Author's Note: Sorry I haven't updated in over a week. But with Graduation and enjoying the first week of summer, I just have not had time to update. Also, found this really good book series by Julia Quinn. (This is admittedly the real reason that I have not updated. I just love her books.)

So why don't I just stop talking and get on with the chapter.

Charmed Love: Chapter 4

September 8

Herbology

My teachers must be trying to murder me with schoolwork. I was expecting to have to really work this year, but I was not expecting to become a slave to my homework. Really, I swear that I have never been given this much homework at one time. Well, now that I think about it, I did have this amount before I took the OWLs, but that was mostly self-inflicted. Have you ever noticed that when one does something to oneself that it is never as horrible as when you have no choice in the matter? But really this is my homework load.

Charms- Write a 22 centimeter essay on why being able to cast a successful memory charm can be useful.

Transfiguration- Be able to change a bird into a cat without any mistakes, such as correct length in whiskers and appropriate meowing sounds for a quiz in two days time.

History of Magic- Write a summary essay on Lucifer McClain, and about how his discovery of self-flying kites is useful in the early development of children.

Potions- Write and 32 centimeter essay on the properties, ingredients, the possible risks, and side effects of the Polyjuice Potion.

Ancient Runes- Translate all of pages 425-431

Herbology- Write a persuasive essay on why the use of Spiral Mimbletonia should be used universally as the sure for the sniffles.

It was an unbelievably long day. The kind of day where you check the clock on the wall behind you every five minutes hoping that if you look at it enough time that the time will pass quicker. Charms and Potions were actually enjoyably given my unnatural talent in them. And also maybe the fact that Professor Slughorn must absolutely love me. I think that in his eyes I must be able to do no wrong. I am really good at it, but he always seems more impressed by me than he would someone else.

Transfiguration and Herbology were tolerable. I am not extremely talented in either, but I am still near the top of the class which makes it fine in my book. It is just that in Transfiguration I always seem to be plagued by my clumsiness more than everywhere else.

History of Magic is just excruciatingly boring. It actually feels like it would be more fun to shoot a flaming arrow at my own foot. At least that would provide entertainment. I suppose that I should not be so harsh though, because when you teacher is a bloody ghost there is not much that you can expect. Personally, I believe, that he proved that someone can actually die from boredom.

Ancient Runes was an absolute horror. I swear on all that I hold dear and holy that Professor Smittey has it out for me. I keep up with my work and pay attention, (which is more than I could say about some people) but I can never seem to please her.

I also really lucked out and my friends are in all of my classes. Alice or Beth is in all of my classes with me. And I was really surprised to see James Potter in a lot of my classes too. But in all fairness I am more surprised that that knowledge had not created a pit of apprehension in my stomach. I guess that my feelings have changed for good. He is in every single class with me except for Herbology, but I have that class with his best friend, Sirius Black.

Speaking of James and seeing him a lot, I noticed something weird about him that I never remembered before, or at least never cared to notice. His hair always stands up in the back. He does run his hands through it a lot, but that is not it exactly it either. I suspect that even without his hands, his hair is quite unmanageable. It also seemed darker than usual, but maybe that just had to do with the stark contrast between his pearly white shirt and his jet black hair.

Bloody hell, I just realized that I must have been staring at that boy again. I have known him for, what, six years, and I can still flat out stare at him. But unfortunately that is the only possible explanation because I can remember exactly how his hair looks.

And to make it worse, whenever he looked over at me he would catch me looking at him. And then because he is James Potter he has to go and smile and wink at me. This, of course, made me blush a deep scarlet and look away really fast. When I finally felt my cheeks cool I would look over again, and I would find him looking at me. His lips would appear nonexistent as if he were trying not to smile; his eyes were sparkling, too.

Herbology, my one class without James, is going as I expected it would, hard to pass the time without him there to help pass the time. I know what you are thinking. You fancy James. No, I don't. He is just interesting to watch. Sigh….huh Sirius Black just asked if I want to be his partner. I thought it over. Well I guess if he is half as nice as James is this year… "Fine, you can be my partner."

"Brilliant, Evans. Okay this is the Spiral Mimbletonia lab. It says in the book that the first thing to do is to cut off all the blue flowers." Sirius said while looking over into my open book. I reach over to pick up the knife and start slicing off all the blue flowers.

"It says that we should chop off the flowers at the base of the petals while being careful not to prick ourselves on the needles because they are poisonous." As I said that last bit as my stomach did an uncomfortable turn. Ugh, poisonous needles, exactly what I needed. Knowing my luck I will probably just touch the damn plant I'll get stuck in the finger. Ha, I thought to myself, just like the muggle story of Sleeping Beauty. I wonder who my Prince Philip would be to come to my rescue….

"I'll take care of that." Sirius said very quickly pulling me from my daydreams. "We wouldn't want the Head Girl to go missing in action all because of a Herbology assignment." He said as he smirked at me. I guess being on the infamously clumsy list does have its benefits. People don't tempt fate when dealing with you.

We finished the rest of the lab like that. It was a nice comfortable routine that I could definitely learn to enjoy. Which I guess is a good thing because now that I am friends with James, I will probably be spending some time with the Maurders. That is what they call themselves, The Maurders. Remus, Peter, Sirius, and James or Mooney, Wormtail, Padfoot, Prongs respectively. That is what they call one another. No one understands the nicknames, but everyone knows them. It probably is some secret between them.

"So, since we are done with the lab, I wanted to ask you something." Sirius said looking at me in a very direct manner.

"Sirius, you can ask me anything. I don't promise an answer to your question, but you can ask anything." I teased him, doing my best to hide my curiosity. I wonder what Sirius could want to know. I thought to myself.

"Well, I don't want to pry into your personal life. But I have to know what you have done to Prongs because he is acting very strange. If I didn't know him better, and didn't place stock in his sanity, I would not care. But I caught him smiling at his breakfast plate this morning, and when I asked him what was up. He just looked at me and said with this strange glint in his eye "Lily Evans." So I just wanted to know what you could have done to his brain." Sirius said in a way that said that I was stupid if I refused to give him his desired information.

So I said "Well, my friendship with James Potter is not exactly classified as personal information. However, I don't have any more insight as to why James is acting that way than you do." And I truly did mean it, because I honestly have no idea as to why he might have been thinking about me. I know that I think about him a lot, but that is beside the point right now.

"That is all the information that I needed, and if you honestly don't understand why he is in a daze. I am not going to be the one to tell you what is going on here. That is something for Prongs and you to work out for yourselves." Sirius said while looking at me with a look of suppressed knowledge.

"It is time to go, students. Don't forget about your assignment. See you tomorrow." Professor Sprout said while all the students started shoving their books into their bags.

"See you tomorrow, Lily."

"See you then, Sirius." As I thought about what he meant about James and Me working something out. Because when he said it, he made it sound like something really dirty. But, then again, that is Sirius Black for you.

Authors Note: Hope you enjoyed this chapter. I might be updating more frequently since school is out, but I make no promises.

Please leave a comment or suggestion.

Love Allison