Disclaimer: See Chapter 1.

"So tell me, what was it like?" James asked. Sirius opened the curtains around his bed. "What are you talking about now, Potter?" he asked, extremely tired of stupid questions.

"You know, when you kissed her. What was it like?"

"Oh, don't tell me you don't bloody know!"

James shrugged uncomfortably.

"Let me get this straight, Prongs, for all the girls who have liked you, you've never once had a snog?" Sirius asked, incredulous. "What, were you just waiting for Lily to wake up and throw herself into your arms?"

"Hey, I'm the one who asked the bloody question, so answer it," James snapped. Sirius smirked, but didn't press the issue. "It was like any other kiss," he said, knowing this would infuriate James even more. James said nothing.

"Well, maybe not like any other kiss, 'cause it only lasted a second and she pulled away really fast," he said.

"You know I reckon Lily was right, 'you are the most vile, most arrogant pig headed,' wanker that I have ever had the bad luck to meet," James snorted. Sirius sighed, "I do feel a bit bad, though," he said.

"I knew that one already, Padfoot."

"But she deserves it, doesn't she?" Sirius asked, needing what he did to be justified.

"Sorry, mate, but I'm gonna have to say she didn't," he said. Sirius ran a hand through his hair.

"You're right, I've been a bigger wanker than you," he said. James grinned, "Given your current state of distress, I'll ignore that," he said. Sirius pulled the curtains closed and tried to go to sleep.

"What question?" Treasure asked, puzzled.

"What was it like? When he kissed you?" Lily asked. Her eyes were bright, and she was grinning. Treasure rolled her eyes. "If you're thinking flowers and birds singing, you're not as smart as your Prefect badge claims you are," she said glumly.

"Ouch."

"Sorry, Lils, but it wasn't at all romantic. In fact, I could have lived without it. It was…surprising…and I suppose it could have been nice if it was done for the right reasons…but it wasn't," Treasure slid out of her bed and sat by the window, watching the moonlight slowly make its way over the grounds, a milky glow that bathed the forest in silver. Treasure suddenly felt an intense yearning to run into the forest, where everything was alive but nothing was human. The life in the forest was different, the magic was old and ancient and there was never any trace of pettiness there. Treasure wrapped her arms around herself and glared, looking away from the moon that, as always on the Hogwarts grounds, looked unnaturally large.

"I see what you're saying…but for that one moment when he kissed you, wasn't it a teeny bit nice? I mean, he's not ugly…" Lily was saying.

"Well, if I was going by looks alone then it was spectacular…but afterwards, like just now, when he said it was just some prank. That ruined it," Treasure laughed, shrugging her shoulders uncomfortably and pulling her hair into a ponytail. She made her way over to Lily's bed and flopped down on her stomach, resting her chin in her hands and kicking her feet restlessly in the air. Lily grinned at the energy that always seemed to be fighting its way out of her friend, restless and desperate for something incredible to happen whenever there was a dull moment.

"Do you like him?" Lily asked. Treasure stilled, startled.

"That's a stupid question."

"No it's not. Do you?" Lily repeated. Treasure pondered this for a while.

"I might have, at one point. But no, I don't think I do." Lily sighed again. She had hoped for an answer in the affirmative - it might help Treasure and Sirius move along on the path of least resistance - if they could get it out there that they both fancied each other, they'd spend a lot less time jinxing each other and probably a lot more time kissing. Lily wasn't exactly pleased at the idea of either, but at least kissing was - theoretically - a lot quieter.

"What?"

Lily smiled. "If I tell you, you'll kill me," she said.

"I probably will, so don't tell me." Lily flung a pillow at Treasure. "I was gonna say, you and Sirius would make such a cute couple," she said.

"You're right, I will kill you," Treasure shrieked, flinging the pillow back harder.

The next day was Saturday, and it would be the start of the weekend from hell, as far as Treasure was concerned. Gossip, especially about stupid stuff like romance and who was dating who, traveled as fast as a mother dragon whose eggs were stolen, and was just about as vicious. Treasure woke early, hoping to get out of the dorm before Violet and Isabelle woke up and took it upon themselves to circulate rumors that would make the editor Witch Weekly blush. They seemed to have assigned themselves to the task of personally making Treasure's life miserable. Last night, they had walked in at about one in the morning and stood by Treasure's bed making loud kissing noises. They didn't go away until Treasure screamed that as flattered as she was that they obviously admired her so, she was not interested in what they had to offer.

Treasure wrapped herself in a robe and slid her feet into slippers, padding out to the Common Room. She sat by the fire, not really awake enough to realize that she was no alone. "You're up early," a voice said, and Treasure nearly jumped out of her skin.

"Remus, don't do that!" she yelped, turning around in her armchair. Sure enough, there Remus Lupin stood, looking haggard and tired in a robe and PJ's. He smiled and sat across from her in the armchair.

"What are you doing up this early?" he asked.

"I could ask you the same thing."

He nodded, "I couldn't sleep," he said.

"Neither could I." A silence descended between the two that, had it been anyone else, Treasure would have felt highly uncomfortable. With Remus, however, it was different. He sat with his hands folded in his lap and a blanket over his legs, looking for all the world like a tired old man rather than a teenage boy - and certainly not a teenage boy as immature as the louts he hung around with. There was a contented smile on his face that even the dark circles under his eyes couldn't hide. Treasure crept quietly around the arm chair next to him and sat down.

"So…" Treasure started, fidgeting nervously with the fraying ends of her old robe.

"Sirius probably didn't mean anything by what he did -"

"You heard what he said!"

"Sirius and James aren't known for thinking before they say things, Tres."

"Yeah well, I bet you wouldn't have done something so stupid, and selfish - all for a joke!"

Before he could answer, another person came bounding down the stairs. "Moony, where've you been?" Sirius said loudly. Treasure pursed her lips and tried once again to become invisible. Sirius looked between Remus and Treasure, glaring at Remus in a most intimidating way.

"What are you doing, Moony?" he asked. Treasure stood up. "He's talking to me, got a problem Sirius?" she said angrily. Sirius looked taken aback, and then he glared at Treasure. "No, no problem at all. Perhaps I should leave you two alone!" he said, pulling up a chair and sitting in it letting the other two know he was not about to do anything of the sort. The way Sirius was looking at Remus made Treasure think of a dog possessively warning another as to what was its own. And despite Remus's mild complacency, Treasure inadvertently felt like she was the prey. It made the hair on the back of her neck stand up and she leapt from the arm chair angrily, shooting Sirius an incredulous look. Remus watched her shake her head, at first confused and then resolved to be only disgusted. He felt a small smile pull at the edges of his lips. It seemed that the only people who couldn't see that Sirius and Treasure were so very attracted to each other, were Sirius and Treasure themselves.

"So what were you two talking about?" Sirius asked. Treasure smiled, looking a bit terrifying in Remus's opinion.

"We were just talking about what an unbelievable prat you are, Black," she said sweetly.

"Oh, were you really? Care to add what an insufferable, humorless harpy you are into the conversation too?"

"Oh, I'm insufferable, am I? Humorless? Well I don't recall me doing anything to you that was particularly hurtful."

"What about that Silencing charm, then, eh?" Sirius shot back.

"Is your ego as defenseless as you were when Snape got that Body-Bind on you, Sirius?"

Remus laughed quietly, earning himself a murderous glare from his friend. He shrugged. "Oh - so you didn't tell your friends, did you? Well, Remus, apparently Snivellus was able to get through this dueling masters defenses. He got you good, Sirius. I've half a mind to go congratulate him!" Treasure snarled. Sirius's jaw clenched angrily - she was talking so loudly that Sirius had no doubt that the whole tower probably heard her. Neither had noticed that Remus had gotten up and walked quietly back to his dorm. In an effort to get her to shut up about his pathetic excuse for a duel with Snape, he changed the subject.

"Well you know what, Belle, I'm sorry, alright? I'm bloody sorry that I kissed you, and that you hated it," he hissed. Treasure, surprised, pulled away quickly. She put a hand up to her lips, glaring at him as if afraid he'd pull a stunt like that again.

"What was it for then, Sirius? Enlighten me." she said.

"You want to know why, Belle? It's 'cause I bloody wanted to. It's cause I like you." he said, his face losing all its anger, and now looking very insecure. Treasure faltered, forgetting her searing response and not knowing what to say at all. It was hardly what she expected. She glared at him once more, half-heartedly, and pushed her way past him and up the stairs to the girls' dormitory once more.