Lily and Sirius leaned back on the couch laughing over another one of Sirius's disastrous girl stories.
"It official," Lily choked out between laughs. "You are incapable of being attracted to any normal girls."
"Hey, wait now," Sirius half-heartedly defended himself. "What about Medrona? She was a sweet girl!"
"Yes, she was until she dyed her hair green and started leaving watching spells throughout the castle so she could constantly see you." Lily solemnly responded, eyes laughing.
She was enjoying this. Although she had known Sirius since their 1st year, it was only recently that they had become close. Of all James's friends, Remus was the only one that she had been on good terms with-far before James even made it into her line of vision. No-Sirius had intrigued her, as he intrigued more than half the witches and muggles he met. There was something about that thick black hair and piercing eyes that made her heart skip a beat. However in the past few months something had changed and those eyes that were looking at her now had merely become the eyes of her best friend.
"But in all seriousness, there is the perfect girl out there for you. I know it! And if you want me to I will find her. That's a lie- I will find her whether you want me to or not."
"But how on earth could I settle for a perfect girl when perfection has already made itself known in you?" Sirius responded, clutching his heart and falling on Lily's lap, staring up at her.
Lily laughed again and playfully pushed him off. She had heard silly declarations like that from Sirius before but sensed that there was something more on his mind. She figured they were heading down a more serious path and instead of avoiding it, she indulged him saying, "Do you honestly want to find someone or are you content with who you are and where you are?"
Sirius sighed and stood up- walking to the fireplace. "I don't know Lil. I guess I was fine with it all until these past few weeks. You and James- I don't know- make me want what you have. That love, fire, passion, joy. Happinesss. Isn't that what most people want?"
Lily watched him from across the common room. She was completely confused by this new side of him yet humbled by his trust in confiding in her.
"I guess I was half serious before. You have become the ideal for my perfect woman. As a best friend, lover, playmate, soulmate." Sirius suddenly shook his head and kicked a stray coal back into the fire. "It's stupid, I know. Ignore what I said. Do you want to finish studying?"
Lily looked at him, bewildered as he made a move to their transfiguration books, long abandoned. She walked over to where he now sat and hugged him from behind, resting her head on his shoulder. She was unaware his strong frame tensing immediately at her touch. "You're sweet," Lily said. "But I swear to you Sirius Black, you will find a girl who you will love so dearly and passionately that you will forget all about your admiration for me."
"Damn it Lily!" Sirius growled leaping up and pushing away so forcefully that Lily could only cower from the floor where she had fallen.
She watched from there now. She watched as he paced back and forth with a rage so strong and yet he was completely silent. It was in that silence that she found fear not for her safety but for some impending event that she knew was upon them. The grandfather clock struck three am and almost immediately she heard a howl in the distance and her mind was flung backwards in time.