*appears in a puff of smoke*

Greetings my fellow fanfic lovers!

As usual thanks for all the great reviews and feedback. You guys are awesome.

No warnings for this chapter, just teenagers and good old hormones.

If Someone Cared Enough

Chapter Forty-One: Feelings, Whoa, Whoa, Whoa

Severus was one of the stragglers still working on breakfast one Saturday Morning when a box slammed down in front of him, nearly spilling pumpkin juice onto his plate of eggs.

"That would be a terrible combination," Severus pointed out dourly as he lifted his plate out of reach of the spreading spill and fixed Simone with a glare.

"Vitamin C and proteins all at once; what's not to like?" Simone asked flippantly as she vanished the juice, "Never mind that, I've found the answer to our problems. Well one of them at least."

"Which problem would that be," Severus asked with disinterest, "You'll find that I have plenty of problems to contend with."

"The diadem, you berk," Simone hissed, leaning close enough that they were nose to nose, "I think I've found our in with the Bloody Baron."

Severus raised an eyebrow, "You found a way to question him that won't end in him just floating through a wall and out of our reach? What could you possibly have to leverage his cooperation?"

Simone patted the box before her proudly, "That's where this little baby comes in." She opened the box and gestured for Severus to peer inside.

Looking in, Severus found a large stack of worn out and crumpled, yellowing pages of parchment. Some of the ink was so faded the words were hard to make out, "What exactly am I looking at?"

"Letters," Simone said simply, "They're the ones from the bottom of the puzzle box."

"You opened the box?!" Severus nearly shouted.

"Shh!" Simone slapped her hands over Severus's mouth. Glancing around them suspiciously, she found a few tardy students lingering about the Great Hall, some watching them with newfound curiosity.

"What? Have you lot never heard of minding your own business?" she said reproachfully.

The students nearest them quickly looked away.

"Keep your voice down," Simone hissed at Severus.

Mouth still covered, Severus rolled his eyes. Drawing his wand, he waved it lazily in the air and muttered something muffled by Simone's hands. A buzzing sound filled the air around them.

Catching on, Simone lowered her hands, confident they wouldn't be overheard now.

"Considering which one of us made the monumentally stupid decision of reopening the box containing a potentially dangerous object, I don't think you're in any position to give me attitude, Serapeum," Severus said harshly, "Do you have any idea the astronomical amount of trouble you could have caused?"

"Keep your skivvies on, I didn't go alone," Simone snapped, "Thea and Davis went with me and they made sure I didn't touch the blasted crown. I just wanted the letters underneath it."

"What could possibly be so important about these wrinkled pieces of paper that you would put us all at risk for it?" Severus questioned angrily.

Simone huffed, "When you say it like that it makes it sound bad."

"It is bad!" Severus growled.

Simone waved her hands at him, "Calm down and let me explain. So I was lying in bed two nights ago thinking our whole Baron predicament. It is doubtful a potential murderer is going to be willing to talk about it with some students and it's not like we have a means to physically keep him from ditching us and avoiding us until we graduate. We needed an advantage, something that would make him want to talk to us or at the very least make him feel obligated to."

"We've established this issue many times, Serapeum," Severus drawled.

Simone stuck her tongue out at him, "Don't be cheeky, just listen. Thinking about this got me thinking on the diadem again. I mean, it's pretty creepy to think it's just sitting here in the school, capable of Merlin knows what with nothing but a puzzle box to protect us when WHAM! It hit me."

"The Knight Bus carrying the point to this conversation?" Severus guessed.

Simone pursed her lips at Severus. She flicked a grape at him and managed to smack him in the chin.

"Enough lip out of you," she said, "Anyway, it dawned on me: those letters in the puzzle box. Davis said they were written by a Baron!"

"So you dragged him and Thea back into danger for letters that might be written by our Baron," Severus stated with exasperation.

"They were written by him," Simone insisted. She reached into the box and pulled out one of the letters, "Look."

Severus inspected the letter. Much of the words were hard to make out, but a few key words stood out to him, "My Dearest Helena…"

"Helena Ravenclaw," Simone exclaimed triumphantly, pulling out a few more letters, "Her surname is never stated implicitly, but the clues are all there. There's mentions of her being in Ravenclaw, praise about her intelligence and how it rivals her mother's," she looked meaningfully at Severus, "And look here; he writes about how she never returned his feelings due to their houses. 'What fool I was to think a bird would wish to slither with a serpent than soar in the sky,' He was in Slytherin!"

"As is the Bloody Baron," Severus surmised, "From what I've gather, the Hogwarts Ghosts haunt their respective former houses."

Simone nodded excitedly, "It all fits; the ghosts here are all afraid of the Bloody Baron because he's violent and in these letters the writer constantly apologizes for his 'ill temper' getting the best of him. Hell, some of these letters weren't even love letters, they're just him cursing her out for rejecting his advances. Then the ones following each of those are apologies."

Severus examined the letters thoughtfully, "These are all possible evidence, but it doesn't prove it was written by the same person. The girl's mother is never mentioned by name so we can't confirm it was Rowena. This could be a different Baron, a different Helena, even a different era."

"There's more," Simone continued, shifting through the letters, "In all of these, the guy just signs his name, 'Oswald Barclay,' or 'Waldo' for short. He doesn't actually use the term Baron," she pulled out one letter, less worn than the others, "until this one last letter."

Curious, Severus took the proffered letter,

'My Dearest Helena,

Long has it been since last we saw each other. It feels as if life times have come and gone since our school days when last I saw your face.

Ages have passed since you fled our schools hallowed halls with not even a goodbye. Your mother wastes away in longing for you and I would be a fool to deny that so have I.

Oftentimes I wonder what ever became of you. Were you captured by the invading Normans and killed? Did you grow ill and fade away? Did someone capture your heart, earn your trust and whisk you away from me? Woe be unto me that you might have found happiness with another!

Your mother isn't much longer for this world. She has asked that I retrieve you and bring you back to the safe haven of her bosom before she passes.

Darling, if only I knew where to begin to search for you. Nary a day goes by that I haven't thought about you, about your grace, your beauty.

I will find you, my love. I promise to find you and then you will see that my heart is true and my words real.

Forever yours,

Baron Barclay'

"This was the letter Davis saw at the top of the stack," Simone explained, "It's untouched; he never sent it. All the others he sent during their school years and they're so beat up, it seems like he fished them out of whatever trash Helena threw them away in. He placed them all in that puzzle box before he left to find her; a memento of his unrequited love."

"Unrequited for a reason," Severus huffed, "He sounds rather delusional."

"There's no arguing that," Simone agreed, "But look at what he wrote. 'The invading Normans', he's talking about the Norman Conquest. That happened at the end of the 11th century and following it, feudalism came to Britain. That's when he got his title of Baron; not long before he died."

"And our Bloody Baron bears the title while wearing 11th century attire," Severus concluded, "Well, I daresay your theory has gotten more merit to it. Let's say these are his letters, how do we use them to our benefit?"

"We sympathize," Simone said sneakily, "Think about it; he was obsessed with Helena. It's very likely her death was the result of another rejection she gave him; the folly of his 'ill temper' if you will. Clearly in his mind, what he felt was true love; that they belonged together. We play off of that conviction and lend him a sympathetic ear."

"Seriously?" Severus asked in disbelief.

Simone shrugged, "It worked for Myrtle, didn't it? She sympathized with him, she even seems to feel for his plight, and he opened up to her. That's the only reason she even knew about Helena at all. Trust me, once we have his trust, we can start to weasel in questions about the diadem. If we have to, we can put a noble spin on it; say that finding the diadem she stole will let her spirit be at peace."

"I'd say that's sneaky, but then you probably already knew that," Severus drawled.

Simone smirked, "We're Slytherins, my dear."

"Which makes sincerity on our part seem rather suspicious," Severus pointed out, "Something the Baron will be wise to, seeing as he once was one."

"Fine, if you're not up to playing nice we'll have someone else do it," Simone huffed, crossing her arms and turning away, "Ask Lily, people trust her."

Hearing no response, Simone looked back at Severus only to find him suddenly very still, his fork frozen halfway to his mouth.

"What's with you?" she asked, befuddled.

Blinking, Severus dropped his stiff posture, ducking his head down and returning to his meal.

"Nothing," he replied, digging into his food with more force than necessary.

Simone watched Severus curiously, her mind tracing back over what she could have possibly said to set him off. Only one word stood out to her, or rather a name.

"Did something happen between you and Lily recently?" she asked nonchalantly.

Severus fork nearly missed his mouth, but he recovered quickly, "I don't know what you're talking about," he said dismissively.

"It's just that you seemed rather…tense when I mentioned her name," Simone explained calmly, folding her hands and threading her fingers together, "Almost as if you're hiding something."

"I haven't the slightest clue what you're getting at, Serapeum," Severus said just as calmly, an air of innocence about him.

Simone tapped her finger to her lips, eyes to the ceiling as she pretended to search her brain for something, "Let's see…what could it be…? Oh, I know! Did something happen in the library?"

Severus became very interested in examining his scrambled eggs for bits of shell, "Speaking of the library, Madam Pince seems to have found the stack of Wizard's Health books you moved to the 'fiction' section."

"They still describe menstruation as unhygienic," Simone defended, "That's fiction enough for me. Anyway, it's beside the point; something did happen, didn't it?"

When Severus deigned not to answer, Simone's face split into a wide, eager grin.

"Well…details, man!" she demanded.

"I wasn't aware I was one of your gossip partners," Severus said with a sneer, "Go find some a woman to giggle and coo with."

Simone threw another grape at him, "Sexist," she warned, "Seriously though, what happened?"

"Nothing," Severus said plainly, "It was an average night with an average conclusion."

"That's dragon shit and you know it," Simone stated. She steepled her fingers and hummed, "Two students, alone after dark, the rush of breaking rules making their blood flow hot in their veins…I can only imagine what one may get up to…"

"You're talking nonsense," Severus bit out, "It was an accident."

"Oh, so something did happen!" Simone exclaimed.

Severus grit his teeth, cursing inwardly.

'I should have started Occlumency a week earlier,' he thought bitterly, 'I'd have better control over what comes out of my mouth.'

Simone looked like a particularly happy Cheshire cat, "You have to tell me now."

"I fail to see how my love life—or lack there of," he added when he saw Simone's eyes light up in expectation, "Is any of your business."

"There's nothing shameful or embarrassing about being in love, Snape," Simone told him. A dreamy smile lit her face, her gaze far off and half lidded, "It can be the most wonderful thing in the world."

Severus snorted, "I suppose you speak from experience?"

Simone flicked Severus on the nose, "Wouldn't you like to know."

"Your own secrecy isn't exactly making your case any stronger on why I should speak," Severus pointed out.

Simone pouted petulantly, "Fine, no details…just give me a general idea."

Severus sighed, "If that will put an end to your prying," seeing Simone giving him puppy eyes made him groaned.

"Peeves ousted us to Filch," he began, "In looking for a hiding place we ended up in close quarters in a rather compromising position. That's all," he crossed his arms, "It was brief, we were both embarrassed and I bet she'd hoping it never happens again."

Simone grinned, head in her hand as she stared at Severus, "Don't be too sure, Snape. Just because you too are close friends doesn't mean you fully understand what goes on in a lady's head." She cut off what Severus was going to say next, standing up abruptly, "I'll ask Lily to help us out with the Baron; you work on getting that 'I'm in love' look off your face."

She left a sputtering Severus behind as she grabbed the box of letters and left.

{page break}

"Ladies," James greeted as he sidled up next to Lily and her friends in the courtyard, "And how are you all doing this lovely day?"

"We're fine, Potter," Lily sighed in annoyance, "We actually were trying to study, so if you don't mind—"

"How about that," James said dismissively, not even looking her way, "So Jess, the last Quidditch match before winter hols is coming up soon. I was wondering if you were going to come cheer me on. Be my lucky charm, perhaps?"

"Oh," Jess gasped, her cheeks coloring nicely, "I…I would love to."

James gave her one of his patented charming smiles, "Fantastic. I wouldn't mind seeing you at some of the practices either. Might lift the team's spirits during dreary practice to see a lovely lady in the stands."

Jess was positively dizzy with excitement, "Of course!"

James's smile was practically blinding, "Perfect. I'll see you around. Oh, and feel free to sit by me at dinner," he waggled his eyebrows at her and winked before walking away, whistling a merry tune.

"Oh my gosh!" Jess cried, fanning her face.

"Sounds like he really fancies you," Meldonna gushed, "You lucky girl!"

"I know," Jess said happily, "I can't believe he's interested in me. It feels like a dream."

"If it is, we won't wake you," Meldonna teased.

Abigail nodded, "Congratulations Jess."

Lily listened to her friends drone on with a frown, eyes fixed on Potter's retreating back.

For the past few weeks, James had fawned more and more over Jess whenever they crossed paths. He'd flirt with her in classes, compliment her in the halls, and invite her to eat with him at nearly every meal. Jess rarely had to carry her own schoolbooks anymore, James more than eager to offer his assistance in carrying them to and from her classes. He even asked her to accompany him to the last trip to Hogsmede coming up.

All in all, his actions baffled Lily. For years the confident boy had pursued her relentlessly, ignoring not only her rejections, but her feelings as he hounded her endlessly while harassing those closest to her. The farther she pulled away from him the more he tried to insert himself into her everyday life, butting into conversations with friends, bothering her at the library or anywhere he caught her alone, and calling out to her from across crowded rooms to ensure she knew he was there.

Any and all attempts he made at being charming or flirtatious were usually ruined within the next few minutes by a egotistical comment about himself or a mean spirited hex on someone else 'for a laugh'. It did little more than highlight his immaturity and self-centeredness.

When he wasn't bothering her directly, he was usually striving for her attention by causing a scene in her presence. Every attack on Severus was little more than an attempt to bring Lily to him, taking her scolding and insults as an opportunity to interact with her. His constant disregard for how his actions against Severus made her feel made it all the more clear that his vying for her attention was driven out of physical attraction than any interest in her mind or respect for her character.

James had chased after Lily for so long, it seemed his affections would never wane. Only now they had, and it seemed to come from completely left field.

Lily had always told herself James would take the hint eventually and move on, but now that he had it seemed strange. For someone who had claimed his devotion for her for so long, it was odd he moved onto someone else so easily, without any lull in his behavior. He merely switched them from Lily to Jess in a heartbeat and it caught Lily entirely off guard.

Lily often felt James's feelings for her were superficial, but it was still hard to believe he was actually over her. It brought up some questions she'd like to think herself above the pettiness of. Questions like why Jessica had replaced her? Did it mean she was prettier than James said Lily was? Did he find her as smart and kind as he oftentimes raved about Lily being?

It was shallow, she knew, but that didn't stop Lily from wondering. As irksome as James childish behavior often was, Lily couldn't help but feel a little flattered by his attentions. Deny it all she might, Simone was correct when she said Lily liked being the center of someone's world, being told she was special and pretty, that she was like no other girl. It was the contradictory nature of Lily's self-esteem; long had she wanted to find others who did magic, but she also craved the uniqueness of her muggle life where there were no others quite like her. Therefore, she strove to fit in while rising above others for the recognition and praise people were so eager to give out. She supposed she was a little spoiled by all her parents' praises and encouragement, but she couldn't help but preen under the special attention.

James had given her that in spades. Nothing she did was ever too mundane or simple; no act anything short of amazing according to him. He was the first boy to openly call her pretty and he continued to lavish compliments on her as they grew older. It was head swelling to know just about every antic and prank from him carried with it an ulterior motive of impressing her.

Flattered as she was, Lily did mean it when she said she wouldn't date someone who hurt Severus so severely. Still, it was a pity that the pair had never been on better terms as she couldn't say it wouldn't have been nice to date James. He was handsome and popular and had this way of lighting up a room and getting everyone's eyes on him. Plus, when he was in the presence of just Gryffindors, he could be very kind and thoughtful, as demonstrated by the lengths he went to befriend and stand by Remus or take someone like Peter under his wing. He could be brave and caring when the situation called for it and he was always trying to make someone laugh. She could see how he had so many under his spell, even the teachers. Lily couldn't say she hadn't felt her heart beat faster when he looked her way a few times herself.

But he was also quick to judge and write people off for something as superficial as what color their tie was, basing his assumptions of them on whether it was gold and red or green and silver. He judged books by their cover so easily and rarely went back on his gut instinct about the matter, refusing to sway. James made broad generalizations of people and labeled them bad for life if they varied in any way from his own brand of thinking and Severus was a prime example.

For years he insisted there was nothing good about Sev, even doubting Lily's own words and experiences, disregarding her opinion and feelings to heap unfair punishment on her friend even when there was nothing to blame him for. It was this quick draw attitude, this lack of understanding that made Lily skeptical there could be anything beneficial to dating him.

She supposed if she had stayed away from Severus after their falling out last year, her stance on James could have changed. That day by the lake could have very well painted her image of Slytherin in a more wholly negative light if she hadn't had a heart to heart with Severus after everything came to pass. She was certainly hurt enough that it would have taken much to convince her to brand them all as no good just to soothe her bruise feelings. That might have left her more inclined to put up with James's black and white view of right and wrong, maybe even loneliness for a strong male friendship would have driven her to spend time with him and his friends, perhaps grow to like him. She couldn't say for sure.

Regardless, she had forgiven Sev, he had forgiven her, and they're friendship was stronger than ever, so she certainly would never give James a chance now.

Not that it mattered, seeing as he had apparently moved on…

Lily studied James features as he talked with his friends. He definitely was nice to look at. Strong features, with kind eyes and lips that always had a hint of a smile pulling at the corners. His body was toned from years of athleticism on a broom, his chest broad with a washboard stomach, his arms bearing the telltale sign of muscle. His legs were long and thick, large thighs from gripping a broom and a buttocks firm and svelte. He often sported a windswept look, with the barest hint of sweat wafting off him from running about the castle looking for mischief. It was sort of pleasant.

'Sev smells nice too,' she thought with a sigh.

Lily shook herself with a start. Where had that come from?

Lily had been giving it her most valiant effort to not think about Severus when they weren't hanging out. Aside from seeing each other for study sessions with their friends, the pair had managed to avoid each other rather well despite sharing a social circle. Not wanting to dwell too much on that night in the library, Lily had done her damned best to push her friend from her mind whenever possible. His name crossed her mind causally in regards to regular occurrences—'Sev has that class,' 'James picks on Sev too much,' and so on—but she didn't let her thoughts ever linger long enough to entertain anything more personal, such as his smell…or his eyes…how long his lashes were up close…

'What is wrong with me?' Lily thought frantically.

Now that he had enter her head, Lily found she couldn't shove him back out. Mixed up in her musing on James she found herself comparing the two.

Where James was toned, Severus was lanky, but he was by no means skinny these days. A hearty diet from her family and Simone watching his eating habits left Severus with some healthier weight to him finally, filling out his figure more so than previous years. His chest was wider and flat, a smooth plain Lily liked to lay her head on and listening to his heart beat. His shoulder were broad and pronounced, his neck long and slender. He was more legs and anything, and his thighs while not as thick as James's were firm and sturdy with corded muscle. Lily could recall their warmth as she had huddled in that alcove with Sev.

Severus's face wasn't conventionally handsome, but there was never anything ugly about him. It was more his oftentimes negative and sour personality to alter people's perception of him. His nose was big, but was by no means bulbous or huge as would be comical. It was distinctive; a quality that gave him character, accentuating his stern and mature presence. It fit in perfectly with his severe expression and reserved nature. His eyes were cold and piercing at first glance, but Lily had found from a young age that they could hold a warmth and joy that filled her with happiness, how they lit up in excitement when he was talking about something he was passionate about.

His lips were thin and pale, but when he genuinely smiled, they curled up in so pleasant and manner, crinkling adorably at the corners in something just short of dimples, giving a boyish sweetness to him. He never closed his eyes when he really smiled as many often did, and because of this, Lily could always see the sincerity behind his smile, the honesty.

His hair lacked the body and waviness of James's dark locks, but that didn't mean it wasn't just as soft. Now that he could wash it regularly with the proper products, it hung gently over his face rather than heavy, swaying to and fro as he walked and lifting up with the softest breeze. Lily always enjoyed the scent of his hair when they slept next to one another, his shampoo having been personally selected by her to compliment his nature scent of spice and musk.

Severus didn't have nearly the amount of muscle James had, but he had his own appeal in his lean physique and long limbs. Lily always liked his hands most of all; his long fingers trailing over pages of books and tracing the words carefully, his lips parted slightly as he silently recited instructions to himself. His nails, always surprisingly clean and trimmed, would tap lightly over certain syllables, beating at a tempo as if playing an unheard symphony across a set of piano keys.

There was an unspoken strength and restraint to his hands, how they cradled delicate potion ingredients and carefully dropped them into the cauldron with elegant grace. You could always tell how much a subject meant to him by how reverently he treated it with his hands.

That night in the alcove, Severus's hands had been strong and steadfast on her waist, yet somehow soft, holding her close but with reservation.

He wasn't lacking in other ways either, if a certain lump beneath her revealed as she had sat on his lap.

Lily blushed; she really should stop thinking of her best friend that way. Things had become awkward enough between them without her mucking it up by developing any confusing, overly complicated feelings about him.

"Lily, are you blushing?" whispered Abigail suddenly.

Lily blinked, looking over at her friend. Meldonna and Jess were lost in their own little world, giggling about boys and clothes. Only Abigail seemed to have noticed her straying attention.

"You were looking over at James," Abigail pointed out, her eyes wide.

"What? No I wasn't," Lily denied. True her thoughts had started there, but that's sure not where they ended.

"Shh," Abigail whispered. She risked a glance at their preoccupied friends, "I won't tell. I suppose it's understandable."

"No, you've got it all wrong," Lily insisted.

Abigail winked, "You're secret is safe with me."

Lily groaned. Well, at least Abigail wasn't a gossip.

{page break}

Over on the other side of the courtyard, James was practically having kittens.

"Did you see how long she looked at me?" he asked, "Sirius your plan is working. It's driving her totally bonkers to see me with Jess."

Sirius grinned, "Told you it would work. It's like they always say; women only know what they want when it's gone. Keep this up and she'll be the one chasing you."

James beamed, "Wouldn't that be something?"

"I'm glad things are working out for you, Prongs," Peter said supportively.

James gave his friend a grateful smile, "Thanks Wormy—ooh, shh! Moony's coming this way."

Remus waved to his friends as he approached, wrapped up in a large woolen scarf a first year Hufflepuff had brought him from an 'anonymous source' (Remus suspected it was a gift from that Nesme girl as a thank you for trying to mend fences with Snape; she was always knitting something). He'd had it for a week now and he had to say it was the softest thing he'd ever worn.

Remus reached his friends and took in their expressions with a raised brow, "Well you all look unusually chipper."

"We're just happy, is all," Sirius said, "James here has set up another date with that girl Jess. She's coming to the Quidditch match to root for him."

James nodded, "She's going bring me luck in the match."

Peter nodded along with his friends.

"Uh-huh," Remus hummed, "You certainly have become awful close with her."

James grinned, "What can I say, I'm smitten."

"He's crazy about her, Moony," Sirius added, "He's been spending practically all his time with her."

"Yes, he has," Remus agreed, "Although, I seem to recall how last week in Charms, you walked by her at the start of class without a glance in her direction."

James blinked, "Huh?"

"And two days ago, you didn't even ask her to sit next to you at lunch as you had every other day," Remus went on, "And the other week in the common room, she was sitting on the couch alone and you ignored her all evening."

"So I don't spend every waking moment with her," James said with a roll of his eyes, "What's your point, Moony?"

Remus fixed James with a knowing glare, "My point is those were all times Lily wasn't present."

The smile dropped off James's face, "Um…"

"Lily was late for Charms that day," Remus recounted, tacking off his points on his fingers, "She took lunch outside that other day with Mary, and that particular evening in question she was out on Perfect duties around the castle. James, should I be concerned that it seems the only times you give Jess the time of day are when Lily is around to see it?"

"Back off, Moony," Sirius said, coming to his friend's defense, "There's nothing going on here. What's it to you anyways?"

"I'm only making sure you aren't leading this poor girl on." Remus said, "James it wouldn't be fair to her if she's just a part of some ploy to get Lily to notice you."

"That's not what's going on at all," James lied, "I'm honestly trying to get over Lily, just like you suggested. It's just…hard, you know, to let go of old feelings. I may not see anything long term with Jess, but I do think she and I would get on well. I'm looking for other fish in the sea. I'm taking your advice, Moony. Can't you be supportive?"

Remus studied James for a long time, searching his face. When James remained stone-faced Remus sighed.

"Fine," I'll believe you for now, but you better be serious. Last thing we need is you breaking some girl's heart because you were using her to get to her friend. I doubt Lily would appreciate that."

"I solemnly swear that I'm up to good this time," James promised.

Peter looked at James in shock, "Did you just swear on the map?" he asked, scandalized.

"Yes, because that's how much a mean it," James replied, sending Peter a look.

Discreetly, Sirius elbowed Peter.

"So anyway, Moony, you have nothing to worry about," James assured his studious friend, "You won't need to break up girl fights in the common room, I promise."

"I'll hold you to that, James," Remus warned.

"Great, it's settled," Sirius declared, throwing an arm over Remus's shoulders, "Now that that's out of the way, let's see if we can weasel a snack out of the house elves. I'm thinking cauldron cakes."

As Sirius led the way, Peter hung back to stay in line with James.

"But you are leading Jessica on, James," he whispered.

James shrugged, "Only a little bit. Besides, it's not like she's in love with me or anything; she just wants to have her thrill dating the popular guy. She'll be looking for a new guy to go after in no time. I just need to hold her attentions long enough for Lily to realize how crazy she is about me. Then Jess can go make googly eyes at someone else."

Peter watched James warily, unconvinced, "Well…if you're sure. I mean, I'd sure hate it if I thought someone liked me and they were just playing."

James patted Peter on the back, "If anyone did that to you, I'd hex them good. This isn't like that, though. Jess isn't that into me; she's into the idea of me. She'll get over it."

Peter looked down at the ground, unsure, "If you say so…"

Trying to unravel the Baron as been an interesting quest of google searches, folks. According to the wiki, he technically couldn't be an Baron given the era they lived and died in, unless he became one shortly before death, as Barons and other such titles didn't come to the their part of Europe until the end of that century.

I do find it sort of odd that NONE of the other Hogwarts ghosts know the Grey Lady is Helena or that the Baron was her primary suitor in life. I mean, they all went to Hogwarts close to that century, so surely some of them would recall what Helena looked like from at least a portrait or something. Canon-wise, it makes no sense that none knew who the Grey Lady really was aside from her killer and a few students like Luna. The very idea that the missing daughter of a famed Hogwarts founder would not be recognized or have a single painting lying around depicting her image is improbable if you think about it. So I had to come up with various explanation for why it WOULDN'T be obvious who she was.

Given that Rowena never told anyone her daughter stole the diadem and any idiot would be able to piece together the time of the diadem going missing with Helena vanishing, it's safe to assume Rowena never mentioned the diadem was missing at all. She probably let others assume she was simply no longer using it as she got older or keeping it safe in her quarters. I imagine no one knew it was missing until after her death when her possessions were sorted through and the diadem was not among them.

So we have James carrying out his 'master plan' while hoping to stay on Moony's good side. This certainly seems like something he would try in canon, seeing as James was so sure from the start that Lily must like him on some level and was just denying it. He would probably buy into the whole idea that she could be 'coaxed' into acknowledging feelings for him by making her jealous of him giving attention to someone else. And frankly, canon Lily does strike me as someone who might fall for it. As someone whom we hear nothing but praise about, it may be safe to say canon Lily was used to being praised for her talents and abilities, maybe even craved it out of an insecure need to prove herself just as magical and belonging as any pureblood witch. Having James go to such lengths regularly to impress her must have begun to make her feel special on some level, so I could see her feeling the absence when his attentions were gone.

I hope no one thinks Lily's conflicted feelings for Severus are too sudden. Lily's going through something many kids have gone through. Sometimes we get so close to someone that we just picture them apart of every big moment in our life, that they'll always just be there. We see this as just an awesome friendship, but for some of us, something might tip the scales and remind us "Oh yeah, you're a boy (girl, etc). Suddenly all those jokes people make about how close we are starts to stand out and we end up thinking about how a friendship could potentially cross into something more. You never entertained the thought of them sexually before, but this reminder that they are a person and have wants and desires stirs our own curiosity. Lily's going through that. She's always assumed she would be with Severus in some form. She's just never evaluated that feeling. Now that she has been reminded that he is a hot blooded male, it's hard to think of him as a friend and she ends up thinking about him as a young man. It's causing a lot of confusion for her and she has no idea how to process it.

Well that's it for now.

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