Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, as it is the property of JKR

Chapter 12

Lena awoke the next morning in an unfamiliar room with an aching head.

She sat up and swing her feet to touch the ground, and realised as she looked around that this was the room of requirements. But why was she there?

' Ah,' a voice said,' you're up.'

' Remus,' moaned Selena,' what are you doing here? Why am I here? '

Remus was busy pouring her a drink of something from a nearby shelf, and smirked at her words,' You don't remember what you did last night? ' he asked.

Lena accepted the drink from him and took a sip, knowing that it was some sort of potion for her headache - an hangover, she knew, from experience.

Her splitting headache evaporated, and she sighed as she remembered where she had been last night.

' James and I went to Hogsmede,' Lena told him.

' Yes, you did,' Remus told her in disapproval,' and you got horribly drunk.'

' So how'd I end up here? ' she asked,' the last thing I remember is leaving the basement of that place ... and ... Oh My God. '

Remus raised his eyebrows in question,' I kissed James last night,' came the answer to his unspoken question.

Remus merely smirked,' I know,' he replied cooly.

' I am such an idiot,' she whined,' why? Why, why, why, why, why? '

Remus' features softened and he shook his head,' You know, I think you're making too big a deal out of this. You got drunk and made a mistake. James won't mind. '

Lena sighed, ' This is going to make things so awkward! Hold on ... why am I in here though?'

Remus rolled his eyes,' Well, since we aren't allowed up the girls staircase, we couldn't get you back to the room. You and he came back making loads of noise, and woke me up so when I came to see what was going on, and James explained, we decided to bring you here. '

Lena nodded slowly, running it through her mind,' Yes, yes. Sirius will never know, he'll just think I was in my own bed. And Molly and Alice ... I'll tell them I fell asleep in the common room. But why isn't James here - why you? '

Remus shrugged,' Well, we brought you here, and decided it would be best if I stayed for cover stories in the morning. When Sirius awoke one of us would be away - in here with you. It would be easier it that were me, because it would be more believable if I was up early, than he, so he went back to the dormitory and I slept over there in the corner. '

Lena sighed,' Oh God, Sirius would kill me for sneaking out and getting drunk.'

' It's not as if he's not done it himself,' shrugged Remus.

Lena shook her head,' I know - but me and James sneaking out alone together ... hows that going to look? And James is avoiding me already! '

' You know, we ought to be getting to breakfast,' Remus pointed out,' Sirius will be up soon for his own breakfast. We need to make it there before him to convince him that we both merely awoke early. '

Lena nodded and minutes later they were sat down at the table.

When Peter, James and Sirius sat down at the table 15 minutes later, James was keen to avoid his best female friends eyes, and made only the slightest conversation with her. No one really noticed this though, because they were all speaking about that night's match.

During Charms -where Flitwick had insisted that the seating arragements be boy-girl all the way around the room, leaving Lena sat beside James - she decided it was time to adress the matter.

She brushed his forearm with her fingertips and asked,' So, are we cool about last night? '

' Let's just not mention it, shall we? ' he asked - an odd look on his face - kind of like .. hurt?

' What's wrong?' she asked,' friends don't shut other friends out.'

He sighed,' That's just it ... friends. '

Before she could ask what he meant, Flitwick had dived off into some long lecture, giving her no chance to speak to him.

For the rest of the day, there was no time for them to be alone together.

After the last class of the day, Selena didn't speak to the marauders, but went off with Alice and Molly.

At dinner, she entered the Great Hall intending to sit with the girls, only to be called over by Sirius - Sirius who she could never successfully hide much from, and had to get along wit since he was the only thing who had always been there for her - well, almost.

She sat between he and Peter, opposite Remus and James.

' Looking forward to the match, sis? ' Sirius asked, punching her shoulder lightly.

' Sure,' she said, throwing on a smile,' we'll slaughter those Slytherins.'

' I can't wait to show up our darling younger brother,' Sirius commented.

' What tiem do we have to be down there for? ' Lena asked, looking in the direction of James but refusing to adress him.

James cleared his throat and looked straight at Sirius,' The match starts at 6.30 so I want everyone down there for 6. In fact -what time is it? 5.30 ... oh, I'm going now, go over tactics and stuff.'

As she watched him go, Lena noted someone poking her arm and looked to her left into the eyes of her protective brother.

' What's going on? ' Sirius asked her.

' Nothing,' she replied quietly,' I'm going to go and .. I don't know, warm uo, or something.'

' You've not eaten much, though' Peter said timidly.

She stood up,' I'm not hungry.'

Sirius frowend as she walked off, ' She's going to warm up for a match that's not occuring for another hour, on an empty stomach. What's wrong with her? '

Remus looked a little guilty, but kept quiet.

' What? ' asked Sirius, suspiciously noting this look.

Remus tried to look innocent.

' I'm going to talk to her then,' Sirius decided.

When his two friends also stood up, he shook his head and pointed at the table,' I'll go alone.'

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lena was sat on her favourite window seat in the common room, knees curled up to her chest, wehn the portrait hole flew open rather loudly, and in came Sirius.

He strode over and stopped in front of her, following her line of vision, out of the large bay window to the quidditch pitch.

He sunk down beside her and draped his arm around her shoulder,' What's wrong, Selena? ' he asked.

' Oh, Sirius,' she sighed, using his shoulder as a cushion and leaing against it,' it's all messed up, and I don't know what to do.'

' Is this about James? What's he done? ' Sirius demanded.

' It was my fault really,' she insisted, having decided it was best to just tell him the whole thing and be done with it, ' we snuck out last night and went to Hogsmede. We were in the cellar of The Three Broomsticks, and I got awfully drunk.'

Sirius eyes bulged out of their sockets,' He took you out and got you drunk? '

' No, no, calm down, it was all my fault and he was the perfect gentleman. You see, I kissed him. '

Sirius' face blackened,' My best friend snogged by little sister.'

' No! You're not listening god dammit! '

That tone in her voice certainly made him listen to her.

She continued,' I kissed him when he was trying to help me get back safely. He pushed me off, and now I've ruined our friendship and made it all awkward and he's not speaking to me. '

By now her eyes were welling up with tears, and as James filled her mind, Sirius - not knowing what to do with crying females - settled for hugging her tightly, and whispering death threats to James in her ear, trying to make her laugh.

It didn't make her laugh, because she pushed him off and asked him,' What am I going to do? '

' It'll all work out,' Sirius promised her,' just talk about it with him, and if that doesn't work, I'll talk to him.'

' I'm sorry,' Lena sighed, leaning against her brother for support,' I can't believe I just got all weepy over it. I don't even know why it affected me so much, it's just stupid.'

Sirius now sighed, brushing her hair out of her face and looking into her matching eyes carefully,' Look,' he said slowly,' don't take this the wrong way, but I've watched you around him for the last 7 years, and you're different when he's around. It's different from how you are with Peter, or Remus, or even me. Do you think that maybe ... '

' Maybe what? ' she asked wide eyed.

Sirius looked sheepish.

She gasped,' No way - he's just my friend. Good friend. No way, Sirius. Where did you come up with this? '

' It was something Remus said to me a few days ago. But if you're sure ...'

' I'm sure,' she vowed.

But was she?