"OUCH!"

"Sorry! Your hair is really tangled." Zara said as she pulled out a particularly large knot.

"I don't understand why we have to do this anyway." I said watching Willow charm my skirt to make it shorter.

"Because, you have great legs and you need to show them off." She answered.

"And Sirius loves a blonde." Rebecca said. They had just got through dying my natural dark brown hair blonde and giving me lots of layers while they cut it a little bit longer than shoulder length. "And the better you look, the quicker he will hit on you-"

"And the quicker you can crush his heart." Zara said in a rather sickly-sweet voice.

It was a little scary.

"So what's the plan?" Rebecca asked ignoring Zara's creepy moment.

"Today we have to get his attention. Do you know any of the Marauders?" Willow asked me.

"Well, I kind-of know Remus, but-"

"Perfect! Ask him for help on homework or something, get him to invite you to the Gryffindor Common Room," Said Willow. "Rebecca, you can take over from there, if Sirius asks you who she is, act offended and tell him she's wouldn't be interested. That'll drive him crazy."

"What if he doesn't notice me?" I asked.

"Oh, trust me honey, when we get through with you, he would have to be as blind as James without his glasses not to see you." Zara said.

My last class of the day was Arithmacy and usually I sat by myself, but I had been instructed by Willow to sit with Remus who sat towards the back of the classroom. "Hey Remus," I said when I reached him. "Do you mind if I sit here?"

If Remus's reaction to how I looked was any indication of how Sirius would react, Zara was right. His eyes widened as he stared at me looking me up and down in astonishment for a moment before meeting my gaze again. "Iris?"

I blushed and ran a hand through my hair a nervous habit that felt odd now since my hair was so much shorter, "yeah."

He continued to stare at me for a few moments until Lily, who was sitting on his other side, tried to discreetly step on his toe. "Ouc- I mean, yes of course you can sit here."

I gave him a small smile as I slid into the seat beside him, "thanks."

"You look . . . different." He said still staring.

"I thought it was time for a change." I replied trying not to look in his eyes. I hated to think it, but he sounded slightly disappointed. "Hi Lily," I said quickly looking behind Remus's back to give her a smile.

"Hey Iris, I love what you did with your hair." She said with a bright smile.

"Thanks Lily," I responded returning her smile.

Class started then and the teacher told us to divide into pairs to go over last night's assignment. Lily, who usually partnered with Remus, after giving me a scheming smile I didn't understand, hurried off to partner with some other Gryffindor in her year. "So, I guess we're partners." Remus said, seeming to come back to his normal behavior around me with a smile.

"I guess so," I said pulling out my assignment. "I don't think I did very well on this." I said.

"I'm sure you did fine." Remus encouraged pulling his out as well. "You always do great on everything." He praised causing a sneak to creep onto my cheeks.

"I'm only really good at Transfiguration. I especially stink at Charms." I said.

"I can help you anytime you need it." Remus said.

Ah, the opening I was looking for. "I'm glad you said that because I am failing miserably at bubblehead charms." I told him. "Do you think you could help me out?"

"Sure," he said sounding surprised I asked him so quickly. "I can meet you at the library-"

"Actually, I have to help some third year McGonagall assigned me until five today, but I'm free after that." I lied smoothly.

"Oh, all right, I guess we could go the Gryffindor Common room. Do you know where it is?" He asked.

"I can get someone to show me." I replied.

"Okay, I'll meet you outside the Portrait at six." Remus said.

"Thanks," I said with a smile giving Willow a thumbs up behind my back.

"No problem," he replied.

As soon as we got to the Ravenclaw Common Room Willow started pulling out random clothes in my closet and transfiguring them into different things while I sat on my bed and watched her, knowing it was pointless to say things like "why can't I just wear my uniform?" and "what's wrong with the clothes I have?" When she finally looked satisfied, she handed me a one shouldered loose fitting turquoise shirt that fell a little past my hips with tight black Capri pants and some dangerous high heels. "You look fantastic." She said making my hair slightly wavy with her wand.

"I feel ridiculous in these heels. I'm just going to the Gryffindor Common Room." I said with my arms crossed.

"You might 'just be going to the Gryffindor Common Room' but that's where Sirius is going to be and if you make a good first impression it will make it easier on all of us."

I sighed.

"So how long have you known Remus?" She asked.

"First year," I answered. "We were partnered up in our first Charms class. We occasionally help each other out with homework."

"Really? That's it?"

"Yes," I said giving her a confused look. "Why?"

"Well, you two just seemed rather flirty with each other today in Ancient Runes." Willow said shrugging. "Maybe after this Sirius thing is over you should go for him. That would make Sirius even more upset."

I snorted rather un-lady like. "I appreciate the advice Willow, but you know Remus Lupin has never even gone out with a girl the whole time he's been at Hogwarts."

She shrugged again, "true."

"And I couldn't do that to him anyway. It's all ready bad enough lying to him."

It might have been my imagination, but I thought I saw Willow smile slightly.

Once six o'clock was approaching we met Rebecca outside of the Ravenclaw Common Room. She was going to lead me to Gryffindor Tower. "Okay, Rebecca, do you remember the plan?"

"I take her to the Common Room, then go over and hang out with Sirius. If he asks who she is, get pissed and tell him she wouldn't be interested. I'm not stupid Willow." She said rolling her eyes and grabbing my arm. "Come on Iris, we're on the seventh floor."

She dragged me up there rather quickly not leaving me much time to panic about what would happen if this did not turn out as planned which was probably a good thing. "Iris!" I looked up from carefully watching my feet to make sure I didn't trip, to wave at Remus.

"Hey Remus," I said as we reached him and Rebecca mumbled the password to the Fat Lady.

"Hey," his eyes raked me up and down. "Those are some dangerous looking shoes." He said with a grin.

"You have no idea," I replied grabbing a hold of his arm so I wouldn't trip as he led me into the Common Room. "Wow," I said once I had made it safely through the hole. The Gryffindor tower was covered, no surprise there, in red and gold and had a rather homey feel with the armchairs by the fire. There were random tables and chairs spread throughout the room with most of them occupied with other students doing homework and of course in the chair closest to the fire sat Sirius Black playing Exploding Snap with another Marauder, Peter Pettigrew, well, until Rebecca came over and squeezed into his lap.

"Yeah, its home," Remus said with a brilliant smile on his face. "Come on, we can sit with Lily."

Lily was sitting at a table by herself with books piled all around her scribbling furiously on a sheet of parchment. "Hey Lily, do you mind if we join you?" Remus asked.

She jumped slightly before looking up and realizing who we were. "Oh hey Iris, Remus, of course not." She said moving around some of her papers to make room for us.

"Still working on that Transfiguration paper?" Remus asked.

She nodded, "I swear I can't find anything in this textbook!"

"Which part are you looking for?" I asked her.

"Question three," she replied. "Have you done it yet?"

"Yeah," I leaned over the desk and pointed the picture out to her. "It's in the notes under that picture." I told her.

Lily looked at me in disbelief before glancing at the words under the illustration before giving me a bright smile. "You are honestly my new favorite person."

I laughed.

"Who has taken my title from Lily?" said a voice and James Potter plopped down next to Lily wrapping an arm around her. "Oh hey Moony, and . . . er-"

I felt a brief tinge of annoyance. "Iris, I've been in all of your Transfiguration and Charms classes since we were first years."

To my slight satisfaction, his cheeks went a little pink. "Oh, right, sorry Iris."

I shrugged; it wasn't like he was the first person to do it. "It's all right."

"So what did Iris do that is so brilliant to earn the prestigious title of your favorite person?" James asked Lily.

"Look," she said pointing out what I had just showed her.

"Brilliant," he said once he read it. "Just like Minnie to give us a question where the answer is in a spot no one will look. I mean no offense of course." He said quickly seemingly worried about offending me again.

I just grinned at him. "None taken I'm a bit of a Transfiguration nerd."

"No, you're a Transfiguration genius." Remus told me.

I blushed.

Remus and I didn't end up getting much work done because we spent a whole three hours chatting with Lily and James before he finally started helping me. James Potter was a lot different than I first thought he was. Yes, he was the Leader of the Marauders and yes he loved to play pranks, but he was actually very smart. He, like me, was also wonderful at Transfiguration while Lily preferred Charms. He and Lily were so . . . complete together, she got onto him when he was acting like an ass and he got her to loosen up. After spending less three hours with them I could tell they were going to get married.

"Sorry, I kept you so long," Remus told me as I packed up my stuff.

"Don't apologize, I had a great time." I told him. "It's not your fault James babbles all the time." I teased.

"Hey!" James said in mock outrage.

"I'll take you back to your Common Room so you don't get in trouble." Remus said standing up to join me when a voice interrupted him.

"I think I can manage that Moony," I looked up finding the stormy gray eyes of Sirius Black meeting mine. Wow, I had so much fun talking to Lily, James and Remus I almost forgot what my mission was.

"But you're not a Prefect, Sirius if you two get caught-" Lily started but once again Sirius interrupted her.

"We'll be fine Lily; I've snuck in after hours before." Sirius said waving away her worries. "Come on, Iris," He said holding out his hand to me.

I raised my eyebrows at him. "Thanks Black," I said in false cheeriness, swinging my bag over my shoulder and ignoring his hand. "But I can make my own decisions," I turned to Remus with a smile. "Remus, will you take me back to my Common Room?"

Remus stood up quickly with a almost laughing grin, while Lily and James couldn't help the laughs that escaped their mouths at Sirius's dumbstruck face, and lead me out of the Portrait of the Fat Lady.