Disclaimer: Not mine, except for those you don't know.

Chapter 10 - Autumn Magic: October passed for Jazlyn. She continued to spend her time with the Marauders, and they enjoyed having her around. James and Sirius said this was because she was quiet and never cut off their insane ramblings; Remus said it was because she was the only one he could have an adult conversation with. Peter didn't really say much at all; he seemed to be less integrated into the group than the others.

On Halloween, after classes she was actually by herself, looking out the window. But for once she wasn't really seeing the beautiful autumn scenery. She was thinking about someone, all the while telling herself she was not thinking about this someone.

"Hey." It was Remus. Jazlyn smiled worriedly. Remus was smart; he might figure out what she was thinking. "You OK?"

"Yeah, sure. Just enjoying the scenery."

Sure you are, Remus retorted silently. Out loud he said, "Well let's go downstairs. The feast is about to start."

That night, one subject was the talk of the Gryffindor table. Lily Evans, after years of refusal, had finally agreed to go on a date with James Potter - "if it'll shut you up, fine!" was what witnesses claimed she'd said. James was on Cloud Nine.

" Well, looks like the autumn magic helped you, my boy. But now you've got her, you have to keep her, Prongs. How are you going to do that?" Sirius wanted to know. James scowled at him.

"You just have to ruin things for me, don't you, Paddy?" groaned James. Sirius smirked.

"Damn straight. It's fun." For once it was Jazlyn who got violent as she whacked Sirius upside the head. James, Sirius, and Peter were stunned; Remus looked amused.

"Ouch! What happened to the sweet, gentle Jaz I know?" Sirius said.

"I've spent too much time with you guys," Jazlyn suggested innocently.

"So, what will you and Lily be doing on your date, Prongs?" Remus asked.

"Well, we're going to Hogsmeade, but... I hope she doesn't want to go to that Madam Puddifoot's place, but if she does, we'll go there."

"Well, under any other circumstances, I'd be angry at you for ditching us in Hogsmeade, but I say, good luck, mate!" Sirius declared.

"Thanks, and maybe you should ask the girl you like on a date." This was the kind of thing Sirius would usually laugh off. But he froze instead, looking slightly alarmed. Sirius Black, alarmed at the suggestion of asking a girl out? That wasn't normal. Jazlyn felt her heart sink, and pretended it wasn't doing so. He obviously had his eye on some really pretty girl, like Mei Leung in Ravenclaw - no, Mei was going out with Hanwei Chang. Well, some other really hot girl then.

"Excuse me," she said, knowing she was obvious and hating it. She went upstairs, to the deserted common room.

"Idiot," she whispered fiercely, flinging herself on the couch. "So stupid. Like he'd ever be interested in you. He just feels sorry for you. They probably all do. You should have never..." She continued in this vein, though she hadn't said a word of it in English. Her mother's parents had taught her French, and she was still fluent. Mainly from rants like this one.

"Always good, being able to vent in foreign languages. Jaz, what's wrong?" Sirius sat down next to her on the couch. She looked away from him.

"Nothing," she mumbled. He cocked an eyebrow behind her back.

He gripped her chin in his hand and made her look at him. "Jaz, come on. You're flipping out in French. What's up?"

"Why do you care? Why aren't you off flirting with Mei or whoever your latest target is?"

"What? Where'd that come from?"

"James. The whole thing about whoever it is you like." Sirius frowned.

"Oh. Mei? Are you nuts? She's way too whiny. I do like somebody though."

"Shouldn't you be talking to her, then? I'm just... honestly, I don't know what came over me."

"Who says I'm not already talking to her?"

"What?"

"You heard me."

"I... you're joking."

"No, I'm not." He was much too close. She should probably have pushed him away, but she didn't want to. He leaned in and brushed his lips against hers, and then came back again, kissing her hard and long this time. For a second she didn't respond; she was too stunned. But then she was kissing him back.

They came up for air, and Sirius said, "Listen, Jaz, I'm sorry. If you didn't want me -"

"Sirius, if you're going to apologize, I'll hex you."

"Oh, well, in that case..." He kissed her again. What was it he'd said had helped James? Autumn magic? Well, Jazlyn certainly felt that this qualified as magic.

A/N: OK, was anyone not expecting that sooner or later?