(A/N): Hey Guys! I know it's been a while, but I've been doing NaNoWriMo, and there's been plenty of drama in my life lately...

Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognise.

Leo

The next morning, us boys met up with Lily and Elaine at the Gryffindor table for breakfast. "Morning," I greeted them as they sat down on the bench across from me.

"Morning, Leo," Lily replied, her hair hanging in a curtain around her face and dark smudges under her eyes.

"How'd you sleep?" I inquired, even though I already knew the answer, and she grimaced.

"Badly, thank-" She cut herself off as Brooke took a seat on the bench beside me.

"Morning," She said with a wide smile, but the others just stared at her for a minute before returning to their breakfast.

"Guys-" James cut me off.

"She knows what she did," He said, gesturing to her with a jerk of his chin.

"Come on!" I protested, and he shrugged.

"What are you guys talking about?" Elaine asked, perplexed, but we took pity on her obliviousness and ignored her innocent query.

"You can't hold that against me Potter, you know my stance on that subject," She said, arching an eyebrow at him with a small smile.

"Yes, and you both know my stance on the subject, so..." I said, pressing a kiss to the corner of her lips and giving her a smile.

"You're lucky you're cute," She told me before using my shoulder to stand up. "See you at lunch?" I nodded, and she leaned down again to kiss me, fingers tangling in the hair at the back of my neck. After we parted, she gave me a wave and went back to her friends.

"Ugh..." I heard Sirius groan, and I shot him a glare.

"Could you be any ruder?" I said with a scowl, and he shrugged.

"I could-" I cut him off, leaning across the table to grab him by the collar and pull him halfway out of his seat.

"Don't," Was all I said, looking him dead in the eye to show him I was serious.

"Understood." It was only slight, but I heard his voice climb half an octave, and I watched him swallow thickly.

"Leo..." Elaine murmured and I released him in one quick movement, returning to my seat.

"Intense," Peter whispered, just as Minnie started clapping her hands.

"Classes are starting in five minutes, students; I suggest you get a move on," She announced, arching a eyebrow at the Marauder boys pointedly.

I tried to rush out of the hall before the others could question my snap, but as I reached the door, Remus caught up. "You know they're just being protective of Elaine, right?" I sighed heavily, rolling my eyes.

"Yeah, they're protective of Elaine. Elaine, not me." The tone of my voice must have been pretty bitter, because Remus raised an eyebrow.

"I thought you didn't need protecting," Remus teased, and I growled in exasperation.

"I don't! I just... wish they wanted to protect me."

Remus paused, raising an eyebrow at me, but I didn't stop. "Leo- Leo!" He called out, sounding surprised, before jogging to catch up to me on his long legs. "Stop that." I rolled my eyes, a small smile creeping onto my lips. "I see that! I see that smile!" He exclaimed, pointing at me, grinning himself.

"Shut up..." I muttered, and he clapped his hand down on my shoulder.

"It's good to see you smile, Blue," He said, and I shrugged.

"It's good to have a reason to." Remus's smile dropped slightly, and we entered the Charms classroom.

A few hours later it was time for lunch, so I met Brooke at the doors of the Great Hall, and she grabbed me by the hand and dragged me halfway across the hall towards a group I had often seen her with. To say I was nervous was an understatement; what if they hated me like James and Sirius did Brooke? Well, strictly speaking, they didn't hate her, more the fact that she was 'keeping Elaine and I apart.' "Leo, meet Aria, Ezra, and Farryse." The three looked up, raising an eyebrow in unison before they all shared a look.

"Er... hello," I murmured, and Brooke squeezed my hand.

"He'll do," Aria announced, and Brooke grinned, pulling me onto the bench next to her. My free hand gripped my trouser leg under the table, and Brooke released the hand she had been holding to finding the other one and pulling it away in order to squeeze it. Looking at them through my lashes I mapped them out, both physically and internally.

Aria had light brown hair, whereas Farryse's hair was more of a golden-brown, and Ezra's hair was black. Ezra's skin was a dark brown tone, unlike his two pale compatriots, and his eyes were grey, while Aria and Farryse both had brown eyes, although hers were wider, with longer lashes. Farryse, however, had plumper lips and higher cheekbones.

"Do for what?" I asked, raising my gaze, and Ezra leaned across the table to stare me down, a small smile on his lips.

"To date our Brooke, little boy."

Brooke rolled her eyes. "He's not even a year younger than me, Ezra, and I wouldn't try to intimidate Leo, he can and will fight you." Ezra raised an eyebrow at her and I smiled.

"He's very pretty," Farryse admitted, and I flushed.

"Aw, he's blushing, bless 'im," Aria teased, and I half-glared at her.

"Shouldn't you be used to being called pretty by now?" Ezra asked jokingly, and Brooke shook her head at him furiously.

"I'm not pretty," I objected, and Aria raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean-?" Farryse cut her off.

"You really are very pretty Leo, and you should be told more often." I would have protested more, but at that moment, Minnie came around to announce that it was time for classes again.

"Go on, find the others," Brooke told me, and I pouted slightly before standing.

"See you in the common room?" I asked, and she nodded before I leaned down and kissed her, cupping her cheek in my hand.

"Mmhm," She murmured, and I left in order to catch up with the others.

(A/N): So, what did you think?

Please review and/or check out my other stories!

This chapter has had small edits made to it on 30/12/22 - Because the first time I wrote this I misspelt Ezra as Exra and Farryse as Yarryse, multiple times.

This chapter has had edits made to it on 20/2/25 - formatting and reconfiguring of sentences.