A/N: AH! another looong time b4 i updated. I apologize. But i FINALLY got my hands on Breaking Dawn and, of course, i was in a total Twilight Zone (ha! get it? XD) and i had other stuff for High School. But, good news, i have, including weekend, FIVE DAYS off of school, seeing as tomorrow's Turkey Day. So, my aim is to get three chapters in! Yay! Welp, get reading!

Disclaimer: I don't own Sirius, Lily, Remus, Peter, James, Dumbledore, McGonagall...Ok, it'll be easier to tell you what i do own: my OCs. And this nonexistent plot. Oh, wow, that's depressing. (Sob)

Chapter Ten: Rainy Days

--Two Weeks Later--

The grounds were drenched in a thin rain that had continued to pour for the past three days straight. Students would occasionally glance out of a window or through the archway that led to the courtyard, hoping to see the sun blaring through the drizzle, but it never happened; the rain continued relentlessly. James and Sirius were getting rather fed up with the weather and have been searching for any kind of spell or charm to switch it to their liking. Lily, of course, told them there was no such thing. Sirius's reply was, "Your negativity is unwanted. Be gone!"

And James's reply to that was frantic. He was practically tripping over himself to try and convince Lily to help them, who refused with hostility, as always. Remus was in the library more frequently, reading up on information for the essay due in Mr. Binns class next week.

Jessica was on strike. She refused to due work, claiming it "clouded up her inner-eye and made all judgments hazy." McGonagall would fire her a stern look, which Jess received calmly while conjuring up a small banner that waved and rippled with magic, the words 'Kick the text! Kick the work! Have some fun! Have some perk!' flashing brightly every few seconds.

Peter was…well, he was Peter; always trailing with James and Sirius on their pranks and laughing rather obnoxiously at the harm it caused Slytherins. He would really be nothing but a follower.

And Bella, was…well, she was behind. While all of her friends, and unofficial boyfriend, hung out, had fun, and actually had lives, she was stuck in the common room, catching up on homework. She currently had three 2-rolls-of-parchment length essays along with a complicated potion all overdue while she still had three other assignments due the next day. Lily offered to help numerous times, but Bella would politely turn her down and continue working, beginning at about seven-thirty every morning (on weekends) and ending at about eight at night.

"'The Giants of the North were brute creatures that relied upon strength alone while the Giants of the South were cunning and…'" she muttered one night, frantically scribbling down everything she wrote. Her other two essays were finished, along with the Transfiguration and Defense Against the Dark Arts assignments due tomorrow. She still had the potion and the rest of this essay, along with Astronomy and Divination to finish. She groaned, tossing her quill on the table and laying her head down, frowning.

"I hate work. Maybe Jess has the right idea with all of this strike rubbish," she muttered crossly. Her black hair was up in a sloppy bun, some tendrils spiraling down her neck and temples. A pair of cotton plaid pajama pants hung on her hips while a black T-shirt with a picture of Hello Kitty covered her torso. Unfortunately, her pants were too big, revealing her belly-button and a small inch of skin beneath it. Her piercing was a stormy gray; stressed.

Suddenly, the couch which lay behind her sunk down and the frame vibrated slightly. She picked her head off the table and leaned it backwards, laying it softly on the cushions. A pair of amused gray eyes met her own blue ones and she smiled.

"Hullo Sirius," she greeted through a yawn. Said boy gently slid off the couch and onto the floor beside her, his legs stretched under the table while an arm slung around her waist, drawing her close to his side.

"Hullo love. What are you doing, if you don't mind me asking?" he asked, gesturing at the cluster of papers on her table. She sighed, laid her head on his shoulder, and closed her eyes.

"Homework…catch-up work…whatever the hell you want to call it, I'm doing it."

Sirius softly pulled her into his lap, rubbing her back calmly while kissing the top of her head. "Mmm…what kind of shampoo do you use?"

Bella raised a brow, looking up at Sirius through her lashes. He was unaware; due to the fact his eyes were now closed. "Uhm…I think it's called Passion Fruit, but I'm not sure. Why?"

"Your hair smells absolutely divine, that's why," he murmured. Her pale face lit up at the comment and she smiled shyly, leaning against his chest calmly while his unoccupied hand tapped across the exposed bit of stomach.

The past couple weeks for the two had been full of rumors flying, teasing from their friends, some envious stares from girls, and, of course, snogging.

But there something else hidden under the surface; a kind of feeling that was stirring inside of Sirius. He hadn't felt it before when he was with any other girl and wasn't exactly sure how to describe it properly, even to himself. All he knew was that whenever he was around Bella, he couldn't help but feel elated and lighthearted and just plainly happy. He didn't like seeing her so stressed out and as he did, it produced a kind of protective response from him; all he wanted to do was make her smile like she always does.

He felt otherworldly around her and as if nothing really existed besides them. And it wasn't just like this when they snogged. It was like it all the time; when they talked, when they kissed, when they flirted, and when they just held each other, like now. These feelings were new and foreign to him…and absolutely terrifying.

All of his other 'relationships' were basically based on how well the girl looked, snogged, and well…treated him. He never went for anything beyond that, moving from girl to girl with each week or, if the girl's lucky, every other week. But with Bella…it was completely different. He still loved to kiss her and touch her and stare at her, but he was content with talking and laughing and just playing around too, which was something he was never really content with in any other relationship.

And it scared him.

"Hm…I have to finish," Bella murmured dismally. Sirius smiled down at her in amusement, not missing the look of despair that crossed her features. He had to laugh, earning a scowl from the girl.

"It is not funny, Black. I have so much to do! It's suffocating!" she exclaimed, sitting upright, flailing her arms for emphasis. Sirius gently held her arms down against her sides and smiled at her again, noting the way her face shifted from white to pink instantly. He leaned forward and gently brushed his lips against her own, applying a small amount of pressure.

"You," he whispered, softly nudging her nose with his, "need to take a break."

Bella sighed, sending an unintentional shiver down Sirius's spine, who instantly kissed her. Their lips molded together tightly, both mouths opening in unison, allowing their tongues to slowly slide past each other. Bella's muscle retracted, allowing his entrance into her mouth, which he took up without hesitation. His tongue swept her mouth, massaging the roof and her own muscle sensually. His hands had long since released Bella from her bind; one was tangled in her hair, which he had pulled from the ponytail expertly, while the other was caressing her cheek fondly, the pad of his thumb brushing across it every now and again. Her free arms wound around his neck, both delicate hands running through his hair slowly.

And the only thing that ruins moments like these worse than James is lack of oxygen.

Sirius's hands didn't withdraw from their positions when he had to pull away from Bella's lips; the hand in her hair softly ran through the strands, than began playing with loose strands, while the one caressing her cheek continued doing what it had been. It only retracted when Bella laid her head down on Sirius's chest and instead laced around her waist protectively, pulling her tightly against him.

"What happens when I fail because you didn't let me finish my assignments?" Bella yawned, her eyes closing. Sirius thought for a second.

"You'll think twice before leaving it to do at the last minute, now won't you, love?"

Bella huffed at his jibe, but otherwise didn't respond. In the next few minutes, her breathing slowed and grew deeper, earning a sigh from Sirius. He carefully folded her into his arms and stood up, carrying her bridal style up the stairs. He was almost about to try and go up the girl's dormitory stairs but knew better from past experiences; besides, he didn't want to wake Bella up. Instead, he walked up his own steps and entered the room he shared with the other Marauders, opening the door quietly.

James was half on his bed and half off. His head and left arm, along with pretty much his whole left side were dangling off the bed, his covers wrapped around him tightly and messily. His mouth was wide open, occasional snorts coming from the open trap. Frank was quiet, now that the Marauder's had begun to use the silencing charm to shut off his Earth Shaking snores.

Remus was tightly wound in his blankets, his back to Sirius, seeming to be at peace in sleep. The only real part of his body that was visible was his sandy-colored hair. Peter was, shockingly, missing from their dormitory, but Sirius didn't dwell on it when Bella very softly snored in his arms. Smiling down at her fondly, he walked over to his bed, pulled back the covers with his wand, and gently laid her down on the left side of the bed, the one closest to the window. Pulling the curtains around his bed, he made sure the others hadn't woken up before stripping down into his red silk boxers. He climbed in beside Bella, pulled up the comforter, and softly tucked her into his side while covering both of them with the blanket.

"Goodnight love," he whispered quietly, kissing her temple before laying his cheek on the top of her head and drifting farther away from consciousness.

-.-.-.-.-

"Do you think they…you know?"

"Prongs!"

Whack!

"Ow, what the bloody hell was that for, Moony?"

"For being a cad."

"Well!"

"Shh, shut up, they're waking up!"

Sirius groaned and sighed before allowing his eyelids to flutter open. He didn't want to wake up; it was too early and he was perfectly comfortable with the way he was laying now. There was something warm and tender and small cuddled up beside him and he sure as hell didn't want to move; Bella was too tempting for her own good really.

He finally looked down at her and a smile touched his lips. Her black hair was twisted and knotted around her face, but still shined brightly. Her lips were parted, the warm breath exiting fanning over his bare chest softly. He didn't look farther down because he certainly felt some exposed skin that was not exposed last night pressed against his abdomen. He guessed her t-shirt had ridden up but, once again, didn't check. Then he finally registered the voices.

"Well, he seems to be awake…"

"How can we tell?"

"Poke him!"

"Oh, genius, yeah, smart, Wormtail."

"Oi, Padfoot, are you up?"

Sirius scowled over his shoulder at his three friends who stood beyond the curtain shielding the pair. Remus smiled at him sheepishly while James scowled protectively, his arms crossed tightly while his face beamed a dark red color, his voice stumbling slightly as he voiced his question out loud.

"Padfoot, you didn't…uh…deflower her did you?"

Sirius snorted at James's choice of word phrasing to indicate her virginity while Remus covered his mouth to stop the laughter. "No, Prongs, she's still very much a virgin. She fell asleep last night and I couldn't leave her downstairs, so I brought her up here."

Remus's eyebrows rose in unison while James stared at his friend with a goofy, knowing smile lighting up his features. Peter looked slightly smug, his arms crossed. Sirius frowned.

"Why are you blokes looking at me like that?"

"Well, it's just that…girls have fallen asleep in your arms downstairs all the time, but you never bring them up here unless you…" James trailed off, blushing. Sirius smirked.

"Deflower her?"

"Shut up."

"Ravish her?"

"Sirius…"

"Shag her?"

The curtain was jerked open and a pillow smacked into Sirius's face. The said boy couldn't block it because his arms were currently full of a certain black-haired girl snuggled up to his side. Who was, Sirius noticed, beginning to wake up.

"Mmm…" she groaned, burying her face in his bare chest. The extra three Marauders scuttled out of the room quietly, still in their PJs, so as to leave the two alone.

"Notice anything different about the way he treats Bella compared to his other girl's, James?" Remus questioned calmly, plopping on the couch sleepily. James smiled largely.

"Why, yes, in fact, I do! I believe out little Padfoot is in—" kissy face, courtesy of James "—looove!"

Remus whacked James upside the head while gathering Bella's discarded papers on the table. "Never make those faces again, Prongs. Ever."

"Morning love," Sirius muttered, gently nuzzling the top of her head. Bella pulled away from his chest, blinked blearily and smiled up at her kidnapper lazily.

"Morning dear," she responded calmly, sitting up straight. The boy still laying down swallowed hard, noticing how far her tank top had ridden; it was currently crumpled just under her breasts, which she seemed utterly oblivious to. Sirius gently grabbed the hem of the shirt and tugged it down, sitting up beside her. She looked at him curiously, than looked down and her face flashed a bright red. She hurriedly pushed it back down and turned her face away from Sirius, the unnatural red still beaming on her cheeks. Sirius chuckled softly and grabbed her chin, gently turning it so she was facing him. Her blush increased.

"Would it make you feel better if I said I barely noticed?" he teased, kissing her lightly. She sighed and shrugged as his arm looped around her waist possessively.

"I don't believe so," she responded calmly. He smiled lopsidedly and gently ran his fingers through her tangled hair. She winced slightly as he pulled out a few knots, but he just kissed her again, making the slight pain ebb.

After a few minutes of this, Bella sighed loudly. "I have to get dressed," she announced, her voice irate. Sirius frowned and laid back down, his arm around her waist dragging her down beside him. She grinned widely and snuggled up to his side for a minute, enjoying the way his arm tightened around her very much. But she soon blew out a gust of air and sat back up, smiling down at the annoyed teenager in the bed.

"I really need to get ready. So do you," she added, flushing when she realized he was bare-chested. Sirius groaned loudly and pressed his lips together tightly, throwing his arm over his head. Bella rolled her eyes but softly leaned down to kiss his neck gently, earning a low sound from the boy. Grinning, she pulled away and hopped up, walking through the room casually. She supposed she should feel violated that she had been brought up to his room in the middle of the night and woke up beside him, but she wasn't; she was actually quite the opposite.

Must be my hormones, she decided silently, walking up the girl's staircase and entering her dorm, only to get pounced on by a very eager Jess.

"You're no longer Virgin Vagina!" she exclaimed excitedly, bouncing up and down happily. Bella stared at her friend with her mouth agape, speechless.

"So, how's Black? Is he as ah-ma-zing as we have been led to believe?" Jess pleaded. Suddenly, she gasped. "Merlin's Beard…was he better? I bet he made you scr—"

"Gah!" Bella suddenly choked out, flailing her arms wildly. Jess cocked her head to the side curiously, sitting down on her bed. The comforter crinkled under her criss-crossed legs while she stared at her flushing, stuttering friend.

"JESS! I-I didn't—I mean, we—He never—I'M STILL A VIRGIN, DAMN IT!" she finally sputtered. Jess frowned and flopped backwards unceremoniously on her bed, her arms splayed out to the sides. Her chest heaved upwards dramatically and she released the breath in a loud gust of air.

"That's very depressing, you know? I finally thought you'd seen the light after spending the night in his bed, in his dormitory, in PJs, and all that rot," she admitted unabashed. Bella rolled her eyes and waltzed over to her trunk, unclasping it and pulling out her uniform.

"Oh well, I do apologize, dear, that my non-existent sex life is so depressing," she drawled. Jess lifted her head and glared at Bella as she walked into the bathroom.

"Yes, well, you should. I was finally looking forward to someone sharing my oh-so-wise insight on the human anatomy."

"I wouldn't put it past you, dear." And Bella closed the bathroom door.

---

"Ms. Serino, do you have that essay for me?" Professor Binns asked deadpan. Isabella's head snapped up from her note and she shook her head sheepishly.

"Sorry Professor, but I'll have it to you by Monday, I promise! Or tomorrow, if you like," she added hastily. The ghost just shrugged and floated back to the front of the class, continuing his lecture on the Goblin-Veela War in the 1700s. Lily elbowed Bella in the ribs softly, giving her a stern look and Bella just shrugged lightly, writing on the paper again. Jess was currently sitting in the front of the class, pouting uselessly; she had been causing too much trouble and was moved a few days previous.

Bella flexed her wrist, making the wand move intricately and the paper folded into a small hummingbird which quickly zipped over to Jess, who opened it eagerly as if she was just given a lifeline.

"You should be taking notes," Lily muttered, not moving her lips. Bella cocked a brow and looked at the empty sheet of parchment in front of her friend.

"Look at the pot calling the kettle black."

Lily flushed the color of her hair. "But I'm at least paying attention!" she hissed defensively. Bella rolled her eyes and smiled fondly, running a hand through her curly black hair. The Marauders were sitting just a few rows ahead of the girls, currently playing extreme tic-tac-toe, where, if you lost, your body got covered in whichever symbol you used; if you played multiple times, well, than, the symbols covered you multiple times.

James was, most certainly, losing.

"What're you doing this weekend?" Lily murmured, finally giving up the charade she was trying to pull off by staring at the ghoul of a teacher, pretending to pay attention. Bella flashed a look to Sirius but shrugged nonchalantly.

"Nothing. What about you?"

"Mm-mm, nothing," she answered with a shake of her head. Bella suddenly shot up and she grinned at Lily happily, an idea popping into her head.

"Lily, how about we—"

"No."

"But you haven't—"

"No."

"Aw, Lils, stop—"

"No."

"Argh! Stubborn ass," Bella grumbled, slumping back down, her face drawn into a scowl. She crossed her arms tightly and pouted, sulking ever-so-strongly while Lily just rolled her green orbs and began to scribble in a black journal with a red and gold quill. Finally, after several loud and irritating huffs from her friend, she shut it and scowled over at Bells.

"Fine, what's this brilliant idea?" she seethed. Bella brightened considerably and she grinned at Lily, her eyes shining with excitement.

"Alright, well, I was thinking we should—" But than everyone began to gather their things and were leaving. Bella puffed her cheeks out angrily but stood up and slung her bag over her shoulder, Lily following suit. "I'll tell you later. Got to head off to Divination," she muttered before heading off to the North Tower. She yawned widely and stretched, giving greetings to those she knew and polite nods to those she didn't. Glancing out of the glassless, arched windows, she frowned; it was still raining. She was really getting sick of all of this rain. As she came to the archway that led into the courtyard, she stood there for a second, staring out into the sheet of rain tumbling down before dropping her bag and walking out of the castle, into the light drizzle. Despite her annoyance with its consistency, she loved the rain; it was kind of cleansing in a way.

With her arms outstretched and her palms facing upwards, she walked into the rain happily, grinning widely as the droplets cascaded down onto her face, her hands, her body. They made soft splashing noises, almost a pattering sound. Her shoes squelched with water as the liquid slowly seeped into them, drenching her socks mercilessly. A laugh rolled off her tongue as she slowly twirled around, her skirt flaring out around her slightly. Her whole frame was soon dripping with water, becoming a part of the rain unknowingly.

She laughed again and began to twirl faster, being careful not to move away from her spot, afraid of slipping with her uncoordinated feet.

"Bella?"

She opened one eye and looked over at the archway, frowning slightly, until she noticed who it was. Sirius was standing there, an eyebrow raised and a smile on his face as he leaned against the frame of the entry. She stopped twirling and let her arms fall beside her, raising one to wave at him happily, blinking raindrops from her eyes.

"What're you doing, love?"

"Standing in the rain," she called back. He shook his head amusedly and motioned for her to come out of the rain, but she stayed where she was, shaking her head in response.

"Come on, love; you're going to get sick!"

"Nuh-uh!"

Sirius frowned slightly and took off his school robe, leaving him in his trousers and white shirt, complete with his red and gold striped tie as he walked out into the rain towards her. The rain quickly clung to his hair and his body, the droplets glistening with each movement until he stopped a few inches from Bella. She looked up at him with innocent eyes, blinking the rain away with a smile. The boy rolled his eyes and gently cupped her cheek, smirking as she leaned into the touch instinctively. Wrapping his arm around her waist, he softly picked her off the ground and kissed the soft flesh of her lips delicately.

Isabella reached her arms around his neck and smiled into the kiss, laughing as Sirius twirled her around effortlessly before gently placing her back on the ground.

"I love the rain!" she exclaimed happily, tilting her face up to the sky with a wide smile as Sirius's arms wound back around her waist, pulling her to his chest with his head cocked to the side slightly.

"Why? I thought you liked snow."

Bella shrugged and snuggled into his chest, her arms folded against her chest, her palms pressing against the now translucent white shirt covering his torso. "It's basically the same thing, really. But I like both anyways."

"Mmm," Sirius hummed softly, laying his cheek against the top of her wet hair. His hand made long strokes up and down her soaked back slowly, emitting a soft sigh of contentment from her. They stood like that, him holding her against his chest softly, for a few long moments until he pulled away, kissing her forehead, and leading her back into the castle. By the time they were in the dry confides, Bella was shivering lightly, her teeth chattering quietly. Sirius draped his warm, dry robe over her shoulders and grinned down at her when she looked up questionably.

"This should keep you warm, love," he said. Bella blinked and frowned, looking at his dripping figure, ignoring the muscles on his chest that were now visible.

"And what about you? Are you just going to stay all wet and…drippy?"

Sirius laughed. "'Drippy?'"

Bella blushed before huffing and slinging her bag back over her shoulder. "Yes, drippy; you better hope Peeves doesn't find us or you'll be in trou-ou-ble." She sing-songed the last word patronizingly. Sirius shrugged, slipping his arm around her shoulders and leading her the opposite way from class. Bella didn't object though; she wasn't in the mood to learn she's going to die tragically and in the next 48-years, like yesterday. Or that her 'inner eye' was fogged with uncertainty. She wasn't even sure if an inner eye existed. And if it did, she wondered if there was a way to get it surgically removed or if you had to live with it forever. After all, it must be a pain to see the same people dying tragic, horrible, gory deaths everyday freaking day of every freaking year.

"Jess thought we shagged this morning," Bella piped up absently as Sirius repeated the password for the Fat Lady. His eyebrows rose in unison as they walked over to the couch and sat down, Bella snuggling up into his side. "She thought I was no longer, quote, 'Virgin Vagina', unquote."

Sirius snorted. "Nice nickname. Did she think of it herself or find in some sex book?"

Bella shrugged. "I'd guess a sex book. Or a porn magazine; Merlin knows she has enough of those to gain some information."

Sirius stared down at Bella at this new revelation, than roared with laughter. "She-she reads porn?"

Bella grinned, snickering slightly. "Whoops. I don't think I was supposed to tell anyone. Oh yeah, I remember now; I found them earlier in fourth year and she threatened to twist me into a very painful position that would resemble a pretzel if I ever told anyone. Oops."

Sirius softly pulled her into his lap, nuzzling the side of her face lightly, still laughing softly. Bella sighed happily but shivered again, making Sirius pull back and frown before picking her off his lap and setting her on her feet. "You should go change or you'll get sick."

Bella pouted but didn't argue as he gently nudged her towards the girls' dormitories. "What about you?"

"Hm…I better go and change too, eh?" Sirius mused before walking over to her, leaning down and kissing her cheek chastely, than ran up the boys' stairs. The sound of a door opening than closing reached Bella's ears before she walked up the stairs and entered her own dorm. Clothes were littered all around, mostly underwear and bras and dirty jeans. She padded across the garments and opened her trunk, pulling out a long, blue T-shirt and a pair of old capris. Quickly undressing, she slipped into the new clothes, frowned when she forgot to put on a new bra and underwear, but shrugging it off as she slid Sirius's wet robe over her arm, waltzing out of the dorm. Her foot got caught on a hair of thin underwear, though, and she stumbled out of the dorm, flailing before falling against the wall ungracefully. She frowned. "Damn, and I was doing so well."

Closing the door, she walked down the steps while pulling out her wand and softly drawing out the water from her hair. Sirius, who was sitting on the couch already, watched her with a perplexed expression. "What are you doing, love?"

"Drying my hair."

"With your wand?"

"Yes…why?"

He frowned. "You couldn't have done that with our clothes?"

Bella plopped down beside him, blinking rapidly before grinning goofily. "Oh! Well, I suppose I could have. Hm…I didn't even think of it…"

Sirius rolled his eyes and grabbed her wrist, pulling her into his lap softly. "Of course you didn't."

"Are you teasing me?"

"Yes, I am."

"Bleh," Bella made a face. Sirius smiled cockily before drawing her between his legs, laying across the length of the couch leisurely, holding her tightly. She lay there for a few minutes before shooting up suddenly, making the boy frown deeply. "Oh! I can finish my work!"

Sirius shook his head and pulled her back down. "Not with me here, you don't. We are not working."

"But, I need to—"

"Nope."

"Sirius! I really have—"

"No."

"Damn it, my—"

"Not happening, love."

"ARGH! What is with people cutting me off continually today? Do you all have some kind of freaking disease? Or are you trying to make me annoyed?" she snapped harshly, pouting. Sirius raised a brow, unrepentant.

"Who else—"

"Lily."

"Ah."

Bella continued to seethe quietly, Sirius watching her with amusement while toying with a strand of her hair.

His mind drifted back to this weird feeling he got around Bella constantly. He frowned internally.

Every time she laughed or smiled, he felt like nothing could hurt him, she had him so high. When she was around, he only had eyes for her, and when she wasn't, she continually ran through his mind. Her voice always made him relax made his whole being attentive. She was extraordinarily and painfully addictive.

He was very wary of these feelings. Sure, he never thought of Bella being a one-night fling, like so many of his previous 'girlfriends', but he did not expect to feel like this either. And it was driving him insane.

He wanted to hate this feeling. He wanted to just tear it apart, but he couldn't; it was like someone trying to stop doing drugs or drinking alcohol. You so want to stop, but you just…can't. It's pull and hold on you is so strong, you can't fight it properly. It fogs your senses and makes you vulnerable to exposure; makes you feel weak and carefree and, sometimes, a bit apprehensive. You can't quit something that makes you feel so good.

"Potter, go away. Now."

Lily walked into the common room, her face drawn into a scowl as James followed her.

"Come on, Evans! Just one date, that's all I'm asking for, please?" he pleaded, still managing to sound cocky, as he mussed his hair. Lily scoffed and marched up the stairs, the sound of a door opening, than slamming closed echoing. James sighed and turned to the couple on the couch, who were both watching James.

"How many times is that now, James? 24?" Bella asked casually as James sat in one of cushy armchairs. He scowled at her and turned his gaze to the fire.

A few moments had passed when he finally muttered, "32."

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

How did you like the chapter? Review plz! Well, not tomorrow, cuz it's Turkey Day, but you know; plz? C:

It is right there. Tempting, I know. ;)