:: And here we go again. Nothing has changed in the last few weeks that would let me profit from this…attempt at writing. Wouldn't that be something, to profit from writing bad Fanfic?

With the ceremony finished, the fun could begin. No one was required to stay, but there were games, prizes, karaoke, everything going on, maybe even some gambling. Some students chose to go, some went to Hogsmeade, but most chose to stay for the free food and entertainment. It was a night for random fun. Lily wanted to have some fun at the castle before heading to the village, the rest obliged patiently.

When Lily and James were together, it was apparent they were a couple. They stood close together, they held hands, they flirted. They seemed to be everywhere the other one was. Ava would tease Lily by saying they were a hair short of clingy. Even though the love was obviously there, it was neither extreme nor tacky. The two had respect for each other and their space. They were a romance textbook case couple, i.e. perfect.

Ava and Sirius were quite another matter entirely. To know they where together one would have to observe them. They weren't Lily and James open book relationship. The difference was that Ava and Sirius had a connection that was not hidden and not on display, it was simply there. One just had to look.

After having a fill of the castle fun, they headed out to the village for a last run at the pub. Devon and Isobel were about somewhere fluttering from group to group, maybe even already at the pub. Walking along, James sidled up next to Ava saying he wanted to chat. Sirius seemed to do the same with Lily. They dropped back as they conversed about this and that. Remus and Peter started to sneak off, Ava catching them in time. "Oi, you two get back here! Don't abandon me to Monsieur Love here."

Remus grinned as he skulked back over. Mostly it was to humor her. They got on well, but he wasn't sure how she'd react to James news. Peter and he had decided to leave the explosive range, but sod that now. "Of course my dear." He tossed his arm around her, sticking his tongue out at Sirius who was quite a distance behind with Lily.

Ava eyed her friends suspiciously. "Go on then."

"What?" James batted his eyes innocently.

"You want to know what Lily and I are doing this summer." She guessed. "Or wait, you want to know what to surprise her with, a trip or something, and want to bounce ideas off of me. So come out with it."

"Luv, you're too suspicious."

She gave him a scrutinizing look. "I know better."

"We haven't talked in a while. How bout I buy you a nice slow spell against a wall?" He oozed out his charm.

"Make it a sex on the beach, and you've got yourself a deal." They shook hands. Remus teased her about her choice of drink for some time, analyzing the psychology of it.

Lily saw four of her friends enter the pub. She started after them, but Sirius took her on a detour. She sent him a questioning glance.

"C'mon Lils, been ages since we've chat."

"We both have other things on our minds."

"Other people?" he grinned.

"So what would you like to chat about, Padfoot?" she asked him as they walked around the village center.

"No, tell me what you have on your mind." he turned it around on her. He wasn't quite sure what to talk to her about, but he had to buy James sometime. Considering they were dating each other's best friends, He and Lily didn't know as much about each other as they should, which was only a slight reason Sirius had agreed to James request.

"What's on my mind is what a strange bloke you are my dear Sirius." Lily laughed. "Ah, but I love you all the same." She gave him a sloppy hug; her three tequila sunrises had kicked in.

"Well, if I'm odd, you have to credit James the same as well."

"Yes!" she agreed with mock thoughtfulness. "And the rest of our dear clan." She fell into giggles.

He led her to the park and sat on the swing next to her. She was a very silly drunk. They made odd small talk that only he was really aware of, as smashed folk tend to ramble on. Glancing at his watch he decided James needed, no deserved, only a few more minutes. He wanted to have fun tonight besides Lily-sitting. He wasn't even sure what his mate wanted with Ava, but he had agreed. Ava, he thought with a smile.

"You'd better treat her well." Lily broke into his thoughts, as if she read his mind.

"Sirius looked at her with a mix of hurt and questioning. "Moi?"

"oui vous," She smiled lopsided at him with an all-to-knowing grin

"I'm hurt, Evans." he started with a play of hurt. "After all these years you toss me aside for a shelia you met. Hurt I tell you!"

"I'm sure," she gave him a critical glare. "Don't worry your pretty little head. She'll get the same.

"You know what she's been through, better than anyone. She only told me a little. She doesn't need any of your crap if you decide sometime that it's not right. Just don't hurt her like that, be honest if it comes down to it."

Sirius gave a humoring nod as he stood up. James had more than enough time. Sirius hadn't bargain on the third degree from Evans.

"Besides, I can't have one of my friends hurting the other, now can I?" Lily said as he pulled her to her feet. "Ava will be briefed as well."

And that she was upon their entering the pub. They found their friends and sat down. Lily, completely oblivious to the fact that James had been grilling Ava over numerous subjects, took her to the side to talk.

"Ava." Lily set her arm on Ava's shoulder, her words starting to slur. "You have to be good to Sirius. He's not like many other people I know. In fact, he's one of a kind." Ava eyed her friend, slightly put off by the conversation.

"He deserves someone special, like him." She continued, focusing on the two or three Avas on either side. "Like I have Jamez."

Ava understood her wrecked friend's point, but was slightly disappointed in Lily's faith, or lack there of, in her. She stuck it to the side of her mind, pulling out a smug smile in stead. "You're plastered."

"You're changing the subject." She hiccupped. "But I will tolerate it." and with that she walked over to find James.

"Lily," Ava muttered to herself. "Always the mother. Tenfold when she's drunk." She followed back.

Ava went back to the table and picked up her drink to find it nearly empty. Her eyes slit as she glanced around the table looking for the culprit. However, there seemed to be an argument going on. Mostly between Peter, James and Sirius. Remus remained quiet.

"I don't think it's a good idea." James said with a solid voice. "I just don't."

"And I think you're full of shite," was Sirius retort. James gave a frustrated groan, which made Sirius even more defensive. "So what? It was good enough for you?"

"That's not what I'm saying-" James started, Peter cutting in.

"Listen Pa-" Peter covered up his mistake. "It's not a good time or idea. Drop it."

Sirius set his jaw, and with a dramatic flair, which he was known for, dropped the bottle that was in his hand on to the table. "Fine."

The anger was clear in his flushed cheeks. With a carefully controlled movement, he turned and went to the bar for another drink. Ava looked at Lily questioningly, had she caught any of that? But Lily didn't meet her eyes. Instead she whispered something in James' ear and went to talk to Sirius. Ava looked around at all of them, all were just as red, angry, and/or embarrassed. Ava waited for an explanation.

"What was that?" she asked with a helpless gesture of hands when they didn't respond.

"Nothing." Peter was the only one to speak, leaving it simply at that.

Ava frowned. She wasn't used to their abruptness. It seemed rather rude to her. Feeling the excess of emotions that alcohol tends to bring, an irritated tsk escaped her lips, and went to find Sirius. She turned around in a quick whip to find him standing right in front of her. He seemed to have calmed down slightly. Lily went back over to James.

Sirius could see in her eyes the frustration and confusion, and couldn't really blame her. He felt similar frustration as well. She looked like she needed some fresh air he decided. "C'mon Aves, lets get a breath."

"Sirius-" James said with a commanding tone.

Not even turning, as Ava did to tell James off, he flipped two fingers at him and pulled Ava back around to go with him. They sat down in the beer garden out back, for once not really sky watching.

"What's going on?" Ava asked him as they sat down on the benches.

"If I could tell you, I would." Sirius told her evenly, not looking at her.

"Does that mean it's about me?"

He looked at her, not saying anything, which could be somewhat construed as a no. After a moment he looked away and spoke. "Indirectly."

At first she wanted to tell him off for their talking about her, but she had no idea what it was, and obviously wouldn't. She remained quiet, thinking of what to say constructively.

"It shouldn't be that big of a deal." Sirius finally said, breaking the silence, which he despised.

"Well, obviously it is." She looked back to him.

"I don't want to argue about it."

"You already were." She pointed out.

"I don't want to argue about it with you."

"Neither do I." She smiled. "Besides, we're not. I guess whatever their problem with me is will either surface and be dealt with, or…" she drifted off, waving her hand away. "It doesn't matter anyways."

"It's not like that." Sirius tried to tell her.

"What they think of me doesn't bother me." She tried to show she wasn't bothered. Even though she was slightly hurt. She thought they were all friends. Maybe the boys didn't think she was right for him either.

"No, no." he shook his head. With his hands on her shoulders he raised them and gently shook her head also. "It's," he groped for the right words, "something I want to tell you about us, me, them."

"It's not illegal is it?" her eyes slitting.

"Maybe." He said in a very neutral tone trying to sound sly, but also trying to gouge her reaction. "What if it was?"

"I wouldn't be surprised." She laughed. She hadn't taken him very seriously. But, she could see the four of them doing something random and funny, but illegal.

Sirius let out a small sigh of relief. He knew he had the right girl. They sat for sometime watching the stars. It was hard for either of them to be outside and not notice them. They both had moved to sit on the grass, eventually lying down with arms behind their heads.

Noticing a particular star, a random question popped into Ava's head. She looked over at Sirius, considering him for a moment. "Why do they call you Padfoot?"

Sirius held his surprise well. The boys only occasionally called each other by their 'other' names in front of other people. They never called each other by their given names; somehow they always knew what was being said to whom.

"Well," Sirius started, trying to conjure up a story randomly. "Considering I have a thing for dogs, and the whole start bit, it just started as a joke."

"Ah."

He wondered if he should say anything about the other names. He wondered if she really believed that lame attempt. At least his seemed plausible enough, but what could he say about the rest? What stories were those?

"The others had some names we made up as well. But I forget what they were." Sirius, never one to leave an open door to a lie.

"Hmm," was Ava's only response. His name made enough sense. She had heard him call the others something, but didn't know that. With a mental sigh she let it go. It didn't matter anyways. It really wasn't her business at the end of the day.

"You can call me that if you like." He tickled her slightly as he said it, enjoying her laugh. "I'm kind of fond of it actually." He loved to hear her say his name, this would be icing on the cake.

"Ok." Maybe someday she thought. She actually preferred his given name. But, Padfoot did have charm to it-very cute. Made her think of Snuffles almost. She reached over and fidgeted with him. "Padfoot."

:: And that ends that nite. Hmm…doesn't seem our Ava believes our dear Sirius, mebbe she knows better. Eh, it will all work itself out I'm sure. Well, I hope I'm sure, I'm the one writing…..I think……

Sidenote--Two fingers up(the middle finger plus the index finger, or the backwards peace sign) is the equivalent of the middle finger. Sirius was flippin' James the bird.