie opened her mouth to speak but clammed up. She didn't want to rehash the entire situation of how Allie left Jack a week before their wedding. Sure, Lenore had heard what happened through the grapevine, but would knowing the details make her think Allie was indeed a horrible person? Lenore gestured to the water glass in front of her.
"Drink,” she insisted “It'll make you feel better."
Allie stared at the glass for a moment, then took a few large swigs. The water infused with pineapple and ginger was lovely. She drank about half the glass, thirsty from wracking her throat with sobs.
"Men can be so… oh, how do you say, callous?" Lenore smiled slightly "Jack just needs a distraction, that is all. Do you feel that his words were justified?"
"In some aspects, no. He implies I'm loose, and that I was with many men on the side, but that isn't true. I just so happened to fall in love with Sirius, and I was too afraid of him not returning my feelings and being alone that I clung to Jack."
Allie frowned at herself. The words had tumbled out of her automatically, and she feared oversharing.
"I'm sorry," Allie said, flushing, "I'm sure you don't want to hear all the dramatic details of my romantic life."
"No, no, I don't mind at all," Lenore said, smirking, "what does your family think of all this?"
"My siblings seem fine with it. Mum, on the other hand, I can't read her. One minute she seems like she's coming around, and then the next, she is very adamant that she doesn't like him or the situation. She thinks he's a bad influence."
"A bad influence?" Lenore asked curiously.
"She thinks he is going to get me killed since I joined the Order of—"
Allie choked on her words, forcing herself to speak the remainder of her sentence through forced coughs. Her heart started to race; why on earth was she so honest with Lenore? She glanced at her water glass as the hair on the back of her neck stood up. Clear, tasteless potions would go unnoticed in a simple glass of water.
"Lenore," Allie began slowly, "what's in this?"
"It's a simple blend of pineapple and ginger," Lenore said smoothly, "Do you like it?"
Lenore seemed unphased by Allie's questioning. Allie's eyes darted between the glass, pitcher, and Lenore's face before Lenore cocked her head slightly.
"I can get you something else if you'd prefer. Tea?"
Allie shook her head. Maybe she was just paranoid. What reason would Lenore have to put Veritasserum in her glass? She was just a friendly co-worker trying to cheer her up. Lenore hadn't given her any reason to believe she had ill intentions. Sure, Allie found her standing a little closer to Sirius yesterday than preferred, but she was just trying to help his shoulder. She suddenly felt guilty for suspecting anything ill of Lenore—was her lack of self-confidence manifesting incorrect suspicions was she finding reasons to not like Lenore, just because Lenore was the picture of beauty in her mind? Allie forced herself to smile,
"Sorry, it's just been a rough day."
"Sorry to hear that," Lenore smiled easily, "you need rest. Go home, I'll take over any new tables that come in."
"Are you sure?" Allie asked, "I feel terrible asking you to."
"You didn't ask," Lenore chuckled, "I offered. That's what friends are for."
Friends? Allie smiled, this time more natural, and nodded.
"Alright, I'll head out. Thank you."
Lenore smirked, vanishing the pitcher and cup in one smooth motion of her wand.
"It was my pleasure."
As Allie made her way towards 12 Grimmauld Place, she fought a sickening feeling in her stomach. Allie was not known to be so honest with near-strangers— it took her ages to open up to anyone she'd call a friend. Would she call Lenore a friend? Lenore called her a friend. She seemed to be the type to make friends much easier than Allie.
Maybe her gut was trying to find reasons to suspect Lenore because she'd been feeling inadequate about not seeing anything suspicious when Sirius or Tonks asked. Perhaps she was just having a bad enough day that she needed to get her thoughts off her chest to clear her mind, and Lenore just so happened to be someone willing to listen.
"Wotcher, Allie dear!" Mrs. Tannenbaum called to her from across the street. "Classes going well at university?"
Allie relaxed, smiling at the old woman watering her front garden. She looked both ways, then crossed the uneven brick street towards Mrs. Tannenbaum's townhome. Maybe a cuppa with the sweet old lady would help take her mind off the day.
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Hold on Tight