Disclaimer: Not mine. Not mine. Not mine.

A/N: I've decided to take advantage of the fact that I am off of school and have nothing to do and update as often as possible while I still can.

Bon Bear: There were originally dividers there, but they somehow got messed up when I uploaded the story. Sorry if it confused anyone!

SerenityRose016 and lurv2boogie: Thanks for adding me to your Favorite Stories list! I really appreciate it.

And so we continue…

Sirius' nose was bleeding profusely, and he was trying in vain to stem the flow with the sleeve of his robe.

"Merlin, Padfoot. You're a mess," said James as he led him to the hospital wing. "Why the hell didn't you fight back? Or at least defend yourself?"

"Becud im ib lob," replied Sirius, who immediately realized that James couldn't understand him. He let go of his bleeding nose and tried again.

"Because I'm in love."

James chuckled.

"Good one," he said, smiling. Sirius shook his head.

"No, I'm serious," he explained. "I'm in love with Scarlett Lundgren."

"Look, Padfoot. I think if you're going to add to your list of conquests you should choose a girl who doesn't express her feelings with her fists."

"She's so…beautiful," whispered Sirius, who obviously wasn't listening.

James looked at him. Sirius' nose was spewing blood and was most likely broken, there were the beginnings of two black eyes blooming on his face, and his eyes were slightly out of focus.

"I think she might have messed up your more than your nose, Padfoot," James responded in alarm as they reached the Hospital Wing.

"So…beautiful…" mumbled Sirius, collapsing.

"You punched him?" exclaimed Lily in horror. She had just finished reprimanding some 4th years for jinxing each other when Scarlett arrived back from the disastrous Quidditch practice.

"Why?"

Scarlett looked at Lily incredulously.

"Because he's a stuck-up, egotistical git, that's why," she replied. "What, you don't think he deserved it?"

Lily gaped at her friend.

"Well, of course he's a stuck-up, egotistical git," she said. "But did you stop to think for a moment why he caused an explosion in Charms and dumped his girlfriend?"

Scarlett looked unsure.

"Should I have?" she inquired. Lily rolled her eyes.

"You are so clueless! He's completely infatuated with you, that's why! He messed up the spell because he was too busy staring at you with his mouth hanging open to focus on what he was doing," she explained. Scarlett laughed.

"Did you notice that both Lupin and Potter were staring at you with their mouths hanging open?" she asked her friend teasingly.

"Well, every one knows that Potter is almost stalking me, and Remus just asked me to go to Hogsmeade with him this weekend, so I don't think it really matters whether I noticed or not."

"Ooooh, Remus asked you to Hogsmeade!" Scarlett almost shouted, dancing around the Common Room.

James Potter chose that moment to storm in through the Portrait Hole. He glared at Scarlett, who immediately stopped dancing.

"I hope you're happy," he snapped. "Sirius is currently in the Hospital Wing, unconscious, bleeding profusely, with a broken nose and two black eyes!"

Scarlett's face went ashen. Lily turned to her friend.

"Merlin, Scarlett!" she whispered. "How hard did you punch him?"

Sirius' eyes fluttered open. Merlin, his head hurt. Someone was leaning over him. The figure slowly swam into focus, and he felt his heart jump into his throat. There she was, looking uncomfortable and staring at the floor, her long hair falling over her face.

"Damn, you punch hard," he said weakly. Scarlett jumped.

"I-I didn't realize you were awake," she said, blushing. "I wanted to apologize for…erm….beating you up."

"S'alright," Sirius said casually, sitting up gingerly.

"And I wanted to apologize for yelling at you, and--" she attempted to continue, but Sirius cut her off.

"D'you want to go to Hogsmeade with me?" he asked, smiling at her. Scarlett froze.

"What?" she said, her eyes narrowing.

"Come on, Lundgren, you heard me," he replied. Scarlett looked at him in disgust.

"Look, Black, I came here to apologize because I felt sorry for you, not to get you to go out with me. I still think you are the most arrogant, self-centered person I've ever met." And with that, she stormed out of the room.

Sirius collapsed back against the pillows. What had he done wrong?

Lily tore through her wardrobe, frantically searching for something to wear on her date with Remus.

"I can't believe he asked me out!" Scarlett vented. "I thought I made it perfectly clear to him that I hated his guts when I punched his face in!"

"That's nice," said Lily absentmindedly, examining a yellow sweater and then throwing it on the growing pile of discarded outfits that littered the floor. Then she realized what Scarlett had just said.

"He asked you out?" she exclaimed in unison with the two other girls in the dormitory, who were also ripping their wardrobes to shreds.

"Who?" asked Freja Aubrey, pushing her blond hair out of her face.

"Sirius Black," Scarlett replied angrily. "And--"

The other girl, Sophie Towlerton, squealed.

"Why did you say no?" she exclaimed. "He's the best-looking guy in the school!" Freja nodded in agreement, then, looking horrified, yelled,

"You punched him?"

"Look, Scarlett," said Lily, checking her watch. "You can tell me exactly what happened later. But we have 20 minutes to get ready and I still have no idea what I'm going to wear!" Looking exasperated, Scarlett went over to Lily's decimated wardrobe.

"You know I'm no good when it comes to clothes," she said, ducking as a rejected skirt whizzed toward her.

"Never mind, I found something," Lily said, emerging from the wardrobe clutching a blue top. "What do you think?"

"Very nice," replied Sophie, who was desperately trying to tame her wild mane of sandy hair.

"Wait, Scarlett," said Freja, brandishing a mascara brush. "You might not be going on a date with Sirius Black, but you certainly can't go to Hogsmeade looking like that."

Scarlett looked down. She was wearing brown corduroy pants and a sweatshirt.

"Um…why not?" she asked. Sophie rolled her eyes.

"C'mon, we'll make you look presentable," she said, putting down her hairbrush and dragging Scarlett over to her armoire.

Remus Lupin tugged nervously at his collar, partly in anticipation of his date with Lily and partly because he had not managed to find a way to tell James that he had asked Lily out. He could only imagine what was going to happen when he found out.

"Hey," said a soft voice behind him. He turned, and gasped at the sight of her.

"You look…um…amazing," he stammered.

"Thanks," she replied shyly, tugging at the blue top that showed off her small waist and, he couldn't help but notice, her cleavage. "So, um, where to?"

"Well, there's this place that Sirius always takes his, erm…girlfriends. It's called Madam Pudifoot's. However," he said, gaining confidence, "you don't seem to be the type to enjoy doilies and cupids."

Lily smiled and his heart almost stopped.

"Let's go to the Three Broomsticks," she said, grabbing his arm and dragged him toward the mob of students heading for the village.

James Potter appeared in the doorway they had just vacated, trying to fix his hair as he walked. Suddenly he paused, looking ahead and catching sight of the couple. Lily and Remus….he thought in disbelief and anger. How could they?

A/N: Dun dun duuuuun….