A/N: reviewers…you're awesome. People who have favorite storied or authored this, you guys are amazing! Thanks everyone for the support! Sncaggie, thanks for the favorite story and favorite author, gotta love you guys.

Lily was still nervous when the end of classes came around, and she could tell that Claire was just as nervous. James ran up to his dormitory and grabbed his broom.

"You ready for your surprise?" he asked, grabbing her hand and pulling her through the portrait hole.

"You ready for a walk?" Sirius asked Claire, both of them nervous. She simply nodded and followed James and Lily out of the portrait hole. Remus and Tanya positioned themselves so that they could see out the windows in the common room and watch the entire thing. James pulled Lily out of the building and they stood in the entrance hall. He grabbed both of her hands in his and kissed her sweetly. He jumped on the broom and told her to get on behind him.

"What?" she asked, immediately nervous. There was one thing she was afraid of, and that was heights. She hated first year flying lessons; they scared her.

"Come on, you coward," said James playfully. Lily bit her lip and mounted the broom behind James, wrapping her arms around his waist. She buried her face into his shoulder as they took off. "You know, it's not fun when you don't look. Don't worry, I won't let you fall, can't you trust that?"

Lily lifted her head a margin and took in the sights. They were soaring above clouds, a layer below them and a layer above them. Lily, being in her school skirt, was sitting sidesaddle, looking down on the Forbidden forest that she could barely see. James laughed and entered a dive, Lily's arms reflexively going back around his waist as she worked up a good scream.

"Don't scream or we'll get into trouble," said James, stopping her. Lily held her breath as James pulled out of the dive at the last second. "I promise, the rest will be more mellow.

Meanwhile

Sirius and Claire were walking along the grounds next to the lake.

"Sirius," began Claire. Up until now, it had been complete silence.

"Hmm?" he asked, turning to her and holding her hand.

"I need to know something. I want proof that I'm different from the other girls you have dated. What will make you not take me for granted?" she asked, anxious for the answer.

"How can I prove that to you?" asked Sirius, looking into her eyes.

"Um…what's my full name?"

"Clara Shay Martin."

"How did you know that. Only Lily and Tanya know my middle name and I never say it aloud."

"I have my sources."

"Okay, what color are my eyes?" She turned away and closed her eyes tightly.

"That's easy. No man on this earth could miss those startling crystal blue eyes."

"I would've settled for just blue."

"Ha! ha!"

"What's so funny?"

"You are, Claire."

"How so?"

"You're different from the other girls I've dated. Well, for one, I don't think I've ever liked a girl the same way I like you and never to this extent. You are perfection, Claire. You are the perfect girl for me." Claire turned away, blushing.

"How long?" she asked.

"What?" asked Sirius, seeming to be pulled away from a distant daydream.

"How long have you liked me?"

"Since we became teammates. Back in third year I think."

"Really? That's when I started to like you."

"Wait, you weren't just saying yes to be nice or because all the other girls do, you actually like me…you know, for me?"

"I think you are one of the cutest, funniest guys I've ever met. You know, I've spent the last three years trying to get your attention?"

"I didn't know that. I was too preoccupied with getting yours," laughed Sirius.

"You have a very hearty laugh, Sirius, almost like a bark." Sirius tensed a little and then remembered that James only dated Lily for a few hours when he told her.

"Thanks," said Sirius, trying to ease the atmosphere. "So, um…good game on Saturday."

"Thanks, you too. I think we have a chance of getting the cup this year," she said happily.

"I don't think so…I know so!" With all our hard work, not to mention how amazing James has gotten because Lily finally went out with him, and how great I'll do with you finally going out with me."

"And you're forgetting my dream come true too."

"Well, yeah, but…I mean," he joked. Claire, who had her hands in the pocket of her hoodie, bumped into Sirius on purpose for that joke. He pushed her back, but they were a bit close t the lake and she stumbled in, getting her shoes and socks completely wet. Her eyes went wide and she got a wicked glint in her eye.

"Come here, you!" she said, grabbing his shirt and yanking him into the water with her, splashing him on the face.

"Hey, hey, come on now," pleaded Sirius. Claire began to walk out of the lake, but slipped and grabbed Sirius by the collar, pulling him down with her. She landed on top of him and her helped her up.

"Sorry," she murmured, trying not to laugh.

"It's fine," admitted Sirius, trying not to laugh as well. By this time, Sirius was soaked and in September, that was not a good thing.

"Do you want to go back inside?" she asked, seeing him shiver.

"And miss more time with you? Never," said Sirius, trying to make it more dramatic. "So, do you trust now that you are not just one of the bimbos I pick from a crowd?"

"Yes, yes I do," she laughed, but then remembered something. "You dated Tanya for a day though."

"Oops," said Sirius, expecting to be pushed back into the lake.

"Ha! Ha!" she laughed. "It doesn't matter now, does it?"

"Not really. Not unless you think it matters," he recovered quickly.

"No, I don't think it matters at all. That was two years ago."

Meanwhile

"I think it's going rather well, don't you?" Tanya asked Remus, looking out the window and down on the lake. They couldn't hear the conversation, but they could see them laughing and having fun.

"Very, my friend, very well," said Remus. They had a tendency to talk proper when they were together, it was an inside joke they had from first year.

"So, how about James and Lily?" asked Tanya, pointing to the sky. Remus looked up and saw Lily with her arms wrapped tightly around James's waist, a look of terror on her face as James went into a dive.

"I think Lils will be traumatized for a while," commented Remus.

"Me too. She's afraid of heights, you know?"

"Trust me, I know. During first year flying lessons she wouldn't stop screaming."

"Typical Lily."

"Come on, we might miss something," said Remus, looking back out the window.

Meanwhile

James had kept his promise to Lily and they were gliding slowly over the forbidden forest, the sunset in the background and James kissed Lily romantically.

"I am still so sorry about not being there to protect you," said James. It sounded like he was admitting some great sin in a confessional.

"James, it's not your fault. Don't blame yourself."

"I can't help it Lily, it's just that, I…I…" he stopped.

"You what, James?" urged Lily.

"Lily, I love you, there, it's said, now if you want to call me crazy because we've only been going out for a few weeks, then fine, I know I'm crazy. I didn't believe it at first, but now I know it. Lily, every time I'm with you my heart beats like crazy, I have butterflies going spastic in my stomach and my pulse shoots through the roof. I tried to ignore it, tried to tell myself that we're too young, too short of a relationship, but I was lying to myself and punishing myself. Lily, I love you." Lily had been listening intently to a story that sounded identical to her own. She sighed and looked at the sunset.

"James," she began, rubbing her temples. James, seeing this reaction, thought Lily was about to dump him and he felt his heart being wrenched in two. "James…I think you just told my story." James immediately felt better and wrapped his arms around Lily, Kissing her deeply on the lips. When he finally let go, she was able to get the words out that he so desperately wanted to her and she so desperately wanted to say. "I love you, James. As pathetic as it sounds compared to the great detailed story you gave, I love you. See, you stole my response." James laughed and kissed her again. They sat up there for a few hours, having another of their silent conversations. When the stars finally came out they stared up at those.

"If I could count these…you know what I'd label them?" asked James cutely.

"No, what?" asked Lily warily.

"The amount of reasons I'll never let Lily Evans out of my arms." Lily, having no reply to that that wouldn't sound cheesy, rested her head on his shoulder and he wrapped his arms around her again. He whispered in her ear the rest of the time, sweet and cute things, sometimes even funny. It was then that Lily realized three things.

"Oh my God," she screamed, almost falling off the broom. James grabbed her and kept her from falling. "Patrol…dinner…after hours!" For one thing, Lily hadn't noticed how hungry she had become, for another, they were supposed to patrol that night and they had no idea what time it was, and it was probably way after hours.

"Good point," said James, flying the broom to the ground and getting off. He walked back inside and looked on the clock in the great hall. "Eleven. When's patrol?"

"Midnight. We made it. Hopefully our bizarre friends come back to the common room in time to tell us what happened. I don't have the heart to punish them, so you might have to."

"I can't punish them either," said James reproachfully.

"Then, I guess they're off the hook," said Lily walking back to the common room.

Meanwhile

Sirius and Claire continued to walk in wet clothes along the shore of the lake, talking about nothing and at the same time, everything.

"Your family?" asked Claire.

"You mean the Potters, really nice people," said Sirius playfully.

"No, your biological family," clarified Claire.

"I don't have one," said Sirius spitefully.

"James's parents are my parents and James is my brother, nothing more to it."

"Oh…I understand. I didn't know you hated them too," she shrugged.

"Not before last week, that's when I started hating them, after what happened to Lily. I can't believe my cousins and brother. The worst part is that they won't be punished at my mum's house."

"That really stinks. Now you know why I hate Slytherin so much."

"Yeah. The only person I am biologically related to is my cousin Andromeda. She's the only one who is like me, who doesn't hate Muggle-borns and who hates Slytherins. I'm sure they'll disown her eventually too. Oh, and then there's my uncle, he's an okay guy. He was disowned for sending me money a few years back. Can you believe my family. Associate with Muggles, off tree, associate with people off the tree…off the tree, squibs, not a member of our family…God, I hate them!"

"It must've been hard," said Claire, placing a hand on Sirius's shoulder for comfort. "I mean, never really having a family that cares about you. I know the feeling." Sirius looked at her with surprise, and then his expression changed to a questioning look. Claire pulled down the neck of her hoodie and bruises were clearly visible. Then. She pushed up her sleeves and there were more bruises and sores. "My parents…they fight a lot. If I try to stop 'em, I get hit. My dad drinks a lot and my mom tried to run away…take me someplace where I can have a good home. You know I'm a pureblood right?" Sirius saw a tear creep down Claire's cheek and wiped it away with his finger. She smiled appreciatively, and then let Sirius answer.

"Yeah," said Sirius. Claire noticed his expression was softer than she had ever seen it. It was softer than when Lily was in the hospital wing.

"Well, my dad…he beats me for having Lily and Tanya for friends. Tanya's mum is a Muggle and you know Lily's family. That's why I love this school so much, my parents aren't here. I hate summers, and I never go back on other breaks. I stay, always." Sirius grabbed her hand when she took it out of the hoodie pocket.

"Me too, but mostly because James stays, see, his parents go on a lot of trips."

"Wait, you can't tell anyone what I just told you. You can't even tell Lily and Tanya, they don't know. Why do you think I always wear long sleeves?"

"I understand, your secret's safe with me."

"We should go, it's probably late," said Claire, looking up at the star-filled sky.

"Yeah, you're right." They walked in silence back to the castle, holding hands and thinking. They walked back up to the common room and James and Lily were already back. It was eleven thirty now.

"What happened?" asked Lily eagerly. She noticed Sirius's and Claire's completely soaked clothes.

"We talked," said Sirius, with a soft look to Claire. Lily gave them a disbelieving look.

"Yep, we talked, laughed, fell in the lake, and that's about it," said Claire with a smile. Claire was good at bottling up emotions; she had done it for seventeen years. When this school year finally ended, she would be free of her parents' home and free of their fighting and free, most of all, of her father. Truly, Claire was happy now though. She would never go back to her parents' house and now she had Sirius. She was, for one of the first times in her life, truly happy.

"Well," said Lily, "We have to go on patrol, bye now!" she said, more perky than usual. She grabbed James's hand, and with a shrug to Sirius, James left with Lily.

A/N: I know, I was inspired…really quick update, huh? Well, I can't be back on tonight, so I had to post this now. So, what do you think of Claire and Sirius, cute couple, huh? So, you know what to do, read, review, etc. Oh, and to answer a question I recieved, I am not sure yet whether Remus and Tanya will get together, but there's always a possibility...