Sirius

Sirius and Lily had a few lessons over the weeks and came to be close friends. Sirius found that Lily was full of light and wisdom as well as being one of the few people who honestly laughed at his jokes and had proper conversations with him. She wasn't one of those ditzy air-heads who fluttered their lashes and didn't really listen to him. She was hard-working and talented and had a mind of her own. She didn't just agree with whatever he said, they had lengthy debates that revealed her passion and morals. She was sensitive and sweet, the very picture of goodness and maybe the only sincerely nice person that Sirius had met. She was, quite simply, beautiful, inside and out.

Sirius came to realise that maybe he didn't see Lily as just a friend. He felt shy and awkward at every start of the lesson, but within ten minutes she had him doing everything he could think of just to see that smile break across her face, like sunlight through a cloud. He scanned every crowd for that copper hair and fought through anything to reach it. He deliberately made a mess of his spells in Charms just to see her wonderful eyes study his movements as he attempted the charm again. He even shielded her from Peeves as they pelted down the corridor and had the ink stains all over his face for weeks to prove it.

"So..."

Lily's sparkling green eyes flitted up from a recipe for a Hiccoughing Solution and fixed onto Sirius's. He hesitated, not wanting to disrupt the peaceful lull in their conversation, and was reminded of the disastrous first attempt to properly introduce James and Lily. But Lily was already raising her eyebrows questioningly, and he didn't want to leave James hanging for any longer.

"So I can't make the tutoring session on Tuesday."

Lily's forehead creased as she studied his face.

"OK?" It was no big deal. They had both already had to cancel on each other due to their packed schedules and oppressive heaps of homework, and Lily knew that Sirius had more to say. He had to wait a long time to organise his next sentence carefully; it wasn't helped by the fact that Lily smiled encouragingly which sent his stomach cartwheeling and his pulse soaring.

"I was thinking that you might give James another chance to do a session with you"- Lily's face immediately closed off and she opened her mouth to argue back, but Sirius talked rapidly in an attempt to bring her round – "Look, he promises not to annoy you or pester-"

"You asked him before me?"

"- And I want you to cover reptiles again-"

"I don't need James Potter covering something I've already done!"

" – Please, Lily, your N.E. are coming up so soon - "

"What are you trying to say about my Transfiguration?"

"Lily! Please! I just think you could use some extra time! I'm not saying this to be nasty about your Transfiguration - I'm just trying to help."

Lily stared at Sirius, and he started to fidget as seconds went by; he felt vulnerable under her scrutiny.

"Ok."