A/N 19th Feb: Just to keep you kiddlywinks posted, the illness I was talking about has just been diagnosed as Glandular Fever. So when it comes to writing this story, I manage to type for fifteen minutes before I get tired and need a rest. So for the inevitable delays, I am very sorry. Anyway… enjoy!

A/N 22nd Feb: I've also been told that I have had a long term virus which has lasted nigh on 8 months that the doctors have missed several times. Basically means I'm rooted, but believe me, I'm working on this. Thanks guys.

I returned to the common room to find the traditional fire burning merrily in the fireplace. I stood in the shadow of the arch just inside the common room and scanned the faces for a long moment. The firelight was dancing in the eyes of at least fifteen people as the smiled, joked, teased and scribbled. Padfoot, Wormtail and Moony were sitting together on the floor in the centre of the room. It seemed as if they'd claimed half of the room, their papers were scattered. Even as I watched, Sirius stood and wobbled his way down tiny alleyways between the stacks of books and parchment to pick up one decidedly tattered looking book and return on his tightrope walk back to his seat.

Behind them, beneath the moonlit window, Lily and Bianca sat close together, Lily talking quickly, voice low, and Bianca frowning and pointing at the odd sentence in whatever Lily was scribbling on her piece of parchment resting on the inside of a big, heavy book. I knew what it was. Bloody ball stuff. My eyes burned into Lily's cheek as my mind, yet again, went over the old questions. I shook my head wildly. We saw it. Sirius and I saw it. Even so, Remus seemed torn and Dumbledore…

I tapped my leg absentmindedly with my fingers, took a deep breath and stepped out of the shadows, meandering my way around the mini mountains of school work. I shook my head, trying to shake away the little voice in my head (yes, voice in my head, I said it) that was telling me I was missing something.

'Yo, it's the Jamester! How was the meeting of brilliant minds?' Sirius beamed up at me. Remus looked up and grinned. Peter just sneezed and raised two watery eyes to my face. I sighed and plonked myself on the floor without looking, landing on Remus' essay.

'Whoa, watch your arse!'

I shuffled and folded myself into an impossible and entirely uncomfortable position. Then I informed them of the up and coming celebration.

Peter looked like her was going to faint, Remus gulped and Sirius yelped. Literally yelped. I had to look again to make sure he was still human. Sirius was the first to recover. And the loudest.

'There is no fricken way I'm going to dress up in those clothes and dance like a toff!', he bellowed, speak slowly and exaggerating every few words to ensure that yes, I did indeed get the point. Remus shook his head and sighed.

'Don't think we have much choice, Padfoot.'

'Much choice?' he yelped. 'Oh, well here's my choice. I'll break my leg, then I won't have to go.'

Peter, as always, took it literally. 'But they'd be able to fix it in a few minutes…' He shook his head, confused, looking at Sirius as if he had been Confounded.

None of us graced that with an answer.

Remus leaned forwards, elbows on knees, and stared at me furtively. 'This is a good thing, though, for the school. I mean, what with what's going on around here… or out there, it would take people's minds off the war.'

I shook my head, determinedly not watching Sirius who currently looked like he was suffering from a fit. 'You sound like Evans.'

I guess I said it a bit loud. I also guess I should have disguised the disgust in my voice. Anyway, I didn't, and the slamming of the book over at the table behind us made us all just about a foot in the air and I thought Peter wet his pants. I think he did too, because he subtly checked.

Lily was standing, hunched over the table, the heavy book between her hands. Her eyes were closed and she was breathing deeply, her face as red as her hair. Bianca looked stunned. She was leaning back in her chair, watching Lily as if terrified. Then, with a shriek that would shame a banshee, Lily swiped her hand across the table and the book, ink, quills, parchment went flying. She whirled and stormed across the room and up the stairs without once looking back.

Sirius looked at me. 'PMS?'