In this chapter I apologize for my inconsistencies with the books yet again- please forgive me, canon fans! I don't remember if Sirius played Quidditch or not during his school days but now he does. And technically this story is taking place in the marauders' sixth year, but I can't even remember any of the spells they were supposed to be learning in fifth year so I'm just going to have them be working on random things from previous years (nope, I don't have my own copy of OotP, and that is why I need a job!) and frankly I am too lazy to worry about OWLS and whatnot. So yes, as usual, hope you readers of fanfiction can put up with my ineptitude.

Also, I have no knowledge of astronomy whatsoever, so don't expect any of the rubbish I write about that to be even remotely accurate. Just so you know.

And now I must warn you all that I probably won't be updating this story very soon. For you see, most of my time and energy is spent keeping the dread monster School at bay in the feared realm of Reality, so I haven't had much time to be dallying at Hogwarts. And my muse has been stubbornly silent of late. ::shakes fist at muse:: But don't worry- I swear this story will not die; I will play it out until the end!

Chapter Three- Accio

Two weeks passed, late September passing smoothly into early October, and Lydia had no further troubles with Lucius Malfoy, though she was sure her little stunt was neither forgiven nor forgotten. Humiliating him like she had was not going to be easily overlooked and Lydia knew it, but she wasn't overly worried. She had her new friends with her.

Lydia and the marauders had been getting on more than well these last two weeks. She enjoyed the antics of James and the attention given her by Sirius (as any girl in her right mind would) but still couldn't figure out the reason behind Remus's continued animosity. He had lightened up a little as time went on, but he seemed nowhere near as comfortable around her as James and Sirius. But Lydia just couldn't fathom exactly why he disliked her so much.

Quidditch season was starting soon, and Sirius and James had extra practices for their first match against Hufflepuff, leaving Remus and Lydia alone most of the time.

Such was the case one bleak and rainy Thursday night. Lydia and Remus were both seated on slightly squashed armchairs before the fire in the commonroom, each absorbed in their own homework, and not having too easy of a time with it.

Lydia, in particular, was having a near impossible effort of getting a Summoning Charm to work. Try as she might the book across the room she was trying to draw would not budge.

"Accio! Accio I said Accio, damn you!" Finally she threw down her wand in disgust, then looked up to see Remus watching her over the edge of his book, his face hidden.

"What?" she demanded irritably.

"I wasn't laughing at you," he said quickly, seeming to read her thoughts.

"Well… good," she replied lamely. She slumped back into her chair, heaving a great sigh.

"I know how you feel," Remus muttered, slamming his book shut, parchment still inside, and dropping it carelessly on the floor.

"What were you working on?" Lydia asked casually, though inwardly she was actually cheering; this was the most- and most civilly -Remus had ever spoken to her. Perhaps he didn't hate her as much as she feared.

"Astronomy," he answered glumly. "I can handle all my other classes except the one about the moon and stars." He gave a dry little laugh. "Ironic, really."

Lydia thought for a moment. "How is it ironic?"

"Never mind," Remus answered, looking away. More silence followed. Finally Lydia cleared her throat slightly.

"You know, Astronomy is about the only class that comes easily to me here," she alleged. "I could help you- if that's okay," she added quickly. Remus eyed her carefully. "And you could… possibly… help me with my Charms and Transfiguration- but you don't have to!" She looked at Remus anxiously. She didn't want to push her luck with his good humor.

"Okay," Remus said slowly, seeming to still be thinking. "Yeah, alright."

"Excellent!" Lydia said, beaming. "It's a deal then?" She held out her hand for Remus to shake in mock formality. He looked at her hand, then stood up quickly and cleared his throat.

"Well, better get started then," he said briskly, reaching into his robes for his wand. Lydia's face fell as she drew her hand away, feeling quite stupid.

"Now what you have to remember with the Summoning Charm," he went on, "is diction and enunciation. Come on now, pick up your wand, and do as I do."

Lydia did as she was told, picking up her wand and going to stand next to him. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye to see that she was ready. When he saw that she was he set his sights on a piece of parchment on a table in the corner of the commonroom.

"Watch closely. Accio!"

And as if attached to a fishing line Remus was reeling in, the parchment flew directly into his hand.

"See? Nothing to it," he said, setting the parchment on his chair.

"Easier said than done, I'm afraid," Lydia muttered. But still, she aimed her wand at the book still unmoved from her previous attempts and tried again. "Accio!" The book did not move. She looked at Remus as if to say, "See?"

"You said it just fine that time, but you've got the wand movement all wrong," Remus said. "Now try to move your wand as I do." Lydia watched Remus's hand closely, raising her own and trying to replicate its motion.

"No- no, not like that, the other way…" Remus tried, watching Lydia's efforts. "Still no… no- here." Finally he leaned across and seized her hand, moving it in the proper pattern for her. "Got that?" He looked her in the eye and stopped dead; it finally hit him how close they were. Oh he had not wanted this at all.

However, as his heart sped up most unwillingly, Lydia simply gave him a strange look and cocked her head slightly, wondering what on earth he was staring at.

"Now you try it," he said quickly, dropping her wrist with haste. Lydia focused on the book still sitting mockingly motionless across the room. She was going to get it this time; she was going to get it!

"Accio!"

Nothing happened.

"Just try again," Remus said encouragingly. Lydia nodded determinedly.

"ACCIO!" she all but screamed. The book slid forward off the table it had been resting on and onto the floor in her general direction.

"Whoo! Ha HA!" Lydia rejoiced, doing a little dance on the spot. "Hey, it may seem like nothing to you, but I actually got it to move!" she cried upon seeing Remus looking at her strangely. Finally she calmed down a bit and looked with pride at the book.

"You'd make a very good teacher, you know," she said kindly, smiling at Remus.

"Yeah, sure…" he replied sarcastically, smiling slightly shaking his head. "You just keep practicing what I showed you- you'll be fine. Now, about this Astonomy…"

"Oh, absolutely!" Lydia said eagerly. "What are you working on for it? Just the constellations? No problem. Hey, hand me my Astronomy book, would you? It's just over there…" Remus looked where she indicated and grabbed the book, then threw it over to her.

"I understand the concept, its just… I'm having a bit of trouble finding them…" he said reluctantly, opening his own book to where his parchment marked the page.

"That's okay," she said nicely. "I'm sure there's lots of others who don't get it either."

"Name one," Remus remarked moodily.

"Er…"

"That's what I thought."

"Oh, come now! Honestly, Astonomy is not the most useful of classes," Lydia said conspiratorially. "Having trouble with Charms, now that's a problem!"

"Astronomy can be more useful than you think," Remus muttered cynically.

"Name one thing it's good for."

Remus said nothing.

"You see? Completely useless. Well, at least I'm good at something, I suppose."

Remus remained silent, looking over her chart.

"Wait, what's this one?" he asked, pointing at a titled group of stars on his own map that seemed to be missing its label on hers. Lydia leaned over to take a look and could feel him draw back. She bit her lip.

"Oh no, see- what you've got labeled there is a combination of two constellations," she explicated. "This group's part of Perseus and these stars form the top of Eridanus. Do you see now?"

"Uh-huh…"

But Remus wasn't actually looking at the star chart, nor had he really heard a word she'd said. He had been so transfixed by her lips that he hadn't actually registered what words were coming out of them. And his eyes didn't want to leave the piece of hair that had fallen into her face, the piece of hair he wanted to stroke back, ever so gently, then-

"Remus?"

"What?" He was finally drawn from his mind back into a rather awkward position.

"What were you staring at?" Lydia asked, looking at him concernedly. Did she have food in her teeth or something?

"I, um…"

But at that very moment, most fortunately, the Gryffindor quidditch team burst boisterously into the commonroom, all of them sopping wet.

"Bloody good practice, mates!" Tom Marco, the team captain, called out as the players dispersed. James and Sirius walked directly to join Remus and Lydia.

"Hufflepuff doesn't stand a chance!" James said breathlessly, that manic gleam that only appeared around the subject of quidditch in his eyes. Sirius just grinned ruthlessly.

"Can't wait to see the match next Saturday!" Lydia cried, grinning and shaking her head at the pair of them. "Sounds like it should be a great way for Gryffindor to start off the season."

"Oh definitely!" James said enthusiastically, seating himself directly in front of the fire and taking off a boot. He tipped it over and it poured a stream of water onto the rug.

"Hope the weather's a bit nicer though," Sirius alleged, wringing out what he could of his quidditch robes.

"Oy, watch where you're getting that water, now!" Lydia yelled, trying to block her homework as Sirius shook his head vigorously, sending water droplets flying everywhere. This of course simply made him come and shake his hair directly onto her, and she laughed.

"Oh, get off!" she cried, pushing him away playfully. Still smiling, she shook her head and began mopping delicately at her star chart with the sleeve of her robes.

By the time James and Sirius were done telling them ever so enthusiastically about their new strategies for the game the following week it was time for the group to head to bed. Exhausted from quidditch practice and a week's worth of homework all four of them fell asleep quickly, very grateful that the following day was Friday.