I'm really sorry it's been so long! I've been having a hard time trying to write this. I'm trying to keep to what I had written originally, but a lot of what I wrote is very immature and... erm... let's just say my faith wasn't as strong then. So I've been having a little struggle between what I wrote vs. what I believe. I'm glad to say my belief is winning, and it's still turning out halfway decent :)

Other than that, I've been fighting a terrible cold and I'm just feeling miserable :\

Other than that:

These characters aren't my magical doing, they're J.K. Rowling's.

Cricket and Max Mann, Emily Steele, Charlie Ashfield, and Professors Mac and Zinski are part of my spell :)


Cricket woke up slowly the next morning. She began to stretch when she first noticed something off. This isn't my bed. Then she realized she wasn't alone in bed either. She felt Remus' arm draped over her waist and sat up quickly.

The fast movement woke Remus up and he too sat up quickly, "What's going on?" his voice was thick with sleep. "What're you doing here this early?"

"I think I spent the night here," Cricket said softly.

"You what?" Remus dragged his palms down his face trying to wake up. "Which one of our ideas was that?" he asked as he looked down at her.

"I think it was yours," she smiled slightly as she pulled back the bed curtain to see the time. Two o'clock. "I'm going to head back to my bed." She swung her legs off the bed and was about to stand when Remus gripped her upper arm and pulled her back.

"Goodnight," he whispered after he kissed her.

Cricket smiled up at him, "Goodnight." She slid out of his bed and crept to the door, trying not to wake anyone else. She glanced back to Remus' bed and saw him watching her leave. She felt her heart leap and smiled as she left.

Up in her own room, she knew she wouldn't be able to change without waking the other girls. She was almost to her bed when she heard a quiet sob come from one of the beds. She froze and listened until she heard it again. It was coming from Lily's bed.

Cricket went to Lily's bed and quietly pulled back the curtains, "Lily?" she barely raised her voice above a breath. Lily quickly spun to face Cricket. Her face was completely red from wiping away tears. "Oh, Lily," Cricket sat on her bed and gently pushed back her tear soaked hair. "What's wrong?" Lily didn't say anything but rose to a sitting position and buried her face into Cricket's shoulder. Cricket startled at first but wrapped her arms around Lily. "Are you hurt?" Lily shook her head. Cricket guessed a few more things; school, parents, home. "Is it about a boy?"

Lily's breath caught and she tensed.

Cricket smiled, Getting yourself all worked up over a boy... Her smile faded, Didn't you just do that recently? "Is it James?

Lily pulled away quickly and hissed, "No!" She flinched as one of the girls muttered in her sleep. "It's nothing like that. In fact, I think I'm all better, thank you Cricket." She pulled out of Cricket's arms and landed loudly on her bed. She turned her back to Cricket and muttered, "Goodnight."

Cricket smiled and stifled her laughter as she went to her own bed. I'll have to keep an eye out for this boy.


The next morning Lily was gone before Cricket even woke. As she met the boys in the common room she was smiling.

"What are you smiling at?" Sirius asked.

Cricket startled but shook her head quickly, "I was just thinking about something."

Remus had come to stand next to her and said, "About last night?" He grinned sweetly and gently snaked his hand around her waist.

Cricket felt the familiar feeling and looked up at him. She leaned into him and whispered, "That was nothing; we can always go continue—"

"Guys," James complained.

Remus and Cricket looked away from each other and muttered, "Thanks" and "Sorry." He turned and gently grasped her hand and started to follow the guys. "Wait," Cricket pulled him to a stop, "do you have the letter from my Dad? I left it in your room."

Remus dug his free hand into his pocket, "Right here."

Along the way James turned to Cricket, "So Emily was telling me you were going to try out for the open beater position?"

Cricket sighed, "No, I'm not. I can't play."

"How come?" Peter asked.

"Well, there are going to be some matches during or right after a full moon, so I can't really play all the games."

"Oh," Peter laughed lightly, "I guess I should have thought of that."

"It's okay," Cricket smiled.

"She also told me you were a better seeker than I was," James continued.

"I don't know why she would say that." Cricket mused.

"Especially since she knows Prongs here is the best seeker there is," Sirius slapped James on the back.

"I don't know about that," Cricket teased.

"What?" both James and Sirius asked.

"Well, you have been eating quite a few sweets lately," Cricket continued, "So you're probably not as fast as you normally are."

"Are you calling me fat?" James asked.

"Well, I didn't say that..." Cricket looked over to him and smiled.

"Oh, that does it," James took a step towards her and Cricket ran off ahead of them.

They were just nearing the doors to the great hall and just as Cricket neared the doors she tripped and fell forwards. She cringed, expecting to hit the floor but a pair of arms caught her. She looked up to see warm ice-blue eyes.

"Oh, Charlie," Cricket straightened herself but Charlie kept his hands on her waist a few seconds longer than necessary. "You always seem to be in the right place at the right time."

Charlie broke out of his trance and locked eyes with Cricket, "Pardon?"

"Yesterday you were here to help me find class, and today you were here to catch me. I said you always seem to be in the right place at the right time." Cricket smiled.

Charlie smiled, revealing straight white teeth. "It seems so. Call me your knight in shining armor," He bowed slightly.

"Maybe I should," Cricket blushed faintly and shook her head at his silliness.

Charlie looked around "What were you running from?"

Cricket turned and saw the Marauders just coming up the stairs. "Oh, just James. I was teasing him about eating too many sweets and he'll be too fat to play as Seeker."

Charlie chuckled, "Are you thinking about playing now?" He crossed his arms and looked down at her.

She felt something off in the way he was staring at him and was glad when the boys finally reached her. "No, I'm still not going to play."

"What do you want Ashfield," Sirius growled.

Cricket spun and saw all four guys stood rigid behind her. "Will you guys stop?! I told you to leave Charlie alone." She turned to Charlie, "I'm sorry. It's taking a while to tame these four."

"No worries," he turned to the great hall. "I'll see you in class."

"What was that about?" Remus asked.

Cricket spun towards the four boys. "What is wrong with you guys? I tripped and Charlie caught me. He's seemed to be more of a friend you guys are." She turned and stormed into the great hall.

An idea hit James. If Cricket's 'future husband' happened to know about it, wouldn't he try to be a friend to her now? He'd have to keep an eye on Charlie Ashfield.


Hehe! This is a little shorter than usual, but it was a good spot to break, and I wanted to get something out to you guys. So I hope you all liked it, and I hope you aren't getting too confused; the next chapter should be when they meet with Dumbledore, so that should clear up quite a bit. :)

Leave me a post-it! PLEASE do! Think of this as a conversation; I can't respond until you do! So please, review!

"Hope all is well!" :)