She thought her life was over – but fate gave her another chance, in a world of magic. Now, running around Hogwarts with James Potter and his friends, she's about to make choices that will change the future in ways she never thought possible…

Marauder's Phase

CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND FOUR

The Fight?

I walked back into the Gryffindor common room that evening, clutching a package that was half unwrapped, and fighting the urge to hug it – I was that thrilled with it. Regulus hadn't come with us – he'd disappeared quickly, saying he had something to do – but Tonks and I had eagerly unwrapped the package, and we'd both screamed happily and jumped up and down once we'd seen its contents. We'd scared about twenty owls and nearly slipped on the ice that covered the owlery floor, but neither of us had cared. All of my problems were solved.

In the common room, however, I found the start of my new problem – Sirius.

As soon as he saw me, he hurried over to me. "Em, thank goodness," He pointed to a sixth year. "That guy there says you're going to the ball with Severus Snape – it's not true, is it!"

"Of course not!" I fairly yelled, causing a fair few people to stare at us. I lowered my voice. "Which sixth year?"

"It doesn't matter," Sirius declared, throwing his arm across my shoulders and glaring at a red-haired boy across the room. "Anyway, you and I are going to the ball together, so the rumours don't count!"

I froze. This was it – I had to tell him now! "Umm, Siri…"

"Oi, Black!" Another boy yelled across the room. "What about Cyndred, in Ravenclaw? I heard you snogged her…"

It was Sirius' turn to freeze, and he left my side, stepping forward a few paces. "That…didn't happen…I didn't snog any Ravenclaw girl!"

"Sirius…" I grabbed his shoulder. This wasn't going well, I couldn't see a good ending for this situation. "That's not true…" He turned to stare at me. "I saw you…she confessed to you, and then she…"

"She kissed him!" Someone, I don't know who, yelled from halfway across the common room.

"Yeah," Sirius had the look of a cornered animal, one that's getting ready to strike. "That did happen…but she kissed me…I wouldn't…I couldn't…"

"Yeah," I said, my voice shaking with the confusion I'd felt over the past few days. "But you didn't exactly push her away, did you Sirius?" I was horrified by the tears in my eyes. I had always jeered at emotional wrecks of girls in books and on TV, and here I was turning in to one. Now someone was bound to be jeering at me…if this was in writing and being read…

Sirius looked uncomfortable. "Em, do we have to discuss this now..?"

"No," I replied, shaking my head. I was embarrassed by all these people staring at me. "But…Sirius…the ball…"

"Hey, Black!" A boy yelled from somewhere to our left. "I heard you and Potter were caught spying on the girls in the bathrooms on the third floor on Monday afternoon! Did you tell your girlfriend about that!"

I'm sure my face turned pale. It was a nice contrast to Lily's face, which had turned the colour of her hair, as she detached herself from James' arm, backing away from him toward the staircase to the girls dorms, speechless with anger.

James looked stunned.

"Is there anything else you need to tell me, Potter!" Lily shouted, clenching her fists.

"I-I-you see-I-well…" James stammered but Lily would have none of it, and turned on her heel, marching up the staircase with Serilda, Alice and Molly at her heels.

As for me?

Well, I was speechless too, but in shock. I stared at Sirius, who stared back at me, and neither of us said a word.

I should have expected it, I mean Sirius was a teenage boy, and you know the old saying. Lily should have expected it from James, too. Except…

The Ravenclaws are the only ones with classes on the third floor on Monday afternoons.

Did that mean that…

"You know about the ball, Sirius Black?" I said, my eyes full of tears but my voice (I hoped) stone cold. God, I was so confused. "Somebody already asked me to go!" And I stormed past him, toward the staircase where Lily and the other girls had vanished, carrying my package to my chest like a lifeline. At the foot of the stairs, I turned around, to see Sirius staring at me in shock. My heart broke. "And I said yes!" I added, before turning and running up the staircase, bursting into the dorm room.

Serilda, Molly and Alice looked at me, and Lily hurried toward me. The red-head threw her arms around me, and I think both of us were crying.

"Why do we bother with our guys anyway, Lils?" I sniffled.

"Because we love them." She replied, hugging me even harder.

"Do they love us?" I found myself asking the stupid question.

Lily's shoulders shook. With laughter or with crying. I couldn't tell. But it was Serilda who answered: "What do you think, Emma?"