Chapter 12 – Another Excuse

OoO

The days at school progressed like usual. Lily was pretty bumped out that she missed the New Year's Eve party, but the Marauders promised they would throw a party in the common room soon; making her roll her eyes as she muttered. "That's not what I meant."

Izzie was now on her way to the tower after her meeting with Flitwick when she saw the Marauders in front of her, their backs to them. But what shocked her was that Severus was pointing his wand at them.

"Severus Snape! Don't you dare point your wand at my best friend or his friends!" She yelled as she came to stand in front of Remus. Izzie didn't know what had happened previously, but when she saw that only Severus had his wand drawn, she marched right up.

"But they-" Severus started to protest.

"You're the one that's pointing a wand! And you will lower that wand right now before I'll have you married to Hildegard by this summer, and you know that my family is capable of that."

Severus paled in an instant. He begrudgingly shoved his wand back in his robes and turned on his heel, running down the steps. His dark robes flapping behind him before he disappeared from view.

Satisfied, she turned to face the marauders. Remus was smirking proudly, while the others all looked at her in awe. The next second Sirius had stepped forward, grabbed her cheeks and kissed her forehead, rather sloppy. Still careful when it came to her because for a second, she thought he was going to kiss her right then and there. Stunned for the tiniest fractions, she pushed him away.

"Get off, Black. What the fuck was that for?" She said wiping her forehead off.

"How could I not, after you made Snivellus shit himself without even using your wand.".

"Not everything is solved with violence, Sirius." She huffed with a smile. She stepped away from him and locked her arms with Remus and started walking away from them.

James leaned his head dramatically on Sirius shoulder. "I think I'm in love." He said dreamily.

"Yeah." Sirius said quietly, his eyes on her retreating back. "Me too."

Neither of them had noticed that Moony was looking at Sirius, frowning.

OoO

Izzie and Sirius were studying for Potions together in the common room. James had Quidditch practice and Lily and Remus were doing their rounds, Peter was already drooling on his Divination homework on the other side of the room. Izzie tried to focus on her homework, which was a bit hard when Sirius kept glancing at her every other minute. She finally looked up with a raised eyebrow.

"Can I help you?"

Sirus smirked at that, he always did when she asked him. "No, why?"

"You've been staring."

"I have not." He said adamant.

"Sirius, I'm trying to focus." She rubbed the space between her brows tiredly. "This is hard enough already."

"I'm sorry." He slowly reached over and took her hand in his, happy to note she didn't pull back. "But just so you know, you're doing amazing."

She looked down at their hands, and just for a moment she thought how it would feel is she intertwined their fingers together. She quickly shook her head internally and pulled her hand back.

"It's because of you."

"No." He shook his head, a blush on his cheekbones. "It's all you, love. You just needed a little direction." He smiled, making her heart thud fast. "But there was something I wanted to ask." He ignored her I-knew-it face. "Were you planning on going to Hogsmeade in two weeks?"

"I am, actually." She said looking back to her homework.

"Oh, so you're already going with someone?" Sirius had waited too long, and someone had swooped in before him.

"Lily made me promise to go with her because Ja-" She snapped her mouth shut. But Sirius didn't care what she was going to say after that, all he knew was that she wasn't going on a date with some bloke. "You can come with us, but I think Potter will claim your time."

"Evans said no again, didn't she?" Sirius smirked.

"Is that even a question." She quirked an eyebrow as she wrote on her parchment, but he saw the secret smile on her lips. He didn't even know he was staring again until she suddenly rolled her parchment up and tucked it away. She was standing in front of him with an outstretched hand.

"Huh?" He looked up at her in confusion and that lopsided smile she gave him, nearly send him over the edge.

"I said I was starving." She chuckled. "I'm going to raid the kitchens, care to join?" She wiggled her fingers.

Hell yes! "Yeah, sounds good." He managed to say and took her hand in his as he stood up.

"Petey, let's go!" She called over to Pettigrew, who had woken up at some point, but you could still see the creaks of the parchment on the side of his cheek.

"Oh, Peter's coming." Sirius mumbled a little deflated.

"You don't mind, do you?" She asked squeezing his hand as they walked to the portrait hole.

"No." He said honestly because she was holding his hand, not Peter's, only his. And she kept holding it until she tickled the pear on the portrait.

OoO

"I was really joking about the party." Lily mumbled as she zipped up her dress. It was the evening after the Hogsmeade trip and they were getting ready, the music already rising up from downstairs.

"No, you weren't." Izzie laughed. "You were really bumped out you couldn't come."

"Well, yeah but I didn't mean they have to throw another New Years' party in the common room, in the middle of February." She scoffed.

"I think James just want to celebrate New Years' with you, one way or another. I won't be surprised if he started to count down at midnight." Izzie laughed loudly.

"Oh, Merlin! You are right. He would totally do that." Lily gasped, sitting down with her hand on her mouth, a blush on her cheeks. "If so, I'm kissing you." She pointed at Izzie.

"I think someone else wants to kiss Izzie, Lily." Mary snickered from her place before the vanity.

"Oh, do you mean Mister Black, Sirius Black?" Lily was smirking now.

"Oh, hush you two." Izzie tossed pillows at their heads. "I already told you; he just wants to snog me because he hasn't."

"Why don't you just kiss him? Get it over with." Marlene suggested from her place from her bed.

"I don't kiss people just for the fun of it."

"You're just like Lily." Mary said, not accusatory but admirably.

"Besides, I think she has too much fun to see him squirm." Lily added.

"That may be another reason." Izzie said with a smirk. "But to be honest, I just like where I am with him. Friends. Who would have thought after all these years."

"Certainly not me." Mary said pulling Marlene from the bed. "But if you decided you wanted to kiss him, let me know, I can give you some pointers."

"Gross, Mary!" Lily sent her a little stinging hex. When the two disappeared down the stairs, Lily turned to her. "How do you feel about him? I mean he doesn't know, does he?"

"No, he doesn't." She said leaning against the bedpost. "But he knows I've been through a lot, I guess Remus must've said something or he noticed whenever I – space out. But he never asks, and he respects my boundaries." She smiled to herself, and Lily watched her expression carefully. "He doesn't treat me like other girls. He asks if it's okay when he does something unexpected, his movements are slow when he reaches out, giving me time to pull back."

"That's so... unlike Sirius."

"Hm." She hummed as she started to walk down the stairs. "Since I didn't really know him before this year, it's the only way I know Sirius, at least how he is towards me."

OoO

The party was fun. Remus had sneaked away to celebrate 'new years' with Reggie, wearing the clothes he was wearing almost two months ago. It was sweet, really, Remus's blush as he explained it to her. She had caused a little distraction by placing a charm on Sirius, that made him do the robot dance, so Remus could sneak out. After she lifted the charm, Sirius came over.

"I know it was you."

"Don't know what you're talking about." She said innocently, taking a sip of her butterbeer.

"You are the only one who would know such a spell." He said, leaning against the wall next to her.

"I'm flattered you think so highly of me."

"I think the world of you." He blurted out. She looked at him surprised and to her amazement he held her gaze. "You're an amazing witch, Iz." He reached up and swiped a little bit of foam from the corner of her lip.

"I'm not special." She said looking down. "You on the other hand, you and all the Marauders." She added as a blush filled her cheeks. "Becoming Animagi at fifteen, creating the map-"

"Because of your secret help."

"Being there for Remus when I couldn't." She reached out and squeezed his hand. "You are an amazing wizard, Sirius." She looked up and his gorgeous grey eyes were already on her, it was so easy to get lost in them. "Thank you." She leaned forward and kissed his cheek, letting it linger a second longer. When she pulled back, she saw the blush on his cheeks which made him even more handsome. She quickly stepped back and walked over to Lily who was dancing, glancing over her shoulder to send a smile to the stunned Black. Five. Sirius thought to himself.

OoO

It was nearing twelve o'clock, and just like Izzie expected James and Sirius started to count down loudly, letting the music dim. James was making his way to Lily with each step and Lily looked wide-eyed around in search of Izzie. Izzie was sitting with Marlene, Mary and Sirius on the floor at little further away.

"I've got to go. Someone is in need of rescuing." She laughed, pushing herself up from the cushion she was sitting on.

"Oh, come on." Sirius tugged her sleeve. "Let James get his chance."

"Believe me, if he tries to kiss her now, he's losing his chance."

He looked at her, her look was serious, he nodded. "Alright." And he let her sleeve go.

"TWO! ONE!"

Izzie was just in time to swoop in. She pulled Lily's sleeve and she crashed against her chest with a relieved smile. Izzie smiled back before she leaned in and kissed her. People started cheering around them and when they pulled back, they saw James shocked face, his mouth dropped open, his eyes wide. Lily turned to him.

"Happy New Year, Potter." She grinned. Mary and Marlene were laughing uncontrollably next to Sirius. Sirius was looking a little flushed but was grinning at them as he jumped up from his own cushion and walked over.

"Oi, Prongs. I think Lily is taken!" He barked out a laugh.

"Well -" James shook his head, before a beaming smile appeared on his face. He wrapped his arms around Izzie, who flinched a little. James didn't take any notice, but Sirius and Lily did. "Better our little Charmer than some creepy bloke."

Izzie shook of the shock and looked up at him. "I'm flattered?"

"You should, you definitely should." He smiled. She chuckled before ducking under from his arm, wringing her hands together.

"I need a drink." She muttered going for the whiskey straight away. Sirius and Lily were whispering to James when she turned back around. She ducked her head as she walked to a quiet corner. Ten minutes later and her second whiskey, Remus walked back in, looking thoroughly snogged. A small smile tugged on his lips as he made his way to Lily and the others. He didn't see her at first, only when he whispered to Lily, and she nudged her head towards her. She shook her head slightly, letting him know she needed a little time. His brow furrowed and he bit his lower lip but didn't come over.