CHAPTER 7: THE SECOND SIGN OF LOVE

"GlaX, which means Glass Exchange," Sirius read out to Kristanna.

Kristanna yawned. She was not able to sleep last night. "What does that mean?" she asked him dazedly.

"It says here that when the glasses of the couple got exchanged, and the other one was able to drink it, they have accomplished the second sign to eternal love," Sirius said, tapping every word of the coffee-stained page.

"Really, Sirius, you don't believe that crap, don't you?" she asked him.

"It's not really dangerous to believe. Besides, they've accomplished the seven times eye-contact," Sirius argued.

Kristanna merely rolled her eyes, it was helpless to argue with Sirius Black; she knew about that since last night, when he desperately made her believe. "I think I have to go, it's Potions first thing in the morning," she said.

Sirius shook his head. "I've got the afternoon Potions. It's Care for Magical Creatures for me, first period."

"Sorry, I don't know about your sched. Surely, you want to be an auror. That's what I knew. What's the point of getting that subject?"

Sirius pointed at Wormtail. "That's the only subject the Marauders have with Peter. Besides, I passed that subject."

"Okay. There's Lily, gotta go," she said, kissing him lightly on the cheek and departing.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"I can't believe you're hanging out with Sirius Black," Lily said.

"Get a life, Lils. He's not that bad," Kristanna said, trying to defend him.

"But, Kris…" Lily tried to say, but Kristanna held a hand to stop her.

She looked at the liquid that was hissing on its cauldron. "Lily, can I borrow your silver knife?" she asked Lily.

"Here it is. But what's the point?" Lily asked.

Kristanna dipped the knife on the cauldron and removed it. "Gold!" she accidentally shouted, making some of the students cut their finger, splash wrong ingredients on their cauldrons, or burn themselves.

Slughorn went to Kristanna and Lily's table. "Miss Spencer, what is it?"

"Professor, I accidentally placed leprechaun hairs and not caterpillars and this is what happened to Lily's dagger," she said, giving the golden stained knife to Slughorn.

Slughorn stared at the knife and his eye twinkled. "Good work, Miss Spencer. You and Miss Evans will get twenty points plus and an O for this test," he said, eyeing hungrily the potion that hissed and bubbled.

"But we didn't even make the Draught of Illusion!" Lily tried to say.

"Yes, Miss Evans, but you were able to make a new kind of potion. This is a discovery!" Slughorn said excitedly, taking a small notebook from his pocket and a large peacock feather quill. "Tell me, how did you do it?" he asked.

"Sir, the same procedure with the Draught of Illusion, except we used five strands of Leprechaun hair rather than the caterpillar hair," Kristanna said. Slughorn heartily took notes about this. "Thank you, dears," he said.

The bell rang and they packed up. "Kris, I know that the Leprechaun hair wasn't accidental," Lily said. "What's the point of bringing Leprechaun hair here? That's a rare ingredient to be included in the basic potions kit."

"Lils, don't try to do something like that again. I gave you an O, honestly!" Kris said.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"So, you mean you're really planning something," Kristanna said, eyeing Sirius suspiciously.

"Yes. On the Hogsmeade weekend, let's do it," Sirius said triumphantly.

"We have to force Lily to sit beside Potter, and then we have to do our stuff," Kristanna said giggly, almost knocking off her ink bottle. "What are you doing, anyway?"

Sirius frowned. "I'm finishing this antidote computation for Potions," he said.

"Do you really want to become an auror?" she asked teasingly.

"Don't be a pighead, Kris. You're saying things like that because you're smart," Sirius twittered.

Kristanna took the piece of parchment and took another parchment. She started doing the X and Y computations and sighed after dipping her new quill and writing the formula. "There, all finished!" she said, giving the parchment to Sirius.

"Wow, I love you, Kris!" Sirius said, rolling up the parchment and kissing Kristanna, who was still writing her Herbology Essay.

"If you always do that to appease me, I won't help you with your homework anymore!" Kristanna said with mocking annoyance, tickling Sirius with her unnaturally long quill.

"No, seriously, Kris, you're the greatest and smartest student in the whole wide world!" Sirius praised, raising both of his arms.

"If I know, Potter was saying that Lily was the greatest witch of our age," Kristanna said disbelievingly.

"No matter, I still consider you my Queen," he mocked, bowing low.

"Blah, blah, blah. I think we should sleep now," Kristanna said finally, putting down her quill and packing up. "Tomorrow's the Hogsmeade weekend. I have to convince dear Lily to join us in our small feast," she said darkly, winking at Sirius and heading up the girls' dormitories.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"You know, Kris, I'm a little confused why you aren't with your new boyfriend," Lily said while they were walking towards the Three Broomsticks.

"Lils, please let me enjoy myself. This is just my first boyfriend. Besides," she started, glaring evilly at the stalkers in black cloaks following them as though she's going to throw poison," I would rather have him than those good-for-nothings."

"Whatever," Lily said, blowing her hair.

They went inside the bar and ordered, as usual, butterbeer. They chose a table at the far end of the bar and talked with each other about Kristanna's new experimental potion, the Speeding Potion (experimental title).

The bell of the bar rang and two fur-coated men entered. "Kris," Sirius waved, lowering the hood.

Kristanna welcomed him with a crispy slap on his cheek. Momentarily, all the people inside the noisy bar looked at them, silence ensued. "Never mind, all of you," she waved off. Everybody resumed back to their former positions, laughing, talking, and eating.

Sirius was sporting a reddish mark on his face. "Why did you do that for?" he complained, but Kristanna showed a fist.

She dragged him away from James' and Lily's earshot and hissed, "Don't you know how to read the time, you lack-wit prankster?" she asked, showing her locket watch.

"Totally forgot," Sirius excused. "James had a good time in Zonko's after…"

"Just shut up and do the plan. I've got the props ready; try to buy yours, kay?" Kristanna instructed.

"Aye, aye, Captain," Sirius mumbled before going to Madame Rosmerta to order butterbeer.

"What happened between the two of you?" Lily asked her. "And what are you looking at?" she spat coldly at James, who was staring at her intently.

"Evans, who would like to look at you?" James said, sniggering.

Sirius appeared, carrying four bottles. "Merry Christmas…" everyone gaped at him, "…for next year," he added hastily.

"Funny, Sirius Black," Kristanna said sarcastically.

"We already had one," Lily said.

Kristanna chuckled. "Lils, it's my birthday today," she said. "Please?" she pleaded, batting her eyelashes.

"Whatever," Lily said, pissed off. "It's really weird that you can crawl on my neck," she said.

James and Lily turned away, giving a chance for the couple to change their bottles. Lily turned around and held the bottle, about to drink the contents.

"I think I have to go to the ladies' room," Kristanna excused, standing up.

Sirius turned away from Lily and James, looking at the window. Grabbing her chance, Lily silently exchanged Sirius' and Kristanna's bottles.

James mouthed at her. "What are you doing?"

Lily frowned and pressed her finger on her lips, telling him to shut up. She also raised a fist as a threat.

Kristanna returned and took her bottle, about to drink it. When the bottle mouth was on her lips, she glanced at Lily, who was doing the same. Neither of the two knew that they were expecting each other to drink the bottle to accomplish the stupid task.

"Hello guys," a voice interrupted.

NCSP:

Lily raised her eyebrow. "What the bloody hell is happening to you?" she asked. "Earlier, you're telling me that I should drink. Now you're pouring everything out."

Kristanna poured out all the contents until the last drop. "There's a bee…" she stuttered, "…there's a bee in your drink," she confirmed, nodding guiltily.

Lily surveyed the bottle. "Are you sure?" she asked, shaking the bottle slightly. "A bee cannot fit inside the bottle mouth this small," she said.

"Maybe I'm wrong, I'm farsighted, you know," Kristanna said smartly.

"You know, Evans, you should make it a habit to go out with me," James finally said smugly, grabbing the luck in the situation.

a/n: why did Lily exchange the bottles of Kristanna and Sirius? Did she know anything? Who interrupted the second sign? Do we have to kill that guy (hopefully)? Find out on my next update! (naks, isn't that a nice ending for a chapter?)

please review. I'll be happy. BTW, please also read Miss Match (though I could not update it yet) and Journey if you can.