People are going to want you, need you, exceed you, take you, love you, hate you, play you,

rate you, save you, and break you. But that's what makes you.

-Anonymous

Three

Blake Riley

Dear Diary,

Hullo loyal little book of mine! I have something big to tell you. No, really, it's huge! It's not like that time I wrote about my…uhh…monthly visitor in first year. Or my brand new curves (which are still developing) in third year; no, this is much better! Apparently, even though she was mad and most definitely disappointed, McGonagall managed to cut my detentions to three weeks and didn't even ask what happened! WHOO! … Oh, it seemed so much more…amazing before I wrote it down like the lonely little nerd I am. Though, I admit, I'm not so lonely anymore. James knows who I am now and talks to me quite often, along with Remus. Sirius is too busy with his 'girlfriends' and Peter…well, I'm not completely sure he can even talk…Ah well.

Slightly less invisible,

Alexa Embers

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"Lily…I don't think…"

I watched as Alice tried to convince our lovely red-headed pal that the dress she was trying to slip on was, in fact, made for a nine year old. Of course, the top witch in our year hadn't quite noticed this little fact due to her boiling anger. Sigh. James really needs to back off a bit because when she gets mad, who has to deal with her?

Yeah, that's right; me. And I don't have the patience necessary to deal with it.

"Ack!"

I raised a brow, watching interestedly as Lily tipped off her bed and onto the floor. It was rather hysterical actually. You see, she had barely gotten the dress over half her torso and arms, so her long pale hands were sticking up out of the long black sleeves, her head hidden in the fabric when she fell. Also, her cry was muffled.

Her fall, however, was not.

"Oh dear, I tried to tell you," Alice fretted, gently pulling the dress off our friend. Unfortunately, everything was looking a bit blurry to me on account of the tears in my eyes brought on by the uncontrollable laughter racking my body. My covers began to slip off the bed as I laid back, roaring with laughter, holding my sides in an attempt to stop the sharp pains that accompanied my fit. The soft 'plop' of a pillow hitting the hard floor was barely heard as Lily sent me multiple death glares.

But really, what did she expect me to do? She's the one who, first, tried to fit into a dress made for a child, and two, is now parading around in her mismatching undergarments.

Really, whoever told her that a bright pink bra goes with a pair of Peter-Pan knickers needs to have some kind of brain-scan performed on them. I was very tempted to reach into my trunk and grasp my Wizard-Camera to snap the unforgettable moment in time. But I actually do value my life.

"Lily, what are you looking for?" I asked from my spot ten minutes later, glancing up from my potions book. She glared over at me but must have decided staying mad was too much of an effort because she just dropped the stink eyes and gave me a pleading look instead.

"Something to wear, of course! I have no clue what Daniel will be expecting and I don't want to appear too eager, you know? I just really want to—"

Whoa, wait, back UP!

"Wait! Who's Daniel?" I demanded my hands on my hips in a mock-irritated fashion. Lily didn't stop running around.

"My date for Hogsmeade." I almost let out a wistful sigh, but held it back at the last minute. I really did want to go; I have been there before, but only once, back in third year. It didn't turn out so well and I do not want a repeat of that incident.

"What? A date?"

I looked over at the door, watching Christy walk in to the dorm, positively glowing. Before Alice could ask, she announced, "Sirius and I are officially dating."

Gah.

I'm not sure what I can say at this point except the following: EvilwenchIhopeallyourhairfallsoutintheshowerandyougetranoverbytheKnightBus!

Whew. That…was a mouthful.

But I guess I'm not really surprised; it was bound to happen, sooner or later. It's like the cycle of life; Sirius will get his sights set on a certain girl, snog them a few times before 'popping the question', than you hear about the scandalous things the two do in broom cupboards (I actually think he keeps a record for the number of girls he's shagged, if I listened to James correctly), and, not three days later, you hear of a tearful breakup consisting of sobbing girls, annoyed Black's, and make-up sex with another girl. It always turns out the same.

And, although I am not fond of Christy (ack, evil WENCH!), I don't want to see her degrade herself over some playboy-of-a-male. I mean, yeah, I have a crush on him; have for the past year, but still…It doesn't mean I'd jump into bed with him the first chance I get.

I protect my innocence very strongly, thank you, and I will not lose it to just anyone.

And the mood has to be right. I've always had an odd fantasy to make love on a beach in the Bahamas.

…

…

I can not believe I just said that. Please, disregard that last statement.

The girls spent the next few hours giggling and talking and gossiping endlessly, Lily jumping around to get dressed. They were leaving at three o'clock and when Christy had walked in, it was about noon. When they left (finally!), it was just before their designated departure time, leaving me in the blissful silence of my room.

The relaxation lasted for maybe…oh, fifteen minutes. Then I saw it.

It was crawling on the window, its eight long legs moving slowly and creepily up the glass while the large black body of the spider moved in sync with the motions. To say the least, after gathering a few essentials, I darted out of the dorm and into the common room in ten seconds flat. I stood there, leaning against the wall, panting for several long seconds before I heard my name.

"Er…Lexi?"

I frowned and looked over at the couch. "James? What're you doing here? I thought you'd be at Hogsmeade."

The boy's usually cheery face darkened and he began to mutter under his breath as I walked over, plopping beside him on the red and gold emblazed couch. I raised a brow at his seemingly very angry mood, internally debating whether or not I should ask what's wrong.

He started rambling before I came to a decision.

"Lily turned me down this morning when I asked her to go with me, than I found out that Remus, Peter, and Sirius all have their own little lovelies to take! –PETER GOT A DATE BEFORE ME!- When I actually thought about tagging along, Sirius all but ripped me apart viciously, telling me how he needs 'alone time' with Christy—bloody bastard, as if he doesn't get enough alone time in the damn broom cupboards with her! Even Frank Longbottom got a date today! How incredibly upsetting is that?"

I blinked once…

Twice…

And three times before actually registering what he said. With a scowl, I grabbed a piece of folded parchment off the table and whacked him over the head with it. "You moron—lay off Lily for a while, eh? Because every bloody time you ask her out, I have to deal with her irrational temper!"

Rubbing his head with a small pout, he muttered something that sounded curiously like, "I see where she gets it from."

But I let it pass. The unoffending piece of parchment that I had so brutally used (sorry paper) to whack James was folded neatly, the clean surface staring back at me. I narrowed my eyes.

"AH! Where'd it go? I can't have lost it! Sirius will have my head and hang it above his mantle piece, the words 'Prongs Potter, the unreliable prat who—" James's voice suddenly stopped rambling and his annoying shuffling, too, stopped. I looked over at him, only to see his hazel eyes locked on the piece of parchment I was so conveniently holding. We stared at each other for a long moment.

It kinda felt like those old Western Movies, when two guys are staring each other down from across a real dusty town while one of those weed things just goes bouncing by. It's all tense and quiet, except for the weird music (which the characters can't hear, of course) until one of them goes, "This town ain't big enough for the two of us." And then they start shooting like crazy.

…

…Yeah…

ANYWAYS…

We continued to stare and, suddenly, we both leaped at the same time. He reached for me wildly, but I was too quick with my cat-like reflexes and jumped out of the way, running to the opposite side of the common room. Or, you know, that was my destination; unfortunately, I experienced some turbulence on the way, courtesy of a very out-of-place chair and ended up on the floor, face first.

Now I know why my parents didn't give me the first name 'Grace.'

"Ow! Damn it, stupid—GAH! Oof, James!"

Taking advantage of my moment of clumsiness, James decided to jump on me, reaching for the parchment. Really, how pathetic!

"Get off of me, Potter, before I hex you into oblivion!" I threatened, finally managing to throw off the boy. I leaped up and stood, brushing off my jeans while keeping a death grip on the seemingly important parchment. I held it up to my head, pointing at it. "Now, what's so important about this parchment?"

James crossed his arms tightly, sitting on the floor defiantly. "I can't tell you. You aren't a Marauder."

Oh, so he wants to play it that way? Ha. Fine. I walked away from James and back over to the couch.

"Alright, I guess you don't want it that bad. I'll just have to keep it," I stated nonchalantly, tucking it into my bag, clutching the sack close to me as I heard James rush over. He looked at me pleadingly.

"Aw, come on, Lexi! I need that!"

I grinned. "Nah, you don't need it. You want it. There is a difference there, James."

His hazel eyes scowled at me angrily, but I just grinned wider.

Hehe! I am so vindictive.

I'm not sure if that's a good thing, but whatever.

After another Western-stare down, James sighed heavily, slumping his shoulders in defeat. "Fine, fine, you win! But I need the map to show you what it is."

I frowned and looked at the blank paper. "It's…a map? You own a map?"

He laughed sarcastically. "Ha! Ha! You are so funny, Lexi."

I shrugged and handed the paper over, letting him unfold it carefully and put his wand to the cream-colored parchment. He mumbled something I didn't catch and, suddenly, black dots and lines and shapes appeared on the paper. I gasped and pulled James closer, staring at the newly revealed map.

It was a map of Hogwarts. The rooms and staircases and Hall's were outlined exquisitely, but that wasn't what surprised me. Small, labeled dots scurried around the surface, some unnaturally close to each other in cupboards and others moving hurriedly down different hallways. I gaped openly and snatched it from James, taking in the sight eagerly.

"Merlin's beard…James, did you make this?" I asked, astonished. My tone really was not helping his already inflated ego, but I didn't realize this until after I asked.

He puffed out his chest proudly and nodded, striking a pose while mussing his hair. I rolled my eyes and drank in the map, watching numerous dots move around the castle leisurely. "Wow…this is…incredible, really! Blood brilliant!"

He took the map back and touched his wand to the map, his mouth opening to say an incantation. But he suddenly stopped, hesitated, than turned to me, grinning madly. "Oi, Lexi…do you really want to stay here?"

I raised a brow. "Not particularly, but there's nothing—Wah!"

He grabbed my wrist and began to drag me away. I don't think he honestly notices my lack of coordination, but if there had been any doubt before, there sure as hell wasn't now! I very nearly stumbled several times, almost knocking James over four times, and rammed into walls at least nine. But he didn't seem to care; he just kept dragging me along.

Bloody idiot…

Finally, we came to stop at the One-Eyed Witch statue and he glanced at the map before touching the hump of the stone, muttering another spell which I had never heard off, and the hump popped open like a trunk on a muggle car. I blinked as James climbed in.

"Follow after me, okay?"

I was pretty much not capable of speech, so I just nodded instead. That's safe. And than he was gone. I heard the sound of sliding fabric, listening as it got farther and farther away until a soft 'crunch' was heard. "Alright, come on, than!"

I hesitated, biting my lip, before muttering, "Oh what the hell?" and jumping in after the boy.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"Holy Animagus! We're in Hogsmeade!" I exclaimed, crawling out of the tunnel and into the cellar of Honeydukes. James nodded, his grin wide and proud, before putting a finger to his lips, and tip-toeing up the steps. He was careful not to step on the creaky wood, avoiding boxes and such until he reached the door and opened it a sliver. He looked around than motioned for me to follow him.

I really did try to be sneaky. Honest. But, unfortunately, I have no stealthy genes in my whole body, so, naturally, I stepped on every creaky step. James kept glancing out of the door nervously, checking for anyone, but, luckily, nobody did.

Seeing as I'm not a very lucky person, it must've been James's luck that saved us from being caught. I mean, seriously, taking me on a sneaky outing is like wearing a neon sign on you neck with the words 'I'M BEING SNEAKY' flashing in bright colors. We entered the shop and quickly blended in with the crowd of students, pretending to be looking at different sweets before exiting. I laughed giddily.

"That was so much fun! I've never really snuck around before!"

James looked at me as if I had just declared I was shaving my head bald and joining a Cannibalistic Cult in South Africa. "Never? At all?"

I shook my head, my face turning a red color as I scuffed my feet on the pavement. "I've…well, I've never really had a reason to…" I muttered. James frowned, a crease forming between his eyes, so, not wanting to worry him, I grinned widely and waved my hand dismissively. "Ah, no worries! Let's go look for the others! Preferably Remus and Lily; I don't much feel like seeing Christy and Sirius welded together."

James grinned madly at the mention of Lily and nodded, grabbing my wrist and dragging me away…again. I rolled my eyes and just let him, smiling at a few (very very few) people I knew. The streets were overflowing with students and other people who were really too old to be considered students. Some of them were too old to be considered my grandparents. And, let me tell you, that's old.

After a few minutes of mindless dragging, I finally spoke up. "So, uh, James? Do you have any idea as to where Lily could be, exactly?"

He shook his head.

Well…that's just peachy! We have no clue where our target is, so now we're going to have to wander aimlessly. And I keep getting knocked into tall, obese people as James dragged me through the crowd relentlessly. Stupid big people.

I'm not quite sure if I've mentioned this, but I am remarkably short. Whereas most people my age are, at least, five-foot-two, I'm still stuck at four-eleven. I am so short; I could be considered one of Santa's little elves!

Or a house-elf…

Ohh…depressing thought, that is. I don't think I'm ugly enough to be a house-elf. But, than again…not many guys notice me among my peers…oh no! I LOOK LIKE A HOUSE-ELF!

…I should've just stayed in the castle. I can't be trusted among normal, average and beautiful people.

"EVANS! I found her! EVANS!" James cried out, breaking out into a run, releasing my hand (thank goodness). Unfortunately, that left shy, small me in the middle of a rambunctious, large crowd of strangers. I tried to see over the heads of the random people, trying to spot anybody I knew. I succeeded in ramming into a few people, who pushed me backwards, making me even more lost.

Goodness…stupid rude people…

Finally, after me tossed around like a freaking rag doll, I speed-walked (I am physically incapable of running without falling) into a store. Breathing a sigh relief, I opened my eyes, only to freeze.

Pink; it…was…everywhere. I stared, slack-jawed, at the inside of Madam Puddifoots Café, the paradise for lovey-dovey couples.

Oh dear…I just gagged.

My eyes scanned the tables frantically and, seeing as a lady called 'Fate' hates me with a burning passion, I saw two people I was hoping to avoid at all costs; Sirius and Christy were sitting in the back, kissing shamelessly, as usual. Also, I noted, Sirius's black button-up shirt was dangling off of one arm.

Hm.

I shook my head and whipped around, only to ram into a tall, broad chested-person. I'm pretty sure I made some kind of noise as I tumbled backwards, but I can't be 100% positive. As I prepared myself for the impact, I felt two strong arms stop me. I open my eyes and blinked rapidly four times, staring blankly at a boy I recognized from school. He smiled at me.

"Are you alright?"

It took me a few minutes to realize he was actually talking to me. "Me? Oh, yeah, I'm fine; peachy, even! I'm used to falling, you know, cause I'm pretty much a magnet for accidents and such and—"

I stopped talking and flushed a red color as the boy released me. I was about to run away and die in a hole when Mystery Boy knelt down to my eye-level and appraised me. I swallowed to the best of my abilities, only to realize it was tongue that was blocking my air-passages.

Un-swell, you damn muscle, you!

"Well, you seem alright…" the boy finally said. I blinked and nodded.

"I-uh-I said that."

Well, no shit.

He chuckled and grinned at me. "But, just to make sure, I think I should buy you something to eat."

My mind went blank except for one message: Is he flirting with me?

I looked around at the café, only to notice that most of peoples eyes were on us. I flushed brightly and looked at the door desperately. "Um…well, I mean, you don't have to, I'll be fine; you know, I actually didn't hit the ground, so yeah…uh…I'm just gonna shut up now."

He laughed again and grinned down at me, now standing at his normal height. "Who said I had to? Can't I buy you lunch because I want to?"

"Well, of course, but why in the world would you want to buy me lunch?"

"Why not?"

Huh. Good question. But I have a good answer!

"Because I'm invisible."

…

…

It sounded a whole lot better in my mind, really.

He raised a brow. "No, you're not. Well, not to me."

I ignored the collective 'aw's from the pansies in the room and blushed before whispering, "Yes, well, I am hungry. But I am not eating here." I glanced around at the couples making goo-goo eyes at each other for emphasis.

Mystery Boy laughed and looped his arm with mine, walking back out into the crowd. I gulped, but he kept a firm hold on me as we made our way to the Three Broomsticks.

I actually made it. How cool.

"OH! What's your name?" I finally asked as he held the door open for me. I smiled when the warm air hit me, whisking away the frigidness of outside. He led us over to a nice round table in the back, away from the large crowd of students.

"Blake Riley," he answered calmly, pulling out my chair. Aw…so gentlemanly.

"Alexa Embers," I replied before he walked off to fetch us some drinks and food. I took this time to check my breath, my hair, my bra (it comes unclasped, you see), and my armpits. Luckily, everything was in order; I didn't look too horrible and I didn't, in any way, stink.

Such good lu—Oh wait, I'm saying it! I'll jinx myself.

"LEXI! Gosh, there you are! I'm so sorry I lost you! I didn't mean to, honest!"

I looked over and grinned at James, who was staring at me pleadingly. "Don't worry about it, James; I found a friend, so it's all good."

He took an empty seat beside me and grinned, wiggling his brow. "A friend, eh? What kind of friend? A good friend or a funny friend or a—"

Gosh. Could he put any more emphasis on 'friend?'

"James," I laughed. "I just met him, alright! You know Blake Riley, right?"

"The Ravenclaw, playboy-wanna-be?"

I blinked and frowned. "He is not."

"Is too, Lexi."

"Do you want to know who's a playboy-wanna-be? Sirius Black, that's who; not Blake Riley."

James grinned at me again. "Sirius isn't a playboy wanna-be; he is a playboy. You aren't telling me something I don't already know, Lexi."

I rolled my eyes. Of course I'm not; I know that. I bit my lip, thinking about the boy. I'm really getting sick of pining over him when he, most obviously, isn't going to turn my way anytime soon, if at all. I should stop chasing after someone who isn't chasing me back; honestly, I need to get my first kiss already.

No, I haven't had my first kiss yet; get over it, you experienced kisser, you.

Blake Riley was the first guy, ever, to show any inkling of interest in me; I should grab him now, right?

Maybe if I ignore my feelings for the stupid Black, I can have a nice, happy relationship with Blake.

After all, I've never really tried to ignore my feelings for Black; if anything, I've been feeding them with my self-pitying and depressing thoughts of loneliness.

"Here you are Alexa." I looked up as Blake pushed through the crowd and set down a plate of steaming food, along with a butterbeer. I smiled at him widely and took a deep drink of my butterbeer, glancing at James meaningfully.

"Goodbye, James," I said, putting my glass down. He blinked, than grinned manically and hopped away. I rolled my eyes and turned back to Blake. "He's such an idiot."

"Is he your boyfriend?" Blake asked after a moment of hesitation. I choked on my drink and coughed until the drink had dislodged from my throat. I stared at him.

"Are you mad? Of course he isn't! We just became friends. Besides, he's in love with Lily," I snickered, shaking my head while taking one of the chips on the platter. Blake grinned widely and I finally began to appraise him. Well, his looks, anyway.

As I've already pointed out, he's tall; taller than Sirius and James, who's about five-four. I think Sirius is an inch or something like that, taller than James. Blake looked to be about five-six.

As I said, he's tall.

His skin was a deep-tan color which made his bright green eyes stand out. Beneath his shirt, I could see his very well-toned chest.

How sexy…I always liked a guy with muscles, but not, like body-builder muscles. Those are gross.

"What year are you, Blake?" I inquired curiously, bringing my eyes away from his chest and back up to his eyes. He smiled, his white teeth gleaming against his tan skin.

"I'm a sixth year; what about you, Alexa?"

I blushed. Really, I blush so easily, it's pathetic. "Oh…I'm a fifth year. But my mom says I'm mature for my age."

Blake threw his head back and laughed, making my face turn a deeper red color. But when he looked back at me, he didn't hold any look of mocking like I thought he would; he just looked amused by my comment.

Hey, I amuse a hot guy! How amazing is that?

"Do I amuse you?" I asked timidly. He chuckled and nodded, reaching over to grasp a piece of roast beef. I flushed again and turned to my glass of butterbeer, bringing it to my lips and taking a drink.

"I hope I didn't seem rude; it's just that I agree," he said, looking at me apologetically. I smiled back reassuringly, taking another chip and popping it into my mouth.

"No worries; so, what's Ravenclaw like?" I asked. And so the conversation began.

From the many pros and cons of Ravenclaw, we went to the many pros and cons of Gryffindor, to Quidditch (apparently Blake plays on the Ravenclaw team), to our studies, and than to ourselves. Apparently, he likes girls who are a bit more conservative than the ones who flaunt around like a band of merry whores, and doesn't like it when someone pretends to love someone, just to get them into bed.

Ah. Such a rare trait these days.

"Are you muggle-born?" he asked. I nodded, finishing off my butterbeer.

"Yeah, I am. It's odd, coming here for the year, than going back and acting like Hogwarts and Magic don't exist. It's also strange because now most of the neighbor kids my age are all smoking a drug called Marijuana. Or, they say they are, anyways; I don't think they do, but whatever."

Blake nodded. "Same here; I'm a muggleborn and I have the same problems with my muggle friends."

I glanced down at my watch and sighed, standing up. "Well, this was a lot of fun, really, but I need to study; I've got a test on Monday," I explained, frowning. It was later than I thought; almost five already. Blake looked a bit disappointed but stood up and gestured for me to go first.

Such a gentleman; another rare trait nowadays.

We walked back to the castle in a comfortable silence and halfway there he grabbed my hand softly, timidly. I flushed but allowed it; I would be an idiot not to.

Honestly.

A guy that's a year older than me, hot, and probably a hell of a lot smarter than I am likes me. Well, it seems like he likes me, so I'm going to say he does. It was nice to go to Hogsmeade without embarrassing myself like in third year when I had tried to talk with a group of girls my age.

They had, to say the least, told me to get lost and go hang out with the other misfits in the castle.

Jerks.

When we made it inside the castle and to the Great Hall, a group of boys waved over at us. I'm assuming they were waving at Blake, seeing as I have no clue who the hell they were.

"Alexa, I was just wondering if you wanted to maybe study together some day this week," he asked me, his eyes sparking with hope. I stared back, confused.

He was a whole year older than me. We wouldn't be studying the same thing. When I voiced my confusion, he grinned wider. "I know, but I want to spend some time with you."

OHHHH!

I understand the error of my ways now.

"O-oh! Uhm, you mean, li-like a…date?"

He grinned again. "If that's okay with you, of course."

I stood there for a second before sense drop-kicked me and I nodded vigorously. "Sure, yeah, yes, yes, I would like to."

He laughed and leaned down, gently kissed my cheek, and ran over to his friends, waving at me happily. I stood there, shocked, before breaking into a stupid grin and practically skipping to the common room.

Metaphorically, of course; I am also physically incapable of skipping without injuring myself in some way. When I reached the Fat Lady, she appraised me with a grin.

"Well, aren't we happy today?"

Yes, we are, I almost replied, but instead I repeated the password and rushed through the portrait hole, looking around, making sure I was alone, before jumping onto the couch. Laughing, I twirled around and continued to jump.

My luck didn't last too long.

I misjudged where the edge of the couch was and my leg hit open air. Long story short, I screamed and toppled off the couch and onto the floor with a loud thud. I laid there for a moment, breathing heavily, before I finally decided to try and stand up.

Ha…bad idea.

I yelped and fell back down as I tried to put some weight on my right ankle, which, when I inspected it, was twisted at a very odd angle. With a sigh, I lifted my wand into the air, summoned my first-aid kit and waited for it to float down the stairs.

I didn't have to wait too long, like usual. Once it reached me, I popped open the cover and pulled out a murky liquid in a vial, wrinkling my nose in distaste.

Really, that broken-bone potion is pretty disgusting. It kind of tastes like that liquid medicine my mom used to make me take when I was a kid. I uncorked the vial, plugged my nose, and tipped the liquid into my mouth, swallowing it hurriedly, shaking my head to rid myself of the nasty taste.

How sad is it when you are so clumsy, you're prepared with a bone-mending potion in a first-aid kit?

I'll tell you how sad it is; very sad. Almost tragic, really.

I looked up as the portrait swung open and voices reached my ears before the people came into view. Lily stopped arguing with James to look down at my on the ground. I smiled shyly back.

"Hey…" I muttered, placing the empty bottle into my first aid kit and sending it back up into my room. Lily rushed over to me and dropped beside me.

"What did you do?"

I grinned back meekly and shrugged. "I fell; broke my ankle, I think. But I'm okay; I used the last of that bone-mending stuff you made for me."

Lily sighed and shook her head before gesturing to my feet. I pointed at the left one and she gently turned it, emitting a loud crack, which made me wince, and placing it back into its original position.

"How'd you fall?" James asked, plopping down on the couch. My face flushed a dark red and I looked down at my lap, thinking of something I could say. Lily came to rescue, thankfully.

"She lost her balance, you idiot. How else does she fall?" she snapped, successfully shutting James up. I looked up and smiled at Lily, glancing behind her to see Remus talking animatedly with a pretty black-haired girl. I looked from them to Peter and a small pudgy Hufflepuff girl who was sitting beside him at one of the wooden tables made for studying.

Huh…James wasn't lying when he said Peter got a date.

Unsurprisingly, I didn't see Sirius or Christy anywhere.

"Let me guess, Christy and Sirius are having some fun in a broom cupboard somewhere?"

James rolled his eyes and nodded while Lily snorted loudly. I smiled and drifted into comfortable conversation with the two polar opposites, laughing and joking around like we've been good friends for years and years. I hardly noticed when Sirius and Christy returned, her skirt on backwards and her face flushed while Sirius looked perfectly in order, except for his tussled hair and the light pink on his cheeks.

I noticed, but not as much as I would have before today.

I glanced back at James and Lily, only to see Lily practically sitting on the arm rest to get away from James. I laughed.

"Down boy, I don't think she's interested," I said, patting James head softly. He stared at me with large puppy dog eyes and sat down on the ground next to me, laying his head in my lap. I laughed again, a blush spreading across my face.

"Look what you did, Lily; you hurt his feelings!"

Lily rolled her eyes and gave a mock apology.

Honestly, when are these two going to realize they're made for each other? Or, rather, when is Lily going to realize they're made for each other?

"Lexi?"

I looked up and smiled at Alice who was walking over, grinning madly. My smile faded until I staring at her accusingly.

What the hell could she be up to?

…

…

…Nope, I got nothing. Alice isn't the plotting type.

"There's a boy outside, waiting for you. I think he said his name was Blake…" she announced. I grinned widely and gently pushed James off my lap, hopping up to my feet and rushing over to the portrait hole.

"Who's Blake?" I heard Lily ask before I walked into the corridor. My grin widened when I saw Blake standing there, fidgeting.

Aw!

"Hiya Blake! What's up?" I asked. He walked over to me and looked at me, concern etched into his face.

"Remus came down to the library a little while ago and said you broke your ankle! Are you okay? Shouldn't you be in the hospital wing?"

I laughed and waved away his worries. "Don't worry, Blake; as I have already explained, I have meetings with the floor fairly often and I was ready. I took a potion that mended my bones, so now I'm all better! See?" I picked my foot off the ground and twirled it around, trying to balance myself on one foot.

I realize now that it was a bad idea. I didn't know it at the time though and suddenly, I found myself pitching forward until I fell against Blake's chest for the second time that day. With an intense blush, I pulled away, grinning up at him shyly.

He smiled. "Yes, I'm starting to realize just how uncoordinated you are."

I shrugged and laughed nervously. "That's me."

"So, do you want to study on Monday?"

I looked up at him and smiled widely, nodding. "Yeah, definitely! We just can't do it on Wednesday for Friday," I told him. A crease formed between his eyebrows.

"I have detention."

Suddenly, the crease was gone and his eyebrows had risen in shock. "You?"

"Yep," I answered, popping the 'p'. Shaking his head, he leaned down and kissed my cheek again, lingering a while.

"I'm really beginning to look forward to getting to know you better, Alexa," he told me with a wink before walking back to Ravenclaw Tower. I stood there, shocked, before I turned around, muttered the password, and stumbled into the common room. Alice and Lily were there in an instant, asking me a million questions.

It took a couple of minutes before I could hope to speak properly. If I had tried to speak right away, all that would come out would probably be 'woh woh-woh woh' like on the old Charlie Brown specials.

"I have an actual date on Monday," I said, my face stretching into that now-overused grin.

Really, I've grinned more today than I have in my whole life.

"A date! Come on, we have to pick something out for you to wear," Lily exclaimed before dragging me away and up the stairs.

Despite the looming hell of outfits and make-up, I was grinning like an idiot for the rest of the night.

I'm such a dork. But that's okay; a hot guy likes me, so my dorkiness is now acceptable.

I really wasn't aware of the drama that my life would become in the next few weeks.

Sigh.

Love. It's like lightning; you get struck once and, baby, it kills.

-Anonymous