Disclaimer: As sad as it may be, the rumors going around are true. We don't own Lily, James, Remus, Sirius, or any of the other awesome characters that Rowling created.

Authors' note: Yeah, thank you guys so much for all the hits, but we want reviews! This is our first ever fanfiction, and we want to know any ways to improve. Please, anything is welcome—questions, comments, concerns, all are fine. Thanks again!

For Lily and James, lunch was…awkward…to say the least. James kept trying to get Lily to talk to him, and Lily was pointedly ignoring him.

"Yum, who made this pasta? It's delicious!" Sirius exclaimed, wiping his mouth on a napkin.

Nadia smiled and pet Death. "I did! Do you really like it?"

Sirius nodded enthusiastically. "It's amazing!" he said, flashing one of his brilliant smiles.

"It is super good, Nadia. I always knew you were a great cook, but this is spectacular!" Lily said, helping herself to another share of pasta.

"Thanks, thanks. It might be that Death accidentally dropped a sardine in it, but I'm really not sure," Nadia murmured thoughtfully.

Lily shuddered. "You're joking, right?" she asked in disbelief, dropping her fork. Nadia shrugged.

Alice gagged and started coughing. "Sar..dine? There's sardine in this?" She pushed her plate away disgustedly.

Nadia giggled. "Merlin, you guys are gullible! I'm joking, of course!"

"That's a relief, right Lily? I know you don't like fish…" James said, determinedly looking at Lily.

Lily looked away. "Yeah," she mumbled and scooted closer to Lara, farther from James. "So, Lara, how's the weather been lately? Hasn't it been grand?"

Everyone stared at her.

"Lily, the last couple weeks have been rainy! This is the first day it's been even remotely warm…" Lara said, a worried expression crossing her forehead. "Are you feeling okay?"

"Actually, I'm feeling a bit flushed…I think I should go," Lily said.

James jumped to his feet. "Are you okay, Lily-doll? Are you running a fever? A headache? A stomachache? Do you wanna lie down? Should I carry you to the hospital wing?"

"No!" Lily said, a bit too loudly. "Uh, I'm fine. I think I need some rest, that's all," she murmured quieter.

Nadia looked at Lily. "Can you come over with me for a sec?" she asked with a strange look on her face.

"Um…sure…?" Lily said, confused. She got up and followed Nadia to the farthest park bench in sight.

"Lily, what's going on with you?" Nadia asked in a voice barely above a whisper, although the two were far from the others.

"Wha-What do you mean?"

"Lily, I saw you and James talking over there, while I was looking for Death. You were holding hands. Then, I saw Lara come over to you two, and when you came back you were blushing, and wouldn't look at James. What were you two talking about?"

Lily began blushing profusely. "Oh, that! Well, everyone knows how he likes me, and he was just kinda…telling me that." She forced a laugh.

"Oh, if that's all…tell me, why are you blushing so much?"

"Blushing? I'm not blushing, Are you blushing? No, it's just really hot out today and…" Lily mumbled, quieting down at the skeptical look on Nadia's face. "He…kinda…ya…nothing really happened…"

Nadia raised her eyebrow. Oh, Merlin, it was so obvious that she is lying. "Oh, okay. Well, just checking. So, how was the pasta?"

"It was fine," Lily said warily, not sure that Nadia had really dropped the topic of James.

"Oh, good. I was worried that I added too much oregano."

Lily smiled. "No, no, it was fine."

"Good. Let's go, then. The others are probably waiting." Nadia turned away, then faced Lily again. "Are you sure nothing happened?" she asked.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, nothing! Nothing. At. All!" Lily said, feeling her cheeks burning. She turned on her heels and ran back to the others, her hair flying back in the wind.

Nadia stared at her fleeing friend. "It is soooo apparent you're lying…" she said to no one in particular, rolling her eyes.

"So, what'd she ask?" asked Lara as Lily came over.

"What? Um, er, she, uh, asked me…" Lily paused, searching through her mind for an answer. "Uh…" Lily looked down and blurted out, "Shoes!"

"She asked you shoes?" asked Remus, tilting his head confusedly.

"Yeah!" Lily forced a smile, then realized that her answer didn't make any sense at all. "Uh, well, she—"

Nadia appeared at Lily's side. "Oh, I asked her what type of shoes go best with me. Flats or heels," she said coolly. She directed a piercing look to Lily that read clearly, Merlin, you suck at lying!

"You took her just about a hundred meters away from me to ask her about shoes?" James asked, standing up.

"Yeah, why couldn't you have asked her here, especially if you can announce the question right in front of us?" added Sirius suspiciously.

"Well, what matters is the answer, not the question. Duh!" Nadia rolled her eyes and quickly changed the topic. "So, how about a game of hide-and-seek?"