A/N: Ron harry Ginny and Hermione think they know who Courtney's seeing and Courntney thinks she's really falling in love.

I love knowing that people are reading, so thanks to all my readers, but it's always nice to know what everyone's thinking, too. What are and aren't you liking so far? I want to know....!! =]

Again, everything but Courtney belongs to J.K. Rowling and thanks to everyone that's reading....=]

Transfiguration: so much funnier now. Lupin has been nothing but fidgety around me and nearly broke out in a cold sweat during class. Seamus and Dean even joked about with me in class. "Looks as though Professor Lupin's nearing that time of the month, huh?" Seamus whispered to us. We have been joking around a lot lately, just as friends, although many rumors say differently. I like it this way, though.

Potions after Transfiguration and this time Ginny and Hermione sat on either side of me in the dark, dank room, both wearing suspicious faces. "Looking for more information about my dirty little secret? 'Cause if that's the case you might as well clear out," I warned.

Ginny mocked looking offended, "Merlin, Courtney, is it a crime for two innocent girls to want to sit next to their friend?"

"Whatever, man, whatever…" Snape had just entered the room, clanking the doors shut with one wave of his wand, causing the room to go silent. He glared down at all the Gryffindors from behind his large nose, snickering at the lot of us. "You have exactly an hour to make the Essence of Life; an exceptionally difficult potion, but if you each follow the directions exactly you should be able to do…well enough," He sneered, his eyes flickering back between us. "Start."

Potions class has never really been any difficult for me. It's really just like cooking; all you have to do is pick the right ingredients and make sure you're stirring, simmering, and savoring it perfectly. Of course, to make it something special, you always need to add something special to make it the best; whether it's an extra stir or a little more spice, it's really not that difficult. I just wish the rest of our classes could be this way.

Sirius has helped a lot in Defense against the Dark Arts. I know all the spells and I'm starting to listen a little better now with him. He helps me on my essays, too. Needless to say, I have an O in both Transfiguration and Potions…ha.

The room was a haze of colored puffs of smoke and intoxicating fumes. Hermione was doing fine on her potion, although glared nervously at mine every minute or so, as if not understanding why mine was shimmering the perfect shade of sky blue, while hers still contained blotches of sea green. Ginny, on the other hand, had seemed to give up with her bubbling, stench of a potion, and instead turned to me, "How the hell are you so good in this class?" She wasn't being snappy, her tone was soft and friendly; she just honestly wanted to know.

I shrugged and smiled, earnestly, "I like this class."

She gave a little snicker and jerked her head at Snape. "I think Snape's been helping you out in exchange for some lovin' from the good old Bueler band wagon. What do you say to that?"

"I say you're crazy," I stirred the potion four times clockwise, as directed, watching it turn a pale pink. Not really thinking, I confessed out loud, "I have been getting a little extra studying time, though." Ginny raised an eyebrow, curious now. Fuck…I'm stupid.

"Really? You mean like you found a study buddy." She stressed the words, raising her eyebrows maliciously, definitely hearing what she wanted. Hermione too looked up from her potion, a massive effort, seeing as she had furiously been chopping her sprouts in the perfect size, attempting to ace yet another difficult assignment.

Shit, I was screwed now; but never fear, miss play-it-cool is here! I slipped my sprouts into the potion and stirred. "Yeah, that's right. Seamus and I have been spending some time in the library to have a bit of secluded study time."

"That's strange," Hermione smirked. "I haven't seen either of you in there." Fuck!

I opened my mouth to speak, no words prepared to come out, the last couple of stirres had been stirred and I felt myself growing nervous. "I—uh…"

"TIMES UP!" Snape sneered across the room. In a flash, I bottled up my potion, the first to hand it to Snape, with an impressed nod from him, might I add, and dashed out the door before anyone else could say a word. Damn…that was too close. I thought silently, slumping down in the Great Hall for lunch. I really need to just keep my mouth shut.

After Herbology, I felt like a walk; a little alone time…even if it was raining. I told everyone not to wait up for me. I watched the little droplets splash into the lake, creating those little rings that grow bigger and bigger until they slowly disappear beneath the surface. I've always loved the rain. My cousins used to hate me for it. I would dance and splash in my little rain boots, always getting them wet with me, when all they ever wanted was to stay inside, nice and warm with hot cocoa. I like my way better.

For a while I let my body follow my feet, wherever it was they were taking me. When I finally came to a halt I was just beside a small tree, not very impressive, but filled with beautiful cherry blossoms, although drooping and damp from the rain. I thought about Sirius. For so long I thought falling in love was just an expression, a happy thought people loved to dream about, even though it's not real. Something you're told as a kid to make you smile and give you hope, but when you discover the truth, your world is crushed, until you learn to accept it. Really, it's not much different from Santa Clause or the Tooth Fairy or Prince Charming: all lies.

But when you find that quarter under your pillow, when that one present appears under the tree…when that one guy seems so perfect…who's to say its not real? What gives them the right to tell us we're wrong? Even if deep inside you know (at least you think you do) that it's not real; it's all planned out ahead of time; don't believe it…for the one moment everything makes sense and you really do believe in fairy tales. I believe in magic; hell, we see it every day. Some things are meant to be, and some things aren't. So when you find those things that seem so right, so perfect…the things that life that are meant to be; you need to hold on to them for forever and ever because those are the things that make life worth living…that is the person that makes everything alright. I believe in magic. I believe in love. And they go hand in hand…

The four of them sat together in the common room, once again discussing Courtney's love life in the late hours of the night. They had abandoned the list, seemingly worthless now as every name that had been examined and conversed, seemed to have been crossed out with one hundred percent certainty. Now Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Hermione were desperate for answers.

Finally, they moved on in lost hope and simply changed the topic, with Ron asking, curious, "Has anyone else noticed how weird Lupin's been acting lately?"

"Yeah! He practically flew across the room when Courtney came in," Harry agreed.

Hermione shifted in her seat, her forehead wrinkled in deep thought, "You don't think…." She started, and then shook her head, "no…"

"What?"

"Well…she does have an O in his class, you know."

They each stared at her confused. "What are you getting at?"

"Think about it," the frazzled teenage girl pressed on. "Courtney has taken a rather grand liking to her classes, Lupin has been acting very strange, I totally caught Courtney staring at him at breakfast, and she's always said how the nerdy werewolf thing in Lupin is sexy."

Harry had a horrified expression on his face. Lupin; one of his parent's best friends: married, with a son…sleeping with Courtney? It couldn't be… "It does make sense, though," He thought out loud.

Ginny and Ron exchanged looks. "Are you two insane?!"

"What about Tonks? And Teddy?"

"There's no way Remus would do that!" Ron finally concluded.

"Well," Hermione shrugged, "I suppose we just have to find out, don't we?"