A/N Sorry for not updating earlier! I went sailing this weekend and didn't have much time to write. Sorry if there are more mistakes than usual, I just wanted to get this chapter out here.

Please review!

Kat

Loralei's eyes found candles everywhere on the platform, the golden light showing her two bottles of butterbeer on ice and a blanket laid out in the center of the candles. The stars were bright tonight, lighting up the sky much like the candles did the tower.

"Wow," was the first thing that came out of her mouth, breathless and touched.

"So you like it?" He asked. "Took me all night to remember that you love candlelight."

She laughed softly, looking at him, releasing his hand from hers and grabbing his arm. "I love it." She got on her toes and kissed his cheek. "Thank you."

He had the biggest smile on his face, showing all of his white straight teeth, as he pulled her onto the blanket, where they sat down next to each other.

"So tell me why haven't you hexed Evans or Prongs yet?" He asked. "I don't think anyone could blame you, you have to deal with both of them complaining."

She sighed, running her hands through her hair and pushed it behind her shoulders. "No idea, maybe because I think its cute."

"Cute that she hates him?" He asked.

"No, cute that there's a thin line between love and hate, and she's going to find that out soon."

"Your definition of 'cute' is weird." He told her.

"Which is why I'm lovable." She told him.

"You're lovable?" He asked.

"You love me, don't you?" She asked.

"Yeah, I do." He said, looking straight ahead at the sky. "You don't love me."

"Did I ever say that?" She asked.

"Do you love me?" He asked.

"I never said that either." She said, looking straight ahead at the stars like him.

"You're making no sense." He told her.

"Because I'm honest?" She replied. "Not many girls are with you."

"So how do you feel about me?" He asked. "You like me enough to give me a chance, or did you just feel sorry for me?"

She scoffed. "I don't date anyone for pity."

"You didn't answer my question." He told her, nudging her with his shoulder.

She pushed back against him with her shoulder playfully. "I kinda have been working to get you in the friend-zone for the passed four years-don't worry you never were in it-so I've been trying not to like or love you in a romantic way since I met you, so this is all very weird." She explained. "So I'm in the place where I could love you. I won't lie to you if I do or not, so you're going to have to wait and see."

"I can deal with that." He said. "At least then when you do, I'll know you do."

"'When?'" Loralei teased, turning to look at him as he looks out to the stars. "You're too cocky for your own good, maybe I'll decide we're better as friends."

He turns towards her, leaning in to kiss her as one of his hands goes to her neck. This kiss is a short one, but Loralei would later describe it as, "fireworks" when Lily asks for details.

"You're not going to say we're better as friends." He tells her, smiling as he pulled away. "No one kisses their friends like that."

She laughed. "Fine, so neither of us think I am, but a lot happens in a month." She warned him. "And I want you to know I was hoping for a boring year last summer."

"Where's the fun in that?" He asked.

She shrugged. "Maybe that I knew that if this year was boring I'd have a lot of time to study for OWL's."

"I'll study with you." He told her.

She rolled her eyes. "I mean actually study, not snog with open books around you."

"I've studied with you before." He reminded her.

"Yeah, but you knew I'd smack you if you tried." She replied.

"Would you now?" He raised an eyebrow.

She looked away, over her other shoulder. "No comment."

He barked out a laugh.

She cracked a smile, turning back to face him, and hit him with her shoulder. "Shut up."

He smiled. "I know you, Loralei Potter. You're gonna love me."

She rolled her eyes. "So, are you going to fail Divination again this year?"

"I didn't fail, I just barely passed." He disagreed.

"Same difference to me." She replied.

"Are you going to fail Herbology again this year?" He replied.

"I didn't fail, I just barely passed." She mimicked.

"Same difference to me." He teased.

"Professor Cassandra completely ignored you today." She told him.

"Thank Merlin, I didn't have a single answer for that woman." Sirius told her.

"So why did you keep raising your hand?" Loralei asked, confused.

"I didn't have an answer, but I did have a witty comment."

"Or what you thought was wit." She corrected. "Divination isn't completely stupid, you just have to have the talent for it."

"That you have apparently." Sirius replied.

"If I didn't you'd have to choose a different class." She teased. "That would be terrible."

"So terrible, then all our classes wouldn't be together."

"I'm taking more classes than you." She told him. "I know you're only taking Muggle Studies to piss off your parents."

"And it's working." He said. "It's nice getting yelled at everyday in the summer by your parents for being a blood traitor."

Loralei frowned. "You know you can always stay with us, right? You're like a second son to Mum and Dad."

"I might take you up on that." He said.

"How is everything going with that?" She asked. "Have they joined Voldemort's side?"

"Not yet, but they think he has the right idea. I think Bellatrix is going to join as soon as she leaves school."

"But she's insane." Loralei said. "Everyone knows that."

"Yeah, but they still like that I spend time with the pureblood Potters." He said, shaking his head.

"I'm not pureblood." She told him. "I'm half veela and half who-knows-what."

"They don't know that, and I'm only going to tell them when we get married."

Loralei smiled, turning their conversation back to teasing. "So we're getting married now? Where's my ring?"

"I'll get you one later." He tells her, smiling.

"Should we get married before or after James and Lily?" Loralei asked.

"Before." Sirius told her. "I don't want to wait until we're old."

Loralei laughed. "So when do you want to get married?"

"When I get out of Auror training." He said.

"What will I be doing? Sitting at home waiting for you?" Loralei asked, raising her eyebrows.

"You'll be doing whatever you want." He said. "Are you back on Healer or Auror?"

"I was actually thinking of teaching." Loralei said. "Professor Cassandra is working on finding a replacement, and I've gotten the highest grades that she's ever given. She'll train me."

"So you'd live here?"

"No, I can floo here." Loralei said. "That's what she's been doing since she got married."

"She got married? Who's the bloke?" Sirius asked.

"No idea, she likes keeping a private life." Loralei said. "But she said that if I get an O in the OWL's she'll start training me next year."

"Doesn't Dumbledore hire the teachers?" Sirius asked.

"Professor Cassandra said he lets the teacher sign off on the person since they know better than anyone who would be best for the job." Loralei told him.

"Professor Loralei Black." He said. "Sounds weird.

"Perhaps because it's Loralei Potter. Professor Potter." Loralei replied.

"So you're not taking my name?" He asked.

"I might, if I marry you." Loralei replied, reaching over Sirius for a bottle of butterbeer, and pulling out the cork, as she was about to take a sip, she started laughing. "First date and we're talking about getting married? This is all a little sudden." She teased.

"Come on, don't tell me you never thought about it." He replied.

She looked away, realizing she hadn't. She never even thought about her wedding, or imagined that she would have one. "Because I haven't."

"Really? I thought all girls planned their weddings." He said, surprised.

"Lily has, I haven't." Loralei told him. "It's not my thing."

"Of course not. You're not normal." He said, getting his own butterbeer bottle off the ice.

"And proud of it, babe." She grinned, taking a sip of butterbeer. "So, if this is the first date, what do I have to look forward to for the second?"

"I'll tell you when I get there." Sirius said. "But there is a Hogsmeade trip in two weeks, so don't make plans with Lily."

Loralei laughed. "Is there a, 'please' in there somewhere?"

"Will you please go to Hogsmeade with me?" He asked.

"There we go." Loralei laughed. "Yes, I will go with you. But if you take me to Madam Puddifoots I will leave."

"I know better than that. I won't even go in there." He said.

"Good boy." Loralei smiled.

"Thought you'd be happy about that." He said, pulling her to lay down next to him on the blanket. She was happy about the candles, not only for the beauty, but for the heat too, otherwise she would have been freezing.

She put her head on his arm. "So when did you start fancying me?"

"Last February, when your face was all over the Daily Prophet snogging Fabian Prewett." He told her in a tight voice. "I didn't like it, and not just because you're better than him. I just always pictured you with me if anyone."

She laughed. "So you think you're good enough for me?"

"Hell no, you're the only one here that I'm not good enough for." He told her.

"Even Lily?" Loralei teased.

"Not even Lily." He told her.

Loralei didn't even know what to say to that. Everyone else though she was better than Lily, but to be told that so directly made her heart pick up speed. After a second she laughed. "She's James' anyway."

"Yeah, she is." Sirius replied. "Doesn't matter, she's not my type."

"What's your type, Siri?"

"The girl who calls me Siri." He replied.

Loralei searched her memories for girls who called him that and get away with it. She was the only one.

"I'm not sure if you're trying to be all sappy or if you mean it." She said, honestly, rolling onto her side and getting on her elbow to look at him.

"I mean everything I say to you." He told her, putting her hair behind her ear with his fingers, leaving his hand in her long hair.

She smiled softly, looking into his dark blue eyes.

They didn't have a date for the rest of the week, they did just meet up alone, but most of the time they just did their homework, or helped each other with it. By the time it was Friday they were the talk of the school. Sirius Black and Loralei Potter were together, though neither said anything to anyone about it besides the Marauders and Lily, everyone knew though. They were always holding hands or passing notes, or even giggling in the back of the classroom. Both were invited to the Slug Club event that weekend when Loralei said she had plans with Sirius to try to get out of it.

They were everything but official, and that drove quite a few of the girls crazy when he wouldn't even flirt with them, and always say he had to meet her somewhere. Loralei loved it.

Friday night Loralei and Lily were getting ready for the Slug Club dinner, they couldn't wear their uniforms, and they had to wear semiformal clothes or robes.

Loralei wore a black skirt that fell around her ankles, put pinned up the right side so she could walk easily and show her black high heels. She had a cream colored lace top that showed how tan she was, and her hourglass figure.

Lily wore a green dress that went to her knees, and fit tightly to her thin figure, and white shoes.

"You look nice." Lily commented. "I heard Slughorn invite Sirius too."

Loralei laughed. "Yeah, he did." She said, putting small golden ball earrings in her ears. "He was my excuse to getting out of it."

"I know how much you hate these things, but Sev's gonna be there."

"We both know he hasn't been so friendly since he started getting into the Dark Arts." Loralei muttered.

Lily paused. "Maybe he stopped."

Loralei gave her a look that showed she thought the opposite. "When was the last time he hung out with us? Or even you?"

"Summer before last." Lily said.

"I'll be nice to him, and I won't let Sirius do anything, but I don't trust him anymore." Loralei told Lily. "I just hope he'll snap out of it before it's too late."

Lily stayed quiet as she put on her white pumps.

"I'm going to meet Sirius downstairs, I take it you're going down with Remus?"

She nodded. "We're on a project for Ancient Runes that we need to talk about anyway."

Loralei smiled. "See you later." She said as she closed her dormitory door behind her before going down the stairs to find Sirius.

"One thing I'm surprised about," she said as she wrapped her arms around his neck from behind. He was sitting on the common room couch directly in front of the staircase to the girls dormitory. "Is that you haven't found a way to get up the girl's staircase yet."

He chuckled. "I'll work on it, Love."

"You better." She said, releasing him and kicking out her leg over the back of the couch, giving Sirius full view of her right leg before she sat next to him. "Please be nice to Severus tonight."

He sighed. "You know that he's...not good." He chose his words carefully.

"I know, but that doesn't mean you can't be the bigger man." She told him. "So, please be nice. I don't want you to be a bully."

"Why does it matter?"

"Because I've been on the other side. I've been trying to work on you guys for the longest time." Loralei said, getting closer to him, on her knees, and turned towards him. She had learned that the closer physically she is to him, the better he would listen to her. "For me?"

He sighs, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her on his lap. "For you."

She smiled, putting her arms around his neck. "Thank you."

"But can we get out of there as soon as we can? I've heard stories from Moony and you. It doesn't sound fun." He said.

"It's okay if you're not his favorite or if there aren't any rumors going on about you." Loralei told him. "We'll ditch right before dessert and we can say that we want to finish homework before the weekend, we'll be back around nine."

"So it won't even be late." He says.

"But I have Quidditch in the morning." Loralei replied. "Then James is helping me with the Animagus stuff after."

Sirius froze.

She looked at him confused. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." He says, shaking his head.

She let it go, knowing she'll find out eventually. "I hate that James gets out of this every year since he played that prank at the first dinner."

"I do right now too. He should suffer with us." Sirius agreed.

"Should we force him to get changed and drag him down there?" Loralei said.

"That's not funny." James said from behind her.

Loralei turned around to see him in one of the good armchairs, his History of Magic book on his lap. She hadn't even noticed him there.

"Half the things you do aren't funny." Loralei replied. "This, my dear, would be very funny."

James looked up from his book and frowned at Loralei. "You're just mad I was a terrible kid and you just wanted to please everyone. That's why you're one of his favorites."

Loralei rolled her eyes. "Lily goes to all of them, if you went she'd be forced to talk to you."

His face went blank for a moment before her muttered, "Damn."

Sirius laughed. "Should we be going?"

Loralei nodded. "See you later, brother." She said, getting off Sirius' lap and pulling him up by his hand.

"Remember I want you on the pitch at ten!" He told her as she pulled Sirius out of the common room.

Loralei laughed. "He's the one that's always late, he should be reminding himself."

"But that would make sense." Sirius replied, leaning down to whisper it in her ear.

She laughed. "Watch, He's only going to show up after I weed out the good players."

"Probably." Sirius agreed. "But you love it. You do't have to do the hard work, you just need to get rid of the ones with no talent."

She nodded. "Hopefully no one will get too pissed like they were last year with Johanna." Johanna was the Quidditch Captain last year or Gryffindor. "I had to escort some people off the pitch."

"I saw that." Sirius commented. "You dragged that girl out of there."

"Well the girls may seem nice, but they're bitches when they don't get what they want." Loralei told him, as they descended the stairs.

"Never would've guessed." He said, sarcastically.

Loralei rolled her eyes. "I'm consistent, I'm a bitch all the time."

"No you're not." He said.

"That's because I'm not a complete bitch to you." Loralei told him. "And I don't plan on being one to you."

"Good." Sirius replied. "I don't plan on making you one."

"Good," she smiled, looking up at him. "Are you going to go to tryouts tomorrow?"

"Yeah, I figure I could work on my commentary on the game." He said.

"Maybe a little less biased this year?" She asked.

"Never." He told her, grinning.

She rolled her eyes as they got off the staircase and into an empty corridor.

"It's down here?" He asked, confused.

She shook her head. "No, it's down the next one."

"So why are we here?" He asked.

"Let's see," she said. "Abandoned corridor, the only time we'll be alone tonight...what do you think?"

"I think you want to snog." He said.

"Ooh, smart boy," she teased, putting herself between the wall and him, before releasing his hand to pull on his shirt so he would lean down enough for her to kiss him.

She never liked kissing in front of anyone. If there was anyone around who wanted to make a little money all they had to do was snap a picture and sell it to the tabloids, she had a few choice spots around Hogwarts, this corridor being one of them.

When she heard footsteps, she broke away, looking over his shoulder to see who it was.

"What?" Sirius asked.

"I heard something." She muttered.

"So?"

"So, your face is never plastered on the Daily Prophet or Witch Weekly like mine is." She said.

He sighed. "I'm going to have to get used to that."

"Yeah, one of the wonderful reasons for being me." She said sarcastically. "One day they'll lay off."

"When you're old."

"Hopefully before then." She said. "We should be going now. We're probably late."

"So?"

"You may always be late, I am, however not." She said smiling as she pulled him with her.

When they arrived, dinner was already served, and they made their excuses which most of the students rolled their eyes and Professor Slughorn, who was a walrus of a man, smile and say, "Young love."

It was the most boring dinner, where mostly Loralei whispered to Sirius or Lily, who were sitting on either side of her, until Slughorn excused himself for a moment, that's when the comments came.

"So, Black." Severus Snape asked. "How long until you get bored?"

"What do you mean?" Sirius asked innocently.

"Severus, be quiet." Loralei said. "This is none of your business."

"Aren't we friends, Loralei?" Severus asked.

"Yeah, but this has nothing to do with you." Loralei said. "Butt out."

"So you're fine with being cheated on?" He asked.

Loralei scoffed and rolled her eyes. "He knows better than that."

Severus rolled his eyes.

"Drop it, Sev." Lily told him. "It is none of your business."

He shut up, but looked at Loralei ask if saying, "Just you wait."

Loralei got up, the chair screeching on the stone floor. "Ready to go?"

Sirius stood up too. "Yeah."

"Lil, tell Professor Slughorn thank you for such a wonderful night." Sarcasm leaked into Loralei's voice as she spoke.

"Okay," she said, but Lily wasn't sure if Loralei heard her, since she was already walking away, Sirius' arm around her waist.