Apologies for being late! I was earnestly trying to finish my dissertation, a project that has taken half my life and all of my soul. Thank you all for your patience, and this is another chapter with very many elements from the original. Out of respect for spoiler policies, I will refrain from saying anything until you guys finish.

Yikes, this academic jargon is really seeping into my life. Sorry guys.

I forgot to mention! I might be a little late in the next update. I am just having a little trouble with the next chapter, that's all.

and Guest reviewer: Thank you so much! I have a hard time sometimes balancing heavy and light, so I am glad you liked it :D.


Quidditch, Through the Ages by Kennilworthy Whisp

It was a good thing Sirius was in a better mood, June thought as she climbed the stairs of her dormitory with a batch of fudge. The Hufflepuff versus Gryffindor match was coming, and there was no way Sirius would want to miss that in good spirits. She didn't think it was her fudge that did it, but she was hopeful.

The fudge however, had other unfortunate repercussions. James Potter descended upon her during breakfast, with Peter in tow. "You!" he said, pointing a dramatic finger at June.

She promptly dropped the fork she was holding up. She looked sadly at the sausage that had rolled off and back at James Potter. "What?" she asked

"You have been making fudge!" he said, sliding into the bench.

"And?" asked Sarah, flipping a page of her newspaper.

"You be quiet," said James. "You probably got half the share of fudge."

Sarah folded her newspaper neatly, putting it away. She laced her fingers together and tucked them under her chin, elbows on the table. "I did," she said triumphantly.

James Potter looked mutinous. "We want to know why we don't get any, while the enemy does."

Peter nodded vigorously.

"She's not…"

"Because she's been passing your Quidditch secrets to me," said Sarah. "I'm in with Davies. I'm telling him everything about your new strategy."

"She's joking!" said June with a nervous laugh. "She is! You are! Tell him you are."

James looked ready to kill.

Sirius appeared from nowhere. "He's been complaining since you gave me the fudge, Williams," he said with a grin. "If it wasn't for the match, I'd have heard no end of it."

"Cripes," murmured June. She shut the book she had propped up against the orange juice jug. It was Quidditch, Through the Ages, and she was reading it for no good reason apart from the fact that she wanted to care more about Quidditch now that she was friends with people who cared about it. "Well, you see – I made it for my friends."

"And I'm not your friend?" asked James in a wounded voice. June was just preparing a speech in her defence, which would go into the finer points of both fudge making and friendship, when Lily and Marlene entered the Great Hall. Instantly distracted, James looked away.

Lily slid into the table beside Sarah. "Here," she said to James, handing him a small, foil wrapped something. "You can have the last of mine."

"I could kiss you, Evans," said James fervently.

Lily blushed red. Marlene rolled her eyes and settled down next to Sirius.

"So, match tomorrow?" asked Lily, trying to brush past the whole thing, in a way that very closely reminded June of her asking Sirius if he was reading anything new.

"We're not going to talk about it with her on the table," said James, glaring at Sarah.

"Yikes, with the house pride," said Sarah.

"Are you coming for the match?" Sirius asked June.

"Yes," she said.

"Fantastic," said Sirius, satisfied. "I'm going to go early to get seats for everyone. Evans, you in?"

June paused. "I thought I would – well, Sarah –"

"June," said Marlene patiently. "I understand you're new to this friendship thing, but you cannot sit with the enemy on a match day. If she was a Slytherin, I'd understand."

June looked at Sarah, who looked unbelievably entertained. "No, Williams, I am not sitting with you while your team pummels us. I have some house pride."

"Ha!" said James, piling tomato sauce on his eggs. "That's right, Freegood."

"I know, Potter," said Sarah irritably. "Don't worry, it's not like we magically became another team overnight. I'd have noticed."

"You never know –"

"Everyone be quiet," said Lily. "Black, will you save one for Mary, too?"

"I thought it was obvious I would," said Sirius, scarfing down sausages. He stole one from June.

"Hey!" said June, narrowing her eyes.

"You're disgusting, Black," Marlene declared, her nose wrinkling with disgust. "Oh – ha! Lily, look."

All of them turned to see Alice Fortescue quickly peck Frank Longbottom. "I didn't know they were dating," said Peter.

"There's a lot to be gained through a friendship with Williams, Pettigrew," said Marlene sagely. "Thank you, June, for making sure that I got to see Alice snogging someone's face off at the breakfast table –"

"I didn't do anything–" began June –

"I'd hardly call that 'snogging someone's face off,'" countered Lily.

"Quiet, both of you," said Marlene. "Williams, are you heading out, now that Black has stolen half your breakfast?"

June grinned and got up. "I'll see you after Arthimancy, June," Sarah called after her.

She waved before leaving. Oddly enough, Sirius jumped after her. Marlene wrinkled her nose. As soon as they reached the Great Hall, she waved goodbye and headed for Arthimancy. "I'm actually free right now," said June.

"I know, I am too. Muggle Studies isn't until later. What were you going to do?"

"I have some Transfiguration spells to work on," she said absently. "I suppose if I do them now, I'll have the evening off. I could even make a batch of fudge for James, since he's so upset…"

She wasn't really looking at him. When she did, she noticed that look in his eye again – that specific one, that had happened when they were in the kitchens. She wasn't sure what he was thinking of when he looked at her that way.

"Good idea," he said, waking himself out of it. "James has made life miserable, did you know?"

She laughed. "Will you come? I'll need help with Transfiguration."

He agreed. She really did try not to think of it too much, but it was hard to push that expression out of her mind.


She made it back to her dormitory that night, but only just. She was still floating on the thought of Sirius asking her to the match. She had to continuously snap at herself to bring her mind back to the ground – the cold, hard, ground that told her that she was daydreaming for nothing. Again and again that look flashed in her mind's eye, the one that Sirius had given her from time to time.

Lily was curled up in her bed, while the other two were sleeping. "Oh, hello," she said, surprised. "How are you?"

"Um," said June, taking to her own bed and taking her shoes off. She fell from her knees up into the bed.

"Late evening?" she asked humorously. "Or were you just partying the way I am: with my Herbology essay."

"I finished that," said June, lifting herself up and holding out a box. "I made you more fudge."

"Oh – wow," Lily took the box from June. "Thanks, June!" she said, touched.

"No problem," said June, flopping back down.

"Something bothering you?"

She groaned, putting her hands on her face.

Lily collapsed on the bed as well, grinning. "What's up, June?" she said.

"Has… has a boy ever looked at you strange?" asked June.

June could feel the slow smile growing on Lily without seeing it. "Define… strange."

She sighed. "If a boy was just listening to me say something. And he was looking at me very… intently, I suppose? Like he's listening to what I'm saying very carefully, but he's not really thinking about what I'm saying?"

June's eyes slid over to Lily, who was looking properly perplexed. She opened her mouth, and then shut it again. "June –"

"He wants to snog you."

It came from Marlene's bed somewhere. She didn't even turn over to face them.

"What?" squeaked June, getting up at once.

"Snog," she repeated, voice muffled by distance and blankets. "He wants to snog you."

There was the horrifying moment of realisation settling in, and before June could react, Lily beat her. "You could have said it more tactfully, Marlene," she said, also sitting upright.

"What's there to be tactful about?" demanded Marlene, finally turning over. Her eyes glittered in June's lamplight. "Whoever the bloke is – he wants to snog you, Williams."

"I didn't say it was me!" said June, her voice shrill.

"Shh!" hissed Lily, nodding to Mary's bed.

"Oh, give it up, Lily," said the bleary voice of Mary. She got up in her bed, looking at them with half lidded eyes. "No one is asleep."

"Sorry," said June, contrite.

Mary rubbed her eyes. "What's the problem? Who wants to snog whom?"

"Some bloke looking at June," said Marlene, not bothering to get out from under the covers.

"I'm sure he doesn't want to snog you," said Lily reassuringly. "Maybe he was just –"

"Contemplating the fudge I made?" June helped. Or hoped.

Lily blinked, opening her mouth. When she said nothing, June sighed.

"Oh, fuck it," said Marlene, struggling out of bed. "Hand over the fudge."

June gave her a box of fudge.

"Marlene McKinnon, you've already brushed!" said Mary.

"So?" said Marlene, her mouth filled with fudge.

Lily threw a pillow at Marlene. "Give it back! It's mine! June said so!"

"How dare you, June Williams," said Marlene, in a thunderous voice.

"I meant it for all of you!" said June hurriedly.

Lily gasped in mock betrayal. "Brownnoser!"

June elbowed Lily, who threw another pillow. Mary tried to get at the fudge, only to have Marlene holding it at an arm's length, falling into the bed with her. June was laughing again.


It all started innocently enough: she didn't wake up early, but Sirius and his friends had already saved them seats. Wedged firmly between Lily and Peter, she had watched the game with interest. This wasn't the first time she had come for a match or anything, but it certainly was the first time with a friend. Lily and her friends had taken her along during first year and second year – before she clammed up entirely. That was different, of course – before, she had only ever gotten mildly stressed out by the energy of the school.

Now, however, she was curious about the way Sirius shouted, or yelled up and down. Remus glanced at her once, while James was awarded a penalty shot; their eyes met.

It was something… of an understanding. She knew what he was thinking, and he knew what she was thinking. She hesitated for half a second before nodded briefly, with a smile.

He sighed, even as Sirius looked gripped by one thing and one thing only. Then he smiled back.

Of course Gryffindor won – it wasn't even up for debate. Hufflepuff's team was terrible. To her surprise, she saw Sarah shouting her head off when Hufflepuff scored – but they really were pummelled. June was almost grateful when Andrea Beaumont caught the snitch whenever she did.

As soon as the game was over Sirius disappeared. Lily looked at her sympathetically, but June wasn't sure why.

"Why are you looking at me that way?" asked June, confused.

"Well – it's a pity he didn't sit with you," she said, her voice low. She put on her Gryffindor scarf.

"Um – was he supposed to?"

"Let her alone, Lily," said Marlene from behind them. "She's so clueless, I almost want to see how the night goes with Black pumping firewhisky in his veins."

"Marlene!" said Lily, scandalised.

"What do you mean?" demanded June.

"Oh, nothing," said Lily. "Oh for heaven's sake – let's go from the other stairwell. Severus is making his way here."

She followed them as they walked off the stands. Marlene seemed to be observing something very carefully, because she was lost in thought even as they reached the stairs. Surrounded by people chittering away, Marlene held June by the elbow and said in a love voice: "Word from the wise, Williams. There's going to be a party."

"Oh," said June. "I know. I promise I won't invite Sarah –"

"Not that, dearest, although it's adorable that your mind went there," said Marlene. "You want to be careful during a party without any supervision. Almost everything is going to have firewhisky in it."

June stopped in her tracks. "It is?" she asked.

Marlene nodded grimly. "And Bobby Jones isn't well known for keeping his hands to himself."

"I'll keep that in mind."

"And," continued Marlene. "I know it's not my place, but Black will probably be drunk."

"That really has nothing to do with me, but I'll take care of him," promised June.

Marlene surveyed her. "You really are oblivious, aren't you? Fine, have a good time."

June wished she could tell Marlene that it wasn't obliviousness as much as it was cold, hard sense. She didn't want to dream of any hopes that she might have, not even if someone paid her.

As soon as they reached the bottom of the stairwell, Peter scuttled close to them. "Party in the common room!" he hissed.

"He's such a strange one," sighed Mary. "Let's go, girls."

They walked slowly, with no intention of coming before the food had been nicked from the kitchens. So they went and congratulated the team first thing. Lily was a little pink in her cheeks when she told James he'd done a good job. James looked like he had ascended to the heavens themselves. He was sweaty and disgusting, but June had a strong suspicion that none of this was registering to Lily when she hugged him.

Marlene nudged her in common understanding. June smiled, shaking her head a little. Even Remus caught her eye then, and they both matched their amusement.

Once James and the team disappeared to take a shower, they trudged upstairs. Remus was the only one left with them. Sirius and Peter had gone to organise things.

By the time they reached the common room, the party had somewhat started. Everyone was helping themselves to the butterbeer that had been generously loaded on a table, while Peter had managed to bring what seemed to be the Gryffindor house's weight in food. "Merlin help us," said Marlene, as she saw Bobby Jones holding two bottles of butterbeer. "Stay close, ladies."

They did for most of the evening. James and the team arrived, and the common room burst into applause. Andrea Beaumont was instantly surrounded by four or five different boys. James, on the other hand, made a beeline for Lily. Very soon, they were engaged in yet another slightly argumentative debate on nothing and everything. Lily had very strong opinions on toothpicks and pockets, learned June.

"But you know that your pockets are bigger," Lily insisted. "You know it. It's sexism, that's what it is –"

"You're going to call smaller pockets sexism -?" laughed James.

June stopped listening around the same time that Lily launched into a long speech about the history of pockets. She had already done her duty, and handed James a box of congratulatory fudge. He looked ready to kiss her, which was also when she thought it was time to politely excuse herself from Lily and James' conversation. She spent most of her evening with Marlene, who pointed randomly at people and looked to June for random, accumulated bits of gossip. Mary disappeared for some time when Terry Sims showed up, but returned almost immediately. She shook her head when Marlene raised her eyebrows. "No," she said. "That ship has sailed."

June pretended not to see Marlene look as pleased as a housecat.

Someone had started up some music, and a few people were dancing. The party was beginning to become increasingly rowdier, someone had spilled a large batch of chocolate frogs. They were hopping everywhere, some had been mercilessly crushed under the weight of dancers. Everyone was getting steadily drunker – except for June, who didn't want to touch too much of the firewhisky since last time. She knew her vomiting had been the result of a prank, but it still left something of a bad taste in her mouth. Sometime by eleven, the younger students had disappeared.

Marlene had disappeared to the bathroom when June noticed Sirius. He was swaying a little. June looked around, and noticed none of the others were anywhere in sight. Lily was dancing with James, which she really didn't want to disturb.

She rushed to Sirius. He held her hand, and focussed on her face. "June?" he asked.

She nodded briefly.

"Could you take me outside?" he said. "Merlin – don't worry, I haven't had that much."

She'd be the judge of that, of course. But even as she brought him outside, she noticed he was just a bit disbalanced. He was nowhere close to out of his mind, and his speech wasn't slurred either.

"Oh, Agrippa," he said, sitting down on the stairs outside the Fat Lady's portrait.

"Headache?"

"No, just a lack of balance," he said. "I am fine, I promise."

"I know," she reassured him.

"You seemed to be having fun."

"I was!" she said brightly. "Marlene and I were gossiping."

He chuckled. "About what?"

"Um – did you know that Vincent Holmes has a crush on you?"

Sirius blinked. The moonlight slanted on his face, dripping from his eyelashes.

"No," he said.

"Well – he – he does," said June, momentarily befuddled. "Amongst others."

"There are others?"

"Many," she nodded.

"Merlin and Agrippa."

"Not them." she shook her head. "I don't think they have crushes on you."

He laughed. "You're a riot, Williams."

She cracked a grin.

He was quiet again. "What's up?" she asked, as gently as possible. The sound of the party was a muffled buzz in the distance.

He was looking at her again – with that look on his face, that look that Marlene had said was – but she shook her head of the thought. Something fast was playing in the distance – people were probably dancing up a storm.

"What are you thinking?"

"Something stupid, Marlene said," she said, trying to focus. "It's nothing – she didn't –"

He was closer now. If she lifted her hand, she'd touch his cheek.

"What did McKinnon say?" he asked.

"Nothing important," she whispered.

His lips pressed on hers. He was gentle, gentler than she had been expecting him to be – it began slow, soft, and then pressed into her more and more. His hands held her wrists, creeping up to her elbows. His teeth caught her bottom lip – she sighed into his mouth. Sirius was – he was loud, he was noisy, and he kissed her like he had never known the peace of silence. She felt herself being drained of it – her ears ringing more and more, the roaring sound of the wind in her head.

And then he stopped.

"I'm – June – I'm sorry," he said.

He got up. June, feeling oddly bereft, looked up at him.

"I need – just give me a minute," he said, rushing back to the common room.

There was nothing left, but the darkness of the room and the ringing in her ears.

"Ah, fuck," murmured June. "Marlene was right."


You know, in the original version of this, I distinctly remember writing the fact that he took away her silence and she could hear so much noise in her ears after their first kiss. I felt like doing that again this time, so I borrowed that a little.

The other thing I borrowed wasn't really mine! Sirius Black kissing the OC character after a drunk party is so instituted in fanfic, it's almost as bad as the Yule Ball. I wanted to do something similar, because I respect my roots. I know where I come from.

Anyway, love reviews as always!