This is going to be my first ever REAL multi-chapter Potterfic! I hope you enjoy. Oh, and make sure to check out the A/N at the bottom, it's important.

Disclaimer: My 11:11 wish is NOT to be J.K.R., because anything I do will not match up to her brilliance.

Introductions

"Oy! Snivelly!"

I scowled. Why in Merlin's name James was friends with a wanker like Sirius Black was beyond me, but there the two of them were, taunting Severus Snape. Again.

On the other hand, James Potter had his wanker moments, too. Such as… oh, now, for example.

"There are ladies present. Tsk, foul language is not appropriate!" I heard James snap. "Expelliarmus!"

I turned away. I didn't need to see my best friend bullying a fellow student. Even if Severus Snape was a blot on wizardkind, no one deserved that. I cracked my eyes open for a second, enough to verify that there were bubbles streaming out of Snape's mouth (pink bubbles, they were) and shot James a glare. Which he missed, because his back was turned.

"Leave him alone!" I heard a screech from Lily Evans. I rolled my eyes. She'd never cease to amaze me. Standing up for a Slytherin, honestly. She always turned into a right bitch whenever Snape was around.

I tuned out, going back to the book in my hands. It was our last exam tomorrow – Transfiguration. My personal bugbear, although Remus seemed to master it effortlessly. I didn't know Remus especially well – only that he seemed the most normal of the four Marauders. James Potter was a show-off – whoever gave him such a high opinion of himself, they should go die. Peter Pettigrew was a mousy little thing, forever in the shadow of James and Black, and thinking they were the greatest thing since Contraceptive Charms. Sirius Black – a sodding arsehole, and too vain for his own good. Enough said.

Another round of screeching from Lily, and I gave up on studying outdoors. Scooping up my bag and slinging it over my shoulder, I trudged back up to the castle, meeting James's eyes and motioning with my head to the castle. He nodded, indicating he'd meet me later, and went back to bullying Snape. Lily was long gone – from what I'd heard of the last few minutes, the stupid greaseball had called her a Mudblood. I didn't much like Lily Evans myself, but that word made me want to stick his head in the lake and hold it there until the Giant Squid showed up.

James was really the only Marauder I was friends with. I was on good terms with the rest – excepting Black, of course, but James had been there since I'd started at Hogwarts. We'd both been sorted into Gryffindor, him straight after me. Norah Payne, James Potter. We'd not paid much attention to it, but on the first day of classes, I was lost, and he was late. And covered in blots of ink.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

"Peeves," he gasped out, before bending over and wheezing. I'd let him pant it out for a while, then my anxiety took over. Always a teacher's pet, I was.

"D'you know where the Transfiguration classroom is?" He held up a finger. Once he had control of his breathing, he straightened up and rubbed the back of his neck. Even at eleven years of age, it was a startlingly charming gesture, and I found myself immediately taken with him.

"Yes, I was headed there myself. Before Peeves came along." He half-heartedly attempted to scrub the ink off his face, and gave up after a minute. "It's no use. I don't suppose you know any spell that can get rid of this?"

"Are you serious? This is my first day. I don't know how to shoot red sparks, let alone do a cleaning charm!"

"Hey…" A look of recognition dawned on his face. "You were Sorted right before me, weren't you? Norah… Norah Palmer?"

"Payne. Where's your friend?"

"My friend?"

"The handsome black-haired kid you were sitting with at dinner yesterday."

James scowled. Jealous, I thought. "My friend," he snarled, "left the Great Hall early, supposedly to chase after some pretty second-year who he saw heading to the Library."

He knows where the library is?

I resisted the temptation to voice my thoughts and instead simply said, "He's eleven."

"You're eleven too," he countered.

"Well yeah, but eleven's a bit young to start flirting, don't you think?"

"No age is too young," James said with a wink. I blessed my tanned skin, it was impossible to tell when I blushed. I paused, studying him. His dark hair was messy, with random tufts of hair sticking out all over the place. He had startlingly pretty hazel eyes – unfair, I thought. No boy deserves eyes that nice. And he wore standard wizard robes with a red-and-gold tie marking him as a Gryffindor.

He really was good looking.

"Norah?"

"Oh- er. Ahem," I said awkwardly, to cover my long pause. "Idiots, both of you." He laughed, seeming unaffected by my insult, and raked his eyes over me.

"Actually, you look rather like my fellow idiot," he noted suspiciously. "Cousins? Siblings?"

"What's his name? Black, isn't it? Pureblood," I scoffed. I saw his eyebrows furrow, but it was too late to take it back.

"What's wrong with Purebloods?"

"Well…" I started, deciding honesty was the best policy in this case, "nothing, really. You're fine. You're great, really. And… I suppose Black is, too. But those bloody Slytherin prats, Malfoy and Avery and their crowd, they're too bloody arrogant. If wizards hadn't bred with humans, our race would've died out."

"Too true. The thing about Malfoy being a prat, that is. So… half-blood, then?" he asked, seeming appeased.

"Yes. Magic from my dad's side. He told her the first day he met her, I rather think it upped her opinion of him, knowing he'd do the dishes and laundry with a flick of his wand." He laughed, and I smiled. It was a nice laugh.

"Definitely not related to Sirius?"

"Definitely. I don't even remember what he looks like, but I'll see when we get to class." I paused. "CLASS!"

I saw the horror dawn on his face, and I was sure it matched my own. Oh, dear.

"Skipping the first class of the school year. Nice way to kick it off," he smirked.

"How can you take this so lightly?" I hissed. I was panicking… what if our parents found out? And it was the first lesson. The foundation of Transfiguration. If we missed the basics, how were we to understand the following matter?

I thought about our options. Going in was vetoed immediately. We'd probably have about fifty points deducted for walking in – I checked my watch - forty-five minutes late. There were only fifteen minutes left of class anyway. James seemed to be thinking along the same lines.

"Tell you what," he proposed. I raised my eyebrows. "Let's just hang around here until we spot some of our classmates. Then, we'll ask what they learned. And if anyone asks why we didn't show up for the lesson, we were lost, because Peeves led us in the wrong direction. Okay?"

I was doubtful. Would anyone believe that?

"Trust me," he said, catching the look on my face. "We're friends, right?" He held out a hand, still soft and unmarked, without the bruises and scars of Quidditch. It only took me about a second to make my decision.

"Friends," I said firmly, my heart jumping in my chest at the feel of James's warm hand in mine.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

A shadow fell over my page. I flicked my eyes up for a second, noted the tall, lean figure and messy hair, and glowered briefly for a moment before twitching my parchment back into the light and continuing to write.

"Aww, don't be like that…" Potter murmured.

"Get lost, Potter," I snapped, and he donned a hurt expression.

"What did I do?"

"You know bloody well what you did. What was the reason to torment Snivellus like that? Just because perfect little Black was bored?"

"He's a self-important little snotrag, I did the world a favour." My hand twitched towards my wand. Noticing this, he quickly added, "But erm, yes, it was wrong. Very wrong indeed."

"And it was especially wrong because…?"

"Because I should have been up here, helping you with Transfiguration like I promised I would," James muttered gloomily.

"You'll pay for your sin. Right here, right now. You're staying up with me as long as it takes to master a Vanishing charm."

"Oh, but I promised Sirius…" he trailed off at my glare, and sat down beside me resignedly. "Alright. Let's get started."

Hours went by. After Vanishing a chair, a log from the fireplace, a textbook and James's glasses, he decided to move onto something else. Flicking his wand to conjure his glasses, he was just beginning to teach me another spell when Sirius made an appearance.

"James!" He said on spotting us. "I was looking for you all over the place, though you said – "

"Sorry, mate. I promised I'd help Pup here with her Transfiguration." I scowled at the nickname. It stemmed – or so I thought – from looking like Sirius's younger sister. His shaggy hair had earned him the name Padfoot, and going along with the dog theme, I had been dubbed Pup.

And it was true, I admitted grudgingly, I did look quite a bit like Sirius. Black hair, grey eyes, tall, tanned figures. Although despite towering over my friends, Sirius was still a head taller than me. Some boy had once told me that he fancied me, but wouldn't ask me out because he was afraid Sirius would pummel him. And another boy, after I'd rejected him (and then discovered he was gay), told me that Sirius and I would "look good together". I gritted my teeth at the memory.

Black evaluated me for a second. Curse those grey eyes for looking exactly like mine. He turned away after a minute and started up a conversation with James about Quidditch. I buried myself in my Transfiguration book, imagining my brain as a sponge soaking up the knowledge.

Needless to say, it didn't work.

I ditched the book, deciding to wait until the two guys were done talking. From the back, they looked like brothers, although Black's hair fell with an elegance that James's couldn't reach. And besides – James looked good with his ever-messy hair. It just wouldn't lie flat. I'd tried to flatten it several times before.

Both were lean and tall, and both in long black robes with Gryffindor ties. As I watched James, his hands moved around in the air, describing some kind of Quidditch move to his friend. Black nodded thoughtfully, angling his body the same way as James's and making his own gesture, strong hands shaping out a feint.

I snapped out of my James-haze and checked my watch. For Merlin's sake…

"James Potter! It's twelve bloody midnight, you arse, and if you want your best friend to pass her Transfiguration exam, you better sit down, stop talking Quidditch with him and bloody help me!"

Two black-haired heads turned to face me. James made an apologetic face at Black, and came to sit beside me again. "We'll talk later, Padfoot. Oh, and are you keeping track?"

"Yes, two days from now," Black replied.

"Keep a watch on Moony, will you? No sneaking off with any girls. You know how he gets, and since I'm stuck tutoring this one…" he nudged me, and I had to smile despite my increasing confusion and fury at the cryptic way they were talking.

James didn't know about my fancying him. Almost no one did, except for Marlene. And although she could be a bit of a slut sometimes, I loved her to bits. And although she did have a slight habit of stealing men, I knew she wouldn't do that to me – firstly because Marlene is a good friend, and secondly because what she knew – what everyone knew – was that James Potter was taken. Well, his heart was, in any case. By Lily bloody Evans.

For the last four years, he'd been in love with her. Destined to fail. Lily was constantly hanging around with that awful Snape boy. In a rare moment of Norah/Sirius get-along time, we'd both agreed that if Snivellus ever saw a shampoo bottle, they'd run away from each other, screaming. Actually, we'd planned to sneak into the Slytherin common room and jinx all the shampoo bottles in his dorm bathroom to run away from him. Sadly, this prank fell through as the day after that, a record-breaking Black vs. Payne fight broke out, probably the worst in all the five years. We destroyed two classrooms, injured a first-year and accidentally turned Professor Flitwick's nose into a melon. I still don't know how that happened, but there was so much crazy spell-flinging, and our wands both started going crazy…

In any case, whatever small bond there was between Sirius Black and I, it was shattered that day. It probably didn't help matters that I was paired with his brother, Regulus, in Potions every day. The two were identical, right down to the sexy smirk and the shaggy, windswept hair. As Regulus was in Slytherin, he didn't have half the females in Hogwarts at his feet, although in my very biased eyes, he was far more deserving of the attention.

"Norah? No-raaah. Norah!"

"Pup!" James shouted, fingers snapping in front of my eyes. I blinked and reflexively swatted his hand away, socking him in the stomach in the same movement.

"Oof," he grunted. "What was that for?"

"Calling me Pup. You know I hate being compared to…" I looked around. Black was nowhere in sight. "Him."

James sighed, running an exasperated hand through his hair. He had messed it up even more, and my fingers itched to flatten it. "What did he do to you, Norah? Why do you hate him so much?"

I refused to meet his gaze and pressed my lips together. The last thing James needed was to hear bad things about his best friend.

"Norah? He's my best mate. If he's done something to you – you're like my sister. I'd screw up anyone who hurt you, even Sirius. Please?"

I didn't dare to look up. His eyes would be right there, so gorgeous and hazelly and pleading. I couldn't lie to James.

So I didn't lie. I just… didn't say anything.

I averted my eyes and checked my watch, pretending to be shocked by the late hour. I let out a small shriek and began pawing through my Transfiguration book again, well aware of the eyes drilling into the side of my head. I closed my eyes and started mouthing the incantation again and again, practicing fixing it in my head while thinking about a cushion.

When I felt I was ready, I opened my eyes, directed my wand to the sofa opposite and muttered the spell. And waited.

With a poof of feathers and a flash of purple silk, something appeared on the sofa. Excitedly, I rose and crossed to the sofa, where there was…

A cushion.

And it was exactly as I'd pictured it, too. Fat and soft, with Norah embroidered on the side – I was especially proud of that bit – and I'd DONE it! I'd actually Conjured something!

"Jamsie!" I cried, spinning around to face him. "James, I - "

I paused. He was lying oddly along the sofa, as if he'd been sitting but had flopped sideways when he fell asleep. His breathing was deep and even, and his head rested on my Transfiguration book, which I needed for tomorrow. He looked so much younger while asleep – not like the tough, muscular sixth year I knew. My heart melted.

Gently, I extracted my book from under his head, replacing it with the cushion. He'd know who made it, I thought to myself smugly. James was a miracle-worker. The only two spells I couldn't understand and I'd achieved them both in one night. I thought hard for a minute, then Conjured a blanket, too.

"Night, James," I murmured before quietly slipping up the stairs and climbing into bed.

Staring up at the ceiling, I thought for a while about the boy downstairs who currently occupied every second of my thoughts. I hadn't always fancied James – not like the way he'd fancied Lily for the past five years. There had been other boys, too – Amos Diggory, for one. And Arthur Weasley, for a while, but he was absolutely infatuated with Molly Prewett, a lost cause.

But the one boy who really held my heart for a while, was absolutely forbidden. Not even my best friend, Marlene knew. Ironically, the one person who knew was the one who viewed it as the ultimate betrayal.

Regulus Black.

Hot as sin, and a warmer heart than anyone - least of all his brother - gave him credit for. It was probably due to him that I managed to pass my fifth-year Potions exam. As James was usually off following Lily and Marlene was hanging around her latest boyfriend, Regulus would be my comfort, my solace whenever I felt lonely or just… needed to talk. He took care of me, let me vent about absolutely anything – even Evans and her bloody gorgeous red hair – and once even Stunned Evan Rosier after he grabbed my arse on the way out of the Potions class.

As it often does, friendship grew to something more.

But it was ruined by one person. Because of that person, I had to stay away from Regulus until the rumours died down. But it had an unfortunate side effect – in addition to losing the rumours, I lost Regulus, too. We were still partnered in Potions, or course, but apart from an occasional "pass the Shrivelfig", conversation was pretty much dead. And not only because of his brother's eyes on our backs. Deep wells of hurt and regret lurked inside of both of us – and it was my fault. Guilt. Another emotion to gnaw at me. Many nights, I had cried myself to sleep. Marlene and James had gone almost crazy with worry trying to get me out of my depression. Even now, I couldn't talk to Regulus without choking up.

Fifteen minutes after climbing in, I crawled out again. Checked my watch. 12:30.

"Norah?" A sleepy voice asked from the corner as I unlatched the door.

"Shh, Marls," I murmured, slipping out into the cold corridor. The door shut behind me. I crept down the hallway to the boys' room, and stopped dead.

Well, I'd expected it, anyway. Four beds. All empty. Stupid bloody boys and their night escapades.

I paused for a minute in the doorway to make a decision – and found myself unconsciously moving towards the bed.

Get a grip, you wanker! I shouted at myself inside my head. You have no bloody self-control, do you?

James' scent. What I caught every time I got a whiff of Amortenia. His aftershave, sharp and spicy, mixed with something clean and warm, that reminded me both of soap and wood fires. I curled up into his pillow, drinking in his scent.

After another fifteen minutes, I gave up on sleep altogether. It could have been the cold, it could have been the lingering depression looming over me after catching Regulus's How was the exam? that he'd mouthed across the courtyard. It could have just been regular insomnia, maybe PMS-related. Whatever the reason, I padded down to the common room, hoping that the remains of the fire would calm me into sleeping. I Conjured a blanket for myself, a stormy grey colour that matched my eyes, and curled up on the recently vacated sofa. James was lying here not half an hour ago.

And as predicted, the warm glow of the fire combined with James' lingering scent lulled me to sleep. Fiery creatures danced in my dreams, as did purple cushions with mouths, and suddenly one of them turned to me and said –

"Shh. She's waking up."

I didn't open my eyes.

"Norah. Pssst." James. I held back a smile at his voice. Giving a little sigh, I rolled over, eyes still closed. A second later, strong arms scooped me up and started carrying me upstairs. My hair shielded my face from James's eyes, so I opened my eyes, a happy smile on my face.

And met a pair of identical silver-grey eyes about ten metres away.

Black stood across the room, arms crossed and expression unreadable.

"Coming, Pads?" James's voice broke the tense silence.

"Nah," came the reply. "I think I'll crash down here tonight."

"If you're sure…" he resumed walking, and the next thing I knew, my head hit a pillow, soft blankets fell over me and I could smell a lingering aftershave – not James's – around me.

"Night, Norah," I heard James murmur before a candle somewhere was extinguished and I fell into a deep, dreamless slumber.

A/N: Hey, guys. I sincerely hope you are taking the time to read this, cause it really is important.

Here's the deal:

I intended to write the whole of this fic and THEN post the chapters one by one, peacefully. I'm having some serious writer's block, though. I know exactly where my plot is going but I can't find the right words. I'm hoping that by the time we get to chapter 7, your reviews and encouragement will help me continue. Can we do that? :D

And, just a warning. After chapter 7, updates may be very slow. Especially since I have exams next month and I have to start studying if I want to go to the Avril Lavigne concert - my parents' condition.

Hope you liked it!