"Si?"
Liz looked up from her potion and was sure she saw Sirius passing in front of the dungeon door.
"Drat..." Sirius thought to himself, turning back. "Hello sweetheart." he said, smiling at his black-haired beauty. "I was just passing close by and wanted to see if you were ok."
"I see." Liz said incredulously, noting the false cheeriness in Sirius' words. "How very thoughtful of you." she added.
Sirius smiled a large, over-enthusiastic smile, and his eyes skimmed the dungeons as though expecting someone else to be in there.
"Or rather, you just wanted to make sure that I was working alone and that if I wasn't Severus was keeping his hands to himself." Liz interjected his action after a little while.
"What?" Sirius looked taken aback. "I know you'd never betray me Lizzie."
Liz merely smiled. "Ah yes, but you still don't trust Severus alone with me."
Sirius sighed, and Liz could tell that the truth would finally be coming out. "It's just..." he faltered, "since you started this silly project you've been spending so much time with him, and you get along with him, and I don't know what you possibly see in him. And it's my O.W.L. year so now I'll have to lock myself in to study soon and I won't see you so often."
"Is that all?" Liz asked, hands on her hips, a loose strand of hair clinging to her forehead.
Sirius lowered his eyes and added sheepishly, "Well, it's just that...I miss you when you're not around."
"Good!" Liz exclaimed, and Sirius looked up to find that the distance between them had vanished. He put his arms around her and lowered his lips to meet with her. She sighed happily when she found a comfortable position in his arms, and thanked her lucky stars for the millionth time for sending this adorable man to her life.
"I should come check on you more often." Sirius said lightly, pushing the loose strand away from her face.
"You should be studying!" Liz scolded. "You have to pass your O.W.L.S."
"But ma cherie, do you doubt I'll pass? Me?" Sirius smirked.
"Immodest and conceited...what more could a girl want?" Liz rolled her eyes. Sirius smiled.
"You've been pretty absent yourself, you know!" Liz added after a bit. "You guys are never in the common room anymore. I think you're up to something."
Sirius's smile deepened. "My dear, we're always up to something."
**********************************************************************************
"Try again, Peter. Concentrate."
Peter sighed and closed his eyes. His face was red and sweaty, and his light brown hair was plastered on his forehead.
"You can do it, Pete." James encouraged him. "You managed almost perfectly just now."
Peter nodded, and furrowed his brow. Eyes closed he muttered something beneath his breath and clenthed his fists; as he concentrated, new beads of sweat appeared on his face.
Then suddenly, Peter Pettigrew was there no longer; a small brown rat with long whiskers and a spring tail cowered on the spot where Peter had been.
James and Sirius high-fived each other.
"Well done, Peter!" Remus exclaimed.
"Sweet, Pete."
"Awesome...finally."
The rat got up on its hind feet and squeaked happily.
James and Sirius looked at each other. "After you, Prongs." Sirius said, extending a hand.
James blinked, and his outline started to twist and turn until he was replaced by a stag.
"Woof." A large black dog stood in Sirius' previous spot.
"People will think I'm mad if they see me with you three." Remus said smiling, shaking his head slightly.
"They'll think you're mad regardless, Moony." Sirius teased, back in his human form.
"Stop calling me that." Remus muttered.
"Oh come on, Rem, it's genius." human James added. "Moony, Padfoot and Prongs; it has a ring to it."
"And now, we have Wormtail too." Sirius said, looking down at Peter who was still in his rat-form.
James laughed. "Good one. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs it is then, my fellow Maruaders."
Remus turned to Wormtail. "Come on Peter; let's see you turn back to your human self."
The rat squeaked nervously and squinted.
"I did it!" he squealed after a few minutes, still very red in the face.
"I can't wait for the next full moon!" James said, face gleaming.
"We're going to have such fun." Sirius agreed.
"I still think it's a bad idea." Remus muttered.
"Moony...lighten up." James groaned.
"Liz is suspecting something."
"What?!" all eyes turned to Sirius.
"I didn't tell her anything!" Sirius exclaimed to James' accusing stare.
"We have to to be extra careful now. No-one must find out about this."
"I hate to imagine what they'd think if they found out about me." Remus said softly.
Sirius smiled. "Liz would adore you no matter what. It's going to take more than that to scare her away."
"Still," James added, "this stays between us only. Agreed?"
"Agreed." Peter said.
Remus nodded lightly. "It's for the best."
"Agreed, Padfoot?" James said, turning to Sirius.
"I hate keeping secrets from her." Sirius muttered. James' frown deepened.
"Agreed!" Sirius said, reluctantly. "Just between us."