A/N: Ok, I'm finally reading the fifth book of HP (thanks to a wonderful friend of mine who was kind enough to let me borrow hers – and yes, I am taking VERY good care of the book!) and due to this the writing of this chapter has been much delayed. For some strange reason, I haven't been getting many reviews, so I'm thinking of maybe stopping writing… only a review can save my story, so get typing!
Despite the on-coming Christmas holidays, James insisted on continuing with Quidditch practice before the rest of the team went home. All four the Marauders, Lily, Jess and Kat were staying for the holidays.
So, the Gryffindor Quidditch team found themselves practising one Wednesday evening under a cloudy sky. James had been moaning that the team wasn't working together well enough, and thus, he had decided to make them change places for a few practices in order to "walk a mile in the other's shoes"
Kat found herself in a position as a Beater, something she did not enjoy at all. She kept on wanting to grab the Quaffle and score a goal, but whenever she did try, either a Bludger or James got in her way.
The rest of the team was not faring much better than she was, with Sirius trying to hit the Quaffle instead of scoring with it, and Cass trying to keep players from scoring instead of minding the Snitch. It was a disaster, and they all knew it.
Getting highly frustrated with having to watch out for the damn Bludgers the whole time, Kat decided to take out her excess emotions on the hurtling balls instead of her team mates. Seeing one of the balls zooming her way near the end of practice, she flew straight at the ball and hit it with all her might, not really caring where it went.
"Watch the hell out!" Sirius called as the Bludger come rushing towards him and Cass, who were taking a break from the action without James seeing them, and they scattered. Sirius turned away just too slowly, and the Bludger grazed by his shoulder, making him yelp in pain.
Cursing in an incessant stream, he landed swiftly an the others followed, most barely trying to contain their laughter. The Bludger had not hit hard enough to even hurt Sirius more than remotely, but in true Black fashion, he was making a scene.
"Are you trying to kill me, you stupid cow?" He burst out as Kat landed beside him.
"It's a bummer I missed, wouldn't you say?" Kat replied with a cold gaze to Sirius, while the others laughed. They were used to the fights that permanently broke out between the two.
"You should be proud of yourself, Hale, at least this time you managed to actually hit the Bludger instead of just thin air." Sirius gave her a mean smile.
"Ooh, and you thought of a reply to my gibe!" Kat shot, eyes flashing.
James rolled his eyes and shook his head. Everyone knew better than to try and stop a fight between the two when it had started in a full swing. One by one the rest of the Gryffindors all started to drift back to the castle, knowing that Kat and Sirius would vent their anger and then both stomp back to the dormitories; it was scene that had become quite frequent in the last few weeks.
"You are such a self-centred, arrogant, feeble-minded bitch!" Sirius shot at a stage, trying to ignore the thin sheet of rain that had suddenly started to fall.
"I'm self-centred?" Kat folded her arms across her chest, raising an eyebrow. "I'm not the one that throws a fit every time things don't go my way, nor do I hate people for months and months simply because they accidentally took my seat!"
"I don't hate you!" Sirius yelled back. "Merlin, I thought you knew that by now!"
"You sure as hell have a good way of showing that you don't." With a tone as dry as the desert, Kat stood, hands on hips.
"And you aren't exactly Miss-Be-My-Friend-I-Am-So-Nice, yourself! On top of that, you're blind as a rock when it comes to other people."
One slender eyebrow climbed higher as Kat regarded the boy before her. "What does -that- mean?"
Sirius shut his mouth with a snap; clearly he had not meant to say that. "Nothing." He growled.
"What?" Kat pursed her lips, glaring at him. "You are not backing out of this one."
"I just meant that you are such an Ice Queen that you won't even notice an interested guy until he drops himself into your lap." Sirius dropped his gaze and kicked at a tuft of grass.
"And pray, do tell me who this interested guy is, Sirius, because he hasn't been very good at showing his interest." She hardly seemed to notice that she had used his first name.
"Perhaps he is just scared of rejection." Shrugging, Sirius looked up, all traces of anger gone from his face. "I mean, he is used to having pretty much every girl he wants, and then he met one he couldn't have… which was kind of strange for him."
"Well, if he is such a stud, how can I turn him down?" Kat mocked, starting to gather an idea about who the interested guy was.
"So you would not object if he did this?" In one smooth movement, Sirius took a step closer to Kat and slid his one hand around her waist, the other hand reaching up to brush a strand of damp hair from her face.
"No." Kat smiled slightly and tilted her head to the side. "But I might if he makes me stand in the rain much longer."
Sirius glanced up rather sheepishly before his gaze returned to level with hers. "Then he will have to get on with it, won't he?" A lopsided smile formed on his lips as he pulled her even closer to him, so that she could feel his breath on her cheek.
"Yes, I would advise him to get a move on." She didn't get a chance to say anything else, for his lips met hers in a kiss that would change her life.
They strolled into the Common Room hand in hand, broad smiles mirrored on their faces even though they were dripping water all over the floor.
Peter was the first one to see them, and his jaw dropped. Remus blinked, James dropped the book he was doing homework out of with a thud, Lily and Jess let out a collective squeal and the rest of the students burst into applause.
Shooting a mischievous glance at all those present, Kat gave Sirius a kiss on the cheek before making her way up the stairs to the girl's room, Lily and Jess at her heals.
"Oh my soul!" Jess squealed as she dropped down on her bed, eyes fixed on Kat. "Oh my living soul!"
"When… how?" Lily started, and sat down beside Jess.
"We had a fight out on the Quidditch pitch which ended with him kissing me." Kat shrugged while the other girls both jumped up, yelling at the top of their lungs and bouncing around like hyper-active rabbits before catching Kat in a big group hug.
"Why didn't you tell us you had a thing for him?" Lily asked when they had all calmed down and Kat had changed into dry clothes.
"Because I didn't know." Sinking down unto her bed, Kat vainly tried to stop smiling, but failed horribly. "I mean, I've always been a pretty big player and all, so I just hope he can keep it interesting enough…"
Lily and Jess shot each other sidelong glances. "He will." They said together, grinning like mad.
"Sirius has always been the player in Hogwarts, you know, the one all girls wish they could tame but none could?" Jess replied with a smirk in Lily's direction, making her friend flush a light pink.
Kat didn't notice. For the first time in years, she was truly happy.
In the boy's dormitory a very similar scene was play itself out.
"So, you finally asked her out, Padfoot old man?" James asked as he closed the door behind Peter.
"We told you she'd say yes." Peter piped, even though they all knew he had sat quietly in the corner when they had that conversation.
Remus nodded and chucked a pillow at his fellow Marauder. "This is so cool. All we need now is a girlfriend for Peter, and the Marauders will all be officially taken!"
Pressing his hand against his forehead, Sirius pretended to swoon. "Oh, by tomorrow this time the crying of hundreds of women will be heard through these halls. They will all be mourning the fact that the sexiest man in school is taken." He grinned as the others pelted him with pillows. "Oh, all right, one of the sexiest men in school."
"That's better." James growled and lay back on his bed as Sirius changed into dry robes. "When's the next full moon, Moony?" Peter piped, seemingly having found that he was being ignored as the other three all sank down into their own thoughts.
"In about three more weeks." Remus replied with a grin. "Right in the middle of Christmas holidays."
James and Sirius cheered and Peter nodded.
"You think we'll be able to get out without the girls noticing?" James asked when he and Sirius had finally stopped their racket.
Remus and Sirius snorted. "We've never been caught before, have we?" Sirius said in an offended tone. "I can't see why THEY would even notice us leaving." He shrugged.
"Have you told Jess that you are a werewolf yet?" James asked Remus, a small frown between his brow. Sirius was busy rummaging through one of his trunks, humming loudly to himself as he looked for a clean pair of sock.
Rolling his eyes at Padfoot's behaviour, Remus shook his head. "No, I haven't – I was thinking of doing it this holiday."
"Are you sure that is such a good idea?" Peter asked, one pudgy fist closed around a chocolate frog.
"I can't not tell her…" Remus said, a pained expression on his face. "Don't laugh, guys, but I… I think I really love Jess."
A silence fell over the room as the other three took in their friend's words. Then, as one, they all started whooping. "That is great!" Sirius cried as he jumped on Remus, grabbing his friend in a bear hug. Peter and James both blinked at the sight and decided that Sirius's relationship with Kat must have addled his brains (which, in their opinion, had never been very sound to begin with).
"Gerr'off me!" Remus cried in a strangled voice. "I'm not a teddy-bear, Sirius! You've got a girlfriend to hug to death now, remember?"
Grinning, Sirius stepped back from his friend. "I am sorry, but that was just such a classic moment – you declaring your undying love for the woman of your heart…"A pillow hit him squarely on the jaw just as he was about to say something more.
"Shut up!" Remus growled.
"Yes, shut up, Sirius. You're making a fool out of yourself here…" James teased.
"Love makes fools of us all!" Sirius declared in a sing-song tone and disappeared out of the door, seemingly immune to the groans of his friends.