The holidays passed much too quickly in Noelle's mind. All too soon, they were once again madly racing down the platform on the Muggle side at King's Cross.

"Why do we always cut this so damn close?" James grumbled.

Noelle ran directly through the barrier, not caring who saw her. On the other side, the first person she spotted was Lily.

"Lily!" she cried happily as she rushed to her friend's side.

The two girls hugged tightly while the boys caught up. Sirius, who still had a bandage on his head, hugged Lily before dropping an arm loosely around Noelle's shoulders. Lily raised an eyebrow suggestively as her friend snuggled closer to the tall boy.

"Sirius, what happened to your head?" she questioned instead of teasing her friend.

"Noelle can tell you later if you want. I'm sick of talking about it."

They climbed the stairs onto the train and settled in for the long ride back to school.

Classes started the next day, with the teachers' intent on making up for lost time. Noelle grunted as she heaved her bag onto the table in the Gryffindor common room.

"Seriously, you would never know that we are not taking our N.E.W.T.s until next year. These teachers are killing me with this work load!"

She pretended to strangle herself while Lily laughed.

"Well, at least things are back to normal with you and Sirius, right?"

Noelle snorted as she took out her Potions book.

"Normal? Sirius and I will never have a normal relationship. We are both physically and mentally incapable of it. But I guess that we are as good as we can be, which is fine with me."

She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. Lily pretended to be shocked while she lightly smacked her friend on the arm.

"Noelle! I can't believe you!"

Noelle plopped down on the chair next to Lily.

"I was only joking Lily. Anyways, when are you finally going to admit to yourself how much you like James? He really is a sweet guy you know."

Lily turned bright red, but kept her eyes on her parchment.

"There's a Quidditch game on Saturday. Do you want to go?"

Noelle's this eyebrows shot up. "Are you trying to change the subject, my friend?" she teased.

Lily turned even redder.

"I am not discussing this with you Noelle."

Noelle persisted. "Come on Lily! You know practically everything about Sirius and me! Why can't you tell me?"

"Tell you what?" James' voice interrupted the girls' conversation.

They both jumped and sat back guiltily. James' eyes went from Noelle to Lily and back to Noelle.

"It is nothing. We were just talking about how the teachers are piling on the work lately." Noelle lied.

James kept eyeing her, but she kept her gaze steady, until someone tickled her ribs. She squealed and spun in her seat. Sirius planted a kiss on top of her head before he sat next to her.

"What's up?" he said, slightly out of breath.

She shook her head with a smile. "Not much. How was Transfiguration today?"

He grabbed the back of his neck and stared at the ceiling.

"It was alright. I'm kind of having trouble with Switching Spells, though."

He rolled his grey eyes, and then locked them on her navy ones.

"Feeling hospitable today?" he said hopefully.

Noelle raised a blonde eyebrow.

"Is Sirius Black asking for help?" she said mockingly.

He pushed his chair back so it was balanced on its rear legs. He sighed.

"Yes Noelle. I am asking you for help. Please?" He stuck out his lower lip.

Noelle laughed. "How can I resist that face?" she joked, leaning forward to kiss him.

"Gross, guys. Get a room." James said with fake disgust.

Inwardly he was relieved that his friends had reconciled. Sirius and Noelle were a pair that worked much better together than apart.

Sirius looked at his friend, "I have one, upstairs, but I share it with you. So, no matter what, you can't escape it."

James threw him a reproachful glare while the girls laughed.

"Feel like a stroll to the Owlery? I need to send Nicolette a letter." Noelle asked him as she stuffed her books back into her bag.

Sirius nodded agreeably and hand in hand, they left the common room.

Before she crawled through the portrait hole, Noelle mouthed, "Go get him!" to Lily.

Lily turned a violent shade of red, and Noelle laughed heartily as she left the room ahead of Sirius.

The drafts coming through the hallways made her shiver. She edged closer to Sirius and laced her cold fingers through his. He gazed down at the small girl with a smile on his face. She looked up and saw it.

"What is that smile for?" she said playfully.

"It's for how much I love you and how you love me back, even though I drive you totally insane."

Noelle mused over this. "Oui, this is true. You do drive me insane."

She stood on her tiptoes and slid her arms around his neck. She pressed her cold lips to his and kissed him gently.

"But it is also true that I love you."

He kissed her back deeply. They stood in the shadows of the corridor kissing until the sounds of someone shuffling down the corridor broke them apart. Professor Dumbledore raised a knowing eyebrow as he passed the infatuated couple and smiled to himself.

When Noelle spotted Dumbledore, she quickly broke away from Sirius and ducked her red face. Once they had passed him, Noelle covered her eyes.

"Oh, I am so embarrassed!"

Sirius laughed. "Come on, Noelle, like he's never seen his students kiss before."

Noelle whacked him in the arm and pushed open the door to the Owlery.

She whistled for Etoile and he soared down to her shoulder. She fastened the letter to his scaly leg and carried him to the window. He hooted softly and flew off into the bright blue sky. She watched him for a moment and then turned back to Sirius.

Taking both his hands into her own, she rose on her tiptoes to kiss him. He kissed her back soundly. He pulled away and gazed into her eyes.

"Noelle, I'm so sorry about the way I have treated you. I can't believe that you even speak to me anymore."

He bowed his head shamefully and Noelle laughed gently.

"Sirius, I tried to stay mad at you, I really did. But it was like being mad at me."

She lifted his chin with a finger and her navy eyes twinkled.

"Stop apologizing. All I want from you is for you to be the man I know you can be. He is in there somewhere, but every so often, this little boy pushes him aside."

Her hand went to his dark hair and she ran her fingers through it.

"Besides, I love you." She said simply.

She cupped his face in her hands, feeling the slight stubble on his cheeks, and kissed him again. He tightened his arms around her and practically swept her off her feet. She clutched at his back as their kisses became deeper and more passionate. A moan escaped her lips and she pressed her body into his unknowingly.

Sirius groaned and reluctantly pulled away from her, steadying her on her feet.

"What is it?" she whispered, her hot breath on his face.

"Noelle, I really don't think that the Owlery is where I want to seduce you for the first time."

She raised an eyebrow. "What makes you think I am seducible?" she teased.

He reached for her again and kissed her on the neck. Her head fell back, and she moaned again. Tilting her head so that she faced him, he pressed his lips to her ear.

"That makes me think that you are seducible."

She blushed and fanned her hot face.

"Oui, you are probably right...but it is romantic, n'est-ce pas?"

He laughed. "Romantic? Noelle, you haven't seen romantic yet."

She touched his face again. "I love you Sirius Black." She said clearly, her eyes locked on his.

His grey eyes grew bright as he pulled her in for another kiss.

The quidditch game had a massive turnout, as usual. Sirius had avoided going to all of the other games because it killed him knowing he wasn't out there with his team. Noelle and Lily had managed to drag him to the match against Hufflepuff.

It was a bitterly cold day and the snow was coming down heavily. He had tried to convince the girls that it was too nasty outside to go to the game, but they had both insisted. Slowly, he climbed the stairs behind Noelle and sat sullenly next to her. She shot him a glance and he gave her a weak smile. She touched his hand.

"Are you alright?"

He nodded. "I'll be fine."

Madame Hooch blew her whistle and the game began.

Ten minutes later, the game was over.

"Seriously, I don't even know why Hufflepuff tries. Every team blows them away, every game." Sirius said as he left the stands.

James had had an amazing game. He had managed to put the quaffle through the hoops six times before Adam had caught the snitch. James had flown around the pitch, waving and pumping his fist in the air after the game.

When he had passed Lily, he had bowed dramatically to her. She turned beet red and her green eyes had sparkled. She had clapped so hard for him, her hands were stinging. She had a wide smile on her face as she followed her friends back to the castle.

Noelle and Sirius were walking ahead of her with their heads close together. Noelle dropped back from Sirius and joined Lily.

"So, Lily...James had a good game, non?"

Still blushing, Lily nodded. Noelle put her arm around her.

"And we have you to thank for that lovely win!"

Lily's jaw dropped. "Me? What did I do?" she sputtered.

Noelle winked at her. "Lily, you put the life in that boy."

She squeezed her friend's shoulder and hurried back to Sirius, tossing a bright smile back at Lily over her shoulder.

Back in the common room, Noelle quickly claimed the couch by the fire. Sirius joined her and she laid her head on his lap. Idly he twirled her silky hair around his fingers while they waited for the team to get back so they could celebrate. Noelle yawned and snuggled closer to him. He reached over the back of the couch and tugged a thick blanket over her legs. She smiled sleepily at him and drifted off to sleep.

Three hours later, her eyelids finally lifted. She felt groggy and her mind was fuzzy. She lifted her head slowly and tried to focus her eyes on something. Sirius felt her stir and gently brushed her hair away from her face. She looked at him, slightly confused.

"Are you feeling okay?" he asked her worriedly.

Her face was very white, but her cheeks were crimson. Her eyes looked eerily bright as well. He touched her forehead briefly. It was white hot.

"Noelle, you're burning up!" he exclaimed.

She nodded, still looking confused. "Je suis malade." (I'm sick) She whispered.

He nodded with concern. "Oui, Je sais." He said back to her.

"Je dois mon lit...maintenant." (I need my bed...now.) she whispered again.

She didn't seem to want to speak English, so he didn't push her.

"No, you need the hospital wing. I'll bring you."

Weakly, she tried to protest, but finally gave in. With the party still roaring around them, she struggled to get to her feet. She fell back to the couch. Her navy eyes looked at him with panic building in them. Swiftly, he picked her up and headed for the portrait hole.

The heat from her body seeped through her robes and he could feel it coming into his. She had fallen asleep almost immediately after leaving Gryffindor tower. He rushed through the corridors as quickly as he dared, arriving at the hospital wing within a few minutes. Madam Pomfrey heard him come in and rushed out of her office.

"What's wrong?" she asked, seeing Noelle curled in his arms.

She hurriedly turned down a bed. He laid her down on the bed she had gestured to.

"I don't know. We were at the game earlier, and she was fine. When we got back to the room, she lay down and fell asleep. She woke up about three hours later, and she had a really high fever. She seems disorientated, like she doesn't know what's going on, or where she is."

He ran his hand through his dark hair.

"What's wrong with her?"

Madam Pomfrey gently shook Noelle. Her blue eyes opened slightly and she gazed blearily around the room. Madam Pomfrey poured some potion into her mouth and Noelle's flushed face immediately began to look better. She stirred slightly on the bed, but she looked much more comfortable than she had. Madam Pomfrey seemed satisfied by this and shooed him off to bed.

"But I want to stay here with her." He pleaded.

"She will sleep until morning. You can come back then."

Reluctantly, Sirius headed back to the tower.

Madam Pomfrey watched him leave. Once she was sure he had gone, she quickly turned back to her patient. Noelle had a very bad cold, maybe even influenza. With her disease, it could be life threatening. She hurried to the fireplace and called for Professor Dumbledore.

Within minutes, he had come rushing out of the flames.

"What is it?" he asked her.

Wringing her hands, she replied. "It's Noelle Lemieux. Sirius Black just brought her here. Take a look."

Anxiously, Dumbledore leaned over Noelle's sleeping form. Her breathing was ragged and shallow; her face glistened slightly with perspiration. He drew back from her.

"Call a St. Mungo's healer, right away."

The healer arrived within the hour and rushed right to her bed.

"It is bad...but I do believe she will recover. She needs rest, and strengthening potions."

The healer tiredly wiped his face. Dumbledore nodded and led the man to his office for a cool drink. Madam Pomfrey bent over Noelle and adjusted her blankets around her. Then she lowered the lamp and left the room.

The next day, Noelle awoke to the weak sun touching her face. She opened her eyes and looked around. Why was she in the hospital wing? She tried to sit up, but the effort exhausted her. Madam Pomfrey heard her struggling and came into the room.

"Noelle! You should not be trying to get up! Lay back down!"

Noelle grudgingly lay back against the pillows.

"There. That's better." Madam Pomfrey crossed her arms over her chest satisfactorily. "Oh good. Here comes Severus with your potion."

The blood drained from Noelle's face as Severus carefully walked into the room, carrying a steaming goblet of potion. His eyebrows shot up with surprise when he saw her lying in the bed, but he didn't say anything. He held out the goblet and Noelle took it gingerly. Raising it to her lips, she choked it down in one gulp. Making a horrid face, she held it out to him. Madam Pomfrey left to attend to a third year Ravenclaw who had cut himself in Herbology, leaving Noelle alone with Severus. He sat on a chair next to her bed.

"Feel like telling me why you needed such a powerful Strengthening potion?" he asked.

Noelle started to shake her head, then stopped. She was sick of hiding things.

"I'm very sick Severus. I have Cystic Fibrosis. I have a cold, and if I don't watch it, it could kill me." She stated bluntly, staring at her hands.

Severus reached for her right hand and squeezed it.

"Noelle...I had no idea."

She laughed bitterly. "No one has any idea. I have not even told Sirius."

Severus looked flattered that she had told him before telling Black.

"Please Severus. Do not tell anyone. Please." She begged him, her navy eyes wide.

He shook his head. "I won't. I promise."

She visibly relaxed. "Thank you."

She yawned again, and he stood.

"I will let you get some sleep. I'll be back later with more potions."

She nodded, and drifted off again.

Severus hurried down the corridor, rushing to make his class. Everything seemed to fit together now. Noelle had always been secretive, but he never imagined she was hiding something like this. Noelle had been his friend since the day she had arrived at Hogwarts, and he was willing to keep her secret for as long as he had to.

Noelle stirred restlessly under the covers. Sirius, who had been sitting with his head in his hands, quickly looked up. Reaching for her hand, he brought it to his lips. Her eyelids rose and she hazily focused on him.

"Hi." She said softly.

Relief washed over him. "How are you feeling?" he asked concernedly.

She made a face. "I feel gross. Very tired and stuffy." She yawned widely.

"What does Madam Pomfrey think you have?"

Noelle swallowed nervously. "I have a cold. It is nothing." she lied, crossing her fingers under the blankets.

Sirius bought it.

"Oh, you'll be fine."

He gently brushed hair off of her face. She closed her eyes when he touched her skin. She brushed her lips over his hand. He smiled lovingly at her and brought his lips to hers.

"I need to go work on my History of Magic essay. I'll be back in a few hours, okay?"

She nodded and he kissed her again.

"Love you." He tossed over his shoulder as he hurried out of the hospital wing.

Once he was gone, Noelle sank back into the pillows. She knew she had to tell Sirius someday, sooner than later. She couldn't bear to tell him that she was dying.