A/N: I would just like to apologize profusely for my absence. I just got caught up in Soooo much school work that I could never find any time to write. I promise that I'll try to update a little more regularly. To make up for it this is an extra-long chapter. And now I want to bring up a point made by a reviewer. This story is not Severus/OC. Yes, right now my OC and Snape are in a relationship. But they won't be forever. This WILL be a Sirius/OC. But it's not going to happen right away. In fact Severus and Lina won't be breaking up for a while. But just as a teaser….when they do it's gonna be pretty intense. And now I am done with this ridiculously long authors note .

P.S- This chapter=fluff

P.P.S- I know that this would be the third time I've done this, but I've changed my picture of Janey on my profile. But I swear this is the last time. I just couldn't help myself. Although the new pic is almost exactly how I see Janey in my head.

P.P.P.S- I just want to explain that this story will be mainly AU, but with some threads of cannon in it. You'll see what I mean later.

P.P.P.P.S- This late chapter is also my Beta's fault. She killed her computer and then got swamped in homework. Blame her.

P.P.P.P.P.S- ^ My beta wrote that. Do not blame her for anything! Blame me for taking so long to write this.

"I'm up, I'm up!" I groaned, rolling out of bed. I glared at Janey, who just smiled back. Who ever invented Monday mornings was going to die a slow and painful death.

"You are the devil," I grumbled as I made my way to the showers.

"I heard that," she sing-songed.

"And there's the proof."

"Come on Lee, we've got to get ready! Classes start at eight and it's already seven! If we don't hurry we'll miss breakfast!" she said, way too cheerful for my taste. Wait a minute.

"It's only SEVEN? Why the HELL did you wake me up? Why the hell did YOU wake up?" I screeched. Why would someone voluntarily get up before nine? Janey was weird. There was just no other explanation.

"I just told you. So that we won't be late. Now go take a shower," she commanded. Gosh, she's pushy.

We both took our showers and went down to the Common Room to wait for Reed. As we took our seats on the comfy couch by the window, we heard voices coming from the top of the Boy's Dormitory stairs.

"She's my friend, Pads! I'm not going to let you gits do anything to her!" I heard Peter's yelling.

"She trashed Moony!" the voice of Black replied. "We can't let her get away with that!"

"Well, this might be a slightly different story if Moony wanted to prank her too, but he DOESN'T Pads!" Peter shouted. "It's only you! Even James said that it wasn't a good idea!"

I turned to Janey, my surprise evident on my face. She looked just as shocked as me. Was it possible that James Potter didn't hate me?

"She and her friends must have done something to him, or-," Black began, only to be cut off by Peter.

"That's a load of bull and you know it, Sirius! You for some reason have this uncalled for hatred for her. Just because the others don't doesn't make them crazy! Lina, and Janey are good- no, amazing people! And you've always liked Reed! Now, please try to act like a mature human being and grow the hell up!" Peter ranted at him.

I was so proud of Peter. Not for defending me, but simply for the fact that he stood up to Sirius. I knew that Peter often felt overshadowed by the other Marauders, so for him to speak out like that showed that he might be gaining some self-confidence.

Suddenly, we saw Black storm past us and out of the Common Room. Hearing the sound of footsteps coming down the staircase, we turned to see Peter coming down them slowly.

"Did you guys hear all of that?" he asked sheepishly.

"Yes, we did," Janey answered frankly. "But honey, I know that I speak for both of us when I say thank you for defending us."

"Yeah, thanks ,Pete. I'm-I'm glad I have you back," I told him, going over for a hug. We waited another minute for Reed to come down, but he was a no show.

"Did you see him at all Peter?" I asked him. I knew it was a long shot since they were in separate dorms. There were two fifth year boys' dorms. The Marauders were all in one, and in the other were the Prewett twins, Reed, Eric Turpin, and Kyle Lancaster were in the other. I and Janey were friends with all of them, except Kyle, who had become particularly nasty to Janey after she broke up with him last year. But anyway, since they were in separate dorms the only time they would see each other up there is in the bathroom.

"Nope," Pete replied popping the "p."

"Well, can you go up and grab him?" Janey asked, checking her watch. "If we don't head down soon, then we're going to have to scarf down our food."

Peter took a second to look over to the stairs, then back at us, then back at the stairs.

"Naaaah," Peter said, taking a seat on one of the arm chairs in the room.

"What! Why not?" I questioned.

"Because going up the stairs would require work, and you know how much I hate that stuff," he told me.

"Peter! Come ooooon," I whined. "I'm hungry, and you know how I get when I'm hungry."

"Well, then you better go grab him," he smirked.

"God, you suck."

And that's how I found myself awkwardly standing in front of James Potter as I waited for Reed to finish getting dressed in his room. Potter had been heading toward the stairs when he saw me coming up them and stopped.

"Wotcher, Jones," he said pretty stiffly.

"Potter," was all I replied. Why in the name of Gryffindor was he talking to me?

"We have Quidditch today," he said uncomfortably.

"Yes, we do," I said. After the initial shock of him initiating a conversation with me, I realized how much I hated him. This was the kid that had made my boyfriend's life miserable for the past five years! And he had the balls to talk to me?

After standing there in silence for a minute, during which I was screaming for Reed to hurry up in my mind, I couldn't take it anymore.

"Was there something you wanted Potter?" I asked as acidly as I could.

"I just wanted to…apologize for what Sirius said the other day. About your brother."

Well, you know what Potter? I don't need to hear any of your stupid insults, or- Wait, what? He's not saying something cruel or demeaning? He's apologizing. To me.

Huh?

Maybe Peter was right before. Maybe Potter really doesn't hate me.

"That's very…Good of you Potter, but your apology doesn't count. Its Black's that does," I told him truthfully, all while wondering how in the hell Reed is slower than a girl when it comes to getting dressed?

"About that. I know that you two don't like each other…," he began. Really, Potter, that has to be the understatement of the century.

"But I will not let anything jeopardize our chance at the cup. So if you two can't put your feelings aside when we're out on the pitch, then you're off the team," he said in a very authoritative manner.

"Me! Why am I the one getting kicked off?" I asked incredulously. Of course, Potter would favor his best friend.

"Because even though you are one of the best beaters I've ever seen, Sirius is better," he said honestly. I harrumphed at this.

"No, it's true," he said. "You are amazing but right now Sirius is better. He's had more experience, and I truly think that if you two work together then we could be unstoppable."

God, why did Potter have to make this so damn difficult? Life was supposed to be easy. I hate Black, he hate me. Period. The end. But now he wants me to work with him? To cooperate with him?

"I'm not sure if I can Potter," I told him. "I mean, there just isn't a way-,"

"Find one," he interrupted me. "Because you are a spectacular Beater. And I need you. Gryffindor needs you."

Fuck. You just had to bring Gryffindor into this didn't you? I nodded my head at Potter, and that seemed to satisfy him. As I heard his footsteps grow fainter, the door to Reed dorm flew open.

"I'm ready!" he announced. "Been waiting long have you?"

Asshole.

As the four us made our way to the Great Hall, we met Severus who was talking heatedly with Lily.

"Hey Sev!" I exclaimed, happy to see my boyfriend. I gave him a quick peck on the lips, and he proceeded to drape an arm around my waist. I looked over to see that Lily was glaring daggers at me.

"Are you okay, Lily?" I asked concerned.

"I call him Sev. It's my nickname for him," she said rudely, and if I heard correctly, a bit possessively.

"What the hell is your problem Lily?" I asked. I was surprised at her behavior. Lily was a very quiet person. Although she was popular, she kept to herself mostly, and hardly ever got angry. The only time she gets even a little heated is when Potter is around, so it was surprising to have her act like this.

"I don't have a problem, Lina," she said shortly. What is her deal?

"Ummm, you obviously do. So, you have two options. One, you can tell me I did to make you act like this, or two, you can continue to act like a bitch for the rest of the day," I said, letting my anger take over me. I had been through so much in the past few days. I did not, no, I could not take any of Lily's shit.

"Fine! You do want to know what my problem is, Lina? My problem is that I never knew that you and Sev were dating! I mean we're friends! And he's my best friend, and you never told me! And then to top it all off, you changed him!" she yelled.

"I WHAT?" I screeched. I changed him? What the hell is she talking about? I haven't changed Severus at all. He's still the snarky, sarcastic, wonderful person he's always been.

"Yeah! You've changed him! He used to spend every day with me, and then all of a sudden, he stopped! At least I know why now," she said bitterly. "I just want my best friend back! This is your entirely fault. I can't believe that you would do something like this."

I snorted at this. "Best friend? Is that you call yourself? You aren't his friend, Lily!" I screamed at her. I looked at Severus, silently asking him to make Lily stop because at this point I was really upset. But all he did was stare straight ahead. And that made me angrier

"Oh, really?" she asked, looking as if she wanted to slap me. "Then what would you call our relationship?" Well, I wouldn't call it that at all. I didn't like her use of that word in terms of her and Severus. He was mine. No matter how he was acting right now.

"I would call it you enjoying having someone following you around. He was an ego boost for you Lily! He stopped calling you his best friend after Christmas in First Year!" I told her.

"Oh did he now?" she queried, disbelievingly. "Then who the hell was his best friend?"

"My brother! He actually listened to Severus, and cared about his opinions!"

"Are you saying that I don't care about Severus?" Lily said in a dangerously quiet voice. I knew it was intended to scare me; but it didn't. I was more powerful than Lily. I wasn't scared of her at all.

"No. I'm just saying that you care about your reputation more. I mean, think about it; anytime that Marlene or Mary would start to insult Sev, you would just tell them to stop. But you never stood up for him. You never told them that they were wrong. And lately, you've even stopped telling them not to insult him! And you call yourself my friend? That's bullshit. The only time you have ever talked to me or Janey in public is at meals when you ask us to pass the salt or butter! Because God forbid that you be seen talking to nobodies. How scandalous!" I ranted at her, unleashing years of pent up anger at her treatment of Janey and I.

"I-I that's…that's not true!" Lily said wildly, her eyes tearing up a bit.

"Yes it is," Janey told her gently. "It's always been like that, Lily."

Lily looked around at all of us as is looking for someone to deny all these things. But no one did.

"I-I never- I didn't mean to-," she started before running away.

As I watched her go I felt a small twinge of guilt gnawing at me, but I dismissed it. She deserved it I kept telling myself.

"That was…the SHIT!" Reed exclaimed. "Ooh, I've been wanting you to put Evans in her place for years! You know what would have driven the whole thing home? Telling her that you're first in class not her. That would have showed her," he continued with a look of happiness on his face.

"Shut the hell up, Wood," Severus growled at him, dropping his arm from my waist.

"Oi, what's your deal?" I asked Sev, playfully hitting him on the shoulder, though I was still hurt by his ignoring my silent plea before. What I wasn't expecting was him glaring down at me.

"All of that was unnecessary. You didn't need to upset her like that," Severus grounded out.

"What? Are you seriously saying this to me right now?" I asked incredulously.

"Yes I am! You didn't need to tell her any of that. All it did was upset her."

"Upset...upset HER? That's what you care about right now? That I upset her?" I asked, my voice growing with each sentence.

"Yes. What else would I care about?" he answered.

"How about the fact that she was upsetting me? You know me right? Your girlfriend?" I replied.

"Yes, I'm aware of our relationship," he said coldly. "But I fail to understand why that has anything to do with you attacking my best friend."

"Me…attack her? Is that what you think just happened?" I asked, getting more pissed by the moment.

"Yes, because that is exactly what transpired," he stated with a blank face.

"Go away," I growled through my teeth.

"Excuse me?" he asked disbelievingly.

"Go away! And don't come back until you realize that I'M your girlfriend. That I'M the person you're supposed to defend! That I'M the person that you're supposed to care about! Just…Go away, Severus."

He stared at me long and hard for a moment, and then with a scoff turned around and left.

Peter, Janey, Reed, and I just stood there for a second before Janey spoke up.

"What just happened?" she asked.

"I'm-I'm not sure," I answered truthfully.

"You might want to figure that out soon," Peter chimed in.

"Thanks, Pete. Really helpful," I replied sarcastically.

We were all walking to the Great Hall at that point.

"I hate him! God! I hate him sooo much right now! Why they hell am I going out with that jackass?" I burst out as we got close to the Hall.

"Oh, come on, Lee. You don't hate him," Reed tried to placate me.

"Yes, I really do!" I replied as we walked into the Great Hall.

"You know what? I've gotta go. The guys are probably wondering where I am," Peter said abruptly, making his way over to the other Marauders. Although at first Black scowled at Peter's arrival, it soon turned into a rather malicious smile after a few words from Pete.

"You do not hate him, Lina," Janey said in an authoritative manner.

"I just…I mean, in hurt, Janey. It really hurt when he didn't try to help me. I felt like he was choosing her over me," I said biting my lip, a nervous habit that I had.

"I know it did, honey, but don't you think-," Janey started to say but stopped herself.

"Don't I think what?" I asked, not sure if I wanted the answer.

"That maybe you were a little too hard on Lily?" she answered tentatively.

"What! Are you siding with her, too?" I said maybe a little too loudly.

"Lina!" Reed snapped. "Stop it. You're overreacting to everything that we say. We're your friends, stop attacking us," Reed said reprimanding. This is why I loved Reed. He could always bring me out of my head, or a funk.

"You're right, Reed. I'm sorry, guys." I said. I saw Janey smile at me, and I knew then that she wasn't mad. "And ,yes, Janey, I do think I'm might have over done it a bit. I didn't mean to make her so upset, it's just that when Severus didn't try to stop her, I just…freaked," I said feeling even guiltier now.

That was the kind of person that I was. I got angry very quick, but I could never hold grudges. When I get upset at someone, I start to feel so bad that I end apologizing to them, no matter what they did to me. And right about now I wanted to walk over and apologize to Lily for my harsh words.

I looked over to see her sitting with her friends, with a contemplative look on her face. Mary and Marlene seemed to notice that something was wrong, but were too busy talking to some Ravenclaw sixth years that had come over.

"Lee," Reed began, "you aren't trying to, well, trying to make Severus abandon Lily are you? Like stop being friends with her?" he questioned.

"No! No, of course not!" I exclaimed. "I'm not that kind of person, Reed. You should know that," I continued, shooting him a look. "I just wonder sometimes that, if it came down to it, who he would choose. Her or me?"

"Lee, he's with you. Not her okay? You need to stop being so insecure about this. If he wanted to be with Lily he would break up with you. But he hasn't, because he doesn't," Janey said, trying to reassure me. I knew that she always had a problem with my insecurity.

I don't like myself, and it was no secret to my friends. I didn't like my body, or my hair, and sometimes I didn't even like my personality. It came a lot from my mother. She was always putting me down. It got a lot worse after Joey…died.

But Janey was always trying to get me to see what an amazing person I was. I could just never see it. And I doubted that I ever would. But I loved her for trying.

"Thanks, Janes, I needed that," I told her, smiling. We all scarfed down our breakfast, and made our way to transfiguration with the Ravenclaws, our first class of the day. Although Reed did have to go back for his bag, which he had forgotten at the table. Idiot.

Janey and Reed ended up sitting together while Peter sat next to me. I was surprised by this, since he usually sat next to Lupin in classes, while Potter and Black paired up. When I asked him why he was sitting with me, his reply was to motion where Lupin sat. I recognized Rebecca Winer, one of the new chasers on the team.

"She just rushed over there and sat next to him," he said. I looked over and saw Lupin didn't seem too happy with his desk mate, since she seemed to be asking him an endless barrage of questions.

"Does she like him or something?"

"No, she actually likes Reed," Peter replied chuckling.

"Really?" I asked, interested. I didn't know the girl too well since she was in the other girls dorm, but of what I did know she seemed nice. Maybe a little silly at times, but then again I really shouldn't be criticizing anyone for that, considering my personality.

"Yep, she saw them talking this morning when we all left the Hall," he explained. "Now she's convinced that they're best friends or something."

Is that why Reed took so long coming back from the Great Hall? Because he was talking to Lupin?

"If she wants info about him, then why doesn't she come to me or Janey?" I whispered to Peter.

"Well, because…she probably doesn't know that you all are…you know that you…," Peter tried to say.

I knew what he was trying to say; she didn't know that we were friends. It was understandable. I knew I was invisible, it's just that sometimes I forgot that fact.

"It's okay, Peter. I get it," I told him, trying to put him out of his misery. He shot me an apologetic look, which wasn't necessary. It wasn't his fault that nobody knew who I was.

Professor McGonagall came in and introduced the spell that we'd be learning. It was used for turning something of one material into something of a different substance. She handed us all mugs and told us to transfigure them into pillows.

"Now don't forget the incantation is 'Aralia Tranfus'," she reminded us.

I pointed my wand at my mug and whispered the spell. It didn't work.

I tried it again. It still didn't work.

On my third try though, I got it. I beamed with happiness at my pillow. Peter smiled at me, and my happiness. The smile didn't last long.

"Miss Evans! Five points to Gryffindor! You were the first to get the spell. And only in six tries? Well, I've never had a student till now do it under seven," Professor McGonagall gushed to Lily on the other side of the room.

My smile drooped a little. Of course McGonagall didn't see me do the spell. No one ever did.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Peter huff in indignation for me. He raised his hand high. When McGonagall didn't call on him he decided to interrupt her.

"Professor! Actually it really was-," he began saying.

"Yes, yes, Mr. Pettigrew, I'll come help you in a moment. If you did not notice, I'm conversing with Miss Evans," Professor McGonagall interrupted.

Peter flushed at this comment as some of the Ravenclaws snickered. Dipshits. Some of them didn't have the spell down, either.

"Its fine, Peter, I'm used to it," I said to him, trying to calm him.

"But you shouldn't be!" he exclaimed. "You should have told her that you got it first."

"Like she would have believed that. How could anyone do anything before Lily? After all, she is 'first in class'," I replied. "It's okay Peter. Just relax. Now let me help you. Do the spell."

After staring at me hard for a moment, he performed the spell. Nothing happened. I thought for a moment, before asking him to do it again. After he did, I figured out what was wrong.

"Okay first of all you're using the wrong wand motion. It's swish and flick, not swish and jab," I began. "But you also have to want the spell to work Pete. You have to believe that you can do it, and then let the magic take over. You can do this Peter, I know you can," I encouraged.

And when he tried the spell again, it worked.

"I did it!" he exclaimed. "I really did it!"

"Good job Pete! I'm so proud of you," I told him honestly.

"Thank you, Tali. Look, I even did it before Sirius!" he said, pointing to where Black sat trying to get his spell to work.

I knew this was probably the best part for him. Knowing that he was able to do something before his friends, who often overshadowed him.

Professor McGonagall came over a moment later, and after taking a look at both of our pillows, walked away without saying a word.

"Wow, good work both of you for being two of the five people who have actually performed this spell right. Ten points to Gryffindor! You're just sooooo amazing," I muttered to myself.

"Tali?"

"Yes, Peter?"

"You're talking to yourself."

"Right, I'll stop now."

"Thank god."

It was good to have him back.

Our next class was charms, which was my favorite class in the whole wide world. I want to be a curse breaker so charms is one of the the most important class for me.

The other reason it was my favorite was because of Professor Flitwick. He was one of the only teachers who actually took notice of my work.

He smiled at me in greeting when Janey and I walked in together. As we took our seats, Professor Flitwick began his lecture. It was actually quite boring for me, since I already knew everything he was talking about. I basically space out for the whole class, just waiting for him to release us for lunch. When he finally did Janey, Reed, and I made our way to the Great Hall.

(Sirius POV)

At breakfast I was pissed. The little chit had Peter under her finger. He refused to let us prank her for Moony. So what if Moony himself didn't want us to? He wasn't thinking straight that's all. After we did it he would have been grateful. But no. God forbid we prank Peter's precious little friend.

I watched as he entered the Great Hall with her and her friends. Jones looked pissed about something.

And take it from me, you don't want to be around Jones when she's pissed. Trust me, I'd know.

Suddenly Peter was scurrying over here.

"What's up, Pete?" Prongs asked, noticing the look on his face.

"We need to prank Snape. Today," was his only reply.

I could feel the smile form on my face. This was going to be good.

I turned my head to look at Snape over at the Slytherin table. He was sitting near Malfoy, but his head was down and he looked upset. Then again I would be upset if I were a scrawny, greasy, git.

I glanced over at Jones to see her talking to her friends. She had a sad look on her face, and was biting her lip.

For a moment I imagined that I was the one the one biting her lip as she moaned into my mouth.

Whoa, wait, what?

I did not just think that. There must be something in the juice.

Damn house elves.

A few minutes later we were making our way to transfig. Remus stayed behind for a mo to talk to wood.

Wormy sat next to Jones since the seat next to Moony was taken by a broad named Rebecca. I'm pretty sure I snogged her last year.

Minnie gave us all mugs and told us the spell of the day. I tried it a few time with no success. I'm not that great at transfiguration but I could usually get the spells quickly. This was getting frustrating.

I looked around the class to see if anyone had gotten the spell yet. Lily was trying her hardest, but hadn't yet. Looking at the other side of the class, I saw Jones say the incantation and to my surprise her mug turned right into a pillow.

I mean, I know she said that she was actually first in class, but I guess I really couldn't believe it until I saw it.

Her face broke out into a huge smile, which lit up her face. Merlin, she was gorgeous when she smiled.

No! Bad mind. Don't think such treacherous thoughts!

A minute later Minnie was congratulating Lily on getting the spell, and the smile lid right off her face.

Peter didn't seem to care much for this injustice. He tried to call attention to Jones' accomplishment, but Minnie just ended up insulting him.

I watched as Jones helped Peter get the spell, and as he reacted with gleeful joy.

"Thank you Tali. I even did it before Sirius," I heard him exclaim. This made me go back to the spell.

After Prongs and I finally got it, we started planning our prank for Snivellous.

"I have a good idea. I read this in a book over the summer," James whispered to me.

"What? You can read?"

"Shut up, you arse," he replied. "What we do is mix ground up peanuts, lacewing flies, and sophorus bean juice. It turns whoever consumes the mixtures hair neon colors. I'll get one of the house elves to put it in Snivelly's food," he said, getting that look in his eye when we talked about pranks.

"That sounds perfect, but how are we gonna make it?" I questioned.

"Don't worry. I'll just cut charms and go back to the dorm to do it. All of the ingredients are in our potions kit, and I know Moony has some peanuts around," he said flippantly.

"Cut class, James? But then you won't be able to read anything. And I know how much you love doing that now," I taunted.

He thumped me.

"Don't thump me!" I cried.

So he thumped me again.

Finally after charms ended we all made our way to lunch. As we were all walking toward the Great Hall James joined us in the hall.

"Mischief managed, my good fellows. Mischief managed."

(Back to Lina)

Janey was prattling on about how annoying it was going to be having both of her best friends on the Quidditch team while Reed was whining about how I made him actually take notes in class. All-in-all they were being extremely annoying. God, I missed this over the summer.

Abruptly a great clang was heard. Everyone, including us, turned their heads to the Slytherin table where the noise came from. To my great surprise Severus was making his way over to our table with neon pink hair and an odd look on his face.

Then all of sudden, he stopped when he had made it less than a foot away from me.

"Severus?" I called out tentatively, getting up and making my way over to him. The look on his face was really starting to scare me. His face was turning purple, and his eyes were watering.

"Peanuts," he rasped out. Then he clutched at his throat, and collapsed.

Then I realized what was happening.

He was choking.