~*~Author's Note~*~  Hey everyone!  It hasn't been as long a break between chapters this time thanks to one Evelyn Entwistle (a.k.a Evie Who), who makes the world go round..  To her I'd just like to say, "Nnnnyyuuehkh!"  which is Yak for, "Thanks for letting me fulfill my life-long dream of staying up all night, inventing a new language, waking up your roommate at various hours of the morning, and writing two totally awesome stories!"  Go us!

CHAPTER 5: UNDER THE WILLOW TREE

            P.S.  Things in single quotations are thoughts.

            After breakfast, James walked Luna to her Defense Against the Dark Arts class.  They hadn't spoken much since Sirius had left the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall.  Luna walked with a semi-perplexed expression on her face.  James, who had his arm around her waist, gave her a quick squeeze and asked, "What's the matter?"

            "Nothing," she replied, quickly plastering a fake smile on her face.  She didn't want him to ask too many questions, for she felt she might cry.  'It has only been two days and already he's looking at other girls?  What's wrong with me?  Did I do something wrong?  Am I not pretty enough?  That girl he was looking at during breakfast isn't NEARLY as pretty as I am…  Is she?'

            They stopped outside the class room and he gave her a quick peck on the cheek before walking off to History of Magic.  Luna ran into the class room, sat down in her seat and burst into tears.

            James ran into History of Magic a little late and sat down next to Remus.  He was still angry with Sirius and refused to be near the babbling buffoon at that moment.  He was surprised to see Remus sitting with Katerina.  The Marauders had nothing against Katerina, but they weren't the best of friends of either.  She and her friend, Zahra, were just acquaintances, really.  James looked over at Sirius who was seemingly trying to suppress a fit of laughter, despite the fact that he was sitting next to Lindsey, and then at Lily who wore an odd expression on her face and was (for some reason unbeknownst to him) waving hem over.

            "Mr. Potter,: said Professor Binns in his usual monotonous tone, "had you arrived on time today, like the rest of your classmates seem to have managed, you would have known that you are working on your goblin rebellion projects today.  Everyone is sitting with their partners."

            Blushing, James stood up and walked over to Lily and plopped down next to her.  She was writing down notes in more loopier handwriting than usual, and in pink ink.  He notice her dot her "I"s with miniature hearts and in one corner of her parchment her even saw a heart encompassing the initials "L. E." and "S. B."  His blood began to boil.  Not only was Sirius just using this girl to get at him, but she was falling madly in love with him at the same time and her didn't even care.  It was all a game to him.  James had never realised how cruel Sirius could be before.

            "So, Lily," he said, trying to get back on her good side, "feeling better today?"

            "Very much so, thank you," she chirped in reply, now starting to bullet her notes with hearts as well.

            "And what has you so happy this lovely morning?  You weren't so cheerful yesterday."

            Her eyes darkened for a second, perhaps remembering the incident with Derek, but they slowly returned to their former bright state.  "Well," she said lowering her voice and titling her head in, as if she were about to tell her best friend the newest piece of gossip.  She hesitated, but James played along and raised his eyebrows, prompting her to continue.  "If you must know—"

            "Oh I must!" he exclaimed in a Southern accent he had heard somewhere in London.

            "Shh!  If you must know…"  She looked at him; hanging on the edge of his seat, listening to her every word. Then she remembered the other day and realised she was still a bit cross with him about the incident with Lindsey and then him ditching their study session.  "I'm not going to tell you."

            He almost fell off his chair.

            "Now get to work!" she commanded.

            "We've got all year to dot his, Lily," he whined, reminding Lily of her younger sister.

            "And this is practically the only in-class time we-re going to get, so let's make the most of it!"

            "Only if you tell me why your head is in the clouds and you've written little pink hearts all over your parchment."

            She blushed and said, "Fine.  I'm going to the lake with Sirius for lunch.  Are you happy?  Now work!" she finished with a smile curling on her lips.

            He was so angry her turned around and glared at what used to be his best mate.  "You know, Lily," he virtually shouted.  Sirius jerked his head up and glared at James.  Was he going to ruin it?  With just one look, James confirmed Sirius' worst fears.  He quickly started scratching away on a piece of parchment.  James continued, "Sirius only invited you to the lake because—"

            He was cut short by Sirius hitting him square in the eye with a piece of parchment.  He uncrumpled the paper in a fury; almost ripping it in two.

            Nice try James, but I already have her under my spell.  The Black magic always works, you know that.  – Sirius

            "See?" said James, trying to show Lily the note.

            "James, I don't want to see what you and your friends are writing in your little notes, so could we please work?" she begged.

            He tried to shove the note right in her gave, but with a flick of his wand Sirius disintegrated it, turning it into dust on her paper

            "James!" Lily cried, exasperated.  "You've gotten my notes all messy!  This is getting ridiculous!"

            But James wouldn't stop.  "Sirius is going to—"

            But just then the bell rang, signaling for the students to move on to their next class.

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            Leaning against the wall; Sirius waited for Lily in the entrance hall.  He watched person after person enter the Great Hall for lunch.  Some of them, mostly Slytherins, gave him funny looks.

            Lily came lightly down the Grand Staircase in different robes than she had been wearing that morning.  She had run up to Gryffindor tower and changed into her signature Hogwarts robes.  Last year she had gotten tired of everyone wearing the same old thing and seceded that she didn't want to be another face in the crowd.  She had visited a tailoring shop in Hogsmeade and gotten some trim that she put around the cuffs and hem.  It was red with glittering lions that would burst into a cloud of glitter every so often and reconvene to make the word Gryffindor.

            Her hair was half up and she had, for once, just let her natural curls hang around her porcelain face.  She rally wanted to look special.  For some reason she felt a real connection with Sirius.  She couldn't really understand it though; a week before she had been quite indifferent to him, but now?  Now her was all she could think about.

            As she reached him, Sirius gave a mini-bow, took her hand and kissed it like a gentleman.

            "Shall we?" he asked.

            "Oh, e shall," she giggled with a mischievous grin.

            They walked out the doors and into the brisk November air.  It was surprisingly warm for so late in the year.  Many students took advantage of that, however, and one could see groups of kids playing Quidditch or picnicking.  Sirius led her down to the lake and to a big weeping willow tree.  He hesitated before parting the curtain of leaves surrounding the tree.  He had had too many close calls with the Whomping Willow, and, frankly, he was becoming a bit dendraphobic.  They stepped under the shelter of the tree and became engulfed in what seemed like a world of their own.

            They could see most of the Hogwarts grounds and had a breathtaking lakefront view, but what Sirius liked most about this place was that no one from the outside could see in.  They sat there for a while, people watching.  The watched, for a while, a group of second years practising the Wronski Feint and other such tactics.  Lily looked away after one boy crashed into the ground for the second time.  They saw a group of "ickle-firsties," as Sirius called them, dancing around the Whomping Willow, seeing who could get the closest without losing an eye.  They also saw a bunch of sixth years sitting in a circle with an odd puff of smoke emitting from the centre.  Lily laughed as something caught her eye.  She turned and saw two fifth years who had high jacked a boat and were snogging in the middle of the lake.  Professor McGonagall was standing at the shore shouting herself hoarse about how many detentions they were getting.

            "Sirius," she said laughing and pointing, "look at that couple snogging on the lake!"

            She turned her head to look at him, but he caught her by surprise and kissed her softly.

            "Lily?" he whispered when they broke away.

            "Hmm?" she mumbled airily.

            "Will you be my girlfriend?"

            *A/N*  Reviewing: the great FanFiction.net pastime.  You know you love to do it, and I know I love to read them and find out that people actually read what I write!!!  Thanks a pantload!