Chapter 4

The days were beginning to speed by, lessons blurring together, sunshine and blue skies giving way to frost and crisp air.

I almost didn't notice the changes that were happening around me.

Several Hogsmede trips came and went. Ja- I mean Potter didn't even ask Lily, he just walked past her. She almost looked...Disappointed? Nah.

Their daily blowups were becoming more and more infrequent. But for all you just reading this for the excitement of us getting the better of the Marauders don't worry. Black and I were fighting almost every day now.

Jazz went on a date with a Ravenclaw but came back half way through her date because, and I quote...

"All he was interested in was getting hints about the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Plus, he should really take out his brace if he wants to snog, it was like being chewed on by the Giant Squid."

I wonder how long the poor boys going in to be in the hospital wing for. Note to self, make a bet with Max.

And speaking of Quidditch, the first match of the season was fast approaching - Gryffindor Vs Slytherin. They were determined to win the cup for the first time in 6 years. We were just as determined to keep it. No wonder the stakes were so high. I'd been in detention twice already for duelling in the corridors and only one of those times I'd been duelling with Black.

The day dawned cold, crisp and perfect. Max was slapping her beaters bat against her leg, when I joined her in the Great Hall, not looking nervous exactly...More like she was sitting in a bed of spiny horklumps.

Ouch

Black and Potter, further down the table, were stuffing their faces as usual looking quite unconcerned about the forthcoming match. I was clad, as was most of the hall, in scarlet and gold, with my long Gryffindor scarf entwined around my neck. Alice and Lizzie had cornered me a few days before and forced me to draw a large banner of a lion eating a snake. I'd put an engorgement charm on it and Lily, always the genius, had made it change colours and roar every now and then.

We made our way down to the pitch and the whistle sounded. 14 broomsticks rocketed into the air, Ally Stevens snatching the quaffle from between a Slytherins fingers and zooming down the pitch, passing, ducking, dodging until clang she put it through the hoop. Cheers rose from the scarlet supporters, drowning out the green boos and hisses. Soon beaters from both teams were whacking bludgers every which way, chasers dodging between them. The two seekers, Potter and Regulus Black, Sirius Black's younger brother, were circling at 60 feet.

We were a very vocal audience, booing and hissing every time Slytherin scored, gasping whenever a bludger went too near one of our team, then...Potter and Black were diving, near vertically downwards.

"They're going to CRASH!" screamed Lizzie who had started hyperventilating again. I slapped her then returned to the games, watching the streaks of colour through my binoculars only to see Regulus yank away sharply and Potter raise a clasped hand in triumph and forgot to break, ploughing straight into the pitch

ouch

But he didn't seem that fussed to be honest and anyway I wasn't about to weep salty tears over him even if he hadn't asked Lily out in almost 3 weeks ( a personal best for him) and he almost immediately sprang back to his feet and began some kind of war dance. Supporters were pouring onto the pitch and I think I must have been the only one who saw the bludger heading straight for Black, the only member still in the air.

"SIRIUS!" I screamed. He turned and our eyes met over the crowds for a second. I could just tell he was reeling in shock that I'd called him Sirius which I HADN'T meant to at all. It just sorta slipped out.

Then BOOM. The bludger connected with the back of his skull and he keeled over and began to fall...

Everywhere I looked people were laughing, cheering. Why had no-one noticed? Do something but no-one saw him. I ripped out my wand and yelled the first spell that came to mind.

"wingardium leviosa!"

He slowed, but continued to fall and now everyone was pointing and screaming.

Bit late now mate.

He hit the ground with a sickening crunch and I think I must have been imperiused or something because I was fighting and scratching my way down onto the pitch.

"Wake up you GIT! WAKE UP!" I hit him in the stomach not even noticing the teachers moving away the crowds, or the team and Lily joining me. Potter slipped his arm around a rather green looking Lily who pushed it away half-heartedly. I felt slightly sick as Black's stupid blood began to leak from Black's stupid head, from his stupid hairline of his stupid hair that he was always stupidly styling, even more than any stupid girl I know.

My eyes were suspiciously damp. I DO NOT LIKE BLACK! It's the cold wind and the fact that I won't be able to duel him for a month, that's all THAT'S ALL!

STOP SMIRKING!

I slapped him hard round the face and he gave a groan, eyes flickering.

"Knew you couldn't resist me Twinkle, you lurrrvvvveeeeeeee me Twink." He rolled over and was spectacularly sick onto the pitch.

I stood and stormed away, but not before landing a kick to his you know what. I hadn't meant to I swear.

Okay maybe I had.

I knew I was beetroot red, like Hagrid after drinking too much mead, and I hastily wiped my hand across my eyes, I WAS NOT GOING TO CRY! I raced through the busy common room where the party had already began and up to my dormy, glad it was empty, and threw myself onto my bed, buried my head in my pillow and cried and cried and cried.

After maybe 5 minutes Lily came through the door.

"Don't say anything," I growled through the pillow, but, as usual, she completely ignored me.

"Black's fine, Matron has already fixed his skull and let him go, she wanted to keep him in overnight but you know what happened last time she did that."

I grunted in response and tried to hide my grin as I remembered the last time he'd been in the hospital wing. He'd been so bored that he'd redecorated. There's still a part of the wall that has a huge picture of the Gryffindor quidditch team painted on it.

No-one, not even Minnie could get rid of it and Dumbledore probably could but always makes excuses not to. Personally I think he thought it was a good piece of magic.

Dumbledore's a bit odd like that. A genius, don't get me wrong, but a bit odd.

"It's ok Arty, really. No-one thinks you and Black..."

I sat up so fast my head hurt and I felt dizzy.

"WHAT? THAT BLACK AND I WHAT!"

"Well, that you're secretly dating."

She looked upset but I was furious and I didn't care that she was only the messenger. I wanted to scream myself hoarse and kill someone.

Preferably Black.

"OH, AND WHAT DO YOU THINK EH? DO YOU THINK I'D HONESTLY DATE MY SWORN ENEMY WHO'S MADE MY LIFE HELL SINCE DAY 1! WHO LAUGHED AT MY BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE A FATHER, THAT I'M A FREAK EVEN IN THIS WORLD!"

"Arty, it's not about your water thing or not having a father." She whispered, tears were pooling in her startlingly green eyes. We never argue, we never have.

"DO YOU THINK I LIKE BLACK!" I screamed at her. I knew I was hurting her, it was hurting me, but BLACK? There was a roll of thunder, a flash of lightning and it began to rain.

"Well, YOU did seem pretty cut up at the match when he fell!" She snapped back, drawing her wand.

I flushed tomato and drew my wand too, standing.

"WHAT ABOUT YOU AND POTTER EH? WHAT ABOUT THAT!"

"THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH JAMES!" she yelled back.

"GO ON, ADMIT IT. YOU WERE PETTY CUT UP YOURSELF WHEN HE DIDN'T ASK YOU TO HOGSMEDE!"

"I HATE YOU!"

All the fight went out of me

"why don't you tell him how you feel?" Now it was my turn to whisper.

Lily was bright red with the effort of not hexing me to oblivion.

"You know you love him really but you're too PIG-HEADED to realise it. He's CHANGED Lily and we both know it. I've seen the glances, the way he looks at you, the way you look at him."

"WHAT ABOUT YOU AND BLACK THEN!" she almost spat the words, "NO? HUH? WELL GET OUT OF MY FACE THEN!"

"THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH BL-"

"THIS HAS EVERYTHING TO DO WITH BLACK! THE ONLY REASON YOUR SO DAMNED WELL UP YOURSELF ABOUT ME AND POTTER IS BECAUSE YOUR PATHETICALLY AND IRREALIVANTLY INLOVE WITH SIRIUS BLACK YOURSELF. ADMIT IT!"

She'd gone too far. I threw my wand at the far wall with so much force it made sparks burst from the end and stormed out of the dormitory through the hustle and bustle of the party which had masked our shouting and out of the portrait hole. I needed to go home.

I didn't even notice that Sirius Black had got up and taken a scruffy piece of blank parchment and his wand out of his pocket.

Any guesses for what the pieces of parchment was?

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