Ain't Love a Kick in the Head?

Sirius walked into the detention room. He sat in his usual seat in the back. To his surprise, the girl who had wanted to talk to him yesterday, Hannah Underwood, walked in. When Hannah's gaze met Sirius's, she froze. Sirius smiled softly to himself. Did he really make people that uncomfortable?

"Hello," he said to Hannah.

"Hi," Hannah squeaked.

"You're supposed to sit down, you know," Sirius said lightly.

"I know," said Hannah mechanically and she sat down in a seat in the very front of the room.

A few moments of silence passed.

"So," Sirius said, "You're a friend of Lily Evans, aren't you?"

"Yes. I am," Hannah said quickly, looking at her hands folded neatly in her lap.

"Have you talked to her today?"

"I talked with her just this morning," answered Hannah. Silently wanting to add, about just how gorgeous and perfect you are.

"Has....Has Lily said anything about me?" Sirius asked in what he thought was a casual tone.

Lily? They're on a first name basis? Hannah felt her stomach drop. "No. She hasn't. Why do you ask?"

"Well, I asked her out," Sirius said sheepishly, scratching his head.

Just like the cliché, time seemed to stop for Hannah. Sirius, the man she'd loved for years, wanted to date her best friend. How could Lily not have told her this? Weren't best friends supposed to tell each other everything? But, what if Lily had said yes? And, oh, god! Hannah couldn't even think about it.

Hannah wanted to pour out her heart to Sirius right then and there. But she couldn't. It was time she grew up. It was just a girlish figment of her imagination. She took a deep breath, "Oh. I can ask her about it if you like."

Hannah knew her voice sounded dead and distant. Out if the corner of her eye she could feel Sirius's lingering eyes. She turned her head and looked out the window as if that would numb the pain.

"Thanks," Sirius said.

"No trouble at all," whispered Hannah.

Hannah waited until she was sure Sirius had turned away, and she covered her face in her hands to as to somehow muffle her crying. Sirius was completely oblivious to Hannah's crying as he read the notes other students had written on his particular desk.

"I love you, Sirius," Hannah said quietly to her hands.

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Lily felt guilty about what had happened between her and Sirius the other day. Yet she just couldn't tell Hannah, Lily knew it would break her heart. Lily was just on her way to the detention room to talk to Sirius. She wanted to make sure he wouldn't say anything to Hannah.

Lily reached for the doorknob and to her surprised Hannah came out first with Sirius trailing behind her.

"Hannah? What are you doing in detention?" Lily asked, startled.

"Did I forget to tell you, Lily? I had a detention today," Hannah said coldly.

Oh, God, she knows. Lily thought. How terribly ironic this is.

"Hey, Lily," said Sirius, flashing Lily a smile.

"Um, do you mind leaving Hannah and I alone so we can talk?" Lily asked Sirius, but never taking her eyes off of Hannah.

"Okay. See you later, Lily."

Hannah wrenched the door open again and showed Lily in. Lily shut the door gently behind her.

"How could you?" Hannah said softly, looking at Lily with glaring contempt.

"I didn't want to tell you," said Lily, trying to defend herself. "I didn't want you to get hurt by him."

"It's a little late for that!" fumed Hannah. "I honestly cannot believe you, Lily! You of all people not to tell me something! You know, I would have much rather had learned it from you, with an explanation. To the listener it sounds a lot like you were sneaking behind my back with him! "

Lily felt tears well up in her eyes. "How can you say that, Hannah? I'm your best friend."

"I thought so too, Lily. I guess I know different now."

"I didn't want him to ask me out," Lily said bitterly. "If it makes any difference, I said no."

"No. It doesn't," Hannah said, walking out the of classroom and coolly shut the door.

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The news was all over the school the next day. Apparently, someone had heard Hannah and Lily arguing the day before and told her friend, who of course spread it onto her friends, causing a chain reaction.

James, who was still "on a break" from Sirius, heard the news first thing in the morning.

"James, I think you should know something," Remus said.

"Hit me. Things can't possibly get worse. The school thinks I cheated with my best friend's girlfriend, I have a fat lip, and Evans won't talk to me," noted James.

"Yes, well, Sirius asked Evans out," Remus told James.

"He WHAT?" James yelled. "I am going to kill that son of a bitch!"

"Hold on, James, don't do anything rash!" Remus tried to restrain James. "She said no!"

"D'you think that matters? He knew perfectly well what he was doing! I thought he was crazy when he thought I actually kissed Connell, but this is just too much!" James stormed out of the common room.

"James....." Remus shook his head. "This is will not end well at all."

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Hannah woke up to find a note on her bedside table. She had been anticipating the arrival of her next note. She reached for it and opened it.

I only think it's fair

For you to know who I am

Meet me tonight in the library

At 11 o'clock

I'll wait all night if I have to

Hannah smiled. She would finally meet her secret admirer! She felt somewhat glad she didn't have Lily figure it out for her. Lily was always doing things like that.

Lily. She wouldn't be there to help Hannah and give her moral support to finally meet the guy who fancied her.

I don't need Lily. I can do just fine without her! Hannah assured herself. I'm going to meet my secret admirer tonight in the library, and I certainly don't need Lily to be there to hold my hand!

Then it was decided. Hannah did not need Lily.

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James stormed down the hallway to find Sirius; instead he came across Lily Evans, whose eyes looked bloodshot and swollen. She saw James, but looked too tired to try and avoid him.

"Hello, Potter," she said conversationally.

"Erm, hi, Evans," James said, coming to a halt.

"I suppose by now you've....heard," said Evans.

James was unable to come up with a response for a moment; he had never seen Lily so defenseless and vulnerable. She was always on guard and seemingly ready to fight around James.

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, James replied, "About the....the thing. Yeah, Remus Lupin told me."

Evans nodded. "Then...you heard what I said."

James nodded and shuffled his feet. "Is that why you're crying?"

Evans looked startled for a second, but then smiled sadly. "No. I'm not crying about him."

"Good. Because if he made you cry I'd make sure it would be the last thing he ever did," said James sincerely, somewhat relieved.

Evans smiled again. Somehow she found James's words comforting instead of pompous.

"Would you like to go for a walk?" Evans blurted out.

Evans blushed, which caused James to go red in the face as well.

"All right," agreed James.

The two turned the corner and went out of sight. Just then Cassandra Connell came out of hiding and frowned at their retreating backs.