Disclaimer: See Chapter 1.

Lily and Treasure walked up to one of the carriages that they knew would be waiting as usual for the students above their first year. Lily was quiet, walking with her arm linked in Treasure's and contemplating the giant castle before them. The skies thundered above and the air was heavy with the threat of rain, but as of yet not a drop had fallen. The girls made their way into the carriage just as the rain began to fall. Lily remained quiet, thinking about the exchange that Treasure and Sirius had back on the Hogwarts Express - and the unspoken exchange that she was uncertain the two of them even realized. There was something very obviously different about the two of them this year, especially in the way that Sirius looked at Treasure. Lily wasn't quiet certain she liked it very much - she knew that perhaps the reason Treasure was so intent on causing trouble was because of the attention it seemed to gain her from a certain Mr. Black. While it never had bothered her before, it was their fifth year and this time, they had O.W.L.s to prepare for. Treasure didn't have the luxury of fooling around this year.

"Lily, there is a curtain over the window. Unless you can see through solid fabric, all you are going to see is moldy, moth eaten wool," Treasure said gently. Lily turned around and reached out to touch Treasure's shoulder.

"Are you sure your arm is okay? You fell on it pretty hard," she said worriedly.

Treasure smiled, "I'm fine, Lils, don't worry so much," she said. Lily pondered this for a moment.

"It amazes me that you and Sirius are not going out," Lily said, deciding that perhaps it would be better to broach the subject quickly rather than beat around the bush. With the look of surprise on Treasure's face, followed swiftly by embarrassment, Lily thought that perhaps beating around the Whomping Willow would have been safer than bringing up Sirius Black.

"You are so alike. You're both reckless and arrogant - well, sometimes you are Treasure," Lily continued apologetically, seeing the indignant look on her friend's face.

"Where in Merlin's name did that come from, Lillian?"

"That is not my name," Lily said tartly.

"And if you can't stand James or Sirius and them, how can you stand being around me?" Treasure retorted, ignoring her friend. Lily started to laugh. "You really are something you know that?" she teased. Before Treasure could say anything else, the carriages rolled to a stop and the two girls hopped out. Lily was relieved for the interruption.

"Oh, we're here! I am famished," Treasure muttered. Suddenly Lily let out a small shriek and Treasure spun around to see what had happened.

"Oh, gross!" Lily said angrily, wiping mud off of half her face. Treasure looked passed Lily to see James standing, looking more shocked than slightly amused while Sirius and Peter were laughing. Remus smiled slightly as well. Treasure glowered at them.

"Potter, what the hell is wrong with you?" she snarled, taking out a handkerchief she had left in her pocket and handing it to Lily. James looked sheepishly at the ground. Treasure grabbed Lily's hand and walked over to James.

"Potter, you toad, apologize to her right now!" Treasure demanded and James looked caught like a deer in headlights.

"You heard her, Prongs, apologize," Sirius sneered, clearly warning James that if he did it, Sirius would never let him live it down.

"And you shut up," Treasure said, taking out her wand and muttering a Silencing Charm. Sirius opened his mouth and was completely silent. Not a word escaped from his mouth, he gave Treasure the dirtiest look and mouthed,

Treasure smirked and mouthed back Make me. Lily burst out laughing, seeming to have forgotten the mud in her hair and on her face. Peter looked shocked; Remus chuckled. He clapped Sirius on the back and said, "Well, you do deserve it, mate."

She turned to James. "You didn't say sorry yet," she said innocently, the look spoiled by the way she poked James in the shoulder with her wand.

"Hey, watch it, Belle - I wont be able to if you Silence me. Or gut me, for that matter," James said, laughing at Sirius who was clearly not made to be a mime. Sirius made a very rude hand gesture in reply.

"Say it, James," she said as they were herded into the Great Hall. James turned to Lily,

"I'm really sorry, Evans," he said. Treasure clucked her tongue. "Use her name for once, damn it," she barked. James rolled his eyes, "Yes, Professor," he muttered, but said, "I'm really sorry, Lily."

"That's better," Treasure said, and waved her hand at James as if to shoo him away. Lily laughed again, but glared at James. Treasure took her best friend by the arm and sat down, looking eagerly at the gold plates.

"He really was sorry, you know," she said quietly.

"I'm really not interested."

"Aww, it's okay Lils, he bruised your ego, I understand."

"Ha, not as badly as you shattered Sirius's ego," Lily quipped.

"All in a day's work," Treasure said smugly. Lily rolled her eyes. I'll bet, she thought to herself, but she wasn't willing to point out the obvious, albeit atypical, flirtation that seemed to abound whenever Sirius and Treasure were within a few feet of each other.

Treasure jumped as someone tapped her on the shoulder. She looked up and saw Sirius glaring down on her. Her eyes sparkled up at him and Lily bit the inside of her cheek to keep from smirking.

Sirius mouthed.

Treasure grinned, "Well of course you heard that, I didn't hex you to make you deaf, now did I?" she asked. His hand gesture returned. James, Remus, and Peter were watching with interest, although Peter seemed to be trying to glare Treasure into lifting the hex from his friend. Lily found this rather amusing at the moment - Treasure and Sirius had always teased one another, from the very day that they met on the Hogwarts Express in their first year. Now, however, Treasure was making it quite obvious, batting her lashes up at him playfully and favoring him with her most innocent look - the look only a true fool would ever take as genuine guilelessness.

"Oh, ouch, Sirius that really hurt my feelings," Treasure taunted as he continued to mouth off, albeit silently, at her.

Sirius mouthed angrily, sitting down next to her and leaning in closely. Treasure seemed unflappable, very much enjoying his position at her mercy. Lily saw some of the other Gryffindor girls sending glares Treasure's way, but either she seemed not to notice or was very good at ignoring them. Sirius really was quite handsome, but that fact was one that Treasure also happened to be overlooking. From the twinkle in her light eyes, however, Lily knew that Sirius's good looks hadn't escaped Treasure completely.

"Hmm…let me think, uh...no?" Treasure said, smiling.

Had he had a voice, he would have been whining.

"Aww, does ickle Sirius want to talk?" Treasure cooed. Sirius glared. "Well, does he?" she asked, sticking out her lower lip. He reluctantly nodded. Lily found this to be a bit much and said, "Treasure, you worry me sometimes. You like to torture people too much. Maybe you should have been in Slytherin…"

That certainly got the dark-haired witch's attention; she turned around so quickly she nearly fell off the chair, "That is not funny," she said. Lily shrugged and waved at Severus Snape from across the Great Hall. Treasure's deep scowl was nothing compared to James's, but Lily ignored both.

Sirius clapped his hands to get Treasure's attention.

"You know, when you're quiet you are the tall, dark, and handsome, strong and silent type. Its very appealing. But when you talk, it doesn't quite work," she informed him. "Something about you always talking out of your rear end, Sirius. Not as endearing as you might think."

Sirius's non-existent tone was full of warning. Lily knew that her best friend wouldn't be able to get away from this unscathed. She only hoped that they didn't continue on like this all year; it would be quite tiresome, and they had a lot to do this year without the explosions in the Gryffindor Common Room that would surely occur if Sirius and Treasure didn't find some other way to flirt and satisfy their obvious attraction besides hexing each other. Lily glanced over at James, who was taking a swig of his pumpkin juice, and flicked her wand under the table. James jumped as the magic from her wand hit him on the knee, causing him to slosh the juice all over his front.

"Very good, Potter. Suave," Lily said, hiding a grin at the indignant - and then embarrassed - look on James's face.

"Oh, alright, what's the magic word?" Treasure asked. Sirius seemed to ponder this for a moment.

he kind-of-said with a smirk.

"No, dear, I said magic word, not phrase. C'mon, you're a bright boy, you can think of it. Swallow your pride, I wont tell anyone." James, Remus and Peter burst out laughing.

"Although, they might," Treasure said as an afterthought, nodding in their direction. The entire Gryffindor table was silent, and that fact alone was spreading through the hall until most eyes were on Sirius and Treasure. Sirius looked like he was fighting an inner battle.

Lily sighed. "Oh, come on Treasure, just lift the spell," she muttered, looking quite unamused and very bored. The fact was that Lily was tired, and they still had to unpack. And lessons started tomorrow! Sirius nodded vigorously. Most of the school started to laugh. If there was one thing you could say about Sirius and Treasure's relationship - which both would deny the existence of - was that it did provide entertainment for the Gryffindor and the other Houses, often at the expense of Sirius and Treasure themselves.

he finally mouthed. Treasure beamed. "Okay!" she squealed happily, waving her wand and muttering the counter spell. Sirius let out a breath, and said darkly, "I'll get you for that one, Belle."

Treasure grinned. "I'm quite sure you will, but it wont change the fact that I got you first, and I got you good," she told him. He shook his head and smiled, and didn't move from his place next to her.

Lily noticed this all too well.