Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling

31, October, 11: 43, Room of Requirement,

Sirius knew this whole time where Chris and Kevin were making my costume and he never told me! If I weren't avoiding him like the plague I would hunt him down and give him a swift kick in the ass. Apparently Kevin and Sirius hit it off really well that day we all went to Hogsmead and he suggested it to them.

But I am so happy with my outfit I can hardly dwell on that. I saw Chris and Kevin's first (they were laid out on one of the couches so they wouldn't wrinkle). "Chris, how the fuck did you find the time to make these?" I asked. They were really good.

Kevin wrinkled his nose. "He's really efficient." He said.

Both costumes were cut like tuxes but out of strange cloth. One was made out of an assortment of strange clothes all patched together and a lumpy oversized top hat beside it but it was the other one that gave the theme away. That suit was made entirely out of cloth with thick vertical stripes of light and dark purple: the mad hatter and the Cheshire cat.

I was speechless, caught in that classic moment of huge envy when non-crafty people look at the crafts of crafty people. "Please don't tell me you're putting me in that boring blue dress Alice wore." I said when I had gotten over it.

Chris smirked. "Never darling. Kevin thought of something much more fitting."

"Would you like to darling?" Kevin asked presenting Chris with a cardboard box. They were both smirking now in that infuriating way that only people who have a big secret can ever really pull off.

"I'd love to darling." Chris said. They were so thoroughly enjoying this I wondered if I should be worried but when he opened the box inside was a simple little faux tiara. The centerpiece was fake ruby cut like a heart "Your majesty." He said bowing to me and presenting it.

Has this kid got a flair for drama or what?

I grinned. "Off with your head." I said taking it from him and placing it on my bed-head hair.

Thankfully they hadn't copied the dress from the drawings of the Queen of Hearts. I fell in love with my dress the second it came out of its wrappings. I didn't even know dresses could be so wonderful. "You like it?" Chris asked.

"Jesus Christ Chris." I said. "How did you do this." I reached out and put my hand on it.

The dress came in two parts: a red corset and a full white skirt hitting just at my knees to expose heart patterned stockings and half dressy sneakers, also white with red hearts. The skirt was layers and layers of white chiffon with a top layer of red hearts. It fit me: a little too informal, a little too comfortable and a little too strange for a ball gown but anything else would have looked strange on me.

"It was my idea not to put you in high heels." Kevin said pointing out the shoes.

"And I'm sure that you have no idea how grateful I am because you've never worn high heels." I said but then I realized something: the tiara I could have bought at The Party House Super Store but the dress looked expensive. "Umm, guys? How much did all this cost?" I asked tentatively. Once Chris gets started he has the high tendency to get really carried away.

Kevin waved me off. "Don't even think about it. I really like the idea of using my parent's money to make such a fabulous party dress." He said with a smirk. "I'd drive them crazy if they ever found out."

I thought about pushing it but he seemed really happy with the idea of getting his parents in this way so I just shut up and thanked them. "It's a really great dress." I said. "I don't know what I'm ever going to do to properly thank you guys."

"This is actually our thank you to you." Chris said. "We know you wanted to go to the ball with Sirius and you still invited both of us so we could go together." It didn't seem like the time to tell them that I just didn't think Sirius would've ask me so I just gave them both big hugs.

"Besides, we had fun." Kevin assured me.

"Loads of fun." Chris confirmed.

"And it just looks like a lot work because you're assuming we sowed it all by hand." Kevin said.

"But really bought some of the dress." Chris cut in. "And the tuxes too."

I shook my head. "It was still a lot of work and I know it."

"But we love you." Chris said musing my already rumpled hair. "Now try it on."

"Thanks again guys." I said as I slipped my jeans off and pulled my shirt over my head. I had decided to wear my Sex Pistols panties, figuring I needed all the luck I could get. But it didn't seem to occur to Chris to turn around (in his mind I'm sure I am about as sexual as a chair) so I was just glad they were clean.

"Are you going to tell us what was wrong with you yesterday?" Chris asked as I stepped into his dress and he began to lace up the back.

"There was nothing wrong with me yesterday." I huffed.

He snorted. "Yeah? You kept staring off into space and then shaking your head and muttering things like "pompous prick" and "pathetic? I'll pathetic him," which actually doesn't make much sense now that I think about it." Chris pointed out.

I shrugged. "I had something on my mind."
"Yeah." Kevin said. "Obviously. What was it?"

I sighed. They weren't going to let this go and I was never very good at avoiding things without out and out lying. "Rosie told Sirius I fancy him and so I've been trying to avoid him." I explained. "Oh and by the way Chris S. fancies me into the bargain."

"Chris S. what's you?" Chris asked. He seemed to have completely missed the first part.

"Fancies me. Or at least that's what Rosie said." I repeated.

"Life is so fucking weird." Kevin sighed.

"Amen." I agreed.

"Chris S. fancies you?" Chris repeated.

"Is it that hard to believe someone might actually find me attractive?" I asked testily.

He shook his head vigorously. "Not really, just...I never knew she...well she swung that way. I mean, I thought she would have told me, or something."

"I didn't either." I shrugged. "So what?"

"Well what are you going to do?" He asked.

"Try to avoid both of them obviously." I said. "Duh."

"Ah yes." Kevin interjected at his most sarcastic. "The run and hide method of dealing with these things. Good choice Emily. That'll get you far."

I decided not to notice the sarcasm. "Thanks Kev, I think so too."

The dress fit well. A little big in the hips and a few things I'm sure I don't remember but nothing Chris wasn't equal too.

I've asked Kevin which of them was which character and he said that he was going to be The Mad Hatter. "We decided that people might guess I'm a fag if I wore those cute little ears Chris made." He laughed.

So far I've been pretty good about not moping about the whole Sirius thing (the dress has really cheered me up) and they haven't been picking at me for more details about the whole fiasco so that's good.

31, October, 8:31, Room of Requirement,

Miraculously, I never got bored today. The Room of Requirement really lives up its name. Just as Kevin and I would finish one thing we'd open a chest or a cabinet and find something new to do. We read, drew (I colored) and played a lot of card and board games.

I was determined to face Sirius looking as stunning as I could (maybe level the fucking playing ground) so I let Chris advise me on how to do my hair. He pulled them into these strange little pigtails that somehow worked with the dress.

I look good, strangely beautiful even. I've never been beautiful before and it's given me this funny confidence. Like my every move feels more graceful and I'm aware of all of my body at the same time. It's the strangest thing. I'm actually torn, I can't decide if the feeling in my stomach is dread or excitement. Maybe it's a little of both.

"You guys had better stop touching each other once we leave or people will might guess you really aren't MY dates at all." I've warned them, because Chris can't help compulsively straightening Kevin's tie and the like. Chris made a face at me when I said that but he stopped.

Chris and Kevin look so cute cuddled up on the couch together, trying not to muss their tuxes. I'm still in my underwear and a T because I'm having a glass of juice and if I got something on my dress Chris would execute me and the jury would acquit him.

31, October, 10:31, 1st floor bathroom,

So I slipped you into the bag we brought down to carry the two cameras (my muggle on and Kevin's magical one) and a wrap around for me in case I wanted to go out into fucking frigid air (my god less than a month ago it was warm out!). It was just a little impulse thing. But before I get into the theatrics of the evening I should probably start where I left off.

Chris made us wait till almost nine o'clock so we could be "fashionably late" but finally he said we could be off. I offered each of them an elbow before we opened the door I shook my head and said, to myself as much as anyone else, "bells of the fucking ball we'll be boys."

Everyone looked so beautiful. The house tables had disappeared and smaller, circular tables were scattered around the edges of the Great Hall. The Great Hall had changed too. Candles hung in the air and a big stage had somehow been rigged where the teacher's table usually was. No sign of the Sex Pistols though, or even Fungus Kiss but classical music was floating up from somewhere.

We stood in the doorway for almost a full moment just looking around in sort of awe before we noticed that Scarlet O'Hera was gesturing for our attention from across the hall, looking excited and lovely in her dark green period dress.

"Oh Lily you look so great." I told her when I got to the table they had snagged. I hugged her too, which was a little hard considering how we both had big petticoats under our dresses. "And you to Ret Butler."

James bowed. "Well thank ya ma'am." He said. He had even grown that tiny little mustache Ret had on his upper lip. Lily would later confide in me how funny it felt to kiss him with it.

"Sit down darlin' the foods just heavenly." Lily said in an atrocious southern accent even there was no food on the table yet. I could tell she had totally been practicing it. I gave her a big, wet kiss on the cheek to discourage her from trying it again.

"What are you guys supposed to be?" Peter asked Chris, Kevin and me.

"Alice in Wonderland!" Chris explained, well squealed would be more accurate. "I'm the Cheshire Cat and Kevin's the Mad Hatter and..."

Sirius cut him off. "Emily is the Queen of Hearts." He smiled at me but I just looked away. Pathetic? I'll show you pathetic!

"What about you?" Kevin asked Sirius.

It was then that I had noticed Sirius, Remus and Peter had stood to greet us and they were wearing...tights! Just kidding! But their pants were fitted enough I could feel my resolve to hate Sirius into eternity and back again slipping away. Over that they had big peasant shirts too covered with these weird, blue tunic things with big crosses on them. And super cool big-brimmed hats.

"The Three Musketeers!" I shouted in a burst of epiphany.

Everyone laughed at my outburst but the three of them drew their mock swords and thrust them together. "All for one and one for all." They chanted. I could tell they had totally been practicing that too.

I actually had a good time during dinner and did a pretty good job of not looking at Sirius (despite his pants). I also took pictures of everyone so mum will be pleased. And, through some miracle, I didn't get any food on Chris' dress.

But then Dumbledoor lead Professor McGonagall out onto the dance floor and the floor was open. The music, live from some group no one had ever heard off, was diverse: anything from The Charleston to (much to my disgust) disco.

I danced with Chris, Kevin, Chris and Kevin at the same time (it worked sort of like an American football huddle), Remus, Peter, James and finally Lily in rapid succession but then I had to sit down because I was completely out of breath.

I went to get some punch, took a sip, realized it was spiked (I would bet if it wasn't someone I know who did it, it was another someone I know) and was about to put it down when I caught Sirius dancing with Judy Richardson out of the corner of my eye. I drank the rest and another three besides in rapid succession.

Now it really wasn't as bad as you think because I'm actually like 1/64th Irish and the only thing I apparently inherited from that part of my family is my high tolerance for liquor.

But still, by my fifth cup of punch, the cup Sirius chose to ask me to dance him on, I was feeling a little lightheaded. I considered saying no but after dancing with the whole rest of the group it would make it pretty clear who, exactly, I was stressing over.

We'd danced together before, but not like this. It was a slow waltz so we were in a couple and we were touching. But it was so nice just to be so close to him and I could smell that nice smell coming off of him, like hot, fresh laundry.

My whole body was urging me to pull him closer but my mind remained firm. He had said my crush was pathetic and I was furious with him for that. I mean sure, it was his choice if he liked me back, but he didn't have to call it pathetic!

Over his shoulder I watched Rosie dance with a very handsome Ravenclaw seventh year who was her date. They were dressed as Romeo and Juliet but neither of them had bothered to fake bloody daggers sprouting from their chests, a deplorable mistake in my humble opinion. Very imaginative, I thought snippily, but mostly I was just being mean because her costume was very pretty and she was (of course) looking stunning.

"So are you going to tell me why you called me a smarmy bastard?" He asked.

I looked up at him briefly but I couldn't hold his gaze. I felt like I was going to burst into tears again if I looked at him. I wonder if I'm on my period, I'm feeling pretty emotional. "No." I said simply.

"Why not?" He pressed.

I wanted to run but the thick crush of people around us made it unlikely that I could get away. Unless of course I pissed him off enough. "Why do you think you stupid git?" I snarled.

"If I knew, I wouldn't ask." He pointed out. The blasé tone of his voice really ticked me off.

"You going to tell me why you said you were my friend when you didn't mean it?" I retorted. Sure it was lame but it was the best I had.

He looked hurt. "I did mean it though." He protested.

For some reason, when he said that, all the fight went right out of me. My anger, my last defense, had been breached and only a deep weariness remained. "You know the least you can do is say it to my face, you bloody coward." I said quietly.

"Say what?" He asked, the pitch of his voice rising in confusion.

I couldn't take it anymore. I dropped his hands and tried to think of something fittingly cutting but nothing came and "you know what" was just too cliché so I just glared and waded quickly through the dancers back to the table. "I'm going to the bathroom, be right back." I told Lily, grabbed you and ran.

So here I am in this little couch in the bathroom in the most fabulous dress I'll probably ever get to wear and I am so mad. And a little more drunk then I thought. The room just won't stop spinning and I'm feeling a little nauseous.

And here's the cheery on the cake: Lily just came in. Gotta go!

November

1, November, well past my bedtime, Dormitory,

Well, my grandmother is a mean, embittered old hag and I hate her but to use her favorite term Jesus, Mary and Joseph! Last night was so...well you'll see! But I'm ahead of myself, to avoid confusions I should start where I left off.

"What did you say?" Lily asked, coming to sit next to me on the little couch. "Sirius looks about as happy as you do. Are you all right?"

I nodded, but I also burst into tears so I'm pretty sure she didn't believe me.

She patted me awkwardly (Lily hates it when people cry around her). "Can you tell Chris and Kevin I'm sorry, I think I'm just going to go curl up upstairs and be miserable." I sniffled between big, gasping sobs.
She looked offended. "So you're just going to run then?"

I sniffed. "What else is there to do?"

"Well go back up there and put your sneaker right up his stupid ass for one." She said, as if this were the most obvious thing to think of. "You can't let Sirius Black get you like this! Now get back out there solider and show him how much he doesn't matter!"

I guess that was her stab at motivation and I really do appreciate her brand of friendship most of the time but right then, I just wanted to curl up and never be disturbed again. My rib cage felt suddenly about two sizes too small, my mouth had the worst taste in it, the bathroom was rocking and whirling most unpleasantly and worst of all I felt like I was about to throw up.

In fact, I was about to throw up. I lunged for the nearest stall and vomited copiously into the toilet. Lily came in after me to pull my hair away from my face, which was really considerate. I felt better after that, especially when I realized as I rinsed my mouth at the sink that for the second time that night my dress had eluded dinner.

I wonder if Chris has put some sort of mess repelling charm on it.

"How much of that punch did you drink?" Lily asked.

I shrugged. "Enough."

"So?" She pressed. "What are you going to do?"

"I am going to go back up stairs and brush my teeth." I said.

"But what about Sirius?" She asked pointedly.

"I am going to deal with it Monday." I said. "Maybe I'll have figured out what to do by then."

She bothered me all the way up the tower and while I brushed my teeth and I mostly ignored her but when I tried to get out of my dress I ran into a problem: I couldn't reach the fastenings on the back and Lily didn't look as if she was going to help me with them.

"Come back down. Even if you're just going to ignore him, come down." She wheedled. "Didn't you ever hear that you're supposed to get back up on the horse that kicked you immediately or you'll never ride again? I don't want to have to put up with you if you're just going to be a wreck your whole life when it comes to men."

"Lily." I sighed. "Rosie told Sirius that I fancy him and he told her it was pathetic. I can't go back out there and face him after that, it's to embarrassing."

"Did it ever occur to you she might be lying?" Lily asked, her hand cocked on her hip.

"She wasn't." I said simply. "I just know she wasn't."

"Fine. Sirius knows and he thinks it's pathetic. So what?" She looked like she wanted to shake me very hard for being so thick headed. "There is nothing you can do about that. What you can fix is how you're acting! Don't let this ruin your night!"

Don't let it ruin my night? Was she mad? Apparently she didn't remember her complete break down over the whole James thing. Bloody friends and their bloody revisionist histories! "Fine! If I march downstairs and embarrass myself completely in front of Sirius will you be happy then?" I exploded.

"It doesn't really matter to me if you and Sirius get together as long as you're happy about it. But you're a big bloody problem when you're upset so either forget how handsome he is or kill him and dump his body in the lake." She snapped.

I laughed. "All right I'll go back down." I agreed. "And I'll try to be less mopy and depressing. I can't promise that I'm going to solve the Sirius problem but I'll try not to be so annoying about it."

She rolled her eyes. "That's good enough for now."

"Where were you two?" James asked when we got back to the Great Hall.

"In the steaming lesbian orgy taking place in the girls dormitory right now." Lily said blandly. At that moment I was so grateful that Lily Evans is my best friend. As she had intended, the joke smothered any curiosity the rest of the party might have had.

Or so I thought. But a few moments later James had casually sidled close enough to whisper, "are you going to tell me what you did to Sirius," in my ear.

"I didn't do anything to him." I whispered back in my most steely, don't-push-it, voice.

But James, at least as long as I've known him, has never known how to take a hint. "Yeah," James snorted, "unless you count breaking his poor little heart."

"Bre..." I started to shout but then remembered we were whispering. "Break his heart?" I said lower. "I don't have the equipment necessary to break his heart. He doesn't even really like me!" I tried (and failed miserably) to keep my voice from sounding too bitter about this. "The smarmy git told my cousin I was pathetic!"

James let out a long sigh. It was the sigh of someone who has just realized that they have to tell you that you've just run through hell and back again for nothing at all. "If I were you I'd ask him about that."

"Would you?" I asked as sarcastically as I could. "You a sado-masochist?"

"Just do it." James pleaded. "Trust me."

Well I'm not that trusting and I never would have approached Sirius about the whole thing if James and Lily hadn't been...well James and Lily. The planning (and you can be sure that planning did go into this) probably went a little something like this:

James: Hey wanna go make out on the gardens?

Lily: Sure...wait I've got a better idea, let's lure Sirius and Emily out there with the rest of the group and then all disappear really quickly so they're left in uncomfortable silence

James: Good idea

And that was pretty much how it went.

I'm not sure how they managed to disappear so quickly but it seemed like one moment they were around us and the next I was alone with Sirius on a bench. I fiddled with my skirt and looked around and cursed myself for trusting Lily and James.

I shivered a little. Kevin and Chris had made me a little wrap in case I wanted to go out but it was mostly just for show: a little SILK wrap that I'm not entirely sure wasn't augmenting the problem.

"Here." Sirius said gruffly, shrugging off his coat and handing it to me.

"No." I said. "I'm fine."

"Just take it." He insisted.

"NO." I said a little more harshly then was needed.

"All right." He said putting it back on.

I immediately felt horrible in that way you do when, after an hour or heated argument, the other person suddenly just gives in. I wished I'd just taken the coat.

"Look..." I started. "Can we just be friends again?" I never was very good at staying mad and I was about ready to just forgive, forget and get on with it.

We had both been sitting hunched forward on the bleachers with our for arms resting on our knees and not looking at each other but at that point he straightened up and turned toward me. "Is that what you want?" He asked.

No, it wasn't what I wanted at all. I wanted to grab the front of his silly tunic thing and snog him as hard as I could. "Sure." I said.

"Goddamn it look at me Emily!" He suddenly exploded. I blinked, stunned by this outburst. "Stop fucking around with me! Stop playing these weird mind games!"
That really pissed me off.

I jumped to my feet. "Don't you dare lecture me about mind games!" I raged. "One minute you're kissing me and then the next you're pretending it didn't happen! You say you like me better then my cousin but then you tell her I'm pathetic! Which is it Sirius! It can't be both!"

"I didn't mea..." He started, standing up too, but I cut him off.

"I've spent my whole life being judged by Rosie's standards and you go and give her leverage? How could you do that? You say you want to be friends but that is not a friendly thing to do you....you...you..." I spluttered. I couldn't think of a name mean or cutting enough.

And what pissed me off even more was that he was smirking! Smirking! I ask you! "You are so sexy when you're angry." Sirius said, which is the most annoying thing to say to an angry person, but then he covered my mouth with his and I sort of forgot about it.

I should have hit him or bit his tongue or kick him in the shins or something but kissing Sirius, or rather trying to stop kissing him, was like trying to wake up on a cold Monday morning. You just keep telling yourself it'll happen eventually until it's too bloody late. Now, admittedly, I've only had one boyfriend and he was a loser but I am sure that this kiss would have blown any experience I could have had right out of the water.

He bit at the sensitive flesh of my lower lip and I gasped, allowing him to slip his tongue into my mouth. We battled for control of the kiss, our sick little game to see who could drive the other more wild. My whole body shook as sensation shot down every nerve ending at once.

I kissed back; fighting for the kind of control over his body that he absolutely had over mine. I was too hot and too cold at the same time and my hands were mashed into his hair to keep the contact. His hands were around my waist, warm and confronting There was a steady pulsing at the juncture between my thighs.

It was the last two months of frustration releasing itself. My knees gave out but the strong arm around me kept me standing. It was so deep and so raw my lips were plump and tingling from the almost bruising intensity. I was slack in his arms, weak from holding my own.

Rapture with a capital R.

His lips moved from my mouth, kissing his way down to my neck where he nipped at the highly sensitive juncture of my neck and my shoulder. "Jesus fucking Chris Sirius." I gasped as he bit just the right spot. I could feel his lips against my neck arc into a smile. I imagined it was that devious little smile that was so uniquely him.

He pulled back suddenly. "I didn't mean it when I told Rosie you fancying me was pathetic." He said quickly, as if he had just remembered it. "I was really grateful that she'd told me, I just wanted her to leave so I could think. I never thought she'd go tell you."

"I don't care." I sighed, snuggling up against him. I didn't want to talk about it, I didn't even want to think about it. All I wanted was to be completely absorbed into his warm mass.

Standing on tiptoe, wanting to distract him from his train of thought, I dragged my teeth across his earlobe, trying to even the score. His whole body shuddered and his hands on my waist clenched in the soft, filmy fabric of my skirt.

He pulled back sharply. "Go out with me?" It wasn't really a question, more like a demand, especially not at that particular moment when I would have agreed to anything. I nodded vigorously and was rewarded by a soft, sweet, almost chaste kiss.

I pushed him back again. "You're not just trying to get into my pants are you?" I asked. Because there are probably easier ways to do it, I mentally added.

"Fuck Emily, you're a lot more romantic when you aren't talking." He told me but when he realized that I was deadly serious he nodded. "For once in my life my intentions are completely honorable." He chuckled at that idea.

He was so sweet and so earnest that my heart couldn't help but melt and trickle down into my feet like butter left out in the sun all day. It was the most singularly romantic thing anyone had ever said to me.

And with that out of the way, we went back to snogging each other senseless. I asked Lily later what second base was and she said it was above the waist. We definitely covered that but when I wanted to take it a little farther Sirius made us stop. It actually sort of funny, you know, such a role reversal.

He shook his head. "Don't do that Emily." He half scolded me. I was hurt but as if he could read my thoughts, he continued, "and don't think that I don't want you more then I've ever wanted a girl in my life but I saw you drink that spiked punch."

"I didn't drink that much." I protested but it was such a disarmingly sweet thing to say.

"Besides," he said leaning down to give me a soft, brief kiss, "you still don't quiet trust me."

"I trust you." I said but he was right. He had too much of a reputation. Sheer optimism, probably the last shred of it left in my entire body, had got me this far but it was stretched thin.

He gave me one more kiss. "Come on, let's go back to the dance."

Everything seemed to just glow after that. Back in the ball we danced until our feet hurt and then we sat and talked with our friends, who didn't even need to be told we were dating. We were like two little beads of mercury, once we got within a certain range we just attracted.

And when they finally made us leave at three AM we didn't go back to our houses like we were supposed to. Instead we wandered out onto the Pitch and up into the teacher's box, which James apparently has a key to, somehow.

We didn't last long however. None of us, least of all Lily whose dress was mostly silk, were dressed for any kind of cold so James, Sirius, Remus and Peter all left to bring up blankets. Maybe it was chivalry that made them do it, if that isn't dead, but I think it had more to do with keeping the rest of us in the dark as to where they came up with these things.

"Goddamn it's cold." Lily shivered as they dropped out of sight down the stairs to the Pitch.

"Fuck that." Chris said. "Tell us how Sirius kisses."

Kevin just rolled his eyes. I giggled like a little girl. "Oh god I don't even know." I ducked my head and blushed a little.

"That good?" Lily sounded revolted but grudgingly interested too.

"Better." I giggled a little more. Even the memory made me warm all over like the punch had.

"You look so sexy' he said, 'get that one' he said. That is the last fucking time I listen to James Potter. Fucking silk. Fucking southern bells and their fucking fashion sense." Lily was mumbling, blowing into her cupped hands and shivering pretty hard.

Kevin shrugged off his jacket. "Here put this on, you're going to catch hypothermia." He said.

"Thanks Kev." She said putting it on. "I am going to kick James Potter's ass when he gets back up here. If I'm a fucking icicle by that time."

Well, Lily didn't kick James' ass when he got back. We were all too grateful for the blankets and thermos of hot coco they'd brought up from the kitchens. It was actually fun to be so high above the ground in the dark. Almost as much fun as it was to be so close to Sirius and not have to worry about what this meant or how I was going to rationalize this later.

"What made you ask me out?" I asked him in semi-privacy of the crowd.

"I've actually been wanting to for a while." He admitted.

"Really?" I was a little stunned.

"Since that day on the train." He said.

"What stopped you?" I asked.

"Different things. I didn't want a girlfriend this year was the first thing. But sometimes you didn't seem interested or you seemed interested in other people. The biggest thing was that you said you just wanted to be friends. I don't gamble with friendship." He explained.

"I'm a liar." I sighed contentedly.

"You're a convincing actress." He murmured sleepily.

I realized at that moment I'd been wrong about Sirius. He may have been guilty of a lot of things but cowardice would never be one of them. He just trusted me more then he should have, that was all. And that was understandable too. I am one hell of a good liar if I do say so myself.

I fell asleep sometime during the night for about an hour but Sirius woke me up to see the sunrise. It was a nice moment, all of us in costume, so far past tired that it hardly mattered in the cold pink light of the rising sun. I felt like I was actually going to make it through this year, like things were maybe going my way.

It's strange to think that it was just two months ago I was tripping all over myself in my kitchen because of him. And now I here I am and we're a couple.

Funny how things work out.

AN: Well...that's the end of one era of the story. In other news more strife and drama is yet to come (as it always does) and I've decided to tell you more about it. Anyway please review because I love it.