Hello, and thanks for clicking on my fanfic...I hope you will enjoy it immensely:):).

SUMMARY:

The Marauders and Lily Potter are in their final year at Hogwarts, the year when James and Lily finally get together. But what happens when Sirius notices Lily one morning? SBLE, JPLE.

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

This can be canon if you squint your eyes and cock your head slightly to the left, but it doesn't have to be if you don't want it to be :)

WHAT HARRY DIDN'T KNOW

It happened quite suddenly.

It was a Tuesday morning at the Great Hall and the Marauders were at their usual spot at the breakfast table. James and Sirius were acting out a pantomime; Peter was beside himself with laughter; and Remus was reading Transfiguration Today, spectating the comedy out of the corner of one eye, and smiling slightly.

Even though The Marauders were now in seventh year and things started to get a bit more serious with NEWTS looming ahead, that did not give James and Sirius enough reason to have a bit of fun every now and then.

Close by, along the Griffindor table, sat Lily and Anne, reading through The Daily Prophet that was brought to them by a tortoise-shell coloured owl. Anne was giggling slightly, but Lily paid no attention. She was completely absorbed in Bathilda Bagshot's write up on the History of the Nineteenth century. Anne's giggling became growing laughter. Slightly annoyed, Lily put down The Daily Prophet and turned to Anne, looking at her reproachfully.

"What are you laughing at?" she asked with a resigned sigh.

Anne, incapable of speaking, pointed silently ahead of her, covering her mouth with her other hand. Lily turned. She saw James behind Sirius: Sirius' arms were clasped behind him, and James extended his through the loops of Sirius', acting as his best friend's arms. James was busy trying to spoon-feed Sirius some runny egg; presently bits of yellow yolk was smeared around his face.

Seeing a flash of red, Sirius' head turned and saw Lily. Bright green eyes met stormy grey. But it wasn't like before. It wasn't Lily glaring magical daggers that would leave the receiving end bleeding severely. Sirius could only describe Lily's look as surprise and that probably was what was on Sirius' face, too. He could feel the blood in his veins tingle and his heart palpitating. This, was not good. Not good at all.

Meanwhile, James was trying to force wobbly bits of egg into Sirius' ear, and not hearing any protests from his best friend. James, slightly confused, looked around to face Sirius.

"What you staring at, mate?" he asked Sirius, throwing the spoon over his shoulder, hitting an unfortunate Hufflepuff walking past. His eyes led to Lily and he burst into a broad grin. "Nicely spotted, Padfoot." James extricated his arms and patted Sirius heartily on the shoulder. The Hufflepuff behind him identified James as the assailant and slowly approached him, with a murderous look in her eyes.

"I'm gonna ask her to come with me to Hogsmeade next week," James said with a deliberate smile. He left Sirius, who was also left with the approaching Hufflepuff. She tapped Sirius irritibly on his back, and he immediately turned around. He didn't look too charming with egg yolk around his mouth, his ear and tangled in his straight black hair, but it didn't stop the girl giving a squeal of delight.

"Oh it's Sirius!" She said delightedly. She was quite tall, a little shorter than Sirius, with a heart shaped face, short blonde hair cut into a bob, an upturned nose, rose lips and sparkling blue eyes.

"Do I know you?" Sirius asked the girl, leaning an elbow on the table and wearing his lazy smile.

"I'm Michaela Smith," she said with a delighted squeal, extending a hand.

Thinking she didn't look too ugly (in fact she was quite pretty, Remus thought later), and despite the fact that she was from Hufflepuff, Sirius took her hand and pressed his lips to the girl's hand.

"Enchante," he replied in a overly exaggerated French accent. Michaela giggled and blushed, even though Remus rolled his eyes and sighed exasperatedly.

"You wanna go to Hogsmeade with me?" Michaela burst out.

Sirius snuck a glance at Lily, who was about to be confronted by James. He knew there was no chance. He turned back to the Hufflepuff and smiled devilishly. "I'll get back to you on that one." He winked. She giggled and flounced away to join her other Hufflepuff friends, with exciting news on her lips.

Sirius turned back to the remaining Marauders, sighing emphatically, running his fingers through his jet black hair. Remus looked up at him, shaking his head.

"Our school playboy having a difficult time with the girls?" Remus said with a wry smile.

"Not as much as you, Moony," Sirius responded with a grin.

Remus sighed, and said, "You got a bit of egg yolk just there." He pointed to the corner of his mouth.

"Where?" Sirius asked, now grabbing a napkin.

"A little to the left. No, no, now a bit to the right...ah no, you just missed it! Just -"

Sirius laughed and threw the napkin at Remus. Remus laughed haughtily. It wasn't everyday that you could reduce Sirius to a huff. He watched Sirius slumped forward on the table, a hand caught in his perfect hair, his gaze now finding Lily's form once more. He scrunched up his face, thinking himself stupid and silly, and promptly rose from the breakfast table, mumbling something about Transfiguration homework. Remus looked at the cover of his book, then at Sirius' retreating back, and then realised, that for once, they had no Transfiguration homework.

Meanwhile, James approached Lily, who broke out of her spell and went back to Bathilda Bagshot's article. But before she could read so much as a line, a voice from above interrupted her.

"How is my gilded Lily, the love of my life and obsession of my heart this fine Tuesday morning?"

Lily closed her eyes and prayed to whomever was watching over her to give her the strength to deal with James Potter this morning. She opened them to find James' cocky grin and tall stature. Even in seventh year, there was still something about James that ticked Lily off, but at least they could be in the same room together and they even had had a civil conversation once. But James' face did not look like he wanted a civil conversation. No. This was ask-Lily-on-a-date face. And Lily was not ready to accept the invitation. Not yet. Not when she saw Sirius and she felt some kind of electricity charge her system that no amounts of coffee could do, nor will do. There was something about Sirius...Something that wasn't there before.

She knew that Sirius wouldn't go for her: he valued James' friendship way too much, and that was the hard part. Biting her lip, she stood up, not saying a word to anyone, and left the Great Hall promptly. She needed time and space to think. And she needed it now.

Well, waddaya think?

I hope all my grammar and things are readable. Just drop a line to say whatever mistakes I've made. Thanks for reading :)