A/N: Huge thanks to everyone who reviewed, and grudging thanks to all you guys who read it and couldn't be bothered to let me know despite the plea's. pets stats page

I'm going to continue with the review me and I'll review something of yours bargain tempts you that is provided you have written something in a fandom I have some knowledge of.

Enough ramblings, on with the story…

Chapter 2

You probably don't quite understand just yet. Probably think that I must be absolutely stunning; the most popular girl in the year. That he has some kind infatuation with me and I just haven't noticed.

Reality check.

He'll talk to anyone and everyone; he'd talk to a wall if there was no one else around, that's just how he is. He can make the most insignificant person feel like they're the most important thing in the world for all of about 10 minutes before someone more interesting comes along.

And can I remind you I've known him since I was 6. In case you forgot. So no, I'm not the most popular girl in the year. I have friends, I'm pretty happy but I'm not adored; I don't get around enough and I care a little too much about school work to be adored.

I'm not stunning either. I'm just sort of normal. You know, about 5'5, grey eyes, average build, dark brown hair, a little bit longer then my shoulders. You probably wouldn't look twice, but I'm not an attention seeker, I don't really go in for all that.

I'm almost certain he doesn't have a secret love for me either. I mean I'm not the kind of girl he goes for; I have a few too many brain cells and am somewhat lacking in the chest department. And anyway, he thinks I'm just a kid.

So now you're wondering why exactly he does talk to me. Well, you know like I said already I have known him for ten years. How? Well I guess it's a family thing.

Now I've got you wondering haven't I? Actually, his family and mine have a lot in common, mutual interests shall we say. So when I was a kid, we saw quite a lot of each other.

I'm an only child, and I suppose my dear mother thought it would be nice for me to spend time with the children of like-minded people, people like her and my father.

She didn't bank on my instant dislike of his brothers, sisters, cousins… No. She didn't expect me to go and attach myself like a limpet to the son already emerging as the black sheep of the family.

Well come on! Who could blame me! The first time we went, nine year old Bellatrix's first words to me included something about how she knew how to squeeze something so its eyes popped out! I was only six and that girl was menacing! She gave me this evil little smirk like she was thinking '…and boy would I like to do it you!'

I spent the whole day trying to avoid her, which was getting rather tiring and I was sat on the edge of the sand pit in the expansive garden glumly clutching a doll I was rather attached to at the time.

I looked up and saw a boy who looked maybe the same age as Bellatrix standing there looking at me

"What're you doing?"

"Nothing" I probably looked rather scared; I felt scared. He was probably going to tell me he could turn me into a slug or something was my initial thought and I shuddered; I hated slugs.

"Ok" he said not looking too interested and crouched down looking at a hole in the sand then frowning and kicking at the sand as he straightened up, he looked annoyed

"What's wrong?" the fact he'd not informed me of any gruesome talents was encouraging, and I was bored.

"It's caved in" he shrugged "I built a tunnel"

"How?" I was impressed

He looked up "I'll show you"

Eagerly I got up and sat down closer so I could see.

I suppose that was it. It's not really quite such a good reason for our conversations as me being some natural beauty who's captured him with her intellect and incredible sense of humour. But that's how it is. That's life I guess.

Despite this glaringly obvious, if slightly disappointing, fact Rachel is still convinced that he is hiding his 'true feelings' from me, and that I am doing likewise from her, concerning him.

Although I have to admit I rather brought that upon myself.

She was obsessed with this idea, for the whole of first through to fourth year. Because when we started aged eleven and were utterly terrified, a rather good looking thirteen year old boy tripping me up by way of a greeting was a sure sign of true love. Well, in Rachel's mind at least.

Bless her.

She finally seemed to have gotten over this, and we did have a rather blissful month and a half between finishing fourth year, and a summer barbeque at a muggle friend's house, when it all went drastically wrong again.

Oh now your mind is really ticking into overdrive, what happened! What did they do! Well sorry, he wasn't even there.

What was there, on the other hand, was a rather large and very available supply of alcohol.

Yes I was almost 16 years old (I'm on of the oldest in my year, my birthday is in mid-September) and I had never been drunk before in my life. As sad as you probably think that is, I maintain they did it on purpose.

Do you know what you get when you add teenage girls and vodka? Confessions. That's what.

Somewhere in the back of my drunken mind I had just admitted to myself that Sirius was in fact, rather attractive. I decided that this would be a good time to announce the fact.

Rachel promptly jumped back on the Alana-and-Sirius-are-meant-to-be bandwagon and… she's never looked back.

Nor does she seem to have any intention of letting my one drunken indiscretion go. No. I shall be tormented about it for every day from now, until I die.

Every single bloody day.

Ah yes. That one slip of the tongue has cost me very dearly. And it's not even been a term yet.

You see, the thing is when the words (I remind you, I am never to be quoted on this. This is exactly the kind of mindlessness I despise people for) "Oh my god Sirius Black is so hot" fell out of my mouth, that is in fact what I said.

Not "I am in love with Sirius" or "I have been having a secret affair with Sirius since I was 11" or the surprisingly common "I want to do Sirius" or even "I fancy Sirius". Sadly, this fact makes absolutely no difference to Rachel.

No. In her mind we are going to wake up one day, realize we are madly in love, get married and have lots of kids, to whom she will be godmother, and we will all live happily ever after in eternal gratitude to her.

Well before I always said, whatever makes her happy. But it is getting rather outof hand.

Are you confused yet, are you thinking dear god girl make up your mind!

Yes I expect so. Allow me to clarify.

I am not blind. I am not stupid. Nor am I a lesbian. (Not that I have a problem with lesbians) I know perfectly well that he is attractive. Ok, that is an understatement. He is devastating, and unfortunately, he knows it.

That does not mean I want to go out with him.

Although one thing Rachel will never learn is that I did. For a rather long time. But that totally destroys my argument. So I will not mention it again.

These thoughts had been chasing themselves around my brain as I walked down to breakfast, whilst I tried to clarify the situation for the thousandth time.

This rather rare opportunity to allow my eyes to glaze over and go off into a world of my own had been supplied by my having slept through my alarm, and four 15 or 16 year old girls getting ready, which I assure you, is no easy task.

To make this just a little bit more impressive, I then managed to sleep through Rachel beating me over the head with a pillow and yelling untruths and obscenities at me until she gave me a prod with her wand that sent what felt like an electric shock through my body making me yelp and fall out of bed onto the floor.

She then stood over me, hands on hips and informed me that not only was I late, that she was hungry and would not be waiting for me to "tart myself up for Sirius" which I objected to in itself, but that the man himself had been looking for me. He had accosted Louise on her way down from the dorm and sent her back up to inform me of the fact.

Which is just his style. He couldn't possible have sat and waited for me.

He had to turn on the charm and sweet talk Louise, the girl with the biggest mouth in the world and an even bigger reputation as a gossip queen, into coming back up and telling me he was waiting.

Of course she didn't. She told Rachel and then went and told him, most likely in the least flattering terms possible that I was still asleep. She probably added that I was drooling and snoring like a pig for good measure. Just to improve the story a little.

So there I was tripping up on the way down the staircase as I had a horrible flashback of that fateful barbeque in August and catching the stair rail when a rather sulky voice said

"You took your time"

"Huh?" I looked up, my mouth hanging open in a very unattractive manner.

"Oh hi" I said and shut it quickly,

"Hi"

I adjusted my bag on my shoulder "What did you want?"

"Actually… I was wondering if you could do me a favour…"

Surprise, surprise. Not just the pleasure of my company then? Funny that.

"Oh…?"

"Yeah…"

"Well spit it out" I yawned stepping off the final step so that I stood ridiculously short next to him

"Could you talk to Lily Evans for me?"

"Lily Evans?" I arched an eyebrow at him "I didn't think even you took girls from right under your best friends nose"

He looked rather affronted

"I don't"

"Oh…?" I said sceptically

"I want you to talk to her about James. The git is incapable of talking to her, Remus won't do it and she doesn't like me. Didn't she help you with charms last year?"

"Yes…"

"So you know her right?" He reasoned "Just tell her that he's a really nice guy and… that she should really go out with him"

Resisting the temptation to say but he's not I substituted "But I don't know him"

"It doesn't matter. Just lie" seeing my expression he said "Oh come on!"

"Why? Why would I want to help James out?"

"Because I asked really nicely?" he said sounding hopeful

"You didn't ask that nicely" I retorted

"Pretty please?" he pouted and I sighed heavily. That look should carry a health warning.

"Ok"

The puppy dog eyes disappeared and he grinned "Cheers. He's doing my head in"

By this time we had walked into the great hall, suddenly surrounded by noise,

"People to see" he winked snaking his way towards the Ravenclaw table where this mornings girlfriend was seated.

I sat down beside Rachel with what I assume must have been a rather moody look on my face

"What's up?" She asked indistinctly through a mouthful of toast

"He wants me to tell Lily to go out with James" I muttered glaring at my empty plate, why had I agreed?

She swallowed "Not what you were hoping for?" She said cheerily

I glared at her and she shrugged "Well, what's wrong then?"

"How can I tell her to go out with him when I don't even know him. I don't even like him"

"You lack taste"

Ignoring her blatantly hypocritical remark, as if liking James Potter can be called having taste, I took a sip of juice

"Well why did you agree then? I mean… you agreed right?"

"Yeah"

"Why?"

"I dunno"

"Did he offer you something in return?" She grinned

"No" I said flatly

Rachel pulled a face and shrugged "Lily's smart, she won't listen to you"

"Oh, thanks" I said, my mood was growing progressively darker as the morning went on

"You know what I mean"

"I guess" I sighed "So you think I should just do it?"

"Whatever" She shrugged "Or just tell Sirius you won't" She smirked slightly, I pretended not to notice.

She's not as dumb as you might think sometimes. She knew as well as I did that I'd get as far as "Sirius I don't-" before he'd made me change my mind back again.

Which is how that evening after dinner I managed to separate Lily from her 7th year friends, and haul her off to the side and say

"Um Lily?"

"Yes?"

"Um you know I think that-"

"Al are you going to tell me to go out with James Potter?"

My eyes widened "Um…"

"Because Sirius has had girls saying that to me all day and I'm getting kind of tired of it" she sighed

"Oh" I gulped "Sorry"

She smiled slightly and shrugged "It's ok, but if I liked the guy I'd just… go out with him. You know?"

"Uh huh"

"So… ignore Sirius ok?"

"Ok"

"Thanks" She smiled a little again and rejoined her friends.

I felt rather stupid.

No. Scrap that. I felt very stupid and I wanted to inflict serious harm upon one Sirius Black.

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