After the break, life returned pretty much back to normal. Sirius had sworn James, Owen and Annie to secrecy on what had happen on Christmas Day, but it didn't stop from Annie and James telling Remus and Peter. But they soon forgot it when the relationship between April and Andrew had grown very public, which had made Sirius retaliate with more and more escapades with the school girls.

Lily and Josh broke up over the break. He was tired of never getting anywhere. Alice and Frank, thankfully, toned their relationship down, and so did Remus and May. You see, as Valentine's Day approached, guys got finicky and girls got giddy. Valentine's Day was a Sunday, so it meant no Hogsmeade trips, and it also meant classes the day after, which was very joyful.

The day before Valentine's Day put everybody into a panic.

Annie, who was lying bored on James' bed, watch Remus and Frank throw around Valentine's Day ideas. "Guys, why did you leave it until last minute?"

"Because," Remus said simply, "We get nervous and put things off way too much."

Juliet, from her perch on Remus' bed, snorted. "During Christmas you were so excited, and when Mom asked Auntie if you had a chance to get a girlfriend, you snapped at her and said you were in a 'loving relationship that has so far lasted four months'. By the way, Annie, I got to go finish my essay for Slughorn."

"Am I the only first year that finishes the assignments when we get them? I mean, Sam doesn't and she's the smartest out of all of us!" Annie complained as Juliet shook her head and left.

Sirius ran into the room and slammed the door. "Crazed... girls... Valentines..." he panted.

James rolled his eyes from his seat on Peter's bed. "Admit it, you love it."

"At breakfast, yeah, when all those owls come swooping down." Sirius ruffled his hair. "Make's all them other guys jealous."

James laughed. "Yeah. I get a lot too, remember!"

"Not as much as me!"

"I bet I'll get more!" James said proudly.

"Okay. If you get more, then I'll run around the Great Hall dressed as something. Don't know what. If I do, you do the same thing." Sirius spat on his hand and held it out. James spat on his hand and shook it too.

"I have a good thing for the loser." Annie said. "The loser runs around in a giant heart costume- and they also have to scream random garbage about love and stuff. And if a teacher tells them to stop, they have to run out of the hall and evade capture."

"Damn, girl, that's cruel. Perfect, but cruel." Sirius said.

"Says the player who snogs a new girl every other period." Annie looked up at James' wooden canopy. Taking out a small camera, she took a picture and put the camera away quickly.

"What was that flash?" Frank asked, freezing.

Remus, standing at an angle to see Annie staring at the canopy, said, "Lightning."

"Ohmygodwhatifitrainstomorrow?" Frank said, panicking. "I'll have to replan everything!"

"What are you planning?" James asked.

Frank suddenly looked alot like the golem, and hissed, "It's my ssssssecret."


Valentine's Day started out... well it started out odd. At breakfast, Sirius and James had a count-off... and they had a tie. So both of them ran around in a giant heart costume (yes, one costume. Annie's a bitch when it comes to bets) and screaming Shakespeare.

Around one o'clock, Remus took May for a walk.

May frowned when she saw the destination. "The Quidditch Pitch?"

Remus laughed and smiled. "Yes. But just wait."

And there, in the middle of the pitch, was a small picnic blanket with a basket on it. May's eye's widened and she ran ahead and opened the basket. In it was sheperd's pie, chocolate cheesecake, and a few butterbeers. It was all of May's favorite foods, even though she knew Remus hated chocolate cheesecake. He always said that cheese went with fruit, cheese went with wine, cheese went with crackers, cheese went with ham, so because chocolate didn't go with ham, cheese doesn't go with chocolate.

"Turn around." Remus said, and when May did, she saw an old film projector (charmed by magic, of course) and a large white screen. On the screen were the words: May, a marvelous mystery.

May sat out on the blanket and Remus started the pictures faded onto the screen; pictures of her as a baby, her as a child, her with her Hogwarts letter... then came the words... And along came Remus... and pictures of an 11 year old Remus smiling shyly at May. Pictures of them hanging out, then she saw a picture of the notebook that he never let anybody open- it was full of drawings and the words RL LOVES MZ and hearts. Then she saw a picture of Remus asking May shyly to meet him at the lake and words came up that said, And that's how this happened. Pictures of May looking out her window on Boxing Day, biting her lip sadly, and Remus running up behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist, her turning and kissing him, a picture of Remus handing Juliet a box and pointing up the girl's stairs only moments before May ran downstairs on Halloween, pictures of Remus holding May gently, and then, the final picture was of Remus tapping on May's shoulder, and her turning, and then Remus covered the camera with his hand.

May was awestruck. Then she felt Remus tap her shoulder. She turned, and he held up a sign that said, I love you. I can't propose, we're only fourteen. Maybe this isn't supposed to happen.

May's eyes teared and she opened her mouth, but he held up another sign. If this wasn't meant to happen then I'm glad I broke the most important rule for the most important girl. May, this isn't a proposal. It's a promise. A promise that one day, when we're older, I will marry you. Because, May Zelan, I love you more then anything. Then, out of his pocket, he fished out a ring. It was small, made out of silver, and had a tiny ruby in the middle. On the inside were the words, It's better to have loved and lost then never to have loved at all.

May threw her arms around him and kissed him. It could of lasted hours, it could of lasted a century, but neither of them cared. They were in love. And that's all that mattered.


Alice waited by the lake, almost about to burst into tears. Frank had told her to meet him there. She was waiting for ages (in reality, it was only a few minutes) and he still wasn't there. Looking up at the sky, her jaw dropped. Fireworks were above her, big brilliant fireworks, that said, Alice, I would never stand you up.

Biting her lip, she cried out, "But you're not here!"

You're not looking hard enough.

"What? I looked everywhere! On the deck, by the shore, on the grass, by the tree-" Her eyes opened wide. "Up the tree?"

No fireworks.

Running to her and Frank's tree were giant sparkly words. Alice, I would never fail you and a picture of a flower. Alice ran around the school to Herbology.

And there, outside of Herbology, were the words, Now go to your dorm. Confused, Alice obeyed.

And there, on her bed, was a white rose. And a note. This rose means alot. Maybe I chose it because white is innocent, and you are pure. Maybe I chose it because the rose is your favorite flower, and the flower of June, your birth month. Maybe I chose it because white is your favorite colour. Maybe I chose it because the rose symbolizes love. But I think the reason I chose this flower was because you told Lily, on Valentine's day in second year, that your ideal fantasy would be finding a white rose then finding your Prince standing outside your window.

Alice ran to her window and opened it. And sure enough, on a broom (most likely borrowed from James or Sirius), was Frank Longbottom. He pulled her out of the window and put her infront of him and flew away, the two of them laughing because they are fools, fools in love.


While May was admiring the promise ring she had received from Remus and Alice, well, it's best not to say what Alice was doing with Frank on the island in the Black Lake, but when May and Alice spent time with their princes, April was doing her makeup for her date with Andrew. In a matter of minutes, she was about to be pampered. She was every year, so why should this year be different?

April, looking at Alice's beaten up clock, bolted out of her dorm and nearly ran into Andrew outside of the Common Room.

April smiled. "Hi."

Andrew looked her over. "You look nice." Taking her hand, he walked with her up to the Astronomy Tower. On it was a blanket. Sitting her down on it, he sat down next to her.

April smiled to herself. 'This is it. Those three syllables that every girl wants to hear. I will finally hear them for myself.'

Andrew scratched his ear. "April..."

"Yes?"

"It's over."

April's jaw dropped. 'Not those three syllables! No!'

"You see... it was nice... but I don't think you're for me..."

April wiped away a tear. "But... but..."

"April, I had originally gotten with you to get May. But then I saw how you cared for me... and thought maybe I could change... But it didn't work. I like May, I always will. I tried, it didn't work." He said forcefully.

"But, Andy-"

"Dont call me that!" He shouted.

"I love you!" She screamed.

He slapped her and grabbed her wrist. "Then I suggest stopping."


Annie and Owen were walking together by the Astronomy Tower. They heard screams coming from the door, and Annie rolled her eyes. "People need decent Sound-Proofing Charms."

Then she heard April scream, "I love you!" And a sharp slap split the air.

Annie's hair turned red. Clenching her fists, she looked at Owen. "I'm getting help. You try and stop it."

"But I'm not good with spells!" Owen protested.

"Please?" Annie begged.

She heard April say that she loved him again. She broke off into a run.


April winced. Andrew hit her again. "DON'T SAY THAT!" He bellowed at her.

The door blast open. There stood the most unlikeliest of heroes. Owen, standing there, looking slightly confused. "Expelliarmus!" He said, poiting at Andrew (thankfully, after this, we all get to hate on him and call him Douglas), who was blasted into a wall. "Stupefy!" He said again, to make sure that Douglas wouldn't get up.

"You okay?" He asked, helping April up.

She nodded shakily.

"Annie would kill me if you weren't." He said, filling silence.

"She... sent you?" April asked, not sure why Annie didn't come in herself.

"Yeah. She ran off to get help. Even tho' I'm not very good at spells..." Owen muttered, uncertain.

"You'd go to the end of the Earth for her, wouldn't you?" April asked.

Owen nodded.

The door opened again, and behind Annie, was Sirius, Lily, Remus, May and June. Lily, May and June ran over to April and hugged her and cried and said that Annie was so freaked out and that they were so scared for her.

Sirius, Remus, and Annie looked at the unconcious form of Douglas. Remus raised his wand, but Annie stopped him. She kicked Douglas hard in the... well it's not a very nice place to be kicked, let's leave it at that.

"So we won't have any Mini Douglases when our kids are at Hogwarts." She explained, and walked over to April, her hair still a violent red, though according to Lily, June and May, it was white- as in so scared your face is white, sort of thing. April opened her arms and Annie hugged her.

Remus knelt down to Douglas. "Rennervate."

Douglas opened his eyes weakly. Sirius knelt down and punched him so hard that they were shut tight again.

Looking around, he said, "Let's go."

Walking out, Annie hung around for Owen. Walking next to him, she held his hand and kissed his cheek. "Thank you. You were very brave."

Even though something unfortunate happened, even though April had a broken heart, everybody agreed. It was the best Valentine's Day yet.


The rest of the year flew by for everybody. Exams came and went, and soon enough, it was the day before the carriages came. Lily was packed, May was packed, Alice was packed, and April... wasn't. She was waltzing with a rather disturbed Archie The Cat. Lily rolled her eyes. "April... are you okay?"

April looked up and smiled. "Just spiffing, my nifty friend."

May looked up in shock. "Since when did you attempt Oldspeak?"

"Um... since now?" April tried. It didn't work.

Alice took Archie from April. "What's got you in a such a mood?"

"Sirius asked me if we could be friends!" April exclaimed.

"You're happy?" Lily asked.

"No more dirty looks! No more rumors! No more wars!" April said.

It clicked. "Oh..."

"Why don't you try it, Lily?" April asked.

Lily grinned. "I already did. Last night. I asked him at the beginning of fifth year we could start over. I'm tired of this petty hatred, it's not worth it."


Annie poked her head in the fourth-year boy dorm. "Guys, howsit going with the packing-! James!" She laughed. James was waltzing with himself.

Remus smirked. "Lily told him that she wants to start over in the fall. Isn't that right, Jamie?"

"Friends! Friends! We can be friends!" James said dreamily.

Annie walked in and sat on Remus' packed trunk, only to be forced back up again when James picked her up and started waltzing with her.

Peter, who was a whiz with photography (he took most of the pictures in the Valentine's Day slideshow. Except the ones of May as a child), brought out a camera and took a picture, which showed James dancing with Annie while she was laughing, Sirius mouthing something, which was 'James, you sly dog you!' and Remus shaking his head while shaking in a silent fit of laughter.

"Peter, if James ever let's me go, I am going to kill you!" Annie shrieked when James twirled her. "By the way, why does James dance so well?"

"Well..." Remus said, before Sirius took over.

"When James Harold was a young lad, his parents decided to make sure he was cultured as possible." Sirius said in an Irish accent. "So they put him in dance lessons with Mister Potter's work friend's daughter. Her name, was Alice Carroll. Now, Alice wasn't the lightest of foot, so James worked extra hard to impress his parents. And that's why he has the feet of an angel."

"Okay?" Annie asked, her hair sweeping the floor when James dipped her. "James! I'm getting sick.. too much spinning..."

James continued to waltz with a dreamy look.

"James?" Remus asked.

"For christ's sake!" Annie said, and for a moment, her face went blank. Then she had red hair and green eyes, and was around the same height as Lily.

James shook himself. "Lily?"

'Lily' nodded.

James let go of her.

Then Lily had a blank look and Annie was standing there once again.

James frowned. "Hey..."

"If you can't convince them, confuse them." Annie said with a shrug, and walked out of the room.


The Feast was a joyful thing. Every single student was talking, laughing, or just plain happy.

Sirius and April were joking around about Douglas. Lily sat next to April, and across from James, and shot him a smile. Frank had his arm around Alice, and Alice was holding his hand that was on her shoulder. Remus and May were speaking quietly to each other. Annie was laughing with Sirius and April. A few minutes before, she was sitting with the rest of the first-years, but wasn't exactly happy.

"You can go if you want." Evan said.

Samantha nodded. "They are your friends too."

Annie shook her head. "But you guys are my age, and my friends, it's not fair! I havent spent enough time with you guys!"

Juliet sighed. "Annie, we'll have all the time in the world when they graduate. Besides, we have you all to ourselves during classes, at night, in the morning, during Quidditch practice. And we'll always be here for you."

Charlie smiled. "Annie, we know how they all look after you and how you're all sort of like, one big family. You have the right. We never took it personally."

Tristan nodded. "Yeah, Anns-"

"Don't call me that."

Tristan laughed. "Anns, we'll always be here for you. When they graduate, you can start hanging out with us again."

Annie looked around. "Guys... what if you guys start not liking me for hanging out with them too much?"

Jordan smiled at her. "That will never happen. Like Tristan and Juliet said. We'll be here for you when they leave. If you fight with them, we're your backup. If you need advice and are afraid to ask them, just come to any of us."

"And theres still the nights, missy." Charlie said. "We have you then. When Fifth Year comes, we can be tight again."

Annie sighed. "Fine. But I'll always try to hang out with you guys sometimes."

Owen grinned. "We wouldn't expect anything less."

So that being said, Annie had walked down to the fourth-years and Sirius made some bashful second year move over for Annie.

Dumbledore stood up, shaking Annie out of the little space in the back of her head where she could go to relax (because that book that Peter gave her really worked). "Students, it has been a very long year for some, and a very short year for others. We have had our moments. For those who are leaving, I wish you luck in the paths that you choose. For those who aren't, I am looking forward to seeing you next year."

Dumbledore clapped his hands. "Now, the winner of the House Cup..." He clapped them again and the drapes hanging in the hall turned red and gold. "Is Gryffindor! On top of that, they also won the Quidditch Cup. I think some congratulations are in order."

The hall erupted into applause, because in the final match, Slytherin had very good odds.

Dumbledore raised his hand and said, "Let the feast begin!"

Once again, like before, the plates in the Great Hall had filled up. But unlike the beginning of the year, Sirius wasn't shooting anybody death looks. Annie wasn't embarrased. April wasn't in a full out hatred with Sirius. Lily didn't cringe when James looked at her. Remus and May were together like they should be, May wearing her promise ring on her ring finger with pride.

Okay, I was lying a bit before. Owen was still staring at Annie. And Sirius still glared at him.

Some things never change.


Year's Over! There's only a train ride, and a 'sleepover' before the Summer Drama starts... you Annie lovers will NOT want to miss Chapter Nine in the most shocking thrill ride of the story (so far)!

Okay, I'm not good at advertising. Sue me.

ShimmyBabe: I did do what I thought was the most important. I wasn't originally going to do the Valentine's day, but I realized that May and Remus were getting pretty close, and he couldnt propose. I also hate Andrew Douglas and wanted him to get slugged. (Can an Author hate her creations? Personally, I'm a bit different. But I do love Owen. I took him off a video game character. Teehee.)

Naturally Potter: I'm glad you liked James cornering Sirius. It was supposed to be James not knowing who the girl is and him asking Sirius for the next two years, but this works out better. And yes, Lily gives James a chance. Makes more of an impact for the OWL confrontation, don't you think? And yes, the necklace becomes very important. I had a bit of an idea for a sequel to this following the life of Annie's daughter in the war, and in the end, she and her older brother set off to find Annie and the way they know it's her (she went missing. It's a bit confusing but at the end of the story it makes sense) is the necklace. By the way, I love your display picture.

Missy396: Yeah, I love Never Have I Ever. I normally win it when I play, because I don't do alot of stuff. (In my game, you lose when either A: you quit or B: You go to the washroom. It can last a while.) And isn't Frank a genius?

I apologize to any Irish people who I may have hurt with Sirius, but it sounds so much better with an Irish accent.

Guys, Read, Review, Relate, Hate if you want, I love getting reviews. I respond to ALL my reviews on the story, and if you don't want me to, just say it.

26, SIGNING OFF.