A/N: Oh my God! I am so sorry for the wait, you guys. I know you've heard the whole "I've been busy", but it's true! Homework, tennis, and school take up the majority of my time. That's all I'm going to say about that, but I would appreciate it if you would take the time to look at my bio, because you will see a full explanation. Plus, there is a VERY IMPORTANT NOTICE at the end of the chapter.

Since time is limited, I didn't put responses to reviews for this chapter, but I appreciate ALL OF THEM!

DEDICATIONS:

This chapter is dedicated to EVERYONE! But especially to:

Rinoa J and Indiangurl and Company: (you HAVE to tell me what happened with the waxing! Oh, and tell your friends that I will definitely work a "girl's night" into the story if I can. Love the idea!)

AND NOW, ONTO THE STORY! (BTW: Ignore any errors you see. I sort of did a lackadaisical job doing it. I think I'll go back and do it right, but I wanted to get this out now. Enjoy!

Chapter Twelve: Friday Night Disaster

James swallowed audibly and let his eyes roam over the scene that lay before him. He was suddenly beginning to wish he had cancelled like Lily advised.

Derek really had gone through great lengths to make this date romantic. Even though it was the number one place for couples to go, the Astronomy Tower wasn't always the most comfortable place in the world. It was silent and peaceful, but because of the large windows that revealed the stars outside, there was a constant draft which made the place a bit chilly. Plus, the place was usually dim except for the four torches in the corners.

However, all of that had been replaced. A beautiful burgundy carpet now covered most of the stone floor, along with many comfortable-looking pillows. A number of candles, all different shades of red, were floating through the air, which lit the Astronomy Tower and warmed it up quite nicely. The usual wooden chairs were gone and instead there was a white couch against the wall and it was obviously only made for two. Draped over the back was a large, dark blue velvet blanket.

That wasn't all, either. James wearily looked over to the middle of the room. There was a small table with two comfortable looking chairs on either side. Set on the crème-colored tablecloth were two plates, and on each was a well-done steak, a side of mashed-potatoes and wild-rice. Beside the plates were goblets of red-wine. Truthfully, it all looked very delicious. Derek had transformed the Astronomy Tower into a cozy, amorous love-den.

And for that, James was worried. Very worried. "I am in big trouble," he muttered under his breath. He realized that Derek had let go of his hand and turned just in time to see him close the door and lock it. "I am in really big trouble," James added. Not having heard him, Derek turned around and smiled at James.

"So, Lily," he said, clasping his hands behind his back. "What do you think?" James stared at Derek blankly with his mouth slightly open. When he didn't answer, Derek furrowed his eyebrows questioningly. "Lily?" He took a step forward and James automatically took a step back. Derek looked confused for a moment before laughing and reaching out to take James' hand. "I know," he chuckled. James tensed as Derek led him over to the table. "You're surprised, right? I knew you'd like it, but I didn't know you'd be speechless." Derek pulled the chair out. "I hope you're hungry, Lily," he added as James sat down stiffly. Derek sat in the chair opposite of him and put his napkin in his lap before cutting up his steak. "Mm," he said, taking a bite. "It's really good."

James felt something brush his calf under the table and grew rigid. Is that his foot? he thought in horror. Can't he at least wait an hour? James moved his leg away and firmly hooked his feet around the leg of the chair.

"Lily?" Derek prompted. He speared a piece of meat onto his fork and held it up to James' mouth. "Aren't you going to eat?"

James looked at Derek with great distain. "I'm a vegetarian," he lied in a frosty tone.

Derek frowned slightly. "Oh," he said, lowering his fork. "Sorry about that, I didn't know. You like rice and potatoes, though, right?" James shrugged and reluctantly picked up his fork; he didn't want to grow too comfortable in case he had to fight off Derek, but he still had to eat. The corner of Derek's mouth lifted up in a grin. He picked up James' glass and held it out to him.

"Here," he told him. "Thirsty?"

James chewed slowly, raised an eyebrow and said stonily, "I don't drink alcohol."

If Derek was disappointed, he didn't show it. All he did was smile and put the glass down. Then, he pulled out a pitcher of ice-water from behind his chair and poured it into another glass. It took a lot of self-control for James to keep himself from rolling his eyes as Derek offered it to him. So far, his plan of making Derek want to end the date early wasn't working. James took the glass with an apprehensive sigh, and carefully examined it before taking a sip.

"So," Derek continued. "Who do you think will win the match tomorrow? Gryffindor or Ravenclaw?"

"Gryffindor, no doubt," James said immediately.

Derek laughed softly and took a sip from his drink. "Really?"

"Of course," James said, resting an elbow on the table. He looked at Derek pointedly. "Ravenclaw doesn't even have a chance."

"I don't know," Derek said, shaking his head. "I don't think you're team is ready."

"Our team has been winning every match this year."

"So far," Derek added, pointing at James with his fork. "Every good thing comes to an end eventually."

"And it will end with my house winning the Quidditch cup," James said coolly.

"Well," Derek said, smirking at him. "I admire determination." A moment later, James felt a hand rub against the place right above his knee. Without missing a beat he jerked his leg up, and with a sharp bang! Derek's hand was crushed between the bottom of the table and James' leg. With a cry of pain, he yanked his hand out from under the table and cradled it gently.

James grinned and took a sip of his water. "Sorry," he said calmly. "Muscle spasm in my leg."

"Checkmate!"

Kate groaned and thumped her head on the table. "Unbelievable," she said in a muffled voice.

"Believe it!" Parker said cheerfully. She bent down to pick up the broken pieces of the chessmen that had fallen on the floor. "That's three in a row, Kate," she laughed, setting them back on the chessboard. "That means you lost three in a row. Give it up."

Kate scowled and picked up one of the chess pieces, ignoring its indignant squealing. "How did you do that?" she demanded to Parker. "Did you fix these or something?"

"No," Parker countered. "It's a little thing called skill. Something you don't have when it comes to this game."

"Give me a break," said Kate, moodily watching the pieces walk back to their places. "I only learned last year. You've been playing for, what, the past three?"

"Six," corrected Parker.

"Same thing," Kate grumbled.

"Oh, come on, lighten up, Kate! You'll get better," Parker assured her with a smile.

"D'you think I'll be able to beat you?"

"I didn't say that."

Kate rolled her eyes and laughed. "Fine," she relented. "One more game." She began to pick up the remaining chessmen from the side and put them on the board.

"What's the point?" teased Parker, nudging a black bishop to move faster. "You won't be able to beat me anyway. Nobody can."

Kate opened her mouth to reply, but before she could, an amused voice said, "Care to test that theory?" Parker and Kate looked up, and saw Sirius grinning down at them with his arms crossed. Remus stood next to him, casually resting an elbow on Sirius's shoulder. "Good afternoon, ladies," Remus greeted.

"Nothing good about it, now," muttered Parker. "Don't you have Quidditch practice, Sirius?"

"Nope," he answered cheerfully. "I've got the night off."

"Why?" Kate asked, furrowing her eyebrows. "Don't you have to prepare for the match tomorrow?"

"Brian gave each Quidditch player one free night off for Christmas," Remus explained. "They can each choose a practice to skip, and they don't have to justify it. Sirius hasn't taken his, yet."

"So why are you taking it now?" Parker asked irritably.

"Because," he said simply. "Brian's been training us really hard for the match tomorrow, and I decided that I'm ready enough to take a break. Oh, don't act so upset, Parker," he teased with a grin when he saw Parker scowl. "You know you're happy to see me. Everyone's happy to see me. Hell, If I wasn't myself, I would be happy to see me."

Remus elbowed him sharply in the ribs and gave him a look. "And you wonder why she can't stand you," he told him.

Sirius just waved his hand carelessly and crouched down so he could look at Parker at eye-level. "So?" he asked. "What do you say, Parker?"

"About what?"

"How about a harmless little game of chess between you and me?"

Parker sighed and continued to set of the board. "Perhaps you weren't listening, Sirius," she said dryly. "I can't be beaten. Just ask Kate, here."

"I don't know, Parker," Remus said. He pulled up a chair and sat next to Kate. "You might be surprised. Sirius is pretty good himself."

"I've got six years of experience in this game," Parker told him smugly.

"So?" Sirius said with a shrug. "I've got eight."

Parker hesitated for a moment before saying crossly, "That doesn't mean anything."

Sirius quirked his mouth into a smirk and he rested his chin on folded arms. "Really?" he said lightly. "Do you want to see if that's true?"

"I don't have to," Parker told him shortly. "I already know it is."

"Okay, then you shouldn't be worried if I challenge you to a game right now, should you?"

"No thank you, Sirius," Parker said primly.

"Why not?"

"Because."

"Because why?"

"Because I don't want to!"

"So," Remus said to Kate conversationally as they watched Parker get more and more irritated with Sirius. "Any bets on how this is going to end?"

"Who knows?" she said, drumming her fingers on the table. "Let's just enjoy the show."

"I think you're scared," Sirius was saying, eyes glinting mischievously.

"No I'm not!" Parker exclaimed.

"Then why won't you play?"

"Because I don't want to!"

"Fine," Sirius said. "How about we make a little wager?"

Parker studied him intently before saying, "I'm listening."

"If I win," Sirius continued. "You have to go out on a date with me. But if I don't," he hurried on as Parker glared angrily. "I'll never ask you out again for the rest of our education at Hogwarts."

Remus' eyebrows shot up and exchanged surprised glances with Kate. "Wow," he said quietly. I never knew he was that desperate for a date with her." Mouth open a bit in shock, Kate just nodded silently. Parker bit down on her bottom lip as she considered Sirius' suggestion. Then she stole a quick look at Kate before saying, "I don't know. I already promised Kate a game."

"So what?" Kate said, finding her voice again. "I'd like to see you get your sorry arse kicked." Parker glowered at Kate in a way that clearly let her know that that wasn't what she was supposed to say. Kate just smiled sweetly.

"Yeah," Remus piped up. "Come on, Parker. It's not that bad. One date is not the end of the century."

"Are you saying that you expect me to lose, Remus?" Parker asked dangerously.

"No," Remus said quickly and shaking his head. "Not at all. I just mean that if you do, then it won't be that bad to deal with. You should count yourself lucky, really. There are worse things you might have to do if you lose to Sirius, Parker."

"Like what?" she asked curiously.

Sirius stifled a laugh and Remus shifted in his seat uneasily. "Let's not go there," he said, averting his gaze. "All you need to know is that any crazy thing that you can think of, James and I have probably done them all when we've lost to Sirius in the past."

Parker furrowed her eyebrows and looked around to her friends wearily; she was obviously on her own in this. "Alright," she relented. "Fine. But," she added, holding up a finger. "When you lose, Sirius, I expect you to hold up your end of the deal. No flirting, no kissing, nothing like that."

"Deal," Sirius said simply. Kate moved to grab another chair and Sirius sat in hers, rubbing his hands together and smiled wickedly. "Let's play some chess." He spun the board around so that the white pieces were on Parker's side. "Ladies first," he said gesturing to her politely.

Parker just gave him a withering look before looking at the board and contemplating the opening move. I really hope I know what I'm doing. "Knight to E-6." She watched her knight slide to the space.

"Bishop to A-3," Sirius said in clear voice. When the piece had moved, Sirius looked up at Parker, grinned, and quirked an eyebrow.

Parker pressed her lips together to hide a grin as she took her turn. Well, she thought. At least if I lose, the consequences won't be so bad…

"ALBUS, ARE YOU MAD!" Professor McGonagall raged.

After overhearing the conversation between Lily and James in her Animagus form, she had hurried down to Dumbledore's office to tell him about this horrible accident that occurred between the two rivals. Professor McGonagall was shocked when Professor Dumbledore just chuckled softly, and proceeded to tell her everything that had happened with Peeves a few nights before. Professor McGonagall now nervously paced to and fro as Dumbledore calmly watched her from his desk, eating a chocolate frog every now and then.

"What were you thinking, telling Peeves a spell like that?" McGonagall continued. "You know how much trouble he causes! Albus, that's like—like showing a dragon how to burn a village!"

Professor Dumbledore just folded his long fingers together. "It was thirty years ago when I told him," he answered plainly. "I didn't think he'd remember."

"But—but—!" McGonagall stammered. She took a deep breath and impatiently straightened her spectacles, which had slid down to the end of her nose. "But you could have stopped it, couldn't you?"

"Actually, Minerva, you are wrong. I didn't know the switch had taken place until Mr. Potter and Ms. Evans showed up at my office on Monday morning. And no," Dumbledore added as McGonagall opened her mouth again. "I have no control over when they change back. To tell you the truth, I think it was an absolutely marvelous idea. Its times like these that make me want to keep our dear poltergeist around." Professor Dumbledore pointed his wand and a tray of tea cups, a pot and plate of biscuits appeared. "Tea?" he offered merrily.

"Dear poltergeist," McGonagall muttered angrily under her breath as she sat down finally. She poured herself a cup of steaming tea, making sure to fill it to the top. "Albus, there is a reason why his name is Peeves, and it certainly isn't because he is dear. I suppose all of this explains the racket in my classroom caused by Evans all of a sudden. But surprisingly, I'm much happier to have an explanation as to why Potter seemed so well-behaved." She took a deep sip from her cup.

"A very good plan," murmured Dumbledore thoughtfully, gazing into the fire. "Brilliant, really."

"Brilliant?" McGonagall repeated incredulously. "It's a disaster!"

"Maybe not," Professor Dumbledore said lightly, serving himself a cup of tea. "It all depends on how you look at it, don't you think, Minerva?"

"And when I look at it all I see is Potter and Evans in my class bickering enough to hold up the lesson."

"True," agreed Dumbledore. "That's very true. But what about when they aren't in your classroom? I myself have seen them in the corridors sharing a joke or two. I think a slow change is taking place."

"A very slow change," added Professor McGonagall as she buttered a biscuit.

A small, mysterious smile graced Dumbledore's face. "Maybe," he said softly. "But it is a change all the same."

James glanced at his watch for what seemed like the hundredth time in a minute. So far, only about half and hour had passed and he and Derek had only just finished dinner. After James suffered his sudden "muscle spasm," Derek assured him that his hand was okay (despite the slight tremor it now held), but he also was sure to keep his distance for the time being.

Derek quickly waved his wand and the table was wiped clean except for the water and wine. James made no movement to stand up, but sulkily sat back in the chair with his arms crossed. He looked out the window; it was a beautiful, clear night, perfect for Quidditch practice. He pictured Lily and the other Quidditch players flying around with the wind whipping their faces. What I wouldn't give to be out there right now, James thought grimly. He turned his attention back to Derek, who was strolling towards him with a smile on his face.

"So, Lily," he said brightly, brushing his hair back with his hand. "Beautiful night, huh?" James could just barely keep himself from rolling his eyes and instead regarded Derek with an uninterested expression. He's talking about the weather, he thought scornfully. That'll keep a girl's interest. "I mean, it's perfectly clear," Derek rambled on when James didn't answer. "You can see almost all of the stars. Do you like star-gazing?" James just raised his eyebrows. "You know, looking for constellations and stuff?" Derek supplied.

"I know what it means," James said irritably.

"Right…" Derek said slowly. He glimpsed down at his shoes briefly before turning back to James. "Um…I was just thinking since it was such a nice night, we could look for the constellations and see how many we could spot. You up for it?"

James shrugged. "Sure," he said dully. He stood up and turned his chair towards the window before sitting back down. He looked over at Derek, who was staring at him blankly.

"What are you doing?" Derek asked.

"I'm facing the window so I can see the stars better," James replied.

Derek continued to look stunned for a moment before laughing quietly. "Oh," he chuckled. "Well, you could do that, but don't you think it would be a bit more…comfortable on the couch?"

I knew it! James' mind screamed. Aloud he said calmly, "I perfectly comfortable here, thanks for caring."

Derek hesitated before saying, "But that's why I brought the couch up here. It's really soft, Lily. I'm sure it's much warmer."

"Did I say I was cold?"

"No," Derek said, shaking his head. "I just think it might get a bit cold later on." James detected a hint of impatience in his voice. "And I don't want you to get sick."

"Well, I'll tell you if I feel a cough coming," James said, his tone final.

Derek exhaled heavily before nodding in defeat. "Alright," he said. He grabbed the other chair. "I'll just…sit here with you, then." James watched suspiciously as Derek set the chair down so close to him that it seemed as though the chairs were attached. Derek sighed and leaned back, sneaking a quick look at James. James crossed his arms stiffly and stared outside, but kept a weary eye on Derek, watching for anything sudden. For a few moments no one spoke, and the only sounds were that of James' foot tapping lightly on the stone floor, as well as Derek's occasional noisy exhale. I swear if he sighs one more time, I'll strangle the breath out of him, James thought petulantly.

"So," Derek finally said, rubbing his hands together. "What's your favorite constellation?"

"Orion," James answered immediately.

"Really? Why is that?"

"Because," he explained. "It's symbol that reminds me of strength. I don't know the whole story behind it, but I do know that Orion is like a hunter or warrior or something like that. I almost consider him somewhat of a protector of the skies, with his armor and everything." James' voice had taken on a wistful quality, and his attention was completely on the stars above. He didn't notice Derek take advantage of the distraction and slip his arm around the back of his chair.

"I know what you mean," he said casually. "I've always liked stars. They just seem so…there."

James snorted. "As opposed to not?" he asked sardonically, eyes still on the sky.

"Well, no," Derek said, looking at him. "I mean, it's like they're so near and close that you want to just…reach out and…" Derek let his hand rest gently on the back of James' shoulder rubbed his thumb over it. "…Touch them…"

"And you know what's funny about that?" James said, shaking off Derek's hand and plastering a fake smile on his face. "You can't! Stars are so far away that you just can't touch them, no matter how much you want to. In other words, they are untouchable." He spoke that last word loudly and clearly, looking pointedly at Derek. "And if one were to touch a certain star, he would get severely injured."

Derek just frowned, nonplussed by James' analogies. "Um…okay." He turned his head towards the window again, a slight look of frustration etched in his features. James kept an eye on him out of the corner of his eye and reached for his glass water. "Hey, look," Derek said suddenly, sitting up. "There's Sirius."

"Where?" James exclaimed, turning towards the door. If Sirius showed up, James vowed to kiss him purely out of happiness.

"Right there." Derek pointed out the window. "A bit to the left." James realized that Derek was talking about the constellation and slumped down in his seat disappointedly.

"Oh," he said glumly.

"And there's Capricornus," Derek said. "And Gemini, Leo, and Pisces." He turned around to face James and asked, "Hey Lily, what's your sign?"

"Libra," James grunted tonelessly.

"Is that so?" Derek asked, smiling at him. "You know, I studied a little bit about zodiacs and their meanings."

"No kidding," James answered monotonously.

Derek's smile widened. "Yeah, and the descriptions are really accurate, too. In fact, one of the traits of a Libra is supposed to be…" His voice dropped to a whisper, and he stared at James intently as he began to lean in. "…Passionate and flirtatious…"

Dammit! James thought frantically as he saw Derek close his eyes. Need a plan, need a plan… He quickly pointed out the window. "OH LOOK!" he said loudly. "Is that a shooting star?" The big movement of his arm and sudden volume in his voice made Derek jump slightly, breaking his concentration.

"Where?" he asked, somewhat edgily.

"Right there!" James pointed to the right, and when Derek looked he took advantage of the moment to scoot his chair away a few feet. When Derek turned his head back to him, James stopped moving and smiled innocently.

"I didn't see anything," Derek said, knitting his eyebrows together.

"Oh well," James said, waving his hand. "You must've missed it."

Derek just shrugged carelessly before saying, "What are you doing all the way over there?"

"Hmm?" James asked, stalling for time.

Derek gestured down at the two and a half feet between them. "You moved away. Something wrong?"

"I..uh…" James stammered lamely. "I thought I saw a…a mouse."

"Oh," Derek said, smiling once more and bringing his chair closer. "Well, there's nothing there now. It's just you…" He leaned in again and dropped his voice lower, closing his eyes as he neared James. "…and me...ARGH!" Derek gasped violently and flew back as he felt ice cold water run down his front.

"Oh, Merlin," James said apologetically, holding an empty glass. "I am really very sorry, Damon." That I didn't do that before, he added silently, holding back a laugh. "It just…slipped."

"No, no," Derek insisted, shaking his head. He gave James a reassuring smile. "It's alright, really."

"It must have been extremely cold," James continued, tossing the glass from hand to hand. "And look," he sighed dramatically, "you're nice robes are all wet and ruined. What a pity."

"Don't worry, Lily," Derek chuckled. "That's why we have wands." He reached for his wand in his back pocket and quickly performed a drying spell. His back was turned to James, so he didn't see his date slouch into his chair grimace deeply in disappointment.

Lily groaned as she put a hand to her lower back and stretched; after sitting on the broom for a little over an hour, she had long since gotten stiff from sitting up straight. Although she was already sore and occasionally got dizzy spells from the height, Lily refused to let Brian see this after their last confrontation. She still wasn't the fastest one in the air (nowhere near it). However, Lily had to admit that she had at least improved in her flying compared to how she had done a few days before. Lily stretched her neck one last time before turning her attention to Brian, who was shouting out directions on what to do next.

"Okay, team!" he yelled. "That was good timing! Nice, quick passes. Now, we have about forty-five minutes left of practice and I want to run through four more plays, at the very least. First, let's do a Double-Wingdinger Combo with a—crap!" Brian groaned and put his hand to his forehead, scowling in frustration. "We can't do that one, can we? Sirius is the beater and we need both of them to pull it off…um…Alright, why don't we do the Harlington Formation…dammit! We can't do that one either! I should have just gotten you all socks for Christmas, but no, I had to be a generous captain" he muttered bitterly. Brian closed his eyes and took a deep breath before opening them again. "Okay," he sighed. "I suppose we'll just have to…I don't know, I'll play his position. Black will know what to do when I tell him tomorrow." Brian blew his whistle twice. "Alright, let's go, let's go! I want you to do the Double-Wingdinger Combo!"

Lily looked around and uncertainly watched the rest of the team fly to their positions. What the hell is that? She flew steadily over to Clark and cleared her throat. "Hey," Lily said carefully, clearing her throat. "What's a—um—a double wingdingy-whatsit?"

Clark blinked bewilderedly. "You mean a Wingdinger Combo?" he said slowly.

"Right," Lily said quickly. "That's what I said."

Clark looked at her strangely before replying, "James, you should know. You're the one who taught it to us."

"Well, there you are!" Lily said, thinking on her feet. She laughed nervously. "Just quizzing you. I'm glad you know you're Quidditch moves, Cary."

"Clark," he corrected.

Lily hesitated for a fraction of a second. "Gotcha again!" she finally said cheerfully. "You are really good at this." Clark just stared at her looking surprised and confused. He opened her mouth to say something, but Brian interrupted and shouted, "POTTER! GET IN YOUR POSITION!"

"Coming!" Lily yelled back. She turned the broom around and prepared to fly away, but then turned around again. "Hey…Clark?" she said, trying to sound casual. "You wouldn't….happen to know where my position is, would you?"

Clark jerked his thumb over to the right. "It's over there," he said shortly.

Lily flew a back a little and over to the left. "Over here?" she asked.

"No," Clark told her, shaking his head. He gestured to her other side. "Over there…no…to the right…no, I mean—not my right, James, yours. Alright, stop."

"Thanks," Lily muttered, keeping her eyes down out of embarrassment.

Clark studied her for a moment before saying, "James, what's the matter with you? Are you feeling alright?"

Lily winced and tipped her head sideways. "Well…" she began delicately.

"POTTER!"

Lily jumped at the sound of Brian's snappy tone. "I'd love to explain but I don't want to keep Brian waiting," she said hurriedly to Clark, before whipping her head around to where Brian was hovering impatiently. She inhaled the crisp night air deeply and watched as Brain prepared to throw the Quaffle. I have no clue what to do in a double-whammy-webding, she thought grimly. But it looks like I'll just have to have to be creative.

"Hurry up and make your move, Parker," Kate said impatiently.

"Give me a minute, I'm thinking!" she snapped back.

"You've been thinking for the past three minutes," said Peter.

Parker just sent him a glare and continued to study the chess board. Playing against Sirius had turned out to be much more difficult than she had expected. With Kate, and most other people she had played against, she could manage to beat them using only half of her concentration. Usually, the game was over with twenty minutes. But now, it was almost half an hour into the game and she and Sirius were nowhere near finishing it.

However, Remus had not been lying when he said that Sirius was skilled in the game. He was definitely making Parker keep her wits about her. Their skills were matched almost equally, and it was still too early to tell who had the best chance of winning. Sirius would occasionally look up at her with a sly grin and make a joke or two. But otherwise, he seemed extremely focused on the game. In fact, it surprised Parker how sharp Sirius could be.

Parker took a deep breath and said, "Pawn to C-8." They all watched as the piece slowly slid into place.

"Finally," Sirius sighed. "Bishop to D-3."

Parker looked on in horror as his Bishop moved. "Th-that's all?" she stammered in disbelief. "You don't want to…think about it a little longer?"

Sirius shook his head. "Nah," he said simply. "I've had that move planned out for ages. Your turn." Sirius smirked as Parker slumped back in her chair, looking over the board with a defeated look on her face. "Of course," he said lightly. "You could always forfeit, you know. It would save a whole bunch of time that you could use to get ready for our date."

Parker grimaced at him and sat up straight. "I think I'll pass," she said bitterly, and fell silent to contemplate her next move.

"Oh, come on, Parker," Remus coaxed her. The corner of his mouth lifted into a grin. "You're really making all of this much more difficult than it needs to be, don't you think?"

"No," she said stubbornly.

"Sirius isn't that bad," Peter added. "I mean, sure, he can be obnoxious and a little conceited sometimes. And he has that bad habit of burping really loud, which can be pretty gross. But if you ignore all of that, he really is a great guy."

"Thank you, Peter," Sirius said, glowering at him. "Thank you so much."

"No problem, buddy," he said, not hearing the sarcasm. Sirius just rolled his eyes.

"…but I'm not too worried about my Newts or anything," Derek was saying, gesturing with his hand. "My father works at the Ministry of Magic, and he promised me an internship at his office. He isn't exactly at the bottom of the chain, if you know what I mean." He laughed heartily and next to him, James turned his head away and silently imitated it with a sneer on his face.

For the past fifteen minutes Derek had been talking about nothing else but himself. With a reluctant ear, James had listened and learned all about Derek's childhood (he was born in Scotland, lived there until eight, and moved to England), his education (his parents started teaching him spells at age ten), and now his plans for the future. So far, James had learned that Derek wanted to be an Auror, married by 27 and have four to five kids—minimum. James was much more interested in the fact that somehow, through all of this, Derek had failed to note the unresponsiveness in James' manor and had just kept talking.

"So," Derek said, bringing his arm to rest on the back of James' chair. "What do you want to do?"

James looked up from absentmindedly staring at the sky. "What?" he said vaguely, turning his head.

"What do you want to do when you get out of Hogwarts?"

James turned his attention back to window. "I don't know," he said. "A healer, maybe. Or an Auror. I haven't really decided."

"You…want to be an Auror?" Derek said incredulously.

"Yeah," James replied defensively. "Is there a problem with that?"

"Well, no," Derek said hesitantly. "Not exactly."

"Then what, exactly?" James asked dangerously, narrowing his eyes.

"Well," Derek began. "It's just that…well, you know…you're a girl."

"You don't say," James said under his breath. "What's that got to do with being an Auror?"

"Lily, being an Auror calls for a lot of…physical activity. You know, running, strength, and sometimes hand to hand combat."

"So?" James demanded. Even though James wasn't a girl himself, his great-aunt Beatrice had been an Auror, now retired. He knew she was well known among the Aurors at the Ministry of magic, not to mention in his family, so he took this comment to heart.

"So," Derek continued. "Don't you think a…boy has the most ability to do that than a girl?"

James stared at him in disbelief. This guy's mind is as narrow as an alley, he thought distainfully. What the hell does Evans see this dip? "It's not just about physicality, you know. It also takes a lot of intelligence. Not everyone has that. Obviously," James added acidly, glancing at Derek.

"But a girl isn't exactly as tough as a guy," Derek tried to reason.

James snorted at that comment. "Apparently, you haven't met many of girls," he said wryly, thinking of Lily. Derek opened his mouth to argue again, but decided against it and closed his mouth. He leaned back in his chair casually and looked outside, occasionally sneaking a glance at James, who had stiffly crossed his arms once again, making no attempt at conversation.

"Erm…so…" Derek said awkwardly, looking at James. James purposely ignored him. Derek frowned slightly and cast around for another subject. "Did I tell you about the time my cat chased dog around my house and into our—?"

"Yes," James said curtly, silently counting the stone bricks in the wall.

"Oh," Derek said. He slumped his shoulders for a moment. Then he smiled, and sat up straight. "How about when I accidentally turned my mother's hair into a bird's nest? It was right before one of her parties and—"

"—and the women there thought it was a new fashion trend and wore their hair like that for weeks," James said blandly. He gave Derek an exasperated look. "I know. You told me that twice." James turned his attention back to the wall. Thirty-four, thirty-five, thirty-six…

"Um…okay," Derek muttered. He turned his head away from James and swore under his breath; this was not going as he had planned at all. After a second he twisted his body towards James. "Hey, Lily," he said, his scowl replaced with a charming smile. "Did I tell that I have dessert for us?"

"That's a surprise," James muttered. "Especially since dessert is usually what follows after dinner." Seventy-nine, eighty, eighty-one, eighty-two…

Derek dismissed his comment and walked over to the table. He bent over for a moment and emerged holding a slice of cake. "I hope you like chocolate," he said, setting it on the table. He bent down again to get the other, and then started to place silverware and napkins next to it. James turned his head around and looked at the cake doubtfully. He loved chocolate. But if he said he didn't…

"And I have vanilla, too," Derek said, setting another slice down. "In case you're allergic or something."

James rolled his eyes, heaved a sigh, and turned his head back to the wall. "Dammit, I lost count," he mumbled. "There goes my only entertainment for this evening."

"Lily?" Derek said uncertainly from the table. "Aren't you coming over?"

James heaved a sigh and stood up to his feet, slowly making his way over to the small table. He sat down and pulled the plate of chocolate cake over to him. Picking up his fork, James gave a quick glance over to Derek, who was watching him anxiously. "Did you make this yourself?" James asked dubiously.

"Uh…no," Derek said, taking a bit out of his own slice. "I actually got one of the house elves to do it for me and deliver it up here. I'm not much of a cook, really. Last time I tried the food resembled more of ash than anything edible." He smiled at James. James just nodded slightly and continued to gingerly pick at his food.

Silence settled among them again. Derek saw that James still hadn't taken a bite. "The food's not poisoned, you know, Lily," he said lightly in a weak attempt of a joke.

James looked up at him and raised his eyebrows. "Maybe I'm just not hungry," he said stated calmly.

"But you hardly ate any of your dinner," Derek said to him, an edgy tone creeping into his voice.

"I told you I was vegetarian," James said with a shrug.

Derek opened his mouth, but closed it at the last minute. Instead he rested his elbow on the table took another bite out of his cake. "Um…so," he began. "What's your…favorite class?"

James didn't even look up from tracing designs into his cake with his fork. "Transfiguration," he muttered.

"Oh," Derek said politely. "That's very nice. Mine is Herbology."

James just flicked his eyes towards him before looking back down at his food. "Very interesting," he commented.

"Do you like it?" Derek asked eagerly.

"No," James said shortly. "In fact, I don't care one wit about plants and I think it's a dull class made for those who have no life or talent." He looked up at Derek and grinned. "But don't let my thoughts influence your…uh…interests," he added pleasantly

"Um," Derek said blankly. "Aright then." He twirled the fork around his fingers for a moment before saying, "Oh, I almost forgot, Lily. There's supposed to be a small meteor shower tonight. Actually—" he took a peek at his watch "—I think it's supposed to start in a few minutes. Have you ever seen a meteor shower before?"

"No," James answered. And I don't really care to, he added to himself.

"Great!" Derek exclaimed. "Let's just clear the table and stuff and we'll get settled, then." He stood and flicked his wand. In a second all of the remaining cake was gone, and the plates clean. James groaned quietly; that cake really had looked good, and now he was regretting that he hadn't had any. He made a mental note to go down to the kitchens later that evening. He stood up to stretch his arms and neck. Only a little bit longer, he thought. Just an hour or so left until I can leave. James chuckled softly. Maybe I should get drunk before I go to sleep so that when I wake up I'll have no memory whatsoever of this disastrous event. No memory of this date…no memory of these shoes…it would be like it never happened. Yes, brilliant!

A sudden POP! snapped James out of his reverie and with a start, he turned his attention to where it came from. He looked over just in time to see Derek standing where the table used to be, tucking his wand back into his pocket. James' eyes widened in horror when he realized what had just happened.

Derek had gotten rid of the table and the two chairs, which meant that the only place left to sit was…

James slowly turned his head and saw Derek getting settled on the couch and, with a smile, waving him over and patting the seat next to him. James turned away from him and swore under his breath. Instead of feeling panicked, he was disgusted with the sneaky tactic.

James weighed his options. Unfortunately, he couldn't sit on the ground, considering the skirt his was in (and he refused to give Derek another reason to try and maul him by flashing more leg). James looked at the door. It was only lucky for him he had his wand. James reached behind to his back and felt it where he had tucked it into the skirt. He could blast the door to bits and be out of there faster than Derek could say Alohamora. With a guilty, sinking feeling in his stomach, James remembered the promise he had made to Lily about cooperating, and let go of the wand. He had never broken a promise, before, and he didn't want to start. Well, he thought grudgingly. I suppose I could just sit down next to him for a little while. It won't kill me. He looked over to Derek, who had been watching him uncertainly and now smiled and beckoned him over again. James rolled his eyes made his way over. Well, it may severely traumatize me, he thought grimly. But it won't kill me.

Grimacing slightly, James lowered himself onto the couch, leaving as much room as possible between him and Derek. Sadly, that amounted to about the total of only two feet.

Lily hobbled her way into the Common Room with aching limbs. The Quidditch practice hadn't gone too badly. After a while she had gotten the hang of the different plays. Although Lily was sure she would forget them by morning, she was much too tired to think about it. Surprisingly enough, she was also too tired to think of how the date was going with Derek. Oh well, she thought as she stifled a yawn. I'll worry about it later. I know he'll screw it up some how so I might as well not think to much about it now. Better that I save my energy to yell at him later, she added with a small smile.

Lily set her broom against the arm of a couch and spotted Kate, Peter, and Remus crowded around a small table and laughing about something. Walking closer and craning her neck, Lily saw Sirius and Parker in the middle of what looked like an intense chess game. Sirius was looking relaxed, idly cracking his knuckles while Parker looked very agitated.

"What's going on?" Lily asked. She grabbed a chair and set it next to Remus, collapsing in it rather than sitting down.

"Sirius challenged Parker to a game of chess," Kate explained, eyes twinkling in amusement.

"And he put a wager on the line," added Remus.

"Oh, really?" Lily said lightly. "What is it?"

"Parker has to go out with him on a date when she loses," Peter told her.

"You mean if I lose," Parker growled dangerously. "And when Sirius loses, he can't ask me out ever again."

Lily smiled. "This sounds fun," she said, resting an elbow on the back of Remus' chair. "It's also a good way to put an end to all this nonsense. How long has this been going on?"

"The game? Almost an hour and half," Sirius said. He grinned at Parker. "I must say, James, our friend Parker here is rather persistent. She refuses to give up."

Parker closed her eyes and sighed impatiently. "Sirius," she said tensely. "Just because you've been playing chess longer than I have doesn't mean that you're better! If you ask me, I think I've been doing pretty well, thank you very much." She looked down at the board and said, "Rook to D-1." The piece slowly glided into place. Parker grinned triumphantly at Sirius. "Go on Sirius," she said, raising an eyebrow. "Your turn."

Sirius didn't move right away. Instead, he studied the chessboard and looked up at Parker. "Well, Parker," he said, folding his arms. He shook his head and a smile began to spread on his face. "That's amazing."

Parker shrugged. "What can I say?" she said haughtily. "I knew I would make a comeback. Do you want to forfeit, Sirius? Because I think that would be a very cowardly way of backing out."

Sirius nodded. "I agree, Parker," he said solemnly. "Which is why I would never think of doing so. Instead, I have two things to say to you."

"Two things?" Parker said, puzzled.

"Yes. The first is knight to C-5." They all watched quietly as the knight moved. Sirius smiled as the piece took out its sword and lifted it up. "The second is…" Parker stared in horror as the sword swung through the air and hit the white marble queen, breaking off the crown. Sirius smirked and propped his elbows onto the table, folded his hands, and rested his chin on top. "Checkmate!" he declared cheerfully.

Parker groaned and leaned back in her chair, covering her eyes with her hands. "Damn!" she whined. "I was so close!"

"Actually, no, you weren't," Remus quipped. "I saw that coming fifteen minutes ago."

"And you couldn't say anything?" Parker exclaimed furiously.

Sirius stood to his feet and shook his head. "It's how the game is played, darling," he said smoothly. He walked over to her side of the table and peered down at her. "Someone had to lose and it was you. I believe you owe me a date, right?" Parker just glared at him. Sirius pretended not to notice and stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Hmm…let me see," he murmured. "I'm sure next Saturday is good for me. Is that alright?"

Parker scowled at the pieces on the table, and sullenly picked at a loose wood shaving. "Whatever," she muttered under her breath.

"Great!" Sirius said happily. "Saturday, seven-thirty, it's a date!" He bent down and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "It's been fun, Parker. Night all, I'm off to take a shower." Without another word he hurried up the stairs to the Boys' Dorm, leaving Parker to put away the game.

"Ugh!" she cried, banging her hand on the table. "Damn him!"

Remus shook his head and grinned. "Don't worry, Parker," he said, playfully ruffling her hair. "It won't be so terrible." He stood up and put the chair back where he got it. "Look on the bright side. I hear that Sirius really knows how to show a girl a good time. He certainly hasn't heard any complaints yet. I bet by the end of the evening you two'll have found a nice closet and—"

"SHUT UP!" Parker picked up a scroll of parchment from her bag and hurled at Remus, who laughed uproariously, ducked out of the way, and ran up the stairs.

When he was gone, Parker rolled her eyes and furrowed her eyebrows deeper, ignoring the numerous students around the room who had begun to stare. Peter stood up, opening and closing his mouth as though he wanted to say something but couldn't form the words.

Parker glowered at him. "What?" she asked fiercely. "Spit it out already!"

Peter jumped and said in one big breath, "I just wanted to say good game and goodnight." With that he scurried up the stairs after Remus. Parker turned to Lily and narrowed her eyes. "Well, James?" she demanded. "Nothing to say for once in your life? I thought it I would have to have a bloody shield to fend off all your rude comments."

"No, I'm good," Lily said, holding her hands up in surrender.

"Actually," Kate added. "I have something to say." She waited until she had Parker's attention and said, "Parker, get a grip! You know you like him so why not just give him a chance? If you ask me—"

"Which I didn't," Parker said crossly.

"—I think it's pretty cool that he's been chasing you all this time even though you keep saying no. This is the perfect opportunity for you to get to know Sirius better. You've liked him for so long, and you shouldn't pass this up no matter what you hear about him."

Lily turned to Parker. "You like Sirius?" she said in disbelief. "I didn't know that! Why didn't you tell me?"

"Oh, right," Parker scoffed sarcastically. "So you could go to him about it and add me to the list o girls for him to conquer? James, you two are as thick as thieves, you're the last one I would tell." Parker inhaled deeply and ran a hand through her hair. "Well," she sighed. "I suppose you're right, Kate. I could at least give him a chance, right? But," she said, holding up a finger. "If he tries something with me, or if he messes up in any way, that's it."

"I agree," Kate told her. She rose to her feet and stretched. "Alright," she said through a yawn. "I'm going upstairs now. You coming, Parker?"

"Yeah, give me a hand, will you? My butt's sore from sitting for so long." Parker held her hand out and Kate grabbed it, heaving Parker to her feet. Once standing, Parker groaned and stretched her back. "Oh, that feels good. I think I'm going to go take a nice, hot bubble bath to relax."

"Sounds good," Kate said, heading towards the stairs. "I think I'll do the same after you. Night, James."

"Night, you guys," Lily called back. She watched them disappear into the Girls' Dorm before she made her way over to the couch. She grabbed her Herbology textbook out of her bag and lay down. "Might as well do some homework while I wait for him," she said to herself. She opened the book and leaned against a pillow. Before she started reading, she glanced at the clock. "Hmm, quarter to ten and he still isn't back," she mused aloud. "The date must not be as bad as he was worried about."

This is exactly what I was worried about, James thought miserably as Derek's arm tightened around his shoulders. His plan about keeping his distance hadn't lasted long, for Derek hadn't wasted anytime in wrapping the blanket around the two of them and drawing James near. To distract himself from Derek leaning in far to close for comfort, James kept his eyes stubbornly fixated on the meteor shower. But every time Derek spoke there was a waft of breath that gave James goose-bumps on his neck, and that made it quite difficult to be distracted.

"I heard that this meteor shower only comes around every ten years," Derek was saying in an awed voice. "It's lucky we caught it tonight."

James thought it was closer to wretched.

"I love meteor showers," Derek continued. "I think they're so beautiful." He turned his attention to James. "I think you're beautiful too, Lily," he said softly." James fought very hard to suppress a snort, but a gagging noise came out anyway. He sincerely hoped that if Lily were in his place she would not fall for such an over-used line.

James looked at Derek, who was obviously waiting for him to say something. "How nice of you," he said dryly.

Undaunted by the lack of feeling in James' voice, Derek smiled lifted his hand and tucked a strand of hair behind James' ear. "Your eyes really stand out," he said, dropping his voice lower. "I've never really seen a shade of green that brilliant before." James dipped his head to hide the disgusted grimace on his face, but Derek took it for a sign of shyness. "No, I mean it," he assured, laughing quietly. "They're really bright. They sort of remind me of…" Emeralds, James predicted, with a roll of his eyes. "…emeralds," Derek finished. "I really like them…and I like you, too, Lily."

James couldn't take it anymore. He felt like he was in a bad romance novel, like those ones his mother used to read. He started to stand up. "You know what, Darren, I'm not really feeling—" But he didn't get to finish his sentence. Before he could stop him, Derek leaned forward, placed his hands on the back of James' head, and pulled him into a kiss.

Out of complete shock James couldn't move for a moment. Then with a jolt, he realized what Derek was doing. Not only was he being kissed by someone of the same gender, but Derek's hand had started to creep down his back. James tried frantically to pull away, but Derek's grip was too strong. The situation didn't get any better when James felt what he could swear was a tongue. So, he did the one thing that he swore he would never do out of respect for another boy.

He kneed him. Hard.

Derek broke away from James with a sharp gasp and immediately doubled over. "Lily!" he chocked out. "What was that for?"

James didn't answer right away; he was vigorously wiping his mouth on his sleeve and spitting on the ground. "Oh my God!" he wheezed. "I can't believe you—you—!" James took a deep breath and pointed furiously at Derek. "You tried to put your tongue in my mouth!" he shouted. "You little bugger! I SHOULD PUNCH YOUR BLOODY FACE IN FOR THAT!"

"I thought you wanted me to kiss you!" Derek objected, still wincing in pain.

James' eyes narrowed. "Usually," he said icily, "when a person avoids sitting next to someone, and acts disinterested in everything he says, it is hardly an invitation. You might want to know that for future reference." James turned around on his heel and grabbed his jacket from where he had hung it. "Normally, I would beat you to a pulp for what you did," he said in a dangerously calm tone. "But then I would be in a lot of trouble with someone who knows way too many curses for me to defend. So I suppose I'll have to spare you, won't I?" James stopped moving and studied Derek, his head tilted to one side. "Oh, well," he sighed ruefully. "Can't be lucky all the time." He snatched his wand from where he had tucked it into his skirt. "Alohamora!" The door sprang open with a loud bang and rebounded from the wall

"Lily!" Derek called, finally straightening up. "Wait a minute!"

James laughed sardonically as he strode towards the exit. "Oh, believe me, I've waited lot longer than I should have."

"You can't go yet!" Derek protested.

"Watch me," James snorted. He was half-way out the door when he walked back into the room. "Oh, right," James said, holding up a finger. "One more thing." A Cheshire cat-like smile slowly spread across his face as he said, "If you ever come within ten feet of me, or if you even talk to me again, I will not hesitate to permanently rearrange your face beyond recognition using nothing but my fist. Is that clear?" Derek nodded as eyes widened fearfully. James' smile widened. "Good," he said. "Now I can go."

James stalked out of the Astronomy Tower, leaving a dumbfounded Derek gaping after him. James allowed himself a small smile and inhaled deeply; he had been waiting to say something like that ever since Derek had kissed him for the first time on the cheek. Now that he had, it was even more satisfying than James had anticipated.

He checked his watch. It was only ten after ten, and normally a date would last to at least eleven. Lily would probably know something was wrong if he arrived too early. I suppose I could go the kitchens for an hour or so to wait, James thought. He felt his stomach grumble, and realized he hadn't eaten a good meal since lunch. I could get a good snack as well. As James made his way down to the kitchens, the victorious feeling of getting away from Derek melted away, and a feeling of concern settled into its place.

What would he tell Lily? Though she wasn't his favorite person in the world, James was not looking forward to letting her know that the guy she liked had turned out to be a creep who tried to use her. James had to admit that even Lily didn't deserve something like that. But if I don't, he thought, biting his lip. She'll think everything went great and want to go out with him again. James stopped in front of the portrait entrance to the kitchens. He leaned against the wall and slid down to the floor, raking a hand through his hair, something he always did when he was deep in thought.

Well, James contemplated. I could not tell her, and just let her find out for herself. That way, I could stay out of it and she won't blame me. A sharp jolt of guilt followed the thought immediately. But then, he thought grimly. It could happen again, and that time it would be my fault for not warning. If I do tell her, she wouldn't believe me anyway. James heaved a sigh and rubbed his hands over his face. But at least I could try. No matter what he did, there would be consequences to each choice. James exhaled one more time before pulling himself to his feet. I'll think about it later, he determined, but he had a good idea about which decision he would make.

Before tickling the pear on the painting, James winced and pulled off the uncomfortable brown shoes that he had worn. "I don't care what she says," he grumbled. "Shoes are meant to be comfortable and that's that." Barefooted and holding the shoes in hand, James tickled the pear and walked into the kitchen, scrunching his nose up at the cold floor.

One of the house elves dropped his rag and hurried over to James. "Anything we can get for you, miss?" he squeaked politely.

"Uh, yeah," James said. "What was served for dinner tonight?"

"Chicken, vegetables, brown rice, backed potatoes, and pudding for desert, Miss."

"Do you have any left?"

"Certainly!" the elf exclaimed eagerly. "Tibby will prepare it right now!"

"Thanks!" James called, but Tibby was already scurrying away, rapidly talking to other house-elves. James sank into a chair and rubbed his sore feet. He caught sight of a scarlet candle and scowled deeply as he was forcefully reminded of Derek. Bloody pervert, he thought darkly. Then his scowl changed to a look of worry.

Lily had often used that word to describe him. James pensively chewed on the inside of his cheek. Does that mean she thinks I would ever try to make a girl…? He didn't want to finish that thought. James furrowed his eyebrows and forced himself away from it. He moved his hands as Tibby set the steaming plate of food down in front of him. "So what?" he said to himself. "It's not like I care what she thinks, anyway." But as he picked up his fork and took a bite from his rice, James knew deep down that he really did.

A little more than an hour later, at 11:25, James walked quietly back into the Gryffindor Common Room. There were still some students gathered around the room talking quietly, and a very few of them studying. James looked around and saw Lily asleep on the couch. She had a textbook laying across her stomach, so it appeared that she had fallen asleep waiting for him. James crept over to her and gently took the book out of her hands. As he set it down on the floor, Lily stirred slightly and cracked open her eyes.

"There you are," she murmured sleepily. "I was wondering when you'd get back. How'd the date go?"

James paused before answering. "Um…actually, Evans," he began uncertainly.

"Your practice went alright, by the way," Lily interrupted hazily. Her eyes were already drifting closed again. "I tried my best, and I think I did pretty well. But I'm still a bit nervous for tomorrow." She yawned widely and stretched her arms. "So, how was the date?"

James opened his mouth once more to tell he what had occurred that evening, but he took another look at Lily fighting to stay awake, and couldn't do it. She has a big day tomorrow, he decided. She needs her rest, and if I tell her she certainly won't get it. Better to let her relax, now. I'll tell her in the morning. "Er," James stammered. "It was…it went fine."

"See?" Lily said smugly. "I told you it wouldn't be so bad."

James attempted to return her smile, but didn't quite make it. "Yeah, you were right." He reached across her and pulled the large blanket from the back of the couch. "Look," he said. "Why don't you get some sleep? You'll need it for tomorrow." James shook the blanket open and draped it over Lily. He reached out and gently removed the glasses from her face and set them on the table.

Lily rolled over onto her side and closed her eyes. "Alright then," she said drowsily. "G'night, Potter."

"'Night," he said softly. He stood there watching her for a moment before he sighed, took out his wand, and changed into his pajamas. After neatly folding and placing them on the ground, he headed to the Prefect's bathroom. I have got to brush my teeth to get the taste of that jackass out of my mouth, he thought, feeling a bit ill.

Ten minutes later, he was still scouring his mouth out with toothpaste.

A/N: and there you have it! Poor James, huh? I can't wait to write the chapter after next, because a few important things are going to happen.

Oh, ONE MORE THING: it turns out there is such thing as chocolate covered pistachios! I tried them a few weeks ago and they're actually REALLY GOOD!

Until next time,

Spirit