Chapter 1: Starting Off With A Good Note?

The first thing that registered in Lily Evans' mind was that she couldn't remember anything from the night before. Her mind was empty and that scared her. The last time that she had blacked out, she had wound up in a car with a creepy old man. What happened?

She tried to roll over onto her stomach and her breath hitched. There was something holding her by the waist. She took a deep breath and looked down. Male arms were wrapped around her naked body. She froze and one thought drifted into her head. Who was in bed with her?

She tried to shift enough to see the man's face but was stopped by a twinge of pain between her legs. Oh Merlin! She was freaking out and started breathing hard. She was about to scream but instead clamped her mouth shut and held her breath when she heard a groan. The man was awake!

He clutched at her waist tighter and snuggled closer to her. Then he realized that she was awake. He nuzzled his head into her neck and whispered huskily, "Good morning love". Then she remembered everything. It all started on the 21st of October; about four months ago.

She was in History of Magic. She was wearing her school uniform without the robes; showing off all of her curves. Her hair was cascading down her back. She had her head held up in her hand, spacing out, when it began.

Behind her sat the marauders; James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew. They loved to break the rules, cause mischief and mayhem, and be the center of attention. Right now they were doing at least one of those things but probably two.

There were only supposed to be two people per table but they refused to be separated. They said that it was a crime to stop them from planning their pranks in a class that they would otherwise be sleeping through. So, she ignored them, knowing that she wouldn't be able to stop them and instead would probably make Potter start flirting with her again. She gave a small sigh at the thought.

Lily's sigh was so small that no normal person would be able to hear it. Of course, Sirius Black wasn't anywhere near normal and his hearing was no exception. He looked up and realized that it was his animagus senses kicking in that allowed him to hear it.

Nobody else heard the sigh. Except, he knew, for Remus because of his keen werewolf senses, but Remus was so used to it by now that he didn't even twitch. Sirius looked over at Lily and looked her up and down. 'Holy crap!' He thought 'She looks so sexy right now!' Then he remembered that she was off limits because James had "fallen in love with her". He rolled his eyes as he thought this. Really, James just wanted to have sex with the hottest girl in their grade for bragging rights.

Now, anybody that knew Sirius, knew that he had a reputation of going through girls as fast as he went through detentions. He had a new one every day. But truth be told, most of the girls were flirting with Him and he had only had sex with a handful of them at most. It was James that just wanted girls for the sex and attention. Looking back at James, Sirius heard him asking Remus advice on how to ask Lily to the Halloween Ball. Again, Sirius rolled his eyes.

It didn't matter how or how many times James asked Lily out, the answer would always be no. That might have been Sirius' fault though. He had told Lily on the train in their first year that James was an egotistical prat (which was still true to this day) and that she shouldn't mingle with him. Of course, a few days later, he found out how wrong he was (except for the egotistical prat part).

Sirius found himself in James' company often in those next few days and Lily watched on with narrowed eyes. She couldn't believe that her first ever friend was hanging out with a guy like that. That weekend, Lily had hunted Sirius down and confronted him. He had tried to explain to her that he had been wrong about James and that she should try talking to him but she felt betrayed and didn't listen to a word that he had said.

After that, they didn't talk much but throughout the years, whenever one of them really needed somebody to vent to, the other was there. A piece of there friendship still remaining.

Sirius sighed and Moony quickly broke off his conversation with James to look at Sirius in fear that he had gotten bored because when Sirius got bored, bad things happened. James and Peter also looked at him. Sirius looked at them and smiled to show that everything was okay. The others looked at each other unsure, but went back to their conversation anyway.

Sirius looked away from his friends ashamed. He had never told James how he used to think about him, or how he had felt when he found out about Remus' furry little problem. Nor had he told any of them of how he felt (and still does feel) about Peter and his idiocy. And most importantly, he hadn't told them about his friendship with Lily or how he felt about her.

He had started having feelings for her in fourth year after she had come to him near tears. She walked up to him and his friends all cool and collected and asked to talk to him. He could tell by the look in her eyes that she was upset so he quickly agreed. As soon as they were in the Room of Requirements, she had started to break down. She clutched at him and cried. He held her for hours on end before she finally told him what had happened.

She clung to him as he comforted her. He whispered to her that everything was going to be alright; the best advice he could give her considering every time he looked at her his heart started beating faster.

Sirius looked back at Lily and nearly groaned at the world for being so cruel to him. Lily was twirling her hair with her finger and happened to be sitting beside an open window; making her scent of strawberries and cream float back to Sirius' extra sensitive nose.

He watched her for a few more minutes, fantasizing about running his fingers through her hair while they kissed, until he heard, "Padfoot, what do you think?" Sirius snapped back to reality to see James and Remus staring at him. No Peter. He must have gotten angry and left. Sirius scratched his head and asked, "Umm, sorry. What was that James?"

Remus shook his head, softly laughing and James was in disbelief. He asked, "What is wrong with you? You've been spacing out all week!" Sirius looked away and said, "I guess I've just been a little preoccupied. I've had a lot on my mind." He felt guilty for not telling his friends the complete truth but he didn't want to have the fight that would surely come with it in the middle of class. Even Binns, the ghost teacher, would notice that.

"Well, you better deal with your issues before the quidditch match this Saturday." James said with his eyes narrowed. Sirius had forgotten all about the match. What was he going to do? If he didn't ask Lily out before the match, he wouldn't be able to focus. If he did ask and she rejected him, he would play terribly. She was still angry at him for befriending James. If he asked her out, it was likely that she would turn him down. The only semi-good choice was to try and play to the best of his abilities and try and keep his head in the game. He would ask her out afterwards. Just then he caught her scent again and groaned. He had terrible luck. He cursed loudly.

The entire class, minus the teacher, turned around to look at Sirius, Lily noticed. Srius glared at them all and most of them averted their eyes back to the front of the classroom. But for those that didn't, Sirius snapped, "What're you looking at?" They all looked away. Except Lily.

Sirius felt the eyes on him and turned his head towards her. She gave him a worried look and he shrugged. She noticed, though, that he was smiling as he looked at her. She was glad. He had been acting weird. Lily still wasn't convinced though. She pulled out a piece of parchment and started to write a note to Sirius.

When the note landed on his desk, he wasn't surprised that he had gotten a note, but that it was from Lily, the head girl. He opened it and stared at her neat scrawl.

You've been a little off this week. Are you alright? =)

He smiled and the note passing began.

I'm fine. Thanks.

That's a lie and you know it. Now tell me what's wrong or I'll tell your little brother that you cried when you were disinherited. =)

Sirius' eyes opened wide as he read this and then he narrowed them and wrote:

You wouldn't dare.

Try me. . . Let me in Sirius. Don't be so damn secretive. What's wrong? =)

I'm having. . . girl issues.

He looked away as she read the note. Lily looked up at him to see him watching his fidgeting hands in his lap; a sign that he was nervous, she knew. His hair was covering his face, and she realized that he was probably turning red behind his veil of hair.

What kind of girl issues? =)

He smiled, realizing that he was wrong. Lily wasn't going to look down at him or make fun of him. He knew because she still wrote smilies after her notes. Then, he decided to open up to her like she had asked.

Well you see, there's this girl. Her name is Lily. She's beautiful, smart, kind, and considerate. She's the best. She's a great friend. The problem is that I've started to have feelings for her.-

At this, Lily glanced up at him. Her breath hitching, her heart beating quickly, and her mind racing. He smiled at her shyly. She continued reading the note.

-Now, I'm hoping that she could be more than a friend to me. I would love for her to be my girlfriend. If only she could get over my friendship with the egotistical prat next to m. Do you think she could? You think she'd want to go out with me?

Sirius held his breath as he opened the note and began to read it as soon as she passed it back to him.

She would be an extremely lucky girl to have you as her boyfriend. Yes, I would love to be your girlfriend Sirius. =) =)

Sirius closed his eyes and let out the breath he had been holding. He could feel the butterflies in his stomach leave and the anxiety that he had felt was replaced with excitement. She said yes! He licked his lips and quickly wrote a response.

No, I'm the lucky one. Meet me after classes? In the RoR?

Sure. . .Sirius, your note- it was sweet. =)

Lily passed the note back to him and watched as he blushed. She smiled and bit her lip as Sirius looked over at her. He lost the embarrassed look and adopted one of surprise. He had only seen her bite her lip with one of her past boyfriends. One she hadn't stopped dating willingly. He had been killed during one of Voldemort's attacks on Hogsmeade.

Lily had started that habit a few months after she started dating the guy, Jack Force, when she had decided to let him go to second base. Then he died on their next date and she hadn't gotten that look since. But Sirius could see it as he looked at her now. He had done that. He had made her feel that way and he knew automatically that she felt the same way about him as he did about her.

You are extremely sexy when you bite your lip like that and it's turning me on. If you don't stop, I might have to come over there and make out with you.

Lily blushed. She giggled and wrote:

Well, I don't plan on stopping anytime soon, so how about you come over here and make good on your word. =)

Sirius grinned and was about to get up to do exactly that when the bell rang. He quickly wrote something down on the parchment and dropped it on her desk before leaving.

Lily grabbed it and left for transfiguration. When she was settled down at her desk and her teacher had begun rattling on, she pulled out the note and read:

I think that you're happier about going out with me than you let on. You bit your lip. You haven't bitten your lip since Jack. We'll talk later. See you sexy.

She looked up at Sirius and smiled. He smiled and then got a panicked look. Professor McGonagall, the teacher, was right behind Lily. She turned around and saw the professor looking at her sternly. Lily grabbed for the note but McGonagall already had it. Lily closed her eyes in disbelief and prayed that the strict teacher wouldn't read the note aloud.

The professor quickly walked back up to the front of the room and placed the note on her desk and Lily and Sirius thought that they were saved. Then McGonagall sat down, held the paper under the light, and said, "I believe Miss Evans has something she wants to share with us class."

The students all looked over at Lily who was blushing furiously. Then McGonagall said, "And if I'm not mistaken," The class looked towards their teacher and she continued, "this is Mr. Black's handwriting. Is it not?"

Everyone looked to Sirius but he just stared at McGonagall coldly.

"I'll take your silent glare as a yes Mr. Black." said McGonagall as she put her reading glasses on. Lily bent her head down so that her hair covered her face so that her classmates couldn't see her embarrassment and anger. Sirius, on the other hand, stared straight at his professor with anger until she started to read. Then he gathered his things and walked out of the classroom. As he did, McGonagall said, "If you leave you will receive a week's worth of detentions." He didn't even pause for a second.

After he left, McGonagall started reading the note to the class.

"Miss Evans wrote, 'You've been a little off this week. Are you alright?'" The class smiled and snickered. McGonagall continued.

"Mr. Black replied with a simple, 'I'm fine. Thanks.'" Somebody muttered, "Boring."

Continuing, McGonagall said, "'That's a lie and you know it. Now, tell me what's wrong or I'll tell your little brother that you cried when you were disinherited.'" The class started laughing like crazy and calling Sirius a baby.

Then, in the defense of his friend, James stood up and yelled, "Shut the bloody hell up! Sirius didn't cry when he was disinherited. He was as happy as could be. So just leave it alone. And if his brother hears about this, or any other Slytherins for that matter, you're going to find out what it's liked to be pranked by the combined forces of the Marauders and the Prewitt twins. So stuff it if you value your face!"

"Yeah!" came the yell of the Prewitt twins. Only, they weren't in that class. Everyone looked around to try and find them when they entered the room and one of them said, "Sorry, heard the raucous," The other continued, "and decided we wanted," They both finished, "to be part of the action." Then, they saw the look on the professor's face and said, "However, we'll just be going now. Bye!" Then they left and McGonagall returned to her reading:

"Mr. Black has written, 'You wouldn't dare.' Miss Evans replied, 'Try me. . . Let me in Sirius. Don't be so damn secretive. What's wrong?' Mr. Black said, 'I'm having. . . girl issues.'' The class burst out laughing and for a split second James was about to threaten them again but figured that if Sirius was stupid enough to admit to something like that, to a girl especially, then it was his problem.

Just then Lily stopped being embarrassed and got angry. Really angry. She gathered up her things and stood up. She yelled, "You people are horrible! To make fun of other people because they're having problems is terrible! Why can't you just leave him alone?"

She grabbed up her things and left the classroom to find Sirius. However, the class didn't care and waited for McGonagall to continue. James was about to leave but Remus pulled him back into his seat. Remus whispered, "We need to know what he was talking about. Plus if things get out of hand, we need to be here to stop the idiots from going around telling people." So James nodded and turned his attention back to McGonagall.

McGonagall started again, "Miss Evans asked, 'What kind of girl issues?'. Mr. Black's reply, 'Well you see, there's this girl. Her name is Lily. She's beautiful, smart, kind, and considerate. She's the best. She's a great friend. The problem is that I've started to have feelings for her.-'" The class, with wide eyes stared at James who had his face towards McGonagall with a cold, blank stare. "'Now, I'm hoping that she could be more than a friend to me. I would love for her to be my girlfriend. If only she could get over my friendship with the egotistical prat next to me. Do you think she could? You think she would go out with me'

James had his mouth set in a sneer with his lips curled up, showing that he was grinding his teeth. His knuckles were turning white from grasping the edge of the table so hard. However the professor didn't see this and read on, "'She would be an extremely lucky girl to have you as her boyfriend. Yes, I would love to be your girlfriend, Sirius.'" James was breathing hard and ready to kill but managed to stay in his seat.

"'No, I'm the lucky one. Meet me after classes? In the RoR'. 'Sure. . .Sirius, your note- it was sweet.'" Some of the boys in the class snickered and the girls giggled. McGonagall went on, "'You are extremely sexy when you bite your lip like that and it's turning me on. If you don't stop, I might have to come over there and make out with you.'" The class was in heaven. They had never heard so much material to make fun of a person all at once. James, however was not. He was currently being held down by Remus.

"'Well, I don't plan on stopping anytime soon, so how about you come over here and make good on your word.' Miss Evans replied. 'I think that you're happier about going out with me than you let on. You bit your lip. You haven't bitten your lip since Jack. We'll talk later. See you sexy.'"

The class was in shock and James used it to his advantage. He threw himself against Remus to get him to let go. Remus released him to catch himself and James jumped up and stalked quickly out the door to go find Sirius. Remus groaned and cursed himself. He stood up to see Professor McGonagall watching him with her eyebrows raised. It was obvious what she meant. If Remus left he would be gettin detention too. So, Remus cursed again and sat back down.

McGonagall, got what she had wanted though. She made her point. Nobody would be passing notes in her class again. She stood up, walked to the chalkboard, and resumed teaching.