SORRY SORRY SORRY I HAVEN'T UPDATED SOONER! I would make an excuse but there isn't one besides I'm lazy/I'm a perfectionist. Sorry again!

I joined Mark outside of the pub and we automatically started heading back to the castle together without saying a word. It seemed colder than it had been before, or maybe it was just me. I shivered in my light jacket. There was so much to say to Mark, I didn't know where to start. He didn't say anything either and I wondered if he was thinking the same thing. While I contemplated where to begin, I counted my footsteps on dirt road, reaching thirty-six until I finally spoke.

"How's your face?" I asked quietly. Hey, I had to start somewhere.

"You tell me." Mark turned his face to show me his left eye; purplish bruises were starting to develop and it looked pretty swollen. Merlin, Albus hits a mean punch.

"Oh dear. Well, Madam Pomfrey will be able to get rid of that right away so there is no need to worry." Mark stayed silent. I knew I needed to continue and took a deep breathe to calm myself down.

"I'm so sorry he did that, I didn't know he would go that far in 'protecting' me-"

"Wait, protecting you?" Mark interrupted and looked at me with incredulous eyes. "Is that what you think his intentions were?"

"Well...yeah."

"Lilah, have you ever seen how he looks at you?" His question caught me off guard and surprised me even more when he looked completely serious.

"First Mia and Kate and now you? We're friends for Godric's sake!" I exclaimed frustrated. This was not the direction I wanted to conversation to go.

Mark didn't reply at first, he just looked down at his feet and tried to step on as many crisp autumn leaves as he could. I did the same while I waited for his reply.

"I remember something that happened in our fourth year. Gryffindor had lost a match against Ravenclaw and Potter was crestfallen, it was apparently his first lost since he had joined the team. The day after the game he was in the library looking absolutely miserable as he worked on his homework. I was with a few of my mates at another table and couldn't help but notice when you entered and sat down next to Albus, he looked completely different. I don't know how to describe it but he looked...hopeful. Happy. Relieved. And he hasn't looked at you differently since."

"You'd be surprised," I mumbled into my scarf, thinking of the angry looks he's been giving me for weeks. I remember that day, how happy I was that I got Albus back to his old self. How proud I was that I was the only one who could do it. I had always figured it was just because I was a good friend but could that have possibly a vain, untrue answer?

"That's why I was so hesitant to ask you out, I didn't want to come between anything," Mark pursed his lips. "I was wrong to ask you out and I'm sorry."

I felt really guilty all of a sudden. Mark was kind enough that he was apologizing for trouble I had caused!

"Mark, please don't apologize! I'm the one who is and should be sorry. I'm not exactly sure what is going on between Albus and I at the moment and I shouldn't have dragged you into this mayhem. And I have to be honest, I liked it better when we were just...friends," I grimaced. I'm a horrible person, truly horrible.

"You think we should break up?" he chuckled dryly. "Yeah, me too."

"I am really sorry. I don't want you to get even more involved in it then you already have. That black eye is my fault," I sighed, hoping he could find it in his kind heart to forgive me.

"I get it, it's fine. Let's just...start over, as friends," he offered.

"I'd love that. I really would."

"Brilliant," Mark smiled and lightly punched me in the arm.

"Brilliant," I agreed and returned the gesture. At that moment, I knew that I could depend on Mark Collins for anything and he had gained my full trust.

It reminded me of how I used to feel about Albus.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"Let me guess, you've found new best friends haven't you?" I heard Mia screech as I walked into our dormitory. Her hands were on her hips and her neck was extended out, also known as her angry face. Kate was looking back at her with pleading eyes. Neither of them noticed my entrance.

"No! You don't understand!" Kate tried to explain. She looked close to tears and I know she regretted keeping secrets from us. I was about to step in but was cut off by Mia.

"Oh I understand PERFECTLY! Now that Lilah has been such a downer, you feel that she's too much of a burden to care about!"

Well, I never.

Kate looked guiltier than the time she dropped her Grandmother's Goblin-made tiara. "No, I never meant to abandon anyone! I just thought because you guys would be so distracted-"

"That you could sneak out and laugh about us behind our backs unnoticed? Well you thought wrong!" Mia's voice broke and I saw a tear fall down her cheek. I needed to fix this now.

"HEY!" I shouted and they whipped their heads around, surprised to see me. I took a deep breath and continued. "Because you won't let Kate speak Mia, I'll do it for her. She's dating Ryan Macafee and didn't want us to know. I only found out because I ran into them at the Three Broomsticks today."

Kate's guilty face went red and she stared at the rug. Mia's changed from shock, to confusion, to something I couldn't quite interpret.

"Is this true?" she demanded towards Kate.

"Yes," she admitted quietly.

"Why didn't you tell us?"

"I figured you would get all pissed that I was dating 'Macafee' and get mad at me that I had changed my mind about him so quickly," she mumbled before looking up. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I'll go tell him that we can't be together anymore."

Kate turned around and made my way towards the door. I blocked it and glared at Mia.

"I'm not mad that you're dating him. I actually think it's bloody brilliant you too have stopped fighting," I chuckled and Kate smiled meekly. "Don't tell Maca-, I mean Ryan, that you have to break up. I don't want that, and I know Mia doesn't either. We want you to be happy, and to also be able to trust us. Right Mia?"

We looked around and Mia who looked very sheepish. She rolled her eyes before smiling. "Well at least we know why you guys were fighting."

Kate looked at her quizzically. "You do?"

"All that sexual tension just kept on building up, didn't it?" she giggled and ran to embrace Kate. I let them have their moment for about three seconds before joining in.

"Just promise us one thing," Mia said into Kate's shoulder. "Never think that you can't trust us again."

"I swear on Dumbledore's grave," she replied and we all laughed. Mia broke away from the hug and started skipping around the room goofily.

"KATIE'S GOT A BOYYYYFRAND! KATIE'S GOT A BOYYYYFRAND!" she yelled and I giggled as Kate tackled her.

"Just because you lot know doesn't mean the whole world has to," she sniggered.

"Well I expect Jay will ask me out any day now, I've been working my Montgomery charm on him," Mia wiggled her eyebrows and I wacked my pillow at her. "So sorry Beyonce, we are no longer single ladies!"

"What's Beyonce?" Kate sat up and cocked her head like a dog would.

"She's a muggle singer," I smiled. "But we aren't all taken."

"What?" Mia snapped. "Lilah, what happened on your date? What did you do?"

I scoffed; offended that she would think I did something. Well I did break up with him…but that wasn't the point! "Albus punched him. We both agreed later that it'd be better if we stayed friends."

Kate and Mia stared at me with open mouths and wide eyes. "Oh honestly, it's not that big of a deal. We weren't going to last that long anyways, we're too good of friends."

"We aren't looking like idiots because you broke up," Mia rolled her eyes.

"Albus punched Mark?" Kate gasped.

I sighed. "Gave him a black eye too. Mind you, Mark reciprocated and provided him with a bloody nose."

"That's not the point! He got mad because you two were together! You know what this means, don't you?" Mia got up and started pacing. Oh Merlin, she was doing some serious thinking.

"He only was trying to protect me in his own ludicrous way!" I exclaimed.

"Don't be so narrow minded, Li. Why can't you just except the fact that Albus likes you?"

I felt my face grow red, from embarrassment or anger, I don't know. "If he liked me so much then why does he keep treating me like I'm some sort of infuriating being? Why won't he apologize? Why does he act like he hates me!" I snapped and immediately regretted it. We had just forgiven each other and everything after all.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you. I need to figure some things out, don't wait up for me," I apologized and practically ran out of the room. Last year I had gotten so stressed out from O. I would make weekly visits to the Astronomy Tower to clear my head. The cool breeze and beautiful landscaped could always calm me down.

I hoped its powers aren't diminished.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

As I looked over the horizon at the top of the highest tower I realized two things. The first is why I had always calmed down after visiting; I was looking a million things that reminded me of good memories with Albus. Drat. No matter where I looked there was always a reminder.

The Black Lake: I mastered the Rictumsempra jinx there in my 2nd year after Albus had pushed me in. I distinctly remember smirking and yelling at the giggling boy "Who's laughing now, Potter?" Then he laughed harder, but it wasn't from the jinx.

The Sky: Albus and I used to compare what shapes we saw in the clouds. He always saw something related to Qudditch.

The Forbidden Forest: I had a detention there once for a prank Albus had pulled. I was terrified (what a great Gryffindor I was) from the stories he would tell me and actually feared for my life when entering. To my surprise, Albus used his invisibility cloak to accompany down and stayed with me the whole time.

The Castle: Too many to name.

The second thing is how it was positively freezing outside! I had forgotten my jacket and shivered as I sat on the stone bench. I didn't want to go back to my dormitory and if I accio'd it that would just draw attention to myself. No wonder I wasn't in Ravenclaw, I wasn't being exceptionally intuitive lately.

After a while I got lost in my thoughts, thinking about quidditch, Albus, friends, Albus, schoolwork, Mark, and Albus. Oh who am I kidding, I only thought about Albus! Did he really…like me? And why was the concept so hard to admit to? If he did like me, why had he been treating me so badly? Is he really that jealous? If all my friends are just delusional then why is he acting this way? And how do I feel about him?

I was thinking so hard that I didn't even hear approaching footsteps. I jumped in surprise when I heard someone sit down next to me on the stone bench. He was bent over and had his hands clasped together between his knees. His raven black hair was as messy as ever. His face was exactly the one I had seen before, the one with sad eyes and distressed features.

"Hi Albus," I breathed. Wait, no, he doesn't deserve my greeting. I looked back over the horizon and crossed my arms.

"Hi Lilah," he said back. His voice sounded weary. I didn't respond and stuck my nose a little higher in the air.

"How was your…date?" he gulped. I could tell he was trying hard not to get angry.

"Considering you punched him in the face, not preferable," I snapped, but softened a little when I saw him shut his eyes in remorse. "We aren't together though, if you were wondering."

Albus's head jerked up and he looked at me directly. Oh how I've missed those eyes. "Because of me?"

Did indirectly making me realize that I didn't want to be with Mark and that I missed him count? I didn't have time to answer because Albus jumped up and stormed around the tower muttering to himself.

"Rose was right…I shouldn't have…idiot….lost her for good…own fault…can't even be friends…stupid confusion…"

I let out a frustrated sigh to get out his attention. "It had nothing to do with you!"

He still looked wary as he sat back down. "Oh…right, well, good."

I didn't respond.

"Okay look," he started. "For the past few weeks I have been nothing short of a miserable git to you. I've known it the whole time but I haven't really learned from it, if that makes sense. Anyways, I shouldn't have bullied and insulted you about Mark and tried to keep you away from him. It was wrong of me, and I'm sorry. I guess…I'm just a little protective of you, that's all. You're like a little sister to me…and, erm, well, my actions were erroneous. I am sorry, more sorry then you'll ever know."

He put his arm around me and whispered in my ear, giving me more shivers. "I don't want to lose you, Lilah."

"Thank you, it means a lot. And I apologize for slapping you." I cringed at memory of that awful night.

"I was asking for it," he murmured.

I don't like fighting Albus, I'm glad you finally gathered the true Gryffindor courage to apologize," I smirked and he chuckled.

"Yeah, me too."

Well that settles it then. He doesn't like me, and I was right, it was all 'protective'. I didn't get that satisfied feeling I usually get when I'm right though, it was almost as if I had been hoping I'd be wrong.

Oh no, oh no no no. I can't like Albus! Not after he just admitted he thinks of me as his little sister (which by the way annoyed the magic out of me)!

Albus suddenly laughed. "How many times am I going to have to give you my jacket until you learn to bring a coat when it's cold out?"

I blushed as he put his jacket around me for the second time. It was warm and I breathed in through my noise, trying to enjoy the moment.

Wait a minute. I took another whiff to be sure, and the scent was stronger this time and much more enticing.

Merlin's bloody beard!

"Why are you sniffing my jacket?" Albus asked with a smile of his face.

"Why does it smell like peppermint?" I almost demanded.

"Oh, it does? I've never noticed. I'm addicted to those Peppermint Clusters at Honeydukes, you know that. I guess that's it," he shrugged. I grabbed his shirt and inhaled it too. Dammit, peppermint again.

"Just can't keep your hands off me, can you?" smirked and I punched him in the arm a little more forcefully than normal.

"Ow, Parker, I have to get used to those again," he said and I grinned. "Come on, want a piggy back ride back downstairs?"

"Always have, always will," I said and climbed on his back. I laughed as he tried to buck me off the whole way there, but what I was most afraid of was still in the back of my mind.

I smelled peppermint in my Amortentia.

I was disappointed to learn that Mia, Kate, and Mark's suspicions weren't true.

But Albus thinks of me as his little sister.

Merlin, things just got a LOT more complicated.

So there you go! Thanks to all of you who reviewed, please do it again and tell me if you liked the chapter! I'm currently trying to figure out what direction I want the story to go in but I have a pretty good idea.

Up next: Lilah has to stay at the Potter's for Christmas? Well you know what that means…late night broom rides, talks with the family, and what? Falling asleep together?

Get excited, I know I am! :D

PLEASE REVIEWWWWWW!