"You have a girlfriend?" Remus had a look of complete disbelief on his face. "You?"
Sirius frowned. "Yes Moony," he said. "I have a girlfriend: one girl who has sole rights to my amazing romantic talents."
"I don't believe you," Remus said again; leaning back. "It's some sort of prank"Emily Flagg?" James was wearing a look similar to Remus.' "Do you even know Emily Flagg? Do I even know her?"
"Well of course I know her," Sirius smirked. "She's my girlfriend."
The Marauders and Lily were sitting at the breakfast table. Peter had come running to the table that morning; babbling about how Baxter Stebbins had told him that Sirius Black and Emily Flagg were now dating.
"I think it's good," said Peter merrily. The other three shot him a look. He shrunk in his chair a little. "Maybe…" he added.
"Thanks Peter," Sirius said, stretching his legs. "I'm happy to hear I have at least one good mate."
"Does this have anything to do with Dorcas?" Lily asked; rotating her tea cup back and forth with her thumb and forefinger.
Sirius scowled at the name. "No Evans," he said, rather harshly. "It has nothing to do with her."
"Are you certain?" she asked. "Because I think it's odd that you are suddenly in love with Emily Flagg immediately after you find out that she's back together with Cade."
"Why don't you pay attention to your own love life and stop analyzing everyone else's?" he snapped.
James shot him an angry look. "Watch it, Padfoot."
Sirius rolled his eyes and took a swig of his orange juice. Lily smiled slightly at James. He put an arm around her shoulders and squeezed a little. She wiped her mouth with her napkin and then kissed him on the cheek. Sirius, out of spite, blew a kiss to Emily who was staring at him from the Hufflepuff table. She beamed back at him and made a catching gesture. Sirius smiled back smugly. Remus faked throwing up in his oatmeal. Peter laughed silently and was then very interested in his eggs.
The romantic scenes, disgusting or not, ended when Dorcas walked regally by on her way to an empty seat near the front of the table.
Sirius saw her and immediately began speaking very loudly. "Yeah," he leaned over to Remus. "Emily and I are in a mature, committed relationship. I don't want to shag anyone else."
Remus sighed. Sirius was still a third year. Honestly, forcing someone to overhear a conversation? It was ridiculous.
But it did work, Dorcas turned from where she was behind James and Lily to face Sirius across the table. "Congratulations Sirius," she said calmly. "I heard about you and Emily. I think it's wonderful."
"It is wonderful," Sirius said arrogantly. "How's Bradley?"
"He's fabulous," she said without flinching, her eyes challenging Sirius.
Lily had turned to look at Dorcas. "Why don't you sit here?" she said, gesturing next to her and scooting closer to James to make room.
"Alright," she smiled and sat next to Lily, right across from Sirius. They locked eyes the minute she had sat down.
"How does it feel to be dating the Captain of the Ravenclaw Quidditch team?" Sirius asked; his lip twitching. "Lily here got the Gryffindor Captain. Sorry the winner was already taken."
"Speaking of winners," she ignored the jab at Bradley. "Emily seems like a nice girl."
Remus almost laughed out loud when he glanced over Dorcas' shoulder to see Emily still staring at Sirius, twirling a piece of hair, and pouting. Cade was visible also; actually standing to get a better view of Dorcas and Sirius.
"She is a very nice girl," Sirius said, smirking suggestively. "And an awfully good shag too. How's Bradley? Is all that Quidditch paying off? Has he gotten better since last year?"
James clapped a hand to his forehead out of embarrassment for his friend. This was shameless. Lily giggled. Remus actually groaned.
Dorcas simply shrugged and raised her eyebrows; looking as if she was hiding some awfully good secret. She picked up a scone out of the basket in front of her and began to pick it apart; staring at Sirius the entire time.
Lily arrived back to the Head Boy and Girl's common room before James that night. He was out with the boys doing some back-to-school prank. She had clapped a hand to his mouth when he began to tell her about it. As Head Girl, she was willing to look the other way, but she could not hear in detail what exactly was going to happen to Davy Gudgeon while he was sleeping without feeling some sort of guilt.
The room was smaller than the Gryffindor common room, which she and James, of course, still had access to. It was decorated in rather neutral colors. There were old stone walls and a fireplace along with two leaf-patterned tapestry-covered armchairs. A side table sat next to each of the armchairs and a bookshelf lined one entire wall of the room. On the opposite wall were two arched doors: the left one leading to her room, the right to James'. Since both were Gryffindors, a red banner was hung over each doorway. In between the doors hung the Hogwarts crest.
While she waited for James, Lily pulled a book from the huge bookshelf. Curling up on an armchair, she dove into it and an hour flew by. James walked through the stone doorway, messing up his hair.
"Ahh," he said, leaning over and kissing her on the forehead. "Sitting in exactly the position I expected."
She stretched up and kissed him on the lips. "Have fun?"
He wore that mischievous smile of his and nodded; kissing her again. He moved away from her and sat in the other armchair. He sat still for a few seconds, watching as she stood, walked to the bookshelf, put the book back, and returned. She smiled at him when she had sat back down.
"This is rather stupid," he frowned.
"What is?" she asked.
"Us sitting in two armchairs like this; like we're having tea or something."
"Well, what do you propose Mr. Potter?" she laughed.
"Get up," he said as he stood. Lily looked up at him with a questioning glance. "Just do it," he gestured. She shrugged and stood; watching as James stuck his tongue out of his mouth in concentration, said something, and waved his wand. Almost immediately the two chairs moved together, one side from each disappearing, and formed a loveseat.
James smiled at Lily. "Much better." He walked to the newly-transfigured piece of furniture and sat, his arm draped over the back. "There is a perfect spot for you right here, Miss Evans," he said, patting the cushion right next to him.
One side of her mouth smiled and she sat next to him, turning into his body, bending her legs over his lap and wrapping her arms around his waist, allowing her head to drop his chest. His arm fell gently onto her shoulders.
"They should have thought of this," he tisked. "Two armchairs, honestly."
"But James," Lily laughed sarcastically. "If they'd given us a couch, you couldn't have shown off you transfiguration talent for me."
He smiled, letting his head fall to rest on her fragrant red hair. "True."
She squeezed him tighter, turning her head to look up at him. She noticed a cut on his left temple. With her free hand, she touched it.
"What happened there?" she asked.
"Oh Sirius got a little too exuberant in the forest tonight," he said without thinking.
Lily sighed. "You went into the forest, James? That's seriously dangerous. There are centaurs and who knows what else in there. You could have been killed."
"We were fine," he said quickly.
"No James," she said, untangling herself from him. "You were not fine. What would have happened if you had been attacked? Or if the four of you had gotten separated?"
"Believe me Lily," he rolled his eyes. "We were fine."
"JAMES," she began one of her characteristic rants, her arms flying to emphasize its importance. "I don't think you understand what can happen to people in there. I don't want you to get hurt, you know. But if you go in there and you do, I won't feel sorry for you. It will be your own fault for being a complete idiot. Just because Sirius wants to do something stupid….."
"LILY," he boomed. "I'm a bloody animagus!"
James' face immediately changed from angry exasperation to complete shock and, eventually, fear.
Lily immediately laughed. He was surely joking. "Funny Potter," she smirked. "I'm a vampire."
James was silent, his expression still frozen with the shock of his own admission.
Lily rolled her eyes. "Come on James, you can't expect me to believe that. That is really advanced magic. You couldn't have…." James' face still looked guilty. Lily began to rethink her conclusion. "There's no way.." Her brow furrowed in disbelief. "Could you?"
Very slowly, James nodded. "Since 5th year. Sirius, Peter and I did it to keep Remus company."
James looked really nervous as Lily digested the information. Her jaw had dropped. "What sort of…?"
"A stag," he answered quietly.
"Could you…?" Her eyes were huge
He nodded, pushed himself off of the couch, walked to a somewhat open area and closed his eyes. Lily watched as his body grew and morphed until a full-grown stag stood there in front of her. Her jaw dropped. Almost immediately, he changed back. He stood there for a second, watching Lily warily. She had a look of complete incomprehension, her mouth opening and closing. After a few seconds, she shook her head and smiled.
"You are full of surprises James Potter."
He burst into a smile and walked back to the loveseat, sitting next to her.
"And I suppose Sirius is a dog?" she asked; laughing.
James nodded and she laughed even louder.
"Are you sure that wasn't another attempt to impress me?"
The first attack of the year took place at the very end of September. Christopher Cornfoot, a Ravenclaw 7th year, lost a set of grand-parents.
Dorcas lay next to Cade that night on a mattress he had conjured in the middle of the Prefect's bathroom, her eyes fixed on the chandelier above her. She had run to his common room that night eager to release the pain and the fear. He had taken her here where they could be alone. He had kissed her, touched her, loved her. He knew her body well and, to answer Sirius' question, he was better than last year. It had been perfect.
She glanced over at Cade; his curly hair fanning out around his head. He smiled at her and rolled over to kiss her on the forehead. She smiled slightly; looking back up to the chandelier. If it had been so perfect, why did she still feel so awful?
He sat up after awhile. "I've got to go," he said. "Ackerley will get suspicious."
She nodded; smiling slightly. He stood and dressed. Dorcas didn't watch him. Leaning down, he kissed her. "Goodbye," he whispered. He slipped out silently. A few seconds later, Dorcas got up and dressed herself. She cleared away the mattress with a flick of her wand and left the bathroom. She went quickly back to Gryffindor tower and up the stairs to her bed.
When she climbed in, dressed in her pajamas, she stared at the red canopy above her bed. She continued staring at it all night.