A/N: Hello all my wonderful readers! I'm so sorry you had to wait so long for this update, but one of my Welsh relatives visited us and I hardly had any time to myself those past days. I tried to squeeze in some writing here and there every time she got ready in the morning (it takes incredibly long to do her hair), but it wasn't enough, so I spend today fixed to my chair writing the new chapter for you.

I can't tell you often enough how much your reviews mean to me. I would be a very frustrated and unhappy writer without you, so THANK YOU again for all your help and support. I would be lost without you!

Review Responses:

anonymous: Thank you so much, I think I'm blushing...

SiriusOrRemus: Oh, me too, me too! :) I'd just love Sirius/Remus (or maybe both?) in my arms right now.

jkarhu: Thank you very much! Yes, I'm normally not a very big fan of clichés, so I always try to use them a bit differently. A chapter from Dumbledore's POV… well that certainly sounds interesting. I think I just got an idea how I could do that. Thanks for the inspiration! You'll get Dumbledore's POV in one of the later chapters, just have a little patience. :) I'm from Germany myself so no worries, I understood your review perfectly. Your English teacher seems to be a very wise person – that is exactly how I learned English as well. Writing works, too, by the way. ;)

whiterabbit111: Thanks! I love them, too.

Lizzy0308: Yes, I'm from Germany, I'm still learning English. Do you mind telling me an example for the odd verb tense, I could pay a closer look then. I always try to improve. :) On the other issue, of course I can't make a comment to that now... we'll see. ;)

HermioneGrangerisME: Yeah, that seems to be his fate, doesn't it? Aww, poor Moony.

Cat: You can find part of Sirius' reaction in this chapter, though more is to come definitely...

Whimsical Desert: Thank you so much for your review, it makes me happy to hear you enjoy my story and my writing. And it's definitely refreshing to hear someone is waiting patiently. ;)

Weasleyfanatic: Thanks. :) Did you survive the wait or do I have to send an ambulance? ;)

i need to sign in: Thank you! More following just underneath the chapter title. :)

claire-whitmore: Thank you very much! Dumbledore is always fun to write, he's just so brilliant.

It's a lot of Lily/James in this chapter, but Remus and Sirius are definitely back for the next chapter (one I'm very excited about!). So enjoy today's read, I hope you like it!

Chapter Six: Young love

The next morning passed in a blur for Sirius. He didn't notice what he had for breakfast, didn't pay any attention in Potions and had no idea how he ended up in the library in his free period. Instead, he noticed how Remus only picked at his pancakes, chose to sit next to Peter instead of his usual seat next to Sirius and didn't talk to him all day. He also noticed how absolutely brilliant Remus was and how absolutely he shouldn't think those things about his best friend.

Right now, Remus took control over the library search James still insisted on: "Well, it seems you've checked the whole Charms section… As it has something to do with the mistletoes, I would try finding something about them in the Herbology section and search for cross-reference to the spell. Additionally, I would try the History of Magic section – I bet they used the spell in the past to find compatible marriage partners."

Sirius stared at his best friend admiringly. The way he talked it occurred to him how stupid they had been to even hope of finding anything about the spell without him.

"Oi Moony, you're too smart for your age," James said grinning, but you could hear the thankfulness in his voice. "I'll try History of Magic first," he decided. Before anyone could react to that, Remus followed James some wards to the left, away from Sirius, who tried not to care. Why were they back to avoiding each other? Well, Sirius of course knew it was because of the kiss last night, he wasn't stupid after all. But they had agreed to go and try to find a mistletoe, so they had agreed to the possibility of more kissing, hadn't they? So why couldn't Remus stand his presence anymore? It wasn't as obvious as it had been after the first time: Remus still answered his questions, still spend time with the four of them, but he didn't start any conversations, he replied monosyllabically to everything Sirius asked him and he avoided being alone with him. On every other day, Sirius would probably not have noticed it or thought about it twice, but strangely, he happened to want his presence, he wanted to talk to him, to see his eyes widen with astonishment, to make him smile or laugh or scold him even. He missed Remus.

He stared after him for a long time, until Peter nervously jarred him out of his thoughts. He remembered he was supposed to search the Herbology section for the romantic potential spell. Sighing, he got to work, resolutely banning a certain boy from his thoughts.

x-x-x

They had come up empty again when it was time to go to lunch. They exited the library together and began to hurry to the Great Hall. James, who knew they would pass the invisible mistletoe on their way, kept his eyes open for Lily.

When he spotted her a few metres ahead of them and only a four steps away from the mistletoe, he sped up and caught up with her, panting heavily when he reached her. Lily frowned but ignored him as he kept walking by her side. Under the invisible mistletoe, she had to stop. Slowly, she turned around to him, the annoyance visible on her face.

"James Potter, what did you do now?" she spat and James quickly stopped grinning triumphantly at her.

Remus, Peter and Sirius came to a halt within safe distance of the two and followed their conversation with their eyes.

"What do you mean, Evans?" James said innocently, but she wasn't fooled.

"Why can't I move?" Lily asked, hoping against hope the reason wasn't what she thought it was. She glanced up unnecessarily only to see nothing like she expected.

Against his better knowledge, James grinned again. "You, dear Lily, seem to have quite the romantic potential with me, despite your efforts to deny so."

Lily narrowed her eyes as she stared at the walking devil himself. "I do not," she insisted.

"Why would you be stuck under an invisible mistletoe with me if you didn't?" James asked an annoyingly sensible question. How absolutely Lily loathed this guy!

"Well, that, that's only… we probably just have slightly enough potential for the mistletoe to notice it, it doesn't mean anything," she said weakly. James had known she would react like this all along. He wished he had the spell, but it occurred to him suddenly that she wouldn't believe him even if he could perform it. She would think he manipulated it somehow – she would believe anything if that meant she didn't have to accept the fact that just maybe, she should give them a chance.

"I would bet my snitch that's not true," he answered only to hear Lily snort.

"I thought you liked your snitch," she said smugly. James just nodded.

"I do," he replied. "But not even close to as much as I like you." When she didn't respond, he added: "Besides, I would win."

"You would not."

"Oh yes I would," James grinned.

"No you wouldn't!" She grew angrier every minute, and while James knew it was a bad sign, he couldn't stop thinking she was most beautiful when she was this passionate.

He regarded her for a while, then he smirked at her and suggested: "Let's make a deal."

"I'm not making any deals with you," Lily told him fiercely.

"You should hear me out first," James said and ruffled his hair nervously. "How high do you think is our romantic potential at the maximum?"

She stared at him angrily, but answered anyway: "Between 50 and 60 per cent."

James grinned. "I bet it's at least 80%."

"Never!" Lily exclaimed, but James ignored her outburst. "We'll get our romantic potential tested by Professor McGonagall the day before Christmas. If you're right, and we have under 60 per cent – 65 even –, I'll leave you alone. I'll stop trying to get you to give me a chance." He sounded sad at those words, sadder as Lily had ever seen him before. Her gaze turned softer as she heard his words.

"Why should you do that?" She was confused. James Potter giving up on her? Somehow that prospect left her feeling numb. It would be strange. A relief, of course, but still strange. He'd followed her all those years now, she was actually getting used to it.

"Because if it's above 80%, you'll go out with me and give us a real chance," he said. Lily wanted to laugh at him, but somehow she couldn't.

"What if it's in between?" she asked although everything in her screamed not to lean him on.

"Everything will go on as usual – I'll ask you out and you'll say no and I'll ask you out again and hope you'll say yes one day, though of course you won't." Lily hated how his words implied he had realised long ago he didn't really have a chance with her, but still tried anew every day. She felt guilty, but she reminded herself there was no need to – she was right after all, James Potter didn't really care for her.

"So?" James asked and brought her back to reality with that.

"No," she answered automatically. James' face fell, but he collected himself in no time.

"You're just scared I win," he teased her.

"Definitely not!" Lily protested, though if she were honest, she was. After all, no one would have imagined Remus and Sirius to have any romantic potential and theirs was extremely high – couldn't that happen to her, too? Even if it was with the damned James Potter.

"Yes, you are. If you weren't, you'd be agreeing to this deal in no time – the prospect of getting rid of me must be so sweet to you," despite his best efforts he sounded bitter. Lily swallowed.

"No, I simply don't trust you on your word to do that," she insisted. James looked hurt.

"I would trust you on yours," he replied simply and Lily felt even more guilty. She hadn't wanted to offend him. She studied his face for a while, he looked more genuine than ever.

"Alright," she agreed in the end, already regretting this decision when she saw the smile spread over his face. "Now can I please go to lunch?"

"You know how," James replied, grinning once again. Lily stared at him in disbelief. He couldn't really expect her to do that, could he?

"No!"

"Well then I suppose we'll be standing here for quite some time," James answered.

"I'm not kissing you, Potter! Never in a million years!" Every sympathy she might have felt for him before was gone as she yelled at him. James took it like he always did, countering with his usual confident remarks. The argument went on hot as ever. They were back to normal.

"Ah, young love. Isn't it beautiful, Moony?" Sirius said with a grin, not looking away from James and Lily. Remus, who stood beside him, felt his face redden again.

"Yeah… I, uh, I have to go – forgot something – I'll catch up with you!" he said and bolted. Sirius took his eyes from the arguing pair in front of him and stared after his best friend, frowning.

TBC

Not so much Sirius/Remus interaction today, but stay tuned for the next chapter, it revolves almost completely around them. It's almost finished, too - it's going to be called Something great. Reviews would make my day!

Love, Cya XXX