With the full moon approaching, Sirius had cause to keep himself busy. Which was just as well since he and Ava managed to avoid each other somehow. Lily talked to James on their patrol nights, but stayed with her group at meals. Things were going adequately enough, but not as smooth as they could be, but on the other hand not as roughly as they could be either.
Lily watched as the four marauders headed out the door late one night as time was creeping closer to curfew. While it was not quite time for them to all be inside their houses, it was odd to be going out as it was approaching. Lily recalled seeing this, she had seen them do it before, and they always seem to be back in time. Or at least she thought. Maybe they came in when she was busy. It didn't really matter; they were strange. If they were up to no good, the teachers would catch them.
Lily turned back to the fire, stretching her hands out and watching the way the light shined though the space between her fingers. She found her mind drifting back to James. He had been talking about Hogsmeade some days ago and had seemed on the verge of asking her to go with him. But then Sirius and Ava had a fall out and distracted them and the entire house. James brought up Hogsmeade a few days later on patrol and finally asked her. She had regarded him for sometime before giving her answer. Mostly to watch his anticipation, she paused beforehand.
She knew he was a good guy down deep, but she hadn't approved of the way he hexed and played pranks on people, especially Severus in the past. He had changed over the past few years, though, in a positive way. Just last week in Potions she saw him ignore Severus' remark on his flop of a potion. She knew it had taken a lot for him to walk away. The potion was chicken-scratched up on the board and very hard to read. Their professor said they should have had that brew memorized by now and had docked Gryffindore twenty-five points for the entire house's overall less-than standard concoctions.
That hadn't been the first instance Lily had seen. Taking this all in to account though, she had decided to accept James offer finally. They did have some wonderful talks at night walking around the castle, just the two of them. Lily stopped herself. Here she was calling him James in her mind! Things sure could change on a girl.
Ava walked in as the clock struck curfew hour. Lily woke up from her daydream as Ava plunked down in a chair next to Lily and groaned with her head back. "Never again am I going to partner with Dena."
Lily gave her an innocent questioning look. Ava rolled her eyes and tossed a pillow at her. Lily chuckled as she caught it. "And why is that? Could it be you didn't learn your lesson from the last time?"
"Yeah, maybe." Ava patronized Lily. "Maybe it has something to do with the fact I was in Madame Pomfrey's getting the Calabator's thorn out from my hand-the Calabator that you dropped into my lap. 'oh look, he's so cute'. So yeah I'm stinging, bleeding and come back to class to find that Professor Makepeace has assigned the only person without a partner, our dear Dena, to me! And you get Sweet William, fair is the devil's game." Ava finished out of breath and with a huff, arms crossed in a frustration that was mainly just for fun and show.
"Well, Sweet William," she laughed at their nickname for the cute classmate, "did ask about you. Wanted to make sure you were ok and all."
Ava rolled her eyes. William was just that, sweet. But that didn't mean she wanted his endearing attention. "Joy."
Lily couldn't figure her new friend out. They got along quite well, but when it came to guys, she was quite aloof. Feeling the pumpkin juice from dinner, Lily went out on a limb. "Not interested?"
"What?" Ava asked her, distractedly looking back up at her.
"Not interested in William?"
"Why do a guy and gal have to be dating, what's wrong with being just friends?"
"What's wrong with dating?" Lily countered her, trying to get to the bottom of this. James had mentioned Sirius when they had talked last. Not that Sirius knew that, but James personally had wondered at Ava's aloofness. Which in turn had started Lily wondering as well.
"I'm just not here for it." Ava shrugged. "Yeah it's great to meet new people, but it's so early in the year, none of the guys really even know me."
"You haven't given them the chance." Lily braced herself as she spoke, unsure of her friend's reaction.
Ava just sighed and looked at her friend helplessly. She had a slight frown on her face. "I just have issues I need to work through."
"Oh." Lily simply left it at that.
*(~)*(~)*
Lily didn't see the four boys for a couple of days except for class. The Hogsmeade trip was this weekend, and to be honest with herself, she was excited. Finding James in the hallway after transig she stopped him. "Heading to lunch?"
"Of course, want to keep up the energy and all."
He sat with her at lunch and they discussed their plans for the weekend. His marauders sat a few seats down from him trying to give him some privacy. He smiled to himself and nodded at whatever Lily was saying.
After lunch was finished, he escorted her to her next class up in the North hall, the opposite end from his next class. He carried her books like a vintage gentleman and handed them back to her as the reached the door to her class.
"Do you want to study with me tonight? My usual partners have… other plans." Lily asked him with a smile.
Tonight was the last night for the full moon. He had his obligations. "Tonight I'm promised to detention," he lied. Tomorrow though he would be free, he picked up her hand, "But tomorrow, I am all yours." He kissed her hand.
"All right than." Lily gave him a smile and nod and walked into her class. James watched for a second, and gave a turn. He took two regular steps away from the door and then sprinted across the grounds to his next class.
The next night James found Lily sitting in a fluffy chair not in front of the fire and not at a desk. He tried to walk nonchalantly to the chair next to her. Remus watched this and snickered to himself over the way James could be a complete idiot when it came to Lily. Peter caught Remus's eyes and stole a glance at the two and burst into a fit of giggles as well. Sirius picked up his head and looked over but still remained quiet. He crossed his arms.
"Lighten up, Padfoot" Remus said elbowing Sirius in the ribs. Sirius grunted in response.
"Hmph. You didn't get blamed for substituting that greasy prat's dragonfly wings for horsefly's. The hits I take for this team, you all should be grateful," he stuck his tongue out. "Prongs trying to get in Lily's brain over there. Good luck, mate."
"Aw, you just say that because you're getting ready to go clean the dungeon with your tongue and are mad at the fact that Proffie-cakes blamed you and not James." Peter teased. "Because after all he was the one who did it." Peter couldn't help but snigger.
"Bloody ungrateful I'm telling you…" Sirius grumbled half-heartedly as he stood to leave. They were right of course. How many times had James or one of the others taken the fall for one of their pranks? Sirius had just been in a lousy mood the past week or so.
He walked out the portrait gate, and stopped before making the trek down to the dungeons. He stretched and cracked his back. The porthole opened behind him and someone bumped him slightly, apologized and walked on ahead of him. He recognized that dark chestnut hair. He jogged up to her from behind.
"Where you headed?" he questioned, surprised at the fact she was leaving.
"Detention." Ava said simply, turning to look at him for a second then walking on. They had managed to ignore the night from a few days ago and either avoid each other, or be cordial when the need called. This was the first time they had really talked to each other in a few days. Neither seemed hindered by the past.
"What?" he stammered incredulously. "You have detention? From who?"
Ava sighed and rolled her head back turning it to the side to look at him. An amused grin danced on her face. She strung her words out at the dislike of the man. "Professor Raddick."
"No." Sirius smiled disbelieving. "What did you do?"
"I sort of, well," She paused sheepishly, then launching into a huge explanation. "He has that whole profanity rule, right? Well I went well above and beyond the call of duty." She slapped her hands together sending one ahead of her. She ran her hand through her hair, pulling it back, "I was talking with Lily and some Slytherins walked up from behind us and started some 'verbal dispersal', you could call it, and Lily and I got in a fight with them, wands out and all.
"So they called Lily a mudblood. She can manage her own, I know, but it pissed me off. I mean, what right do they have to call her that? But, anyway, before the spells could fly I told Bellatrix it was better to have mud in the blood than in the brain." Ava start snickering, Sirius was hiding a grin. "I also called her a few choice words I picked up from my muggle cousins, I'm half and half that's why she pissed me off, and that when Raddick walked up behind me and gave me detention for three days, fortunately today's my last."
She stopped at the bottom of the stairs on the fifth floor. Sirius looked over the balcony down to the main floor; he would have much further to go down. He looked back at her, smiling. "Could be worse."
"True. But luckily he gave me dets with Filch. Get this, he said 'young ladies shouldn't say things so foul and dirt was better left in the bathroom' and that I could spend the time cleaning the fifth floor bathrooms for Filch to spend an adequate time with the filth to appreciate having a clean mouth and vocabulary." Ava rolled her eyes. She looked at him, narrowing her eyes. "What about you?"
"Raddick," Sirius smiling with a knowing nod. "Got blamed for a prank." She raised an eyebrow at him. "Yes, I know, I deserved it. Probably."
She looked down the fifth floor hallway. "Guess I'll see you later."
"Yeah," he agreed awkwardly. "Oh and Filch, he's a push over. Just brush off whatever he says like you're bored and he'll eventually get so mad he'll leave in a fit and let you work in peace."
Ava laughed, walking away she considered this. That git had been standing over her shoulders the past two days pointing all the things out she did wrong. Like use a straight brushing rhythm instead of circular. 'You wouldn't brush your own teeth that shabbily' he grouched. What a jerk. She would certainly use Sirius' advice tonight.
He watched her walk down the hallway for a moment and then descended the remaining five floors to the base level, and down a few more flights to the dungeons. He thought about how pleasant their conversation had been. Ava was even more enjoyable, brilliant and funny when he wasn't trying to hit on and compliment her. And Bellatrix, well she probably- no, definitely- did deserve it, the wanker.
::Yea, they're talking again! Seems a little too easy to me, but they both said they were grown ups and could handle being civilized to each other, 'like adults'. So okay. I'm just telling their story that's all. I am having such a good time writing this, the chapters are coming out fast, every few days or so. I get an idea and getting running with it, otherwise it will runaway and I'll lose it. So enjoy folks! (Oh P.S.- for all you Sirius fans out there sorry for the James Lily bits but I'm trying to see if I can handle more than one plot at a time. But don't worry Sirius is my main concern!!)
Thanks to all my wonderful readers!! You guys are the best!!
bboo- Thanks, I guess I'll take that as a compliment.
Nik- You're fabulous, thanks for all the support.
LuvAsInfinity- I'm trying to get this out as fast as I can write it! Love the face.
Marieke – Sirius IS great. Very fun to write too.
The all mighty and powerful*M-hehehe, love the name. Keep readin'!
Klo – Regulus, yes he would be fun to bring in to it!
Pixie – cliff hangers are annoying but, hey, that's what they're there for. Sirius would so never beg for a girl, but his eyes…they're another story. They give it all away.
Lola Grace-Thank you very much. I get confused too when people rush things too fast. Slow and steady and painful, but things need to happen right.
Thank you all again!!