A/N: Thanks you all, very much for the positive reviews! I can feel the love! Oh, and I'll be acknowledging reviews next chapter. That is, if you review...

It had been a week since what Sirius had dubbed as "the garden incident". Lily had forgiven him for going off, her sensible side knowing that all he had said was true. James was still ignoring him, and still had not asked Lily out.

And Mia was completely ignoring him. He could see her go out of her way just to avoid him in the halls. In the past week his only contact with her had been eye contact during lunch. But he couldn't forget her kiss. And the fact that she had initiated it.

Through his sadness, he grinned at the thought.

"Find something funny about this potion Black?" Sirius turned around and came face to face with a sneering James.

He sighed. "James, will you just stop? We've been like brothers ever since we met. This is stupid to end it over a girl."

James said nothing.

"Oh come on! You haven't spoken to me civilly for a whole week. I miss you! I mean, sure Moony is a good guy, but nowhere near as cool as you."

"Hey!" Cried Remus indignantly, but not even bothering to look up from his work.

James scowled as he replied. "Well, you did ruin all my chances to ever get a date with Lily."

"Can't you get it through your thick skull," Sirius sighed, "that she actually likes you? She's just shy."

James wore a shocked expression on his face. 'What?"

"But behind the times, aren't you Prongs?" Remus turned around after finishing his last sentence with a flourish. "Of course she does you idiot."

Sirius laughed. "That was the whole bit I was yelling at her about in the gardens. Suppose you were just a bit shocked that I told her your little 'secret'."

James smiled, albeit reluctantly. "Fine, a truce."

Sirius sighed in relief. "Good." His face fell.

"What?" James and Remus said in unison as they looked at his stricken face with concern.

"Now I just have to get Mia to forgive me." Sirius pulled a face.

"Well, it happened once. Why not again?" Remus said logically.

"Because I was puking my guts out all over the gardens. And then she broke it off because she kiss me," he said bitterly.

"Women," said James as he shook his head. Neither of the other two boys could tell if that was a statement or an invitation for a rant so both of them faced the front of the room.

Only a few minutes later, the bell rang and a mad rush of students hurled themselves out of the door. James, Remus, and Sirius however lagged behind in order to talk alone before lunch.

"Now Padfoot, this is what you need to do," James was saying as they headed out the door.

"Oh my god! I'm taking advice from James," moaned Sirius to no one in particular.

"Are you sure that's wise?" Asked a bemused Remus.

"Probably will kill any of the few chances I have left."

"Why?" James looked highly affronted.

Sirius shook his head. "One word: Lily."

"Shut up mate. SO anyway, as I was saying, you've got to get the image of a womanizer out of her head."

"But I haven't gone out with anyone since-" Sirius' voice broke as he spoke softly.

"I know mate," said James sympathetically, "but I still think you have a chance with her. All you have to do is shower her with gifts and stuff like that. Girls love it."

Sirius looked at him, his eyebrows arched in surprise. "You know, that actually is a sound idea."

"For once," Remus added with a small grin.

"Oh gee, thanks," said James with mock anger.

Remus nodded. "Yeah, be her secret admirer for a while! She'd definitely like that."

Sirius nodded. "Blue moon. I think that would be perfect," he said as he stepped into the common room.

As soon as he caught sight of Mia sitting on one of the couches next to Lily, he snuck up to his dormitory and commenced phase one of his plan. Within five minutes he was downstairs with his friends, his hair windswept.

"Hey guys," he said nonchalantly as he sat down at the only available place on the couches: next to Mia. He couldn't help but notice that she scooted farther away from him as he sat down.

He sighed.

"You okay, dear?" Lily peered into his eyes with concern.

"I'm sure he's fine," snapped Mia. "Probably just sad that he got rid of one of his bimbos so quickly. It'll take him at least five minutes to find a new snog."

James sucked in his breath. "God Mia, what's you're problem?"

"You know very well what my problem is James," said Mia, turning her anger towards James, "you were there in the gardens."

"Mia, that was not his fault," Lily said softly.

"Oh fine, take his side." Mia threw herself back into the couch and crossed her arms.

Sirius got up. "I can't take it. I just can't take it anymore. You know very well that I haven't dated anyone this year. Haven't dated or snogged anyone since last year and I think that you damn well know why!"

Mia looked surprised. "Because of me, right?" She said bitingly. "Just saving yourself for the one girl you can't get. Want to make it an extra special experience?"

"You know very well I would never do that to you," said Sirius softly with his back turned to the group.

"Well what about all the other girls you've gotten into bed? What makes me so special?"

"I've never... effing... had a girl in bed," he said slowly, his face red with embarrassment.

'What?" Exclaimed Lily and Mia simultaneously.

"I'm an effing virgin, okay?"

"Yeah right," Mia mocked.

"You know what? If you can't believe me for just once on something this important, I don't want you. Go out with Remus for all I care-"

"Sirius!" Remus cried.

"Shut up, Moony, I'm not done." Sirius waved his friend's plea away as if it were a fly. "I don't want anything to do with you! I just want you to know that I loved you and I never," he turned red, "I never wanted anyone in bed except for you."

He turned around and stalked up the stairs rubbing his eyes brusquely.

"Wow," said Lily softly.

"Probably just lying," Mia scoffed, but in her heart, she knew it was true. She just couldn't like him. It just wasn't... right. It was a hard task just for her to be friends with him. (A/N: Vewy important in the next chapter.)

"Why the hell do you have to be so hard on him?" James finally seemed to explode. "I don't see why he likes you in the first place, what with you hating him and calling him a liar all the time. But he obviously does like you and you're just too thick to see it! I mean he's had a hard life. I don't see why he wastes his time on a person that doesn't love him. You- you, AARGH!"

He and Remus got up from the couches and went upstairs, only Remus throwing a pitying look toward Lily, while completely ignoring Mia.

"I have been an enormous ass, haven't I?" Lily looked over towards Mia nodding and saw that tears had spilled over and down her cheeks.

"Yes," she said, "but I was too with James. But Sirius sounded really... serious when he said that he was over you."

"Thanks Lily, that's just what I wanted to hear."

"Well I wouldn't be a friend if I wasn't honest. Your really have to do something, quick."

Mia nodded. "I'm gonna go upstairs and write him a letter."

"Good idea."

Lily and Mia made their way up the stairs. From the inside of their room they hear soft bumpings and mutterings.

Lily furrowed her brow. "I didn't see Alice coming upstairs."

"It can't be Alice," said Mia, "the voice is too low."

Lily shrugged and pushed open the door. "Sirius?" She cried in shock.

Sirius looked up guiltily, his dark cheeks stained with tears. "I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't be here but-" He broke off when he saw Mia, looking very guilty with his hand on something on her bed.

"What are you doing?" She demanded.

"I'm leaving now," he said sullenly and turned around, the thing still clutched in his hand.

"Leave whatever you have in your hand," she ordered coldly. To her surprise, Sirius complied, and tears began running down his cheeks.

"Bye Lils," he called as he mounted his broom and flew out the window.

Mia picked up the letter and began to read,

'Dearest Mia,

I know that we have not have the best relationship and I'm almost positive you hate me; I really want to work this out with you. I just want it out in the open that I've always been attracted to you. And now... Now I think I might love you. Though I doubt I'll ever have the chance to talk to you about it since you'll hate me after reading this. And I would be too shy. Which is weird, because I'm not shy.

But anyway, I just wanted you to know how much you mean to me. I even love the way you sing.'

Mia laughed at that. Last year he had caught her singing in the prefect bathroom. She hated her voice, but he insisted it was great and constantly teased her about it.

'I hope that you can forgive me,' the letter went on, 'and just give me one date. I know I'll probably end up with a broken eardrum or a red face when you read this, but please at least consider it. I mean it is our last year. After this, you'll never have to see me again.

'But I'll settle for no date just as long as you're content with knowing that I love you.

Love Always,

Sirius Black'

"What did it say?" Lily asked after Mia looked up. She only then realised that tears were streaming down her face. But she was laughing as well. Guess that was due to the old Sirius charm.

"It's personal," Mia said quietly, "I'm sorry. I hope you can understand."

Lily nodded. "It's okay. But if you've forgiven him, I think you should go say something to him."

Mia broke into a smile. "Yeah. I'll be back. Don't wait up."

---

Mia nearly flew down the stairs into the common room, having expected to have to go up to his dorm to find Sirius. However, luck was on her side and the common room was completely empty except for Sirius.

"Hi."

He turned around slowly and blinked as if surprised to see her. "Hi," he replied unsteadily back, not sure of how he should react.

She smiled slightly and sat next to him on the couch. "We're going about this all wrong," she said lamely.

He carefully placed his hand on her knee. He had a strange look in his eye, one she didn't like.

"What?"

He continued looking at her. "I- I really don't know what to say. I was fairly sure I made it clear that what little we had between us was over." He swallowed hard after he said that and clamped his mouth shut as if trying to repress other words that were struggling to come out.

Tears of desperation stung her eyes. She blinked them away and struggled to keep her voice and emotions in check.

"Please don't let it be like this Sirius. I said I was sorry."

He looked pained. "I know, but you didn't realise how much pain you've caused me. I- I can't just forget that."

She clutched part of his robe in her fist. "Please don't say that."

Sirius looked at her with the strange look again, but did not reply.

Mia struggled to keep her breathing down to small gasps, desperately avoiding the upsurge of panic welling up inside of her. She choked back a wail, but she couldn't stop the tears from falling down her face. Her words came choked with desperate tears. She could do no more than beg. "Please forgive me. I- I love you."

He looked up in shock. "Really?"

"Yes, ever since I first saw you," she admitted while furiously blushing.

"Then why did you hate me so much?"

She looked on the verge of telling something important, but her face fell and she said, rather lamely, "You were such a womanizer."

"I thought that you of all people would have disregarded the rumours." Sirius peered intently into her eyes. "But there's something else you're not telling me... What?"

"Well," she gulped nervously, "I was always... afraid of you."

"Me! Why?"

"Well, more of your family. I just naturally assumed you were like them."

"Oh thanks," he said darkly, "you and everyone else on the face of the earth."

"Sirius!" She cried, "Shut up! This is already really hard as it is. You have no idea how hard it was to even be around you, let alone being friends... Or a girlfriend."

"But you're still not telling me WHY." Sirius was impatient.

"Well, do you remember the couple at your father's business meeting the first year that we went to Hogwarts?"

His eyes widened. "You mean the ones who di-"

"Don't say it, please don't say it!" She gripped his fist tight with trembling fingers as she looked into his eyes.

"But they were..." Sirius began, his eyes widening.

"My parents." She sagged against him with a sob.

He hardly seemed to notice her though as he stood up and began pacing. Mia nervously twined her fingers together as tears dripped down her face, all intentions of not crying having been thrown out the window a long time ago. She untwined her hands again and pressed her hands against her stomach, trying to suppress the nauseous feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"I hate the," he said vehemently, "I'm glad that I'll never have anything to do with them again. No matter how much they push me into becoming a death eater."

Mia gasped at his words. "But you aren't--?"

"No," he said immediately, "of course not. Which is why they're still on me about it."

"Such a horrible family," Mia muttered numbly.

"So that was why you seemed surprised and happy that I had been disowned?" He asked finally.

"Yes, it made me feel better about being friends with you, because I knew you were good," she sniffled miserably.

Finally Sirius seemed to notice the state she was in. He knelt down in front of her, silently and gently wiping the tears from her face. When she had calmed down a little he nervously asked, "Why?"

---

A/N: Ooh, wouldn't you like to know! Wow, this was pretty long. Longer than expected at least. Oh yeah, please review and all that jazz!!!