A/N: I'm not entirely sure that Charlie's Angels was already showing in England in 1972, but, it IS a seventies television programme, so I'm twisting timelines a little. At least it's seventies, people! Thanks muchly to GreyLadyBast, who suggested the 'locking them in a room together' suggestion for the chapter previously. Muchly debted to you, Bast. May glory shine on you, in your goddess-ness.

It was, Sirius decided, after some consideration, a crap day. Crap on a large scale, in fact. It had begun, like most mornings for the past week, with waking up. It wasn't the waking up that really bothered Sirius, although his friends joked that he slept like his animagus form, as often as possible. It was the frequently recurring, and ever more vivid dreaming that he woke from. Thrashed up in the sheets, his feet cold as he lay sprawled across the bed, the pillow half slipping out from under his head, and startled.

Following the wake up call, there'd been breakfast. Breakfast that included a thirteen-page missive from his father ordering him to write back with the name and bloodline of his date for the Ball, in two weeks time. The owl delivering it had been Thetis, his father's personal, and snooty, favourite. She'd pecked him viciously as he sent her off without a reply, and left, with an indignant hoot.

Following that had been the History of Magic lesson that lasted an hour, then more lessons of a similar standard, (crap) and then the surprise.

"I can't take it anymore," James groaned, shoving books further into his bag, and tucking his wand back into his robe pocket as they made their way into the grounds. "Being nice to Snivellus is just too hard to bear."

Sirius suppressed a grin, looking toward Remus. The elder boy met his gaze, and smiled, mirth sparkling in his grey eyes. Sirius ducked his head quickly, embarrassed. He swallowed hard, summoning the blank expression he'd had to assume from youth. It didn't help that his stomach was attempting to rebel, churning and swooping. He bit down hard on his lower lip in an attempt to distract himself, absently finding that he'd drawn blood.

They wandered out into the weak sunlight. The sky was a washed out blue, faded and dull. Out of habit, the four headed toward the lake edge, and a broad oak tree nearby that they normally sat under. Dropping onto the wet grass, Peter sank back against the trunk of the tree.

"I think I almost died of boredom," he began, conversationally. James produced a Snitch he'd swiped earlier in the week at practise, and began playing with it. Sirius shook his head, ruefully, and banter began between the three, James only adding to the conversation as his concentration wandered.

"Oh look, I see Snivelly on the horizon," Sirius pointed, with a wicked grin. The skinny dark haired boy often followed them, to spy or snitch on what they were doing.

"I wonder what he's up to?" Remus mused, sitting up, raising his hand to his eyes to see better. "Horrid little bugger."

Snape seemed to realise he'd been spotted, and darted out of sight, his malicious gaze gone for the present.

"I don't like it when he's about," James raked his spare hand through his hair disinterestedly, holding onto the struggling Snitch with the other. ""Specially not when I can't teach him not to sneak around us."

"How is your venture with the fair maiden going?" Remus drawled, propping his chin on his hand, comfortably.

"Not bloody well," James replied uncomfortably. "She doesn't even seem to notice me. Only there when I break the rules. I think she gets a sick, kinky pleasure from taking points from me." A sudden smile lit up his face. 'Hey, Peter, d'you think-"

"No, James," the freckled boy shook his head solemnly, "I can assure you, Evans is not a dominatrix, deriving kinky pleasure from stripping points from you. Your twisted imagination sometimes disgusts me."

James looked wounded. "It's not my imagination that conjured that image, Peter. And really, what were you doing thinking about Lily like that?"

"Oh do shut up, James," Remus told him, "You know neither of us are allowed to take points when it's undeserved."

"Yeah, I know," James sighed, grinning wickedly. "But the thought of Evans in one of the Angels' hot pant outfits," he clasped his hands over his heart as he cited the muggle television pop culture that Peter had introduced them to. "Be still my beating heart." Rolling their eyes, the others exchanged glances.

In the meantime, James Potter, only child and therefore the one who always needed attention, dropped back, limply against the tree, one languid hand to his brow, the other firmly holding onto the Snitch. "I can't live without her," he moaned, sliding a look at the others to gauge their reaction, and caught sight of a familiar figure on the hill up to the castle, and brightened.

"Hey, it's Evans," he pointed. The slim figure of the redhead, whose infamous thick red hair had made her instantly recognisable as the subject of James's poem on Valentine's day in third year, 'Ode to green eyes, red hair, and a gorgeous... mind', was breasted by two other girls, as they moved, obviously chatting, to stand nearby the castle, within eyeshot of the boys.

"I'm going to talk to her," he announced, straightening up, dusting grass off his robes, running careful fingers through his black hair, and adjusting his glasses to a better point on his nose. He walked away from them, purposely, heading towards the small sillhouette at the top of the hill.

"Ten sickles he crashes and burns," Peter murmured to Sirius. The shaggy haired boy shook his hand. "Done."

As James reached midpoint between the two groups, (and Lily had noticed, evidently, as she'd turned away, with obvious annoyance) there was a sudden bang, and a darting black clad figure moved out from the cover of the bushes.

'See how you like it!' Snape yelled, his black eyes glowing, as James hung in mid air, helpless, slowly rotating.

The three boys ran over to him, Remus in the lead, a steely look to his grey eyes, as the girls raced down the hill to get to Severus.

"Snape, put him DOWN," bellowed Remus, raising his wand.

"If you don't let him go right now, I'll punch you into next week," Sirius threatened, growling under his breath. There were times when he was very doggy indeed in his attitudes, and growling was one of the smaller side effects.

The greasy haired boy turned, reluctantly to look at them, his wand still raised in the air to control the spell, as Lily, flanked by her two friends, approached, breathless.

"Sniv..Snape, you've got no reason to do this, it'll be detention for weeks after this," Remus said steadily. Lily glared at the other boy.

"I thought you'd suffered through this enough not to do it," she snapped, green eyes flashing. Snape's face took on loathing.

"Why shouldn't I?" he demanded, sulkily. "They do it to me, all the time." He smirked up at James. "Hold onto your robes, Potter." James' form flipped up, his robes falling over his head.

"Put him down," Remus said again, flinty eyes on Snape. Lily glowered at Snape. "I've had enough of this," she said impatiently, rolling up her robe sleeves. "Finite Incantem!"

Sirius and Peter flew at the skinny perpetrator grimly, Peter tackling his legs, as Sirius, with a satisfied smile landed a punch in the middle of Severus's face. James dropped like a stone to the ground, with a very audible 'ow'.

Lily flew to his side, crouching beside him, concern flitting across her face. "James! James, are you all right?" she asked, urgently. He groaned, and she bent over him, her long hair tickling his face. As she searched his face for signs that he was hurt, James' prone body apparently indicating that he was mortally injured, suddenly his hands flashed up, and pulled her full on top of him, kissing her firmly on the mouth.

The other three laughed, Sirius pausing from punching Severus, to glance back, mirth in his eyes, and then Lily sprang up, wiping her mouth indignantly.


"I might have expected that from you, Potter," she spat, crossly. "Just when I'd thought you'd actually grown up a bit, un-inserted your head from your arse." She turned on her heel, and stormed off, taking her two friends with her, one of them gazing rather admiringly at Sirius, still deeply involved in kicking the crap out of Snape, as she went.

James gazed after Lily, dreamily. "A kiss from the Beauty," he sighed. Remus shook his head, and extended a hand to pull James up. The Seeker winced, fumbling his head to find the bruise.

"Bloody hell that *hurts*," he complained, glaring at Snape. "Sirius, leave off. Stupid bugger won't try it again." Panting slightly, Sirius stood, scowling down at Snape.

"Oh yeah, and that's thirty points from Slytherin," Remus added coolly, "For attacking a Gryffindor for no reason." Peter joining their side, the four stalked off, leaving Severus, trying to staunch a nosebleed, sullenly looking after them, hate in his dark eyes.

*

"Did you see his face?" Peter asked, as they strolled along the corridor. "Stupid git," he added, cheerfully.

"Yeah," Sirius sighed happily. "Don't think he'll attack James again." He glanced at the Gryffindor Seeker, his eyes slipping, and meeting Remus's. Butterflies flooded his stomach, and he forced himself to look away, trying to stop himself from blushing. What was this ghastly reaction to Remus, anyway? Why was he acting like a third year member of his fan club?

"Got any candidates for the Ball yet?" James drawled, throwing an arm over Remus's and Peter's shoulders casually. Sirius bit his lip. He'd managed to forget it.

"Y'know mate, with all the interested parties, you ought to have some kind of selection process," James continued, musing it over. "Auditions. You know."

"Fabulous idea," Sirius joked, grinning back. "I'll leave it all in your hands, then?" The letter he'd forgotten to send his mother flashed into his mind's eye. If he didn't send it off tonight, a seventeen page missive and a spying Regulus would end up on his tail.

"I'd better go and sort some things out," he told the others. "See you up in the tower." He ran off, unfolding the letter from his pocket, and scanning it through to make sure he didn't say anything that would tell his mother any more than she required to know. Anything further would give her ammunition.

A/N: Okay, so the Bella/Regulus meeting hasn't happened yet. Next chapter, Bella, Regulus, and more Sirius/Remus, and James and the others take Sirius's suggestion a leetle too seriously...

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