A/N: I was a little confused about prefects. Are prefects prefects until they leave? Or are all prefects fifth years? I wasn't sure, so I made it you're only prefect in your fifth year. Just pour on the pressure right before OWLs. Oh well, I'm sorry if I got it wrong. Please don't kill me.

Disclaimer: I (sadly) invented nothing in this chapter, except the plot and the girls I invented and their maiden names. Those are mine.

There she was, perfect in every way sitting eight seats down and across the table from him in the Great Hall. Long, red hair, pouty lips, a small button nose, high cheek bones, slightly muscular figure from years as a figure skater before her letter. But you forgot all about the wonderful figure and delicate face when you looked into her eyes.

Eyes the brightest shade of emerald green. Eyes to get lost in. When he looked at her, he lost track of everything else. He longed to run his fingers through her hair, put his hands around her slender waist. She started to look up…he wanted her to turn so he could gaze into her eyes. But that would mean he'd be caught staring. No self-respecting Marauder was caught staring. He looked down at his eggs, toast and sausages quickly, before she noticed him.

Lily looked up from her breakfast. There he was. Sitting eight seats down and across the table from her in the Great Hall. Short black hair and deep brown eyes that always seemed filled with laughter and light. She didn't know what made her so attracted to him, but she was, she couldn't help herself. She wished he would look at her…but that would mean she'd be caught staring, even though girls were often caught staring at the Marauders, Lily wasn't one of them…she was never caught, well, by anyone other than her friends. It would mean she was giving in to them, their charm. But she couldn't help it! She wished she could run to him and run her fingers all through his hair, she wished he would hold her close to him and whisper her name. But, it could never be. Sirius Black would never love her.
"Staring at Evans again? I thought you'd be over her by now, Padfoot," laughed James Potter.

Sirius punched him in the arm.

"Temper, temper Sirius!" Remus Lupin pretended to scold one of his best friends, "I'll have to put you in detention for that one. Damn! It's sixth year! I'm not a prefect! In that case, punch him all you like."

"Thank you," said Sirius, smiling. He looked at little Peter Pettigrew jokingly asking permission.

"Just so long as you don't punch me, you can punch anyone you like!" said Peter laughing.

"Excellent," replied Sirius and continued pummeling James.

"Hey! What about me? Don't I get to punch someone?" protested James

"You can punch Moony, he won't mind," joked Sirius.

"Oh yes, let's all punch Moony, won't that be fun! No one ask him how he feels about it," Remus pretended to sob.

"Alright, we won't," agreed James.

Sirius either got bored of punching or got hungry again. Whatever the reason, he started eating again.

The boys didn't notice Lily looking at them out of the corner of her eye.

"Drooling over Sirius again, Lily? I thought you'd be over him by now. I mean, you've been staring at him since…let me think…Christmas of our third year wasn't it?" teased Alice Fairview.

Lily threw a piece of toast at her.

"What about you and Frank Longbottom, Alice?" asked Molly Bonnaview, "You've had your eye on him for at least I year now."

"Ok Molly, then what about you? You know who we like, fair's fair!" Alice protested.

"I'm not saying."

"Come one, Molly, you can tell us!" Lily almost begged.

"No, and you can't make me."

"Wanna bet?" asked Alice, mock-threateningly.

Molly thought of all the things Alice could do, "Fine, I'll tell you. But you have to promise not to tell anyone!"

"I promise!" chorused the other girls.

"Arthur," Molly whispered.

Lily squealed.

Sirius looked up, startled. His eyes met hers. For a fleeting moment, Lily was stunned.

"I'm not invisible to him!" her mind screamed, "He can see me!" On the outside, she smiled softly.

"Oh, um, she's looking at me!" his mind raced. On the outside, he shot back his famous Black grin, showing off strait white teeth.

Then, always ruining the moment, James poked him hard in the side. "OW!" Sirius cried.

"Never let your guard down, mate," James grinned.