Disclaimer: See previous chapters. I'm not going through the whole thing every time.

Sirius spent the next week hanging out with the Gryffindor girls. He would not hang out with the Marauders. Now way, no how. They hung out with James Potter, HBG. (Hogwart's Biggest Git) It's not that Sirius didn't want to be friends with James, but he just couldn't look him in the face right now. He knew James had been kidding – not so much kidding as to blowing steam – but Sirius needed to be angry for a while. He had no idea why he needed to be angry with his best mate, he just … did.

Hanging with the girls wasn't so bad anyways. He had a pretty blonde wrapped up in him right this minute. In his bed, of course. Well, not so much in as on, but really, who cares about minor details like that? He was just a tiny bit surprised when she sat up. Mostly surprised that he noticed she sat up, what with him so distracted and all.

"Black, either you've never snogged a girl before, or something's on your mind. I know for a fact that you've snogged two or three girls daily since third year, so what's up?" The blonde demanded. She was straddling him with her hands on her hips. He sighed and linked his fingers behind his head.

"James Potter and I are not speaking." He told her politely. He really didn't want to give her the whole story. It would take forever. Plus, he was rather enjoying the thorough snog session.

"The two hottest Marauders are in disagreement?" She raised an eyebrow in inquiry. "I never thought I'd see the day."

"Well, congratulations on your lucky day." Sirius replied sarcastically. She rolled her eyes, which Sirius was hoping she did often, as it was very hot. Then he realized what she'd said. "You think I'm hot?"

"Well, yes. Net a girl who doesn't? If so, lead me to her. I want to smack her upside the head and get her eyes tested." So she's get some strong opinions, Sirius thought. Does it get any better? Sirius didn't like pushovers. He found them boring. It was nice to fight over things once in a while.

"I think you're hot, too, er … uh …"

The girl pretended to be offended, but laughed all the same. "Chloe."

"Right. I think you're hot, too, Chloe."

"Thank you, Sirius."

Chloe leaned down to kiss him and he eagerly closed the curtains with a swish of his wand. He put a silencing charm on his bed and resumed their interrupted snog with vigor.

"I think you're a great kisser." Sirius said contentedly.

"I like to think so."

A low chuckle rumbled from Sirius' throat and soon their 'little get together' was in full swing. Chloe was slightly nervous about falling for Sirius Black. He would hurt her and she knew it. But maybe, just maybe, he wouldn't. She closed her eyes against his feather light kisses on her neck and hoped. She hoped he had the emotional capacity to break up with her before he started on the next girl, if they didn't work out. But she desperately hoped that they did work out.

OoOoO

Okay, Lily thought as she looked at herself in the mirror. This might work. She was dressed in all things she had borrowed from Miranda and Gwendolyn, Miranda's cousin. Mostly because she didn't own anything like it. From Miranda, she had and red sequined halter-top and red stilettos. From Gen, she had a short denim skirt and drop diamond earrings. The two girls had collaborated on a hairstyle and finally settled with large, loose curls all over her head, framing her face.

Personally, Lily thought she looked like a tramp. Miranda and Gen thought she looked gorgeous. They said James would quite possibly die when he saw her. That made her want to change out of it even more. What good was winning him over if he died first?

"Lily, you look amazing!" Gen said for what was quite possibly the millionth time. Lily rolled her eyes for what was quite possibly the millionth time.

"Thank you, but I know that! I understand! I understood the first million times you said it! I just hope it works on Potter." Lily said, exasperation giving way to nerves as she finished her chastising.

"Are you still gonna call him 'Potter' when you're married?" Miranda asked. Lily whipped around in surprise to see her friend's twinkling eyes and relaxed.

"Yup." She answered, smiling.

"Right on, then, let's go."

The girls found the Marauders sitting on sofas by the fire. Well, they found Remus, James, and Peter sitting on sofas by the fire. Sirius was not there. Hmm. Odd. Lily nodded at Miranda, who took her clue with an excited clap of her hands and an extremely high-pitched squeal.

"Ooh, Lily I am so excited for Hogsmead this weekend! There's a party at Three Broomsticks!" Miranda was either an incredible actress or she actually was excited for the party. Yeah, she was probably excited. "We get to go dancing! I wonder who we'll go with?"

"Whoever asks us, Miranda." Was Lily's witty come back. She always had one. At the sound of their voices, the Marauders Minus Sirius looked up from their homework to look at the girls. When James saw Lily, she actually heard his jaw drop. Is that Lily? Lily Evans? Grisham said it was Evans, but that does not look like Evans. Not at all. Lily watched Miranda roll her eyes.

"I know that, Lily Rose Evans! I want to know who is going to ask us!" Miranda reprimanded. Lily rolled her eyes in return.

"How, may I ask, do you know someone will ask us?"

"Because it's a 'guys ask girls' dance and we - " She twirled dramatically. "– are gorgeous!"

Lily smiled at Miranda's antics. Yeah, she wanted James to know that she didn't have a date, but this was extreme. Lily shook her hair to make it look more natural and followed Miranda over to the Marauders Minus Sirius.

"Lupin, who're you going with to Hogsmead?" Miranda asked sitting down beside him.

"Tonks. You?" Came his forcibly unexcited reply as he flipped the page of Ancient Runes: Egyptian Mishaps as idly as he could. It was obvious he was completely in love with the Metamorphmagus, but there was no way he would admit to being that happy about at date.

"Sirius." Miranda answered without missing a beat. Lily sat down directly across fro James and put one leg over the other, giving him a rather nice view of what her underwear looked like. He tensed when he stole a glance at them. Green and lacy. Gulp, he thought. Lily thought he was tensing at the mention of his best friend and simply rubbed a hand down her leg, feeling if she needed to shave them, absentmindedly.

"You asked him?" James asked distractedly. Stop doing that, Lily Evans, or I might pass out. All eyes turned towards him. He hadn't spoken unless spoken to and he hadn't mention Sirius at all since their fight.

"Good point." Miranda stood up and looked around. "Has anybody seen him?"

"He's in our dorm snogging Chloe Teofila. Good luck." Remus supplied before James could make a smart remark about Sirius being a git.

"Humph. Fine, then. Who're you going with?" She asked James in a huff.

"I'm not. I'm going to stay here to study. I've got a potions exam next Friday. I suck a potions." His eyes flickered to Lily for a split second.

Lily took that as her cue to say something. Maybe add to the 'plans for the weekend' conversation?

"Me either. I've got the same test, but I've finished studying. I always get O's in potions even without studying. I think Slughorn just thinks I walk on water." Lily felt like a fish out of water, except she was a Lily without James.

James looked her over with wide eyes. You do walk on water. She was the prettiest thing ever. Wonderfully beautiful. Absolutely Radiant. Positively Glowing. Amazingly Gorgeous. Perfectly Perfect.

"I didn't know that! You can stay here and help Potter with his potions!" Miranda exclaimed cheerfully. Lily looked slightly surprised. This wasn't part of the plan. Was it?

"I – no that's fine. I can study alone. You don't have to. I'll be fine." James sounded more like he was convincing himself than Lily. "You've got better things to do."

Lily smiled her prettiest smile and ran a hand through her hair. Lily watched with joy as James flushed and looked away just after she caught his look of failing self-restraint. She let out a tinkling laugh.

"Yeah, right. I'd rather help you with your potions homework than I would sit around and do nothing." Lily said as she tossed her hair flirtingly. James grabbed Remus by the collar and dragged him along roughly.

"Yeah-okay-meet-you-in-the-library-at-8am-Friday." He said in a rush as he hurried away. Remus choked from his tight hold.

It's working, Miranda thought, but Lily was taking things into her own hands now.

OoOoO

"God damn it! Why does she have to be so perfect? That skirt…" James was sitting on a hard wooden chair in the library, breathing hard. His pulse was moving alarmingly fast because of Lily and what she was – or rather, wasn't – wearing. Suddenly, his breath caught in his throat. Lily wouldn't dress like that for him. No, she hated him. She was showing off for some other guy. Some other guy, someone who wasn't him, had Lily completely wrapped around his horrible, traitorous finger. James threw his book in anger, causing the glass on the Restricted Section door to shatter loudly. Remus flicked his wand lazily and the glass soared back into place, unharmed in the least.

"Breathe, James, breathe." Remus said in a light, unfazed tone. "I must admit that was not the Lily Evans we know. That was Lily Evans showing off what she's got. And she's got."

James was still sitting in the wooden chair with his hands on his knees, concentrating on makig air go in and out of his lungs. His head snapped up at Remus' words.

"Stay away, Moony. I want her. I'll get her. No one else can have her, got it?" His voice was dangerously low and threatening. Remuys held up his hands in innocence.

"She's all yours, mate, wouldn't dream of stealing."

"Good. I you did want her, I'd rip you limb from limb. Why is she dressing like that? It's not for me, I know it." James worried aloud. "Life is good when Lily Evans wears a miniskirt."

Remus made a non-committal sound. If he agreed, James would kill him. If he disagreed, James would think he was blind or stupid.

"What're you going to do?" He asked instead of making a comment that might have a negative response.

"I haven't the faintest clue."

"Then I suggest you talk to Sirius." And with that, Remus turned on his heel and walked out of the library, slamming the door behind him.

Crap.