Many thanks to all who reviewed, if I could deliver a puppy to all of your doorsteps anonymously I would, but alas, I cannot.

AND I STILL HAVEN'T GOTTEN MY POTTERMORE EMAIL GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

"Wait, you kissed?" Kate's jaw dropped as she interrupted my dramatic monologue of my stay at the Potter's.

"Oh my Merlin, oh my Merlin, oh my bloody Merlin!" Mia squealed and did a little dance around our train compartment.

"Yes, now would you two calm down?" I insisted but couldn't help the giggle that escaped my lips; Mia could not dance even if her life depended on it.

"Okay, sorry, sorry, I'm calm," Mia said with a forced straight-face as she sat back down, her formerly flailing hands placed delicately in her lap. There were about three seconds of silence before we all broke into snickers. "Seriously though, and don't you dare make that joke, why aren't you doing a happy dance around our compartment?"

"Well," I sighed and felt my heart droop at the terrible memory. "After he pulled me closer and kissed me back, he suddenly broke off and had this bewildered, horrified look on his face. Then he said 'Sorry, I just- I'll see you tomorrow' or something bloody idiotic like that." I slouched back in my seat and crossed my arms defensively, not wanting to look at Kate and Mia's pity-filled stares.

"Oh Li, I'm so sorry," Kate said and put a hand on my knee. It reminded me of something my mom would do, and I instantly missed my parents. Why couldn't I have gone with them on that stupid cruise? Then all of this drama would have never happened!

"What happened the rest of the holiday?" Mia asked hopefully. I sighed again.

"After he ran to his room I was scared to death he'd go back to ignoring me or being weird around me again. Thankfully, the next morning he acted as if it had never happened- or so I thought. Over the next few days, I took careful observations and came to three conclusions."

Kate rolled her eyes playfully. "Yes, Mr. Nicholas Flamel?"

I stuck my tongue out at her before continuing, going along with the joke too because it felt good to smile again. "My findings prove that the subject, a Mr. Albus Severus Potter, will not touch, make eye contact, or even be alone with me for more than a regular amount of time."

Mia gaped. "That's ridiculous!"

"Not to him apparently," I replied.

"Ugh, I know what he's doing!" Kate cried, frustrated. "He's playing the 'Your-my-little-sister' card again!"

"That's it!" Mia nodded. "He's probably trying to inconspicuously draw boundaries between you two."

"Then why did he bloody kiss me back?" I demanded. "If he feels like I'm just his bloody sister then why did he bloody treat me for those few, blissful seconds like his bloody girlfriend?"

"Say bloody one more time," Mia dared.

"Well that's the thing, maybe he doesn't think of you like you're his sister," Kate said.

"Huh?"

"He wouldn't have kissed you back if he didn't like you more than a friend Li. This just proves it, he does like you!" Mia smiled, her blue eyes sparkling.

"One problem M, he walked away seconds later," I grumbled, feeling the glittering hope that had momentarily been in front of me fading away.

"Just because he walked away doesn't mean he didn't like it," Kate winked and I gently slapped her knee.

"I'll never know for sure I guess because of his new 'boundaries'," I mocked, making my voice lower and Henry Crabbe-sounding to prove my point of the stupidity of it all. Mia suddenly let out a gasp and I jumped in surprise.

"Wha-what's wrong?" I stammered, looking for something that might have scared her.

"I have a brilliant beyond brilliant idea," she exclaimed, her eyes the size of the moon. Kate hit her arm.

"Don't do that, you gave me a fright!"

Mia merely blinked and continued to look at me as if I was the famous quidditch keeper Oliver Wood or something.

"What?"

"I'll tell you in our room," she promised as the train's breaks let off a high-pitched screech as we pulled into Hogsmede station. "Welcome home girls!"

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

As I sat on my bed later than night, I watched Mia with drooping eyes pace silently in front of me. The welcome back feast was wonderful (I expected nothing less of course) and all I wanted to do was crawl under my covers and drift off to...

"Kate!" Mia said suddenly, and my eyes snapped open, instantly alert. Kate, who was leaning against my bedpost idly, jumped to attention as well.

"What?"

"You told Nina and Aslyn not to come up, right?"

"Yeah, I told them Lilah is having another boy crisis."

"Wow, thanks," I snapped sarcastically, but was too tired to get upset. "Now what's this all about M, my head has an appointment with my pillow that I'd rather not be late for."

"Funny," Mia smirked and then clapped her hands together. "Albus claims he thinks of you as a 'little sister', correct?"

"We've been over this! Yes okay, yes!" To my surprise, Mia smiled.

"But remember, we think he's lying," Kate pointed out and sat down next to me.

"Right!" Mia agreed and started pacing again. "What we need to do is get him to admit that he is."

"How are we going to do that?" I asked lazily.

"Not we, silly little Lilah," Mia smiled a grin that reminded me of the Cheshire cat from Alice in Wonderland. "You!"

"Me?"

"You! With help from us of course."

"How?" Kate asked.

"It's easy," Mia assured us. "All you've got to do Lilah is remind him how you are definitely not a little girl anymore, but a young woman. A mature, experienced, and racy young woman."

I was wide-awake now; sleep was the least of my concerns. I blinked several times in astonishment before speaking.

"Pardon?"

Kate burst out laughing. "Mia, are you saying what I think you're saying?"

"What is she saying?"

"I hope so," Mia winked and turned back to me. "Oh don't look so horrified Lilah, it's not that big of a deal. All you've got to do is show off your sexy side to prove to Albus you're not the little sister type anymore!"

"What if I don't have a sexy side?" I choked out, stabbing my chest with a finger to emphasize my point.

"Then get one!" Mia snapped, frowning at my lack of excitement. "Truth is Li, Albus is claiming that he still see's you as the gawky little kid you were three years ago. And you've got to prove it's not true or get him to admit to himself, or better yet you, that he's lying for Merlin knows what!"

"How am I to do that?"

"You've got to woo him," Kate shrugged as if it were simple.

"Precisely! We'll help with the preparations of course, but you've got to do the actual job," Mia nodded and sat down on the bed across from me. "Now the outfit will be easy, but hair and makeup will be tricky. We'll have to practice talking as well, do you know any sexy phrases Kate?"

"Hold on!" I interrupted. "Are you saying I've got to seduce Albus Potter?"

"Not seduce! Just, erm, turn him on."

I fell back unto my bed and covered my face with my hands in frustration. Now as much as it seemed like it, let me just say I am not a total prude. It's just...well, I'm not exactly the type of person who easilyarouses another. I'm the girl who tends to frequently embarrass herself when there is always someone watching, whether its running into a suit of armor and knocking all my books to the floor or falling into the Black Lake during a free period and having to go to class dripping wet so the teacher can dry me off in front of everyone. And who was the person who always helped me up or kept me from falling? The same guy my friends were trying to get me to act libidinous around! I could only ever dream of being able to slowly saunter and bat my eyelashes to easily get a guy. Some girls can do it, and unfortunately, I'm not one of them.

Then again…it's the best (and only) plan we've got to win over Albus. Shouldn't I be a little desperate at the point? I do want him to see past the "little girl" he claims I am, and if this is the only way to do it, shouldn't I at least try to give it a shot? They say love is a battlefield, but I don't think they meant you'd be fighting yourself when they said it.

Merlin, I'm going to regret this.

"Fine, I'll do it," I announced as I sat back up. Mia put on a smile that rivaled the stars and Kate punched the air.

"Yes!"

"Oh two conditions," I interrupted and their grins disappeared. "One, I want a say in what you two crazies do with me."

"But-"

"And two, I can put a stop to this whenever I want. Deal?"

"Ugh, fine," Mia rolled her eyes but smiled anyways.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to sleep in hope on forgetting about the madness that will ensue tomorrow," I said and collapsed unto my pillow. As I tried to fall asleep, doubts and worries kept crossing my mind, making me even more nervous than I already was.

Don't worry Lilah, you can do this. You can do this.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"I can't do this," I gasped as I looked at myself in the bathroom mirror.

"Yes you can!" Kate encouraged as she put the finishing touches on the earrings she was enchanting.

"I look like that 7th year Lenelle Niles!"

"Isn't she the one Albus was snogging in the beginning of the year?"

I frowned. "Yeah I think so, thanks for the reminder."

"No, that means you look perfect!" Mia smiled.

"Perfect? I beg to differ," I rolled my eyes as I stared miserably at my reflection. My grey skirt had been pulled up higher than the Astronomy tower it seemed, leaving my thighs exposed to any wandering eyes that may take interest. Mia had forced me to leave my sweater open and unbutton the top three buttons on my collared shirt so if I bent over you could see a LOT. She wouldn't even let me wear a camisole, and made me remove the red and gold tie to make sure someone's view wasn't 'obstructed' (honestly, if she wasn't my friend I might have hexed her right then and there). Kate had straightened my hair and might as well have taken a black marker to my eyes, considering how dark the makeup was. I looked nothing like myself, and although I would never admit it at the time, I was pretty hot.

"Remind me again why you caked the eyeliner on?" I asked and cocked my head innocently.

"They make your green eyes look like emeralds, that's why!" she tutted. "They're almost as vibrant as Al's now."

I sighed and put my hands on my hips as I evaluated my appearance once more. "Are you sure I'm not violating the dress code?"

"They only apply during classes and guess what? Classes are over for the day!" Mia cried sarcastically. "Now come on Li, you look great, act like it!"

She was right; we had come this far and I needed to be confident, even if I so wasn't. With much difficulty I rolled back my shoulders, put one hand on my hip, and smiled.

"Excellent, now do you remember everything we've told you?"

"Erm…"

"Well that's alright, because these are done," Kate smiled proudly as she handed me silver hoop earrings. "We'll be able to talk to you through these."

"Really?" I asked and slid them through the holes in my lobes. As Kate replied "Yup", it echoed in my ears. "Whoa, that's awesome! And really complex magic too."

"Thank you, thank you very much," she smiled proudly. "All Mia and I have to do is talk and you'll be able to hear. Same goes for you; if you or Albus say anything, we'll be able to hear it."

"Well done," Mia said and patted Kate on the head. "You better go find Al now, Lilah."

"Right. Thanks guys, I hope things work out," I said and hugged them both.

"It will! I promise," Mia reassured me and I waved one last time before exiting our dormitory.

"Or else I'll be super pissed that I wasted a whole afternoon," I heard Mia's voice in my ear.

"I heard that!" I yelled through the door, but couldn't help but giggle a bit.

"Sorry Li, but it's true."

I searched the common room as I got downstairs but found no sign of Al. However, a few people did double takes when they saw me. One of Al's friends even did a wolf-whistle in my direction, which was odd. Why would he- oh, right, I looked like a Victoria Beckham. I flashed a smile in his direction as I made my way towards him.

"Hey, lookin' good Lilah," the boy, named Raymond I think, winked. Now if I had been myself, I probably would of blushed and ran away as soon as possible. But I felt like a completely different person with my new style, so I shyly smiled back.

"Thanks Ray. Do you know where I could find Albus?" I asked sweetly, twirling a piece of my hair.

"Nice," said Kate's voice.

"If I said in my pants, would you look for him?" Raymond asked and a few of his friends sniggered. I giggled along too…what had I become?

"Wow, funny and cute! The full package."

"Well for that, Al's in the library. But are you sure you want to leave?"

"Yeah, I need to speak to him right away. Thanks Ray. Bye boys!" I giggled again and waved over my shoulder. I walked out of the common room feeling more confident than I ever had in my whole life. It only took about four minutes to get to the library and in that amount of time I had three people check me out. By the time I got to the library, I was almost shaking with anticipation of seeing Albus. I took a quick glance around and spotted him in the back corner, next to a window, his head bent over a very large book. It was the same spot Mark and I had worked on our project, which was weird to think about. So much has changed since then.

"Hey Al," I whispered as I got to the table. He lifted his head slowly, as if scared as to what he might find, and his face looked very confused. When he took me into focus however, I could have sworn his eyes popped out a bit.

"Parks? Is that- erm, hey," he blinked a few times and I saw his eyes move up and down before he snapped his head back to his paper.

"Whatcha' doin'?' I asked and took the seat next to him.

"Lean over," I heard Mia insist and Kate giggle. I rolled my eyes and propped myself against the table, giving me a better look of his paper, and him a better look of my unbuttoned shirt.

"Well, it's, erm," he mumbled and I knew the deed was done. I leaned back into my chair and started twirling my hair again.

"What, hippogriff got your tongue?" he giggled.

"Something like that," he replied hoarsely and shook his head. "New look?"

"That depends," I said and put my elbows on the table, resting my chin on my fists.

"Depends on what?"

"If you like it or not," I smiled and winked. He looked at me blankly for a moment before his eyes started wandering. He must have realized this though and he forcefully looked down towards the paper again.

"Yeah, sure, whatever."

"That's it? Come on Al, use your adjectives! Raymond thought I looked good."

Albus looked up again, but this time his eyes were hard and furious. Way to go, Lilah. "You were talking to Raymond? You know how big of a creep he is!"

"Oh dear."

I scoffed. "You're the one who's friends with him, not me."

"Then why were you talking to him, looking like that?"

"Looking like what? And I was trying to find out where you were!"

"Looking like you have no self-respect for yourself, that's what!"

"Oh no he did not!"

"Well I'm sorry if I wanted to experiment," I glared.

"Experiment with what, how many guys you can give the wrong idea to?"

I crossed my arms, feeling very insecure all of a sudden. "What if I did this to get the attention of one guy, hm?"

"Lilah, are you going to…?"

Albus laughed humorlessly. "What bloody idiot would you go for if you had to dress like that to get him to notice you?"

"You have no idea."

"Why would you assume he's a bloody idiot?" I hissed.

"You haven't had the best taste in guys in the past Lilah," Albus snapped. I felt blood rushing to my cheeks and felt angrier than I had in a long time.

"Oh really? What about you Mr. I-Get-Around?"

"I only ever hooked up with those girls because-" he started but what cut off by a loud 'Shhh!' from Madam Pince. "What's it to you who I've been with anyways?"

"Li, get out of there before you do something you regret," I heard Kate urge but ignored her.

"Well when your friend starts to become a man-whore-"

"Me? Have you looked in a mirror lately?"

"Here we go again! Why do you always have to turn the argument towards me?"

"Why do you always have to turn everything into an argument?"

"You're the one who got all mad at me for talking to Raymond! I don't know if your jealous or-"

"Wha- jealous? Don't flatter yourself," he growled.

"Fine. I'd rather not be around you anyways when you're being such an arsehole." And with that I stormed out of the library, ignoring the glares from Madam Pince and appreciative looks from the male students who were supposed to be studying.

"Lilah, I'm so-"

"Save it," I mumbled. "I'll be back to our room in a few minutes."

And with a heavy heart and smudged makeup I climbed back up to the Gryffindor common room, wondering why everything I did always blew back up into my face.

So I wasn't originally planning on having them get into a fight but it kind of just happened…sorry if this makes some of you guys mad! Don't worry, they won't be angry at each other forever.

And I wouldn't of finished this chapter without the helped of Sobe's Yumberry Pomegranate drink. I'm currently obsessed. Just letting you all know.

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