Disclaimer: See Chapter One.

Chapter Four

Looks aren't everything

The first week of term seemed to fly by, and Camille quickly settled back into life at Hogwarts. The classes were a little harder than last year, and Camille could already see the homework beginning to pile up, but all in all, she was enjoying her first week back at school.

She was balancing her prefect duties nicely, Sirius seemed to have backed off a little, and the arguments between Lily and James seemed to have stopped. When Camille questioned Lily about this, she merely replied with a shrug, and said that Potter hadn't given her cause for arguing, something Camille found very interesting.

You see, Lily and James were renowned for their arguing, it was as much a part of daily life at Hogwarts as the lessons themselves. James would pull a prank, or hex some poor innocent child, and Lily would shout, scream, insult and eventually punish James. It was the way things had always been, the way things should have been. They argued, James pined, Lily scoffed; it was the way things were. But now, merely a week into term, Lily had not raised her voice since the feast, and not a single child had gone running to Madam Pomfrey after running into James Potter; it was cause for concern.

So Camille, who was getting slightly worried, decided to confront James about the situation, and find out what was going on.

"James...James!"

The tall, bespectacled boy turned around to see Camille running down the hall towards him, dark wavy hair flying out behind her. He bade goodbye to the group of girls he'd been chatting with (all of whom looked slightly annoyed) and waited to Camille to reach him.

"Millie, good morning," he greeted jovially.

Camille frowned, "Not you too," she muttered.

"What?"

Camille started slightly, then shook her head, "Nothing. Listen, I need to talk to you," she glanced around, spying an empty classroom, and dragged James towards it.

Once inside, she quickly shut the door and rounded on James, who was smirking.

"Not that I'm not flattered Millie, but my heart belongs to another," he grinned.

Camille narrowed her eyes, "I knew you hadn't really changed. What are you up to Potter?"

James shrugged, leaning casually against one of the desks in the room.

"No idea what you're going on about Mills," he winked at her, causing her to scowl further.

"You know what I mean. You and Lily...no arguing...Lily praising you, somewhat".

"Praising me?" James straightened up, his hazel eyes brightening, "What'd she say?"

Camille waved her hand dismissively, "Nothing to get excited about Potter, but I want to know what little game you're playing. You haven't hexed anyone since the train, you and Lily haven't argued since the feast...unless you count that little incident the other day. But really, that was the most feeble hex I've ever seen Lily direct at you...you're acting so...so..."

"Mature?" James offered to a nodding Camille, "Yeah, I figured if Lily's ever going to go out with me, I need to grow up a bit".

Camille looked positively faint. Had James Potter really said that?

"Don't look so shocked," chuckled James, "I really like Lily...and if toning down my Marauding ways is what needs to be done, then so be it".

Camille mouthed wordlessly at James, still quite unable to register what she was hearing. James Potter...growing up?!

"I...well...wow," she finally said, running a hand through her hair, "That's...that's uhhh...wow," she looked up at James, "You really like her, don't you?"

James' expression softened, and he nodded, "Yeah," he whispered, "I really do".

Camille chewed her lip, then began to smile. She nodded firmly, then stepped towards the door, stopping just before she exited.

"You know, if you really want to win her heart, be more enthusiastic about your Head Boy duties, she'll love it".

James grinned stupidly, and moved over to Camille, pulling her into an embrace.

"Thanks Millie, you're alright, you know".

"Thanks," Camille chuckled, "Now let's go before some little gossip gets the wrong idea".

James nodded tersely, and checked the halls before dragging Camille out of the room with him. The two made their way up towards the Gryffindor tower, chatting about James' recent change in behaviour, and for some reason, James seeming particularly keen to talk about Sirius' past conquests. Thinking nothing of it, Camille listened politely and laughed where needed.

As they entered the common room, she spotted something glinting on James' chest, other than the usual Head Boy badge.

"Oh, congratulations James," she grinned, "I didn't know you'd made captain too".

James nodded proudly, "You know, even Lily congratulated me, how great is that?"

Camille laughed, and shook her head, "You're alright Potter, you know".

James rolled his eyes and clapped Camille on the back, before disappearing up the boy's staircase. Camille stood for a moment, smiling, then raced up her own set of stairs, humming happily to herself. Oh how she loved meddling in Lily's love life.

~*~

"...so if you have any questions, here is this weekend and next week's patrol schedules. I've spaced you all out, so no one does it more than anyone else, so don't come complaining to me that someone's doing more than the other, okay?"

The prefects in the prefect common room grumbled and mumbled in response. Lily rolled her eyes and began to pack her things away as her peers filed out of the room. Beside her, James stood, watching with a slightly dazed look on his face. Camille exchanged an amused glance with Remus, then moved over to the pair.

"Thanks for putting me with Remus," Camille smiled at Lily, "Remember last year when we kept get paired with Snape, I swear the boy was trying to kill me".

Lily chuckled, and gathered up her things, "What do you expect with a Slytherin Head Girl and Boy, hearing the house cup positions was awful".

"We got them on the last day of term," James said proudly, ignoring Camille who was shaking her head, "Bulbadox powder in their sheets".

Camille closed her eyes with a pained look on her face, waiting for Lily's scolding. It never came.

"I remember that, they thought they had fleas," Lily chuckled slightly, then seemed to remember who she was talking to, "Not that it was funny, Potter, what if they had been severely allergic?"

James opened his mouth to respond, but from the warning look on Remus' face, stopped. He merely shrugged.

"I guess I didn't think about that," he mumbled, shooting a pleading look towards Camille. The blue eyed girl took pity on poor James, and began to giggle.

"It was funny though. Natalie Grimsbrook couldn't walk for a week; I heard she had boils all over her body".

"Please Millie, I just had my dinner," Remus grimaced, causing Camille, James and Lily all to laugh. As Lily left, Camille threw James a thumbs up, then followed.

"Have you sorted a date for Hogsmeade?" Camille asked as the girls made their way down the hallway. Lily shook her head.

"Not yet, but I'm thinking two weeks from now. Quidditch tryouts are next weekend, so we can't have it then, and this weekend is too short notice".

Camille nodded, "So, any potential dates lined up?"

Lily snorted, "When do I ever go on dates?"

Camille paused for a moment, then snapped her fingers, "Last year, Mark Jefferson".

Lily snorted again, "And that went well, I can't be bothered with dates, Millie. Waste of time".

Camille glanced back to where James and Remus were whispering, then turned back.

"What about James?"

"Potter, of course not," Lily said rather quickly. Camille quirked an eyebrow when she saw a slight flush creeping into Lily's cheeks.

"Really, cause he's changed quite a bit since last year, and it's only been a week! Don't you think his mature side makes him a bit more handsome?"

Lily seemed to redden further, but she shook her head, "What about Sirius," she said scathingly, "I saw him staring at you again this morning in defence".

Camille paled slightly, and shook her head, "Stop changing the subject. Admit it, you fancy James".

"I do not!" cried Lily, causing James and Remus to shoot them strange looks. Lily chewed her lip, and quietened her voice, "Alright, I'll admit he's changed somewhat, he even helped me set up the meeting just before, but that doesn't mean I fancy him. He's still the same arrogant, bullying little toe-rag we all know and despise".

Camille chuckled, and shook her head, "Alright Lils, alright. But he's grown up, even you can't deny that. I have a feeling you'll be seeing the real James Potter soon enough".

"Yeah right," Lily scoffed, "And what makes you think I'd go out with him even if he did change?"

Camille shrugged, leading Lily up a flight of stairs, "Believe it or not Lils, but James really does like you...alot," she added. Grinning, she walked ahead, leaving a half angry, half perplexed Lily Evans in her wake.

~*~

Saturdays were always fun at Hogwarts, whether it was a Hogsmeade weekend, a Quidditch match or practice, or whether nothing was on at all. The fact was; the students got to relax for one day before tackling their homework on Sunday evening.

Usually, if the weather was nice, the girls would wander around the grounds for a bit, discussing the week's events. Luckily, the weather had brightened a little since their first night back, and though it was still cold, and the clouds were still grey, the rain had abated long enough for the Gryffindor girls to venture outside.

"...so obviously Billy was all over Carly as soon as he saw me," Theresa said bitterly, "Bloody fool. Thinks I'm jealous, just wait until I get a new boyfriend, then who'll be laughing?"

"Henry reckons you're too good for him anyway," Mary said soothingly, "You know what you should do though, don't you".

Theresa and the other girls shot Mary a quizzical look. They had decided to sit at the lakes edge, occasionally throwing stones and small pebbles into its murky depths.

"And what's that?" asked Isla interestedly.

Mary grinned, "Date a Marauder. That'll really rub it in".

Isla reddened considerably, and mumbled something none of the girls heard or paid attention too. Lily and Camille both exchanged amused looks.

"Which one?" asked Camille.

"Well," Mary leant back on her elbows, crossing her outstretched legs, "James is off limits," she glanced at Lily, "For obvious, red headed reasons".

"Sod off," Lily chucked a pebble at Mary, though a hint of a smile could be seen on her face.

"And Remus," Mary continued, "Isla would throw a fit".

"What?!" cried Lily and Camille, turning their attention to a fiercely blushing Isla.

"You like Remus?" Camille questioned with a grin. It made sense.

"I may have a teeny tiny thing for him," muttered Isla, "Nothing worth mentioning".

"She never stops staring at him," smirked Theresa, "I'm surprised you two haven't noticed"

"I did," sounded Camille smugly, "I just wasn't sure which Marauder she was after".

"I'm not after him!" cried Isla. Camille patted her gently on the shoulder whilst the other girls giggled.

"Alright, that leaves Sirius and Peter," started Mary after they had stopped laughing.

Lily shook her head, "No, no not Sirius. He's taken too".

"Really," Theresa frowned, "I haven't seen him with a girl since we got back...unless," she and Mary turned amused faces to Camille, who rolled her eyes.

"Ohh, he's after Millie, that makes sense, actually".

Camille frowned, "How on earth does that make sense?"

Mary shrugged, "You're both good looking, both smart, both Gryffindors," she looked back to Theresa, "You're stuck with Peter".

"There's nothing wrong with Peter, I tutor him in Charms quite a bit" Theresa said defensively, "Actually, I think I'll stay single for a bit. Maybe someone will ask me to Hogsmeade".

"It's on the 24th," Lily reminded the girls, "I put the notice up this morning".

"Cool, Henry's finally letting me take him to Madam Puddifoots," Mary grinned, "I love that place".

Camille pulled a face, "Really, it's a bit sickly, don't you think?"

Mary shook her head, "Na, romantic. Which reminds me, I need to find him," the brunette stood up, dusting herself off, "I'll see you lot at dinner".

"Bye," the girls chorused. Camille spotted the Marauders greeting Mary as they passed, then made a beeline for the remaining girls.

"Marauder alert," grinned Theresa, "Put on your angry face, Lils".

"Shut up," hissed Lily whilst the other girls giggled.

"Afternoon ladies," James greeted, "You're all looking particularly stunning this fine day".

"Do you want something?" Lily sighed, turning to look up at James. James didn't seem fazed by the less than warm greeting, and sat himself beside Lily, "Just a chat, really. You lot looked bored".

"Well we weren't," Lily said indignantly.

"Speak for yourself," Theresa muttered, "Hi Pete, we still on for charms later?"

Peter jumped at being addressed directly, and nodded, "If that's alright".

Theresa nodded, "Yeah that's fine".

Camille watched the exchange with a small grin, then noticed she was being watched again. She glanced at Sirius, who offered a small smile. Strangely, she returned it.

"What were you lot talking about?" asked James, pulling at a piece of grass and moving a little bit closer to an uncomfortable looking Lily.

"You lot," Camille answered, earning glares from both Lily and Isla, "Why?"

James shrugged, "Just wondering, Lily, do you wanna get together and help me sort out the Gryffindor Quidditch tryouts? I could use a little help," he asked hopefully. Lily didn't seem too enthusiastic, but agreed nonetheless.

"Brilliant! Let's go," he grabbed her hand, dragging her to her feet and took off. The remaining Gryffindors laughed as they heard Lily's protests, Remus and Sirius taking their vacated spots on the grass.

"We could go and get started on Charms if you like," said Theresa, throwing a smug look at Camille. Camille groaned inwardly.

"Uhh, alright," Peter nodded, standing up.

"Coming, Isla?" Theresa continued, giving her a pointed look. Isla frowned for a moment, then smiled when she realised what Theresa was doing, "Yeah, yeah...uhhh...Remus?"

Remus glanced at Camille, who was staring harshly at the ground, and nodded, "Why not. There's nothing better to do. Millie? Sirius?"

"Millie's already done it," Theresa piped up, "Come on, Sirius'll keep her company, won't you Sirius?"

Sirius nodded with a small smile, and waved as the group left. Camille tried to focus on the giant squid, whose tentacles broke the surface of the lake every so often.

"So, how's your first week back been?" she heard Sirius ask. Camille shrugged.

"Alright. Yours?"

"Bit boring," Sirius leant back on his elbows, "James doesn't want to pull any pranks in case it ruins his chances with Lilyflower, and since we can't do any with a missing Marauder, we can't do them at all".

"Well I think it's great that James is trying so hard, it shows how much he really likes her," Camille defended. Sirius watched her for a moment, then shrugged.

"I suppose, I mean, it was my idea for him to calm down a little".

Camille frowned, and turned to Sirius, "Really?"

Sirius nodded, "Yep. Believe it or not, but I care about James, and I know how much he likes his Lilyflower...I'd do anything to help".

Camille was quite shocked. Sirius Black, having a soft side. Who knew?

"That's really nice of you;" she said softly, "James needs all the help he can get".

Sirius grinned, and nodded, "That he does. Remember in third year, when he bought Lily those flowers, only to find out they bit you when you tried to water them?"

Camille burst out into laughter, remembering the day well.

"Oh, that was priceless. Lily's hand was bandaged for a week. I've never seen her so angry".

Sirius chuckled, "I've never seen James so distraught".

Camille shook her head, "Poor boy. It's a shame that he actually does like her, and Lily just can't see it".

"She will," Sirius said confidently, "They're meant for each other, anyone can see that".

Silence befell the pair. Camille looked over at Sirius, studying him intently. She couldn't deny that he was handsome. He had a casual elegance about him, the way his shaggy, dark hair fell into his eyes with an effortless grace not many could achieve. His eyes could range from a soft, blue-ish grey to the colour of a storm, depending on his mood of course. He was tall, not too muscular, but defined from his years as a beater on the Quidditch team. With his long legs stretched out in front of him, and a hint of a smile playing about his handsome face, Camille came to the conclusion that Sirius Black was very good looking indeed. But looks weren't everything, as her mother had always told her.

Something strange pulled in the region of her stomach, and Camille frowned. Like a twisting sensation, a bizarre fluttering that seemed to be getting stronger the longer she looked at him. It was odd, very odd indeed.

Sirius could tell she was watching him. He could always tell when a girl was watching him. Sometimes he would ignore it, if the girl wasn't worth chasing, and sometimes he would send a wink or a flirty smile their way, depending on how good looking they were, really.

Camille wasn't bad looking, he had surmised that many years ago. She wasn't a stunner, Sirius could name plenty of girls he would class as prettier than her, but she was pretty. She was very small, almost fragile looking, but her body was curved in all the right places, something that was a rarity amongst the image conscious girls he normally went out with. Her skin was pale, and seemed to glow when the sun hit her, sort of a creamy colour, Sirius supposed. Her hair was long, almost black in colour, falling in soft waves to the middle of her back. She had nice hair, he thought, it looked quite soft and appealing. Her eyes were what he had noticed the most, though. They were a bright azure blue, like a summer's sky, and they seemed to sparkle whenever she found something amusing, but would darken when she was angry or nervous. He liked her eyes quite a bit. Her smile was another nice feature, bright and wide, like a beacon of happiness, her lips were full, and rather large...they looked very soft too.

Shaking his head, Sirius allowed his mind to wander, and began thinking just how long it would take to hear her say 'I love you', and win the bet. He wouldn't stop until he had won, of course, but he was hoping it wouldn't be too much of a challenge, he did want to win after all.

"You do have very pretty eyes," he said, deciding to use the time he had to move forward a little. Camille started, and glanced back over at Sirius. The odd pull in her stomach came again, and much to her annoyance, she felt her cheeks warm ever so slightly.

"Thank you," she mumbled, unable to think of anything to say. Typical Sirius, complimenting her looks as he did with most girls. Did he even know anything about her?

"No problem," his mouth curved slightly, his lips pouting a little. Camille merely smiled, the ability to form a sentence completely lost to her.

"You know, we should hang out sometime, get to know each other," he continued, almost as if he were reading her mind. Camille chewed her lip nervously.

"Uhhh...I...I suppose...we could get together in the library sometime, I have a feeling the work'll keep piling up".

Sirius laughed lightly, the fluttering in Camille's stomach starting to annoy her.

"Great. Let me know, you seem like a lot of fun," he stood up, dusting himself off then offering a hand to Camille. She cautiously took it, and allowed herself to be pulled to her feet.

"Let's head back; no doubt Prongs'll want to tell me every detail of his meeting with Lilyflower".

Camille chuckled, "I'm sure Lily will do that same".

And so, Sirius Black and Camille Bellegarde walked together back up to the school for the first time in six years, both unknowing to the others thoughts. For the sake of hearts, hopefully neither would find out.

A/N: And there's chapter four! I hope you enjoy it, I had a great time writing it...a bit of humour here and there (I hope)...some Lily/James fluff (which I love) and lots of romance of course :)

Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, your comments are always very much appreciated :D (I hope there are more to come!)

I may be able to update a little faster this week, as I've managed to find a balance, and have given myself quite abit of 'me' time...which of course means I'll be writing :D

Until next time, hopefully you'll enjoy this chapter, and leave a review if your feeling extra generous :)