Here's the thing; I love writing, but, as I'm taking part in NaNoWriMo, I can't start writing my novel until November, and I have all this...energy stored up, and I need to write something before I explode, so I figured, I'd take a stab at writing fanfiction. I've written for characters before (Buffy/Angel/HP/etc), and I don't think I'm too bad, but that's for you guys to decide! I have this all pretty much planned out, and I've already started the second chapter, so, if you guys like it, let me know, and I'll try and finish Chapter 2 sooner, and if you don't, offer some constructive criticism, please. The plot doesn't really thicken for a couple more chapters, but these chapters are all necessary to set it up. Reviews please?
And yes, I did invent Pru and Sarah.

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Green-Tinted Affection

Chapter 1

Remus Lupin entered the Gryffindor common room clutching the piece of parchment on which his Defence Against the Dark Arts essay was written, his book bag slung across his body. He could hear some of his fellow fifth years arguing, and he wearily returned the parchment to his bag, sighed, and sat in an armchair, ready to try and resolve the argument.

"You're a conceited imbecile, Black!" yelled Prudence Caulfield.

"Don't talk to Sirius like that!" came the reply of James Potter.

"Calm down, Prongs, she's just a stuck-up little pratt!" shouted Sirius Black.

"Don't you dare talk about Pru that way!" screamed Lily Evans.

"Oh, so calling me a 'conceited imbecile' is fine?" replied Sirius.

"As far as I'm aware, telling the truth is perfectly acceptable!" answered Evans.

"And it just so happens to be true that you, Sirius Black, are a conceited imbecile!" cried Pru.

"I told you not to talk to him like that!" shouted James.

"Oh Potter, don't act like you're any better! You're ten times more idiotic than Black!" Lily said coldly, her voice raised only slightly above the usual volume for polite conversation. James Potter did not reply; Remus knew that he wouldn't say anything that could in any way hurt Lily Evans.

"May I inquire as to why you're attempting to deafen everybody in Gryffindor tower?" asked Remus. He waited for the valid reason that he knew would not come.

"Because your friends, Potter and Black, are without a doubt the most idiotic, arrogant people to ever be accepted into Hogwarts!" Pru yelled.

"I'm guessing you're not including yourself there, then?!" Sirius called back.

"I actually-" Pru began, but was cut off by Remus.

"Why don't you all just stop embarrassing yourselves and be quiet? Merlin knows you never argue about anything worth getting angry over, and insulting each other isn't getting you anywhere. Just drop it." the werewolf told them.

Prudence and Sirius opened there mouths as if they intended to continue, but quickly snapped them shut when they realised that Lupin was right. They hadn't been arguing over anything important, but it was hard for Sirius and Pru to argue about anything without verbally ripping each other's heads off, and James and Lily were both quick to jump to their friend's aid.

After a moment or two, Lily sat down on the couch, and pulled her rucksack onto her lap. She began digging around in it for parchment and textbooks, and Prudence sat down next to her, her arms folded across her chest, glaring daggers at the opposite wall. Sirius threw himself onto the other end of the couch, and James slid to the floor beside Remus' armchair, and proceeded to charm his miniature quidditch figurines.

Sarah McCarthy, a dark haired, olive-skinned girl was approaching the spot where the five of them sat. She shared a dorm room with the other fifth year girls, and was quite good friends with all of them. She leaned over James and passed Remus the parchment she was holding.

"Here are your notes back, Remus. Thanks, they really helped, I don't have any idea what I'd do without you," she said, a crooked smile playing on her lips.

"No problem, Sarah. Are you sure you don't want to keep hold of them for your essay?" asked the Marauder.

"No thanks, it's half done already, and they're," she pointed at the sheet she'd just returned to Remus, "embedded into my brain anyway."

"Alright, see you tomorrow." He smiled at the girl before returning to the potions text book he'd been pouring over. The girl spun around and walked away. She stepped so elegantly and her hair shimmered as she walked. This did not escape Sirius' attention.

"Pretty girl, eh, Moony?" he said, a smile audible in his voice.

"Hmm?" said Remus, looking up, before the question registered with him. He glanced towards where Sarah sat, helping some first years with homework, and then turned back to his book. "Yeah, s'pose."

Sirius looked at James. Remus did not pay any attention to the opposite gender. He was convinced that any girl he dated would either be;

-angry at him for keeping secrets from her if he didn't tell him about his...condition and where he went every month.

-repulsed and/or terrified if he did tell them about his condition and where he went every month.

Despite the daily encouragement he received from James and Sirius, he dismissed any thoughts of girls the minute they formed in his mind.

"Well, if it doesn't bother you, maybe I'll go after her," said Sirius, a grin appearing on his face.

"Oh no, please don't do that to the poor girl, Remus!" cried Pru. "She's a nice girl, what has she ever done to deserve that?!"

"I'll have you know that I am quite the catch!" said Sirius, putting on his best 'offended face'. Pru snorted at this, and made to leave for the girls' dormitory.

"Lilian dear, will you be joining me?" she asked as she stood.

"Erm, no, I think I'll finish this essay and then I'll be up. See you in a bit." Lily answered. She waited until Pru had gone up to the dormitory, before turning to Remus. "Remus, why don't you go out with Sarah?"

"I just...don't really want...I...she's not really my type." said Moony.

"Go on then, tell us, what is your type?" asked James. Lupin didn't answer. He looked at them all for a minute, before trying to change the subject.

"Where's Peter?" he asked, not caring what the answer was, as long as the subject changed.

"Detention. Filch. Won't be back for ages. Now go on, tell us, what's your type?" said Sirius.

"I don't have a type."

"Then why won't you go out with her? Don't you think she's pretty?"

"No, I mean, she's really nice-looking, but I just don't want to go out with anybody. And I mean...I don't think she dates...I've never seen her with anybody..."

"Doesn't date, eh?" Sirius smiled at this. "Bet you're wrong there. Hogsmeade next weekend, isn't it?"

"Don't, Padfoot, just don't," pleaded Lupin. He could see his friend was about to ask the girl out for him.

"Fine, but the poor girl doesn't deserve to be going alone!"

"If you're thinking of asking her out, she might prefer going alone, mate." James said, smirking. Lily started to laugh, but quickly stopped herself. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction of knowing he amused her; that she didn't completely hate him.

"Shut it, Prongs. Bet you five galleons she'd go out with me."

"Nah, I couldn't take your money, Pad!"

"Fine, don't. I'd feel a bit guilty anyway, taking money off you for that. I mean, who could turn me down?" he winked at James.

"If you're so certain, go over there and get it over with, instead of standing over here talking about it with Potter!" Lily said. Sirius smiled, and walked across the common room to where the girl sat; the three Gryffindors watching him.

"Hi Sarah," he said, standing next to table she was kneeling at.

"Bonjour Monsieur Sirius," she said, looking up at him and smiling. She had grey eyes with a tint of blue that showed in some lights, Sirius noticed. It hadn't shown before. It was as if the colour was shy; revealing itself only when she was alone with somebody.

"So," he began, "I was wondering if you wanted to go to Hogsmeade with me next weekend?" He saw her gaze shift briefly to Remus.

"Umm...you're asking me?"

"It would appear so. Unless you're not you. You might not be who I think you are. I'm asking Sarah. Sarah, would you like to go to Hogsmeade with me?" he said, and she laughed a soft, small laugh, that seemed to make her eyes twinkle.

"Why Sir, I would be honoured if you would allow me to grace you with my presence!" She was standing now. The top of her head was roughly in line with Sirius' nose, and she was peering up at him through her big eyes.

"Why, thank you, m'lady!" he said, taking her hand and kissing it, in a mock gentlemen sort of way. She curtsied at him as he turned and made his way back to his friends, before gathering up her books and heading for the dormitory.

"Ta-da!" he said, grinning. James smirked, and Remus forced a smile. Lily mumbled something along the lines of 'poor girl...', whilst shaking her head and stuffing her books back into her bag.