She watched the flames flicker, licking the sides of the fireplace as she sat, curled up in her bed covers, on her favourite armchair in the Gryffindor common room.

Fire had always fascinated her ever since she was a small child. It started when she was three years old and the magic within her began to show. She could light a candle from across the room at the beginning, progressing into not being able to be in the same room as a candle and keeping it unlit irritating her mother and amusing her cousins no end. Seeming uncontrollable her fascination had advanced further the older she became; the fireplace, a garage or five.

"Orchideous," she mumbled causing a bouquet of brightly coloured flowers to appear from the end of her wand. Though she was pretty sure this wasn't what Lily had meant when she nagged at her to practise her magic she couldn't help but feel her friend would be proud of the presentation.

Sighing she threw them into the flames.

"Mind if I join you?"

She jumped out of her own little world, glancing up to see Sirius stood at the bottom of the stairs to the boys' dorm. He was in his normal uniform for bed, a white vest top and a pair of muggle football shorts (given to him by Lily to irritate his family even further). It was uncountable the amount of times she had seen him in this outfit yet, in that moment, she felt like she was looking at him for the very first time.

Practically having to drag her eyes away from the tight white material clinging to his slender yet muscular chest she nodded answering "Sure." as she forced her attention back to the burning flowers as they turned to ash.

Nudging her over with a smile he slid underneath the bed covers beside her. They had claimed the armchair, comfiest in the common room, since their second year and for as long as they had been best friends they would retreat to the armchair to huddle together if they weren't able to sleep (which, being pushed out children of families filled with dark magic tended to happen a lot).

It was a miracle they still managed to fit.

"Dax I think we need to talk," he was mumbling, trying his hardest to grab onto her attention.

She ignored him "Have you thought any more about the Peeves plan?"

"-seriously Dax-"

"Because if we don't have a solid foundation we'll never pull it off."

She turned in her seat to face him, honestly if he was going to take the plan seriously…

Her eyebrows arched as he reached up, his fingertips brushing beneath her chin to bring her face closer to his own. His slight stubble grazed along her chin as his lips brushed against hers…

"DAXIA!"

A loud gasp filled her non-expectant lungs as she found herself falling from the couch "W-what?" she yawned, her tone breathless and confused, as she scrambled onto her knees and leant against the sofa for support.

James was glaring down to her looking mightily unimpressed "You fell asleep! As I was talking to you! Asleep! Mid-word!"

This time all of the air escaped her chest cavity as the wind was knocked out of her in realization…that was a dream?

"Wait are you okay?" he continued with a frown, anger forgotten about as his concern set in. As well as being a friend James Potter was practically a brother to Daxia. He and his parents housed her for half of most summers when she was escaping her family life and she could always count on him for a brotherly hug or advice when she needed it most "Cause we can carry on with this tomorrow if you like?" he said pointing to the parchment lying in front of him.

"I'm fine!" she exclaimed, slightly over the top and defensive as she crawled back onto the couch.

As soon as James had received the Captain's badge before the start of their fifth year he had jumped into action, making his first decision immediately. Daxia received her owl off him a day later; fake Hogwarts letter, signed by James, containing a cloned version of his badge with the word 'Vice' charmed on to it. As James's vice-captain (something unusual for Hogwarts) she was helping him to decide what type of players they would be looking for at the tryouts the next day.

"It's not my fault you're incredibly boring," she teased once she was back in her seat "So where were we skipper?"

James didn't look convinced.

He remained looking unconvinced the next day when she wandered into the changing rooms from the girls' toilets, fully changed into her Gryffindor Seeker's kit.

"Sooo what did you dream about?" he asked with a grin fuelled by mischief as he leant over her shoulder.

She jumped slightly (something prepared-for-anything-Daxia would never do). Spinning around to face him she smacked him on the padded shoulder "You Jamesey," she replied thinking quickly as she spoke in a dreamy tone, fingers flexing over his arm as she took a step towards him, trying to hold back her amusement at the look on his face "I was dreaming about you."

He stepped back from her, hand buried in his messy black hair as he shrugged his shoulder away from her gentle grasp, his eyes looking anywhere but hers "I, er…" he coughed, his eyebrows knitting together in a frown.

It took a few seconds before he relaxed, a sigh of relief emptying his lungs as realisation hit him "Vix!" he exclaimed smile on his lips as he shoved her shoulder. The cocky air about him, normal when he was relatively close to a Quidditch pitch, was back as he straightened up and squared his shoulders "It was Padfoot wasn't it," he smirked, Sirius's Marauders nickname slipping from his lips with ease.

Daxia froze, unable to hide the look on her face as he guessed it spot on. She gulped "N-no, why would you think that?"

"Cause I know you," he grinned cocking his head and folding his arms over his chest "And I know him. Probably even better than you know each other and yourselves!"

She frowned "What do you mean?"

Adiya's voice, that soft Californian twang, filled the changing room before James could answer "I come baring newbies!" she called in a sing-song tone; about twelve nervous looking Gryffindors trailed in behind her.

James sent Daxia a wink and a grin before turning to the group, launching into the introduction Daxia and he had written the previous night.

"Hey you okay?" Adiya mumbled leaning over to Daxia as she nudged her with her elbow. Harbouring a different bond than what they individually shared with Lily the two girls knew one another inside out. They were known to their fellow Gryffindors as the party girls, Adiya always one step behind Daxia with her schemes away from the Marauders. Though they didn't go to one another for advice they were instantly able to tell if there was something amiss.

"Huh?" Daxia asked jumping slightly once more "Oh, yeah fine," she forced the smile on her face not convincing herself never mind her best friend.

"Right let's go you two!" James called to them with a clap of his hands before turning to lead the newbies out to the Quidditch pitch.

"He sounds like a kindergarten teacher," Adiya giggled as her and Daxia followed.

Forgetting her mood Daxia laughed and nodded in agreement "Well I said primary school," she approved referring to the British version of a school for younger children.

Adiya looked impressed as they grabbed their broomsticks "So you have been listening in Muggle Studies!" She smiled; as a half-blood (with her father being a muggle) it was usually Lily she could use such associations around (though still meeting barriers due to the cultural issue).

"Dax…listening? Surely not!" James suddenly swooped down to where the two girls were only just mounting their brooms "Okay Tink-" (Adiya scowled, due to her last name being Bell and Sirius finding the concept of the muggle film Peter Pan fascinating, her nickname given to her by the Marauders was Tink for the film's fairy –Tinkerbell) "-you take the three keepers, Dax the four beaters and I'll supervise the five chasers. We'll meet back here in fifteen."

"The beaters?!" Daxia mumbled kicking off from the ground "I hate you James Potter!"

By the time the fifteen minutes were up Daxia felt drained of all her energy. As much as she wished she could kill James she could barely hold her own weight as she touched down beside him and Adiya.

"You look beat!" he exclaimed when he saw her, his grin wide in amusement as he reached across to wipe off the large smudge of mud beneath her eye unsuccessfully "I need my seeker agile and fast not an easy target!"

She glared at him, attempting to smooth down her Quidditch robes as she grumbled her reply "Quite literally beat, thanks for that you prick." In order to properly try out each of the four beaters she had to make herself a human target and had ended up spending practically every moment dodging heavy bludgers.

Swinging an arm around her shoulders James pulled her into a quick squeeze of a hug "Sorry mate," he grinned not sounding at all sincere "So anyone stick out?"

Daxia rolled her eyes at his lack of concern but gave her opinion anyway "Geller and Green," she replied referring to the two muscular fifth year boys responsible for the majority of her bruises "The other two couldn't even hit the ball let alone me! They just kept asking me about you and Sirius," she grumbled; the two giggling girls definitely weren't interested in Quidditch but were in the Black/Potter fanclub for sure.

A smile came to James's face as his chest puffed out. Daxia was sure she could almost see his head swelling "Were they cute?"

She slapped his arm "They were third years!"

"And, anyway, what about Lily?" Adiya piped up with a smirk of her own. Lily was probably the only thing – living or not – on Earth that could distract James from Quidditch. In their fourth year he had once slowed the game down just to ask her out in front of the entire student body (it hadn't gone down well with either the rest of his team or Lily herself).

"What about her?" James snapped back before shaking his head barely a moment later, composing both himself and his thoughts "How were the keepers?"

The two girls exchanged glances before Adiya shrugged, deciding it wasn't worth pushing the subject at that moment in time "I narrowed it down to two; Boden and Grimes."

James nodded seriously, not even a hint of his previous cheeky grin on his lips "I got the chasers down to two as well, we'll get them to meet us tomorrow so we can all see them in action."

He had walked away before the two girls could agree.

"So," Daxia began with a yawn. Now she had James alone, with her feet in his lap as she lay across the sofa, she knew she could push her earlier issue with him once more "What's with you and Lily then?"

"What's with you and Sirius?" retorted James quickly, his eyebrows arched.

Dipping her eyebrows into a confused frown Daxia replied "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I've seen you," replied James plainly "Stealing glances at him, dreaming about him…" his tone was teasing as Daxia attempted to hold back a blush "Plus you'll always be his girl."

She spluttered a cough repeating "His girl?" in a questioning manner, blush breaking out across her cheekbones.

James nodded before holding his hands up innocently "But, alas, that is all the information I am able to indulge to you little sis, if it were up to me you'd know the entire story!" he smiled patting her legs "The rest is up to my dear old mate."

She sat up, crossing her legs beneath her before leaning towards him with her elbows on her knees and her chin resting in her upturned palms "What rest?" she asked continuing on when all he replied with was a smirked shrug "So Lily."

The smirk fell from his lips as it was his turn to frown, tightly crossing his arms over his chest "What about Lily?"

"You haven't…given up on her have you?"

He sent her a stern look as their friends' voices entered the common room; arriving back from their trip to the library.

"Hey!" Sirius greeted jumping over the back of the couch and landing on Daxia's other side. Throwing an arm over her shoulders he pulled her backwards so she was leant against his chest looking up to him.

"Hello," she greeted back trying her utmost to calm her stupid heartbeat and contain her ridiculous blush "How was detention?" she asked, Sirius wasn't the type of person to spend his free time in the library.

"You know me too well!" he chuckled as he twirled one of her curls around his finger "It was fine, Binns had me writing lines."

"Usual," Daxia shrugged, the History of Magic ghostly professor wasn't known for his creative detention ideas.

"Hey, where's Potter?" Lily asked as she glanced up, actually sounding concerned. Daxia looked up with a frown of her own, James's seat suspiciously empty.

"Hey did he leave the…" she trailed off as her eyes fell on Lily, Adiya and the just arrived Mary.

"In the dorm," Sirius nodded knowing exactly what his friend was talking about. As a member of the Marauders she had been enabled to learn all of their secrets; James's father's invisibility cloak being one and The Marauder's Map being another (though she had been unable to be involved with the making of the map). None of the other Gryffindor students knew about the cloak and the map and the boys wanted it to remain that way.

None of their big pranks would seem as impressive if people knew their secrets.

"Erm, where are you going?" Lily asked as Daxia appeared back into the common room, map tucked in her hoodie pocket and the cloak draped over her arm "It's nearly passed curfew."

"Just to find James," she replied innocently "I think I upset him before you lot arrived and want to make it up to him."

"Oo what you do?"

Glaring down to Sirius she shook her head "I'll be half an hour at the most," she said to Lily, a pleading look on her face "I promise."

The redhead sighed "Fine," she agreed reluctantly "Just don't let anyone see you!"

Exchanging a look and a smirk with Peter, sat beside Lily in the hope she'd read over his charms work, Daxia nodded "I'll try my best," she spoke slowly to hide her amusement, she'd hate to think what Lily would say if she knew James Potter owned an invisibility cloak "See you guys later."

"Bring my boy back Lestrange!" Sirius called as Daxia headed towards the portrait, the latter sending a rude hand gesture towards him over her shoulder as he reminded her of something James had said to her earlier on.

You'll always be his girl.

She shook her head as she stepped out into the corridor, throwing the cloak over herself and pulling the map from her pocket. Placing her wand in the middle of the folded up piece of parchment she whispered "I solemnly swear I'm up to no good." and the parchment burst into life; lines stretched across the blank space drawing a detailed blueprint of the castle. Small, labelled dots scurried along the corridors; Daxia's eyes searched for one branded James Potter.

It didn't surprise her when she noticed his, stationary, dot near the Quidditch pitches "Mischief managed," she mumbled and the map was wiped clean.

It didn't take her long to reach the pitch, barely a few moments to locate James sat slumped in his chair in the very back of the high stands. He seemed shocked to see her (possibly because she sat beside him for a good five minutes, causally and invisibly brushing against his arm, before finally shrugging off the cloak) asking her what the hell she was playing at.

"How did they manage to get permission? It's almost after curfew!" she replied ignoring his question, nodding towards where numerous green robed witches and wizards were zooming around the Quidditch pitch.

"They're trying out seekers and haven't even spotted me yet. Amateurs," James grumbled, his answer not relating to her question at all.

"Why didn't you tell me you were coming down here to spy on Slytherin tryouts?"

"Because then you would have come with me?"

She huffed before throwing the invisibility cloak over the two of them so they were able to both hide out for longer and avoid the drops of water now raining down on them "So what's really the matter?"

He frowned as he glanced across to her, a girl used to getting her own way she had her arms folded tightly over her chest and her eyebrows raised in anticipation "Don't know what you mean Vix," he shrugged eyes sliding back over to where the Slytherins were flying "Honestly half of those players don't even deserve to own Quidditch robes; are the Slytherins planning on handing us the cup this year?"

"Maybe they'll do the sensible thing and not pick the awful ones?"

"They're Slytherins!"

She huffed once more "James."

He ignored her.

"Why are you sat, alone, at the back of the Quidditch stands watching a bunch of losers try out for the Slytherin Quidditch team?" she questioned, he didn't even look her way "We don't normally spy until they've narrowed their options down! And you've normally got me and Adiya on either side of you unsuccessfully asking if we can perform confundus charms on the ones who actually show potential!"

He shrugged "I just didn't want to be in the common room and didn't feel like heading up to bed."

"You left the cloak and the map behind."

"I was in a rush."

"You didn't tell me or Sirius you were leaving."

"I needed some air."

"James!"

"Fine!" he sighed; eyes still on the action on the pitch "I just didn't fancy hanging out with Evans while I'm trying to officially get over her."

Daxia's eyebrows arched as she reached over to him, flattening her hand on his forehead "Temperatures fine…are you feeling okay?"

He rolled his eyes as he roughly pulled away from her, almost toppling off his seat and out of the protective cloak "Stop being a prat Lestrange."

"Funny I was just about to say that to you Potter."

When he didn't speak for a good few minutes she continued "You can't give up on Lily just as she's getting to know the real you! You spend time with her on duties, you chat casually in corridors and beneath the tree! What would thirteen year old Prongs say if he could see you now?"

"I dunno about him but I'd warn him not to get close to the Lestrange girl she's nothing but trouble."

She shoved him with her elbow "Git."

He nodded his head once as he lifted his feet up to rest on the seats before them, his eyebrows arched as two Slytherins crashed into one another "Are you seeing this Vix?!"

But she was looking at him in concern "So; getting over Lily Evans then?"

"Gunna be tough."

"I'm sure there will be plenty eager to take her place."

James rolled his eyes as he looked across to a smirking Daxia "And you're okay with this?"

"Well as long as she's not a Slytherin…" she replied continuing on when he sent her a look "All I wanted was my two best friends to be happy, if moving on makes you happy I'll be there for that too."

"Hopefully not all the time."

She barked a laugh as she shuffled closer to him, arm linking through his as she wished she'd brought a coat with her. Both she and James gasped as a Slytherin fourth year fell from his broom "We are so winning the Quidditch cup this year."