| I deliberately dropped my hand back to my side. I look at Black and said, "Thank you," as my teacher had taught me. Black looked at me with blank confusion and then with disdain. Ha. No one's ever thanked him for being a rude arsehole before. He probably thinks I'm some kind of masochist now. Idiot. I should hang out with the other Houses more. It's good for me to get another perspective. And more practice is always a good plan. I looked up at Black and mounted a late defense. "Not everyone gets to be smart, talented and pretty. Two out of three isn't bad, and it's more than you got." Black's defenses are impervious, of course. He laughed. "Which am I, then?" he said, "Pretty or talented?" Lupin leaned into the conversation. "What I find interesting is that you already know you're not smart," he said to Black. Black giggled. "I think I'm pretty. You're smart," he said to Lupin. "Maybe even talented, too." "Gee, thanks. But am I pretty?" asked Lupin dryly. "Eeennngh," said Black and shrugged. Potter, Pettigrew and Lily finally escaped the DADA class then and we collected together in the hallway among the milling students. "Hmmph," said Lupin. "Apparently some of us are scholars, some of us play Quidditch, and some of us just look good in tight pants." Black laughed at this and turned around and around, trying to get a good look at his own arse. Lupin rolled his eyes. Lily glanced at me and then looked away, blushing. Oh. My hand drifted up to the inside breast pocket of my robe which still held an anonymous love note with words both encouraging and complimentary. If only I could have a moment alone with her, without these loud imbeciles constantly getting in my way. But she's always surrounded by people. Could I get her attention despite that? I do think she likes me... I think... assuming it was her who wrote that poem... I don't know. They set off down the hall, and outsider though I was, I trailed after them listening to them discuss the idiocy of classes like History of Magic, Divination and Muggle Studies and how much they hated them. "I don't know about Muggle Studies," I said, "I rather like that thing we started reading the other day. Seemed to have some nice ideas in it. 'Two houses, both alike in dignity'..." Lily glanced back at me. "Er... Have you read the whole thing yet? Everybody dies." I looked at her in surprise. "What? Everybody?" "That's right. Romeo and Juliet both bite the big one. Everybody dies," she said. "Well, what about Mercutio, the cool best friend?" asked Remus, who was talking that class with me. "Dead. Stone dead. Everybody dies," said Lily. I said, "How completely useless. I do hope the next one is better. That one with the picture of the nicely dressed guy and the girl with the flowers and sopping wet dress on the cover, what about that one?" ".......Hamlet. Looking into my magic eightball, I see disappointment in your future. Sorry," she said. I jammed my hand into my pockets and growled, "Pettigrew is right. Muggle Studies sucks." Lily laughed. "Stick to Potions, Sev. You're not bad at Quidditch, either." I'd thought I was following them to the Dining Hall, but they passed right by that passageway. "Where are you all going?" I asked. Lily hand flew to her mouth. "Oh! Uh. We were going to sneak out to Hogsmeade and start the weekend early. Have butterbeer and fish and chips. Um. You wanna go?" The Marauders groaned and so, of course, I said yes. I even got I got to walk to the village by Lily's side. Hogsmeade was empty of students except for us and we easily found an empty booth at Rosmerta's. Lily slid onto the bench first. I swept past Potter and slid in next to Lily. Lupin pressed in next to me. Pettigrew, Potter and Black slid into the opposite seat. They ordered butterbeer and food and I listened to them casually badmouth my House in passing Quidditch conversation. Although the Slytherin Reserves had won our last game with the Gryffindor Reserves, the Slytherin Regulars had lost to the Gryffindors. Why can't we talk about something else? Bite your tongue, Sev. Think about the wriggly girl mashed against your leg. She really can't sit still at all, can she. Oooh. Don't think about that too much. Think about beer. Yum, beer! "Like it, eh?" said Lily. "It's all right. I've made better," I said. "You made butterbeer? In class?" she asked. "No, our Professor isn't quite that oblivious. I made it in the dorms. Under my bed." "Oh, don't be telling us about your swotty little personal projects. I don't want to know what's under your bed. Eeeew!" said Black. He's been sending digs my way all evening. "What is your problem, Black?" I said. | 