Second chappie! Excellent! (wayne style) Thanks for erviewing everyone! Aha, i hear you humming to yourself. Should i or should i not read this fic...well, im not biased or anything but READ AND REVIEW! Argh! Haha! Jks, this is one of my fave chappies so far! ok, i know that this isn't all action and fluff like the demographic wants, but it's leading up to the juicy/slooshy stuff soon. Promise! Keep reading, keep reviewing, and you'll make me a very happy girl!

DISCLAIMER i own Harry Potter. I invented all the characters, the names, the places...right down to the lollie names. I own it all.

(er...heavy levels of sarcasm employed in the above)

ENRAPTURE YOURSELVES!

Jubilantly humming a jazzy number, James burrowed deep inside his trunk for a delightful set of navy robes that was evading him. These robes were rather special, as he had this satisfied feeling that, when worn, these robes excited a primitive, animal magnetism in girls, and were therefore one of his most valuable assets. Of course he hadn't actually tested this alluring possibility of attraction yet, but was sure, tested or not, the Robes were sure to yield the same comfortable results.

He had tipped out the entire contents of the magically enlarged trunk, waded through that, threw it all haphazardly back, sulked, then decided to renew his search with rekindled vigour. He was in the middle of amusing himself with a newly rediscovered Lethargy Lighter which he had fun accusing Peter of stealing months ago, when Sirius burst into the stuffily heated dormitory in a whirlwind of excitement.

"GUESS WHAT!" He shouted dramatically at an unsuspecting James who promptly fell off his bed.

Muttering angrily and nursing the broken lighter, he shot back at Sirius: "What!"

"Snivellus is actually commentating the last match of the season! Gryffindore versus Ravenclaw and HE wants to be the commentator!" Sirius laughed heartily and slapped James upon the back as if what he said was a gesture of friendship.

James glared stonily back at him, removing Sirius' hand in a rather dignified manner as he did so. "What does that matter? Good on him. If he can't play the sport, why not make scathing comments about it in a magically magnified voice so the whole school can hear? I'm proud of him, finally realising his talent for making other people feel terrible and honing it so it reaches far more people than usual." He turned his back on Sirius and resumed his ferocious search for the elusive robes.

Sirius said nothing. James could tell that by the volume of his silence he was annoyed by his lack of abuse steam. He knew he could have been meaner about it. That was obviously what Sirius wanted. But, if he was going to impress Evans tonight, he could not start off this way.

"What's up?"

"Nothing."

"What are you looking for?"

"Butt out!"

"Make me."

"Well, no. As "making your butt out" sounds a bit too risqué for me to put into practise. Someone might intrude on us."

Sirius gave a willing chuckle and settled himself upon James' vacated bed, fiddling with the broken Lighter.

"Are you looking for the Robes?" he asked in an unnecessarily imperative voice.

"No."

"James!"

He sighed. "Yes, sir."

Sirius slipped off the bed and, grinning, aided Jamas in his search.

"So, has she finally said yes to one of your many commands for a date?" he asked, discarding a somehow mouldy scarf into the small furnace placed in the middle of the dormitory.

"No." James said, now searching between stacks of Charms' notes. " You and me are gonna help her repair drastic damage."

Sirius abandoned the disconcertingly wet biscuit box he had been riffling through, and straightened up, staring at James. James just continued his search through his grimy trunk, even though he was fully aware of Sirius' reaction.

They had been friends so long both of them knew what little mannerisms the other had to offer by heart, whether it be silences, blushings, shoutings, unexpected gifts, or lying, and they could always correctly interpret the underlying meaning without the other's help. James took Sirius' silence as that he had figured out his plan.

"Aha!" James crowed triumphantly, peeling the Robes from the underside of his cauldron. "I shall be suave tonight!"

"James!" Sirius barked. "You are NOT thinking of using the What-ta-ha-gig, are you!" Although his voice was projected by anger and shock, James could also hear a slight twist of fear centred in it.

"Well..." James playfully deliberated. "Yeah! And we've got to meet her in-" he shot an unconcerned glance at his watch. "Ohh, 5 mins!" He looked up from his watch to Sirius' infuriated face and then to his friend's pyjamas and smirked. "Better get dressed if your coming!"

'.:. oo000oo.:.

"Well, I must say, Padfoot ol' buddy, you sure do take unanticipated shocks well! Snaps for Sirius!" James sing songed they both strode across the deserted common room, dying embers casting a snug warm glow about the place.

Sirius said nothing but smiled inan ominously forced fashion and slammed the portrait hole in an unwonted viciousness.

The emptiness of the shadowy castel was a glaring contrast from the hectic , chaotic proceedings of laughter and student anarchy that usually filled it's halls during the day. The sombre dark halls seemed to be lamenting the loss its young inhabitants and clutter that ritually flood it as the daylight does.

The wide, sweeping expanse of space on the 7th floor seemed particularly strange for James and Sirius, as 7 years at Hogwarts had taught them the 7th was a writhing flood of students, escaping their entombing lessons. Now, it was a bare shadowy landscape relieved by the usual suit of amour or meandering ghost. They walked slowly beneath the Invisibility Cloak, taking care not to make an excess of noise that may alert the ever-vigilant, vindictive portraits that unfortunately lined the 7th floor.

As they approached the statue of the old hag, James could distinctly make out a long-haired figure in the darkness, her body angled with blatant anticipation. As his heart leaped giddily to his throat, James quickened his pace to close the space been him and Lilly, knocking a suit of amour with his foot in his hast, and crashing spectacularly to the floor.

"Oi!" came a screechy, annoyed voice from inside to amour's head. "I was sleeping!' Peeves shot out of it like a cannon, twirled over in mid-air, and came to rest above their heads, Lilly hurrying over to help an abashed James. "What'cha up to, my fidgety fiends? A creeping 'round the castle, secret dealin's in the dark!" he sniggered, coming to rest upon the very statue. His wide evil grin flashed in the gloom.

"Ah" said James.

Already in a precariously heated mood, Sirius burst. "Get the flip up so we can go already!" he snarled, drawing out his wand.

"Oh" said Lilly.

"STUDENTS!" bellowed Peeves, shooting angrily into the air at the sight of the wand. "STUDENTS OUT OF BED!" A cat gave a loud miaow somewhere in the darkness, and streaked off down the corridor.

"QUICK!" yelled James, and he grabbed Lilly's hand and the scruff of Sirius' neck, and pushed them both towards the statue as the fateful sound of Filch's hobbling grew louder.

"Where are they my sweet!" screeched Filch down the corridor to Mrs. Harrington, his foul vigilante cat.

His ears full of Filch's cries, James tapped the statues hump, and muttered "Disendium". Sirius' feet had just slipped through the hump as they heard Filch burst unto the corridor, his wheezy breathing echoing down into the small earthy tunnel they had just slipped into.

"Where are we?" said Lilly in a terrified whisper. James held up a hand to silence her.

"Where'd they go, Peeves?" growled Filch, his vile cat mewing loudly in the echoey hall above.

"I'll tell you if young give me the key to the Trophy room!"

"Why would you want that, you stinking poltergeist?"

"I don't. It'd just be fun to have." hooted Peeves, and the three terrified students heard him whizz away, cackling madly. Cursing Peeves in a most volatile manner, Filch eventually shuffled off too. James, Lilly and Sirius all let out a collective breath of relief.

"On wards march!" chirped James, and lead the way down the pitch black, earthy tunnel.

Lilly and Sirius swapped looks and followed him, lighting their wands as they went.

'.:. oo000oo.:.

"We can't Apparate!" repeated an exasperated Lilly. "Ancient magic invoked to protect Hogwarts prevents it!"

"Yes thank-you, Miss I-haven't-got-any-fiction-books-to-read. I know that!" James stopped walking and leant lazily against the tunnel wall, stowing his extinguished wand back into his Robes. They seemed to be unfortunately lacking the entrancing magnetism he was sure the Robes must exude. Well, he was not taking his mother's advice on alluring articles of clothing anymore. "But if we go further enough in this tunnel, we should passthe Hogwarts borders, and be able to Apparate!"

Lilly opened her mouth to retaliate, paused, then closed it again looking furious.

"AHA!" James crowed "DEFEATED! Snaps for James!"

"Well, can we hurry it up!" declared Sirius haughtily, holding his wand aloft and peering disgustedly at the walls. "I just found the 8th spider upon me that had decided I'd make a better home than its web!"

"You don't seem to mind so mush on full moons." James said to him in a low voice so Lilly couldn't hear.

Sirius grinned deviously.

"Ok, this should do!" James stood up again, and Lilly raised her wand light hopefully. He could see the painful determination set into her face. "Apparate on the count of 3, my fine furry friends! 1...2-"

"Wait!" Lilly cried. "Where are we Apparating to?"

James glanced at Sirius and grinned. "12, Grimuald Place, London!"

Aha! i hear you say craftily to you computer screen, thats where she's headed! Cant wait for next chappie! LOADS of excitement! xoxoxoxo