Disclaimer: If I owed Harry Potter I would either be JK Rowling or to some extent, wb, and since I am neither, I probably don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters in that universe. The plotline is basically my own, except for where I steal. JK.

So far: Remus got a girlfriend over vacation. The summer is over, and after a fairly uneventful train ride, everyone arrives safely at Hogwarts. There is a ministry Auror positioned at Hogwarts, though the reasons for this remain unclear. Sirius and Lily's friendship continues to grow. Lily is sure that James no longer fancies her, and can't figure out why this bothers her. James, for the first time in his life, does not wish to be around people anymore.

Chapter 7

Or

Of the Day It All Blew Up

(The first night)

"I'm going to shower now," announced Lily the moment she entered her dorm.

"Dorcas is already in," said Marlene from her bed, and flipped a page in her book. She was lying flat on her stomach, her feet pointed at her pillow, and looked up briefly when Lily sat on her bed, which was on Marlene's right. "And Tally said she's next before she left, but if she doesn't come back before you, you can probably go in and pretend you never heard anything of it."

Lily nodded and took off her shoes, messaging her feet slightly before lying face down on her bed. "I don't want to start school tomorrow," she complained. "I just want to stay in my bed for the rest of eternity. Is that even an option? Can it be an option?"

Marlene laughed, carefully placed a bookmark in her book and then shut it, changing her position so she faced Lily. "Sadly, not quite yet. When I'm prime minister, though, I'll definitely make going to school on the first day illegal, which would make the second day the first day, which would be illegal, and so on and so forth…" A dreamy expression appeared on her face. "And then there would be no studying, ever again. Wouldn't that just be brilliant?"

"Definitely," said Lily. "Alice said that Frank is going absolutely ballistic about studying this year, and that he's barely paying any attention to her."

"They are trying to get into the Auror department," Marlene reminded her. "She should probably be a little more focused herself."

"On the first week of school?"

"Fair point."

They lay there for another moment before the door to the bathroom opened and Dorcas came out. Lily jumped up and ran straight into the shower, almost forgetting to Magick her things to follow her into the bathroom.

It was a very relaxing shower. God, the water pressure at Hogwarts is wonderful, thought Lily. I'd forgotten.

When she came out, Tally and Mary were discussing something hurriedly and quietly on the latter's bed. She gave them a curious glance before switching into her night garments and plopped herself into bed with a novel.

Lily fell asleep shortly thereafter, and only in the morning did she hear about the spectacular spider they found just outside the windowsill.

Remus Lupin was ready for whatever they could throw at him. He wouldn't bulge, no matter what they said or did; he refused to give in.

"Come on, just tell us something – anything. What's her favorite band. The color of her hair," suggested Sirius.

"Whose hair?" asked Dan Fletcher, entering the dorm just at the right time. He was the tallest in the dorm, with sandy hair and dark eyes and complexion that fit an American more than a London boy, and yet there you go. "And why would we be asking Lupin in the first place?"

"I'm not telling," said Remus, and he was answering both boys.

"Remus got a girlfriend over the summer, and he won't share the details," teased James. "Sirius is pissed, because all he's gotten out of him was that they met on the beach, and that they promised to write each other, given that at his very Muggle school they don't allow – what did you call it again?"

"Phones," supplied Remus.

"I reckon you made her up," said Peter. "So you could get Sirius off your back for never having gone on a second date in your life. But it seems to have backfired," he added.

Remus made a face and said, "It really isn't any of your business. I regret even mentioning it in the first place."

"See?" said Peter, pointing at Remus. "He's making up excuses, can't even keep a straight face. He's pulling one on us."

"Merlin's beard," said Sirius. "Just end this torment and tell us something about her."

Remus sighed and rubbed his forehead, as if he had a headache coming on. "Her name is Natalie. She likes The Beatles" – Sirius made a face – "and she has auburn hair. Good enough for you?"

"Aren't these beetles a Muggle band?" asked Sirius.

"She's a Muggle," James reminded him.

"Yeah, but still," shrugged Sirius.

"And now that you have gotten some information out of me," announced Remus, "I'm going to bed."

(The second night)

"MOVE, YOU MORON!"

Sirius was glaring at his chess-set. One of the rooks was staring at him defiantly, and James was trying not to laugh his head off.

Mary made her way through the crowd gathering around the chess game, pushing people aside as she did so. "Sorry, Alice."

Even though James and Sirius regularly played each other, people rarely missed the change to watch. The reason behind this was simple: Nobody played chess like these two played chess.

For one, both of them cheated. They were both quite terrible, and so they Confunded each other, did more than one move in their turn, and consulted Remus and Peter, who were both very good at the game.

Secondly, after an incident in second year, they never used their own set. Sometimes they bought a new chess set which would last about a month, typically, but usually they borrowed other people's chess sets (mostly first and second years' sets, as the older students refused to risk their sets), and this caused quite a lot of frustration, due to the fact that the sets did not trust either of them.

Thirdly, eventually, the chess set would be abandoned for a more physical approach to their "battle of wits" – that is, it inevitably turned into a fist fight.

But Mary wasn't interested in the game. She needed Sirius for something.

"Sirius, I need you to come with me," she said, breathless.

"I'm a little busy at the moment," he said absent-mindedly, repeating his order. "ROOK TO E3. ROOK TO E3. ROOK TO- ah, fuck it. What is it?" He looked up to see Mary standing in front of him, looking like a knight of hell.

"Sirius, I need you to come with me," she repeated. "NOW."

"What is it?" Sirius asked. Mary and he were sitting in an empty classroom on the second floor, he on a desk, and she in a desk. "It seemed pretty serious for you to –"

"Tally-is-going-to-use-a-love-potion-on-you," she said quickly.

"What? Why?" Sirius blinked, then repeated, "What?"

"Tally is going to use a love potion on you," she repeated, slightly slower. "She ordered it yesterday. So just – don't go anywhere near any food that she's – you know."

He blinked again, then asked, "Why does she want to use a love potion on me? Why doesn't she just – ask me out?"

Mary sighed, as if he was an idiot for even asking that question, and stood so she was looking him in the eye. "Well, she couldn't just ask you out, obviously," she explained. "It would be a terrible embarrassment for her. But if you asked her out, it would be fine."

Sirius looked incredulous. "That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard."

Mary shrugged. "I didn't say it has to make sense to you. But believe me when I say, in Tally's eyes it makes perfect sense."

"Oh. Okay." He thought for a moment before saying, "Thank you."

Mary smiled warmly. She looked around and realized that somehow, they had gotten so close their noses were practically touching. She pulled back suddenly, said, "You're welcome," and then she walked out of the classroom.

"What were you doing, talking to Sirius?" demanded Tally the moment Mary walked into the dormitory later that evening.

"What?"

Rally repeated herself and added, "You didn't tell him –" she stopped herself just in time, as both Lily and Dorcas were in the room, and though both seemed focused on their homework, it was entirely plausible this was not the case, it being only the first week of school and all.

"Of course not," said Mary curtly. "I'm going to shower now."

As Mary closed the door behind her, it occurred to everyone in the room that Mary had never actually said what she was doing with Sirius.

(The third night)

"Dear Remus,

I looked up your name. It sounded familiar, and since you were refusing to tell me anything interesting about you, I went and asked my librarian.

Turns out, your namesake was raised by a wolf and then co-founded Rome. Isn't that cool? Imagine. Being raised by a wolf and then founding one of the most famous cities ever. I'd like to visit Rome, you know, always have.

So you're Wolf-Man. Sounds like a superhero name, doesn't it –"

"STOP!" cried Remus, grabbing at the letter Sirius was reading out of. "Just stop – you have no right!"

"Quite the contrary, Remus," laughed Sirius, sprinting away from him. "I do believe that the letter was open for all to see, was it not?"

"Git!" Remus yelled, and reached for his letter once again as Sirius threw the letter to Peter, who caught it, and tossed it to Cameron, who held it, eyeing it with suspicion. "I don't know if I should trust this," Cam admitted, as he walked over to Remus and handed it to him. "Are you sure you're corresponding with a female, mate?" Remus made a face, but took it nonetheless.

"I've got one question, mate –" began James, who was lying on his bed nonchalantly. Remus shot him a warning look. "Woah, Remus, I just wanted to ask what a superhero was."

"Oh." He looked slightly surprised, then laughed and said, "A superhero is a character in a –"

"SHHHHHH," said Sirius. "WE DON'T CARE."

"Actually –" began James.

"What we do care about," continued Sirius, ignoring James, "is your girlfriend. Your first girlfriend. Whom we've never seen even a picture of."

"True, and you never will," announced Remus.

"I'm with you, Remus," said Peter, laughing. "If Sirius gets ahold of a picture of her, he might find her. For both your and her sake, you don't want him to get to her."

The room's playful banter continued into the small hours of the night. It was a good night, and every member of the dorm remembered it as such for a long time.

"What the bloody hell," asked Lily as she sat on Marlene's bed, "does McGonagall think? That we're superhuman or something? All this work – and it's only the second day of school!"

"Yeah, well, she doesn't really care, I guess," yawned Marlene. "What really annoys me is that we have to do all of this – this – nonverbal magic – but I can't grasp it at all."

Dorcas shrugged, looking smug. "I managed it today," she confided. "I did it twice, at the end of Charms."

Lily grinned, not bothering to tell them she had been able to do nonverbal charms since the end of the previous year. She, Severus, and James Potter, as she found out, next to that lake… But yes, it would do only harm to her friends' egos to tell them that she had this ability for so long.

"That's great!" she said. "I managed to do it once or twice too, actually. It was very satisfying, I think."

"God, I'm tired," said Marlene, falling backwards dramatically, straight into her plush pillow. "We've been here just over two days! How does that even happen?"

"School," answered Dorcas.

"True," she sighed. "Okay, guys, get off my bed. I'm going to sleep early while I still have the chance."

"Sleep early, die young, stay pretty," sighed Lily, giggling.

(The fourth night)

There were four girls in the room at the moment. Two of them were talking to each other, the third was working on an essay, and the fourth had just finished getting dressed.

"Has anyone seen my hairbrush?" asked Mary.

"Nope," said Lily.

"No," said Dorcas.

Tally, being the only other person in the room, didn't say a word.

Mary continued her search.

"Tally, is that my hairbrush?" she asked, pointing at the handle of what was, in fact, her hairbrush, peeking out from Tally's trunk. Tally continued to ignore her, and Mary continued to point. Her finger began to shake, then her whole arm, until finally her entire body was shaking with fury, her face so red it was practically glowing.

"Tally, why did you take my hairbrush?" she said with a dangerously low voice.

"Why shouldn't I?" she asked, her quill continuing to run across the parchment.

Mary paused for a second, and she looked like she was about to explode. But she managed to calm herself down, and said, her voice barely audible, "Because it's mine."

"Was it? Well, I was under the impression that we were sharing everything, now," Tally said. "I'm going to bed early. Goodnight." She straightened up, turned off her light, and climbed into bed, all the while, Mary was staring at her in shock, until finally, she ran out of the room, her hair still unbrushed.

Lily thought that Mary should have probably known better than to hold Sirius' hand this morning. It could have been friendship, of course – God knows it could be friendship – but not with Sirius, and certainly not with Mary.

Never with Mary.

Their bodies slammed against each other. Their mouths merged and their hands explored each other, and then Mary pulled away.

"What's going on?" asked Sirius, looking worried. He tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, and asked, "Why did you stop?"

"I'm such an idiot," she mumbled.

Sirius looked taken aback. "What? No you're not! At least," he amended, "not to the best of my knowledge."

"I'm such an idiot," she repeated. "I'm here with you, snogging you, instead of dealing with my problems."

Sirius shook his head. "I think that's a brilliant way to deal with your problems. In fact, instead of talking, let's continue, I hear it really helps to sort out aggression and shit."

Mary shook her head in return. "My problem involves you, obviously."

Sirius looked mildly annoyed now. "But is it obvious? Is it really?"

Mary ignored him, and continued. "Tally has been my best friend since the moment I got here. We know each other so well I could probably tell you what she ate for breakfast depending on the day of the week. And I knew she had a major crush on you, and I told you, and then I went on and started snogging you." She grimaced. "That's not particularly best-friend-like.

"But you're fit, and I've never – never – stopped myself from taking something I wanted before, at least, as long as it was available. And she never – she never took you. But I don't want to hurt her."

"Are you asking for my opinion or are you ranting at me?" Sirius said.

"Neither. Both. I don't know." She sank into one of the nearby chairs and stared into her empty hands.

"Well, since the latter is already done, I think I'm going to give you my opinion," he said. "And that is – I'm not relationship material. So – you might as well break up with me."

She looked up at him, looking confused.

"I know what it's like having a best friend you know through and through," he explained, shrugging. "Even though you're fit, you're just a bird, and I'd give you up for a second if James was in the way. And you should feel the same way about me - and Tally. And if she's not fine with us – "

"I might as well break up with you," she finished. He nodded.

"Okay then." She took a deep breath. "Sirius Black – I am breaking up with you, mostly due to the fact that you're too noble. Who ever thought that would happen?"

He grinned. "Certainly not my mother."

(The fifth night)

"YOU'RE BEING RIDICULOUS!"

"WELL YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE MY BEST FRIEND!"

"AND I BROKE UP WITH THE GUY FOR YOU! BECAUSE YOU ARE!"

There was a battle going on in the Gryffindor common room. It was one like none other: mostly, since nobody actually knew what it was about, except that it involved two of the most popular people in school – and the best friend of one. People gathered around, as slowly, pieces of them unraveled.

"WELL YOU DIDN'T BLOODY WELL SHOW IT!" Tally was furious, her skin pale as marble.

In absolute contrast, Mary was red, so red, her brown locks looked almost black in comparison. "I BROKE UP WITH HIM FOR YOU, HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO REPEAT THAT? I just –" she stopped screaming, panting. Tears were running down her face, and she rubbed at her eyes constantly.

"Well," said Tally, coolly, "you might as well get back together with him. We're no longer best friends, anyway." And she turned her back to her.

Mary had never felt anything quite like the pain that stabbed her chest at that moment, nor would she ever again.

It's a very unique feeling, being betrayed by your best friend.

A/N: So how did you like that ending, eh? I felt like it was time I reference canon a bit. This chapter was very frustrating because it focused so heavily on a non-canon character, and I was slightly lost, but then I found myself again. My only problem with the chapter is the make out scene - but thankfully, I had made a creative choice for it to sound gross, so just so you know, it was purposely terrible.

Calypso: Thank you so much for your recommendations, and every single one you mentioned that I hadn't read yet I went and read, so thank you so much. I love Bloody ShangriLa, don't you?

SiryII: Your wait is almost over, so the patience need not last for much longer! The next isn't James-centric, perse, but it features him heavily. I have Tuesday till the weekend off of school, so I'm going to try to write heavily and edit, and hopefully you'll receive the chapter soon enough! As for the matter of FF - My dad reads German fluently, maybe he could translate it for me... but alas, I live in a boarding school, so even if that notion wasn't ridic, it wouldn't work. Sadly, however, I have read, or at least looked at Boyfriend already - I didn't like it much. If memory serves, it was a first person fic, and I'm not fond of that type of FF, unless told via diary.

My technical issues continue, this time with the N key falling off, but it still works, so I march on. Keep the reviews flowing - they give me inspiration. On the other hand, maybe you shouldn't until Monday, what with how I have a major test on Sunday...

Just in case I don't update for a while, here's a little excerpt from next chapter:

"Let's throw a party," said Remus.

They all looked at him in shock. "Padfoot, check my pulse," said James. "I think I just died of shock."

Definitely not updating until I get any reviews. So if you're even mildly curious as to what happens next chapter -

Just saying.