In our dormitory that night, no-one could get to sleep. So we decided (Lexy, a little reluctantly, for some reason) to sit up and talk to each other. Anyone could have predicted the subject we ended up on, a room full of 5 girls.

The first poor interrogated soul was Kitty.

'So, Kit, who is guy you would like to hold your heart…?' Lexy started suggestively. Kitty stared at me.

I helped her out. 'In other words, she means who do you like?' I said bluntly.

'Oh!' she blushed. 'I…erm…I can't tell you!' she finished in a rush.

Everyone made a noise and threw a pillow at her. 'Listen! I don't want to tell you because…you'll laugh.' She looked down.

'Why would we laugh?' Shell asked gently. 'It's your crush – you can do what you like with it.' She smiled.

'Ok. Well…it's…uh…' she muttered something incoherent into her chest.

'What?'

She spoke a little louder but still we were unable to make it out.

'Huh?'

'It's Remus, ok? Remus Lupin!'

Everyone gasped and stared.

'Oh my gosh!' Kitty hid under the covers.

Mia recovered the fastest. 'No, that's ok.' She insisted. 'It was just a bit of a…shock to the system, that's all.' She looked around at us all meaningfully.

'She's right.' I said. 'I mean, he is kind of…buff…in his own way…'

Kitty glared. 'You're a crap liar, you need to practise.'

I laughed. 'Sorry. That's fine if you like him. I think it's cute actually.' I smiled.

Lexy got straight back into business. 'Ok, who's next, Lily?'

'Oh, there's no-one for me. Seriously!' I added when they raised their eyebrows.

'What about Potter?' I gasped. I was the only one. 'What? He is hot!' The others agreed with Shell.

'Ok. Yeah, maybe he is hot. But he's annoying. And I don't like him that way at all! I mean you should know, I've spent quite a while complaining about him to you guys!' I glared.

'Oh yeah, we know all right,' Lexy laughed. 'Ok, fine, you're off the hook. Mia!'

Mia, it turned out, fancied some randomer in ravenclaw but, since they had literally said two words to each other, that didn't really count.

Shell liked Arthur Weasley, who was in the same year as us. However, he and Molly Sykes had been going out for the past three years and not once in living memory (of the past three years) had they ever fought. Plus, the whole school knew he was planning on popping the big question as soon as they were out of Hogwarts, so he was off limits. Shell would have to find someone new, we decided.

'Ok, well that's great guys, really.' Lexy yawned. 'But I'm tired. G'night people.'

'Hold on, hold on,' I held up my hands. 'You haven't confessed yet, Lex! Come on, spill, who's the lucky guy? Well, soon to be…hopefully?'

Lexy's face filled with blood. 'N-no one, there's no one,' She laughed nervously.

'Whatever. Come one, we all said, now you have to! It's obvious you like someone.'

After much persuading she finally relented. 'Ok, fine. It's…it's…Sirius Black.' She said it quietly but we all heard that one.

I thought for a moment. Everything was making sense now. The reason why she didn't agree that he was an arsehole. And she wasn't looking at James, she was looking at Black. Oh.

'Well,' I said. 'I can't blame you there. He is hot. Still an arsehole in my eyes though.' Everyone laughed.

'That wasn't too bad now, was it?' Shell said. Lex shook her head sheeply and we all laughed again.

We all said good night for real this time and went to sleep.

The first day was pretty much the same as any other day, except I felt like a head girl. Because I was. Yay!

At the end of the day, McGonagall called me and James back after Transfiguration.

She started immediately. 'Now, I trust you know about your patrolling duties? So that will happen tonight for the first night, you only have to do three nights a week so you pick; us professors will do some and you can also assign one to the prefects. Ok?' We nodded. 'Good.'

James and I left the common room that night at 6 o'clock. We didn't speak for a while. But then –

'Hey, Evans?'

'Yeah?' I said nervously.

He paused, and then it all came out in a rush. 'I know that you think I'm an arsehole and you won't ever go out with me and I get that but I'm asking you to consider changing your mind because I can change, I have changed, I mean Dumbledore made me head boy, well obviously, otherwise I wouldn't be here-'

'Stop.' I took a deep breath. 'Look, before I go out with someone I get to know them first. And, to be honest Potter, I don't really know you that well and you me. I mean, I do know you,' I added when he looked confused, 'but not that well. I don't know your personality and your interests, your likes and dislikes.'

He looked at me.

'Ok, well I guess I know one of your likes,' I relented. 'But do you see where I'm getting at? You have changed; I see that, but…let's be friends first yeah? Sit with us at dinner or something. Just…hang out or something, and get to know each other.' Plus, Lexy and Kitty would be pretty pleased with me if they knew we would be dining with their crushes, but I didn't say that out loud.

James thought for a minute. 'Ok…' He said slowly, 'Let's walk down together for quidditch practice yeah?'

I smiled and agreed, glad to know that I got through. Then I made a rash decision and followed it through.

'Do me a favour yeah?' He looked questioningly at me. 'Lexy kind of…has something for Black and, err, Kitty for Remus as well.' His expression changed to surprise as he took this in. I carried on. 'Just…fill them in or something, see how they respond and tell me, would you? Then I can tell my friends if there's any point to their…err…likes.'

He grinned. 'Sure. But I'm guessing you don't want them to know I'm doing this?'

I exhaled in silent relief, glad at how quickly he caught on. 'I would be so dead.'

He smiled again. 'No problem.'