I continued to try to settle— after several months, I still couldn't deny that it hadn't really happened— trying to banish my past and most people's futures from my mind for the time being— no one could do a thing about it until it came along, after all. And Remus's visit gave me a little to chew on while I waited for things to pick up. How much had Moony actually guessed about who I really was and where I came from?

The next weekend came with more Hogwarts students. Considering I hadn't heard from Lily since her little romp in the night, I figured I had to keep an eye out for her and ask her what was going on. I never expected her to appear at Zonko's— Lily had never precisely struck me as someone who planned pranks out; she might play a joke on someone spontaneously but mostly she left mischief-making to us.

Nevertheless, I turned around that morning from trying to explain to David that quite simply, we were out of Filibuster's Fireworks— again— to find Lily waiting for me with a bottle of invisible ink. "So Black and Potter will stop reading my notes to Alice and Sam," she explained when I lifted an eyebrow. "And if I can drag Sam away from Roger long enough, I need to talk to you during your lunch break."

David glanced at his watch. "It's about that time anyway, if you really want to abandon me with the hellions that come into this shop," he murmured.

"You knew when you took the job that Zonko's was frequented by nothing but hellions," I reminded him mercilessly. "Therefore, you've only got you to blame."

"I take it I'm sworn to secrecy on the reason?" Lily asked wryly.

"I'm humoring you," I answered shortly. "Just humoring you. There's no other reason for it, because I'm fine." I knew how much Lily could worry, and since she found me on the grounds I hadn't precisely acted as the most sensible person in the world— I could be sensible in hindsight, and that was it.

"Come on, then," she answered.

"Be back soon," David murmured wryly. "God alone knows why I got this job."

Lily half-dragged me through the streets, still arguing with her on whether or not I actually needed help. I was just a little uncomfortable with the idea of going to someone— and a Muggle, no less— about something that I couldn't even say was in the past or future. Time was a confusing thing.

I nearly balked when she dragged me into the coffee shop, which was the unofficial place to drag a girl on a date. "If she's with her boyfriend d'you really want to interrupt?" I murmured.

"Someone's mental health is more important than her relationship with Roger, which was doomed from the start because he's an arrogant git, and Sam knows it. The former, at least," Lily added as an afterthought, waving to a girl with strawberry blond hair. Sam Walker sighed, made some excuse to Roger, and joined Lily, while I escaped outside in case this was one of the weekends me or Remus had a date— Peter was still nervous around anyone of the opposite sex and James had grown stubborn enough he refused to go out with anyone but Lily.

Sam and Lily followed me outside, Sam complaining about Lily's dragging her away from her date. "I need to talk to him if we're going to have any kind of relationship—"

"Oh, shut up, Sam, that relationship was doomed from the start because he's an idiot," Lily rebuked.

Sam shook her head and did a double take when she saw me. "Maybe I need to owl Dad for myself," she commented. "It's like looking at Black."

"The coincidence of the century, it seems," Lily answered, "they both claim they're not related."

"Well, the quarter century," I murmured. And we weren't related— I wasn't a family member, I was him.

"So what exactly's going on?" Sam asked, toying with a strand of her strawberry blond hair. She was pretty, and a good quidditch player to boot— I remembered only giving up on her out of some respect for Roger— enough that I didn't chase after girls with boyfriends. "Lily said something about a recurring nightmare?"

A yes, the other reason I'd stopped chasing Miss Walker— there was simply no getting around the fact that her dad was a therapist. No one with a long-standing problem was safe from Sam Walker, the girl who had once tried to cure a house elf's fear of heights by taking him up onto the astronomy tower and been convinced Snape had a inferiority complex— I'm not saying she was wrong, just that we all got sick of her talking about it. "Well, several."

"And they are?" she prompted, almost irritably.

"Look, a couple of years ago my best friends got murdered, because their secret keeper decided to turn traitor— I could've been the secret keeper instead of him, and if that's not enough to make me feel guilty, than nothing is."

"How long ago was this?"

"Five years," I mumbled to no one in particular, not looking at her.

Sam turned to Lily. "I'll talk to my dad." She turned back to me. "Since you live in Hogsmede, I'll have to be the middleman, but I'll get you an appointment. Lily's right, you know— you do need to talk to somebody." With that, she went back inside the coffee shop to return to Roger.

"That said, I think I'm going to get into the point of lunch break— to eat lunch," I announced mildly.

"Mind if I join you?" Lily asked. "You're better company than Sam's been lately, snogging Roger in the halls and talking nonstop about him and quidditch and the Wilburne Wasps contacting him about drafting him onto the team when he graduates. I'm just glad he is graduating— he'll be out of my hair and maybe Sam'll find someone I can actually stand."

I couldn't help but laugh. "Oh, I dunno— she seems a rather stubborn person."

"You have no idea— oh, God, no, more trouble."

I looked where she was and shook my head— us. Well, Me and James; Peter and Remus appeared to be elsewhere. "Hullo, Evans," James said brightly.

"Say it and I will push you off the astronomy tower next time we're up there," Lily announced icily.

"Why so suspicious?" James asked, adjusting his glasses and feigning hurt— anyone that knew him knew he was only pretending to look surprised at Lily's attack.

"Prior experience. Get out of here, Potter."

Sirius shook his head. "Lily, this is a public street," he pointed out. "It's not like you can precisely tell us to get out of it. Besides, I didn't hear anything you could be upset about."

"It's coming," Lily answered grimly.

"Suspicious, suspicious. What would I possibly say that will upset you?" James asked with a grin. I exchanged glances with my younger self, well aware that I wasn't the only version of me suffering from the strong desire to throttle my best friend at the moment.

Lily pretended to think about. "The list is too long to recite. Now, why don't you go over to do whatever it is you want to do and leave me alone? I'm sure the Shrieking Shack can yell at you as easily as I can, and it doesn't have anything better to do!"

"The Shrieking Shack only tends to scream during the full moon."

Sirius reached out and grabbed James's shoulder. "Maybe we should get out of here, James. You two've already caused one scene today, and I'd rather cause one involving Snape's reaction to our returning his improved potions book. . . ."

James rolled his eyes. "Okay, okay, let's get it over with. Evans, are you ever going to give in so I can get a date?"

"Ask me that question after you actually try to grow up," Lily snapped, stalking off in the direction of the Three Broomsticks.

I lingered for another minute, contemplating exactly what I was going to tell them about the confrontation. "You know, maybe if you actually tried to take her advice. . . ."

"Yeah, Scott, and what then? Become Head Boy?" James wanted to know.

I couldn't help but grin. "Exactly."

Author's Note: Sorry for the wait, I've been busy (I've got semester exams next week). I also had to do a double-take when I looked at my review count, sure it must have been malfunctioning. How did I get a hundred reviews? (Sirius: Easy. People read it and were nice enough to click the little button and inflate your ego.) That's enough from him— as usual when he opens his mouth. Anyway, I've got to thank everyone, especially those that offered constructive criticism— Me, to answer your question: I never really considered the fact that Lily might not be comfortable around Sirius. He's not precisely a dangerous man anymore, even though he obviously doesn't have his head screwed on entirely straight. . . . Again, thanks everyone for the reviews and the assurance I didn't stretch Remus too much, and I apologize profusely for the wait. Cheers! — Loki