a/n: before reading this chapter, I would like to say that the matchmaking process is my own invention and it did not came from the story of Greek mythology (or Roman). So, don't try looking for it. Also, I'm so sorry that I updated sooo late. I intended to do this because I have to confirm and edit the chapter to be coordinated with the plot. All for the best!

CHAPTER 4: THE MATCHMAKING PROCESS

"Are you sure that you and Green Apple will meet there?" Sirius asked.

James chuckled. "And what do you think?"

"Obviously, no flirt could go near the Shrieking Shack. You know that," Sirius said.

"Let's close that topic. How about you?"
Sirius frowned. "I want to make this proposal final," he said with dignity, puffing out his chest.

"And how's that?" James asked back.

Sirius bowed his head low. "I don't know. Maybe I should talk to Stacey about this."

"Why not Evans?" James asked, dreading the answer.

"That woman could smash my head once I tell her that I want to be Spencer's boyfriend."
James sniggered now. "Of course. That fireball hates lecherous people like you."
"And you, too," Sirius added on the list.

"I don't care. All I have to do shake it off her and get on to that Green Apple, whoever she is."

"What if I try to meet Stacey on Hogsmeade weekend," Sirius suggested.

"Well, alright," James said, "as long as you don't ruin my eyeball."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Kristanna, can't you stop that?" Lily hissed to her friend, slapping her hands on the table.

"What?" she said. "Honestly, Lily, you sound like my mother."

"You're always staring and staring and staring at anywhere," Danicia added. "Do you think she's in love, Lily?" she asked.

"I even thought of that earlier than you, Dani," Lily said sternly. "Who is the unfortunate guy?" she asked jokingly.

"I won't tell you," Kristanna said.

"This is not going right. If Kris goes to the hands other than Sirius Black, I can't imagine what could happen to me next!" Lily thought.

"Anyway, if you, Kris, cannot go to Hogmseade tomorrow, I might as well go alone," Danicia said.

"Important meeting? Boyfriend hunting?" Lily suggested.

"No, it is something without importance. I don't know, I am really curious about this," she said.

"Can I go with you?" Lily asked.

"Of course. Just don't get med on the place."

"It's all right. I have to meet Raven tomorrow," Lily assured.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"So, who are you meeting?" Lily asked Danicia, who started tapping the floor lightly.

Danicia frowned. "I know you'll be angry when you see…"

She was never able to finish her statement because Sirius Black came inside, his cloak full of snow.

"Sirius Black," Danicia said, looking back at Lily.

Sirius sat nervously at the edge seat, reluctant to go beside Lily. "What do you want?"

Sirius folded and closed his hands, moved them about in nervousness. "I…" he started.

Lily rolled her eyes after thirty seconds of waiting. "What?" she asked finally.

"I want to ask how I could get Kristanna," Sirius blurted out. He panted after his statement.

Lily raised an eyebrow, her brain working in an incredible speed. "This is my chance," she said.

"Are you sincere?" she asked. "I thought you could get any girl with just a blink of an eye?"

"Yes," Sirius replied in a way as if he was tied on a chair and was under the lie detector test. "But Kristanna's very hard to get! I think I'm in love with her!" he said hopelessly.

Danicia started to cough because she swallowed her tea unexpectedly. "Try to take a drink first," she offered, tensed at the moment. Sirius touched the glass but he did not drink it, he was scared, thinking that there was something inside it.

Lily cleared her throat. "Anyway," she started, "you told us that you're here because you like – I mean love Kristanna. What makes you think that this is not a one-night stand?"

Sirius acted as though he was in an extemporaneous speaking contest. "I'm sure. She never leaves my mind."

Lily frowned. "Every girl that became your girlfriend never left your mind except when you've found a new girl to tail at."

"I know," Sirius sighed. "But this is different!"

"I'll tell you what's different!" Lily exclaimed, standing up. However, it was shocking that she sat once again, her anger ebbing away. "Sirius Black, I am only here for the protection of my friend. Whoever you ask, whether it is me or Dani…" Danicia nodded. "… We'll ask the same question to you."

"And what's the point?" Sirius asked.

Lily scowled. "Sirius Black, what's the point? If you just want Kristanna for a challenge, then don't try to be with her. If we see you the next day, flirting with another girl, change your mind and don't try to get Kristanna."

"But this is final!" Sirius finally shouted. "Please help me," he pleaded.

Lily blew her hair that traveled in front of her face. "Anyway, if that's so."
Danicia opened her mouth to argue. "You mean you agree, Lily?" she said.

"Sirius looks like he is sincere," Lily said as they left Sirius alone.

"What makes you think so?" Danicia asked back, as if she was daring her.

Lily mused for a while, thinking of an answer for this. "Well," she started. "I gave him Veritaserum. And do not ask anything about it." She silently sighed with relief, as she did not really do that.

"Oh well," Danicia said. "Lily, I have to go back to the castle earlier than expected."
"Don't worry, I'm not rushing," Lily replied. As soon as Danicia disappeared through the crowd, she sneaked to the deserted place near the Shrieking Shack.

"What took you so long?" a voice said. Eros appeared, sitting on top of a tree. He fluttered down.

"Okay, I got Sirius for Kristanna, what's next?" Lily asked.

Eros took three arrows from his back. "Look at this, Lily. You'll see the red arrow. This one is infatuation. This is for my recreation." He took his bow and placed the arrow on it. "However, its effects are not real, like the so-called Love Potion." He shot the arrow on a girl and a boy at the other side.

"What about the green one?" Lily asked.

Eros smiled. "Oh, this one. I would not like to use this. This activates the sex hormones of an individual. This lingers for about an hour or so. After that, the sensation disappears."

Lily showed a disgusted face.

"This pink arrow stands for first, puppy, or simple love. This lasts while the couple sees each other," Eros explained.

"So, which one of those will you use?" Lily asked.

"No, Lily. What I have to use is this," Eros said, conjuring a smoky apparition of a diamond-tip arrow. "This is true love. It only works when the couple confesses their feelings, and even if they feel the same way to each other. My mother calls this special arrow 'Eternal Bond.'"

"Is that what you want to use?" Lily asked curiously.

Eros nodded. "That's the reason why I have to be in the place where you'll do your job. There should be timing on the matchmaking job."

"How do you know about the Eternal Bond thingy?" Lily asked.

"Well, when each human being is born, there would be a piece of paper out. My mother picks them up and places them inside a bowl," Eros explained, gesturing the act.

"At the right time, she'll pick two pieces of it as a pair. But before that, I am free to shoot as many arrows as possible. However, the special arrow is very precious that there is only one per pair. If that one arrow fails to hit the target, they'll end up an old maid or an old guy."

"How pitiful," Lily replied.

"The Graces cannot shower their happiness if the Eternal Bond is not there. Do you want that to happen to your friend?" Eros asked.

Lily shook her head. "Of course not," she replied.

"Then strut your stuff, girl," Eros said. "Use your head. Stop being personal."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"What happened about you and Green Apple?" Remus asked as James sat down on a Gryffindor room couch.

"I only saw Evans there, talking to herself. She's crazy," James said. "As for Green Apple, she's not there."

"Maybe she's shy to meet with Raven," Sirius replied, busy with his black-feather quill. "Or she's busy. Remember she's a studious person."

"Yeah, right," James sighed, looking at the fireplace. "But what if…?"

"What if what?" Sirius interrupted, the ink on the tip of his quill blotting the parchment. "Damn! I have to repeat all of this!"

James scowled as he became silent. "What if Green Apple is Evans?"

James slept that evening, his subconscious mind interrupted. "It could be Evans but it could not be Evans! Not ever!" he said. The black-haired boy started to think of excuses to assure himself that Lily was not his penpal. Quite effective and his most effective alibi was that Lily is a studious person that she doesn't have time for sissy and corny actions like this. Well, James Potter should not also come in the sissy and corny actions like this. He reminisced the way he and Green Apple met.

FLASHBACK

James was walking along the lake with the other marauders. They were thinking of their next welcoming act for a newly-arrived professor.

"Prongs, what do you think? Is that effective?" Sirius asked. James merely nodded as he saw a floating thingamabob at the middle of the lake that bobbed up and down like a buoy.

He was looking at it with intent that he did not realize that Peter was prodding his shoulder. "What?" he asked.

"Aren't we going?" Peter asked.

"Wormtail, tell the others that you could go. I have something to do."

Peter ran towards the others and told them the message. Without a slightest sign of curiosity, they sprinted to the castle.

Without anyone looking, James pointed his wand on the floating thing and it zoomed toward him, but with difficulty as if it was reluctant to go nearer. It was a bottle with a message inside.

He read the note inside. "To anyone who has read this," he said aloud.

"Hello, I am Green Apple. This is the most stupid thing I have done in my life, I know. Though it is, I am very happy that some person decided to get along with my stupidity. I hate myself. I hope I could have new friends since I only have two flirts beside me. I'm not like that, you know. Well, if you're interested to be my friend, do what pleases you. If you don't, please throw this bottle back to the water. Thank you. By the way, if you're really interested to become my friend, just address your letter to me and any owl will find me. Okay?"

James smirked at this idea. He quickly pocketed the letter but it majestically disappeared as he folded it. He gasped but he went up to the owlery to think of a message that he'll send to his new project.

At first, James was really in for making this penpal of his a huge fool. It was his great hobby. However, he instantly fell for the one who writes the letters. It was just because of a special letter he received. On the second week, Green Apple told him about a story and she told him that this story is her story. It tore his heart open as he read that letter. It was obvious that she's a loner so he did his best to make her happy. And he introduced himself as Raven.

END FLASHBACK

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Eros was watching Lily as she brainstormed about her plan to get Kristanna and Sirius together.

"Hey, Lily, are you sure you're plan is going to work?" Eros asked.

Lily scowled. "Shut up. I'm still thinking." She rolled on her bed and ended up on her stomach. She looked unexpectedly at Kristanna's dream diary on the other desk and propped it open. "Let's see," she said, smirking. After scanning few pages, she found a certain page.

"This is the most stupid thing that I have ever written in this diary. Well, I have dreamed something. I don't want to think of this as a premonition but, oh well.

This is how I remembered the dream. I was walking along a corridor when I decided to enter the broom cupboard. Why? Well, I cannot recall. Maybe I did something like messing up the hall so I decided to clean that up. Upon entering the broom cupboard, I heard some rustling so I decided to follow it. Then I saw a boy. He was doing something inside the broom cupboard so I scolded him. But before I could even get out of the room, I realized that it was locked! Then I cannot recall what I have said. The thing I only remembered was that I slipped down and the boy caught me. We accidentally kissed.

That was really the most stupid dream I have ever dreamed."

Eros looked at the dream. "What date?"

"It was in October," Lily replied.

Eros narrowed his eyes and he took a stray piece of parchment. "Lily, when was Kristanna's birthday?"

Lily told Eros every date that he needed as he computed for something. Eros brightened up his eyes. "Lily, that dream is the way how the couple will meet. It tells us in the solution!" he said proudly as Lily looked at the piece of parchment.

"Then we have to do the things that will be set," Lily said.

"And the Fates shall do the rest," Eros added.

NCSP:

"Mother, you can't do that!" Eros shouted indignantly.

"And why not? According to my records, your shots of Eternal Bond are getting scarce than the past thousand years!" Aphrodite reminded vividly.

"That's because you're getting some of the matters yourself. You're now lying low and you're getting fat!"

"No, I'm not, Eros. And don't speak to your mother like that," Aphrodite hiccupped.

"Fine, just give me the fifth pair-up and I'm good to go," Eros said. "They're just thrilling me."

"Fine, fine, do what you want," Aphrodite said, taking a sip from her goblet.

Eros took Lily's and James' files and tucked them safely under his clothes. Erida narrowed her eyes as she looked at the records.

A/N: that's all for now. So please click up the "GO" button on your left side and tell me what you feel. I won't entertain non-review thingies in the review page. Actually, and we all know it, the review page is made for reviews ONLY. Arigatoooo…