Disclaimer: See Chapter One.

Chapter Two

"You're French?"... "And you're an idiot"

The train slowed to a halt, jerking slightly when it finally came to a standstill. Lily had managed to get rid of the boys half an hour before, giving the girl's time to quickly change and enjoy some peace. Whatever had caused the crash and the shout, the boys weren't divulging, and frankly, Camille wasn't sure if she even wanted to know.

Lily disappeared to usher the first years towards Hagrid, leaving Camille, Mary, Theresa and Isla to find a carriage. Luckily, they were quite some way in front of the thicket of the crowd, and clambered into one of the first carriages, closely followed by Sirius, Remus and Peter. Camille was perplexed as to why they were there; saying as neither James nor Lily were amongst them.

"Budge up Millie," said Sirius, squeezing between she and Theresa. Camille frowned at the boy crushing her against the side of the carriage. Twice in one day he'd used her nickname; what was he up to?

The carriage ride was uneventful, as usual. The boys spent most of the time speaking in hushed whispers, the girls, chatting amongst themselves. Camille spent the entire time watching in amusement as Isla's eyes kept flickering towards the boys, and she wondered idly who the object of her affections was.

Ran began to spatter the windows of the carriage, the splash of puddles sounding, and the rumble of thunder closing in. The weather was simply awful; it actually hadn't been this bad for quite some time. Grumbling to herself, Camille jumped down from the horseless carriage as it stopped, pulling her robes up over her head and sprinting for the entrance. Unfortunately, sprinting in mud and puddles wasn't the best idea.

Camille cried out in shock as she slipped, her arms swinging wildly around her to find something to grab onto. A pair of steady, strong arms wrapped around her waist, stopping her just as she began to fall. The arms never left her as whoever caught her steered her into the school before she got too wet.

Shaking her damp hair out of her eyes and wringing out the bottom of her robes, Camille turned to thank the person who had caught her, and was rather shocked to find a pair of stormy grey eyes twinkling at her amusedly.

"Sirius?"

The taller boy nodded, droplets of water dripping from the ends of his shaggy black hair. Camille frowned, but quickly amended this when he quirked an eyebrow.

"I...uhhh, thanks," she straightened up, "Thank you for, well...for catching me, I suppose," she trailed off, her frown deepening for a reason even she couldn't figure out. Sirius smiled slightly.

"No problem," he glanced down, "You're making puddles, Filch'll be after you blood".

Before she could say anything, Sirius whipped out his wand and performed a drying spell. Camille felt a friendly warmth spread through her, from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. She smiled gratefully as Sirius performed the spell on himself.

"Well," Camille found it quite odd she couldn't find anything to say, but then again, all he had really done was stop her from getting wetter than she already had been. Shaking her head, she gestured towards the Great Hall.

"Sorting," she mumbled. A chuckled sounded from Sirius, and he held out his hand gallantly.

"Ladies first".

Camille opened her mouth to respond, but once again couldn't think of anything remotely interesting to say. Instead, she nodded, and hurried into the hall, a smirking Sirius Black following close behind.

The hall looked as cheerful as ever, extra so it seemed. The usual candles flickered brighter than usual, the four house banners and the Hogwarts crest seemed bolder and more eye catching. Camille wondered if it had anything to do with recent events in the wizarding world, and whether Dumbledore was trying to boost morale in a subtle, yet noticeable way.

The four house tables were polished to perfection, as always, the golden plates, goblets and cutlery gleaming in the candle light. High above, the enchanted ceiling flashed and crackled to match the weather outside, though it seemed far more inviting than actually being in the midst of the real thing. As the students filed in, Camille spotted Lily already seated, and looking particularly grouchy. Probably because James Potter was seated opposite her. The dark haired girls made a beeline for Lily, hoping she could distract her and get her in a pleasant mood before the feast. Out of all of the girls, Camille was probably closest to Lily, having been the one to comfort her in fifth year after the 'incident', as they liked to call it.

"Lils, how did you get up here so quick?" Camille asked, taking a seat next to the red head. Lily merely shrugged, her eyes averted towards the teachers table. Shrugging it off, Camille scanned the hall and spotted Isla, Theresa, Mary, Remus and Peter wandering in, pointing their wands at each other to dry themselves off. Sirius Black had already taken a seat next to James, and the two were now engaged in a heated discussion about Quidditch.

Both she and Lily spun around in their seats when raucous laughter could be heard. Standing in the entrance hall, a very annoyed looking Severus Snape glared over at the Gryffindor table, his normally greasy hair standing on end, a vibrant shade of red and gold.

"So that's what they were up to," muttered Camille, the corners of her mouth twitching. Beside her, Lily made a growling noise, her eyes narrowing considerably. She turned to James and Sirius, who weren't bothering to hold in their laughter.

"Twenty points from Gryffindor," she hissed, causing the boys to stop laughing. James and Sirius exchanged amused looks, and James cleared his throat.

"Can't take points off me, Evans, I'm Head Boy".

Lily quirked an eyebrow, and smirked.

"Thirty points, from Black, and detention...one week".

Sirius rolled his eyes, and snorted.

"That's the best you can come up with love? I'm disappointed Lilyflower, really, I am".

"And no Hogsmeade for a month!"

Sirius paled. If there was one thing he hated, it was missing Hogsmeade. Hogsmeade equalled dates, and dates, Sirius Black could not live without.

The tall boy put on his best 'puppy dog' look, pouting his lower lip and widening his eyes.

"But Lilyflower, what will the girls do without me?" he batted his eyelashes, causing Mary and Theresa to giggle. Camille snorted, but for an entirely different reason.

Lily merely rolled her eyes, and turned to the front of the hall, where the sorting was about to begin. Sirius continued to watch Lily for a moment, before turning to James and whispering something in his ear. James nodded slowly, and grinned, then whispered back. Camille was strongly reminded of the second year girls who often whispered like this, and started to chuckle.

"Problem, Bellegarde?"

Camille watched James for a moment, then shrugged.

"You're whispering like me and Lily used to in second year".

James shot Camille a withering look, and turned back to Sirius, who, to Camille's utter confusion, was smirking, presumably at what she had just said.

Now, Camille had not always found Sirius to be unworthy of her attention. In fact, Camille had had quite a thing for the handsome boy back in her third year. Of course, she had never told anybody, at the time it seemed just about everyone had a thing for Sirius 'the ladies man' Black. Over time, it had disappeared, and rather than become friends with him, she had simply let the knowledge that he existed slip from conscious thought. She reasoned that may sound a little mean, but honestly, Sirius had never given her the time of day; not until that morning on the train.

After what seemed like hours, and many grumblings of hungry stomachs, the sorting came to a close. The new first years had taken their seats, anxiously glancing around and receiving encouroging smiles from Lily. It was then, that Professor Albus Dumbledore took the stage to begin the feast.

"Welcome," he boomed, his silver beard gleaming merrily, "To another year at Hogwarts. Welcome to your new school, to our first years, and welcome back to our regulars! I have only a few quick announcements, which you are free to tune out from if you wish".

There was a murmur of chuckles by several of the students, and Sirius and James seemed to take their headmasters words to heart.

"Firstly, as always, the Forbidden Forest is exactly that! Forbidden. Do not, for you own sakes, enter the forests, I'm afraid I will not be content for you to ruin my evening tea having me come and rescue you from such a place".

More sniggers, and many of the first years had paled considerably.

"Secondly, Mr Filch has reminded me that the list of banned objects is still available to those who wish to read it in his office, and has also informed me that he 'forgot' to dust the trophy room over the summer. Be on your best behaviour, or your detentions will be spent ridding said room from months of dirt and dust, which to me, seems to be quite a lot".

The old professor glanced at Sirius and James, and Camille could have sworn he winked, ever so slightly.

"I do believe that is all I have to say. I'm sure you are all hungry, I know in fact Mr Pettigrew's stomach has made quite a fuss throughout my speech. Enjoy!"

Peter's face reddened, James, Sirius and Remus all sniggering. This was interrupted, however, when the once empty plates before them filled with delicious meals and mouth watering treats. Camille grinned at the food, and began grabbing a bit of everything. The din in the hall grew louder and louder as the students got comfortable.

"I'll probably have to stay behind after the feast," Lily began, piling sausages onto her plate, "You can wait if you like".

Camille swallowed a mouthful of chicken, and shook her head.

"Nah, I promised mum I'd write a letter before I went to bed, I'll get that done while you're away".

Lily nodded, and turned back to her meal. Beside Camille, Isla and Theresa were discussing the absence of several students.

"Mark Harris and his family moved, I heard," Theresa was saying, "My dad knows his dad. Apparently they left for France".

"Shame, he was a nice fellow. I had ancient runes with him," commented Isla, "Mind you, I reckon if my mum knew what was going on she'd do the same".

"My mum almost did," Camille said darkly, "Back in fourth year, after the attack on Tinworth. She even called Beauxbatons, see if they had any places".

"You never told us that," said Mary sharply from opposite Isla, "She was really going to move you?"

Camille nodded, "Me and my brother, She was going to send us to live with my grandparents back in Bayonne".

"Wow," breathed Isla, "I'm glad my parents are muggles, they haven't got a clue".

"Mine neither," commented Lily, "They're not going to either, its better off they don't know anyway".

"My mum and dad would never leave," said James proudly, butting into the conversation, "Dads an Auror, he's fighting those idiots everyday".

Lily glanced at Camille, and rolled her eyes. They'd had the 'my dads a hero' speech from James almost daily since second year. It had become quite tiring, even though Mr Potter was a hero, in most respects.

"Wait a minute," Sirius suddenly spoke up, his eyes boring into Camille's. The chattering stopped, and Camille tilted her head quizzically.

"You're French?"

Remus slapped a hand to his forehead, James spat out a mouthful of pumpkin juice and Theresa began to choke of her mashed potato. Camille quirked an eyebrow, and shook her head.

"And you're an idiot," she smiled sweetly, and turned back to her meal.

~*~

Sirius Black wasn't an idiot. Okay, sometimes he made inappropriate comments that made even Peter look like a genius, and he wasn't renowned for his tact, but he was a bright boy, his school marks probed that. He certainly wasn't an idiot.

So he didn't know Camille was French, big deal! She didn't have an accent to prove it, and fair enough, her name wasn't a common English name, but he was named after a star for Christ's sake; how was he supposed to know.

He'd been called an idiot many a time, but for some reason, this had gotten to him. He wasn't an idiot...he just didn't hang on Camille bloody Bellegarde's every word.

As far back as he could remember, Sirius had been labelled. Most of the time, he didn't mind it. Ladies man; yes, he was a fan of the ladies. Troublesome Marauder; yes, he was a troublesome Marauder. Blood traitor; yes, and he was ruddy well proud of it. But idiot? No, Sirius wasn't an idiot...he was Sirius Black! Extraordinaire!

"You alright mate?"

Sirius was snapped from his reverie by James, who had just returned from his meeting with Dumbledore about various Head Boy duties, and was now changing into his sleep pants.

Sirius nodded, plastering a smile to his face.

"Back at Hogwarts, Prongs. Why wouldn't I be alright?"

James eyed his friend strangely, then shrugged, and turned back to his trunk. Sirius pulled off his shirt, quickly changed into his shorts and slipped into bed. He crossed his arms behind his head, lying flat on his back, and remembered the small conversation he and James had partook in aboard the Hogwarts express.

James and Sirius stowed away their trunks, James laughing at a joke Sirius had just told. They were the best of friends, he and James...in fact, they were more like brothers. James had been the first friend he'd made at school, the first person he'd told about his thoughts on his family, the first person he'd turned to when he'd ran away from home. James, he was always first and foremost, in Sirius' eyes.

The two boys sat down and awaited Remus and Peter, who would hopefully be arriving any moment. They had quite a year ahead to plan, after all.

"I saw Lily over the summer," James commented, resting his feet on the opposite seat, "Her hair's gotten longer".

Sirius snorted, "Her hair? You were looking at her hair?"

James scowled, and chucked an empty chocolate frog wrapper (the boys had pockets full of the sweets from home) at Sirius, deflected it easily with his fist.

"I'm serious Padfoot, she looks really good. She was in Diagon Alley with Camille and Isla".

Sirius nodded, glancing at the doorway of the compartment.

"Did you talk to her?"

James shook his head, "Didn't have time. Your owl decided to attack me and deliver that all important letter telling me you were coming to live with me".

"Best letter you've ever gotten," grinned Sirius, ignoring the pang in his chest, "Mind you, I've lived there since second year, if I'm honest".

"That you have," James fell silent, a frown crossing his face.

"Padfoot...do you think Lily ever will go out with me?"

Sirius glanced away from the window towards James, looking slightly shocked. That question was definitely a first.

"Dunno mate, you tell me. You're always the one banging on about how you're meant to be together, and it's only a matter of time".

James scowled, "You know what I mean. From an outsiders perspective, reckon I've got a chance?"

Sirius felt the corners of his mouth twitch. Poor Prongs, he really meant it.

"At the moment mate, no. I think you touched a raw nerve after fifth year".

James slumped in his seat, his scowl deepening.

"I bet you me and Evans are together by the end of the year".

Sirius quirked an eyebrow, and smirked, "How much?"

James grinned, and paused for a moment, looking thoughtful.

"Twenty galleons".

Sirius snorted, and shook his head.

"Thirty says she's killed you by the end of the year".

James shot Sirius a withering look, and held out his hand, "Alright, thirty galleons says Lily's going out with me by the end of the year, and, she loves me".

Sirius took James' hand a shook it roughly, "You, my friend, are on. No chance, Prongs. No offence, but Evans is too stuck up her own arse to go out with you".

James sat back, smirking, "We'll see. Alright, let's do you".

Sirius raised his eyebrows, "Why Prongs, and I thought you didn't swing that way. I'm flattered".

"Sod off," James rolled his eyes, "No, lets make a bet for you. It'll make the year more interesting".

Sirius shrugged, lounging lazily in his seat.

"I bet you can't go without a girl for more than a month".

Sirius snorted, "Easy, come Prongs, challenge me a little".

James laughed, then rubbed his chin with his hand. The pair were silent for a moment, before James snapped his fingers and pointed at Sirius.

"I bet you can't last the entire year with just one girl".

Sirius sat up a little straighter. This was certainly interesting.

"And just what is that supposed to mean? You don't think I can hold a real relationship?"

James shook his head, "Nope. Come off it Pads, what's the longest you've stayed with a girl? Two months? Two and a half, at the most?"

Sirius rolled his eyes, "Still easy, there's plenty of girls would love to make an honest man of me," he grinned a perfect grin, "You're going to lose, my friend".

James smirked, and leant forward, speaking in a quiet voice.

"Not if I pick the girl".

And so he had. James had picked a girl Sirius rarely thought of, spoke to, or even took an interest in. A girl he knew of, but didn't know. A girl he'd noticed, but never really noticed. A girl who now thought him a complete idiot.

He was going to have his work cut out for him, that much was sure.

A/N: And there's chapter two! Thank's to theflyingbird for reviewing the last chapter, I'm glad you liked it :). Thank you also to those who read the first chapter, though a review would make me extra happy =D! Anyway, on with the show. Read, review, and enjoy!