Waking up on a Sunday morning was one of Lily's favourite things. She loved not having to actually get up and go to class, she loved lying in bed for ages, and above all else, she loved going down to breakfast with no rush. On Sunday mornings, all four of the girls would sit and have breakfast together. Even Avril made the effort to get up at the same time as the rest.

This Sunday was no exception. What was an exception, however, was when someone approached Lily from behind and covered her eyes. "James, if that's you again, I'm going to-"

"Not James," a voice said from just above her shoulder.

"Oh, shit. Um, hi, Aaron..." she laughed, trying to cover up her mistake. He took his hands off her eyes, and sat down next to her.

"How are you?" she asked him.

"Oh, I'm good." He bit his lip, thinking, then leaned over and spoke into her ear. "Am I allowed to kiss you in front of your friends, or haven't you told them yet?"

Lily looked at him, laughed, and leaned in to kiss him.

Avril coughed from Lily's other side. "Um, get a room!"

"Yeah, you're putting us off our breakfast here," Dorcas laughed. At that moment, an owl flew over to their table with a newspaper folded in its beak. Dorcas picked it up, unfolded it, and started reading the headline. "He Who Must Not Be Named breaks into the Ministry of-"

"Wait, who's that?" Robyn interrupted.

"Voldermort," Lily explained to her. "They're started calling him that in the newspapers recently. I guess so they don't have to call him lord or whatever."

"I think it's more to do with the fact that they're terrified of him at the Ministry," Avril said with a scowl. "Anyway, carry on reading."

"Well, it basically just says he broke in," said Dorcas, her eyes still scanning the page. "It looks like he was helped, as well, from someone inside the Ministry. He went up to Wizengamot again... And warned them that if they didn't do something about it, there would be consequences. Here, there's a photo of him too."

They all leaned in for a closer look. Lily stared at the image. It showed a man, tall, dressed all in black, with black hair. He would be handsome, she thought, if it weren't for the deathly paleness of his skin, and those eyes... He was obviously giving a speech, and his eyes were staring into the crowd. And they were cruel, so cruel. She had never seen anyone else look like that in her life.

"He looks..." Robyn said beside her. But her words trailed off into silence.

Lily just felt tired of it all. She leaned her head sideways, onto Aaron's shoulder. He wrapped his arm around her. "Don't worry about it..."

But Lily couldn't help but worry. Aside from the fact that all of this just seemed wrong, so fundamentally wrong that sometimes she wondered what exactly was going through the minds of these hateful "Death Eaters" (as they called themselves), it affected her directly. She turned round and looked at the boy sitting next to her. "We have to worry. This is really important."

"I know, but-"

"And it kind of has a direct influence on my life, what with me being Muggleborn."

His eyes widened. "You're...?"

"Yeah. But that's irrelevant, really. I'd feel the same way, whatever my blood status."

He looked at her doubtfully, but nodded. "I guess. Anyway, do you want to come for a walk? We can go down by the Lake."

She finally smiled. "Yeah, alright then. I'll see you guys later," she said to the other girls. She and Aaron made their way out of the Great Hall.

"Oh, they are so cute together..." sighed Avril.

"Why do you do that every time someone gets together with someone else?" Robyn said.

"Do what?"

"Sigh, say how cute they are... Like they're cuter once they're going out with someone."

"Well, it's nice. I mean, look at her, she was smiling, and she looked really cute. What's so wrong with that?"

"Ah, leave her," Dorcas interceded. "You know what Robyn's like: she doesn't believe in romance."

"It's not that, I just think everyone fusses over love more than they should."

"Did I just hear the L-word?" someone said, sitting down in Lily's empty space. They turned, and it was James. He had left Sirius over at the other end of the table, eating his cornflakes.

"You did indeed," Avril nodded.

"So is one of you in love, then?" grinned James.

"Nah, we were talking about Lily."

He blinked. "She's in love? Since when?"

"Ah, don't worry," Avril teased him, laughing at the expression on his face. "We were kidding."

"But who's she meant to be in love with, anyway?"

"Aaron Jones. They had a date last night, didn't you know?"

"I did, actually," he sighed. "But are they together, then?"

"Looks like it," said Dorcas doubtfully. She was glad for Lily, but in all honesty she preferred James. She had seen how Lily was around James, how happy she was even though she tried so hard not to show it. And it didn't look to her like Aaron did the same. Also, she hated seeing the look on James' face, knowing Lily was going out with someone else. "How come you've left Sirius on his own, anyway?"

"Ah, I wanted to come and ask Lily something about the project. But she's not here, so..."

"Poor Sirius," Dorcas said. "I'll go and talk to him."

She got up, went down to the other end of the table, and sat down next to Sirius. He looked at her expectantly. "You looked a bit bored. Are you okay, anyway?"

He sighed. "Yeah..."

"You don't sound too convinced."

"I'm not. But don't worry yourself about it."

Dorcas bit her lip, a habit she had picked up off Lily. Then she smiled. "Well, if you won't tell me what's wrong, can I at least tell you what's up with me?"

He blinked. "You seem alright."

"Yeah, I'm kind of good at looking happy, seeing as I usually am anyway," she grinned. "But I do have problems too, you know."

"Of course. Shouldn't you be telling your friends this, though?"

She thought about that for a second. "I guess I just didn't want to, um... I mean... Lily's got news now, and I just thought hers was more important."

"You should tell them, though. But yeah, go on," he encouraged her.

Her eyes shone. "Well, there's this girl, see... And I think she likes me too."

"Wait, what? Since when do you like girls?"

"Boys and girls. But since, like, forever," she rolled her eyes at him. "You're not shocked, are you?"

"Do the rest of the girls know?"

"Yeah. I mean, I have dated girls in the past."

He continued to look shocked. "And how did they take it?"

She laughed at the expression on his face. "Sirius, it's not big deal. Or is it to you?" she raised an eyebrow as she said that.

"Of course not! I'm just... surprised, I guess."

"Well, anyway, getting back to the main point here, there's this girl."

"Do I know her?"

"Her name's Allison. She's a Ravenclaw, so I only have Ancient Runes with her."

"Shame. Is she cute?"

"Very." She looked around, craning her neck. "That's her over there, next to Jeremy Edgecombe."

Sirius looked at where she was saying, and saw who she meant. She was cute, actually, in the literal sense of the word: she was small for her age, with short blond hair and big round eyes. "She looks really nice," he observed as Allison laughed sweetly.

"She is."

"You should definitely tell your friends. They'll be happy to know. Are you sure they didn't mind at all when you told them, though?"

"Yes! But where is this coming from? Why would they mind if I'm gay?"

"Oh, I don't know..."

"By the way, how come Remus and Peter aren't here?" she asked, changing the subject.

"Remus is away, visiting his mum, I think. And Peter didn't feel like getting up."

"Right... Well, I'd better be getting back to this lot, if you don't mind. See you around." With that, she went back to her seat.

She was funny, Sirius thought to himself as he watched her leave. She was good at cheering people up, it was just what she was like. And she had actually given him something to think about...

"Did you tell her?" Robyn asked, sitting down in the space Dorcas had left.

"Tell her what?"

"You know what," she said calmly. She was different to Dorcas in that sense: she wasn't particularly cheerful all the time, but she had a strange way of keeping calm and even, in any situation.

"No, I didn't tell her. I have to tell James first, he deserves to know."

"He does." There was no need for Robyn to say anymore, because Sirius immediately started talking.

"But what if he takes it badly? I mean, I know deep down he won't, but what if he changes towards me?"

"How do you mean?"

"What if I tell him, and then he starts acting weird?"

"He won't," said Robyn.

"But how can you be sure?"

"He's your best friend. Get over yourself and tell him," she said, got up abruptly, and left.

Over at the other end of the table, Avril was sitting with Dorcas, who was talking. Avril, however, wasn't listening. She was staring over at the Slytherin table, where the boy she had met at The Three Broomsticks the day before was sitting. It was true: he didn't look like he had, without his Muggle clothes. Also, he wasn't wearing his nose piercing today.

"Are you even listening to me?"

"Yeah, yeah, Dorc..."

Her friend laughed, as Robyn joined them again. "You weren't, you were too busy looking over at the Slytherin table. Is that the guy you were talking to at the bar yesterday?"

"Yep," Avril nodded.

"He's actually really cute," said Dorcas.

"Yep."

"You should go talk to him."

"Yep- I mean, no, I shouldn't! I don't even know him," Avril said.

"That's never stopped you in the past," Robyn raised her eyebrows.

"Whatever. By the way, Robyn, could you help me with that Charms essay? You're so good at it..."

"Flattery will get you nowhere," her friend answered. "But okay. Let's go up to the Common Room, and we'll do it there."

They spent the morning doing homework, and practicing for tests. Meanwhile, Lily was with Aaron, having pleasant walks through the grounds. They talked, they laughed, and just enjoyed each other's company. She felt fairly comfortable with him, he was just fun to be with. They went and had lunch together, and then spent the rest of the afternoon in front of the Lake. Hours seemed to pass quicker when she was with him. It was only when it started getting dark that she realized how much homework she still had left to do.

"I have to go," she said to Aaron.

"It's been great, seriously. I guess I'll see you around tomorrow?"

"Bye." She stood up on her foot tips, gave him one last kiss, and ran off back to the castle. She kept running, right up until she reached the Gryffindor Common Room. She thought, at this time, she would be on her own, but she was surprised to find someone still up.

James was sitting at one of the tables in the middle of the room, writing away, and he only looked up once her shadow was covering his piece of parchment. "Good evening, Miss Evans. What brings you here at such late hour?"

"Ugh... I've still got to do that Charms essay, and the Potions one... And I should practice that new spell Alexander taught us..."

"Leaving things to the last minute? I thought that was my thing, not yours. Aren't you meant to be one of the good students?"

She gave him a look, and he shut up immediately, despite the grin on his face. "Can you lend me some parchment and a quill, then? I can't be bothered to go up to the dormitory."

James tutted, but handed her her what she needed. She sucked on the tip of the quill for a moment, then started writing.

"So, how was your second date with Aaron?"

She smiled, her eyes still on the page. "Very pleasant."

"Good, good. I would never have imagined you two together."

"And why would that be?" Lily inquired curiously.

"Well, you seem kind of studious, and he-"

"He's actually more intelligent than you think, James."

"I'm not saying he's stupid. I just meant-"

"I know exactly what you meant, I just don't happen to agree with you."

He opened his mouth, about to answer, but the Portrait Hole swung open, and they both turned round to look. Angeline clambered through, and seem as surprised as they were.

"What are you doing up so late?"

"I could ask you the same question," said Lily, looking at her watch. "It's past curfew, you know."

"What are you going to do? Give me detention?" she laughed airily. "Anyway, I'm going to bed. See you in the morning, bright and early!" She climbed up the staircase.

"Wonder what she was doing out so late..." Lily bit her lip.

"The same as you, probably: snogging some guy."

She gave him a playful shove, then went back to her essay. They were quiet for a while, both of them writing, when James suddenly spoke again. "I'm worried about the next match."

Lily looked up from her work. He didn't usually voice his feelings out loud, but when he did it was always like this: spontaneously, when she was least expecting it. "Why? You won the last match."

"I know, but... We haven't practiced as much this time, and I'm not sure if I'm up to it..."

"You will be. You're a great player and a great Captain."

"Modesty aside, I know. I mean, I am quite good," he grinned as Lily laughed. "But I've seen Hufflepuff practicing since their last match..." They'd lost to Ravenclaw in November, if Lily remembered rightly. "And they've gotten a lot better. What if they turn up with loads of new tricks, and-"

"James, calm down," she said, resting her hand on his arm. He looked at her, but said nothing. "You'll be great. And if you're not, don't worry. You still have another match, right?"

"Right, but-"

"No buts. Get on with your homework, it's late enough as it is."

"You are so mean to me," said James, half-joking.

"Don't I know it," Lily smirked.

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