I always wondered what it would look like if a group of people tried to get a table in the couple-dominated Madame Puddifoot's. Crammed into a corner of the shop, three tables jammed together awkwardly with chairs placed so closely to each other that when filled, there was absolutely no breathing room.

Awkward – it's a good word. It fits the situation.

Thirty minutes before, I made my way toward The Three Broomsticks to see it packed with students. There was no more room for anyone to go in, and Lily and my other roommate Marlene had seemed to notice this as they were standing outside the door.

I stopped in front of them without a word.

A few seconds later, the group of boys squeezed their way through the crowded door. "There's no way we're going to fit seven people in there," James announced.

My mind wandered again as everyone started to discuss the predicament. My traitorous eyes once again fell on him. He was standing with his hands in his pockets, slightly rocking back and forth on his feet, showing his impatience at the situation. He'd probably much rather be off on a date. I could see exactly what was going through his mind.

"Do you think they'd have room at Madame Puddifoot's?" Marlene asked with a shrug. She obviously didn't know what consequences of what she had just said.

So we're here now, jammed into this little corner. I took a seat at the end, squeezing myself in the tiny space. Instead of taking off my coat like the others (even though it was only October, the weather had gotten alarmingly cold), I kept it on and stared down at the table.

It was almost as if I saw it in slow motion.

Sirius quickly eyed the first seat he saw and, after hopping over the other chair to get it, took a seat in it. It was the one on my right. Next to me. Right next to me. His left leg was practically touching mine. My eyes widened but I didn't say a word.

Marlene took the seat on the left and Lily sat next to her. Then Remus, Peter, James, and Sirius completed the rest of the semi-circle we made.

Everyone immediately began to engage in some idle chatter; I watched as I usually did. I would have joined in, but I had nothing to say that was worth interest.

When we ordered our drinks, I realized that it was the first thing I had said the entire time. And Sirius didn't even look at me when I said it. He just stared ahead, out of the window, at the students walking past.

He was right there. I could definitely get just a glance today.

I vaguely asked myself why I wanted one so bad, and came up with the conclusion that I just wanted to be noticed. I wanted someone like Sirius Black to recognize me, for once. I wanted to feel special.

It didn't take long for the subject of our setting to be brought up.

"It's almost as if they should start singing love songs to each other." Marlene grimaced, watching the couple only a few feet away from us.

"They can always start quoting some Shakespeare to each other," James remarked with a grin. "That's very romantic. Just ask Sirius – his last girlfriend made him learn some just to recite it her every night."

I watched Sirius's lips twitch into a small smile. "I still have them all memorized."

Marlene leaned forever excitedly and I had to lean back to stay out of her way. "You should recite one, here, right now."

I would have a heart attack if he did that, I swear. Not because Sirius would be reciting poetry, no, but because I have a thing for Shakespeare. It's my guilty pleasure. Sirius had nothing to do with it.

It didn't take much convincing for Sirius to stand on his chair and clear his throat loudly. The whole place turned toward him. But, because he was standing almost in front of me, it looked as though they were staring at me.

Not good.

Maybe if I just stared up at Sirius and not at the people. They weren't there if I couldn't see them.

Sirius began to speak, in a loud, clear voice. It was the most recognized Shakespeare monologue – Romeo's speech to Juliet. I was kind of hoping it would be something more creative, but Shakespeare was Shakespeare. I watched inventively, partly because of all the people watching and partly because he spoke with such dignity. He really did the monologue justice.

His eyes were skimming the room, playing up the part to random people in the audience.

"See how she leans her cheek upon her hand! O that I were a glove upon that hand, that I might touch that cheek!"

I looked down briefly to take a sip of my drink and tilted my head up to see a pair of gray eyes sparkling back down at me. My heart skipped a beat and I immediately looked back down again.

Was it just me or did he just look at me? While reciting poetry? Love poetry while looking at me? Was I overreacting? Did it really happen? I had to be imagining it. No, his eyes were permanently etched into my brain. He saw me, he looked at me, he noticed me.

Or maybe he was looking at someone behind me. It couldn't be me.

But the prospect of Sirius Black looking at me while reciting Shakespeare was too perfect to just throw away.

I needed to get away.