You wipe your hand across your sweaty face, and head to the changing rooms. You collapse onto a bench next to Ron who seems to be having some kind of asthma attack.

"You ok, Ron?" you say.

"Quidditch – is – hard – work." He says, gasping for breath. You laugh and pat him on the back.

"Take care of him, will you Harry?" you say to Harry, who's just entered the changing rooms. "I'm gonna hit the showers." You grab a towel, a spare change of clothes and shampoo and head for the showering block. Ron stares up at Harry in disbelief.

"Did what I think just happen- just happen?" he pants. Harry slowly smiles.

"Yeah Ron, it did!"

You all sit around the fire In the Gryffindor common room, chatting together drowsily. You, Hermione, Harry, Ron, Neville and Lavender.

"Oh! I've got to get a couple of books from the library before curfew!" Hermione say, jumping up.

"Ah, come on Hermione. It's Sunday night! You've done all your homework!" says Ron, lounging back in an armchair.

"Ron- do the words, 'Make-up potions essay' mean anything to you?" replies Hermione sarcastically. Ron lets out a squeak and runs out of the common room with Hermione hot on his heels. Lavender lets out a yawn.

"I'm going to bed- see you all in the morning." She says sleepily. You all say goodnight and she casually waves her hand at you as she climbs the stairs to the dorm.

"Harry- I've got put my Mimbulus Mimbletonia to bed- want to come and watch?" says Neville excitedly. Harry looks at him sceptically.

"No thanks- I think I'll pass that one." He says.

"Oh, alright then. See ya, Amilie." He says and follows Lavender up the staircase. You glance at Harry quizzically.

"Mimbulus Mimbletonia? Isn't that the plant that-"

"That squirts green smelly goo at whoever pokes it? Yes." He says darkly. "I've already had that experience." You burst out laughing at the dark look on his face.

"And why do you find that funny, Miss Migntot?" he says, raising his eyebrows.

"It's just- you- green gunge!" you writhe helpless with laughter on the floor.

"Right." Say Harry decidedly. He wrestles you to the floor and pins your hands down.

"Take it back." He say seriously.

"Never!" you scream. He leans right down, facing you.

"Take it back." He says softly. All the laughter dries up, you watch as if out of your body as he leans down and places a kiss on your lips. You push him off with all your strength, flinging him off you. You stare at him, disgusted. He looks back, confused.

"Millie- what? I thought-"

"Well you thought wrong didn't you!" you yell at him, he cringes as though you have slapped him. "Where the hell did that come from?" he shakes his head helplessly and opens and shuts his mouth like a goldfish. Hermione and Ron come in to the common room, laughing. They stop dead at the sight of you two.

"Er- Millie, Harry? Everything ok?" Hermione says nervously.

"Fine, just fine" you say through clenched teeth, "I was just going to bed." You stride past Harry and storm up the staircase, Hermione races after you. You bang into the dorm and briskly get ready for bed.

"What happened down there- Mills?" Hermione asks, gently touching your shoulder. You shrug off her hand viciously.

"I don't want to talk about it! Why the hell do you think something happened anyway!" you practically scream at her.

"Cause when I left you and Harry where the best of friends and in ten short minutes I come back and fine you looking at each other as though you want kill each other! So don't blame me for wanting to know what happened!" she cries shrilly. You sigh.

"I'm sorry. I know it's not your fault. It's just- argh! So complicated!" You swing round and flop onto the bed.

"Tell me." She says simply.

"He kissed me, who does he think he is! I mean-"

"He thinks he is a 16 year old boy with basically a 16 year old gorgeous girl who has a little past, but nothing big that he knows of. It's not his fault. You should have told him about Sirius." She explains gently.

"I can't." you sigh.

"Anyway, Millie. The prophecy- it's like you're supposed to be with him anyway! 'To hold, to comfort and to protect in his time of need.' Sirius did that for him, know it's your turn." She says excitedly. You stare at her with haunted eyes.

"But it's wrong Hermione, it's just wrong!" you say, aimlessly fiddling with the ring around your neck. "It's not supposed to be like this. It's supposed to be me and Sirius- this is his Godson for Christ's sake! My best friends son!"

"Maybe, maybe it's time to let go." She says, gently lifting the chain holding your ring off from your neck. As it slips off, you feel a part of you leave with it. You know Hermione is only doing this to help you, but she doesn't understand. She places it in your draw and firmly closes it. You close your eyes as you hear the bang and feel your heart breaking, tears slide down your face. She puts her arms around you.

"It's for the best Millie- really it is." She whispers. You nod helplessly, slowly loosing any self will you still have left.

DREAM

"You've forgotten." Sirius whispers to you.

"No, I haven't- I love as much as I ever did." You cry. His mournful gaze goes from your face, to your ring less finger.

"You have forgotten." He says. You shake your head helplessly. His form appears more and more transparent, like the souls around him.

"I'm sorry- I just don't know what to do!" you weep. "I need you, Sirius! I can't live without you! It's not worth it."

"Don't do that, Millie. If you do that- then I am lost forever. You are the only one who can help me!" he says, showing the last of his defiance.

"But how!" you sob.

"Listen, if…" he begins to blur. The chamber slowly dissolves and all you are left with is a ringing in your ears…

END OF DREAM

You wake up with only one thought. You search desperately through your draws. There, there it is. You grasp urgently at the cold ring of metal and slip it on. You breathe a soft sigh of relief and know that you can never, never take it off. You gaze at it. A glowing ruby surrounded by a cluster of diamonds on white gold. You remember the day Sirius had taken you to see his mother.

"Ruby and diamonds- blood and tears. An omen if ever I saw one." She had said, her voice filled with hatred and suspicion. You had asked Sirius what she had meant.

"Oh, she's just a suspicious old bat- don't listen to her. She's making it up- ruby signifies blood and diamonds tears she says. Thinks our marriage is doomed, stupid cow. Ignore her." He had told you. You laugh through your bitter tears at the irony of it all. The dream had gone on longer tonight- what had Sirius been about to tell you! You thump your hand on the bed in frustration.

"Think- Think Amilie! Qu'est-ce faire!" you try to think back to exactly what happened. What you really needed was to go back and to watch it as though from a spectator's perspective…

"That's it!" you yell out loud. Parvati groans in her sleep and Hermione rolls over, you bite your lip apprehensively. Praying you haven't woken them. They stay sleeping. All you have to do know was get the book from the library- you knew exactly which one it was. You and Lilly had borrowed it once and found the exact potion. It was extremely complicated and needed lots of rare ingredients, but you could do it. You needed to make it! It was exactly what you needed. A Pensieve…

AN/ Review? Please?