PLEASE STOP AND READ!

A/N- unless by some miracle I write the next chapter in the next day and a half, I do believe that this is my last stab before I go on up to Boston for five weeks. Now, for the few who actually read author's notes, and who are actually reading this story, I beg of you to forgive me. I know I'll probably loose most of you over that period, which makes me pretty sad. But nevertheless, I will keep writing. You don't have to worry about never seeing this story again, because writing it has become a bit of an obsession. Okay, I'm sorry for boring you all, but please stay on the line! I promise I'll have plenty of stuff when I get back. (As in I'll probably finish The Moorchild and start another story. My brain is already tingling with ideas for the next one.) Anyway, thanks a lot for your support and blah, blah, blah.........

For the reviewers:

Professor-fidget- once again, thanks so much for your feedback. I really appreciate it, especially since I'm quite fond of your work as well, and it's always great to hear good things from someone you respect. Hope you enjoy this chapter! P.S.- have you ever seen Tenth Kingdom?

Star of the Muses- I'm sorry I scared you, but in a way that makes me happy, cuz that means that you want to read more of my story, right? Well, I hope you pace yourself with this chapter, because the next one wont be coming for another couple of weeks. Have no fear, though, I WILL CONTINUE. Thanks again for your review!

Benny- I'm really glad you like Fay! That means a lot to me and is very encouraging. Anyway I know you're not a signed reviewer but if you continue to read this then I'd like to hear more from you! Thank you very much!

RueNeko- Yay! You're the first of two new reviewers! This makes me very very happy! Now all you have to do is keep reviewing and we're good to go! J/k, you don't have to keep doing it if you don't want, but it would be nice! I'm also quite pleased about what you put in your review, because I noticed the same thing and I've been trying to counteract that. It's good to know I'm doing OK! Thanks so much and keep reviewing!

Super dork 10- first of all, I like your pen name. Second of all, I'm glad you picked up on my story and I want you to keep R&Rinng, and third.... I thought I was so original with the Moorfolk thing and you popped my bubble, lol. Actually, it's cool to know that other people even know what they are. Ever heard the phrase "Great minds think alike?" lol again. Thank you!

-Okay, we did better this time, people. Not quite so lame as the last chapter. But I expect you all to keep reviewing, do you hear me? I'm sorry, did that sound a bit forceful? {hums distractedly}......

Disclaimer- I don't own Sirius black. {ouch} okay, I don't own any of the marauders. {ow, shit!} alright, alright, I don't own Harry Potter. {aw, man!} what, I already told you everything! {ooo, that hurt} ok, fine. I don't even like your husband that much, anyway.

CHAPTER #8

The rest of Sirius's holiday proved relatively uneventful, but his elation at having had a decent conversation with Fay had gotten him through it smoothly. Whenever Peter got particularly irritating or he began to miss his friends, he simply thought back on when Fay had said, "You know, you're not that bad, really." This never failed to instantly improve his mood. And, to assist him again in that department, Fay had taken on the courtesy to greet him in the halls as they passed, say, "mornin'" in the mornings, and, much to Peter's dismay, to once ask the two of them whether either cared for the roast duck of the feast of Christmas Eve. (Peter had let out a muffled screech and mumbled something about poison and the fact that he was a vegetarian).

When Remus and James returned from their vacations, they both seemed a bit thrown aback by Sirius's good mood. To his immense relief, however, neither of them asked him anything of it.

Things soon returned to the way they always were-with James and Sirius causing trouble and rebelliously neglecting their studies at the height of O.W.L. year, Remus trying, and failing to keep them in line, Peter trotting along after the three of them wherever they went and the welcomed monthly interruptions of the full moon.

And then, there were girls. James's hopeless infatuation with Lily had begun to cause him to make a fool of himself whenever she was in close proximity. Peter had a crush on a sixth year girl that didn't know he existed and Sirius, unbeknownst to his three friends, was still head over heels for Fay. Remus remained unaffiliated, but solely because he said he wanted to be. He was by no means unattractive. He was quite good to look at, in fact, and he hung around with James and Sirius, to boot. But, Sirius noticed when he Remus look around at various couples, holding hands, kissing and cuddling, even he looked as though he may some day need a break from his bachelordom. There was to be a romantic vibe in the air, and it was driving Sirius crazy.

That vibe, which seemed to have snuck up on him from behind, was Valentine's Day. Feeling increasingly uncomfortable as the holiday drew nearer, Sirius watched painfully as future and existing decided to meet up on the next Hogsmeade Weekend, which was set for the fourteenth. On occasion, Sirius even found himself debating whether or not he should ask Fay. One such occasion took place in the Gryffindor Common Room, two days after the Hogsmeade notice had been posted.

James found him staring up at it, lost in thought, as he so often had been this year.

"Padfoot?"

Sirius turned around, looking for the person who had said his nickname. He smiled. "Prongs."

"Pity about this Hogsmeade Weekend, isn't it?" Said James, looking rather upset.

"What do you mean?" Asked Sirius.

"Well, it's on Valentines Day."

"Yeah..."

"I've just asked Lily to go with me."

And Sirius understood. Lily Evans had once again refused James. Looking at his friend, he wished she could at least give him a courtesy date. Because although James would never admit it, he had been in love with her from day one, and each time she shot him down, it came down hard on both his ego and his heart. Sirius led Jams to their corner and sat him down.

"What did she say?" He asked.

James tried to sound nonchalant. "She got all fussy and said I was the last person on Earth she would even consider dating."

He paused for a moment and looked out the window. Racking his brain for words of comfort, Sirius opened his mouth to say something, but James started up again as he turned to face him.

"But you know what, Padfoot? She's the first person I'd consider. I'd swear to that."

Sirius sighed. "I know mate. But you'll come around, you'll see. I know she will."

"Yeah," said James, though he didn't sound like his believed it. Well, I'm glad I've got you and Remus and peter to go to Hogsmeade with me, at any rate."

Sirius said nothing. Not only did he not have the heart to say, "Oh, bad luck, Prongs, I'm going to ask Fay to go with me," but he also couldn't imagine telling him that he was attracted to a girl that Lily Evans didn't like. So, with James's best interests at heart, he decided to drop the idea altogether. It was a stupid one, anyway. He was mental if he thought Fay Farthing would ever go out with him.

"We'll have plenty of fun, just us four, Prongs." Said Sirius, plastering on a smile. "Who needs girls, eh?"

James laughed and nodded at a group of four or five girls sitting nearby, who had evidently heard Sirius say this and let out a collective sigh of disappointment. Girls.

The few weeks counting down to Hogsmeade soon passed, and Valentines Day finally came. It started out quite smoothly with the four Marauders discussing the details of their Marauder's map over drinks in The Three Broomsticks, and then strolling idly through the village and looking at the various shops along the narrow cobbled streets.

Around one o'clock in the afternoon, when the four friends had just walked out of Zonko's Joke Shop, arms filled with bags of various mischief- making gadgets, they found themselves bearing witness to an argument that was brewing between Lily Evans and Fay Farthing. They were shouting at each other, and immediately, Sirius began to feel apprehensive. Any argument that involved Lily meant bad things for his friendship with James if he sided with anyone else.

"What do you have against me, you don't even know my name!" Fay was shouting.

"I don't care what your name is, you have no right to insult any one of my friends!" Retorted Lily.

Obviously, they had missed something. But what Sirius found the most confusing about this scene was Lily's behavior. She was, and always had been, a peacemaker. Never one to start fights, but to end them. Sirius wondered what it was that had caused her abrupt personality change. Meanwhile, a row was progressing.

"Your little friend was asking for it! She provoked me!" Yelled Fay. Sirius noticed that one of Lily's friends was sulking by a group of flowerpots outside a shop.

"She did no such thing!" Said Lily, defending her friend. "Anyway, the only reason you're angry is because you know she's right! You're a terrible, half-bred devilish changl-"

She was cut off, on account of the fact that Fay had walked up, and punched Lily straight in the jaw.

For a moment, the crowd that had gathered around the scene drew a collective breath. Both girls stood glaring at each other, fuming, Lily holding her punctured face. Out of nowhere, James made to charge at Fay, but Remus held out a hand, saying, "No, James, you'll only make it worse."

James looked livid. But before either of them could do anything else, Lily pounced on Fay, kicking, punching and pulling at every bit of the small girls she could find. The crowd began to jeer. Peter, Remus and James were all looking temporarily dumbfounded and incapable of any movement.

Without thinking, Sirius strode fixedly over to the two girls, who were rolling on the ground, looking quite like a couple of cats. Although Sirius could see that Fay was doing much more damage to Lily than Lily was doing to Fay, he pulled out his wand and directed an impediment curse straight at Lily Evans. She flew back off Fay and hit the ground on her back, sliding a bit. Remus recovered some of his sense and began making a valiant effort at dispersing the large crowd, though without much luck. James shouted, "What are you playing at, Sirius?" and ran to help Lily with the aid of her other friend. Peter, still outside Zonko's, remained frozen in shock.

When Sirius finally wrenched his eyes away from Lily, who had never looked angrier, he turned to see where Fay was. But she was nowhere in site.

He faintly heard Lily say, "Get off me, Potter, I'm fine." before noticing James standing very close to him.

"Did you mean to hit Evans with that impediment curse?" He asked Sirius.

Sirius clenched his jaw. He knew, for that sake of his friendship with James, he should have forgotten about Fay and said, "No, of course not." But he couldn't do it. Instead, he turned, looked James straight in the eye and said, "Yes." Before running off to make an early return to Hogwarts.

He ate dinner alone around six o'clock, deciding to get used to solitary living, as James would not speak to him for at least several days. He sighed, and was about to serve himself second helpings of the shepherd's pie when he heard it. The same eerie music that he'd heard Fay play over break, was dancing from the direction of the changing room. Without hesitation, Sirius got up from the table and began to follow his ears. To his wonderment, no one else around him seemed to hear the strange music.

As he pressed on through the rarely-used corridor, he realized that it wasn't bagpipes Fay was playing this time, but something different. Sirius quickened his pace, and soon found himself standing once again outside the now ivy-covered door. He reached for the handle, which he noted was not metal, but was made of the same knobbly wood as the rest of the frame, and let himself in. The room once again mimicked a heather-smelling moor perfectly. Without, of course, the wild ponies, and, thankfully, the bogs.

Sirius found Fay standing in the middle of the room this time, her back to the door and a small, flute-like instrument placed upon her lips. Before he could speak, she said:

"What do you want, Black?" She sounded defiant, and was sporting several cuts and bruises about her arms and face. Her eyes were a steely gray as she turned and said, "I really need to be alone," in her heavy Cornish accent.

Sirius stared. Did he really have anything to say to Fay? All he knew was that he heard her music, and, knowing it was she who had been playing it, simply followed the sound to its source. He had no real reason to be here, he just wanted to see her again. But he came up with an excuse.

"I...I just wanted to make sure... that you weren't hurt, or anything." He finished. Okay, it was a rather lame excuse.

But, to his surprise, Fay smiled. It was a beautiful smile. Very honest and innocent, but at the same time, clever and wise. She approached him, and Sirius's stomach did a little jolt as he noticed she was very close. Before he knew what was happening, Fay stood up on tip-toe to give him a little kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you."

Utterly bewildered, Sirius backed out of the room, gave a stupid little wave, which he kicked himself for afterward, and turned back up in the direction of Gryffindor Tower, hand still placed on the spot where she had kissed him.

James, predictably, didn't speak to Sirius that night. This worried him, of course, James was his best friend, and he never wanted to loose him. But he only felt a slight twinge of guilt as he lay awake in his four-poster that night, grinning foolishly from ear to ear.

A/N- I hope this holds you until I get back, but until then, don't have too much fun without me! I really love you guys! TTFN......