I don't know what exactly happened in that moment.

As I saw Black sending a spell that was directed to Anna, who, just moments before had stood up for me, something inside of me reacted.

I don't know how to explain it, but a sudden courage I never knew I had before erupted from me and, next thing I knew, I was making a shielding charm and then disarming Sirius Black. All went by me in rush and, next thing I noticed, Black was lying on the floor his eyes wide at me in surprise as Alice and Anna were looking stunned.

"Lily," Alice, the first to get out of the trance, said, rather nervously, "Lily!" she repeated as if it was the only word she knew.

Anna nodded at me with a new glint in her eyes, "Thanks," she said.

"Let's say we're even," I told her as she, for the second time that day, smiled.

Then I looked back at Black and the weight of what I had just done felt on me; I had not only stopped his hex but also I had hexed him back! I had hexed Sirius Black! Sirius Black! Sirius Black!

My head was screaming his name franticly over and over again and I looked in disbelief at him as he got up slowly and dusted himself. Looking at my hand I found his wand there.

Then I surprised myself even further: instead of being afraid and regretful or even feeling guilty of what I had just done, all I felt was a marvellous sense of accomplishment. I can't say I wasn't afraid of what Black would do to me in return, but I just thought it was worthy. Only if Charlotte saw me now…

Black interrupted my cheerful thoughts as he started walking in my direction. He stopped right in front of me and locked eyes with me. Instead of looking down, I looked up at him defiantly.

"Do you have any idea of what you've just done?" he asked me in a hiss.

I shrugged but didn't answer. Why would I, after all, if an image spoke more than a thousand words? And I standing up against him definitely spoke more than I could ever.

He, however, didn't wait for me to finish talking, simply extending his hand for his wand. I gave it to him and I clenched mine so hard my fingers almost turned white.

It wouldn't hurt to be prepared.

A few more seconds- which seemed like hours to me- went by as he still only glared to me, trying to pierce my eyes with his own.

Then, at last, when I thought I'd crack if he kept staring, he took a step back and… laughed.

No kidding.

He started laughing as if there was no tomorrow and I simply stared at him. Behind me, I could hear Alice chuckling after a while and even heard a small chuckle from Anna.

I was so not getting it.

In some time, Black was doubled and I just stared at him incredulously. Alice was laughing as well and, as I looked at her, Anna kept grinning.

"What the hell is going on here?" I asked at last, bewildered more than ever, "I can't see the joke!"

Black looked at me at last but he seemed incapable to stop laughing.

"How… how… can… you… not… find it… funny!" he said between laughs.

I raised my eyebrow, "What?" I asked exasperated.

Alice was finally calming down, but Sirius was still laughing his head off.

"Merlin what did you do to him?" I heard a voice ask behind me. I turned and saw James there, immediately turning my confused expression into a scowl.

I still hadn't forgiven him, "Did you hex him not to stop laughing or something??"

My tutor was next to him, as well as the fourth blue eyed marauder. "I doubt it," Remus said, "You know Padfoot laughs even at the stupidest thing."

"If you want to know," I started, raising my hands, "I didn't do anything. Rien."

"Sorry… guys," Black said, as he sat on the floor. The entire situation was starting to look a little ridiculous to me.

"I believe you, don't worry," Remus said, as he patched Black on the back a little too forceful if you ask me.

Sirius finally controlled himself as he stood up, but still with laugh attacks every now and then. "Now can you explain why you were laughing so hard?" I asked.

"Well," he started, "I just find it funny that you reacted so fast."

I raised my eyebrow, "Okay… care to explain?"

He rolled his eyes, "I mean, I have hexed you without mercy these past weeks-"

"Good to know you're aware of what you've been up to."

He continued as if I hadn't interrupted him "And you never even screamed at me about it. Well, only that first time, but then Charlie was the one that always stood up for you."

Charlie?, I thought, since when was she Charlie to them?

"Anyway, now that I, for once, don't try to hex you but future Mrs.-Patil-"

"Anna," Anna said. I blinked. I had no idea she cared when people called her future Mrs. Patil. After all, everyone knew she would marry him someday.

"Okay, when I was hexing Anna you finally decide you have had enough and block my hex!"

"That's Pads for you," James added but I ignored him.

"And disarms you," Alice added. Sirius pouted at that. It seemed not to be very usual for people to disarm him.

I looked at him in bemusement. He thought that was funny? "Mon Dieu, you do have a twisted logic!" I said. ("My God")

They laughed and then we stood there awkwardly, looking at each other's faces

"We should be going," the little blue eyed boy, the fourth marauder, finally said, breaking the tension.

Immediately, everyone was nodding, "Yeah, yeah, we should…" Remus said.

I continued staring at them and trying to understand what that entire scene had meant.

"See you around Evans, Alice, Anna," Sirius said, looking pointedly at her. Uh… weird, I thought.

"Girls," Remus said as James and Peter just nodded and- did I really see it? - James winked at me.

They continued down the long hallway as I turned back to Alice and we started following Anna, who had resumed our way. "What the hell was that?" I asked.

Alice shrugged "I have absolutely no idea," she said "But that was definitely… odd."

Finally, I laughed, "Odd?? That was more than odd!!"

Alice started laughing as well, but a loud pierce made us both turn around in confusion.

Then, our laughs increased. There, in the ceiling, was Sirius Black, his ears ten times bigger, jumbo-like fashion. They kept moving around, as if he had no control over it.

"Coming?" I turned to see Anna looking at us bored, and we simply nodded as we continued following her.

I looked at Alice as she nodded at me. She too had noticed Anna's bored expression was in fact a satisfied smirk.

And she hadn't even said a word.

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"Hello Lily!" I turned and smiled later that day as I was doing some essays with the girls in the common room.

"Hi," I said back to Charlotte, "All done with your homework?" I asked.

She shrugged, "No, not really," I raised my eyebrow, "Don't worry, I'll copy it later or something!"

I opened my mouth in surprise, "Charlotte!" I lectured in my most mother-like voice "If you copy things you will never learn!"

"That's not exactly true," someone said as he sat in the vacant chair that belonged to Anna who- once again- was with Shaun. I smiled. Remus.

"Really now?" I said "For some reason I'm being tutored at transfiguration and it sure isn't for doing my homework."

It was Charlotte's- and Remus'- time to gasp at me, "You copied your homework?" she asked me in disbelief.

I laughed, "I am not such a goody-two-shoes as you made me out to be," I said, "Elodie- one of my roommates- was the one who made mine and Mado's homework. At least at the most boring subjects."

"Yeah, yeah," she said "But you turned out just fine, didn't you?"

I laughed again, "But she's right you know," Remus continued "Pro- James and Sirius have been copying my homework ever since we've been friends and they're the top students at Hogwarts."

I nodded, "Yeah, yeah. But Charlotte here is making her homework," I stated, "Now sit down here and take your stuff. I'm not letting you go until everything's done."

She nodded, "Alright, alright."

While she went to pick her things, I continued my homework, but only to be interrupted by Remus again, "So you're going to James' party?"

I nodded, "But not because he wants me there or something," I found myself saying "I'm his neighbour and his mother invited me. And my parents are forcing me to go."

Liar, I thought. He had told me- and the girls- he wanted me there. Or was it just because he didn't like Fiona?

Remus shook his head, "Actually, he likes you," he said, "He thinks of you as a younger sister-"

"Because of Petty, I know," I cut dryly.

He nodded as he smiled, "I still can't believe you're Petunia's sister. I mean, you're two are completely different! She has blue eyes and-"

"-blonde hair and I have green eyes and orange-" I continued

"Actually, I think its red hair," he interrupted me.

I looked at him and smiled, "Does it really matter?"

"Actually it does," Charlotte said as she sat next to me, taking a parchment out of her bag to start her homework, "Maybe if you accepted you have red hair and not orange hair, you'd start to accept other things too."

…

Whatever that meant.

I raised my eyebrow at her, "You know, just because your hair is raven and with unruly curls it doesn't me-", I cut myself off. Wait a minute, I thought. Things were starting to make sense! She had actually never told me her surname… Black had called her Charlie and she had black raven hair… and to add, she was going to James' out of age ball, which surely wasn't for kids.

I turned to her with a surprised expression, "You're a Potter, aren't you?" I asked disbelievingly, completely forgetting the former conversation.

She shifted in her place, "A Potter? What do you mean?"

I rolled my eyes. She was avoiding the question "You belong to James' family, am I right?"

She looked down and mumbled something I couldn't comprehend. Remus rose an eyebrow at me, "You mean you didn't know?" He asked me as he laughed, "You think she'd hex Sirius, and actually laugh about it, if she wasn't?"

"I didn't tell you," she started, and I saw her eyes welling up as she refused to meet my own "Because after what you told me about James and what Sirius did to you I thought you'd never speak to me again!"

"So that's where all the courage comes from," I said.

"I'm sorry Lily! I know I should have told you but… but…" she stopped suddenly as she looked at the floor, "Are you mad?"

I chewed over that question. Was I mad with the person that had helped me most because she hadn't told me who her family was?

…

Not bloody likely.

"Of course not silly," I said as I smiled and ruffled her hair, "I'm just… surprised."

She nodded, "Sorry."

"What are you?" I asked at last, "His cousin?"

She shifted again "Not exactly."

I stared at her confused "Then…?"

"I'm his younger sister."

I let my jaw fall as I stared at her "Younger… sister?" I asked, "How come I didn't see you during the summer then?"

I couldn't believe my ears! Charlotte was James' sibling?

"I was with my uncles in south France. My mum apparated there too, she just came back to welcome your family and prepare things for Hogwarts."

I nodded in incredulity. There was the reason why James knew French! "I can't believe you're my neighbour," I said in shock.

She smiled, "Well, think about it on the bright side: we'll spend the summer together!"

Remus- who was still sat next to us- laughed, "Oh Merlin, I still can't understand how you didn't know she was his sister. I mean, it's obvious."

I smacked him playfully in the arm, "Shut up!"

Charlotte and James were siblings.

Could I ask for greater news??

(…)

Time went by in a rush. Black didn't hex me anymore-thank God- and I received a letter from France, from Mado, saying she had convinced her parents to let her and Elodie come to England during holidays- Elodie and Mado were twins, although the only resemblance between them were their looks.

All in all, my life started getting better- apart from the fights Fiona would put up for everything she could remember, as she clearly hated me. And also- and finally- the hours spent in the library were starting to work. I had achieved an Acceptable in one of my transfiguration essays!

October was on us in no time and I dreaded even more James' ball, which would be in less then a month. Good thing was, I no longer would have to ask him about it, as his younger sister was now one of my confidents. So I knew his ball was to happen on the 15th (on a Saturday), was a formal ball (my mum had informed me she already had a dress for me- I couldn't stop myself from imagining how beautiful the dress should be... Urgh!), we were supposed to go there by floo network and we would leave by Dumbledore's fireplace- at least Charlotte and I would.

"Do you mind if I sit?"

I was sitting in the library peacefully doing my homework on the second week of October when, out of nowhere, the voice sounded, startling me.

I took a hand to my heart as I looked at the amused face of James Potter, "Bloody hell, you scared me!"

He laughed, "I see you're learning our language quite fast," he told me amusedly. I blushed looking back at my parchment "So, can I?" he asked again.

I sighed, dropping my hand from my chest "If you must," I answered.

He took that as a yes and sat in the chair opposite me. I kept looking at the book and parchment in front of me, but not really paying attention to them as I was very aware of the pair of eyes which were watching me.

"You know," he said, "I don't get why you're still mad at me."

I looked up at him surprised, not expecting him to speak at all, "Who said I was?" I asked sceptically.

"Lily, c'mon. We're not kids anymore," he then smiled, "I'm almost out of age."

I rolled my eyes and turned back to my essay.

"You know, I really thought we could be friends," he said as I did my best to ignore him, "You're my sister's friend and she's not much different from me."

I snorted, "Not much you say? Just one hundred percent I believe."

He laughed, "Okay, I must admit Charlotte is a tiny bit different from me. She's a great kid, isn't she?"

I found myself entering the conversation against my will, "She is. I was really surprised to know she was you sister."

He nodded, "The only thing similar in you two is the hair," I pointed out as I looked at his unruly hair, which was looking messier as ever.

"You and you sister are different as well," he told me.

I snorted, "So I've been told."

He looked at me with dull eyes, "You really don't like her, do you?" he asked me tonelessly, "I just can't imagine how that's possible. Not only is she your sister but she's also a… a wonderful person."

I controlled my will to snort again. Wonderful person… yeah right. But I couldn't deny I liked her, even if just a tiny bit. Like he had said, she was my sister after all.

"You're wrong," I said, deciding I wouldn't be able to finish my essay and packing my things "I like her. I just don't like some of her attitudes."

"I can't imagine your sister doing something less than appropriated," He told me as he smiled, "It just isn't right."

I laughed, "Then prepare to be disappointed," I told him, "She's not what you think she is."

He cocked an eyebrow at me, "And what exactly do I think she is?"

I sighed as I rolled my eyes, "Oh, you know," I started, "Perfect, perfect, perfect," I said, "You think she's all perfection."

He laughed, "Well, I still haven't found any flaws in her… but I do intend to. No one's perfect and if she is… she must be really boring!"

I nodded, "Good then. Maybe you won't be that disappointed."

He laughed again, "See, we can have a decent conversation without arguing!"

I smiled, "Incredible, isn't it?" I asked sarcastically.

He stood up and extended his hand to me, "Come."

I raised an eyebrow at him and frowned, "Who said I'd go with you anywhere?"

He smiled that smile that could melt any heart, "Please. I said I was sorry about all that I did. Or didn't, actually," he added, "Let me show you I regret all of that."

I eyed his hand curiously. Should I go? Should I trust him again? Should I give him another chance?

Not giving me any more time to ponder over the question, I felt myself being pulled up from the chair I was sitting in.

"James!" I exclaimed as he picked me up and swung me over his shoulder, "What are you doing?? Put me down!!"

"Mr. Potter!" the librarian shrieked, "This is a library!"

"Sorry," he said, "We'll be out in a minute!"

And with that he picked up my things and walked off the library, ignoring all the odd stares he was receiving and my loud screams to be put down.

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Author's note: well, this is a bit later then I was expecting to update… oh well, at least I did update!! Anyway, I haven't got much time, but I want to thank everyone who reviewed!! I love every review I got and each one makes me smile!

Articulate wish granted! Sirius got hexed!

Estrelas: you guessed exactly what she did… very well:D

Hpottersgirl she did look out… and in good time too!!:)

firewalker32 glad you liked it!

LazyBoyGilmore: I believe I'm getting addicted to cliffs! I just can't avoid them!lol

Chill-C yup, she does have a thing going on with each marauder. But- sorry to disappoint you-she has no crush on Remus. And Sirius, well, he was just trying to guess when she was going to crack. And he found that out!

lili-potter8907 I am almost sure I already answered your question, didn't I? I can't be sure as it was almost a week ago. If I haven't, tell me so I can explain!

Aria Sparks it was time for Sirius to learn a lesson! (not that he has, he's Sirius, he never learns!):P

MiXeDuPmEsSeDbOoKs: i do agree that my English exam is really important. But fanfiction- reading and writing- has really helped me improve my English. Ah! Just so you know, I already received my English exam: I had a 19 (is like an A+ or something like that!)

against.the.mainstream: your question is really interesting… but this chapter kind of answers it, right:D. and thanks! My exam went really well!

Mangoes2oo5: I think no one ever thought of Remus. Of course she hated him as much as the other two: he is a marauder after all, you never know what to expect from them!

Blondewivbrains: yeah, Fiona is kind of bitchy. But she'll show her softer side in a few chapters.

Ruby89: I think everyone loved James when he shut Fiona up!! Yeah, Lily and Remus will be friends. And we all know how Remus is always kind to everyone!

EatOthis: yeah, but I reckon the place suits Remus better, doesn't it:D

lilyre and livvyg okay, I've never been called master before…lol. It remembers me of Voldemort! But, unfortunately, I have no idea what's the key to get many reviews. My other story also doesn't get as many as these, but hey!, it doesn't matter as long as you enjoy writing it!

purtyinpink71121 I agree with you, TAKE THAT FIONA! (just so you wouldn't feel alone.lol) thanks for the review!

xxxHPxxx I know it's not that hard to speak English but I know from experience with a friend that, when you come from a country to another, you tend to use some words from your mother language. At least during the first times. Anyway, yes, Fiona is a complete bitch! (And I created her, I'd know!)

Jenny: like I said before, I'm getting addicted to cliffs!!lol

wicked26 you read them in a row?? Wow! Well, thanks!

Sheik's twin yeah, Sirius was a jerk. But we all know Sirius isn't always like that. He has his moments! And James… well, what can I say for the poor boy? He's confused, that's what he is. Thanks!

Simply infatuated: no, no, no!lol. No! Sirius is after Lily but only as a friend! No dates included!lol.

Eternal-charmerI did thought of Snape in some point, but I didn't feel it was time to include him in the story. And yeah, Sirius was kind of low in that… he isn't exactly used to being ignored. And James… you've got to forgive him! He's confused.

NOT AFRAID OF SPIDERS!: I liked that sentence: Go… everyone but Sirius! Lol. It made me laugh:D

Cosmopolitan his birthday will take a while… maybe two chapters. But I have it all in my head already so… :D! As for the French… I said I wasn't a great speaker, and I am not, so I wasn't really aware that "Bien" couldn't be used in there. Anyway, thanks!

Amarthiel: noppy, Sirius doesn't like Lily (in that way at least). And believe me, I have a lot of experience with guys that pick on girls because they like them. I have a class mate that keeps drooling at me during class or even trying to kiss me whenever he has a chance. It's gross. Oh well, rambling here! Thanks for the review!

Evie: well, I never really thought about what hex he'd send her, she did block it, so it wasn't really important. But if you insist in knowing I can say it was… an ear growing hex! Just like Anna send him (I'd be ironic, wouldn't it?lol) thanks!

messyblackhair66 ahh, you will see petunia. In his birthday. She'll show what she's worth (or isn't, really).

AND NOW TO ALL MY WONDERFUL AND BEAUTIFUL REVIEWERS AND READERS: thank you all so much for reading (and reviewing!)

That done, I shall depart from the marvellous object that is my wonderful computer. xP

Love you all

Hannah

Ps: review!!