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

Chapter 16

After buying dresses, the 5 girls went on to buy shoes, handbags, hair accessories, jewellrey and the like, until by the time they had finished, and had an ice cream sundae from the new parlour that had opened, the day was over.

Molly, Alice, and Lena bid goodbye to Maria first as she left for her common room, near the kitchens, and then Lauren, as she left for her common room in West Tower.

In the common room as Molly, Alice and Lena passed through, James, Remus, Sirius and Peter were sat on their favourite sofas.

' What did you buy? ' James called over curiously.

' Never you mind,' replied Lena playfully.

' Don't worry James, she looks beautiful,' Alice assured him, not seeing the glare of warning the girls in queston was sending her, and continuing,' she's a date fit for a prince, so I think she'll do fine for a captain such as yourself. '

Lena responded by shoving Alice forward towards the staircase and hurrying her up it, along with Molly, cursing her friend for being so thoughtless. Meanwhile Remus had understood Alice's meaning at once, and his head swiveled sharply towards James. James looked at his friend sheepishly.

' You haven't ..? ' Remus asked, trailing off, though the meaning was clear.

' Haven't what? ' asked Sirius in confusion, looking between a sheepish, guilty James, and a knowledgeable looking Remus. Peter looked equally bewildered.

James sighed,' Look, Padfoot mate, we need to talk.'

Before he could say anymore, Lena came hurrying down the staircase, calling,' James! '

When her eyes met his, they both looked guiltily at Sirius.

' We need to talk, bro,' Lena told Sirius,' upstairs, maybe? ' she added, looking towards the stone steps that led to the boys dormitories.

Sirius frowed,' What the hell is going on here? ' he asked as he followed her in to his own bedroom.

Lena took a deep breath, glanced between James and her brother, and settled her gaze on Sirius, looking into his eyes and deciding to just come out with it and get it over with.

She cleared her throat, ' I've been seeing someone for about a month now, and I'm not sure how you'll react, but he means a lot to me ... so much to me ... and I don't want me and you to fall out about this.'

She let it hang in the air for a moment, expecting him to ask who she was seeing.

He didn't ask, but looked from her to his best friend and simply said,' You.'

James nodded mutely, feeling suddenly quite scared of his best friend - something he had never felt towards him before.

' Please don't be angry,' pleaded Lena, pulling out the big baby eyes which made him melt if he looked at her for too long.

Instead he focused on James, crossing his arms over his chest in a move which he meant to be intimidating, and taking a few steps forward until he was almost nose to nose with his best friend.

James didn't flinch away. Not because he wasn't scared, but because he knew what Sirius was trying to do - knew Sirius was testing him, to test his strength, and his power.

Sirius studied him for a moment before backing off and looking him up and down,' So, Potter, how do you feel about my little sister? '

If this were a less serious situation, James would have laughed at Sirius adressing him by his surname. As it was however, he told Sirius,' Selena means so much to me, and there's no one I care about more than I care about her. I've liked her for a while now, and if I'm being honest, there's being some of those feelings there for the past few years.'

' Would you ever hurt her? ' demanded Sirius, his face grave.

Lena rolled her eyes - what a stupid question. James was hardly going on answer "Oh yes, of course".'

James smiled softly, as he knew what his girl friend was thinking, but answered the query all the same,' Of course not. I could never hurt her.'

Sirius was impressed by the answers but threw one last question in.

' Do you love her? ' he asked.

James nodded,' I do,' he turned to Selena,' I do,' he repeated.

Sirius smiled, ' Then I suppose I can give my permisson to this,' he sighed, sounding exasperated, though his smile betrayed him.

Lena sqeualed and threw herself at her brother, embracing him tightly.

' You're the best! ' she exclaimed with glee.

' I know,' he sighed, with an shrug, before sobering up and telling the pair,' but I have one ground rules. '

' Anything,' Lena nodded,' we're just so glad that you agreed.'

Sirius nodded, satisfied,' I don't want to see you two ... kissing and stuff ... in front of me.'

' Agreed,' they chorused.

Sirius smiled now that that was done and James had a question for his best friend,' There's something I don't get - she's your sister and I'm your best mate ... it's forbidden territory,why aren't you threatening to murder and castrate me? '

' Because you're my best friend,' Sirius explained,' you're the person I trust most in the whole world, and there's no one I'd be happier to see her with than you. If this were Peter, or even Remus, it would be a completely different story. But if you mess her about, I won't hesistate to murder and/or castrate you. '

' Of course,' nodded James before turning back to Lena,' are you coming back downstairs? ' he asked, offering out his hand.

She smiled apologetically and shook her head,' You go on ahead, I have some things to say to my brother.'

James nodded in understanding and walked out of the room, shutting the door behind him self.

Lena looked from the direction her boy friend had left in to the place her brother was stood, watching her with a satisfied sort of smirk.

' What are you smirking at? ' she asked him, punching his shoulder playfully as she got close enough.

' I told you so,' he said, his smirk growing more infuriating by the second.

' Yeah, you did,' she said,' and I'm suprised you took it so well. I was really worried. And James was terrified - he really thought you were going to kill him.'

' Nah,' Sirius dismissed,' I might have threatened to kill him if he hurt you, but that's standard brother-sister's boyfriend stuff.'

' I don't see Regulus doing that,' Lena pointed out.

' Yeah, well Regulus is a tosspot, isn't he? ' Sirius retorted.

' Thank you,' she said softly.

' For calling our eejit of a younger brother a tosspot? ' he frowned.

' No! For not killing my new boyfriend. It means a lot to me. He means a lot to me. He's different to the ones I've been out with before. It means so much that you accept us as a couple.'

Sirius shrugged modestly,' Yeah, well, it wasn't too much of a suprise, really. Like I said a few weeks ago - I've seen how you are together, and I've never seen you happier than you are when you're with him.'

' Thank you,' she repeated.

He smirked,' And besides, in the past few years, when I realised that he wasn't just my best friend, he was yours too, and when I saw the idiots you kept dating, I hoped you'd go for someone who was right for you. Someone like James.'

' You've been ... waiting ... for me to get it together with James? ' she asked accusingly.

Sirius grinned sheepishly, ' Well, James would make a good brother in law.'

' I'm not thinking that far ahead,' she scolded him.

' Like hell you're not,' he joked.

She hit him lightly again,' Moving on from my blossoming love life,' she continued,' what about Lauren Davies? '

' What about her? ' shrugged Sirius, trying to sound unaffected, though a smile crept in there.

' She came shopping with us today for the ball,' Lena told us,' 'Us' being myself, Molly, Alice, and Maria. She's very nice. I like her.'

' And you're telling me this why? ' Sirius asked, raising his eyebrows.

' Because I think she's perfect for you,' his sister told him,' she's different to the blonde bimbo airheads you've used for the physical side of it all. She'd be good for you.'

' Well,' Sirius smirked,' as a matter of fact, I too, happen to think that she might be different.'

Hope flashed in Lena's eyes - she hoped that he might finally find someone good for him so he could stop being such a playboy,' So, are you going to actually ask her to be your girlfriend.'

' Possibly,' he shrugged.

' Sirius,' she whined.

' Ah shut up and get out of here,' he told her,' or I might take back my very generous stance on your relationship.'

She was out of there like a flash.