Are you still dying my darling?

It was nearly four a.m. and the Marauders were at it again. At James' suggestion, they started an untitled talk-game-type-thing where they would inform each other on their relationship woes. It seemed like a girlish thing to do, but James could never keep his gushing over Lily to himself.

"Genie's looking not so flat-chested this year, Peter. Maybe you'll finally ask her out." James tossed a bag of Wrigley's wiggling Gummi worms at him. Peter took out a handful and shoved them all into his mouth, avoiding the questioning gallantly.

"Lily's looking very under control, James. Maybe you'll finally ask her out and she'll say yes." Taunted Sirius.

"Suzie's looking… well, like Suzie, I suppose." Remus was horrid at the talk-game-type-thing.

"Would you like me to give you some adjectives to describe the apple of Sirius' eye?" James asked.

"Dangerous."

"Good-looking."

"Eccentric."

"Artsy."

"Hot."

"Hot-tempered."

"Eaves-dropper." The boys' door popped open, revealing a tousled haired, glasses-dawned, book carrying, squinty-eyed Suzie. She flashed them all a gloating grin. "I'll forget all about it, you don't worry my dear dick-headed Sirius." She ruffled his hair playfully and sat down, cracking open the book.

"What're you reading?" asked Peter, trying to look over Sirius' shoulder.

" 'The Life and Death Brigade,' by Seamus O'Reilly." She replied, turning the page.

"Why are you up here?" James fixed her a weary glare.

Suzie peered down the bridge of her nose, sighed, and flicked off her glasses. "What? None of you have heard her bloody screaming or Lily's and hers bickering?" they shook their heads. "You must be concentrating rather hard. Remus' lovely wife, Wilma and Lily have gotten in a quarrel."

"She not my wife…" grumbled Remus.

"Go on, Suzie."

"Gee, thanks. So, Remus' wife. Oops, sorry, I mean Wilma was talking shit about Potter over there. I shouldn't really be telling all of you this since you'll probably go ballistic. By the way, Remus, I'd reconsider the marriage license-thing.

So, like I was saying, Wilma and Lily were, and still are, fighting over whether or not James had sex with Penelope Carey. I over course, knowing everything about each of your love lives, said: 'James would do no such thing! He's in love with Lily!' Lily, apparently, didn't like that. She threw her Transfiguration book at my head, and like always, I end up getting hit with it.

So, then, Wilma feels like she should spill about the whole Dandy Curtis thing from last year. Pathetic, right? So Lily starts getting red in the face and she goes on and on about how our young James is still a virgin. Now, personally, I'm a little confused about this whole James Potter being a virgin part. When Wilma asked why Lily cares, there's complete silence. Until I say: 'How do you know about Penelope and James?' Wilma ignored me and started picking Lily apart. I had to escape; otherwise my head wouldn't still be attached to the rest of me."

There was a thoughtful silence. "Suzie, have you ever thought of writing?" Peter finally asked. Sirius hit him in the head to shut him up.

There was a loud, hissing screech and then stomping. "Susanna Donnelly!" it was Lily.

"Shit." Suzie looked at all of them quickly. "No, no, that's ridiculous." She hissed, dismissing the silent suggestion from Remus.

"Suzie!" Lily's footsteps edged dangerously near the boys' dormitory door.

Suzie looked underneath each four-poster bed and ended up choosing Remus since it was the cleanest, to burrow underneath to spare her head from the wrath of Lily Evans.

"Don't look at her arse!" Snipped James when he caught Sirius looking at her butt when Suzie was wiggling underneath to bed.

"Is Suzie in here?" Lily pushed open the door like a secret agent.

Sirius stood up in front of Suzie's hiding spot. Then, he felt something prick into his calf. He muffled his slight screech with his hand. He could feel a trickle of blood down his ankle.

"Are you okay, mate?" asked Peter, as clueless as ever.

Sirius nodded in reply.

"No, Suzie's not here. We'd be glad to tell you when she shows up." James batted his eyelashes virginally.

Lily gave him a suspicious glance. "You be sure to tell her that Problem #1 has been taken care of." She slinked out of the room, her ears pinned up like a cat's, trying to pick up so much as the slightest sound.

"That's what you get for checking me out, Black." Suzie said, trying to act serious, but failing miserably by breaking out in laughter.

Their normal behavior was sewn together: Suzie went back to speed-talking, Peter went back to his bugging, Remus went back to his day-dreaming, Sirius went back to his Suzie admiring, and James went back to his being mysterious.

2: 45 a.m., Monday

"I'm sorry, Sirius." Suzie's voice was a hoarse whisper. They were sitting next to one another. Suzie's legs were kept underneath her, her signature maneuver. Suzie laid her head on Sirius' shoulder.

"There's nothing to be sorry for." he tucked her hair behind her ear. His fingertips rested on her cheek. If he weren't so tired, he would be living in the moment: Suzie's scarce breathing, her raucous heart beat, his fingers grazing over her porcelain cheek.

Suzie sat up straight and faced him, their fingers intertwining. "Sure there is. There's always something to be sorry for. For example, the whole Simon thing, the loud mouthing, the cussing, the unladylike behavior. For completely ignoring you in the way you so dearly wish to be seen."

"Simon was a mistake." He replied, thinking back to Simon Raimes, the heart-stopping lead singer for King of the Jungle. Simon and Suzie had been heated and passionate since about fifteen. Suzie had told Simon about her being a witch; he'd flipped out and smacked her around a bit. Suzie had entered Simon into rehab with the help of his family and had broken up with him as soon as possible. She still had the muggle-stitched up scar on her cheek from Simon smashing a beer bottle there.

"Simon was a disaster." She chuckled nervously, tightening her grasp on Sirius' hands. "A disaster I will not repeat. Sure, you know I'm a witch, but what I mean is that I'm not going to keep anything from you." She made him look her straight in the eye. Her eyes were a light hazel color and were slightly glazed over from reading so much.

"Are you telling me that my feelings are mutual?" Sirius' heart lifted.

"Somewhat." Suzie shrugged.

"Why do girls always play hard to get?" Sirius asked aloud.

"So they can determine whether or not they're wanted. You'll find, Sirius Black that I'm not like most girls. Let's play: 'ask me a question." Suzie whispered once Peter stirred from his corner. James and Remus were both deeply in dreamland.

"Are you a virgin?"

"No," she answered truthfully.

"What attracted you to Simon?"

"He was in a band, he was hot...well he still is hot."

"Do you have any feelings for him left?"

"Besides hatred, no."

"When was the last time you saw him?"

"Two weeks ago. He had caught up with my mom and I on our trip around Europe. He had come to ask me whether or not I was really a witch or he'd just been drunk. I told him it wasn't true. Then he asked me to marry him. He's a bastard. Alright, my turn to ask the questions." Suzie's eyes glinted at the mention of Simon's marriage proposal.

"Are you jealous of Simon?"

"Hell yes."

"Why?"

"Because he had you."

"How sweet. Now, what do you like most about me?"

"Everything."

"Come on!"

"Fine, fine. That you're you."

"That's practically the same thing!"

"No it isn't." He defended.

"Alright, whatever."

Their game faded into hushed giggles. Suzie laughed, her forehead touching the tip of his shoulder. "Can I kiss you?" Sirius whispered in her ear.

"Do you ask every girl you make out with that question?"

"No."

"Liar." She kissed him first, shocking him a bit.

8:00 a.m., Monday

"Suzie! Sirius! Fuck! Should we just skip class entirely?" James threw a bunch of pillows at the couple sleeping next to each other on the floor. Their hands were clasped tightly, Suzie was leaning on Sirius. A trickle of drool was on his shoulder.

"Shit!" Suzie zipped out of the room.

"Did you nail her?" pestered Peter, changing into his shirt.

Sirius ignored him, slamming the door to the bathroom. He looked at himself in the mirror. Last night wasn't all too clear, the only thing he could remember was the smell of Suzie: warm vanilla with a mixture of mint and how her lips felt against his, their tongues touching.

He shook his head. She'd left him without so much as a good-bye or a kiss or a hug or a gentle touch. He was only left with a: "Shit!"