Jesus, chapter ten already? Holy moley. This sort of could possibly be a mark for when the James X Lily part of the story is less to the forefront, and Sirius X Holly steps into the limelight. ;) Although, friends first, as Holly sort of said before. Sort of. That is key. I wonder if I hadn't mentioned the SiriusXOC thing in the description, would it still be completely obvious that they were going to happen at some point? I don't know. Interesting maybe.

Sorry to all who hate this. (James/ Holly thing. LOL.) She comes to her senses in this chapter though, so don't worry!

Anyway, I hope this chap is satisfactory. XD

- Chapter Ten -

Left Behind

November was quickly slipping away and it had come to that time of year when you just know that if you don't start studying now, you'll be seriously regretting it in about six months time.

Six months? Ah sure that was still loads of time.

It had also come to the point in the year when all my tights already had holes in them and there was nothing I could do about it. So I would just wear them anyway. That was all right when it was with the uniform and you wouldn't even notice because I'd have like two pairs of socks on as well for warmth. But on the weekend I had to make do with these ripped and holey tights. I just had to tell myself that people wouldn't think that I was simply poor, but that I was well pulling off the punk look.

This comical thought often led to me having Judy is a Punk stuck in my head for days on end. It would enter my mind in the morning when pulling on my tights.

And so my head was filled with, Second verse, same as the first, Jackie is a punk, Judy is a runt! while walking into the Great Hall that morning, and that's why I wasn't really paying attention to anything else.

So when I heard someone shout out, "THERE SHE IS!" I didn't even look up.

That left me immensely surprised when something literally bowled into me and almost knocked the air right out of me.

And whatever air was left was being squeezed out by the arms wrapped around me now.

"SHE SAID YES!"

I flinched at the shouting in my ear and then my mouth fell open in shock as things slowly registered in my brain. For one thing, it was James. I could feel his glasses knocking against my shoulder as he buried his face into me. For another thing, I was blinking over his shoulder at a large crowd gathered around the Gryffindor table. I only really saw Sirius who was sliding out from the bench, looking around him and grinning a little bit.

Then the actual words sunk in. She. Said. Yes.

And all I could think was: this particular prophecy came true a lot quicker than I expected.

It was just like how I had seen it; I had barely enough time to grasp the concept when James had grabbed me by the arms to push me away and look directly into my face. He was positively beaming like nothing I had ever seen before. It looked like it should have hurt to smile that wide, I could see almost all of his teeth and his glasses were askew and being pushed up by his cheeks. And in an instant he leaned in and planted a quick kiss on my cheek. Then he held me at arms-length once more and began jumping up and down.

And I couldn't help but positively beam right back at him and join in with the jumping.

"SHE SAID YES!" I yelled.

He screwed up his face and did a little dance on the spot before hug-attacking me again.

"I couldn't have done it without you," he said, his voice shaky and muffled.

"James, are you crying?" I asked.

He made a noise and shook his head, giving a little shudder.

I was a little worried that his legs wouldn't support him if he let go. Eventually I eased his arms off of me but allowed him to remain with one arm slung across my shoulders. His face was suddenly somewhere between ecstasy and extreme fear.

He turned his face to look at me, his eyes wide. "Merlin's bollocks."

I laughed at that and said, "Jesus Christ … she said yes." It was no surprise, and I was happy for him, but I had also just felt a huge weight lift off my shoulders. James hadn't kissed me for any reason other than the excitement of getting a date with his future wife. Any wild suspicions of him cheating or anything stupid like that was completely forgotten.

"Bloody hell!" I said, unable to stop smiling and still bouncing a little.

"You sound surprised," said Sirius with a goading smile, coming over to us with their other friends.

I grinned back. He met my eyes with a glint of amusement, and he tapped his cheek with a slight smirk. I chuckled and rolled my eyes. He had been completely right about that.

Lucky I didn't go crazy about it.

Heh …

There was a big crowd surrounding the scene, as if the whole of the Great Hall had come together to congratulate James on his success. Some people were still slapping him on the back as they passed by, others were looking at me a bit weirdly, clearly wondering what my involvement in this was.

James seemed to hardly notice all the attention (strangely enough) and just stared palely into space for a while, still leaning heavily on my shoulder.

Peter Pettigrew inched closer, looking at James. "James? James – are you all right?" he asked apprehensively.

When James didn't answer or make any sign that he had heard his friend, I slapped the hand that was on my shoulder. "James?" I asked, laughing. No response. "I think he went into shock."

Pettigrew went still and stared at me as if he had never been spoken to by a girl in his life, his small watery eyes unblinking, and I tried smiling at him but he made me sort of nervous.

Sirius huffed impatiently at Pettigrew. "Of course he's all right, you thicko. All right, all right," he said in a louder voice, "now everyone who's not directly involved in this can just clear off, OK? Show's over, bye-bye now!"

I took James's arm off my shoulder and steadied him with Lupin's help, who was just laughing at the whole thing.

"Did this just happen now?" I asked Sirius.

"Like half an hour before you came along," he said irritably.

James seemed to come to his senses then and raised his fists into the air. "Thank you all!" he addressed the room. People started to laugh. "Thank you for your support over the years of this endless struggle, which ends on this historic day! I-"

But Sirius had rolled his eyes and started towards the door, along with Lupin who beckoned to me with a friendly smile. I wasn't exactly sure why, but I followed them. Pettigrew rushed to catch up but kept twisting his neck around to see what James was doing, giving out short bursts of laughter as he scurried along.

James spun around at realising his friends had abandoned him and said, "-gotta go!"

In the Entrance Hall he skidded to a stop and crossed his arms like a child who had been interrupted while telling an adult about his first day at school.

I told him that even though it wasn't exactly unexpected, I was extremely happy for him and hoped he had a great time on his date – but that I knew it would work out well for him no matter what.

He put his hand on my shoulder and when I looked into his big brown eyes I grinned to find that I really had no feelings whatsoever for James Potter.

"I can't put into words how grateful I am for your help," he said with a small smile.

"Then don't try," offered Sirius.

James shot him a look but didn't try to hit him or anything. Instead he took a deep breath. "Thank you, Holly."

"Don't mention it," I laughed lightly. "But it's not over yet. Just try not to lose her now."

Sirius studied me for a moment and then laughed shortly, joining Lupin and Pettigrew who gave a squeal of mirth.

"He had better not," said Sirius seriously.

"Yes, I don't know if I could go through that again for another five years," said Lupin, rubbing his face wearily.

James did not seem amused, and I said, "Right, well congratulations and all. I think I'll just head off."

James blinked at me and drew back a little. "What? Can't you hang out with us for a bit?"

"Hang out?" I asked blankly. "With yous?"

He looked at me like I was crazy. And I suddenly realised that my acquaintanceship with these guys – the Marauders as they liked to call themselves – was not over just because James had fulfilled his dream.

No advice-giving, no favour-asking. Just hanging out. That was quite a scary prospect.

James nodded fervently and said, "C'mon, we're going for a walk!" and then he turned around and headed out of the door into the courtyard outside. Sirius cocked an eyebrow at me with a smirk and went with him. Pettigrew followed hurriedly, and then Lupin smiled and waved for me to come along.

Against my better judgement, I relented and went with them.

Halfway across the courtyard, James turned around and began walking backwards. "Don't you want to hear how it happened?"

I blew out my cheeks and grinned. "Not really, but I think you want to tell the story so go ahead."

I could see Sirius trying not to laugh as he stared at his feet, kicking the ground while walking.

James didn't seem to notice my slur but continued on boldly. "Well, it all started in the Great Hall, when Lily came up to me to talk about some Head Boy and Girl thing," he began energetically. "We're a very good team, you know. It was some shit about these first years who didn't show up for McGonagall's detention, and she was wondering if I'd go find them myself or get a Prefect to do it. And then," he proclaimed dramatically, with a roll of his eyes, "somebody pissed her off."

I could guess by the way Sirius snickered and shoved his hands deeper into his pockets that it was him.

I laughed quietly. But he didn't seem like he was going to say anything, so I asked, "What did you say?"

We had walked out of the Entrance Courtyard and were heading down the long steps towards the boathouse. Sirius didn't even turn around, but stretched his shoulders in a bored manner. "She overreacted."

"Just something stupid," interrupted James, waving his hand dismissively at Sirius.

Sirius coughed, and his hand shot to his hair as he mumbled in a higher-and-more-emotive-than-usual voice, "'I'll do it for you, Evans, but only if you marry me right now-'"

I burst out laughing. James made to hit him but he danced out of the way, continuing to laugh in his impression of James's voice, while constantly rumpling his hair, "Go on, Evans, marry me, and I'll be Head Boy and Girl to save you the trouble-"

James shouldered him roughly and Sirius just bounded along beside him, grinning at his friend's irritation. James cleared his throat loudly and went on.

"Like I said, this TOTAL BASTARD pissed her off … but she didn't shout at me like she usually does when she's angry. She just sort of blushed, and got all flustered and decided to leave." James stopped his storytelling to stare thoughtfully into space with a reminiscent smile. After a short pause in which Sirius punched him in the arm, he shook himself and went on. "But before she left I called her back, and she turned around and … and she was still blushing, you see, and she just looks so pretty when she blushes, you know?" I shook my head and shrugged. "And so I just said to myself, I said, 'just go for it, mate!' … And then guess what I said to her!"

We had reached the little harbour and entered the boathouse. I followed last, behind Pettigrew. It was a small sort of room, open on one side and facing out onto the lake. The water came in and filled a space in the middle of the room, with the path surrounding that. Sirius went and leaned against the stone wall halfway across the room, looking around him lazily; James jumped up onto a little ladder that led to the wooden balcony above our heads; Lupin crossed to the other side of the small shack and stood by one of the pillars; Pettigrew found a spot to stand somewhere in between James and Sirius; and I stood just a little out of the doorway.

I rubbed my forehead. "I don't really want to."

He didn't notice this either, and said, "I said to her, I said … " He drew himself up to full height and took in a deep breath. "'Lily Evans, I love you and I WILL marry you.'"

He grinned. I gaped at him. "Oh my God, you didn't!"

"I did!" he said proudly. "And – and guess what she said!"

"James Potter, that is literally the cheesiest thing I have ever heard?"

"No," he sneered, "I-"

"That's what I would have said," I said, having a hard time holding in the laughter. Sirius shot me a look and screwed up his face in a grin.

"She said," continued James impatiently, narrowing his eyes and leaving a dramatic pause, "'Er, James … Are you doing anything this Hogsmeade weekend?'"

I was sort of distracted from the shock of this when Pettigrew clapped his hands together and squealed in delight. I found myself staring at him, wondering how on earth anyone could possibly act like that. This was a weird bunch, that's for sure.

I blinked and looked back at James, who was hanging out of the ladder and looking very proud of himself.

"She didn't!" I answered in mock-surprise.

"Oh, she did," he said, beaming. "She did."

"Wait, Lily Evans asked you out? I thought you said that she said yes? SHE SAID YES?" I asked.

"Well-" he started quickly, but Sirius interrupted.

"That just sounds better than saying SHE ASKED ME OUT, right? That's a little poofy-" I stifled a laugh and Sirius smirked at James.

"I think it's the way it was meant to happen!" said James loudly. "I've been asking her so much that it's rather funny that she asked me out this time! It's something to tell the grandchildren, right?"

"I didn't say it wasn't good," drawled Sirius. "At least it's clear to us who the man in this relationship is …"

"Shut it!"

James jumped down from the ladder and headed around the water to the door on the opposite side of the boathouse. Sirius smirked as James passed him, and then yawned loudly as Lupin and Pettigrew and I headed for the door. He strolled casually out, and was just behind me as the five of us began the descent up the cliff edge on the other side.

"Still, he is going to Madam Puddifoot's after all," muttered Sirius, appearing beside me.

My laugh was a little louder than I had expected and Pettigrew twitched around, his eyes widening when he saw me and Sirius trailing behind. He rushed up to James and Lupin, and I had a miniature heart-attack.

To my greatest relief, James did not notice, but turned around and said, "And don't you want to know what I said?"

I breathed out a little and said nothing.

He sighed and closed his eyes. He held out his arms. "'Lily, I've been free at Hogsmeade weekends for my whole life waiting for you to ask me that question.'"

I snorted and doubled over. "I cannot believe she agreed to go out with you."

What!" exclaimed James. "Those were great lines! And true, too."

I shook my head, grinning and watching my feet.

And the more James talked on that walk, the clearer it became to me that I did not like him in a romantic way whatsoever.

My reasoning behind this was:

I had enough obsessiveness in me that I didn't need a guy who was almost as bad as I was!

James believed too much in true love and destiny and that sort of stuff. And even if he wasn't so centred around Evans I still just ... didn't really agree with that.

I didn't mind the cheesiness. It was sort of funny. But James Potter was the King of Cheesy, and I didn't exactly know when it might turn from endearing to annoying.

James just put all of his energy into every single thing he did, and I didn't think I could be in a relationship which was that intense. I need a very relaxed pace in these sort of things, otherwise I freak out. *see 'My Life' above*

And in all honesty, I liked him too much as a friend to think about it any more. James was great.

And I really was happy for James and the start of his beautiful relationship with Evans, but another part of me was just so glad that I didn't have to figure out if I liked him or not any more.

And the five of us walked all the way into the paved courtyard and then I said that I was going to go to the library and they saw me off. And hanging out wasn't that scary after all.

I hadn't planned on going into Hogsmeade that day, the day of James's date with Lily. I was going to go to the Common Room when I bumped into them outside the Great Hall.

Somehow, they managed to convince me to come along for 'moral support'.

(I think the scared little puppy dog eyes were a contributing persuasive factor.)

And that's how I ended up freezing my ass off along the road into Hogsmeade, not dressed at all for being out in the early December weather; only a jumper and exact copies of James's red and gold gloves (which he gemino-ed for me) on to keep me warm, the bitter wind nipping at the holes in my tights, and James walking sideways beside me to ask me if his hair looked all right. Sirius had his hands stuffed into he pockets of his coat and was trudging along silently.

"You're hair looks fine," I assured him, but he continued trying to flatten it anyway.

"What about my clothes, do I look all right?" he asked, running up ahead to turn around, unbutton his grey coat and display his outfit for us.

He had his Gryffindor gloves on, his scarf tucked into the collar of his coat, and looked like he had borrowed one of Sirius's less formal blazers, which he was wearing casually with a t-shirt and jeans.

I nodded and he said, "Yeah, I look all right? Rather dashing, d'you think?"

I laughed and said yes. He stood until we had caught up with him and then he walked in the middle, turning around anxiously every once in a while. And despite trying to convince myself that this date was his business to worry about, he was getting me all nervous too.

"Are you-"

"Taking her to Madam Puddifoot's?" he asked hastily. "Yes, and there's nothing funny about it."

I glanced at Sirius and he didn't have any response at all except to stare at me indifferently. So the gay James jokes weren't funny anymore? I supposed he wasn't in a good mood today (maybe for being dragged into Hogsmeade for 'moral support' like I was) and so I decided not to push it.

We were halfway to the village when we saw her. She was wearing a fitted navy blue coat, a knee-length skirt with thick grey tights and shiny black shoes. She was bundled up in her Gryffindor scarf and gloves, and her dark red hair whipped around her face in the wind as she looked around, evidently searching for her date.

James's face lit up when he saw her and I suddenly felt an irrational surge of emotion in my gut. There she was, standing beautiful and distinct against the white of the snow – and here I was in my woolly jumper, shorts and ripped tights and trainers. Her hair fell in perfect waves down her back and mine was boring and could never decide where its parting was. She had a gorgeous, full figure, and I was a little smaller than average and almost shapeless, as girls go. I hated myself for thinking this, but I was extremely aware that nobody's face was lighting up when they saw me.

So it wasn't that I actually fancied James, but rather that I was simply jealous of Lily Evans.

Catching myself feeling this way, I pushed it from my mind.

Sirius and I stopped when we saw Evans – I didn't want to make things awkward by outnumbering her – and James bid us a bright farewell. His face was nervous and excited as he left us and skipped towards his future wife.

I could see the relief cross Lily's face when she saw and greeted him. I could hardly tell which one of them looked more nervous.

Then Lily Evans noticed me and Sirius standing a bit away and she gave us a shy smile. I waved. Sirius didn't seem to notice but was staring around, looking highly bored.

I wanted to hit him because if I was Lily Evans I would have been feeling very nervous right now, and being ignored by my date's best friend would not have helped in the slightest. But then James beckoned enthusiastically to her and led her away in conversation; almost walking sideways so as to see her fully, listening intently to every word she uttered, a look of spellbound adoration etched into his face …

We stood for a moment, watching the dream couple walk away into the ice-covered village, until and after they were out of sight.

It began to snow lightly.

A moment later I blinked and looked around. Sirius met my eyes. He glanced me up and down fleetingly and then looked away. He swallowed slightly.

My mouth was suddenly very dry. How on earth, during that whole walk halfway to the village, did it never once occur to me that as soon as James had met up with Evans for his date, that I WOULD BE LEFT BEHIND WITH SIRIUS COMPLETELY ON MY OWN?

I looked away and stared at the ground in complete and utter mind-numbing panic. Sure, it was OK a certain night in the kitchens when there was something on my mind and Sirius happened to be in the mood to fill his quota of kindness for the year … But I couldn't spend alone time with Sirius. No. It's not possible. Truth was, I was pretty sure that I could only really get along with Sirius when James was around to supply the majority of the conversation.

See, James was a chatterer. I can be a chatterer when I'm around other chatterers. But I couldn't be like James in being able to talk to anyone in the world for hours on end about nothing.

And I couldn't lie, Sirius made me nervous.

I wanted to go back to the castle. My breathing was getting quicker and I could feel myself getting fidgety. And what was he going to do now, eh? Hadn't he thought of this? Or had it completely flown over his head like it had with mine?

I stole a glance at him and he was looking blankly into space with his cheeks sucked in slightly. He clearly wasn't freaking out about it, anyway.

If I was to go back to the castle, would he come too? And then what? Would we hang around together (nyah, I'm cringing already) there and wait for James to get back with the gossip? Because seeing as how I had come along this far, I kind of wanted to find out how the date went! But no, I couldn't handle being alone with Sirius. I'd rather wait and hear the news from James another time.

My crazy train of thought was broken by him offering, with a smirk, to duplicate his scarf for me, as James had done with his gloves. I shook my head hastily.

He scrutinised me. "Aren't you cold?"

"Yes."

He looked me up and down again. "You've got holes in your stockings."

I laughed a little at his use of the word 'stockings'. He was like an old man. Then I nodded. "I know."

He stared at me and blinked slowly. I looked back with wide eyes.

Very subtly, he chewed on his tongue and looked away with a slight roll of his eyes. Then he tapped his foot for a moment before setting off at a quick stroll towards the village.

To my embarrassment, I found that I was still rooted to the spot.

He didn't even turn around. "You coming or what?"

I looked around in desperation and, blushing furiously, followed him.

Holly/Sirius alone time wha? Hehehe, I'm excited.