Ch. 9- Things to Think About

Hermione yawned as she put her stuff in the room she was sharing with Lily.

As Head Girl, Lily had her own room just as James, who was the Head Boy, had his own. Remus, Sirius, and Peter stayed in the dormitory that they had once shared with James. It didn't matter, however, because the rooms of the Head Girl and Boy were still a part of Gryffindor Tower.

Dumbledore had decided that it would be in Hermione's best interest to stay with Lily in her room, adding a bed and a second nightstand to the large room. Lily was delighted to share her room with Hermione.

"It's a lot different than your school, isn't it, Hermione," Lily asked, sitting on her bed sailor style as she watched Hermione put away her things.

Hermione nodded as she put her undergarments in the bottommost drawer of her nightstand and her feminine things and journal in her topmost drawer. She then moved to sit on her bed, which was right next to Lily's, and sighed.

"It's really not that different at all, really. But there are many differences that remind me I'm not home," she said. She hated herself for the lies but hoped that they would be for the overall good. "I only have two friends at home, though, Harry and Ron. James is just like Harry, and Sirius reminds me somewhat of Ron."

Her mind drifted at the thought of Sirius and the question that had been nagging her at the back of her mind the whole day, surfaced. What would have happened, had they kissed?

"I knew it," Lily exclaimed, pounding a fist to her knee, pulling Hermione from her reverie. Hermione blushed.

"What?"

"I'd hate to say it, but it's quite obvious, Hermione, though I've never seen it happen so fast before."

"What are you going on about, Lily."

"You're falling in love with him, aren't you?"

Hermione blushed even more.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"You know, Hermione," Lily said with a wicked smiled. "You're a good student, but you're an awful liar. I know this is new and moving so fast—you only being here a day—but the look in Sirius's eyes when he looked at you told me plainly that he felt very much the same way."

Hermione brushed Lily's last remark aside.

"He hardly knows me, Lils," she said, calling her the nickname she'd been dying to give her.

"Lils," Lily asked, considering it. At last, she nodded. "I like it, but I'm being serious."

"Oh, really? I thought you were Lily."

"Har, har. Now, listen. Sirius often fawns over the girls, but recently he's been standoffish, as if just flirting wasn't enough, like he wanted more than just a pretty face. But then you come along and he's back to his old tricks, only with one crucial addition to the equation."

"Oh?" Hermione asked, amused at Lily's explanation. "And what's that?"

"Genuine attraction," she said simply. "Not just his usual 'pretty-face' factor. He talks to you and is genuinely interested in what you're saying. And when the two of you weren't talking today, I saw his gaze move back to you on many occasions."

Hermione, flabbergasted, could only open her mouth and close it again. Sirius kept looking at her? Every time she looked at him, he was deep in conversation with Remus and James.

"Guys won't let you know how they feel, at least not by the way they act, and not at such an early stage. Give it time, Hermione. You are just the girl Sirius wants, and needs."

She yawned and stretched out her arms.

"It's getting late," she said, looking at her clock. "We should get to bed. Your first day of classes starts tomorrow morning."

The dressed into their pajamas in silence and then crawled into bed. Lily picked up her wand and muttered "Nox", pointing it at the lamp on the other side of the room, causing the light to extinguish.

"Night, Hermione," she said, yawning, as she settled into her covers.

"Night, Lily," Hermione said, rolling onto her side under the covers. Her new friend had just given her much to think about.