The stone got a few feet before it landed in the water. She had done this for a few minutes before she tired herself out.

It was one of those days for Lily. If it wasn't James Potter irking her by trying to act cool, it was Severus Snape fumbling over himself trying to rescue her from James.

She honestly didn't understand why they acted so immaturely, but she finally reached her limit after a dung bomb went off in the girls levorotary. She found out it was Sirius Black, who was trying to pull a prank on Moaning Myrtle.

"I thought you-"

"DO I LOOK LIKE A GHOST?" she shouted.

"Come to think of it, you look positively devilish when you're angry like that," Sirius replied with an evil smirk.

Those were the last words she heard as she pushed him out of her way. The stench in her robes had caused a few people to point and stare. So she retreated to the far side of the shore to get away from all laughs and looks.

As she sat on a boulder, she heard a strange sound from a nearby bush. With her wand ready, she pulled back a few branches and found a dog lying on the ground.

The dog gave a very pitiful look as it raised its paw to her. Lily was reluctant to touch the poor beast. But it edged to her, moaning sadly as it reached her foot.

"Mercy, it can't be that bad." She carefully took the animal's paw and looked around for whatever it was that was ailed it. But she couldn't find anything. "Did you prick your finger?"

The animal continued with its pitiful stare as Lily looked all over for the problem. Finally, she gave up and looked into the dogs eyes. "I can't find it, but I'm sure you be OK." She ruffled the dog's ears with her soft hands. She noticed how the dog's leg moved up and down as she rubbed his ears, so she did it a few more times and rubbed his underbelly since it made him feel better. The dog licked her hands in appreciation. She could tell that he looked eternally grateful to her.

But then, she noticed something familiar staring back at her.

"WHAT THE –"

Within moments she felt a heavy force push her over to her back. As she looked up, she saw Sirius' face staring down at her.

"I told you I was sorry! I didn't mean for it to be you!" he said quickly as he tried to hold her down.

"SO THIS IS YOUR WAY TO APOLIGIZE? TO PRETEND TO BE A DOG SO THAT I COULD BE NICE TO YOU?" she yelled as she struggled underneath him.

"Would you have it any other way?"

And his words caused her to stop. She looked at him and could see the eyes of the dog framed within the face of a man who looked very sorry.

She felt herself about to relent, but before she could respond…he kissed her…then ran off.

His nails raked against her soft thighs. His hands trailed its way to the sweet spot at the small of her back.

He knew he'd reached it as he felt her mouth open wider against his lips, allowing a moan to escape her body.

"Eric! We shouldn't," she panted.

"I can't keep watching you with him, Rose! I know he's my friend-"

"He's your best friend! –"

"I can't…" He was at lost for words as her perfume overwhelmed him.

"Light reading?" He asked sarcastically. Lily was startled to hear Sirius

Black's voice from the stillness of the Library.

"Just studying," she said as she propped the huge book higher to conceal the novel. "Where's your musketeers or stooges?"

"Marauders: James, Remus, and Peter. They've gotten detention."

"And you didn't?" she asked.

"I was," he cleared his throat, "detained." Lily raised an eyebrow then turned back to her book. "You know she leaves him; Rose leaves Eric."

Lily looked shocked and angered, "What? Where you-"

"Eric was such a cad that she had no choice but to let him go," Sirius replied quickly. "As much as she was cheating on David with Eric, Eric was cheating on her with one of her girlfriends. But you couldn't actually call it cheating since they didn't have a commitment to each other anyways."

She was amazed to hear this from him. Yet she was more amazed that she was engaging him in this conversation, "So you don't think there is anything wrong with what Eric was doing behind his friend's back?"

"Rose didn't make her choice until after she caught Eric with Jessica. After that, she made the commitment to be with David. So before then, it was all fair in love and war."

She felt intrigued by his answer, "So then, would you steal a girl from one of your best friends?" Her eyes pried deep into his. But she felt a little uncomfortable as she saw that he was matching her gaze.

Silenced filled the conversation. Sirius made a sideway glance then looked back at Lily, "I'm not in a position to say. I would like to think not, but you never know. At the moment, no one has stepped forward to lay claim on Remus, Peter, or James," he winked at her as he said the last name, " and, " he paused even more as he consider his words carefully, "I have yet to met a girl yet who is as beautiful, strong, or as even tempered as you are." There was silence again as he kept his gaze on her. But before he left her table, he flicked his wand at her book, which caused the pages to turn. "Good day, Ms. Evans."

Loathing and curiosity mingled within her. As she turned back to her book she noticed that the story picked up at the height of a passionate love scene between Rose and Eric.

She felt herself blush.

His wide frame moved around the corner of his desk.

"OK class, let's settle down," he bellowed as he tried to bring calm to his room. "As you all remember, we've been discussing the different properties of Amortentia. Now we're going to try our hands at brewing some of this potion." A small burst of noise flooded the classroom. "BUT – before we get started, did anyone do the extra credit assignment that I handed out for today's lesson?"

Heads turned from left to right as everyone crained their necks to see who did the poetry assignment Slughorn gave.

Ahem.

James Potter rose from his seat with subtle confidence. A few girls giggled as they looked towards his direction. Lily Evans rolled her eyes and went back to read her notes.

"Well Mr. Potter, you seem to be the only one who put in the extra effort. Would you mind, for an extra 10 points, if you could read your poem to the class?"

James tilted his head to his Professor as he accepted his task. His three friends all gave him a slap on the shoulder as a show of support. James unrolled his parchment as he walked towards the front of the class. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly as he began to read.

To Wish

A thousand gems could not compare
to the beauty behind your emerald eyes.

Bliss should be redefined
by the way your lips curl into a smile.

If I could only have one wish
it would be to be in your world
the way nature is within yours.

I'd wish to be the wind that touches your skin,
the light that plays within your hair,
the water that touches your sweet lips,
or the ground that lies beneath you.

Just to be with you is all I could ask.
Cause within your grace, I feel most humbled.

There was a long moment of stunned silence before Professor Slughorn spoke. All eyes turned to Lily's direction, who shrunk in her seat as she felt the attention on her.

Slughorn rested his hand on the back of Lily's chair. "Well, my boy, that was most moving. It didn't quite rhyme like most poems would, but the deep profoundness of feeling was most riveting." His eyes motioned towards Lily, "I dare say, that girl must be very luck to be the object of your affections."

There was a little more commotion as everyone got ready for the lesson. Lily put down her notes to prepare. As she started the fire on her cauldron, she noticed an odd exchange between James and Sirius.

"Thank you," she saw James whisper to Sirius.

She thought it was rather strange until she caught the look in Sirius' eyes as he turned to her. He was caught off guard as he saw her looking back at him and turned away quickly.

But before he did, a humble smile crept across his face.