A/N - I know, I know, it's been forever and I'm so so incredibly sorry and I hope this makes up for it! I'll try to be a little more punctual in future!

Secrets and Boomslang Skin

Chapter Two

The Prophet headlines caused the castle to be a little subdued for a while, with many people flinching at the merest thing until the fear died down and everything returned to almost-normal. I mean, as normal as they can be when half the school believes the other half to be working for the most misguided man in the world. To be honest, I think it's all going to blow over fairly quickly. There are too many intelligent wizards and witches in the world to let one pureblood supremacist scare us all silly for the rest of our lives.

But anyway, as I walked to Charms there were a lot of nervous mutterings from younger students which I ignored cheerfully (well, as cheerfully as I could when Potter was walking next to me).

"Good morning, light-of-my-life-Lily!"

I groaned, "Seriously, Potter, why the stupid nicknames? And you saw me just ten minutes ago at breakfast, I don't know why you're so excited all of a sudden"

"Nicknames show affection" he replied, grinning widely "and I'm always pleased to see you, O date-to-the-dance"

"We are not going together" I said through gritted teeth, before quickly freeing them as I realised that I was actually getting jaw ache. Hurt myself for Potter's benefit? Never, not even to insult him.

He slung an arm around my shoulder and pulled me closer (how can he carry all his books in one arm? HOW? I can barely manage with two! Stupid quidditch muscles)

"Now Queen Lily, I thought we'd established this at dinner last night: we're going together for the good of our friendship group-"

"Black is not my friend" I interjected, trying to escape from the weirdly comforting weight of his arm

"-because the consequences of us not going together are too huge to even consider-"

"such as my happiness"

"I mean, Sirius will be grumpy because McKinnon will be too busy looking after you all night to snog him, so Hogwarts will be plagued by bad pranks for weeks while he's off his game; McKinnon herself wants you to go and have a good time so she can snog Sirius; Prewitt want you to have a good time because she's a nice person or something, and I won't go if you don't, thereby depriving the entire castle of a chance to gaze on our combined awesomeness all evening. Clear? Great, now did we have holiday work? Because I've not done it. I wonder if Flitwick accepts bribes this term…"

I laughed in spite of myself, and was rewarded (cursed?) with a genuinely happy smile from him that took me by surprise. He's really attractive with that smile…I wish he'd do that more often.

"Ow!"

I tumbled to the ground, tripping over my own feet as my books were flung across the emptying corridor. Damn James Potter and his stupid, magically entrancing smile. Speaking of, he knelt down to help me get my books, which I grabbed off him rather grumpily.

"I would make another joke about falling for me, but I have a feeling we've already covered that ground"

"Shut up" I snapped, gathering my textbooks back into my bag "this is all your fault anyway, Potter."

He stood there, gaping, for a second as I stormed through the doorway to the Charms classroom to claim my usual seat at the front – which was taken. I kid you not, someone stole my seat on the first day of term just because I was a teensy bit late owing to unforeseen prats. Prat. Singular.

I dumped my armful of stuff on the only empty desk at the back, and was soon joined by a familiar form.

"Oh no" I hissed as Flitwick started talking in his squeaky little voice "you are not sitting with me Potter, no way in any imagination is that happening"

"There are no other seats Lily" he replied, trying to move some of my things over to one side without attracting Flitwick's attention. Which failed, miserably.

"Mr Potter? Why are you not yet seated?" He looked askance at us over his little spectacles, beard flapping in mild indignation. Everyone else turned around to look at us, so naturally I turned a shade of red hitherto unseen on earth. Yay.

"We're just sorting out Lily's things, Professor" he replied smoothly, perfectly composed (I'm not jealous, I'm not jealous, I'm not jealous) "I'm sorry for delaying the class"

"Ah. Well carry on then, carry right on. Now, as I was saying, these seats will be your seats for the rest of the year – I will tolerate no gratuitous moving around!" his high voice squeaked at the end "We have important exams coming up! This is your first year of N.E.! Work is more important than who you are sitting with!"

"Potter" I whispered, jogging his arm "Potter please tell me I'm not hearing him right"

"Crystal clear, Lily-flower" he grinned at me again, which made it a lot harder to be annoyed at him

"But" I protested "But I've always sat at the front! With Hannah! Always!"

"Change is good for the soul" he remarked, turning his attention back to the diminuitive professor who was not beginning the work on Appearance Charms. I freaked out quietly for a few moments, but Charms is Charms and nothing could spoil this lesson for me. And Potter isn't so bad really, while he's not asking me out in inappropriate situations. I actually had quite a lot of fun, when I decided to be brave and Gryffindory and give him the benefit of the doubt – though charming his hair purple did help quite a bit!

XXX

I ended up sitting with James in Transfiguration (because no-one else could put up with his genius for it without slapping him) and Divination (because we both hated it) as well, as the lessons passed I had more and more fun with him. I know, I'm shocked too. But here we are, half-way through the Christmas term and I'm hanging out with him outside of lessons as well. I'm the only person in Gryffindor who can match him at Wizard's Chess, and he's helping me to learn to fly, since I decided over the summer that I really wasn't exploiting that wizardly pastime enough. Besides, it would freak Petunia out next holiday!

My friends were a bit surprised, but they adapted fairly quickly. They did exchanged a lot of meaningful glances whenever I went to meet Potter for studying though, which I chose to ignore (magnanimously, in my opinion). Black and Remus were better, apart from all Sirius' jokes, which really could have done without.

I don't see what all the fuss is about: we used to not be friends, now we are. Simple, right? Not according to the rest of Hogwarts.

"Why are they all looking at us?" I muttered as James and I left the Great Hall together

"Because you're so pretty" he answered absent-mindedly, digging through his pockets in search of something.

"Idiot" I retorted, stopping at the base of the staircases "I need to go and get my books, I left them in the library. Meet you later to go over the Transfiguration homework?" I slapped his arm to get his attention and he finally looked up, the stupid thing.

"Wha—oh, yeah, sure. Hey, do you know what the date today is?"

"The fifteenth of November, and it's a Tuesday so yes, you have Quidditch training tonight. And you left your quill in the common room, stop looking for it in your pockets. See you later James!" I called back over my shoulder as I walked away from him to the library. Really, I don't know what that boy would do without me – he'd probably just forget he even had to do schoolwork!

I was just scooping up my books from the little table I had been working at when Sev came up beside me and helped me pile up the parchment that had spread over the tabletop.

"Hey Sev" I greeted him cheerily "I've not seen you in ages! Isn't it annoying that they've put Gryffindor with Hufflepuff for Potions this year? I've ended up partnering Theo Gultrot, and it's really boring-"

"Why are you so friendly with James Potter all of a sudden?" he spat at me, dark eyes staring into mine accusingly. I gaped at him, astonished

"What?"

"Don't act dumb" he scoffed "you know exactly what I mean. Laughing, touching his arm, smiling at him. He's just playing you Lily" He grabbed my shoulders and turned me to face him "You have to remember who he is – a liar, a bully"

"He's not that bad, Sev" I retorted "If you'd just give him a chance-"

"I did" he replied angrily "And he humiliated me in front of everyone – remember that? And remember when he charmed your hair to sing love songs all day? All the things he's done to me, to us, all these years?"

"He thought that was funny, Sev. He was just a stupid kid, and we did some stupid stuff too. He's grown up this summer – and so have I. I'm old enough to make my own decisions, thanks" I shook him off and grabbed my books "I'll see you later, maybe. I need to go."

I stalked away, but he caught me after a few steps, that well-known face twisted into an unfamiliar grimace.

"I'm sorry Lily" he sighed "I just…I worry about you sometimes."

"That's nice Sev" I replied icily, shaking him off "I'll see you in Herbology"

XXX

"Where is Lily, where is Lily, where is Lily?" Marlene was shrieking as I came through the portrait hole "There is Lily!" she ran at me, wild-eyed and quite intimidating, even to someone as skilled in shaking people off as me.

Hannah rolled her eyes "I'm going to go get my book before she starts again"

"Will you take my books?" I pleaded "This looks as if it might take a while"

"Oh, trust me, it will" She said drily, taking my armload from me as Marlene dragged me over to the armchairs.

"Lily, I'm freaking out" she told me earnestly, playing nervously with the buttons on her robe "I really don't know what to do. I mean, we were just joking around this summer, I never expected any of this to come into real life, and now everyone's going to see and he'll tell all his friends and I don't know how to stop it and then theres-"

"Marlene! Talk at a speed humans can understand! What 's going on?"

She collapsed into an armchair, head in hands, and muttered something unintelligible

"What?" the head came up, and two anguished blue eyes stared straight into mine

"I'm on the student committee for the Midsummer ball"

I almost laughed. In fact, I think it shows great self restraint that I didn't, but I think she noticed.

"No, Lily, you don't understand. There are two Sixth Year representatives for each house, a boy and a girl, and they have to go to the ball together, to set an example." She leaned forward and lowered her voice to tell the last part of the story "And the other Gryffindor rep is….Sirius Black"

I couldn't help it – that part broke me. I laughed and laughed and laughed until my throat hurt and I could barely speak, while Marlene stared at me in despair. I actually slipped off the chair onto the floor, leaning my head back on the upholstery. I was just calming down with the occasional hiccupping giggle when Hannah rejoined us, sliding down next to me on the rug.

"So I see Lily had the same reaction as me then. Really Marlene, you couldn't have picked a worse time to show school spirit. I mean, you hate Black – even more than Lily does!"

"I don't hate the poor boy" I gasped, still recovering "I just think he's loud, rude, crude and unnecessary. Sometimes. Good taste in best friends though, right?"

They ignored me as Marlene sat on her knees in front of us, still obviously distressed

"But that's the problem" she hissed urgently "I don't hate him – I actually really really don't hate him. Really really really really don't" Her eyes bulged as she begged us to guess at what she was saying.

"So….you like Black?" Marlene slapped a hand over my mouth

"Don't say it! Don't even think it! It can't be true – or he can't know, not after this summer…" She trailed off, eyes widened in horror as we immediately leapt onto this clue. Hannah smirked wickedly at me.

"Marlene…" She began silkily

"Oh no no no no no" the girl in question murmered

"…what happened with Sirius this summer?"

She jumped up and rushed to the staircase, and we followed her, cackling hysterically like the witches we are. She did try to shut our dormitory door, but two against one is more than anyone can be expected to stand up to. And Hannah and I? Well, we're a good team. Between tickling and threats to paint her greatest secret on the walls of the Great Hall, we finally persuaded her to tell us what went on over the summer.

"Okay! Okay" she gasped, sinking onto the thick rug in the centre of the room "I'll tell you – but oyu mustn't tell Sirius. Or Remus. Or James, or anyone. "

"Deal"

"Well, you know I went to Spain for three weeks this holiday with my cousin Anne" She began slowly, nervously "I actually happened to just sort of…run into him one day. On the beach. At midnight. After he sent me an owl asking me to meet him there…"

The squeal coming from Hannah and myself at this point was enough to deafen the entire castle

"He arranged a meeting—"

"—on a beach—"

"—at midnight—"

"—and you didn't tell us this before?"

"It was weird!" she protested "I mean, who tracks you down in a foreign country and tells you to meet them at four in the morning? I was bloody terrified! But I did go, because it was definitely Sirius' handwriting, I have enough notes from him to know that"

"Notes that she happened to have with her in Spain?" Hannah remarked to me quietly.

"Shush, you know she probably memorised them, from where this story is going"

"Anyway" she said, exasperated "we just chatted on the beach for a while…every night until I went home. And that's all there is to it: he did something romantic, I realised and fell for him harder than a ton of ruddy bricks and now I have to deal with it while he snogs his way through the female population of Hogwarts. Present company excluded."

"That is not all there is to it, Marlene McKinnon. Spill the beans, we know you move faster than that."

She blushed beet red, even redder than I can go (and that's a definite achievement)

"Okay, so he kissed me. Or I kissed him. A lot? But it totally does not matter and or mean anything to him. Or me. End of."

"Nooooo that's not the end" Hannah said slyly "You like him. A lot"

Marlene buried her face in her hands, and Hannah and I looked at each other, grinning hugely.

"I can't do anything" she said to us after we'd finished screeching and gushing about how cute Sirius was under all the melodrama "What happens on holiday, stays on holiday. I was probably just some random passing flirtation while he couldn't get to anyone else" Her face crumpled and her voice caught a little in her throat "But I…I do really like him."

"I'm sorry 'Lene" I sighed, giving her a hug "it's a pretty awful situation"

"Possibly not" Hannah said, a scary Plotting Glint in her eye. The kind of Glint that entirely deserves the capital 'G'. "What say you…seduce Sirius?"

"You can't seduce Sirius" I scoffed "He is the master seducer, not the seducee"

"So he won't be expecting it! It's the perfect plan! And think how surprised he'll be if you come down to breakfast tomorrow and flirt masterfully, put him firmly in his place and make every other guy in the room ask you to the ball – looking gorgeous all the while – when he know he's taking you? It'll drive him crazy: not being sure if he's got what everyone wants but slightly hinting at it all the while."

"I'm so confused"

"So will he be"

"Let's do it"

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