Ain't Love a Kick in the Head?

"Ready to go?" whispered James to Remus.

Remus nodded. He raised his hand.

"Yes, Rudolph?" Professor Binns looked at Remus over his glasses.

"I'm really not feeling all that well, Professor, could I go to the Hospital Wing?" Remus acted out the plan.

"Yes, yes, of course, Reagan."

"Thank you, Professor," said Remus getting up.

"Professor, Remus really doesn't look well. Might I escort him to the Hospital Wing?" asked James, coming in at his cue.

"Certainly, certainly, yes, yes......" Professor Binns looked out the window and trailed off.

Remus walked slowly out of the room, pretending to be genuinely unwell, as James sympathetically put his arm around his shoulder and the two walked out.

James made sure the door was shut and they bolted for the Hospital Wing. Madame Pomfrey at once got Remus situated and Sirius came in to visit.

"Right on time, Padfoot!" James said enthusiastically, hoping to put their argument of yesterday behind them.

"Thanks," said Sirius curtly, the fight still fresh in his mind. "I'll start the distraction now."

Remus climbed out of bed to make room for James. "What did you two do now?"

"It's nothing; really, we just had a little fight, that's it." James shrugged and took Remus's place.

"If you say so." Remus turned and walked out of the Hospital Wing to the meeting point.

James watched him go, just to be sure, and then stuck his head under the covers, hoping to feign sleep.

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"Hannah, are you feeling well? You just did what Connell asked you to do. You actually took her notes for her!"

Hannah grinned, as if sharing a private joke with herself.

"You have to tell me what's going on," Lily told Hannah.

"Okay, I'll tell you!" gushed Hannah. "I took notes for Connell, all right, but I'm going to spy on her during her detention!"

"That's your big plan? Hannah, you are terrible at revenge schemes."

Hannah looked crestfallen. "Well, at least now I'll now if Sirius sneaked out to see her!"

"I suppose."

"You have to come with me, Lily!"

"What?!" Lily repeated, her voice going tight with disbelief.

"I obviously can't go by myself, which would jeopardize the whole mission!" Hannah exclaimed, as if it was the most obvious thing.

"I can't go with you, Hannah," sighed Lily, looking at her friend sympathetically.

"Then, I guess you won't be able to get any dirt on Potter. You know, just in case he's there and we can get him into trouble....." said Hannah slyly.

Lily gave in. "Fine, fine. I'll go. Only for you, Hannah. Only for you."

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Cassandra Connell walked coolly into the Hospital Wing. She spoke to Madame Pomfrey who arranged for her to scrub the Hospital Floors. Little did Cassandra know, Hannah and Lily were watching her from the hallway.

Madame Pomfrey soon left to care of a student who had apparently gotten stuck in one of the enchanted suits of armor.

"If it's Peeves again they'll never hear the end of it from Argus!" she muttered as she swept out of the room.

Cassandra moved to the other end of the Hospital. She noticed one of the beds wasn't made and the covers were wrinkled. She proceeded to take off the covers when she saw James Potter's head poke out.

"James! What are you doing?" shrieked Cassandra.

(In the hallway, Lily was talking to herself. "Since when are they on a first name basis?!")

Before James could answer, Cassandra shook her head. "Don't tell me, you're trying to get out of class!"

"Oh, you got me," James said lamely.

"You don't need to explain," Cassandra said.

"Erm, explain what?" James asked. "Cassandra, why are you moving so close to me?"

"I know, James," Cassandra said, leaning her face closer to his.

"Well, I wish I did!" James said the back of his head now against one of the bedposts. Cassandra's face was so close he could see the small red lines in her eyes.

"Don't play dumb, James. I know you fancy me!" Cassandra stated, rolling her eyes.

James's eyes widened and he jerked his face off of the bedpost. Cassandra leaned in and kissed him.

James yanked his face away and rolled out of the bed. "WHAT the hell are you doing? You have a boyfriend, in case you forgot that part!"

"Sirius? Oh, please, James! You're the one I've had my eye on!" said Cassandra, giggling girlishly.

"Still, that doesn't give you a right to kiss me when you happen to be dating my best friend!" James roared.

"I didn't think you'd make such a fuss over it. All the other boys like it when I kiss them!" Cassandra crossed her arms and pouted.

"Maybe you're thick and haven't noticed it in the past few years, but I like someone else."

"Maybe I can change your mind...." Cassandra leaned in for another kiss.

James backed away and pointed to the doors. "Go, Connell."

Cassandra got up walked to the door. She whipped around. "You haven't seen the last of me."

James groaned and flopped back down on the bed.

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"Sweet Merlin!" Hannah rasped to Lily. "Did you see all of that?"

"Of course, I'm right in front of them, Hannah!" Lily snapped, getting up and dusting herself off.

Hannah didn't say another word to Lily as the two made the trek back to the tower. Once they had arrived, Hannah spied another note on her pillow. She opened it and read.

I love everything about you

From your brown hair

To your deep hazel eyes

How much I wish

You would be mine

Hannah sighed. Another love note. The identity of her secret admirer was really getting to her. She wondered if Lily knew who it was. Hannah wouldn't put it past her to do some research and find out just who fancied Hannah.

Hannah got into her bed and replayed the night's events. She turned over on her side and caught a glimpse of Lily's sleeping figure behind the curtains. Poor Lily. Hannah knew Lily all to well; she could tell Lily had been hurt by Connell's obvious interest in Potter.

She bit her lip. And then there was Sirius. What was Potter going to do? What was Connell going to do? If Connell got to Sirius first, that would totally destroy his friendship with Potter. Hannah was certain Connell would make it sound like Potter threw himself at her. She made her mind up. She would have to find Potter as soon as possible and remedy the situation.

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"Morning, James," Remus yawned to James the next morning in the Common Room.

"Hey," James replied dully. His eyes were looked a little swollen. "Did you get in okay?"

"Yeah, everything was fine. You don't look to well, James. Maybe you should go to the Hospital Wing for real," said Remus with concern.

"I didn't sleep at all last night that might have something to do with it," James said, smiling.

"Are you sure you're going to be quite well, James?" his friend asked.

"Yeah. It's not the end of the world."

Remus nodded and sat down across from James, he couldn't help feeling something was wrong.

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Cassandra put on her best smile and bounded down to the Great Hall. Now that she had exposed her feelings to James, she couldn't go on being Sirius's girlfriend, James might say something. And that would not be any good for her reputation.

"Hey, Cassandra," said Sirius, giving her a quick kiss.

"Hi, Sirius. I think we need to talk." Cassandra cut right to the chase, there was no need to beat around the bush.

"Okay. Fire away."

"I think tha-"

Cassandra was interrupted by a girl with short, mousy brown hair thrusting herself between them.

Cassandra recognized the girl as Hannah Underwood.

"Hi! Sirius, I have a homework question, could I talk to you for a second?" the girl asked.

"Yeah, you're Hannah Overwood, right?" Sirius asked.

"Underwood. Hannah Underwood, yeah, that's me!"

"Oh, I'm sorry! Can you hang on a second?" Sirius went off with Hannah.

So, Cassandra had been ousted by Hannah. Cassandra gritted her teeth and marched up to Sirius.

"Sirius, this can't wait!" she said huffily.

Out of the corner of her eye, Cassandra saw James coming up to Sirius. Cassandra looked from Sirius to James, and back again. She then opened her mouth to speak.