A/N: Whoa, 100+ reviews? That's never happened before. Anyhooo, thank you so much for your support, alerts and of course your reviews. I'm still replying to some of you, I've been fairly busy with starting a new job and moving. ANYWAY. Chocolate to anyone who can catch the "Friends" reference in there Enjoy and let me know what you think!

"A single rose can be my garden... a single friend, my world,"

-Leo Buscaglia

Lea stepped out of the bathroom toweling her wet hair and groaned loudly when she Sirius sprawled across her bed.

"Get off my bed!"

"Put some shoes on—" he began saying only to have her interrupt him.

She waved her arms out in protest. "NO, NO, NO, NO. I am NOT dancing right now! We just had practice for pete's sake, we can dance tomorrow, it's Friday night, I AM NOT PRACTICING!" she shouted stomping her foot.

Sirius laughed. "Relax Lea, did it ever occur to you that when I come to find you, that I don't always want to do purely school stuff? That I just wanted to hang out? Cos we're mates and all that."

"Oh." She said a little stupidly.

"Anyway," Sirius said breezily. "Everyone is busy doing their respective things, the dorm is off limits for a while cos of Lily and Prongs, so I thought maybe you'd like to hang out."

Lea ran a brush through her hair and Sirius saw, for the first time properly down from its usual ponytail or bun. Curly and dark, it fell past her shoulders. He liked it.

"You should wear your hair down more often," he observed. Lea gazed at him mildly in the reflection of the mirror.

"I'll take that into consideration," she replied affably as she rubbed some cream on her face. Satisfied she turned around and leaned against the bureau. "So what'd you have in mind?"

"Nothing in particular, I'm kind of hungry," he shrugged.

"Well all we have here is chocolate, apples and some questionable crisps." She replied. Sirius smiled. "I had something else in mind, want to accompany me?"

Lea studied him for a moment. Then she grabbed a jumper, tugged it over her head and shoved her feet into her trainers. "Sure, lead the way."

"Whoa!" Lea stared up at the giant pear.

"Yeah it kind of smacks you in the face," Sirius replied. He reached over to the giant painting and tickled the Pear.

Amazed, Lea watched as the Pear squirmed and wriggled about. Then the painting swung open towards them and the pair moved to the side.

"What is this place?" Lea peered into the entrance. Sirius impatiently grabbed her hand and tugged her over the threshold.

"It's the kitchen of Hogwarts," Sirius promptly said as he led them through the hallway.

She stopped in her tracks and Sirius felt himself being jerked back a little. "Oi I'm hungry here!"

"Holy cow LOOK AT THIS PLACE!" she swooned.

Several industrial sized stoves and ovens lined the walls. There were four long tables that resembled the House Tables in the Great Hall that were now empty. Gleaming refrigerators rested against another side of the kitchen.

But what most astounded her was the amount of little House Elves that were zooming about the place. They were all dressed neatly into a tea towel togas with the Hogwarts crest stamped on them. One of them spotted them and careened over to them.

"Master Sirius! How eez is you?" he squeaked and clapped his hands.

"Evening Mr. Tuppy! I'm doing quite well, how are you?" Sirius asked kindly.

Mr. Tuppy, blushed furiously as being addressed as "Mr". "Tuppy eez fine sir! Where are the rest of the Sirs?"

Lea gleaned from this that the Marauders must make frequent visits here. "Oh they're doing their own things, but I did bring my friend here, this is Lea," he introduced her with a flourish.

Lea smiled and crouched so she was almost eye level with Tuppy. She stuck out a hand. "Hi,"

Tuppy's eyes went wide and he stared at her outstretched his hand, then he looked at Sirius, who nodded encouraging. Tentatively he shook her hand. Lea stifled a giggle. He was too cute.

"So we were a little hungry Mr. Tuppy and was wondering if we could get anything to eat, and just hang out here for a little bit." Sirius said.

"Of course! Anything for Master Black and his friend, Missus Lea." Tuppy squeaked.

A group of House elves directed them towards a table and they took their seats. Sirius looked over at her. "So anything in particular you want? I'm gonna go for some apple crumble cake."

"I can have anything?" she asked disbelievingly. He nodded. "Anything. You name it, they will bring it."

"Anything, anything?" she repeated. He rolled his eyes. "Ask and you shall receive my lady,"

"All right, I could use some pie…cherry pie is my favourite," she said.

"Okay then! Mr. Tuppy, I'd like some of the Apple Crumble Cake that was served at dinner and Lea would like some cherry pie,"

"With a piece of hard cheese on top," she added. Sirius looked at her strangely and she blushed faintly.

"It's the way my Mum and I eat pie," she explained.

"Of course! We will be right back with your food!" Tuppy said as he scurried away.

In the meantime two female House Elves had pushed two steaming cups of hot chocolate with gigantic marshmallows floating in them towards them. Lea nodded in thanks and took a sip.

"My god," she moaned.

"I know, best hot chocolate ever!" Sirius said raising his cup. She clanked her cup against his in good spirits.

"So how'd you come across this place?" she asked him as she dug into her piece of pie.

"We like to wander a lot…usually after hours when we have the castle to ourselves. We came across this place in our Third Year," Sirius replied attacking his piece of cake.

"Is there where you get all your party supplies?"

"Pretty much yeah" he answered not wanting to give away all their secrets.

They sat there enjoying their desserts and chatting. Sirius was enjoying himself immensely.

"How'd you get that scar?" he asked.

"Which one?"

"The one here," Sirius drew his finger softly over the scar that snaked from her left eyebrow to her temple.

He felt her shiver involuntarily and inside of himself he cheered for himself. So she was affected by him!

"Oh that one," she said dismissively. "My brother Charlie levitated me out of a window, except the window was closed so I crashed through it instead a cut myself on the glass."

Sirius choked on his cake. "What?"

"Accidents happen a lot in our house,"

"You crashed through a window?"

"Yeah. When I was seven, my other brother Leon accidentally disarmed and sent me flying over the neighbors yard and I got caught in the fence. That scar is huge and on my back." She rattled off.

"Can I see it?" Sirius asked curiously. She shook her head. "Not here, not in front of the house elves!"

"Okay later on, I'm gonna hold that to you!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah."

"You have five brothers right?"

"Yeap. Five brothers and me. We make quite a family." She said.

"Did they go to Hogwarts?"

"Two of them did, but they're a lot older than us. The rest of them went to Beauxbatons since mum is French."

"Five brothers and you never had to deal with them going to school with you at the same time. You're lucky."

"I guess. Regulus is a pain the arse huh?"

"He's a major pain in my existence," Sirius replied shortly. He was here with a girl he liked, he did not want to talk about his little brother.

"At least you're more handsome than him," she said taking a sip of her drink.

Sirius smiled. "Oh yeah?"

"Sirius, I have told you many times that you are very attractive, we all know this. And by we, I mean the entire school, the ghosts, and the people in the paintings!" she said loudly.

He laughed and shook his head. "So do you have any moves? Or do your looks alone just get the girls?" Lea asked.

Sirius was surprised that she, of all people, would ask him this. This girl was full of surprises. He sat back and leaned against the table.

"To be honest, my looks alone kind of got the girls, I usually just look at them directly, maybe I'll wink. It depends on the girl. Come to think of it I don't really have moves," Sirius said thoughtfully.

She gave him a doubtful look and he nodded earnestly. "No really, I don't have any seduction moves. I just kind of look at girls and then they come to me,"

"Like a moth to a flame," she deadpanned. Sirius chuckled.

"And what about you? Lily told me you liked to go punk shows and that you just turn on a switch and yeah."

Lea waved her hand dismissively. "I don't turn on a switch, I just show a different part of me that I don't show in school."

"So? Your moves?"

"I don't know if they're moves or not, but I'm like you. I like to look directly at the guy, but I give him a long look over, I look him up and down, when I'm looking my up, I do it slowly," she said as she looked him over.

Sirius felt goosebumps erupt over his skin. "And then, when I make eye contact, I like to wink really slowly, with one eye, all slow and deliberate," she murmured as she slowly winked at him with an intense eye.

Her heated gaze entranced Sirius. Her eyes were endless. She gave him a slow, easy, small smile.

"Yeah that will definitely work on a bloke," Sirius managed to get out. Lea smiled craftily at him.

"Your eyes are lovely," he blurted out.

She looked at him, her eyes twinkling at this. "Thank you, you have nice eyes as well. They remind me of the cloudy skies over the beach on some days."

Sirius felt his mouth curve upwards.

"So what other moves you got Miss de Tourval?" he inquired cocking his head to once side.

She shrugged. "I don't have that many moves I use, it depends on the guy I'm interested in. But, I do have this one move."

"What?" he asked curiously.

"Forget it, let's move on to a different subject,"

Sirius wanted to know but he knew she'd never tell him unless she wanted to.

"Did you always want to be a Healer?"

"Yes," Lea replied immediately. "I sustained a lot of injuries growing up with my brothers and I liked watching my Mum heal me. It felt soothing, I felt safe."

She reached into her pocket and pulled out a lip balm. She uncapped it, asking, "Did you always want to be an Auror?"

"I'm not sure. However, when I was younger I wanted to be an acrobat," Sirius began to say before loosing the thread of what he was saying. He watched fascinated as she began to leisurely apply the lip balm.

"An acrobat? Can you do any gymnastics?" she asked as she slowly rubbed her lips together.

Sirius was too busy staring at her lips, he unconsciously leaned towards her, "Huh?"

Suddenly Lea smiled at him cunningly. Then Sirius jerked his head back and his mouth dropped open. "Holy crap, was that your move?" he cried out.

"Yes sir!" she replied smugly.

Sirius was blown away. What a move!

"Liked that?" she teased.

"YA HUH! Merlin's beard Lea, you're eviiiiillllll," he drew out.

"Yes, among the many things I am," she said satisfied with herself.

While Sirius and Lea were busy discussing seduction techniques over desserts, Remus and Marlene were the sole two people in the Astronomy Tower.

Remus jotted some constellation points on his map and Marlene tipped her head up at the sky.

They had been there for about an hour now. Remus scratching away dutifully at his extra credit assignment, Marlene busy studying him and looking at the sky. It was a clear, starry night, perfect condition for astronomy homework.

"I can't find this stupid star!" Remus jerked his head away from the telescope frustrated.

"Here, let me see, what are you looking for?" Marlene asked. He pointed to a star on his map. She adjusted the telescope and peered through the lens. Her hand fumbled to find the knob to adjust sharpness. She felt Remus' larger, warmer hand cover his and guide it to the knob.

"Here," he said quietly. Marlene smiled as her eye continued to stare through the lens. Thank god she couldn't see him because he was blushing at that moment.

"Gotcha ya little bugger!" she declared triumphantly. She moved a little to the side and motioned for him to come and look through the telescope.

Remus cautiously came nearer to her, their faces were so close their cheeks practically touched. "Where?"

"Right there, see?" she said softly.

"Yeah I do," Remus squinted and came a little bit closer. His cheek brushed up against hers and he froze.

She however chose not to remark on this. Instead she lightly said, "Better jot it down on the chart."

"Yeah, thanks," Remus said distractedly.

He continued to work diligently for another twenty minutes before he shoved his notes and maps into his bag.

"All done?" she smiled at him.

"Yes, all done," he said returning her smile with a shy one of his own.

"God it's really beautiful out there isn't it?" Marlene gazed at the inky, starry sky. Remus looked up too.

"Look at all those stars…infinite space. It really makes you wonder," he said dreamily as his eyes absorbed the scene above him.

"Yeah it does." She agreed softly. They were standing close together, their shoulders touching each others. Remus was having a hard time preventing himself from doing anything stupid.

They were quiet for a moment. It was a nice silence, comfortable silence. It said volumes for them.

"You ever get the crazy feeling that there are other people out there staring out on different planets and looking at us?" Marlene asked half jokingly.

"Yes," He replied seriously then he mentally slapped himself. So much for preventing yourself from doing or saying anything stupid.

"Really?"

Well he might as well go all the way in his stupidity. "Yeah. I do believe that there's other life out there, watching us. You know, maybe we are the failed experiments of smarter, more powerful beings out there and planet Earth is really just a holding center for us." Remus rambled.

Marlene looked at him, her brown eyes studying him curiously.

"Ignore me and my crazy conspiracy theories," he hurriedly said. She laughed and said warmly, "Remus, you believe anything you want to believe mate, and who knows, maybe you're right, and there's a bunch of people looking at and observing us and making notes like we do in Care of Magical Creatures."

Remus smiled and stretched his arms over his head. "Thanks for your encouragement in pursuing crazy theories."

"Hey not all of them might be crazy!"

He gave her a pointed look and she tugged her coat tighter around her. He noticed this. "Want to go somewhere warmer? I'm freezing my arse off."

"Yes please!" her teeth chattered. Concerned Remus unwrapped his muffler and gave it to her. "Please take it, I don't need you to get sick before our dance."

"Thanks." She wrapped it around herself appreciatively. They began to descend down the spiral staircase.

Marlene slid him a sideways glance then lightly asked, "Are you going to the dance with anyone? Cos if not, and I realize that this is a bit late and all, that maybe you and I could go together? We're dance partners anyway so I thought why not ask you."

Remus felt his heart slam into his rib cage. She was asking him out. No girl ever did. Sure girls apparently liked him as James and Sirius had pointed out to him, but he was always too shy to ask any of them out. Girls asked Sirius out. Girls asked James out. Girls did not ask him out.

There's gotta be a catch. Too be good to true.

"Uh yeah, I'd like to go with you to the ball with you," he replied nearly tripping over his words.

Marlene smiled, pleased. "Great! This will be the first time I'm going with a friend and not a boyfriend or a date, I'm sure we'll have a nice time with everyone else."

And there it was, the catch.

Now he knew what Sirius going through and he deeply sympathized. However he felt that his case was worse, he had liked this girl for nearly and year and half and now he was "Mayor Of The Friend Zone".

Karma clearly didn't like him.

After hanging out in the kitchen Sirius and Lea wandered aimlessly throughout the school, strolling leisurely through the corridors talking. During this their shoulders had brushed against each others more than once but neither of them said anything. Just before midnight they clamored through the Portrait Hole of the Fat Lady and had been situated themselves in the squashy armchairs before the fireplace and just shooting the breeze. The Common Room was emptier now.

"Hey you lot!" Lily called cheerfully out to them as she bounded down the Boys Staircase and crossed the room to the Girls Staircase.

"I guess that means you're allowed to go to your room now," Lea bit back a smile.

"Hoo. Rah." Sirius said absentmindedly. He stared deeply into the fireplace.

Lea observed him for a moment, suddenly aware of the sharp contours of his face. He really was quite beautiful.

"What?" he asked catching her staring at him. She jerked out of her thoughts.

"You know, we've established that the whole school, yes, including me thinks you're attractive, but no, you're really…quite…gorgeous." She finished unabashedly.

"Thank you. And you just decided to say this now becauseeeeee….?" Sirius asked a little skeptically.

"The firelight changed your face, it just showed me things I've never noticed before," Lea honestly conceded.

She wasn't sure what caused her to rattle this off. She felt as if she was digging herself in to a hole.

"Such as?" Sirius raised an eyebrow. He was going to milk this for all its worth.

Lea rose from her armchair and stood before him and gently traced the contours of his cheekbones and his jaw. "This. These…are…wow."

Well once you're in the hole, you might as well dig deeper since you're not getting out any time soon right?

However for Sirius, it was more 'wow' that she was the one touching him out of dance practice. Usually it was him doing the casual slinging an arm her shoulder, or brushing against her hand at breakfast nowadays.

The gesture was intimate, dramatic, and comforting all at once. Sirius stood up from his seat and she swallowed and took a step backwards.

Warily, she eyed him. Sirius gently ran a finger over her eyebrow and then ghosted down near her eye, "You know what I think is 'wow'? Your eyes, but I've already told you that, so I'll tell you something you don't know."

He continued to trail his finger down her face, his knuckles brushing her cheek. Finally he brushed his finger of her lips and then stopped.

"I think this is 'wow,'" he said in a quiet voice.

There was nothing but breathing between the two of them. Two silhouettes framed by the firelight, their hands defining each others faces.

He wanted to kiss her. She was so close, and right there in front of him, his finger was on her lips for Merlin's sake.

It seemed like an opportune moment. But it wasn't the ideal moment he had pictured in his head.

However he might never get the ideal moment. While Sirius was busy arguing against himself, Lea stepped closer to him, minimizing the distance between them.

"Sirius?" she mumbled against his finger. His eyes flickered down to her lips. Then he looked back at her and saw that her eyes were soft and soft and soft.

He swallowed, and then removed his finger from her lips, fully intent on swooping in and kissing her

and then,

"Oi! Whose there?" a voice called out.

A/N *evil grin* you lot are gonna kill me aren't ya? DON'T! Otherwise how will an update come? Be good and please review! xoxoxo