Disclaimer: Oh, we all know where to look by now.

A/N: Gosh, I'm on a roll with these. Thanks for all your great reviews. Friday was my last day at school. Even some friends who left came back to sign shirts. I was all chocked up and then I went for a drink and got over it.

June 16th 1978. The Lake. 15:30

"She reached up and kissed him, stamping on the cigarette that he threw on the grass.

"Sorry," he mumbled, shocked and slightly appalled that he was willing to stoop this low. "I must taste like an ashtray."" - Where Dwell the Brave at Heart. Chapter 48.

A small part of Lupin wanted to blush. This wasn't the sort of thing he did. It must be Sirius' jacket. It had the Devil in it and it was trying to influence him. His fingers twitched with nerves and he desperately wanted another cigarette just to give him something to do with his hands.

Gemini smiled. "You tasted fine. I can't remember just how good it was so we may have to try it again."

Lupin ran a hand through his hair and grinned. "Gem, this might sound like lunacy. I really like you, I really want to kiss you again and I really want you to sign my shirt."

Gemini laughed. "Is there room?"

Lupin reached into his bag and pulled out an old shirt that had been scribbled all over in a vast spectrum of colour. Some messages even glowed or changed colour and Gemini smiled. "I can't do anything like that I'm afraid." She grabbed one of Peter's biros and scribbled,

Moony, you don't taste half bad. Stop being so bloody paranoid. Love and hugs, Gemmy xxx

He smiled at her usage of his beloved nickname; the Marauder he hid behind and kissed her again to the surprise and secret consternation of James and Sirius who gawped, wondering what had come over their dearest friend. There was bound to be something to help him.

Sirius bit his lip. "You don't think it's Amortentia again, do you?"

James shook his head. "When could she have given him that? No, this is far more dangerous."

"What is it then?" asked Peter.

James smiled genuinely. "I actually think he likes her."

Lily, unsure what to do with Lupin's camera, shifted her weight from left to right and bit her lip, trying not to stare but make enough of a show of herself that he would realise she had it. Smiling grimly, she headed towards her boyfriend and handed it to him. "I needed to give him that back."

James shrugged. "He's got to come up for air sometime soon. He loves this thing more than he loves girls. More than he loved the tart anyway."

Sirius nodded. "She is, isn't she?" Without warning he yelled, "Oi, Lovett! Let me sign your shirt."

Anna glared at him and shoved her replacement boyfriend away. "Why don't you shut your fucking mouth?"

Lily pursed her lips. "Really, Sirius, leave it." She tried to pull her boyfriend back but James had already taken his place beside his best friend.

"Why don't you shut your fucking legs?" Sirius shouted back. This was now a full-scale battle of wills. Neither was about to give up and the vast majority of the school was watching.

"Is that the mouth you kiss your mother with?" Anna cocked an eyebrow and Sirius' hands shook.

"Has anyone ever told you what a bitch you are?"

"I've had about as many complaints as you've had long term, stable relationships, Black."

Lily caught a glimpse of liquorice black hair sweeping behind the tree and knew that Gemini had removed Lupin from the scene. It was probably for the best and she had a new admiration for her.

Sirius pulled out his wand and whispered something that Anna couldn't catch from the other side of the lake. She turned, smirking in victory, revealing huge black letters on the back of her shirt.

TART

Lily gasped. "Sirius, you can't leave that-"

Sirius shrugged. "I can do what I want."

James took a deep breath and eventually said, "She deserves it. You didn't see him, Lil. He was…he was really bad."

Lily sighed. "I still think-"

"Lil, she deserves it. We're only going round in circles so let's agree to disagree , okay?" James held up his hands. "Let's change the subject."

Sirius smiled. "Thanks."

James rolled his eyes. "You're an idiot. Pad, but it's the duty of a friend to stand up for you when you're in the wrong. I mean, anyone would stand up for you when you're right."

Sirius wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "Promise you won't bugger off."

"Where would I go?"

"Not now. I mean, ever."

James sighed but smiled. "Sirius, there will never be a time when I'm not there to bail you out of some serious shit."

"Oi, Black!"

James grinned. "You see? Lovett's about to curse you rotten and I'm about to stand beside you and hope you can dodge."

Sirius' eyes widened. "You can't hope I dodge. She's as slippery as an eel rubbed in butter."

James shuddered. "Will you stop using that? It makes me feel sick; puts me off my butter."

"But not your eel?"

"Black!"

Sirius turned. "What? What do you want? What do you think I have to say to you?"

Anna took a deep breath. "I think you can bloody well explain what you mean by tart."

James bit his lip and tried to stop the grin from spreading across his face. His friend was about to have a tremendous amount of fun; he could see it in Sirius' eyes.

"Well, Lovett, I'd say that it either means; tart - sharp tasting or critical, or tart - a pie without a top, or tart - an offensive term for a prostitute. I'll leave you choose your own particular favourite but I think we all know which one I meant. Is that to your satisfaction?"

A slap was surely heading his way. Despite the fact that several people were watching her, Anna nodded slowly. "You don't understand," she muttered. "You wouldn't though - would you?"

James waited until she was a few paces away before whispering, "What do you suppose that means?"

Sirius shrugged. "What makes you think I care? She just wants to feel better about it so she can love herself a bit more."

She turned on her heel. "Do you know, I cannot believe I have just been called vain by a man who has love bites on his mirror."

"Well, it was difficult to find someone you hadn't already bruised."

"Bastard," she hissed.

Lily offered a strained smile. "Haven't you been humiliated enough?" She arched an eyebrow. "You're not going to defeat him so you might as well pull out now while you can still walk away with a fraction of your dignity."

Sirius winced. "Lil, how do you do it? She'll be licking that one for years."

Lily smiled. "I don't know why. He doesn't look particularly appetising."

Both James and Sirius stared at her in awe.

"I never knew you had it in you," said James.

"Marry her," advised Sirius. "She's the only one of your girlfriends I can say I still liked after a bitch fight."

James smirked. "She's the only one who wasn't bitching at you in a fight, Pad. That makes you kind of biased so I hope you don't mind if I don't pick that reason to propose."

Thankfully, Sirius' attention was diverted by the arrival of Lupin now without Gemini who was almost immediately set upon by a large crowd of girls, most of whom, Sirius noted with a certain self assurance, he knew remarkably well. "So," he said, locking eyes with a flushed Lupin. "What have you two been up to then?"

Lupin smiled sarcastically. "Pad, she's underage and I'm not you."

Lily laughed. "I don't know what's making everyone so bloody bitchy. It must be something they've put in the water."

James snorted and met Sirius' eyes. "I think someone had better ask Gemini Costello."

Lupin blushed a vibrant scarlet. "Oh screw you."