To my beautiful Chapter 24 reviewers- The Marauders and Lily, aragog, animeanigel, Heather Gernenz, teainamug, ceringosnowflake, harry-an-ginny, dracosbabygrl, Jenna, aznphreak1218, and -X-Nefertiri-X-.
So, I got this chapter up in under a week! whoohoo for me! I worked really hard though, so I hope you like it! Enjoy!
Chapter 25- The Day of Love, Part II
"James!" Lily called down the hallway. They were all on their way to Defense Against the Dark Arts class, only James had gone ahead of Lily this time. Tired of spending so much of Valentine's Day apart from her boyfriend, she decided to catch up with him on the way to their afternoon class.
"Oh, hey," James said, smiling as Lily caught up with him.
"Why are you so eager to get away from me today?" Lily asked.
"I'm not, trust me," he told her. "I'm just going ahead to make sure everything goes according to plan."
"Oooh, so I get number 7 in Defense class?" Lily asked sneakily.
"Maybe," James said with that arrogant smile that made Lily mad. "Maybe not."
"Grrr- why do you always do that?" Lily grumbled.
"Just to see you get mad," James lied as they walked into the classroom and sat down.
The class was soon filled with students that were all talking about their Valentine's Days, whether good or bad, perfect or...not so much.
"I'm supposed to give this to you, Lil," Rachel said as she came in the classroom, holding rose number seven and a heart-shaped box. "Don't know why, just doing as told."
"Thanks, Rach," Lily said, taking the box, flower, and note from Rachel, who grinned at her before sitting down next to Sirius.
Lily looked to her left at James, but he had disappeared again. Why did he always go away when she received a rose? Didn't he want to see her reaction? Lily brushed her thoughts aside as she tore open the note.
So, how'd you like number six? I just thought that would be a nice halfway point. Sorry for the absent note, I just figured the cupid spoke for itself- literally.
Anyway, the meaning of number seven and it's coordinating box of chocolates. Yes, the heart shaped box is a box of Honeydukes' Finest. And the meaning of it...you can probably figure it out on your own, but I'll write it anyway.
I could always retell the tale of our first trip to Hogsmeade in third year when you dumped the whole jar of Licorice Snaps on me, or the time in Hogsmeade when you made the scene after Sirius and I dropped the Chocolate Frog down the back of your shirt. But no, I've chosen something a bit more recent. The memory I've chosen to accompany rose number seven is the first Hogsmeade trip of this school year. I asked you to go with me, and we went by way of the One-Eyed Witch. We arrived in Honeydukes, and things were amazing. We walked around, laughing, talking, and having fun for once. I'm not going to remind you or myself of what happened next, but I'll just tell you that I honestly thought I was going to make my move and kiss you right there in the middle of Honeydukes. Then my nerves got the better of me and I decided not to (like an idiot). But it's just the memory of that perfect Honeydukes trip that makes this box of chocolates so special.
The eighth rose is headed your way soon. And after that...well, I'll just let that be a surprise. Love, James.
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"So, when do I get rose number eight?" Lily asked as she and James walked into the Gryffindor common room after class. The day was coming to an end as the sun began to set and students were preparing for dinner or Valentine's Day evening plans.
"Hmm...I don't know," James said as they gave their password to Gryffindor's portrait and walked into their common room. "Does now seem like a good time?"
Lily smiled when she saw the beautiful red rose sitting on the table where they always did their homework. She looked over at James who smiled back. "Go on. See what it is," he told her.
"Why aren't you coming with me?" Lily asked, hurt again that he was leaving her.
"I have to check on some stuff for later. I promise- this is the last time I'll leave you today," he said, giving her hand a squeeze.
"I'm holding you to that," Lily called after him as he walked into his room. As soon as he shut the door, she ran over to the table, dropped her books, and ripped open the envelope attached to the rose. She was surprised when the note wasn't the only thing that fell out. This time, another, smaller envelope came out as well. Written on it was Open Later. It took all of Lily's self-restraint not to tear it open and read whatever it was right then. But it was James's game, and Lily was going to play along. She began to read the note.
Ok, so there's no special gift accompanying this one, but a slightly more special and more recent meaning. This little table and sofa in front of the fire has played host to a lot of special moments for us. We had breakfast here, laughed and joked here, kissed here...yeah, you get the picture. But more than anything else, we've done our homework here together. I guess it all started when we agreed to help each other in our weaker subjects during the first week of school. And you know what? My Charms grade has gone up since you started helping me (thank you, by the way). Then there was the time I did your Transfiguration essay, which led to the breakfast thing, but enough of that. Right now, I want you to do your homework from Transfiguration and Defense class, even though I'm not here to help you. Then, you can open the smaller envelope. Further instructions await you there. Love, James.
Eager to find out what the contents of the little envelope were, Lily took her books out of her bag and began working on her homework with a new determination.
Forty-five minutes later, she put her books back in the bag, now accompanied by two completed essays. She then tore open the envelope.
I really hope you have finished your assignments and aren't just reading this without following instructions (because you have to follow the instructions for this all to turn out right.) But, assuming you have, onto the next set of directions.
Go into your room and put away your school books. Then proceed into your bathroom- you'll find further information there.
Lily grabbed her bag and quickly ran into her room and dropped her books on the chair in the corner. Then she ran into her bathroom and was surprised.
All around her perfect white bathroom were little white candles, all lit and their light reflecting off the shiny white surfaces. There were rose petals scattered everywhere, and her bathtub was filled with perfect, snowy white bubbles. Soft, relaxing music seemed to be coming from nowhere. Lily took a moment to take it all in. Then she noticed the red rose placed on the counter by the sink, along with the note attached to it. She slowly walked over to the counter and picked up the note.
Yes, I can see the shock on your face. This is where the roses start to lose meaning and turn into perfectly nice things just for you (well some will still have slight meanings, but this is something just for you.) So if you're willing to keep playing along and following instructions, read on.
Right now, I want you to just relax and take a nice, long, hot bath. Stay as long as you want...well, not too long, because if you stay too long, you'll never get to the end of these roses. When you get out, wrap up in the soft, dark green towels by the tub and walk back out into your room and look around for rose number ten. But first, take a deep breath and take some time to relax and unwind.
Lily smiled. This was so perfect, and she could only see it getting better as the evening progressed.
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Remus was standing at the bottom of the stairs, waiting for Jez to come down so they could get on with their evening. He had told her to meet him in the common room in fifteen minutes, and his watch had just told him he had been waiting for twenty.
Finally, when he was just about to give up hope, she came down the stairs. She looked very nice- she had changed out of her school uniform into a pair of jeans and a light blue sweater. Her normally straight hair was in loose waves. She looked so plain, but so beautiful.
"Sorry it took so long," Jez said as soon as she came to the bottom of the stairs.
"No, don't worry. It's fine," Remus told her. They walked through the common room and out the portrait hole.
"So, where are we going?" Jez finally asked.
"It's nothing that special. I mean it is, but it's not anything big and showy like what James is doing for Lily," Remus explained rather nervously.
"That's okay. I think it's totally sweet what he's doing for her, but if something like that was meant for me, I don't think I'd enjoy it too much," Jez said.
"Why not?" Remus asked.
"I don't know. I just like smaller, quieter, more personal things," Jez told him.
Remus breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good. That's really, really good," he said.
"Why?" Jez asked, perplexed.
"You'll see."
"Remus, we're headed toward the kitchens, aren't we?" Jez asked as they went through a door to the left of the marble staircase.
"Possibly," he said, trying not to give it away. They soon entered a brightly lit corridor lined with bright and cheery paintings of food.
"Yeah, we're going to the kitchens," Jez said as Remus tickled the pear in the picture of the bowl of fruit, transforming it into a door handle which led them into the kitchens.
"Can I ask why, of all places, the kitchens?" Jez asked.
"Because," Remus said. "You said you wanted a smaller, quieter, more personal atmosphere, didn't you?"
He led her over to a small, candle-lit table for two. A small bouquet of pink roses lay at one place on the table. Jez assumed this was her spot.
"Oh my gosh," she said, smiling and taking it all in. "Dinner for two in the kitchens?"
"Yeah. It's not too stupid is it?" Remus asked.
Jez shook her head. "No. I love it."
"Good. Have a seat," he said, pulling her chair out for her. She sat down and then he sat down across from her. Jez began to admire the small bouquet of flowers.
"Pink roses," she said.
"Yeah. I remember you saying they were your favorites," Remus said quietly.
Jez nodded. "They are."
"Supper for Remus Lupin, just as he requested," a small voice said. Jez looked down and saw a small, wrinkly house elf standing at the table, holding up a platter four times bigger than itself.
"Thank you, Sunny!" Remus said with a smile, taking the plate from the tiny elf.
"You're welcome, Remus Lupin. Sunny hopes you and Jezreel Rogers has a nice supper. Let Sunny know if you needs anything," Sunny said before running off.
Jez looked at the platter that Sunny had brought.
"Pizza with pineapple on it," Jez said aloud.
"Once again, your favorite," Remus said.
"I barely remember mentioning these things to you," Jez said. "So how do you remember them?"
"I don't know. I just listen," Remus said, placing a slice of pizza on her plate.
Jez smiled across the table at him. "You're amazing," she said, shaking her head.
"No, you are," he replied.
"No, you-"
"This could go on all night if we don't stop it now," Remus interrupted.
Jez laughed. "Yeah, it could."
The two sat in silence for a while, eating their pizza. Once Jez finished the last slice, Remus spoke up.
"I have something for you," he said, reaching inside his jeans pocket.
"I'm sorry, I didn't get you anything. I'm so horrible," Jez said.
"No, it's okay," Remus told her. "I've had this for a while. Meant to give it to you at Christmas." He handed her a small, velvety purple box.
Curious, Jez opened it. Inside lay a small, silver chain necklace. Hanging from the end was a delicate crescent moon charm that reflected the light from the candles.
"Remus," she said, looking at the beautiful necklace.
"I know, it's weird, being a moon and all, but...I just saw it, and I thought of you and how much you've helped me," he explained.
"It's not weird," Jez told him. "I love it." She looked from the necklace to him. "Help me put it on?"
Remus nodded. "Sure."
He stood up and walked to her side of the table. By then Jez had taken the necklace out of the box. She handed it to him and he unclasped it as she held up her hair. He put the chain around the front of her neck and fastened it in the back. Jez let her hair back down and looked at the silver moon that now lay against her sternum.
"It looks beautiful on you," Remus told her.
Jez nodded. "Thank you, Remus," she whispered.
"You're welcome, Jez," he whispered back, leaning down and placing a soft, perfect kiss on her lips.
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After a long time soaking in the fragrant bubbles, Lily got out of the tub, dried off, wrapped her hair up in a towel and wrapped a towel around her body. Anxious to see what the next rose brought, she walked out into her room and began looking around. Then she spotted it- rose number ten, laying on her dresser, attached to a small, purple, velvety box. She hurried over there, and like the impatient person she was, opened the box first.
Inside lay a beautiful, pearl-like necklace and earring set. The necklace was a small thin chain that ended with a tear-drop shaped stone, and the earrings were dangly and made the same way. Only it wasn't quite like a pearl- it was shinier and reflected more colors that always seemed to be changing. Lily decided it must be some goblin-made jewel she didn't know yet. Wanting to know if there was a meaning behind number ten, she opened the envelope.
Hope you enjoyed your bath. Now, I'm guessing you've already opened the box and seen the surprise. The necklace and earrings sort of have a meaning. I guess the bracelet I bought you in Hogsmeade and the lily necklace and earrings are good memories to go along with them. Right now, I'd like you to do whatever it is that you do to get ready for a date- fix your hair, do your makeup (even though you don't need it), put on this necklace and these earrings, and all that stuff. Then when you finish, and not until, go to your closet to get rose number eleven.
Her closet? What was in her closet? Resisting the temptation to skip ahead, Lily began to get ready. She shook her hair out of the towel and with a wave of her wand, it was dry and hanging around her face in soft waves. Remembering what James said about the makeup thing, Lily went light-handed and wore only mascara and lip gloss. She put on the earrings and the necklace then ran over to her closet. She opened it and was immediately met with the strong scent of what had to be rose number eleven.
Then she saw it- it was pinned to the silky material of a black dress. But Lily didn't remember owning a silky black dress...
Lily reached for the hanger and pulled it out of the closet. She was stunned to see that she was holding up a beautiful knee length black dress. It was made of the softest, silkiest material she had ever felt, and the style was absolutely gorgeous. It was a sleeveless v-neck that didn't go too low, with a thin white ribbon around the empire waist that fell into a swingy knee length skirt. Lily detached the rose and accompanying note, dying to know why she had this new dress.
So, I see you've found your surprise. Yes, another semi-meaningless gift. I just saw this dress one day when I went shopping with my mum and thought it would look beautiful on you. Now, to get to your last rose, you have to keep following directions. Hopefully, you want to get to the final rose, so read on.
Get dressed, and wear this dress and the new pair of black shoes in the bottom of the closet (yeah, I bet you didn't see those). Then you'll have the chance to add anything else you'd like to add. After you're absolutely sure you're ready, come out into the common room.
I'll be waiting for you...
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Rachel was sitting in the empty common room, trying to concentrate on her homework. Everyone else in Gryffindor was either at supper or off doing things that people do on Valentine's Day. Rachel was the exception to this rule. Sirius had rushed off somewhere after their last class, and she hadn't seen him since. She planned on telling him off as soon as he stepped through the portrait hole.
Why had she gotten her hopes up? Why did she actually think that Sirius Black was going to do something unbelievably romantic for her on Valentine's Day?
Because she was an idiot...because she actually believed that he could do something unbelievably romantic... because she was in love.
Shutting her book and giving up on her Transfiguration assignment, Rachel sighed and stared into the fire. It was going to be a long lonely night. She might as well just go upstairs, raid Jez's candy drawer, and start pigging out on the chocolate now.
It would help her cry herself to sleep faster.
Just as she was about to stand up and leave, Sirius came through the portrait hole. Rachel opened her mouth to say something, but stopped.
Was Sirius wearing a button-up shirt?
Better yet, was it actually ironed and wrinkle-free?
Yes, it was. It was untucked, but it was ironed, and the black brought out the blue of his eyes.
And was his hair actually combed? Yes, it was...it was still falling into his eyes in that undenyingly sexy way that drove her crazy, but it was combed.
"Hey, I've been looking all over for you," he said. "How fast can you get ready?"
"Ready?" Rachel asked, confused. "Ready for what?"
"Just...a date, sort of," Sirius said. "Not like anything fancy, just going somewhere with me...and possibly somewhere outside." It was obvious he was trying to convince her without giving too much away.
"Umm...I guess so," Rachel said, still unsure. "Can you give me a few minutes?"
"Ten is the most I can guarantee," he told her. "Just hurry, okay?"
Rachel nodded before running up the stairs. A date? And possibly going outside? What in the world was going on?
There was only one logical explanation- Sirius had planned something for them to do tonight, Valentine's Day Evening. And that was a good enough reason for her to run around her room, throwing clothes around, trying to find the perfect thing to wear. She finally decided on her cutest and warmest pair of jeans and a very warm pink sweater. Not being able to decide on something cute for her hair, she just waved her wand, causing it to twist up into a pretty loose bun. She put on a teeny bit of black eyeliner, just enough to make her blue eyes stand out. Then she added Sirius's favorite pink lip gloss and put on a pair of silver dangly earrings. Seeing she had only a minute to spare, she slipped on her shoes and ran back down the stairs.
"You look nice," Sirius said, greeting her with a quick kiss and another yellow rose.
"Thanks, so do you," Rachel said as they began to walk out of the common room. "So...where are we going?"
"It's a surprise," Sirius told her simply.
"Grr...I hate surprises," Rachel grumbled.
"You'll love this one...I hope," Sirius said as they continued to walk.
After a journey in silence, Rachel began to notice where they were going.
"Sirius? Why are we going to the locker rooms?" Rachel didn't want to tell Sirius directly, but no matter what he thought, going at it in the Quidditch changing rooms wasn't exactly a girl's idea of a romantic date.
"We're not going to the locker rooms," Sirius said simply, holding the door open. "We're going through the locker rooms."
Rachel watched as Sirius reached into his Quidditch locker and grabbed his broomstick. He then took her hand and they began to walk out of the locker rooms.
"Sirius, what are we- oh my God," Rachel said as they walked through the doors.
The sight that met her shocked her. They had walked out onto the Quidditch pitch...only it wasn't the regular Quidditch pitch that they won so many games on. It had been semi-transformed. The whole edge of the field had been lined with candles and little sparkling lights that Rachel suspected were fairy lights, so it was like they were standing in a brightly lit Quidditch stadium, only more romantic, not to mention the moonlight added a sort of ethereal glow to it.
Rachel turned to Sirius, who had a broad grin on his face. "What's all this about?" she asked, amazed.
"Well, I wanted to do something special that we could both enjoy, and I figured that Quidditch, well you love it, I love it, and I could just turn it into something romantic and bam! I got this," he said, gesturing around the pitch. "So, do you like it?"
Rachel grinned and nodded. "I do. I really do," she said in spite of herself.
"Well then come on," Sirius said, mounting his broom. "Let's go."
"And what exactly are we doing?" Rachel asked, confused.
"Get on, let's go," Sirius said again.
Rachel was still confused.
"Ever heard of a moonlit flight, followed by a picnic for two?" Sirius asked.
Rachel smiled. "Are you serious?"
"Of course I am, it's my name," Sirius joked. "Come on, get on."
Rachel mounted the broom behind Sirius and put her arms around his waist, holding on tightly. She let out a small scream as he kicked off from the ground and they went off into the dark and unknowing night.
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Lily took a deep breath as she walked to her door. This whole day, all the roses, and everything that had happened, it was all leading up to this. It had all been so perfect, so unreal, it seemed like a dream. What if this was the end of the perfect dream? She wasn't sure if she wanted to wake up from it just yet...
And what if it was all just a joke? What if James wasn't out there, or what if nothing was about to happen? Maybe she had just been imagining it all. Maybe this wasn't what she thought it was. Maybe James had just been joking with her.
But that couldn't be right... would James have gone into all this trouble just for a joke? Of course not. She was here, right now, wearing the most gorgeous dress she'd ever seen and looking at a vase full of eleven roses because he loved her and she loved him. Knowing this gave her the confidence to brush away her worries, open the door, and walk out into the common room.
Lily couldn't help but smile- all the roses that had been in her room earlier had been placed all around the room, filling the air with their pleasant scent. The lights had been dimmed down just a tad, and the fire was lighting the room with a warm glow. Furniture had been shifted around slightly to open up more room, and now there was a table set for two in front of the windows, with the moonlight adding a nice touch to the candle-lit settings. Once again, soft, classical music seemed to be coming from nowhere. But the most perfect sight in the room had to be James, standing by the fire, holding her twelfth and final rose.
He didn't seem to notice her yet- he was just staring into the fire, lost in his own little world. Lily took the time to take in how nice he looked- he was wearing black dress pants and that blue shirt that she loved so much. It looked like he had tried to tame his hair, but it looked like he had been unsuccessful. He looked anxious, serious, and happy all at the same time. Lily gave a small, polite cough to inform him of her presence.
James turned around quickly. His eyes lit up at the sight of her. "Hey," he said softly, looking at her from across the room. Clearly he thought the dress looked good on her- he couldn't take his eyes off of her.
"Hey," Lily replied. Was it her, or did the temperature just go up a few degrees? Maybe it was just the fact that James looked unbelievably hot...
"Oh, sorry," James said, shaking his head. He walked over to her and gave her the rose he had in his hand- the last one. "You know...number twelve," he told her nervously.
Lily nodded. "Thanks...for all of this and everything else," she said. "I really like it."
James sighed a sigh of relief as a smile came to his face. "Good. I was worried you wouldn't," he told her.
"Why? How could I not?" Lily asked.
"I just thought that maybe you would think it was silly or something," James said.
Lily shook her head. "No. I loved it."
James smiled even bigger. "Good. Come on then- dinner awaits us," he said, gesturing towards their candle lit dinner for two.
Lily saw the bowl of spaghetti and began to ask why they were having it when James said, "If I remember correctly, you like anything Italian, but spaghetti is your favorite."
Lily nodded in amazement. "Yeah. How do you know that?"
"You told me once, remember?"
Lily didn't remember, so how could James know? She wasn't about to ask.
They had a lovely meal, talking about random things like they hadn't done in a while. Lily found herself unable to stop smiling. She and James were having an amazing time, just the two of them. As they ate their mint-chocolate chip ice cream (another one of Lily's favorites), she began to wonder what her friends were up to this evening.
"So what do you think Jez and Remus and Rachel and Sirius are doing?" she asked, dipping her spoon in for another mouthful of minty-chocolatey goodness.
"Well Moony had planned a dinner for two with Jez, and last time I checked, Padfoot was taking Rachel for a spin around the Quidditch pitch followed by a picnic," James explained.
"Sirius actually planned something? Lily asked, awestruck.
"Well he didn't exactly plan it," James began. "He's been thinking about it all week, and last night it just came to him and he had me book the pitch for him and get him the keys and everything. He was pretty happy with what he came up with, especially without any help."
"Wow. I'm sure Rach is loving that," Lily said. "And a quiet dinner for two...perfect for Jez and Remus."
"That's what I said," James told her. "He seemed pretty happy about it. Finished?" He noticed that Lily's spoon was scraping the bottom of her bowl. Lily nodded. With a wave of James' wand, all the dirty dishes were gone. James stood up and held out his hand to Lily. "Come on," he said.
Lily took his hand and stood up. The pair walked over to the sofa hand in hand. Lily was so happy and carefree, she almost felt like skipping. As soon as she and James sat down, he put his arm around her and she rested her head on his shoulder.
"This has been amazing, James," Lily whispered.
"It has. I'm just glad you enjoyed it all," James replied.
"Enjoyed is an understatement," Lily said. "I just wish there was some way to make it up to you." She looked up at James, whose warm brown eyes looked hopeful. Slowly, Lily reached her hands up and put them on either side of his face before she kissed him, softly and gently. James slipped his arms around her as he deepened the kiss. It was all so perfect...Lily was losing all sane thought to James's lips as they kissed hers and his hands as they caressed her body...
Then they heard someone coming in the portrait hole- they couldn't be caught like this, whoever it was. They pulled apart quickly as Professor McGonagall came into the room.
"Good evening, Mr. Potter, Miss Evans," their elderly Transfiguration teacher said. She seemed slightly off...uncomfortable... very un-McGonagall.
"Hello, Professor," James said. "What can we do for you?"
McGonagall looked worried about something. The thin line of her mouth was disappearing as her eyebrows drew closer together.
"Lily, I need to speak with you," she said in a soft, gentle voice.
Lily knew by her tone that something was wrong. She stood up immediately. "Professor, what is it?" she asked.
"I'm so sorry, Lily," McGonagall said, shaking her head.
"Professor, what's wrong?" James asked, feeling strange.
McGonagall reached and took Lily's hand. "Lily, I just received word from the Ministry. There was..." McGonagall paused to take a deep breath and looked as if she was holding back tears. "There was a Death Eater attack on your parents home," she said.
"Are they okay?" Lily asked, fearing the worst.
"Lily, I'm sorry," McGonagall said, shaking her head. "They didn't make it."
A strange buzzing sound filled Lily's ears as she looked away from Professor McGonagall. Her parents...dead... this couldn't be right.
The sinking feeling in her stomach told her it was true. Death Eaters killed her parents...it was her fault that they were...
Gone. Her parents were gone. As Lily realized this, she collapsed.
"Lily!" James called, reaching out to catch her.
Lily didn't notice as she fell into his arms and began to cry, not seeing an end in sight.
Sorry for the sad ending. Please don't kill me! It's for the sake of the plot. I hope you liked it all though. Everyone was dying to know what happened with Sirius and Rachel. So there's your answer. Anyways, the wait was a little shorter this time, which is surprising with the craziness that's been going on lately. Not really guy drama, or drama at all. Just exciting stuff. I'm actually getting a social life. A group of people I play basketball with for fun in gym class have gotten to be really good friends- four girls, three guys. And we went to the movies last saturday (Eight Below, loved it!) and are going again tomorrow night (Failure to Launch, already seen it and loved it too!) and I'm just happy for once. Surprising, I know. Not to mention I get my learner's permit a week from Saturday! whoohoo! Scary, I know. But I really hope yall will review. Please! All those reviews last time (all 12!) really helped this come faster. So maybe if I get some more...yeah, if you want chapter 26 faster, review everyone! Please? Thanks a ton. Hope to write some review replies later. Until next time, lots of love and good music- Emma