Decided to repost this one, it was a bit late and i forgot to do a little editing. So here is the version i intended you all to see. ENJOY! oh yea, Happy Christmas to everybody!

Insert pointless disclamer here I'm trying to write more often, but its not that easy with school and everything. There isn't gonna be any Sirius and Lydia action any time soon, but our Liddie does get some next chapter. The Seventh Year ball is posinga bit of a problem, i dont know where to put it. So it might be a while B4 i get there.

The next morning, Lydia felt like crap. She imagined she looked like crap as well. Sleep hadn't come to her that night, and the alarm clock seemed louder than ever. Nevertheless, as soon as she heard the moans and groans of the six other sleepy girls, she bolted up out of bed and into the bathroom. For the past six years she and Lilly had always gotten the bathroom first. Today, it was her turn. A look at the bathroom mirror confirmed her suspicions. She did, indeed, look like crap. Pulling back the shower curtain, she also found out that she had no shampoo left. "Oh, bugger all," she sighed and conceded to only using conditioner. Even after her morning routine she still felt like crap, though no longer looked it. Reminding herself that she was supposed to be a morning person, she plastered on a smile when she entered the Great Hall. As usual, James and Remus were already seated at the middle of the Gryffindor table. Remus greeted her with an absent hello, never once looking up from his book. James swallowed a spoonful of oatmeal and gave her a scrutinizing look. "You know," he said, "you really don't have use that phony smile with us." It fell immediately and she proceeded to slump down on the bench and put her head in her hands. "Uhhhh," she moaned, "I'm so tired." James leaned in and put a hand on her shoulder. "I'm guessing that the exceptionally large fight with Lauren last night didn't help any?" She looked up at him with embarrassment, "You heard that?" "I think the whole bloody house heard it," Remus piped in, still not looking up from his book. "Oh, just marvelous," sarcasm dripped from her voice. "Cheer up," James said, "It's not like it's anything we haven't…" But his sentence trailed off into nothing when Lilly entered the hall, followed by Lauren. Lydia just rolled her eyes at James. "Hey Lilly, would you be interested in going with me to the…" She didn't bother to listen to the rest. Every day it was the same. James asked Lilly to go out with him, and she would say no. Lauren tapped her on the arm and she turned to look at her friend. Lauren looked worse than she did. Not only did her eyes have dark black circles under them, it looked as if she had been crying most of the night.

"Listen," she said, her voice hoarse and tired, "I'm really, really sorry about what I said last night."

Lydia smiled sympathetically and assured her, "It's okay, really. I understand."

Lauren shook her head, "No it isn't, and I had no right to talk to you that way."

"You were right," she admitted, "You were right about what you said. I've been waiting around for so long to Sirius to notice me. It even made me lash out at one of my friends." She took Lauren's hand and spoke with complete sincerity. "From now on I am going to stop waiting. It's time to let him go."

"Good for you," Lauren's face brightened. Then she looked and motioned towards the door, "Speak of the devil…" Lydia turned to see Sirius coming through the double doors. If she'd thought she looked bad, he was even worse. He almost looked like he was asleep on his feet. "My my," James commented, "Looks like someone had a rough night." Sirius gave him a killing look, slumped down on the bench, and scowled into his bowl of oatmeal. "You look horrible," Lydia commented, laughing into her glass of pumpkin juice. "I must have been super plastered last night." "Good thing," Lauren muttered. But he didn't hear her as the next thing he did was lay his head on the table, closed his eyes, and groaned in pain. "Here," Lilly moved over to him, "Maybe this will help." She touched her wand to his forehead and murmured an incantation. "Oh yes, that feels so much better."

"So, Liddie," Lilly began, "What's happening with the Seventh Year Ball?" Lydia, being a prefect, was on the decorating committee.

"Well, we finally got all of the decorations together, now we have what? Two weeks to set them up."

"Will it take you that long?"

"If we can get some of the professors to help, I don't think it will." Then the bell sounded for the first class, and everyone left the hall.

That night, all of the seventh grade girls were in their room, talking about the Ball. Lilly had left the Head's room, as she did frequently, and was lounging on Lydia's bed while the girls chatted on about dresses and boys. "Who are you going with Lilly?" one of the girls asked. "I was thinking about asking Remus. You know, as a friend." "Why don't you go with James?" Lydia asked, even though she already knew the answer. "Because he's arrogant and pig-headed, that's why." "You mean he's still free?" a girl named Alison asked. To Lydia's curiosity, Lilly suddenly became tensed. "Yes," she said through clenched teeth. 'Odd,' she thought, 'I wonder if there's something going on there.' However, she couldn't continue the thought as the conversation was now directed towards her. "Who are you going with?" Not sure how to answer, she simply said, "I don't know." Then the conversation moved on, leaving her to think. Who would she go with? Would she even go at all? She had to get over Sirius, so the best thing to do would be find someone, and fast. But who? There might be a lot of boys who would be willing to go with her, but she needed someone who could keep her mind off that one particular bad-boy. Who? That was the question. Little did she know, it was about to be answered.

Short chappie, but I'll try and make them longer. Remember to R&R!!!