Authors Note: Wow! When I asked for thirty reviews I never imagined they'd be sooo flattering.. Thank you all SO SO much!
J.Black: you reviewed a couple of chapters ago (hope ure still reading!) but I didn't properly thank you! I hope James fixed it sufficiently for you haha
Rigelorion: thanks for the compliment, I'm just short at 29...but I couldn't help myself I hadd to update!
Chaos023: Thanks! Obviously I love reading stories about how they got together too…oh and writing them haha
PadfootObsessed329: Glad you loved it, just knowing you wanted to review makes me happy!
JeminaDOTM5: Thanks – I was hoping the chapter turned out as cute as I'd pictured it in my head before writing!
Iseul: Thanks! Yeah I love the moment with Sirius and Ivana too! I tried making Lily and James cuter but I think two good friends like Ivana and Sirius can sometimes have even better 'moments'.
Nick : I'm glad you've enjoyed the story! I especially appreciate the humour compliment cos I wasn't really sure if it was turning out well or not. Thanks!
Queen of Duct tape: As always you managed to crack me up in your review. Thanks a lot for the compliments – I always thought New year was the best time to get together…it's sorta significant later on… Oh and now I know what a genius you are – obviously you're more brilliant than I even thought hahaha
Ange: Thanks so much for reviewing so regularly…I look forward to it everytime I write! Even when you don't write a long review you're comments always make me feel happy and content with the chapter I've just written.
Tilly Jeanne: I'm so glad you took the uncommon chance to read my story cos your review positively had me blushing! Thanks for complimenting my writing style, and I completely agree with you on how some people don't realise the "getting together" part is the longest, slowest, most painful part of it all. I'm really flattered you saw maturity in my story.
Ok Here you go guys! The next two chapters! ENJOY and please READ AND REVIEW!
The Trouble with Black and Evans
Hogwarts was buzzing with excitement and rumours the day the students returned from the winter holidays.
"Did you hear? Lily Evans is going out with James Potter!"
"NO way! She finally gave him a chance? Hasn't he been after her since third year?"
"Lily and James snogged!"
"Nooo they're going out!"
"Hmph…what does she have that I don't have?"
"Apparently James Potter!"
"What happened to Lily and David Wood?"
"Oh they broke up, he's with Cassie Murtleback now!"
"Oh my god…did you guys see Sirius at the Chaterjee party?"
"No I was grounded so I couldn't go…"
"Are you kidding? That was the party of the year…BOTH YEARS!"
"I heard Sirius got off with a twenty year old Auror!"
"I heard they went further than that…"
"No, no that's not possible cos I saw him with a girl from Beauxbatons that same night!"
"Didn't Ivana Petrova get with a Beauxbatons guy that same night?"
"I heard she got with Remus Lupin!"
"Don't be a troll! Diya's her best friend!"
"I heard Sirius Black got a girl pregnant and she's in love with him…"
Sirius had heard enough. He climbed onto the table in the Grand Hall and shouted to the suddenly hushed students.
" YES EVANS AND WOOD BROKE UP! IVANA PETROVA MOST CERTAINLY DID NOT GET OFF WITH REMUS LUPIN BECAUSE THE ONLY GIRL HE WAS KISSING WAS HIS GIRLFRIEND DIYA CHATERJEE. JAMES POTTER IS NOW OFFICIALLY GOING OUT WITH LILY EVANS AND SIRIUS BLACK ABSOLUTELY DID NOT GET ANYONE PREGNANT!…..NOW WILL YOU ALL PLEASE SHUT THE HELL UP?"
The room was silent for a few moments and then erupted into excited chatter. Sirius had sunk into his chair exhaling irritably when Professor McGonagall screamed out, "BLACK! Watch your language!"
Beside her Dumbledore chuckled. "Now Sirius, thank you for the update but in future please stay off the furniture?" A smile was playing at his lips as he looked at Sirius sternly.
"Oh 'scuse me Professor, I just thought people ought to get their facts straight. I mean you don't see me making up rumours about you and a charming Transfiguration teacher do you?" he said cheekily knowing that he probably had crossed the line with Professor McGonagall but Dumbledore would be inwardly laughing.
Minerva McGonagall blushed scarlet as the hall laughed. Dumbledore himself suppressed a laugh but said to Sirius sternly, "Mr Black, that will be enough. Five points from Gryffindor for embarrassing a teacher".
"And a Detention! Hospital wing tonight Black" McGonagall burst out.
"Oh Brilliant! See you later Poppy!" Sirius answered happily winking at the young nurse who blushed visibly as she tried to look stern.
James laughed along with the rest of the students and affectionately put an arm around Lily sighing contendly.
"Padfoot, you idiot! You could've gotten into so much trouble!" Remus said clicking his tongue.
Sirius laughed and rolled his eyes whilst looking at Lily out of the corner of his eye. He knew Remus had just said what Lily had been itching to, but since it had been Moony he'd taken it more lightly.
"Oi Jamesie...I reckon that's gotta be a record…back four hours and I've already landed a detention!" He announced proudly which gained a subtle roll of the eyes from Lily and a grin from James.
"No, no Sirius! Remember second year? Detention within the first hour!" James exclaimed looking rather pompous. Lily opened her eyes in horror at this giving him a 'look'. "Lily! What?...seriously what?" James asked obliviously.
Lily just shook her head and laughed smacking James lightly on the head which caused him if possible to grin even wider.
"That must be the first time Lily's hit James without the intention of causing serious bodily harm!" Ivana joked. Then she and Diya both gasped dramatically pretending to be impressed before falling into giggles.
James was smiling at looking at Lily who purposely avoided his stare as she turned red. Then suddenly his face clouded with concern.
"Quidditch!"
Everyone looked at him like he was mad.
"Yes James, Quidditch, it's a game – four chasers, a quaffle…snitc-.." Remus began boredly.
"No shut up Moony…Sirius! Quidditch!" James cut him off urgently.
"Oho…yeah mate I heard you the first time..."
"Get your arse up and to the pitch!" James shouted getting up hurriedly.
"But James! It's our morning off…" Sirius complained weakly sadly deserting the fruit on his plate.
"Right! Happy New Year everyone! Time for some practice! Ok I thought a lot this holiday and I think we need to sort out our arrangements. The chaser formation will stay the same. Foster, Matthews get up there and start passing to each other – I'll be there in a second. Now…Kingston I sincerely hope you've sorted out your Seeking…not to be rude but the only reason we avoided losing to Hufflepuff was when their Seeker fell off her broom and in an attempt to play the hero you practically swallowed the Snitch!"
"Yeah cos that's not rude…" Sirius said under his breath rolling his eyes and James' obsession with the sport as the Gryffindor Seeker's cheeks grew warm.
"Ok and Wood…I'm gonna have to ask that Sirius does the Beating for Cassie, cos I can't have my Keeper's boyfriend distracting her…fair?"
"Fair enough…" Wood muttered throwing Cassie a wink and a smirk.
"Ok then team…let's go!" James said pushing off rising into the air to conduct practice. He smiled because the team seemed to be in high spirits.
"Sooo Cassandra Murtleback…you and Wood" Sirius said funnily as the two players practiced together a bit away from the rest of the team.
"Um..oh yeah" Cassie told her friend giggling. She and Sirius got along extremely well because James recently placed them together in an attempt to "un-distract" Wood. "Ok um…Siri..I'm just dying to get this out, but you can't tell a soul…ok? Promise?"
Sirius eager for something interesting in the rather dull practice agreed quickly.
"Well…at Christmas, David…he well, he asked me to marry him!" she burst out happily. Sirius looked at her rather shocked but also impressed.
"Wow that was fast…congrats Cass!" he replied warmly.
"I'm so in love…" she said floating dreamily for a moment but quickly regaining her concentration as James flew close holding the quaffle.
Sirius was amused. So much 'love' around. He looked over at the stands where Lily sat eagerly watching her boyfriend whilst Remus and Diya did what they did best. He then laughed sarcastically to himself at the thought of love.
Yes, the Blacks had installed more of their influence than they thought.
Ivana ran her fingers boredly through her hair as Lily attempted to teach Diya the newest Defence Against the Dark Arts portion. Peter Pettigrew sat nearby rubbing his arm and glancing around jerkily. Remus was reading a book for Transfiguration and absently sending red sparks into the air as he twirled his wand. Even James seemed to be studying lying on his stomach with his book open to the same Defence portion as Lily and Diya. Suddenly the extremely dull silence was broken by a very hyper Sirius Black.
He bounded into the common room saying over his shoulder, "Well Poppy my dear, as long as you're fine walking back on your own!" He grinned broadly as he approached his friends but suddenly his face fell. Ivana looked up interested. Sirius' eyes narrowed as he stared at James.
"James Potter…how dare you?"
"How dare I what Padfoot?" James asked rolling onto his back and propping himself up as he looked at Sirius.
"Study!" he said exasperatedly as if James ought to have known. He then plopped himself in front of Ivana and leaned back on her legs. This drew smirks from Lily and Diya as they glanced at Ivana who just rolled her eyes and shook her head violently as if to assure them that she and Sirius were 'just friends'.
"What topic are you learning anyway?" Sirius asked not really that interested.
James looked uncomfortable as he willed Lily not to answer. She however didn't notice and took the opportunity to talk friendlily to Sirius saying, "Oh the Unforgivables. We were just discussing which would be the best one to have on you if in a life-threatening situation. Diya said Imperious and I thought possibly Cruciatius and James was just about to…"
"Say I'd rather not think about it…" James interrupted abruptly. Lily looked at him a bit puzzled, but then turned to see the expression on Sirius' face. She gulped remembering Sirius' tone last time she'd mentioned an Unforgivable curse.
"What's your reasoning behind wanting the Cruciatius then?" Sirius asked quietly, his hyperness abandoned.
"Um…well the way I see it, atleast you're still alive you know? With the Imperious you've sorta lost all your sense of self haven't you? Cos your possessed in a way…atleast with Crucio eventually you know…you might be able to pull out of it…" Lily explained hesitantly.
Sirius looked impressed for a moment but his expression soon clouded over.
"I guess that's what you'd gather from a textbook…It'd have to be Avada Kedavra for me" He said his voice still uncharacteristically quiet.
Ivana took in a sharp breath and Remus and James looked up sadly. Diya closed her eyes trying desperately not to imagine it and Peter winced unconsciously rubbing his arm. Lily looked nervous.
"You'd rather die?" she asked squeakily.
"Than endure all that pain? Sure." Sirius answered getting up. His face was unreadable as he retreated to the dormitories.
The tension in the air lifted as he left, but the expression on Lily's face was still thoroughly depressed. She shot a look at James and stated desperately,
"He really does hate me..."
James could only look hopelessly at Remus before turning to Lily and shrugging.