Haha…so the last time I updated this story was about ten months ago. And I just started it again…I hate abandoning my work. :( So here you all go, I'm sorry if it seems choppy-ish, again, I haven't written in a very long while. And pleaaaase give me constructive criticism. Thanks (: x

Lily's POV! :D

As I approached the doors that led to the Great Hall, I realised with a fair amount of apprehension that, at half past ten, I would certainly be interrupting breakfast. I pushed the door open slowly, as quietly as I could, and peered inside.

There were no House tables; only one long one, at which most of the teachers and a few students seemed to be finishing their breakfast. I need not have opened the door quietly; the table was loud with talking and laughter and booms from joke products.

I slunk through the door and made my way to the closest end of the table, keen not to be seen by Slughorn, who thankfully was being distracted by Dumbledore's demonstration of a joke quill that would spontaneously burst into sparkling purple flames.

As the plates of food were appearing in front of me, a voice took my thoughts away from my rumbling stomach.

"Can I sit here?"

I peered up at the owner of the voice. Words seemed to fail me for a moment.

"Sure," I finally managed. Regina Hooper smiled and perched herself on the edge of the chair across the table. I was still bewildered; why would Regina want to sit with me? It wasn't like we were enemies or anything like that—we just didn't talk. I glanced to my left, down the rest of the table. The only other students were two Hufflepuff girls chattering so animatedly and quickly that an auctioneer wouldn't be able to understand them, and Savarin Macauley, a Slytherin boy who, as he was the only student of his House present during the holidays, currently looked very sullen. I suddenly understood why Regina was sitting with me.

"Where are your friends?" I asked somewhat delicately as I put some ham on my plate, hoping that she wouldn't think that I was trying to get rid of her.

"Library," Regina replied miserably, "and sleeping. If you hadn't been here..." She trailed off and cast a glance toward the entrance hall.

"Waiting for someone?" I asked, serving myself a large helping of sausages, at which Regina stared with utmost revulsion.

"Not particularly," she said in a light tone, looking from my plate to my face. "But—well, it's none of my business really, but where has your roommate gone to?"

"Black? I snorted as I speared a sausage on my fork. "I told him to put some clothes on. Proper clothes, I mean," I added hastily as her pretty blue eyes widened.

"Ah," she said simply.

"Why don't you eat something?" I said, attempting to steer the conversation away from the topic of putting on clothing.

"Oh, I'm not really a big fan of sausages," she said, looking warily at my plate. "Had a bad encounter ages ago...and now the scent takes away my appetite." Regina plastered a smile on her face that unfortunately looked more like a grimace.

"Oh, um, I'm sorry," I apologised, feeling a bit awkward. She didn't seem to notice – all of a sudden, she was sitting up straighter and grabbing a few pieces of toast to put on her plate. I was confused at first, given our conversation about food only seconds ago. Then to my right, the sound of chair legs scraping the floor to my floor hit my ears. I didn't even have to look to see who it was (but I did anyway).

"Hello again, Evans," Sirius said cheerfully, grinning at me. The combination of his voice and his smile made my stomach seemingly both plummet and jump up into my throat. I grabbed my pumpkin juice and took a quick swallow to conceal what I was sure my face was giving away.

"Morning, Black," I said in a pitiful attempt at a casual tone after I had replaced the juice onto the table.

"Mm," said Sirius, clearly not paying any attention to me anymore, as his eyes were on the girl across the table from me. "I don't believe we've met." He smiled and stretched his hand across the table. Not the friend-like grin that he had been giving me recently. He was looking at Regina with the smile. She looked half enthralled that Sirius Black was talking to her, half annoyed that he didn't already know her name. The excitement winning over the irritation, Regina took the offered hand and shook it.

"I'm Regina Hooper, from Ravenclaw," she said, untouched toast abandoned on her plate. I wasn't remotely hungry anymore either.

"Ah, good to meet you then," said Sirius smoothly. "I hope we get to know each other very well over the holidays." The weak smile that she returned was utterly revolting.

"So, how have your hols been?" Regina asked Sirius—it was obvious that I was not invited to participate in this conversation. I mentally tuned out and brooded instead on the anger within. I had gone from indifference to hatred in a matter of sixty seconds. They only like him because he's good-looking. All of them, I thought angrily. But, then again, I supposed that I was no exception to this rule, and I wasn't even supposed to like Black, the scummy best mate of the, if possible, even more scummy Potter. I can't deal with this. I made a show of pushing back my chair and stalking out of the Great Hall. I didn't really care where I was going, as long as neither Sirius nor Regina were there.

Haha...yep. Thanks to anyone still reading this. ;)