DOESN'T HE KNOW YOU HAVE A BOYFRIEND?!
Oh my good Merlin… I'm back! I told you I was depressed. Actually, still am. I dunno why… sometimes the meaninglessness of it all just hits me hard. Today, as a matter of fact, I broke down and splashed every damnation on a piece of paper… it's up in fictionpress right now, actually. Well, it just so happens that I have a real-life's dementor living in my house. You know, the one that sucks out your soul until you're left with nothing but thoughts that you're never gonna be good enough. (too thin, too fat, too short, too tall, hair too frizzy, teeth too crooked, skin very unsightly – you know, when sometimes, you think to yourself, "Oh good Lord, you're ugly! How dare you show your face in the light!") That's why, by God! I really need to move out. Just need to find the proper job to pay for that kind of option. Where? Where? Where? Can I do anything that has nothing (absolutely nothing!) to do with accounting? Because I'm sick and tired of being connected to the Association of Professional Killers-Through-Boredom. It also kills its members you know – with the massive biological warhead that is boredom of course. And my relatives just absolutely adore announcing the unexciting fact that I'm a CPA. Goodness, I bet half of the people they told that to do not really know what a CPA is. And I don't really care. Just don't ask me about it because I am definitely going to break. "I'm an effing accountant! Do you actually believe that there's an interesting bone in my body?!"
Now, enough of that and on to the much long delayed Chapter Two of my story. See, it's still here. I'm still alive. Finally got my act together and wrote instead of worked. Hahaha!!! I'm bonkers.
But of course, I'd like to give a thank-you to the people who kept on reading (and reviewing of course). Hi there… hope you haven't lost your patience…
hproksmyworld
Aspiring Shieldmaiden
Lily Natalia Evans
jaizar black
blue
mutsumi -- alright, I've updated… now you have to post all those one-shots you've been writing… hahaha…
Sydelle (2x) -- no, I haven't given up… just hibernated for a while… hehe…
x- marTiNi aDdiCt –x
aN iLligitimaTe LovE cHiLd
BlackDog84
So, since Book 6 has been released and obviously I've started Oblivious before Book 5 and then started Curtain Calls right where Oblivious finished, there would be inconsistencies with the present canon. But, anyway, if you're a sport about it… you'll realize it's fanfiction, right? And by the way, JK Rowling – only the richest author in the magical land! – she's the one who owns Harry Potter. Just borrowing some characters for the story.
when you can't quite match your clothes... when you laugh at your own jokes... that's when i love you... i love you more than you know... -- aslyn, "that's when i love you"
~*~*~*~
CHAPTER TWO: Two Boys and a Girl
Trunks short of turning over like they were having a certain kind of riot on their own woke up Sirius so early in the day. Well, at least to him, a quarter to eight still belonged to the ungodly hours when he wasn't supposed to be disturbed. He tried to ignore the uprising of wooden chests until a piece of a rather questionable undergarment landed right on top of his face – his precious precious face…
James stopped rummaging the entire contents of his trunk when he noticed a shadow hovering him. He turned around to see his very disgruntled best friend carrying a pile of his clothes – with the dirty piece of laundry that landed on his nose a few seconds ago.
James stood and looked at Sirius and with an innocent expression on his face said, "What?"
Sirius dropped the clothes at James' feet. "'What'?" he said, scratching his head. "What are you doing making a riot so early in the morning?" he asked, looking around and seeing the dormitory's floor covered with clothes. Now that wasn't really James' fault; that was very normal – only this time, there were more of them on the floor since James started his trunk-raid that morning. "Remus'll have a fit with the mess you made."
"Since when did anyone around here care about order?" James replied as he continued his undying search for something Sirius still couldn't figure out. "And it's not early in the morning. As you may have noticed, everyone in Hogwarts has been up and about for the last half an hour."
Sirius scanned the room and agreed that apparently, they were the only two people left in it. Remus and Peter had already gone down to the Great Hall for breakfast or somewhere… the point was they had already been 'up and about.'
"Aha!" James exclaimed and then walked past Sirius. Apparently, he had found what he was looking for.
"A pair of trousers?" Sirius dared to ask when James picked them up from the floor beside his bed.
"They're my favorite trousers."
"Your 'favorite' trousers?" a disbelieving Sirius said. Since when did James have a favorite pair of pants that looked like what the other four hundred boys in school were wearing every day? Then, he noticed that James only had on his underwear; and looked around and saw an unmistakably nicely hanged school robe by James's bed. "And I suppose that's your favorite robe over there. Your favorite shirt –" he teased, pointing at the very white undershirt that his friend had on "– and your favorite boxers, too!"
A glare started from James' eyes directly towards Sirius. He opened his mouth to defend himself but changed his mind and just waved Sirius off then put on his pants.
Just then, a smile formed mischievously on Sirius' face. "Oh, I get it! You're trying to be all groomed and handsome for your girlfriend!" He walked closer and reached for James' cheeks saying, "But you're already so cute!"
James slapped away Sirius' hands. "Ha. Ha. Very funny," he said, smirking. "Just go back to bed."
Considering the situation, Sirius looked at James hard until he managed to give him a very uncomfortable stare. "There's no going back to sleep for anyone who has seen this vision…" he said and then strutted towards the bathroom while James – who ignored him – was yet looking for something else again.
"Hey," Sirius called from the bathroom. "Are these your favorite socks?" he said, holding them up.
"Yeah," James replied, getting up from under one of the beds. He was halfway towards the bathroom when he noticed that Sirius was slowly closing the door. "Don't even think about it." He made a run for it but all that greeted him was the door slammed shut on his face. "Hey!" he called as he tried to turn the knob that was apparently very much locked. "Open up!"
No reply came from inside. James could hear Sirius turn on the shower to block away his voice… and worse, he started singing his heart out. "I… don't remember what day it was. I… didn't notice what time it was. All I know is that I fell – in – love – with – you. La la la la…"
James knocked harder on the door. He obviously needed those pair of socks. He tried reaching for his wand but as he looked at the bedside table where he left it, it was gone – Sirius must've nicked it while he was busy looking under the beds. "Oh you're such a pain in the arse!" He exclaimed in vain as Sirius sang louder in the shower.
"And if all my dreams come true…! I'LL BE SPENDING TIME WITH YOU! OH… I LOVE YOU MORE TODAY THAN YES-TER-DAY! But not as much as to…mo…rrow…"
* * * * *
Lily and Toni were eating their breakfast at the Gryffindor table quietly – of course, since James and Sirius weren't there yet because Sirius was still singing in the shower while James was cursing him to choke on soap. Peter, on the other hand, was sitting next to Cherie Walker at the Ravenclaw table. While Remus was still nowhere to be seen. And Vince was waiting for Kiara when they left the common room.
It was another normal breakfast until…
"That Arithmancy exam yesterday was excruciatingly difficult, don't you think?" A boy, who looked like he materialized straight from a magazine, sat beside Toni and smiled.
At her surprise, Toni turned to him and muttered, "Uh…" while flashing an utterly confused face. She turned to Lily, who was looking puzzled herself, and then turned back to the boy. "Who are you?" she said, sounding more like you-do-not-belong-here.
The boy feigned offense as he said, "Ouch. Seven years in Hogwarts and you still don't know me."
Toni ignored the boy's tone, placing pancakes into her mouth. "Well…" she began after about two minutes of chewing. Apparently, the boy was waiting for some sort of answer when she didn't really feel like having a conversation with someone potentially annoying this early in the morning. "That'll be true if I'm actually supposed to know you."
"You really have no idea…?" the boy said looking at her as if he was trying to read her mind. When Toni just shrugged and sipped her pumpkin juice, the boy sighed audibly as if frustrated.
Toni knitted her brows – clearly starting to lose patience at this boys' horrible act of trying to look cute. She turned again to Lily as if this time she would've remembered who he was but only got another shrug.
The pretty-boy spoke again. "Short brown hair…? Blue eyes…? Tall…?" Toni eyed him quizzically. But he managed to ignore the signs of utter I-don't-really-care looks from her and added, with a mischievous smile plastered across his face, "And I must say some good looking face and a nice built."
Lily almost choked – while, at the same time, lunging a bit forward to go after the food that almost escaped her mouth.
Toni apparently almost did too as she coughed something that was suddenly lodged in her throat. She wanted to laugh out loud at his face, but managed to stifle it by mouthing a rather big piece of the breakfast she was eating.
"Really?!" It was now Toni's turn to fake disbelief. She looked at the boy with wide eyes as if realizing some sort of amusing revelation. "Well, what do you know? At first I thought that you just described yourself – quite conceitedly, I must say. Your parents must've drowned you in self-esteem when you were young. I definitely didn't know that you could buy that."
But the guy only smiled as if really entertained with her. Boy! You're self-belief must be made of steel, Toni thought for she expected the guy to be offended and get away from her as fast as he could. "Do you always talk that way?" the boy said instead, still smiling. "Sorry, I mean no offense, though."
Toni rolled her eyes muttering, "I don't care, really," and went back to her breakfast.
"Does she always talk like this?" the boy asked again, this time looking at Lily who was busy pretending she didn't exist.
"Uh, well—"
"What is it exactly that you want—?" Toni interrupted then her eyes strayed, for the first time, to his uniform and saw… yellow. A Hufflepuff? What's a freakin' Hufflepuff doing bothering me? "Oh… yeah…" she said. This time she didn't have to pretend any emotion as a genuine realization dawned on her. "You're that perpetually annoying guy who sits at the back of Arithmancy! Now I remember you."
The boy smiled again. Apparently, his parents hadn't taught him about taking a hint. "Actually it's Eric. But we can always go by with what the Professor thinks of me…"
* * * * *
In the library at the same hour was Remus borrowing the library's copy of the Daily Prophet. As he whiled away on the headlines, a grumbling from one hidden corner echoed softly in the air.
"Stupid bird. Geroff!"
He peered through the books in the shelves just in time when Lucius Malfoy shooed off the bird – or which seemed that could pass as a bird with its malevolent eyes and patchy feathers. It was so thin that Remus wondered if the wind just knocked it off course and accidentally flew to Hogwarts. It was obviously not an owl, which was what usually wizards and witches used in sending letters and packages. But then again, Malfoy wasn't exactly part of the norm – he was vile.
Remus watched as Malfoy opened the letter sent to him. It looked ordinary – written on parchment but reading from Malfoy's scrunched up nose, it seemed to have a nasty reek.
Malfoy quickly folded the parchment and kept the letter in his robe pocket. Remus actually thought that aside from being a totally despicable wizard, Malfoy suddenly sprouted seeing-eyes at the back of his head and saw him. But then, Narcissa came waltzing into his corner.
"Lucius, there you are," she said in sugary tone. It was surprising since Narcissa was just as unlikeable as Malfoy but apparently, they liked each other – it seemed that opposites don't always attract. "What are you doing here at this time? Aren't you hungry?" Then she grabbed Lucius by the hand and muttered, "C'mon, let's eat."
After a few minutes, Remus did the same and left the library, carrying some of the books he borrowed and the Daily Prophet with him.
Stupidly, Remus was busy reading the paper when he suddenly bumped into someone just as he got out the door. "Oh, I'm sorry," he automatically said, as both their things came sliding down the hall – well, actually worse for the other person as she was clearly unaware that her books and parchment just went flying from her hands and landed all across the floor.
"Sorry. I was in the way," the girl replied as she knelt down and started collecting her scattered stuffs.
One second later, both of them were on their knees gathering their things – Remus also helping her with her things since he was, as always, being a kindly gentleman. "I'm so sorry," he muttered again.
"No that's alright," the girl said.
"No, it's my fault, too. I wasn't looking," Remus replied. When he finished, he handed the books and parchment that he collected to the girl and said with a smile, "This must be yours."
The girl took the book from Remus and muttered a "Thanks" without even looking at him.
"I'm sorry. I wasn't really looking where—" Remus tried to continue his apology when suddenly, he noticed that the girl was a head shorter than him and probably got the wind knocked off her when he bumped into her as he himself was rather tall. "Are you okay?" he asked, his voice concerned as he tried to catch the girl's eyes.
"Yeah," an assuring reply came from the girl and for the first time, she looked up and recognized Remus – the Remus who was now looking down still trying to regain the balance of carrying his books. "Remus Lupin," she muttered.
"What?" Remus said, before he looked up again.
But the girl only shook her head and started concentrating her gaze at the piece of parchment in her hands. "Nothing. I'm – I'll be going now. Sorry again." She smiled and then walked off.
"That's alright," Remus waved to the back of the girl after a few seconds of stunned confusion. He didn't even really see her face.
Remus might have been a little slow that morning – or maybe a little deaf. Because he was too late when a very specific thought finally processed in his brain. He went on to proceed to the Great Hall when he found another notebook on the ground. He realized that it belonged to the girl… the girl…
The girl from the Astronomy Tower!
He slapped his forehead so hard; it ought to leave some kind of mark. He realized now where he had heard that voice… "Remus, you're such a mental idiot!" And at the back of his head, he kept saying to himself that it was dark and she wasn't really looking at him last night. But still… "Stupid."
He ran towards the direction where the girl was going, hoping to catch up on her. But when he turned the corner, she was gone.
Another smack on the forehead.
* * * * *
At last, Sirius finally stopped singing and finished taking a shower. Unfortunately, for James, he didn't choke on soap.
As both of them walked the corridor to the Great Hall, James scowled at Sirius for making him wait.
"All I'm saying is that you could've used your other socks lying around the dormitory," Sirius said with the smile that he had been flashing since he went out of the bathroom.
"I was supposed to be in the Great Hall twenty minutes ago if not for your all out concert in the shower," James scolded still a little tempered that Sirius locked him inside the bathroom – wandless – when he came in to retrieve his socks after Sirius came out. "Since when do you lock the door when you're taking a shower?"
Sirius laughed, remembering James' expression when he finally decided to let James out of the bathroom – after he himself was done getting dressed – and found James murderously glaring at him. "Since you're being all so cutesy prim and proper James Potter!" he exclaimed in a very amused tone. James had never exerted any real effort for a girl before. And that was utterly entertaining for him. "But then again," he continued, "you can't really tame that hair whatever you try to do, can you?"
Involuntarily, James brushed his hair back with his hand. But as Sirius just said, it just went back to its original mess. "Get off my hair," he muttered.
"It's not like Lily's gonna smell your feet," Sirius started, going back to the pair of clean socks that James badly wanted. "I know the distance from up here –" he gestured a hand leveling his nose "– is quite farther from your feet compared to here –" he gestured a hand again, this time leveling his estimation of where Lily's head would be "– but I don't think they're going to reek that much."
James smirked at Sirius and lagged a few steps behind. Then, just as Sirius was about to turn and enter the Great Hall, James suddenly jumped on Sirius' back attempting to make him plummet to the ground.
"Hey!" Sirius exclaimed. "No!" he yelled when James started to make a complete mess of his perfectly – through his point-of-view – groomed crowning glory. "Arrgh…!"
Sirius tried to get James off his back – literally – by plopping himself towards the ground – back first hoping that James would be squashed under him.
Unsurprisingly, the passing students only ignored them. It was just another riot between James and Sirius. They were completely insane and that was completely normal for them. And just as they were ignored, they also ignored back the people walking past them. Not until did they see Remus staring at them with an un-paint-able expression on his face that they realized they were probably looking rather silly at that time.
"Hey! G'morning Mooney!" Sirius said loudly from the floor. He stood up and brushed his robe while smiling foolishly at Remus. Then, he let out a choking sound when James put his arm around his neck from behind.
"Don't you think it's quite late in the year to be starting a new morning routine? School ends in a couple of months," Remus said, not really stopping by to join his friends' insanity – as Sirius struggled free and then did the same strangling at James' neck. He scanned the Great Hall as if he would see the girl he met at the library – last night, actually, but he was being stupid at both times so… But what he spotted was Lily and Toni at the Gryffindor table… with a boy.
"Hey," he called Sirius' attention, "who's the guy with Toni?"
What?!
Sirius completely let go of James and without looking anywhere else, followed Remus' line of vision.
"Ou-ouch! You moron, get off me!" James said, when Sirius – accidentally? – stepped on him.
"I have no idea," Sirius muttered, utterly ignoring James. Without delaying any second, he led the way towards the table, not taking his eyes off the guy who was talking animatedly to Toni while Toni had her head on her hand seemingly bored out of her wits.
"Please?" The first sounds of their conversation were slowly making its way to Sirius' ears as he heard the boy speak.
"I'm not sure… I have to think about it," Toni replied with a tone that said now-will-you-please-get-out-of-my-face.
"Please? I'm begging you," Eric said with hands clasped. "I'll do whatever you want. As long as you please do it."
What 'it'? Sirius thought. He looked at Lily who was sitting across the table from Toni and she seemed to be staying out of the conversation – only glancing once in a while at the two.
"I said I'll think about it. Now please go before I lose my extra patience on you."
Sirius smiled. Ah… that's my girl!
"Can't you think about it now?" Eric insisted, pouting his lips and flashing his puppy dog eyes. To add to that, he was virtually an inch away from kneeling on one knee.
Oh, cruel world! Who made this guy and why?! Sirius thought, his eyes at the ceiling.
Lily rolled her eyes and spotted James walking towards them. At last some annoying guys who were welcome. She smiled and waved at him and he smiled back.
On the other hand, when Sirius reached the table, he cleared his throat for some much needed attention and sat at the other side of Toni, eyeing Eric. While James sat beside Lily and Remus sat beside James – right across the new guy.
"I'll – have – to – think – about – it," Toni said, trying to get her exasperation across. "Or better yet, why don't you go ask somebody else?"
Eric smiled. (Again.) He looked at Toni and then said, "Well, you're easy on the eyes, what can I say?"
What?! "Hi!" Sirius exclaimed, getting everybody's attention while inside he was short of bursting into flames if he was not informed of what was going on. He put an arm around Toni's shoulders and smiled wider than ever.
"Hey…" Toni greeted back, turning to Sirius for the first time.
Sirius gave Toni a quick kiss – on the lips – and started, "So what's going on? Is there, uh, an interhouse party happening?"
"Well—"
"Alright," Eric interrupted Toni, "just… think about it. I'll see you around," he waved and then walked off towards the Hufflepuff table. Finally, the Gryffindors were rid of him.
"Who was that?" Remus started the second Eric was out of earshot.
"What'd he want?" James added without waiting for any answer.
"Doesn't he know you have a boyfriend?!" Sirius suddenly blurted out what he was trying to hinder inside him. Even he was surprised with what he had just done. Apparently, everyone around him was, too, as he looked back at them staring at him in amusement. Was Sirius Black—?
"Jealous?" Toni snorted right after a few seconds.
Everyone in the group looked at Sirius curiously. James snorted and chuckled as Sirius looked directly at Toni – quite lost for words.
Sirius opened his mouth to speak but ended up letting out an audible sigh and saying – in the most desperate attempt to sound cool, "No!"
"Yeah?"
"Yes! I mean no. I mean – you know what I mean."
"I don't really know…"
"You know, that's not the point, really," Sirius said, straightening in his seat. He got hold of Toni by the shoulders and turned her to face directly at him. "I know I just woke up ten minutes ago… but my brain is in definite… perfect! condition that that guy was flirting with you," he said with a matter-of-fact tone clear in his voice.
"No. It was twenty minutes ago," James interrupted. That wasn't really necessary but he felt like breaking into the conversation just when Toni was about to say something. "I should've been here at that time if only he didn't lock the stupid bathroom door."
A confused Lily suddenly turned to James. "Why are we suddenly talking about bathroom doors?"
"Because he needed it unlocked while I was taking a shower," Sirius answered using a girly tone. "Why, James? Why?"
James smirked at him. "Don't be gross."
"I was being violated I tell you," Sirius told Lily as he pointed at James accusingly.
"Oh bugger off!" James exclaimed with a disgusted tone apparent in his voice. Sirius was seriously leading with insanity that day. So, in order to shut his friend up, James decided to tell the… embarrassing… truth. "I – I couldn't get my socks. There, you happy?" he demanded, glaring at Sirius.
But Sirius was obviously on a roll that morning. He would milk this shameful fact as much as he could. "Not just any socks… his fav—" Not another word came out of his mouth as James' wand quickly pointed at him.
James put the Silencing Charm on his best friend. "They're the only clean pair I have this morning," he said defensively, the very second Sirius stopped making sound. "And why are we talking about socks?"
"You were the ones who started talking about bathroom doors…" Lily replied with a chuckle, as she glanced at Sirius struggling with his wand in order to make the countercurse.
"That wasn't very nice," Sirius declared, looking at James dejectedly, as soon as he regained the ability to make sounds – sounds that could tell horrible, embarrassing truths… "Truth be told," he began again, pointing his wand in defense at James who looked so much like wanting to do more than a Silencing Charm on him, "we want to thank you, Lily Evans – for making him look respectable for once in his life."
Lily chuckled at the said of that. Then, she forcibly bit her lips in order to stifle her laugh when James looked at him like a lost puppy. "Oh… James…" she teased, rubbing James' back consolingly with her hand.
"Now other guys wouldn't dare flirt with you," Sirius muttered.
"He was not flirting with me!" Toni exclaimed in exasperation. She looked at everyone around her at the table and looking in their eyes, said in great determination, "For your information, Eric was only asking for me to help him in Arithmancy."
"Oh, 'Eric'," Sirius said mockingly. "What kind of a name is Eric? Err… ric?" he said mimicking stupidity. "Anyway, that Eric guy was flirting with you so you'd tutor him in Arithmancy."
"He was not – ugh! – don't you think I'd know it if someone's flirting with me?"
"Oh!" Sirius exclaimed, looking at James. "Don't I think she knows if someone's flirting with her?"
"What?!"
"Well…" James started cautiously. Now, for boys, making fun of a girl sometimes was enjoyable especially when they're cute… but… Toni was another thing to mess with – she was beautiful… but she could kick a guy's behind out into the hallways if she wanted to. "Remember when Sirius was trying to get your attention last term?"
"No," Toni replied quickly and matter-of-factly.
"The point exactly."
Toni sighed audibly. She looked at Lily for some much needed support but apparently, Lily agreed with James and Sirius. "I can't believe it!" she threw her hands up in surrender. She turned to Sirius and looked at him straight in the eye. "You don't call that flirting when you were spending half your time with Kiara!"
"Are you guys fightin' over me?" another voice interrupted. It was Kiara who just arrived with Vince. She sat beside Sirius and asked in a bubbly tone, "What was it about?" When no one answered her (because Toni's icy glare was burning holes through Sirius' and James' heads), she muttered, "I heard my name…"
"Well…" Lily started. She smiled apologetically at Toni when the latter eyed her in disbelief. "This boy, who appeared out of nowhere…" she continued slowly, weaving every word carefully, "was chatting with Toni earlier – Eric from Hufflepuff – and… virtually wooed her in order to get free catch-up lessons in Arithmancy… and—"
"And Sirius thinks that he was flirting with me," Toni finished the sentence as fast as she could. And in the same thousand-miles-per-second speed, she asked Kiara, "Flirting?! That's not flirting!"
Kiara smiled at Toni like she was looking at a five-year-old child who was crying for her lost doll. "Oh… why are we talking about your shortcomings in determining whether a guy is flirting with you, anyway?"
Toni gave her the share of icy glare. "Honestly! You're spending too much time with Vince that he's actually rubbed his awful sense of humor on you."
"Hey! I resent that," Vince (who was busy buttering his toast) looked up and said, pointing his butter knife towards her direction.
"Alright then," Sirius interrupted. "No one was flirting with you, honey—"
Toni smirked. "I'm doing it," she then muttered, eyeing Sirius like she was taunting him. "I'm going to help him with Arithmancy—"
"Why?!"
"Because that's the humane thing to do," Toni replied in a tone matter-of-factly.
"Humane?!" Sirius retaliated just as fast. "He's not asking for you to join him save humankind! No," he said with a voice that was breaking every other syllable. "That's the annoying thing to do. You know, just like he is – as I truly believe," he interrupted when Toni opened her mouth to object, "and… he is… well…" Well, he was apparently finding it hard to find words in order to change Toni's mind.
"Very hands-on," Kiara said casually, helping Sirius with his dilemma.
"Right – what?!" For a whole second, Sirius sat stumped staring at Kiara. "What exactly does that mean?"
"Like… you know," Kiara grabbed Sirius' hand and said, "'Hey, how are you today?' 'Are you doing alright?'" she added, putting her arm around him this time. "That kind of thing. Most Hufflepuff girls are very much aware of that. Only they don't really mind it."
Sirius gave an indescribably awful expression. While James exhaled an amused realization of "Oh…" and Lily gave out a chuckle and said, "Well, that's going to be interesting…"
"You're kidding right?" James stirred the conversation and looked at Lily disbelievingly. "Is that a trick question?"
Lily paused. Something there wasn't right. She looked at James with knitted brows and said, "It's not even a question," matter-of-factly.
"So, you're just letting your friend get close to that Error from Arithmancy?" James said, saying the word 'Error' like he was gagging it up from his throat.
"It's… 'Eric'! And… you're affected because…?"
"B-because… w— you know… uh— annoying… and hands-on!"
Lily rolled her eyes. "Are you deliberately trying to pick a fight?"
"Oh, he just wants you to notice him, that's all, basically," Sirius interfered. "You haven't said a word about his finally-I-took-a-bath look."
"Oh give it a rest, you troll," James said, waving Sirius off.
The conversation would've turned a hundred and eighty degrees back to James' socks and bathroom incident, but the owls arrived at that moment and a particularly large parcel landed right in front of them carried by a rather tired-looking owl.
"Oh, man, I can't believe Zonko's actually owled these," James said, looking like a child opening a very huge Christmas gift.
"Yeah, I thought they were just trying to get rid of us," Sirius pointed out, joining James' pure joy.
"Zonko's?" Lily muttered, the tone of frustration evident in her voice – if only James was listening – which he was not exactly doing since he was currently very engrossed with the contents of the package.
"That is totally immature, Sirius," Toni said, rolling her eyes, sharing Lily's displeasure.
"Well, at least those got the two of them to shut up, eh?" Remus muttered to Lily. He had been quiet since he got there; looking for the girl he bumped into earlier, but decided to join in the conversation as he couldn't see her anywhere.
"Terrific!" Lily said sarcastically. "Whatever… I'm going to pretend this didn't happen." Then, she looked at James straight in the eye and said, "I don't want to see anyone's hair green, red, blue, gold, silver, or—"
"But your hair is red," James interrupted, with a smile flashing from ear to ear.
"That's beside the point."
"Don't worry, Lils," James reassured and gave Lily a kiss on the cheek.
"Five galleons I say that's the kiss of lies and deceit," Remus whispered again to Lily, but loud enough for James and Sirius to hear him.
"Oh, shush there you mad dog and eat your bread," Sirius said pushing the platter of toast towards Remus.
Remus smirked at him and bit into his toast like a 'mad dog'. "Butter?" he said, asking Kiara to push the butter towards him, too.
Kiara obliged and reached for the butter and slid it along the table; only, Remus seemed that it looked like it moved by itself – that she only followed the direction of the tray, which appeared to be a couple inches ahead of her hand. He glanced at her and realized that she was aware that it moved by itself, too. But Kiara only shrugged and Remus also dismissed it thinking that it was probably only one of the ghosts.
* * * * *
Gryffindor Quidditch team had just reserved the pitch for use after classes. As Toni – clad in her Quidditch robes – stepped out into the late afternoon sun, she noticed a particularly familiar Slytherin a few yards ahead banging his surroundings with his closed fists like he was trapped inside an invisible box. She slowed down and watched Snape struggle to free himself from the kind of trap he was in. Although most students passing by were ignoring him – with occasional people pointing and sniggering – something told her that this was no ordinary every afternoon thing for Snape…
Toni looked on with much curiosity as Snape pulled out his wand. He paused for a while – obviously thinking of some kind of spell; for he was always good with spells. And with determination clearly etched on his face, he pointed his wand in front of him and muttered something Toni clearly wouldn't know as she was watching from afar.
But the spell, unlike Snape's fists, didn't stop within the walls of the invisible box. It flew straight right through and through and it ended up hitting the back of an unsuspecting fellow Slytherin, who tumbled down on the grass before him as if someone pushed him really really hard to the ground.
The other Slytherins who were talking with the unsuspecting boy (before being pushed down towards the ground face first) laughed as the boy struggled to get up to his feet as quick as he could. And as quick as possible, he stood up, brushed his robes and then looked around demanding, "Who did that?!" But the people around him only shrugged.
Toni narrowed her eyes with a realization forming in her head, as the boy toppled on the grass; and then swearing that it wasn't her imagination, she heard a faint sound of boisterous laughs in the halls – the sound of someone so recognizable…
She quickly left Snape and followed the sound.
"Sirius!"
Sirius was laughing contentedly with himself as he watched Snape getting annoyed to his skin by the minute. Then, he suddenly turned around and stopped when he saw Toni looking at him like some disappointed mother; her hands on her hips. His laughs suddenly faded into grunts and coughs and then a smile broke his handsome face.
"Toni!" he said excitedly, not even trying to hide the joy he was in at that moment.
Toni didn't say a word. She waited until she reached Sirius and then, without any kind of warning, she gave him a rightful smack on the arm. "What are you doing?" she demanded, her mouth hanging open disbelievingly. She paused, as if waiting for a reply, but then started again even before Sirius could make another sound. "Aargh…! I told you to leave him alone. You never know what he's capable of doing."
"Oh, c'mon. I was just having fun," Sirius said, pouting his lips and then making puppy moaning sounds. "Is that too much a boy bored out of his wits could ask?"
"Ugh! Stop that," Toni demanded, when Sirius continued making his moaning. "Can't you be mature once in a while?"
Sirius sighed audibly. Then, he crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes at her. "Why are you so scared of what he could do? It's not like he's going to suddenly go amuck and throw Unforgivables on everyone."
"You actually think that he's not capable of doing that?" Toni said, wide-eyed. "Do you actually believe he's got some sense of pure good in him hidden somewhere in that dark of as soul?"
"Well… no," Sirius replied bluntly just as the last syllable escaped Toni's lips. "I actually think he's got some sense of pure cowardice hidden somewhere in that slimy thing he has for a soul."
Toni's eyes got wider as if finally getting Sirius' point. "Ohh…" she said. Then, she suddenly gave Sirius another smack on the arm.
"Hey…" Sirius groaned, as he rubbed a hand over his arm. "I'm hurting over you over here." He paused. "Literally."
Toni glared at him. "I'm freakin' serious," she said through gritted teeth.
Sirius was about to say something when they heard Malfoy's voice talking to Snape.
"You're making an entire fool of yourself, Snape," Malfoy drawled on as Snape kept pounding on the invisible box he was in.
"Can't you see I can't get out of this – bloody— sorry," Snape said when the trap suddenly disappeared – obviously – and almost hit Malfoy with his fists. (Malfoy took a step back in his surprise, while trying to keep his perpetually emotionless face, well, cold – although his eyes gave an unnoticeable twitch.) Snape straightened up to regain the remaining dignity he had and acted as if nothing happened. "Wait 'till I get my hands on that Potter."
Malfoy took a second before saying anything. It was obvious that he was mildly interested in the magic that was cast on Snape a while ago. Then, at the corner of his eye, he saw a very recognizable Sirius – with Toni – scampering away through the open corridors. "No," he said. "It's Black. Of course, that depraved imp."
* * * * *
"And need I say that Malfoy is an entirely different vile of a creature ever to crawl on this planet?" Toni blurted out as soon as they reached a safe distance from the part of the grounds where Snape was.
"Right. Right," Sirius said, waving his hand to say 'fine fine fine'.
Toni sighed a desperate sigh. "Oh, you're hopeless," she muttered, rolling her eyes and throwing her hands to her sides. "I dunno why I—" but she didn't finish her sentence and just waved him off.
Just then, Lily appeared in the corridors with a smile crossing her face from ear to ear. "Hi there!" she greeted as she sauntered towards them.
"Hey. You're all… giddy," Toni greeted back, smiling at Lily with curiosity. "What'you up to?"
"I'm going to surprise James and watch his Quidditch practice," Lily replied in a very cheerful tone that you wouldn't know if she was kidding or serious.
"Oh."
"Oh?"
Sirius cleared his throat and approached slowly. After all, Lily might be a head shorter than him but she was very capable of turning him into an instant bug and then squashing him and then feeding him to the squid – so he wouldn't want to enrage her with something silly like, "You're aware that James has this geeky," he rolled his eyes to show that he, too, was against it, "strategy that no one is allowed to watch practice for the championship game."
But Lily didn't even bat an eye. Apparently, "I'm aware of that."
"Even a peep," Sirius added, as if that would make a clearer point across.
"So I've been told."
"Even if you roll around dirt and kiss his feet while chanting 'James Potter is the greatest man alive.'"
Lily paused for a while and narrowed her eyes. "So what's your point?"
Sirius smiled, looking at Lily like she just did something so adorable but very very silly. "Lils, for someone who's freakin' smart… it's kinda disappointing that you're not getting any of this."
Lily shrugged. "I get you." She paused and then added, "As insane as you may be."
"But… you're still planning on going?" Toni asked – just to make things clear.
"Yeah."
"Well, just to let you know," Sirius started again. "He doesn't even allow me to watch practice. I mean ME!"
Lily chuckled. "Well, you're his best friend. Meanwhile, I happen to be a…" she thought for a while because 'girlfriend' might come out as a little cheesy, "special friend."
Sirius let out a fake laugh of amusement. "Lily… Lily…" he said, shaking his head from side to side as if in disappointment. "But I'm Toni's…" he kept pointing at Toni for about three seconds all the while thinking of another word for 'boyfriend' because that 'jealous' issue might start up again. "Well… special friend, too. And I'm the captain's best friend," he added, obviously on a roll. "That's double connection right there, miss! Beat that!"
"Sirius, I'm best friends with Toni."
Sirius groaned in defeat. "Why do you always have to win?" He paused and then said, "Still I say, m'lady… tiny chance."
Lily crossed her arms and looked at Sirius pensively. "All right then," she said, throwing her arms in the air, "I'm going to change his mind." And then she walked off towards the Quidditch pitch.
Sirius scratched his head. Apparently, he wasn't convincing enough for Lily.
"Lily, wait, I'll go with you," Toni called before turning to Sirius and saying, "Stay away from Slytherins." Then she followed Lily without waiting for a reply from Sirius who was flashing a 'what did I do?' expression on his face.
As Toni caught up with Lily, she couldn't help siding with what Sirius just said… because if Lily wasn't stopped, another row might begin and that meant a bad-mood James was going to conduct practice. And from past experiences… that wasn't good news at all.
"You know, Sirius may be right," she said as soon as she caught up with Lily. "James may actually ask you not to watch practice."
"Don't be silly," said Lily with a chuckle.
"Well," Toni said, shrugging, "James and Sirius could be such… boys sometimes."
But Lily didn't mind her as the playing field came into view and she saw James talking to his team mates. "There he is. James!"
James stopped in midsentence the second he heard that familiar voice. Slowly, he turned around and saw her. "Lils… What are you doing here?"
"I'm going to watch you… practice…" Lily replied with a cheerful smile. "You know, for support. Go Gryffindor."
James stared at her for a moment. That was weird. And then his expression turned into something Lily couldn't describe.
"Why? You… you don't want me here?"
"No…" James replied as fast as he could, conscious to use a very delicate tone. "I mean, no. Not— I mean—" He cleared his throat and turned to his team mates. "Will you excuse us for a second?" Then, he walked a little further away while Lily followed him.
"What do you mean 'no'?" Lily started the minute James stopped walking.
"I mean," James shrugged, "no, I want you here, but—Lils, it's not like what you're thinking…"
Lily sighed audibly, obviously a bit annoyed. "I thought you wanted me to be more 'spontaneous'," she said, mocking James with the word 'spontaneous', "and fun. Well, I crossed out my N.E.W.T.s study for this afternoon and decided to show up here for you."
"Oh, c'mon. It's—" James took a deep breath. "I… don't want any… thing slipping out…" he paused, realizing what he just said. But still… he dared to continue. "You know," he added with a smile that was supposed to save him from any untimely death.
Lily just looked at James, with eyes narrowing ever so slowly as her hands began climbing to cross on her chest. "You don't trust me?"
"Oh no… Here we go."
"Here we go?"
"C'mon, Lils, I don't even make an exception for Sirius. Look, I promise I'll spend time with you later."
"All I'm trying to do is to show you some support and you totally shut me out," Lily said, her tone annoyed.
"I'm not shutting you out."
"Oh, fine, then. I'll be in the library and be boring," she said and then started to walk back to the castle.
"Oh, come on, Lily…" James called after her. "Don't be like that." When Lily wouldn't stop walking, he went after her. "Lily, c'mon. Don't be like this. You're making a big deal out of this."
"Oh, James…" Lily exhaled, fuming. "Why do you have to be like that? You don't even understand effort."
"I completely understand effort. I do! I swear!" James exclaimed, not really getting what Lily meant by that.
Lily suddenly stopped and turned to look at James with a menacing glare. "No you don't." She paused. "And what makes you think I'm gonna be watching you? What if I was there to support Toni?"
James took a step back. "What?" he said – confused and confounded. He might also have been seeing birds chirping around his head at that time. "You just said you were there for me. Look, can we not argue right now?"
"Huh?" Lily smirked. "Who said we're arguing? This is so small a deal I'm not even— I'm forgetting all about it right now – Oh, what am I doing here?" she suddenly said, faking a lost person then she turned around and made for the castle, leaving James dumbfounded. "I swear I was studying for N.E.W.T.s just a second ago," she muttered to herself as if she had just been struck by a Memory Charm.
"Lily…" James groaned, calling her attention but she wouldn't listen. He sighed and then turned back to the field.
"You look like sky fell down on you," Toni commented, a smile playing on her lips, as soon as James came back to join them.
"But she totally blew everything out of proportion!" James exclaimed, throwing his hands in defeat.
"Well, don't complain to me."
"But you have to admit it," James said, eyeing Toni directly. "She overreacted."
"I— don't kno—" Toni stopped in midsentence. She definitely didn't want to get in the middle of this. "I'm not sure I have enough mind power at his particular moment in time to have an opinion," she answered and then walked back to her team mates.
"Oh, come on!"
* * * * *
As she just said, Lily went back into the Gryffindor tower to get her books and some parchment. Then, she headed out the portrait hole with the school library in mind. But just as she came out of the portrait, she heard her name.
"Evans…" someone called in a very calm soothing voice.
Lily looked up and saw a fellow Gryffindor who was on his way back into the dormitories. "Hi, Adrian," she greeted with a smile, trying to hide her recent irritation with James Pothead! and continued walking.
But Adrian turned around and joined her down the corridors. "So, Headgirl, where you going to?" he asked; his tone not changing – it always sounded so safe and calming.
Lily knitted her eyebrows and looked at him. Curiously, Adrian wasn't really someone who'd come up and talk to her. "Actually… I'm on my way to the library—"
"N.E.W.T.s?" Adrian guessed, pointing at the books that Lily was carrying and she nodded as a reply. "So, no Quidditch for you today, huh?"
Lily sighed audibly. "That James Potter—!" She paused, after realizing what Adrian just said. "Wait, were you there?"
"Uh-no," Adrian answered with a shrug. "I just guessed… I guess." They walked in silence for about five seconds then he started again. "He's gonna come around, you know. I mean, if he wants to have you walking down the aisle so that you'll be stuck with him for eternity, he's not forever gonna be a jer—"
"Down the aisle?" Lily chuckled in surprise. "James – thinking of getting married?"
"Be the grandest miracle of a lifetime, wouldn't it?" Adrian replied with twinkling eyes.
"Hmmm…" Lily nodded in agreement. "But I'm not even thinking of getting married myself—," she stopped and looked at Adrian curiously. Surely, James wasn't thinking about getting… married… "Adrian, don't tell me you've been talking to James—"
Adrian chuckled. "Everybody could see the way he acts around you, Headgirl." He smiled up to his eyes – with their perpetual dreamy state.
"Yeah… but I wouldn't mind hitting him on the head right now," Lily muttered and then turned back to him. "Adrian… do you want something?"
Adrian looked like he was about to deny it but just as quick he smiled admittedly. "You've finally read my mind."
"What is it?"
"A secret."
"A secret?" Lily snorted. "You're actually just as weird as any other boy in this school," she said matter-of-factly.
"Hmmm… I can be weirder," Adrian said and then extended his hand for Lily to take.
"Where are we going?"
"Not to the library…"
~*~*~*~
put your heart in my hands... you'll be safe here... -- rivermaya, "you'll be safe here"
So, what do you think? Don't be shy, leave a review… distract me from my evil dementors…!!! Right. Till next chapter. I'm almost finished with Chapter Three although it still needs all those revisions and stuff. But it's definitely alive. *Mwah*