Admirers

The weeks were just flying by, it was the Halloween feast already.

I had decided to skip the feast because I had a rather nasty essay due the next morning that I needed to finish. I was hiding in the corner of the common room with papers piled up all over the table writing feverishly.

Remus pulled up a chair and sat down next to me, 'working on that Defense Against the Dark Arts essay?'

'Yeah, it's a pretty lame essay. I don't get what the point of writing about this stuff is. We should be doing it.'

'I completely agree,' Remus and I had become very close friends over the past little bit. Actually I had become close friends with James, Sirius, Frank and Alice as well. 'It's almost dinner. Are you coming down for the feast?'

'No, I am gonna pass. I really have to get this done.'

Remus frowned, 'hmmm... I guess that's a good enough excuse. But you owe us all a good hangout this weekend.'

'Deal,' I said smiling.

A boy named Miles walked by and up to the boys dorm. I hardly noticed him but Remus said, 'well have a good time and good luck fighting off the Miles.'

'What are you talking about?' I asked genuinely confused.

'Didn't you see Miles? Oh never mind.'

I didn't really have time to contemplate what Remus had said I just got back to work writing. I had hardly been writing for five minutes when Miles came and sat down in the chair that Remus had been in, 'working on that DADA essay?'

I nodded at I scribbled away and then Miles continued talking, 'yeah I'm gonna finish mine later tonight. Did you want to come down to the feast with me?'

'I am skipping it. I want to get this done so I can go to bed.'

'Oh well maybe breakfast tomorrow.'

'Well I sit with my friends at meal time.'

'Ohh...' He paused, 'look I just think you're really cute and you have an interesting family. I want to get to know you.'

'That was the wrong thing to say.'

'What that I want to get to know you?'

'No that you want to get to know me because I am cute and have an interesting family. Look I am flattered I really am and you seem like a nice guy but that really is rude. There is so much more to me. I am not just cute and have a nice family okay?'

'Yeah I get that and I wanted to get to know you.'

'Because I'm cute and have an interesting family? Do you see what I'm saying? I want to be liked for me not my family or my looks.'

'I guess.'

'Anyways thanks for the invite but I really should get back to my essay.'

I saw a familiar look of pain in his eyes as he excused himself, now I knew what Remus had meant. I was getting used to this though, boys kept trying to ask me out and I was starting to find it easier and easier to turn them down. I did feel a bit guilty though. It wasn't my fault that they were complete gits though. The other day a third year from Hufflepuff tried to ask me out and just wasn't taking no for an answer. I felt rather bad but in the end I stormed away from him.

I wrote the final touches on my essay and was about to go down to the Great Hall to see if there was any food left out. I assumed that the feast was almost over but I figured that it was worth a try. I never made it down there though because right as I was about to head out of the common room Lily came flying through the portrait hole in tears.

'What's wrong? Lily are you okay?'

'No,' she said flopping into a chair.

'What happened?'

'Oh that James Potter drives me crazy. I was sitting with all of them at the table when Snape came up to me and asked me if I wanted to go to the library with him. I told him that I was going to stay and finish eating and then I would meet him. Snape got a bit upset and accused me of picking them over him but I wasn't. I just wanted to eat more and Remus and I were in the middle of a conversation. Then James tells Snape that of course I would want to hangout with them over him any day. Snape hexed him and now he has detention.'

'So are you mad at James or are you mad at Snape?'

'Both!' She said. Just then James walked into the common room and she stormed up the staircase to the bedroom.

James walked up to me looking genuinely sorry, 'can you please tell her I am sorry. I just don't like how he acts towards us. I know I shouldn't have said that but if he is going to be rude to me I can't help it.'

'I get it,' I told him and I did. I didn't really like Snape. The only reason I put up with him was for Lily's sake. 'He isn't exactly the nicest guy around. I will try to talk to her for you though.'

'Thanks Payton. You're a really pal you know that?'

I did try to talk to Lily, I did, but she just wouldn't hear it so I went to bed and hoped that she would be calmed down by the morning.

I tossed and turned for awhile but my stomach was growling to much. I got out of bed and grabbed my potions book and figured that I could at least get a bit of reading down if I wasn't going to sleep. I pulled on a knit sweater and then tip toed down into the common room. To my surprise Sirius was seated on a couch staring aimlessly into the fireplace that was now burning very lowly.

'Hey,' I said pulling him out of his trance, 'what are you doing up so late?'

'Just thinking,' he said as I sat down next to him. 'I broke up with Carly today and I guess I just feel bad.'

'Oh you two just started dating didn't you?'

'Yeah but I caught her kissing Miles last night.'

I snorted and Sirius gave me a funny look, 'oh sorry it's just funny cause Miles tried to ask me out tonight.'

'You turned him down?'

'Of course.'

'Good, what a git.'

Sirius and I talked for awhile, he even brought me down some chocolate frogs he had hidden in his room. It was comfortable talking to Sirius, like talking to a really old friend which was strange because the way he acted around girls made me nervous. I felt like if he talked like that to me I wouldn't know how to react. It was like he was playing games with them but when he talked to me it felt honest. I felt my guard drop around him as well. Maybe every girl feels this way around him though. Silly me thinking, 'he is different with me.'

Oh well Sirius and I were just friends right?