Chapter Ten:

"Good morning!" shouted a loud, obnoxious voice.

Ginny slapped Sirius. "What on earth are you doing? Boys aren't allowed in the girls dorms!"

Sirius and James exchanged looks, both grinning smugly. "And you don't think the Marauders would have found a way around that rule?"

Hermione sighed and glared at them. "Don't you know it's a weekend? I was really looking forward to sleeping in."

"Do you want us to bring up Remus?" Sirius asked innocently.

She glared at him again and fell back against her bunk.

"Ariana must've been tired, she fell asleep in her dress," commented James.

Sirius tapped her shoulder gently and she smashed the pillow she was sleeping on against his head.

"If you don't leave me alone, I'll hex you," she grumbled.

"Oh, come on, Ari. Please wake up! Snape wants to see you, but he won't trust us enough to bring him into the common room," complained Sirius. "And the more he talks to us, the more we want to curse him, but we know you wouldn't like that."

"Severus?!". She jumped up, and gazed in dismay at her wrinkled dress. She gathered some clothes into her arms and rushed into the bathroom to take a shower.

"I don't know what she sees in him," Sirius chuckled. "Ari's a funny girl."

"No, she just is less judgmental and loves a lot more than the rest of us do.". Hermione sighed and pulled her blankets up to her chin. "Do you guys understand the meaning of sleep?"

"Nope, not really," James said cheerfully. "Now, I'll see you ladies later, I must go wake my Lilyflower. It's been too long since I've seen those lovely green eyes of hers."

With that, James skipped off towards Lily's room, just down the hall from their own. Sirius walked to Ginny's bed and sat down at the foot of it.

Suddenly, a voice screamed, "JAMES POTTER! I'm going to hex you!"

Lily came storming into their dorm, shivering and drenched from head to toe.

"What happened to you?" chuckled Ginny.

Lily glared angrily. "James Potter."

Boy in question showed up behind her, resting his arms around her waist. He kissed her neck gently. "You still love me, dearest."

Lily obviously couldn't stay angry with him long, for she turned into his embrace and kissed him. "Don't ever do that again. Please."

James grinned suggestively. "I can dry you off, if you'd like."

Lily elbowed him. "Either dry me with a spell or I'm throwing Ariana out of the bathroom."

Aurora threw the door open. "Do you think Severus is still waiting for me?"

"Better go find out," Hermione replied.

She rushed downstairs, throwing doors open until she reached the hall. Aurora turned and crashed into Lucius Malfoy.

"Lucius!" she exclaimed, blushing. "Sorry. Is Severus here?"

"Do you really think I'd be waiting outside the Gryffindor commons just by myself?" grumbled Lucius.

She turned to see the boy she was looking for and immediately threw her arms around him.

"Are you alright?" Severus asked her, sounding kind of worried.

"Yes," she murmured back. "Sort of."

"What do you mean, sort of?" he asked, sounding slightly amused.

Aurora felt bad lying to him, but she said in a whisper, "Just tired, I guess."