Ain't Love a Kick in the Head?

"Sirius, we need to break up," said Cassandra.

"What?" said Sirius in disbelief. "Why?"

Hannah turned to see James standing behind Sirius, looking directly at Cassandra as she spoke. Hannah looked helplessly back at Cassandra.

"Why don't you ask James?" suggested Cassandra.

Sirius went to James behind him. "James, what is she talking about?"

"I can explain-" James began.

"James kissed me, that's what!" Cassandra announced, cutting James off.

"Don't listen to her, Sirius, it's not what you think-" James tried to explain.

"I sure as hell hope not!" Sirius gave James a shove.

"What are you doing? You're actually listening to her?" demanded James.

"I can't believe you, James! I always knew you to do stupid things, but my girlfriend?" Sirius shoved James again.

James pushed Sirius, which caused him to be flung down to the ground. "Stupid? I'm not the one who's listening to Miss Connell here! How can you listen to her? I didn't kiss her! She flung herself at me!"

"Oh, I'm sure. Because women just throw themselves at your feet, don't they, James?"

"I'm your best friend! D'you honestly think I'd do something like this to you?" asked James, lending Sirius a hand to help him up.

"You're right, I'm sorry."

As James went to help Sirius up, Sirius lashed out and punched James in the face. James fell backward by Cassandra and Hannah. James got himself up, and wiped his mouth, blood trickling from the corner of this mouth. James began to walk away, but Sirius pursued him.

"I can't believe you. I honestly can't! You have some nerve, you know that? Kissing my girlfriend and acting like you don't have a clue what's going on!" yelled Sirius.

James whipped around and then swung at Sirius, and got a direct hit, square on the face. Sirius staggered back, and before he could avenge himself, Professor McGonagall pushed her way through the crowd.

"Stop it! Both of you! That's going to be thirty points from Gryffindor and a detention for you both!" she snapped, hauling Sirius away.

The other Gryffindors moaned at the loss of House Points, and steadily went back to their own business. Hannah rushed over to James. "Potter! Are you all right?"

"Yeah. I'm fine."

"Do you need to go to the Hospital Wing?" asked Hannah concernedly.

"No. It's just a little scratch," he assured her.

"I suppose you've had enough of the Hospital Wing, anyways," Hannah mused.

"What?" demanded James.

"Um, I have to go!"

At that, Hannah raced out of the corridor and left a bewildered James in her wake.

"Oh, James!"

James turned around to see Cassandra looking at him expectantly. "What d'you want, Connell? Haven't you screwed things up enough as it is?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Cassandra said defiantly, tossing her hair.

"Then I'm not sticking around to find out."

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Lily rounded a corner, hugging her books and parchment tightly to her. I shouldn't be so upset about last night. She thought to herself. Potter didn't even want to kiss her! And why do I care if he kissed her? He can kiss anyone he wants! He doesn't bother me about who I choose to kiss! Well, except for that one time when he tried to take out Daniel Schaffer for trying to make a pass at me....But that's not the point!

The door in front of Lily swung open and she stopped abruptly.

"I don't want to see you in here anymore. Now, you will serve your first detention tomorrow night. Be ON TIME!"

Professor McGonagall's voice drifted out through the door as Lily saw Sirius Black emerge and shut the door. He stared at her, surprised.

"I didn't hit you, did I?"

"Oh, no, no. You didn't hit me," Lily responded.

"All right. I try to generally avoid hitting girls," Sirius said good-naturedly.

Lily smiled slightly. Her attention was diverted to the bruise forming around one of Sirius's eyes. "Do you mind if I ask what happened?"

"You mean by eye?" Sirius shifted uncomfortably.

"If you don't want to tell me, that's all right," said Lily hastily.

"No, I'll tell you. Me and James....we got into a fight."

"You and Potter?" Lily repeated in shock.

"Yeah, I punched him and he swung back."

"That's going to leave an awful black eye. D'you mind of I look at it?"

"What? No."

Lily set down her books and moved closer to Sirius. She gently traced the outline of his black eye. "I'd recommend putting something cold on it. I don't want to use magic in case I hit your eye."

Lily stepped back. Her eyes locked with Sirius's for a moment. She noted Sirius looked thoughtful.

"Lily, would you like to go out sometime?"

Lily stopped midway into picking up her belongings. "I don't think I can."

"Why not?"

"I couldn't....I just couldn't."

"I don't bite," Sirius joked.

"'Bye!" Lily took off walking at a fast pace down the hall.

Lily's mind was racing as she made her way back to the common rooms. What just happened? Sirius Black asked me out? Why would he do that? He knows Potter fancies me. For Christ's sake, the whole school knows! Even the professors know! They must have gotten into a huge fight. And what about Hannah? Oh, God, she can never find out about this!

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Hannah raced down the hallway, eager to escape James Potter. She had almost exposed her secret, that she and Lily had been watching Potter and Connell in the hospital wing!

Running down the hall, she failed to remembered two things. She wasn't usually a careless person. Nor did she ever have any luck with doors.

Running down the corridors to her classroom, a door flung open and Hannah dodged out of the way, only to her misfortune, to slam into a particularly irritable professor.

"Ah! I'm sorry!" gasped Hannah, having the wind knocked out of her.

In response, the professor wheezed something back.

"Excuse me?" asked Hannah politely.

"That's....a....detention!" the professor repeated.

Hannah had never gotten a detention before, or any kind of reprimanding as far as academic studies went. Hannah's eyes widened in shock. "But, it was an accident!"

"I'm sure it was," the professor narrowed his eyes at her. "This wasn't the first time this has happened, you know!"

Hannah got to her feet and offered a hand to the professor. The professor moodily snatched his hand away. "I expect you to serve your detention tomorrow promptly after classes end!"

"Yes sir," Hannah said meekly, and she retreated down the hall.

Little did Hannah know, it was going to be a very interesting detention.