Amelia and Lily were having lunch together on the rocks beside the lake, enjoying the late summer, early fall sun that warmed the rocks, but kept a steady cooling breeze going across the lake.
"Sooo…" Lily said, smiling like a cat with a canary in its mouth.
"So what?" Amelia said, ignoring the look and stabbing a fork into her fruit.
"So you've been having a lot of study sessions with Sirius lately. Or should I say 'study' sessions?" she said, putting air-quotes around the word 'study.'
"I don't know what you're talking about," Amelia said, turning her nose in the air and pretending innocence. "We haven't done anything."
"Oh please. And you have to tell me, we're best friends. You have to dish." Lily was staring bullets at her now, and Amelia couldn't help but laugh.
"Ok, ok," she said, holding up her hands in a placating gesture. "What do you want to know?"
Lily gave her a look before returning to her yogurt.
"Ha, alright. Yes, we've been having study sessions. And maybe one or two—"
Another look.
"—Or a few—"
The look returned.
"—Or more than a few—"
"Oh, come on Amelia!"
"Ok, fine. It's more like one or two actual study sessions, and the others are…" Lily was rapt. "…Of a different type."
"Ohhh, you like him!"
"No!" The look. "Ok, yes. Maybe a little. But Lily, it's all we do!"
"What is?"
Now Amelia was the one giving the look.
"Right. I just wanted you to admit it."
"I did not admit anything."
"As good as. Continue."
"Fine. Though there's not much else to say, like I said, it's all we do!"
"Well, is he at least good at it?"
Amelia thought of the way Sirius' lips felt on hers, of the way he could be so gentle and so rough in the same kiss, of the way he made her feel, all with only his lips. Of the way he respected her when she said she didn't think that they were ready for that yet.
"Oh yes," she said, almost blushing. "He's very good."
"But you want…more?" Lily asked, watching her reaction carefully.
"Yeah! I want us to, you know, last. Wouldn't you?"
"So what's the problem? If you want it to last and so does he, you should be fine."
"But that's the thing: I don't know if he does. We don't talk at all. Every time I see him, all we do is, well, you know. I don't know anything about him. I don't even know if I like him all that much."
"But you just said you did."
"Well, I like what I know of him, stuff I hear from other people about what he's done for them. About how he is. But whenever I see him, I'm not sure I like what I see."
"What is it you see?"
Amelia chewed her lip, getting her thoughts in order. "Well, we actually start every time—or almost every time—trying to study. But he always is distracted and annoying and he never wants to do work."
"And you expected different?"
"I thought maybe he would try, after last year! I told you what he said on the train!"
"True. What else?"
"Well, he's always flirting with other girls, and I know that we're not exclusive or anything, we don't call each other boyfriend and girlfriend or anything like that, but he does it in front of me! And then doesn't understand why I'm upset. You know?"
"Yeah. Anything else?"
"His family." Amelia grew serious. "I can't stand them."
"You don't know that, maybe they're really nice, and just don't know how to show it."
Amelia leveled a look at her. "Or maybe not," Lily conceded. "But you haven't met them all yet."
"Lily. They kept me from him all summer on the word of Bellatrix. I don't think I'm going to like any of them."
Lily sent a glance heaven ward, as if asking for help. "But you also have to remember Sirius can't choose his family, and he's underage, so he can't really get away from them. And he was placed in Gryffindor; for centuries, Blacks have been in Slytherin. Perhaps that's a sign."
"Then why was I placed in Slytherin?" Amelia winced at the wail that crept into her voice. She hadn't meant to let that little insecurity get out.
Lily sighed, concern on her face. She could see how much Amelia was tortured by this, even if her friend kept it closely locked down. "That I can't answer you, only the Sorting Hat can. But perhaps it's not for you, but for Sirius, and everyone else. You show everyone that being in Slytherin isn't what makes you bad, it's what you do. For all these years, there's been this stigma around Slytherin, but you're one of the people that change how people look at the house. You should be proud of it. You're ambitious, and strong-willed, and smart, and funny, and courageous. Don't let what everyone else thinks change that."
Amelia nodded softly. "Thanks."
"And Sirius should know that. He needs to get to know you as much as you do him. And the best way to do that is to tell him you're not happy."
Amelia looked at her friend in wonder. "Lily, how'd you get so good at this? You don't even have a boyfriend."
Lily sighed, looking put out. "I know. I don't know why, I'd be perfect in a relationship. Or at least, I think I would be."
"We need to change that."
"First let's get your relationship worries on track, then we can worry about mine!" Lily said, standing up and gathering her things. Amelia laughed and followed her friend up to the castle as the bells began to chime for classes to begin.
...I wanted to at least be mostly finished with teenage dreams before I started fully uploading. it took me awhile. also, now I have time again. so here's the first part of chapter 2. I promise I will try very hard not to wait for over a year before I upload the next part...
