A/N: Ok seriously all of your guys's review's made me blush so bad! I appreciate them more than you know! So to answer a few questions...about my grammar I know it's not great and I apologize. I do try and I take all of your tips and try and make them work so hopefully its not too bad and doesn't take away fromt he story. Also I've got lots of questions on the out comes of Jade/Sirius and Piper/Remus which first of all makes me so happy that your interested in Jade and Piper! I always get nervous introducing new characters because i've made them up completely and hope people like them but you never know! The outcomes of these couples will all be answered by the end of the story..some sooner then that. Also the story I believe should only be about five or six more chapters, then an epilogue, so we're nearing the end! Anywas sorry for the long authors note! Hope you enjoy this next chappy!!

Disclaimer: not mine

Chapter 36: Figure it out

"Pssssst. Pssst!"

Piper looked up from her transfiguration book and looked around. When she didn't see anything she bent her head back down. She was sitting in the library attempting at doing some studying for her final exam but finding it extremely hard. She had been staring at the same sentence for the last half hour and couldn't even comprehend what it said.

Nothing seemed to want to stick. Piper found that every time she attempted to study her mind would start to wander and she just couldn't get herself to study. She knew she should too. Her grades had been suffering lately, if she didn't start studying and taking her exams more seriously she just might not pass them.

Piper sighed heavily and looked back at her book trying her best to get herself to study.

"Psssssssssssst! Piper!" A voice hissed.

Piper looked up again and searched around the library for whoever said her name. As she scanned the tables no one was looking at her so she shrugged and looked back down at her book.

"Piper!" the voice hissed annoyed.

Piper looked up once again and looked over at the bookshelves where she thought she heard the noise coming from. As she scanned the shelves she stopped and frowned, "Sirius what're you doing?" Piper whispered.

Sirius was hiding behind a book shelf the only thing visible was his face which was poking out between two books.

"Trying to get your bloody attention!" He hissed, "…is Lily around?"

"No, she's doing some head duties," Piper whispered.

"Thank god!" Sirius said coming out of his hiding place and plopping down onto the seat next to Piper.

"Scared of Lily Sirius?" Piper asked with a snort.

"NO!" Sirius said quickly, "more like terrified! Last night she tried to tie me to a chair so she could try and make me study. She says my books look like I've barely used them and if I didn't study on my own accord than she would have no other options but to force me!"

Piper laughed, "I thought I told you to try and avoid Lily?"

"I was! I was just walking down the corridor going to go down to dinner and all of a sudden someone grabs me by my collar and drags me into an empty classroom! I thought it was a girl for a snog but when I turn around its Evans. Started going off about what a knob head I am and how if I don't start studying now I'll fail all of my exams and how she refuses to let that happen. I know she means well but dear god she's scary when she's mad," Sirius said shaking his head slightly.

"I got that same talk from Lily last week. Told me I'd end up washing bathroom's at the ministry if I didn't start studying more," Piper said sighing slightly.

"Well apparently we'll be doing that together," Sirius said with a grin to which Piper just rolled her eyes, "Let's go down to the lake, it's hot out today we should take a break from studying."

"Sirius you would have had to been studying to take a break from it," Piper said shaking her head a small smile escaping from her lips.

"True… but it's not like you have been studying either, I've been trying to get your attention for over five minutes and you've just been staring blankly at the same page in your book," Sirius pointed out.

Piper sighed knowing he was right and closed her book. There was no way she would be able to study today… maybe she'd just take all day tomorrow and study then…maybe, "Ok, let's go," Piper said as she gathered up her books and put them into her bag.

"Great!" Sirius said happily, he grabbed Piper's book bag from her and slung it over his shoulder, linking arms with Piper and leading her out of the library.

"I thought you would have had quidditch practice now," Piper asked as they made their way outside.

"We had one early this morning, which is the only reason I'm awake right now," Sirius explained as he pushed opened the doors to outside and held it open for Piper.

"…it's 1 in the afternoon," She said slowly looking over at him quizzically.

Sirius looked over at her and grinned, "I know," which caused Piper to laugh.

As they walked past a bunch of younger students to their favourite spot by the lake they didn't even notice as several of the girls made moony eyes at Sirius and many of the boys practically drooled over Piper.

They sat down with Sirius's back against the tree and Piper lied down with her head in his lap. Sirius knew to most people it probably looked like they were a couple but to Sirius he was just being a good pillow for one of his best mates.

Sirius leaned his head back letting the sun shine down on his face and smiled slightly, "You know what I was wondering Piper?" Sirius asked looking down at Piper who had her eyes closed.

"Why the little voices in your head never seem to shut up?" Piper asked innocently.

Sirius just grinned, "Actually I was wondering how it's possible that two extremely good looking people like you and I are single,"

Piper just laughed, "That is odd isn't it?"

"It really is, I mean to be honest we both are ridiculously good looking and yet here we are hanging out with each other because we have no prospects. I mean it's been at least…three days since I've snogged someone!" Sirius exclaimed.

"Three whole days, hmmm you must be going crazy," Piper said softly.

"Yes I am, which is why I have a proposition for you," Sirius explained.

Piper sighed, "What is it?" she asked not bothering to open her eyes.

"Well since I haven't snogged anyone in a while and I know you haven't snogged anyone in a while," at which Piper let out an annoyed scoff but Sirius ignored it and continued on, "I think we might as well give into it and snog each other."

Piper opened one eye to look wearily at Sirius, "I don't think so," Piper said with a small laugh.

Sirius sighed dramatically, "Fine!" he said then broke into a huge grin, "I'll settle for shagging."

Piper sat up quickly and punched Sirius hard in the arm, "You're sick!"

Sirius just laughed, "Oh come on obviously I'm joking!" Sirius said laughing hysterically.

Piper just rolled and eyes and leaned against the tree next to Sirius, "You better be I don't want to have to shove my foot up your arse," Piper said.

They sat there for a while just letting the sun beam down on them and warm them up. After a bit Sirius looked over at Piper and sighed, "We going to talk about your grandfather's letter ever?" he asked gently.

Piper's eyes snapped opened and she glared at him, "When are we going to talk about you and Jade?" she snapped back.

Sirius sighed, that was always her rebottle and it always shut him up but today… today he was ready for her, "What do you want to know?" he asked quietly.

Piper sat up straight and turned so she was facing him, "What?" she said confused.

"I asked what you want to know. If the only way I can get you to talk about your grandfather's letter is to talk about Jade then fine, I'll do it," Sirius said with a shrug.

Piper bit her lip, she felt touched that Sirius would do that for her, "Fine, first... first I want you to admit it. I want to hear you say it, no more denying it,"

Sirius sighed, rolling his eyes slightly, "Allright, I like Jade,"

Piper smiled triumphantly, "I knew it! For how long? How long have you liked Jade for?"

"I believe it was when I was three years old. I was in a magical day care and in came this bossy little thing that stole my toy and pushed me over… I was hooked," Sirius said with a shrug.

"Really…since you were three years old?" Piper asked confused.

Sirius nodded with a lopsided smile, "Yeah, obviously it was just a little crush but it grew from there. James Jade and I hung out a lot before we started Hogwarts, since Jade lived next door to James and I was always over at James's I watched her grow into this hot headed teenager and I still felt the same,"

"Then why do you act the way you do around her?" Piper asked confused.

"I don't know… its how we've always acted around each other. When we're being civil to each other it's not real… it's not us. I don't really know how to explain it… no one really understands and that's ok," Sirius said with a simple shrug.

Piper just shook her head, "…do you love her?" Piper asked the one question that she wanted to ask more than anything else.

Sirius smiled, "You've asked a lot of questions, I think it's my turn to ask a few," Sirius said simply.

Piper felt annoyed that he didn't answer but nodded all the same. She knew it was hard for Sirius to open up so she was surprised when he even said what he did, she sighed, "Go ahead, ask me whatever," she said.

"What are you going to do about your grandfather's offer?" He asked.

Piper laughed dryly, "right to the point," she sighed, "I… I'm going to do what I have to… to keep my family safe," Piper said shakily.

Sirius stared at her hard, "What does that mean Piper?"

Piper sighed and raised her chin slightly, her eyes hardening, "My mother and father mean the world to me, I won't let anyone hurt them Sirius…no matter what the cost,"

Sirius stared at her shocked, "You can't mean you going to take his offer. Piper to be a true Cromwell means to be a Death Eater!"

Piper cast her eyes down and stared at her hands, "I know what it means. It means my mother and father would live. It means they would be safe,"

"NO PIPER! It means you would be a servant to Voldemort! It means the dark mark would be branded on your arm, it means you would be forced to kill!" Sirius yelled at her.

Piper's eyes widened horrified, "I would never kill anyone!" Piper spat annoyed.

"What exactly do you think is going to happen?" Sirius asked angrily, "Do you think you'll just go there and live in the house with your grandfather? You will be expected to become a death eater Piper! You will be expected to adept to their views, you will be expected to kill and torture people because that is what death eaters do! You are being naïve if you think that wouldn't happen." Sirius growled.

Piper's gaze hardened, "That isn't what the letter asks. All my grandfather wants is for me to come and live with him so we can get to know each other. I will never adept to his views but I can pretend. I also would never become a Death Eater but I'm glad you think so little of me that I would do that,"

Sirius shook his head, "Piper right when you step through your grandfather's front doors they will try to brainwash you into thinking like them and try and force you to become a Death Eater and if that doesn't work they'll use the imperius curse on you!"

"You don't know that!"

"Yes I do! Why do you think I had to leave my home and live with James? My family is even more into the dark arts then yours is! I was going to be forced to be a Death Eater so I ran away. Your mum and dad would never want you to do anything like this Piper not even to protect them; they would rather die then to see you live with your grandfather."

"Don't you get it? They will die! They will die and I will die Sirius! If I do not agree to what they want I will be dead before my eighteenth birthday!" Piper yelled then turned away from Sirius tears forming in her eyes, "This is the only way to keep us all safe."

Sirius sighed then scooted closer to Piper wrapping his arms around her tightly and resting his head on her shoulder, "I know that's what you think Piper… but trust me it's not the only way. You have so many people who love you…so many people who would protect you, I will protect you Piper, I promise."

Piper let out a small sob then turned around and wrapped her arms around Sirius's neck, squeezing tightly. Sirius held onto her as she cried silently on his shoulder.

"I'm so scared," Piper said shakily.

"I know Piper, I know," Sirius said soothingly.

"If no one has any further questions I call this prefects meeting over, you can all go," Lily said snippily, glaring the whole time at Bellatrix Black daring her to raise her hand. She had been a pain in the ass the whole prefect meeting challenging everything Lily said and Lily was only half a second away from cursing her.

Lucky for Lily everyone started gathering their things and making there way to the door. Lily let out an annoyed grunt as she begun to collect her things.

"…want to go to the Great Hall and get a snack," James asked cautiously standing a few feet away from Lily incase she hit him.

Lily looked up sharply at him, "I need to go over my transfiguration notes," she said curtly.

"Well…I could help you with that if you wanted," James asked gently hoping to god she wouldn't bite his head off.

"Only as long as your there to work," Lily said through narrowed eyes, "and not start badgering me about what you said last week!"

James cringed slightly. Ever since Lily had gotten pissed at him about the whole moving in fiasco he had been trying to explain to her that he did want to move in with her but she wouldn't listen to him.

"Hey Lily, James," Remus said coming over, "Uhh…Lily would I be able to talk to you for a minute?"

James looked at Remus like he was crazy and started waving his arms behind Lily and shaking his head mouthing 'DON'T DO IT' at his friend. Remus just stared at him, confusion spreading over his face. Lily quickly whirled around and James pretended he was stretching and faked a yawn.

Lily rolled her eyes at him and turned back to look at Remus, "Fine, but make it quick all right, I have studying to do."

"Yeah sure," Remus said. He looked over at James expectantly and James just looked back at him.

Lily sighed annoyed and turned around to glare at James, "Get out,"

"What? Why do I have to leave?" James asked indignantly.

"Because he asked to talk to me not you now go," Lily snapped.

"Fine," James grumbled, "I'll wait for you outside."

Once James closed the door Lily looked back at Remus, "So, what is it?"

"I just, I wanted to ask you your advice," Remus said nervously.

Lily crossed her arms, "Advice about what?"

"You see, I have this problem. Look I really need you to promise me you won't say anything to anyone about his, but I really need your advice," Remus explained.

Lily sighed rolling her eyes, "I promise I won't tell anyone, just ask me already,"

"I'm sure you were wondering…why I broke up with Piper. I know a lot of people were. You see I was just trying to… protect her," Remus explained slowly.

Lily sighed looking bored with the conversation, "Protect her from what?"

Remus looked down at his fidgeting hands, "It's just… I have this secret that I kept from her that I had to keep from her. She has so much going on I didn't want to add to her problem. I just knew I couldn't tell her—"

"Because you didn't trust her to keep it," Lily cut him off.

Remus looked up at her surprised, "No, that's not it,"

"Well then what exactly is it? The only way I would think you wouldn't tell someone a secret is if you didn't trust them. If you trust Piper then what's the problem?"

"You—you just don't understand. You don't know what my secret is…if you knew, you would understand."

"What? About you being a werewolf?" Lily asked barely able to suppress a yawn.

Remus's eyes widened and his mouth went dry, "What…that's not true,"

"Oh give it a rest Remus, I know! I know about you being a werewolf I have known for a long time now don't bother pretending," Lily said rolling her eyes.

Remus's eyes clouded over, "James told you," Remus growled anger spreading through his body.

"Hey! Do not get all pissy at James. He didn't tell me, he is much too loyal to you to ever have spilled a secret that important to you, even to me the woman he loves! Don't go jumping to conclusions and thinking the worse of your friend, how about you try and have a little faith in people for once Remus," Lily snapped.

"Then how do you now!" Remus demanded.

"Oh please, like it's really that hard to know. I mean yes you really did a good job of keeping it covered up Remus I'll give you that, but all the clues are there, if someone really tried they could easily piece it together. In second year I became obsessed with these werewolf books, I actually thought everyone in Hogwarts was a werewolf. Then I slowly started to notice you. I notice how you got ridiculously pale when the full moon approached and how you would always disappeared. I had no proof of course so I just ignored it. Then in third year I heard you talking to James Remus and Peter. You thought no one was there because I was hidden in a secret passage. I heard you tell them and that confirmed it."

"You've known for over four years…why haven't you ever said anything?"

"It's your secret Remus, not mine. I have no place in telling your secrets. If you didn't trust me with it, then fine, I can understand that. But to not trust Piper with it is just complete and utter bollocks!"

"Lily, it's not that I don't trust Piper I do. I'm just…I'm scared of her reaction. I mean what if I tell her and…and she doesn't want to be with me because of it. I couldn't even blame her,"

"Are you bloody daft?"

"Excuse me?"

"Oh good lord. Have I been dubbed everyone's bleeding Psychiatrist? Ok let me try and spell this out for you hmm? Piper is in bloody love with you. You could be a blood sucking vampire or a creature with two flipping heads and she would still love you! Hell you could be a bloody werewolf and she'd still love you…oh wait you are! The only problem here Remus is you. You aren't trying to protect Piper you are trying to protect your own arse. You are scared of getting hurt and rejected but you shouldn't be because if you had any faith or trust in Piper you would know you needn't be!"

"But I—"

"But I…But I…" Lily mocked, "Please spare me. I am sorry but I am just getting so sick of this. I get it your scared of what Piper will think blah blah blah get over it! Honestly, your hurting Piper more by keeping it from her then you ever would have by telling her. That's just my opinion. I can't tell you what to do because it's your own bloody decision but I'll tell you this, you better god damn well sort it out because I really am sick of it all!"

Remus stared at Lily completely shell shocked. When he had asked to talk to Lily he had never fathomed this was how the conversation was going to go. He had always been able to go to Lily with his problems and she had never reacted like this before.

"I—uhh" Remus stammered.

"Is that all? I really do need to go study my transfiguration notes. I told you I didn't have much time, but if there is anything else you need for me to spell out for you tell me now," Lily asked slinging her bag over her shoulder.

"No…that's all," Remus said quietly.

"Good," Lily said then walked to the door but stopped and turned around and sighed her face softening, "I didn't mean to be so harsh to you Remus. Just—just know that Piper loves you. She did then and she does now and she probably always will. I mean my god look at James and I. I've been nothing but a complete and utter bitch lately and yet he still loves me and still tries to stay around me even though all I do is yell at him. If there is one thing you can trust in Remus, its love."

With that Lily turned back around and opened up the door. James whirled around to look at her and Lily frowned, "I sure hope you weren't trying to listen into our conversation James because that would have been quite rude of you,"

"No I wasn't! I was just leaning against the door, I didn't hear a word," James promised.

"Good," Lily sniffed, "now come on I'm going to need a lot of help in transfiguration and I barely have any time now."

Lily walked ahead of James who quickly peered into the classroom to see Remus staring out the window thoughtfully.

"Psst. Mate, she didn't try and bite your head off did she? She's been a bit nutty since exams are so close, I tried to warn you," James asked quickly.

Remus looked over at James with a lopsided smile, "No mate, she just gave me a lot to think about," he turned back around to look out the window again, "a lot to think about."