Hello everyone! So sorry about the delay. Thank you SO, SO much for all of the reviews and feedback for this series. As always, I absolutely LOVE reading all of it, so please make sure to leave more. I really appreciate it.

Really quick: a few people had asked me to put up a schedule for when I'll be posting. So…that's what I'm going to do! At least…try to. School is back in session for me (and it's really kicking me in the butt!), so for now until the first week of May, I'll be posting one chapter every Monday. I promise you that I'm not giving up on this story, as I still absolutely LOVE writing it, so that's what I'm going to try to do for you. Once summer is here, I'll be able to post A LOT more often. And, of course, if I'm able to post more than one chapter in a week, then I will be doing that. You can guarantee that I'll have one chapter out every Monday though!

As always, read and enjoy!

I fixed my gaze on the sobbing girl who had passed me running from the Great Hall. Her red and blotchy, tear stained face said it all.

"Hmmm," Mary said with an air of casualness, shrugging as we continued down the Grand Staircase, "If that is who I think it was, Sirius must have broken up with her."

She took the words right out of my mouth, but it was probably be the truth. Unfortunately, Sirius caused just as many broken hearts as laughs these past few weeks. As we entered the Great Hall, my heart dropped when I saw him scanning the door, looking for someone. His eyes landed on me, a smile appearing on his face.

He didn't seem the least bit phased by the girl he sent bawling out of breakfast just a few moments before.

I took a seat next to James, who was reading over his Quidditch notes for what could have easily been the hundredth time. Lily sat next to him, supporting her boyfriend fully by wearing a jersey with POTTER- 7 stamped on the back of it.

"Quidditch today," Mary said as she took a seat across from me. She clapped her hands together, rubbing her palms as she eyed the Hufflepuff Quidditch team, who had been warily eyeing her since she entered the Great Hall. It was well known that Mary had no shame and frequently tossed a hex or two toward the opposing team. It seemed, however, that her confidence for this game overshadowed her love for competition, so she hadn't bothered. "You ready James?"

He mindlessly nodded, clearly not paying any attention to his fellow chaser. As Mary tried to capture him in conversation once again, Sirius turned to me from his seat next to Remus.

"How ya doing, Haley?"

I pinched the bridge of my nose with my pointer finger and thumb before reaching across the table to spoon some eggs onto my plate. I was planning on ignoring Sirius every day until the day I graduate.

"Are you ready for some Quidditch today?"

Why was he trying to be so nice? Why was he even bothering to talk to me? I continued to ignore him, grabbing a couple pieces of toast from in front of me. I spread some strawberry jam on one piece before taking a small bite.

"You can't ignore me forever, you know."

Oh yes, yes I could.

I took another bite of my toast, leaning my head toward James to try and join in his and Mary's conversation. I didn't understand one word of it, as they were discussing plays to try and win the game today, but it was better than having Sirius try and talk to me.

A few minutes later, James rolled up his notes and stuck them inside his robes. He stood from the table, spreading his arms out wide. "Fellow Hogwartians," he bellowed, his voice carrying easily across the stone-lined hall, "today is the day that we crush the badgers." Cheers erupted from Gryffindor and a few Ravenclaws, while playful boos mixed in from Hufflepuff. Many of the students had smiles on their faces. A few of the Slytherin students appeared excited, but it was really only the younger ones, as many of the older ones looked as though someone had stuffed a sour lemon into their mouth.

"Team, let's head out," James finished, gathering his broom from underneath the table and leading the march out of the hall. Sirius sent me a small smile and a wink before following his best friend, clapping him on the shoulder as they went.

"You know," Alice said, sliding toward me on the bench, "it really isn't a coincidence that Sirius broke up with his girlfriend the day after he finds out that you and Sebastian broke up." She paused knowingly, raising her eyebrows. "He's trying hard to talk to you again, maybe you should-"

"I don't want to talk to him, Alice," I sighed, spooning some egg into my mouth. I chewed for a moment before swallowing. "He was really, really mean those few weeks I was with Sebastian. He thinks it was all some sort of joke. But I'm not buying it. Not this time."

Alice nodded understandably before rising from her seat. "Well, that doesn't mean that you can't enjoy a good game of quidditch." She reached her hand down as a gesture. "Are you accompanying me today?"

I smiled, taking her hand and using it as a brace to stand from the table, abandoning the rest of my breakfast. "Are you coming Remus? Peter?"

The short, chunky boy stumbled out of his seat, nearly tripping in his effort to join us. Remus couldn't help but let out a chuckle as he rose calmly. "We'll sit with you today, Alice, just as long as you don't try to hex any Slytherins this time. McGonagall still thinks it was me, you know."

Alice smiled innocently as the four of us made our way out of the hall and onto the front lawn of the castle.

The weather was beautiful for being the beginning of March. The breeze quietly blew the smell of rain and freshly growing grass into the air. I breathed it in deeply, wallowing in the earthy scents. Even the sun was trying to make an appearance, despite the dark clouds that loomed above the snow capped mountains.

The only downfall for the upcoming spring was that the snow was beginning to melt. Cold, squishy mud littered the front lawn in large patches. We tried our best to avoid the patches, just as everyone in the school was trying to do. Unfortunately, luck was not in my favor and I ended up jumping straight into an ankle-deep puddle, splashing a few other people in the vicinity.

Alice let out a loud laugh as I squelched out of the puddle, taking my time. I groaned as I glanced down at my pants, which were clinging desperately to my calves and were covered in wet muck. Remus took out his wand and waved it slowly. Instantly my pants steamed dry and the dirt fell off in large clumps, leaving only a small amount that I was able to dust off in its wake.

I sent him a thankful look, but didn't say anything, as I knew it was in my favor to step in another pile on the way to the pitch.

Which I did, of course.

The stands were nearly packed by the time we reached our other housemates. It seemed that everyone wanted to see who was going to play Slytherin for the house cup, though I'm sure everyone knew who was going to win the game from the get-go.

It had been clear through speaking with James that they would have to lose by over 540 points to lose the spot in the championship match. I still kept my fingers crossed. Mary told me that the Hufflepuff team had become much better after adding on the newest member- a third year chaser who was geared toward playing professionally.

I settled into my seat, wrapping my jacket tightly across my torso. Despite the warmer weather near the castle, the wind seemed to whip around the pitch, creating harder flying conditions. At least I assumed they were harder flying conditions. I had a hard time flying in perfect flying conditions.

James took a step forward, his feet sinking into the soft, muddy ground, as he held out his hand and shook the captain of the Hufflepuff team's hand. The two boys grinned at each other, more up for friendly competition than a fight to the death. That match would probably take place between Gryffindor and Slytherin in just a few weeks time.

The whistle finally blew loudly, sending all fourteen players soaring into the spring air. I cheered loudly as James and Mary made a swoop above us, doing their traditional swoop around the pitch before the quaffle is thrown into the air.

"And they're off!" the announcer bellowed into the megaphone, his hand cupped around the metal stand that held the megaphone in place. "It's Potter with the quaffle, who drops it to MacDonald, who throws it to- OH! Intercepted in mid-air by Chandice, who is speeding toward the goals now."

I clapped loudly as Mary stopped Norma Chandice in her tracks, sending the quaffle spiraling toward the ground, where it was then caught by the third Gryffindor chaser, Malcolm Kirke, who had just joined the team this current season. Kirke sped off toward the Hufflepuff keeper, the quaffle tucked tightly under his arm, just like James had instructed him these past few months.

"AND GRYFFINDOR SCORES!"

The cheers erupted around me as Kirke and Potter high-fived before zooming off toward the opposite end of the pitch, waiting for Hufflepuff to retaliate.

The game wore on for another hour and a half; the clouds that loomed over the mountains finally made their way over to us, unleashing a lake's worth of water onto our heads just as the Gryffindor seeker snatched the small snitch in between his fingers. I burst out in applause, thanking Merlin that the match was finally over, as we were all drenched and cold to the bone.

My blonde curls hung loose and limp around my face. My jacket and thin t-shirt stuck to my torso and arms. I wrapped my arms around my chest, trying to conserve my body heat as everyone around me stood up, waiting to file out of the stadium. The Gryffindor team stood in the middle of the pitch celebrating their advance to the final match of the year.

I watched with raised eyebrows as Sirius peeled away from the group, hopping skillfully back onto his broom as he flew toward the announcer's booth, a smirk growing on his handsome features. He touched down right next to Professor McGonagall, who was eyeing him warily as he snatched the microphone from the fourth year announcer.

"I would just like to say," he began, his voice echoing over the crowd, who had all stopped in their tracks to see what Sirius Black was going to do this time, "I couldn't have helped in winning this game if it wasn't for my great friend, Haley Brams." He fixed his eyes onto mine, his smirk growing with every passing second. "Haley, you're the best and I love you." His gaze quickly dropped further south than I would have liked before he added on, "Are you cold, Haley?"

Professor McGonagall ripped the microphone from his hands as he, unabashedly, grinned at me from his perch on the edge of the stands. "Mr. Black, don't you-" McGonagall started to say, but her words were lost as Sirius jumped off the edge of the stands, soaring off on his broom as the other students cheered at his utmost lack of caring.

I shook my head, my cheeks burning with mortification, as he landed next to him, throwing his arm casually across my shoulders. His black hair hung lankily in his gray eyes. They were filled with the joy of winning his second to last quidditch match, filled with joy as he gazed down at me for the first time in a few months.

"Do you forgive me now?" he asked, just as soon as McGonagall announced over the megaphone that Sirius had to serve another detention (surprise, surprise) for endangering his life by jumping off the side of the stands.

I shrugged innocently as I peeled away from him, heading toward Alice and Remus as he stopped just outside the changing rooms for his team. "I don't know yet, Sirius, you'll just have to find out."

I slugged my way through the thick mud, heading back toward Remus and Peter, who were standing at the top of the hill with Alice and Lily, all of whom were smirking at me.

"So, talking to Sirius again are we?" Alice smiled as I reached her, bumping my side lightly with her elbow. I sent her a playful glance as I shrugged one shoulder.

I learned many things from Sirius Black this past year, most of them were not relevant to any form of reality after we leave school and I (hopefully!) start my career as a lawyer in France. One thing he did pound into my head, however, was that you don't just forgive someone. You get even.

And that's exactly what I planned on doing.

I turned to Remus, cocking my head to the side as I gazed up at him. "I have a potion for temporary hair loss and I KNOW that you know where Sirius Black keeps her shampoo." I raised my eyebrows. "Care to escort me to the men's bathroom?"

Remus offered me an elbow, which I took with a wide grin.

He brought me up the stairs, bypassing a group of second year boys who gave us both awkward looks as we slunk by them. As Remus pushed open the door to their shared room. I immediately scrunched my nose, as the smell emitting from the boy's things was so staggering that my eyes definitely watered and nearly crossed.

"Sirius's trunk is over in the corner. You can dig through to find his shampoo." He paused, turning to stand at the door, peeking out into the narrow stairway through the crack in the door. He glanced over his shoulder, shooing me back to the corner of them room. "Well, get going. They're going to be here soon looking to take a shower."

I hurried over to Sirius's corner of the room, throwing open his trunk with gusto. I rifled through the top layer of dirty clothes, wrinkling my nose as I used my pointer finger and thumb as pinchers to continue with my dig.

"Come on, Haley," Remus warned, turning over his shoulder to hiss at me, "They're back in the common room!"

I threw away my pride, stuffing my hand into the pile of junk that littered his luggage, not wanting to know what exactly my hand was touching at that moment in time. I pulled the bottle of shampoo out of his trunk, clumsily screwing open the bottle before dumping the potion into it.

"They're coming up here!"

I frantically closed the bottle, tossing it back into his trunk without bothering to cover it back up. I shuffled around the room, trying to find a way out, before Remus turned around completely and shooed me farther into the room.

"You can't go out there! They'll see you!"

"Where am I supposed to go?"

"I don't know, just find a spot!"

I high-tailed it back over to Sirius's corner of the room, throwing myself onto the floor just as the door clicked open. I rolled under the bed as I heard a set of footsteps enter the room, crossing over the wooden floor to grab their things.

"Remus? I thought you were going to the library before tonight?" I heard James ask before his trunk creaked open. From my position on the floor, I saw dirty and clean clothes alike drop onto the floor next to his bed.

"I-I am," Remus answered, awkwardly scratching the back of his head, "I just needed to come in here and grab my books, that's all."

"Why are you acting so funny, Moony?" Sirius said, bending down to pick up a pair of boxers off the floor. I held my breath, clapping my hands over my mouth as silently as I could as his head neared my hiding spot. I scooted over as much as I could, sucking in my stomach as his hand reached under the bed, pulling out a shirt that was perched half under the bed.

"-Not acting funny," he murmured back, scooping up his book bag and throwing it over his shoulder. "I'm going to the library, see you two later tonight."

"Seven o'clock at the Whomping Willow," James said, throwing his clean clothes over his shoulder as he held tightly onto his own shampoo and body wash bottles. "Don't be late. The full moon is supposed to be out early tonight."

I could almost feel Remus rolling his eyes as he left the room, leaving the door open for his two friends to follow behind him. I waited a few minutes after James and Sirius left the room, making sure that they weren't going to come back in unexpected.

I shimmied out from underneath the bed, creeping over to the door and peeking into the hallway before hustling down the stairs and throwing myself onto the common room couch.

Alice and Lily squealed at my entrance, not expecting my body weight in their laps so quickly.

"Where did you even come from?" Lily asked with a laugh, her eyebrows shooting toward the ceiling. "We were just in our room and you weren't-" She paused, stopping herself mid-sentence. "Did you reconcile with Sirius? Are you two together? Is it finally-"

I clapped a hand over her mouth, quieting her immediately. "We're going to find out in just a mom-"

As if on cue, two shouts echoed down from the boy's dormitory- one of laughter and another of pure shock. I could only imagine which one was which. Remus reentered the common room, just in time for Sirius to pound down the staircase, grasp onto the front of Remus's robes, and slam him against the nearest wall.

A few students stared, frightened, in the direction of the two boys while a few other girls whistled under their breath at the site of the shirtless Sirius, his jeans hanging baggy off his hips in a way that made my heart speed up quite quickly.

"What did you- what happened to my hair?"

Remus opened and closed his mouth a few times, all the while staring at me over the shoulder of his good friend. "A little help, Haley?"

Sirius released Remus immediately, turning to face me with an incredulous look on his face. As he looked at me, I couldn't help but snort in laughter. His black locks were completely gone, as were his eyebrows, eyelashes, and chin stubble that usually donned his face when he had forgotten to shave the day before.

"You think this is funny?" he asked, his voice rising slightly as he pointed at his head. "My hair is gone."

My shoulders shook with laughter as I bent down to clutch my knees, now unable to contain myself. "I…can't…believe…how dumb…you…look," I managed to sneak out between each hysterical breath. Sirius seemed to visibly relax as he watched my breakdown, a slow smile spreading across his face.

"You would be friends with a bald guy now would you?"

I straightened up, reaching my hand up to rub his smooth head. "I don't think so." I paused, watching his playful expression turn into one of shock. "Luckily for you, it's only temporary. All your hair will be back within the next ten minutes."

Sirius leaned down, pulling me into a tight hug. The heat rose into my cheeks as it was pressed against his bare stomach. He rested his chin on the top of my head as he rubbed my back with his hand. "I missed you Haley Brams."

I sighed softly, pulling myself closer to him. "I missed you, Sirius Black." I rested my chin on his chest, turning my head so I could look up at him. "But don't be such a jerk next time, okay? That was really hurtful."

He pulled me even closer, if possible, squeezing my body for a few seconds longer than what would constitute as a friendly hug. "I promise, never again." He paused. "Just as long as my hair grows back, okay?"

"OI! Black!"

I pushed myself away from Sirius, smiling slightly up at James, who had jogged down the stairs, his own black hair still dripping wet from his recent shower.

"Pads, we had to get down to the Great Hall. It's getting kind of late."

I glanced out of the common room window, surprised that the sun was already starting to set. We had missed dinner by a few minutes already. My stomach growled in response, clearly angry with me that I hadn't taken the time out to feed myself.

Sirius broke away from me, ruffling my hair as he reached toward James and grabbed the t-shirt his best friend was holding out for him. "I'll catch up with you later, okay?" he said to me, winking down in my direction as he began to follow James out of the common room. "We may be out late, so don't wait up."

I nodded, watching as the portrait hole shut behind them, my giddiness rising up in my chest, building to the point of almost exploding from every orifice of my body. I collapsed onto the couch once again, Lily and Alice grinning at me in response to the scene that just happened before them.

"Thank Merlin."

"Took long enough."

"Why couldn't you do that weeks ago?"

"The balding was funny though, I'll give you that. I'll sign you off on it."

Lily hopped up, holding her hands out in front of her as if gesturing for us to be quiet. "Wait! I have an idea. Since the boys are out for the night-" She paused, biting her lip. "Follow me."

"I don't like the sound of that," I responded as Mary took a hold of my arm and pulled me from the couch.

This is exactly how I ended up, bikini clad, and standing at the edge of the giant tub in the prefect's bathroom. The white tile was cool against my feet and I shivered slightly at the small breeze that emitted from the many faucets that were built into the edge of the tub. Alice, Mary, and Lily were already splashing around in the tub (or should I say swimming pool?), sending waves of water toward each other as they shrieked with laughter.

"Come on, Haley! Get in here!"

I crossed my arms self-consciously across my chest, shaking my head.

Alice cocked her head, shaking it enough so her wet, blonde hair stuck to the sides of her face and neck. "Get in here, Haley!"

I shivered at the edge of the tub, my toes curled over the tile. I bent my knees to jump in before chickening out once again, taking a step back with a shriek of giggling. "I can't do it! It's going to be cold when I get out!"

"If you don't jump in, I'm going to either push you in or pull you in," Mary warned as she splashed another wave toward Lily, who sputtered on the water, coughing slightly.

I groaned, bending my knees once again, but this time launching myself off the side of the tub and into the water, sending waves of water toward my three best friends. Lily and Alice swam over to me, dunking me under the water a few times playfully before letting me come up to the surface.

"I'm glad that you and Sirius made up though," Alice said, squeezing me around the shoulders. "It's only a matter of time before you two become official." She wagged her eyebrows suggestively, a wide grin on her face.

I couldn't help but let out a laugh at her ridiculousness. "I don't know about that, Alice, but I am glad that we are at least on speaking terms again, as I did miss him."

And it was the truth, but what they didn't realize was how much I missed him. When he hugged me in the common room, it was as if the last few months didn't happen. He was there with me, I was in his arms, and all was well with the world.