Seventeen Forever

October faded to November and then became chilly December. On the morning after Lily had said she'd be James' girlfriend, Maguire ran up her best friend's room, already having been told the good news by Sirius who had had to listen to James' uproarious exclamations all night. Upon bursting through her friend's door, she screamed in excitement, squealed loudly, hugged the still half-asleep redhead and squealed some more. After all, as Lily's best friend, I'm totally entitled to do this! It's a friendship law, Maguire decided triumphantly, straddling Lily's bed awkwardly as she squeezed her in joy, much to Lily's dismay and discomfort which she was voicing quite loudly.

However, the other portion of the female population was not so joyous and did not take the news of James Potter being off the market well. When she walked through the Great Hall, girls glared at her. Some were stony-eyed, eyeing her with murder in their gaze; others were crying on a sympathetic friend's shoulder, their dreams of landing the good looking Quidditch captain prankster dashed, thanks to one Lily Evans. Maguire patted her on the shoulder grimly, as Lily looked around nervously, feeling smaller than she had ever felt in her life.

"The first couple of weeks are the worst. They'll get over it, trust me. Besides, for God's sake, they should know better. All the boy did was prance around like a right prat for the past seven damn years, proclaiming his undying love for you."

And with that remark, Lily slapped her friend, chasing her down to their regular spot at the Gryffindor table, ignoring the glares and waves of jealousy sent her way.

~*~*~

"All right, then. If there aren't anymore questions, you guys are free to go, I guess. Oh, and spread the word about the Christmas Ball in two weeks!" James said to the Prefects during the latest meeting.

They all got up to leave, shuffling paper and replacing squeaking chairs back to their original position. Then, James and Lily were left alone in the empty Charms classroom.

"You handled that well," Lily complimented quietly, while they walked towards the dorms.

"Really? I thought everyone just wanted me to shut up and sit down," James answered with a smile. Lily laughed and James grinned, happy to see her happy.

"How's the old Quidditch wound?" he asked, nodding down towards her ankle as they exited the room. He held the door open for her, ushering her out with a nod while she just shook her head and laughed.

"Oh, it's a lot better. It just hurts when it starts to rain," she answered, the sound of her scuffing her sounds echoing lightly off the high, marbled ceiling of the corridor.

"ESP, you think?" James asked with a grin and a raised eyebrow.

She laughed again. "Knowing me, it probably does."

"You know what I saw in the paper today? I found it extremely interesting," James said after a few minutes.

"What?"

"It's an article about a sighting of a monster in a lake. It was in Scotland. They're starting to think old Nessie has her own family because two monsters were sighted," he said with a smug smile.

"You're kidding. Oh my God, that's hilarious!" she exclaimed and she doubled over in laughter.

They laughed for a little bit about how stupid and ironic it seemed. They reached the dorms and stood outside of the door, awkwardly glancing away in the hopes that the other would make the first move. Lily bit her lip and looked away. After a few moments, James' hand gently turned her face to his. He slowly bent down and their lips met. She closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around his neck. He pushed her against the wall and they remained like this for a few minutes, feeling safe in their own piece of heaven. He put his hand on her waist to steady himself, when--

"Well, well, well. What's this?"

They jumped and whirled turned around, their faces brick red. They faced the smug face of--whom else--Maguire.

"I'll just leave you two alone," she replied to the scarlet red faces of her best friends. She sniggered and sashayed away, leaving them to their own devices.

~*~*~

The next weekend, December seventh, was the Hogsmeade weekend. The Marauders and their girlfriends walked along the newly snow covered road towards the village, as frozen sleet pelted them on their way.

"You know, I've been meaning to ask you guys something. What ever happened to the little pudgy one of your group? Oh, damn it, what was his name...Peter Pettigrew! I haven't seen him in ages," Maguire said as they entered into the Three Broomsticks, dripping and freezing from the icy onslaught of sleet they had met on their way to the village.

"You know, I don't really know. He just sort of...drifted away, I guess you could say. Last summer, he never showed up at James' house. But he hung around with us for a little bit of this year. It's odd," Remus answered, while Anna precariously sat in his lap with her arm around his neck.

"Why did you all go to James' house?" Maguire asked, as she shook the ice crystals out of her long, golden-brown hair. In the process, she smacked Sirius in the face, who pretended to choke like he had swallowed her hair. She pushed him playfully and sat down in his lap.

"We all go over every summer. But, since Sirius was already living there, I was the only one who really came over." Maguire, Lily and Anna nodded with sympathy at the mention of Sirius' violent falling out with his family.

"I'll have you guys know, James' mum likes me more than him," Sirius retorted in a stage whisper and jabbed his thumb in James' direction.

"SHE DOES NOT!"

~*~*~

The boys, mainly Sirius and James, inhaled the steaming, gooey cheese fries that they had ordered. Sirius dangled a sticky, cheese covered fry in front of Maguire's face and she shrieked with laughter, pushing him away, their laughing friends a perfect background for the scene. Frozen in time, they would have been the perfect example of young love, true friendship and an inseparable bond, flushed with the light of the fire and life. Butterbeer, cheese fries and best friends can go a long way. They joked, talked and laughed for what seemed to be forever. James looked around, taking in the scene of his best friends as a grin spread across his face, a small explosion of happiness erupting inside him. He had never been happier.

~*~*~

Seeing as the Christmas Ball was on the fourteenth, a week later, the girls decided to drop by Bella's again to pick out their dresses. They dragged the boys along, knowing full well that they'd never go on their own time and their lack of coordination when it came to dressing themselves was less than acceptable. The girls raced through the store, chattering and squealing like little girls in a delightful candy store. The boys, on the other hand, stood around the store with sullen expressions on their faces, their festive atmosphere dying as soon as they realized what was in store for them.

"God, I hate shopping. It's so emasculating," Sirius muttered mutinously, hands shoved deep in his jeans' pockets. The other two boys nodded in agreement. Frills, lace, puffy tulle skirts and ribbons were flopped over the tops of the girls' dressing stalls. Squeals and shrill giggles could be heard emanating from them. Sirius shuddered convulsively.

"You guys, you have to turn around. I'm coming out and I don't want any of you to see me," Maguire called out from behind her dressing room.

The boys groaned and reluctantly turned towards the door. Lily and Anna, only wearing half of the clothes they had shown up in, since they'd been changing, scrambled out of their rooms while the boys were turned around.

"Laugh and die," Maguire threatened before opening the door. The door flung open and a slightly self-conscious Maguire stood before them.

The other two girls gasped.

"Oh my God, would you look at that. Maguire Burgess has a figure!" Lily exclaimed, putting a hand to her chest as she fainted into Anna's arms.

"I like the dress, Maguire. It's beautiful. And it works really well with your complexion," Anna complimented while she circled her best friend, critiquing the dress before her. Maguire made a threatening gesture at Lily, but the effort was useless. She tripped on the carpet instead and had to satisfy herself with poking her tongue out at Lily.

Sirius yelped excitedly at the words "Maguire" and "figure" and tried to turn around. "Let me see!"

Thankfully, James and Remus caught him before he could see. Anna was right; the dress was beautiful. The slinky green dress, featuring an intricate, crisscrossed pattern of diamonds across her waist, really brought out the green flecks in her hazel eyes. The fabric swished against the floor as Maguire shifted uncertainly while she bit her lip, a nervous habit often triggered by her self-consciousness. The strapless gown accentuated her curves, yet still did justice to her light, athletic frame without overwhelming it.

"Well...?" Maguire asked tentatively, nervously gripping a strand of hair between her finger, twirling it rapidly. Anna and Lily continued to circle her like vultures, poking and prodding her to turn this way and then that.

"Walk," Lily commanded, as she carefully rubbed the gown's fabric between her fingers, giving it a stern look as she tried to determine the quality of it.

Maguire groaned, but did as she was told. She marched across the dressing room, her shoulders hunched and stiff, pouting. Lily laughed, ordering her to walk the length of the room again. Without managing to ruin the dress or trip, she did so carefully, proving that she was in fact capable of completing her task. Anna sat on a chair, meticulously scrutinizing her friend, pale fingers resting on her lips as she watched. She looked at Lily as Maguire once again stood before them and nodded approvingly, a wide grin breaking out across her features.

"Buy it; it was meant for you," she exclaimed, rushing up to her to examine the dress closely again. Twirling the lengths of fabric around in the air, the girls laughed as they went back to their own dressing rooms to continue their search.

Anna was next up. She practically floated out of the stall and whirled around like a little girl, giggling madly. The dress was a floor length beauty. Refined and elegant, it was made of off-white, sleek tulle, glittering even in the fluorescent lighting of the dressing room. It was fitted tightly down through the torso, the halter neck highlighting her delicate shoulders.

"Anna, you look gorgeous!" Lily cried, running over to pet the fabric. Maguire turned her around and around until she was dizzy and all of them were laughing.

"Should I buy it?" Anna asked anxiously. She walked a few steps, gingerly touching the delicate fabric in an almost reverent manner.

"Are you seriously asking that question?" Maguire countered with a smile as she stepped back to get a good look at the dress. "You have to buy it, Anna; it's much too perfect to pass up." The Veela smiled serenely, stepping back into the stall as she undressed to buy it. Meanwhile, Lily had been tugging her own dress on, carefully getting it into place.

"All right, are you guys ready?" she called from inside the stall nervously.

"Yeah, just come out and get it over with!" Maguire yelled back. She unlocked the door and slowly stepped out.

"Oh God, help me," she yelped as she was immediately surrounded by her friends.

She tried to hide her face while Maguire and Anna murmured and plucked at her, pointing and squealing as they did so. The dress was another floor length gown, but it was a bright, vivid blue. The strapless, shirred bodice would have been plain, had it not been setting the stage for the intricate beading that worked its way over Lily's waist. The vibrant hue didn't compete with Lily's equally vibrant hair, instead managing to mesh well with her hair and pale skin, making her look rather ethereal.

"Should I...?" she asked them teasingly with a grin.

"Yes, of course, you idiot! You have to buy this!" Maguire shrieked. They giggled madly and hugged each other. After Lily bought her dress, Maguire turned towards the boys. They were practically cowering by the door, ready to make a run for it.

"Oy, boys! Your turn," she called over with a grin on her face. Maguire pulled Sirius, who protested mightily all the way, into a stall and handed him a tuxedo, something completely foreign to him compared to the regular Wizard robes he usually wore.

"Just get in it," she replied to her fuming and humiliated boyfriend.

It took him almost eight minutes to get the entire outfit on, grunting and groaning from behind the door, and when he walked out, everyone started laughing uncontrollably.

"What the hell have I done now?" he whined, trying to figure it out.

"You--you put the tux on backwards, you idiot!" James roared from his position on the floor, where he had fallen off his chair from laughing at his fashion challenged best friend.

Sirius grumbled angrily and stalked back into the stall. He reappeared with it on correctly in almost ten minutes.

"Nice, it's very nice," Maguire commented, while she circled him.

It was a black tux with a gold waistcoat, adorned with embroidered flowers that sparkled ever so slightly as they caught the light. Sirius was clenching and unclenching his fists and his teeth were gritted. It took almost every fiber in his body not to go punch James and Remus, who were barely containing their laughter.

"There are goddamned flowers on the jacket, Maggie. I'm not going to wear it. No way in hell am I going to be caught dead in this," he hissed angrily, while eyeing James, who had his knuckles stuffed in his mouth to control his laughter. Sirius raised a hand threateningly and James seemed to somewhat sober up.

"Oh, Sirius! It looks fine and you look great in it," she said. He didn't look convinced. Time to use the feminine wiles. "For me?" she whispered softly to him, running her hand up his arm. He started to protest, but became distracted by the pleasant warmth and touch of her hand on his arm. He glared at her, angry yet completely under her spell at the same time.

"You owe me big time," he murmured, walking back into the dressing room as he began furiously undoing the buttons on his vest. Something about the way he said it made Maguire grin wickedly.

~*~*~

Remus was next and he selected a black tuxedo with navy blue waistcoat that matched his eyes. He said nothing at all, knowing what Anna would do or say if he objected. Anna was the most serene and peaceful of the girls but her stubborn streak was legendary, as Remus well knew. He stood there, doing absolutely nothing as she circled him, scrutinizing every thread of his ensemble. It was almost unnerving to watch him stand as still as a statue, barely breathing so it seemed. Finally, Anna pecked him on the cheek and told him that he was "very brave."

At that, Sirius and James fell out of their chairs again, whooping wildly at their werewolf friend who was afraid of what would happen should he, God forbid, go against his girlfriend's fashion choices. He glared at them and made a mental note to mention something about the next full moon when they returned to the dorms.

~*~*~

Finally, James was up. He walked out of the dressing room, bedecked in a slick black tuxedo and a pristine white waistcoat. Sirius wolf-whistled and James turned to him, bowing elegantly, playing the English gentleman.

Lily circled him slowly for a few minutes, murmuring quietly to herself as she studied the jacket. She went around the other way and began plucking at various folds of fabric, clearly analyzing every detail of his choice.

At last, she stopped in front of him, patted down his waistcoat and sarcastically said, "You have my blessing." James sniggered.

"A million thanks, milady," he crooned as he kissed her quickly before ducking back into his dressing room.

After everyone had bought their clothes for the Ball, they started back towards the castle in the light snow that was falling. They chattered incessantly, keeping pace with their chattering teeth as they scuffled along in the cold. Lily, swinging her shopping bag, smiled up at James when she felt his gaze fall on her. It still shocked her that they were together; her, Lily Evans, the sworn enemy of James Potter, was now his girlfriend after seven years of trials and tribulations. She knew deep down she had always been rather fond of him, though he drove her absolutely crazy most of the time. There was something endearing about his determination and persistence, she thought, watching a few snowflakes drift down from the sky lazily to land on his nose. She smiled brighter and swiftly leaned in to kiss him off before they melted, surprising even herself at the gesture; was she really going all cute girlfriend here? She pulled back, meeting James' eyes once again and laughed at the content expression on his face.

He really is the cutest thing sometimes, she thought ruefully as he grinned all the more wider down at her. His enthusiasm for life and effortless, easygoing attitude were probably his best attributes, meshing with the outgoing, Type A personality she called her own. His happiness made her happy, she realized as she watched him gleefully kick up snow just as a small child would. It gave her a sense of hope, for some reason. He grabbed her mitten-clad hand, taking the bag out of it so he could hold it instead. As they continued walking, their main source of warmth and happiness came from the weight of the other's hand in their own. Neither Lily and James nor Remus and Anna noticed how far back Sirius and Maguire were, until she jumped on Sirius' unsuspecting back, throwing her long legs around his waist and planting a kiss on his cheek.

"Whoa! Hell-o!" he shouted, almost tipping backwards, which caused Maguire to shriek excitedly.

"Sirius! Don't drop me!"

"I--I don't know if I...can....hold on....much...longer!" he gasped theatrically. He threateningly loosened his arms slightly from around her legs, which caused another shriek to emit from Maguire. She grabbed on tighter, burying her head in his shoulder.

From the distance farther up the road, James jokingly called back, "You need some help, Padfoot?"

"Nah, man, I think I can handle it! You guys go on ahead," he yelled back, smirking mischievously. James laughed, flashed the thumbs up, and, turning around again, untangled his hand from Lily's and instead threw his arm around her, drawing her closer to him.

Sirius suddenly flipped Maguire around, so her legs were now entwined around his back and she was facing him. He grinned rakishly at her, his dark eyes flashing. He walked forward, slowly, trying carefully not to drop her tall, lean frame. Silence passed.

"What's up?" Sirius asked inquisitively which caused Maguire to giggle.

She glanced up at him shyly through her eyelashes and met his gaze, which brought a rosy tinge to her already flushed cheeks.

"Seriously, what? You've been quiet since, um, now?" Sirius said, turning the statement into more of a question.

"It's just...stop here and put me down," Maguire answered. She untangled herself from Sirius, which caused a little jolt of sadness to flow through him as he felt her warmth detach from him. She walked through the light snow and sat down in a small bank, patting the place next to her. Sirius followed and Maguire inched closer to him, as he fought the urge to pick her up, throw her in his lap and kiss her senselessly.

"Well, God, this is going to sound so stupid," she muttered. "I just kinda wanted to, I don't know, talk. Cool your jets, kid, it's fine," she laughed at the panic-stricken expression that had appeared on Sirius' face at those dreaded words. "It's just...this is all new to me. You're...you're really my first boyfriend," Maguire murmured softly, looking down at the snow covered ground after a moment of silence. She looked at him and met his gaze for a few heartbeats and then glanced away towards the distant castle.

"What? That's not true! What about Teague Jameson? And Emmett Rivers? I'm hardly the first guy you've dated, Maguire," Sirius stated incredulously, remembering how a peculiar feeling had always filled him whenever he had heard about Maguire's love life in the past years.

"Please, those weren't boyfriends; all they wanted was sex, obviously. You know them. They didn't care," she stuttered briefly before continuing. "And I didn't either, not really." Not like now, she thought.

"You aren't in this alone, Mags. This is new to me too," Sirius replied. Maguire laughed out loud, the sound ringing in the empty air.

"You? New to romance? That's rich!"

"Seriously! You think I cared about those other girls like I care for you? When will you get it? You are the only one I care about," Sirius declared. Maguire looked at him, hazel eyes wide in surprise. She suddenly found herself situated in his lap, eyes locked with his.

"Do you mean that?" she whispered.

"Yes. Yes, yes, a million times, yes!" Sirius exclaimed, a grin stealing over his features. He placed his mittened hands on either side of her face and leaned in. The last thing he saw was her eyelids fluttering shut and pink lips before he closed his eyes and made contact.

~*~*~

The week flew by like a blur. Before Lily knew it, it was the twelfth of December, two days before the Christmas Ball. After that, she would be going home to her family for Christmas break. She smiled excitedly as she imagined them. Her mother would be running around, putting finishing touches here and there, and trying to get Rosie and Violet dressed for the first of many family parties. "Tuna" would probably be with her obscenely overweight boyfriend.

Oh damn! What was his name? She thought frantically for a second. Oh yes. Vernon Dursley. What an ugly name. He worked at the drill factory...? Was that it? It didn't matter. Her family loved Christmas as they gorged themselves on the food her mother made, drank a little too much wine and sat around the fire so her father could read stories and roast hazelnuts for the girls. It was the cliché Christmas scene one only dreamed about, but Lily's family made it a reality, as they actually brought the family together for festivities centered around love. She sighed contently and flopped on her bed for the night.

I can't wait to get home, she thought as she succumbed to sleep.

The happy mood, however, did not last long.

"The hell is this?" a voice shrieked from the Gryffindor Common Room, late the next afternoon. A voice, Lily thought with growing horror, which sounded like one of her best friends...! Lily and Anna, who had been studying for the upcoming Transfiguration test, exchanged looks of horror and ran out of the room and down the stairs to the common room.

Maguire stood in front of the fireplace, hands perched on her hips, facing Sirius and a perky blonde girl who was placed very comfortably and compromisingly in Sirius' lap. The fire roaring behind Maguire paled in comparison to the anger and rage glowing in her hazel eyes.

"Maguire, I--I can explain, seriously-"

"Oh, but of course you can. Why? Because you're Sirius Black, the infamous playboy of Hogwarts! You'll snog anything that'll stand still long enough! God, do you only pay attention to your hormones? I knew this was too good..." Maguire trailed off, glaring at Sirius and the girl, angry tears glinting in her eyes as the memory of Sirius declaring himself flashed painfully in her mind's eye. The rest of the once bustling common room fell silent to witness the argument.

"What the hell? I wasn't making out with her! My God, you seriously have that little faith in me? Don't you trust me?" Sirius yelled, the hurt evident in his voice. He stood up to face Maguire, dumping the unfortunate blonde on the floor with a thump.

"Don't you yell at me! This is your fault! Did you ever remember, maybe somewhere in the very, very back of your mind as you were snogging her, that you have a girlfriend? Hm? No, I didn't think so," Maguire accused, her voice breaking on the word "girlfriend". She turned her face towards the large window overlooking the bloody sunset that hung over the Black Lake.

"Goddammit, would you listen to me? Let me explain, for God's sake. I wasn't--"

Sirius never finished his sentence because a sharp crack rang out through the common room. A red handprint was stamped across Sirius' usually alabaster face and he stared at the girl across from him who had placed it there. Maguire looked a little shocked herself and before she could truly break down, grabbed her cloak and sprinted out of the Common Room, one sob breaking free from her restraint.

Silence rang out even more pronouncedly in the stunned room. For a few seconds, no one said anything before all hell broke loose.

"WELL? HAPPY NOW?" roared Sirius, dark eyes flashing madly as they seemed to accuse every soul in the room. His gaze flickered down to the girl on the floor, who flinched as he looked at her. "I sincerely hope you're pleased with yourself. God damn it, get off the floor and get out of my fucking sight," he ordered, a course of murderous anger rushing through him. The girl whimpered, scrambled up and ran to her dorm.

A few moments later, Sirius did the same.

~*~*~

"...she wouldn't come in, no matter what I said," Lily whispered quickly to James that night at a very depressing supper. James grimaced and peeked at the slumped figure next to him. Sirius' head was in his hands on the table and he hadn't touched any of the food in front of him, which was a very bad sign. A worried Remus glanced towards his morose best friend across from him and then at James.

Do something, he mouthed.

What can I do? You saw him in the dorm! James mouthed back animatedly, gesturing towards Sirius, who hadn't moved an inch since being dragged down the stairs to the Great Hall. The girls plied his plate with more food, murmuring softly, but he remained agonizingly silent and still, almost like a corpse.

After Maguire had fled from the Common Room, Sirius stumbled up the stairs in shock and fell backwards onto his bed, staring at nothing. James and Remus bolted up the stairs seconds after him, desperately trying to comfort their distraught best friend. The only words he mumbled during the excruciating exile in their locked dorm room were, "I've screwed up so badly. She's the only thing that matters and I've lost her." He then dragged himself into the adjacent bathroom and locked himself in it. James and Remus banged repeatedly on the door, begging him to come out, to let them in, anything. They were terrified he was going to do something drastic.

"Come on, Sirius! She's just a girl!" James bleated through the door, slumped onto the floor in defeat after pounding on the door until his hands were red and swollen.

At those words, the door flew open and a furious Sirius stepped out.

"Just a girl? Are you fucking mental? Maguire is the best thing that's ever happened to me and then some petty little bitch decides to screw everything because she thought she'd have a laugh and try and snog the infamous Sirius Black! Of course, Maguire decides to walk in at just that minute and--goddammit!" he roared, his hands running through his hair in anguish. "She deserves so much better than what I can offer and she doesn't even realize it. I had the most beautiful, amazing girl on the planet and I screwed up. I lost," Sirius whispered, his voice cracking painfully. "I've lost the thing that means the most to me." James and Remus stared at Sirius for a few moments in shock at his emotional outburst, which was so unlike the usually cavalier, nonchalant friend they knew, before he sighed heavily and retreated into the bathroom. For several hours he stayed in there, until his friends employed their seven years' worth of magical knowledge and physically forced him out for dinner.

Anna and Lily had also had a similar situation on their hands. After grabbing their cloaks, the girls tore out of the tower and onto the grounds, searching for their best friend. After some time, the girls found Maguire, sprawled across the cold, icy grass under the tree that shaded the banks of the Black Lake. Upon closer inspection, they could see her shoulders and back heaving and sobs ripped the stillness of the cold, dark December night. Lily and Anna rushed over to her and kneeled on the wet grass, patting her back and trying frantically to soothe their hurting friend. During the three hour vigil, Maguire just kept crying and keening, over and over again, "What have I done? I've lost him, I've lost him."
After much begging, pleading and cajoling, the girls finally left Maguire still crying on the cold grass with heavy hearts and Lily's cloak for warmth. Nothing they said could convince her everything would be all right or to come inside. If she didn't come inside after dinner, Lily had decided as she and Anna tramped indoors, she'd get James and Remus to forcefully get her in the castle or she'd freeze to death out there by the lake.

Sirius suddenly came to life in the Great Hall and lifted his head up, shifting his black mane of hair out of his troubled eyes. Looking anxiously from face to face, he mumbled, "I--I have to get out of here." The bench screeched loudly as he bolted from the Great Hall. His retreating figure caused each person he passed on his way out of the Hall to fall silent. The entire student body had already heard about the terrible row that had taken place the afternoon. At the Head Table, Professor McGonagall made to get out of her seat, just as she had done at the beginning of the year, but Dumbledore placed a restraining hand on her arm and she resignedly took her seat, once again.

~*~*~

The front doors of the castle slapped mercilessly against cold, stone walls as Sirius ran to the forest. Halfway there, he took a running leap and instead of sneakers, black, downy paws hit the ground in their place. A large, midnight black dog raced into the forest, looking for a place to release the torment of the afternoon. A pain laced howl shattered the night sky, echoing out onto the still, reflective Black Lake. Even between her heartbreaking sobs, Maguire heard it and lifted her head off of her arm and sat up slightly, sniffing and wiping away some tears. The rumors and stories of werewolves hiding out in the forest raced through her mind. Good, she thought darkly. Maybe I'll get eaten. A fleeting thought of Sirius, the one who had told her the stories way back in their third year as a scare tactic, sent her back down in defeat and anguish onto the already damp grass, a new round of sobbing emitting from her.

Some people, she knew, would've either gotten over the fact that they'd caught their boyfriend kissing another girl or dumped him. It was a common enough event. But to Maguire, she couldn't do either. The new romance she and...he shared had been a long time coming, she now realized. They'd been friends since childhood and had grown up together, creating a friendship that was older and closer than any other she had. He was her best friend, confidante; and even though they always bickered and fought, they never really meant the either one pain. And to find him kissing a girl, so soon after saying that she was the only thing he cared about on that level, it broke her heart to see how replaceable she was. And she knew she wasn't overreacting. For years, she had always had a niggling little sense in the back of her mind, a little voice that she could never truly drown out that constantly reminded her of the tiny, itty bitty ounce of feelings she had for him. Well, maybe not "itty bitty" but that's the amount Maguire had convinced herself of feeling for Sirius. Now, after finally giving into those feelings, the realization that he didn't care killed her.

~*~*~

Sirius stalked through the forest, letting out little moans and yelps of pain as he thought of the girl he had lost that afternoon. He hated the girl who had kissed him, but most of all, he hated himself. I deserve this, he thought. Not her. She's one of the best things to ever happen in my life and it gets screwed over. Fuck karma. This is karma for everything I've ever done. Fuck.

A strange sound reached his ears through his tormented tour of the forest. He tilted his head to hear better with his already improved dog hearing, but he couldn't really make it out. Cautiously, he treaded out of the thick clusters of trees, closer to the lake. A lump was lying on the bank of the lake, making the strange sound. Now curious, Sirius walked over closer to inspect. At about ten feet away, his paw crushed a twig, the crack ricocheting across the lake, sounding like a gunshot in the quiet night. As the lump sat straight up, Sirius realized with a painful jolt that the lump was actually Maguire and the sound had been her crying.

~*~*~

A crack echoed out, over the sound of her cries. She sat up quickly and looked around to see what had made the noise. She turned to the left and had to hold back a scream as her eyes met the cold gaze of a monstrously huge dog. She gasped and scrambled for her wand, but as she patted herself down, she remembered she hadn't taken it with her in her hurry to get away from...him. New tears flooded to her tear ducts and stung her eyes, her face crumpling. The dog tilted its large head and took a step forward.

~*~*~

Sirius saw the tear tracks on Maguire's cheeks and his heart twisted devastatingly. Without really meaning to, one black paw to a precarious step forward, then another and another, until he had closed the distance between the two. Still, he hung back slightly.

~*~*~

Maguire's heart stopped as the massive dog carefully stepped over to her. I'm going to die, I'm going to die, I'm going to die...! Her mind shrieked at her. The dog is going to kill me! Death by wolf-like animal was no longer appealing, now that it seemed it was about to become a reality. However, instead of lunging towards her, the dog's long, wooly tall hung between his lean, muscular legs and he glanced up at her with large, pained, chocolate brown orbs. He looks kind of sad, Maguire thought to herself in shock as she gazed deeper into the dog's eyes. The dog woofed quietly and Maguire timidly held out her icy cold hand for the dog to sniff. Its tail lifted slightly, wagging back and forth, making her tearstained face crack into an unwilling smile. Unexpectedly, the dog plopped down next to her and lifted a leg so she could scratch his fur lined stomach better. His tongue lolled and he looked at her expectantly. At this display, Maguire couldn't help but laugh. She immediately complied and began to scratch the dog's silky black fur. He sighed happily and Maguire looked down at him, a shaky grin on her face.

"I always wanted a dog," she whispered softly."But Mum didn't want the hassle of taking care of one and Dad was allergic...you are a big boy, aren't you? A good boy too, unlike a certain someone I know."

The last few words were whispered with pain in her voice and Maguire turned her face over the lake, the moonlight striking her tear streaked face, highlighting them so they glistened. The dog whined; Maguire looked down and sighed.

"What? You can't possibly want to hear my god-awful story, but you're here and I need someone to talk to, even if it is a dog. All right, well, there's this guy I've been dating. I like him a lot, really. It's just that today, he...well, I saw him kissing some other girl, to make a long story short."

The dog inserted a low growl and Maguire sighed again. "I know, right? And it just...it just really, really hurts. He'd been saying, 'Oh, you're the only one I care about, you're my world, I can't live without you,' and I believed him. I thought, maybe, stupidly, he actually liked me too. Well, more like hoped. I can see how wrong I was. I don't even deserve someone as absolutely amazing as him and for me to screw it up and lose him since I was a bitch... anyway, I kinda blew up at him and he yelled at me. It was pretty rough, not gonna lie. And then..." she stopped, tears drying up her voice. The dog looked up at her in anticipation, almost as if he were really listening to her.

Yeah, right, Maguire thought to herself. You may be depressed, but you are not crazy. The dog licked her hand and she went on.

"I got really mad and--and I slapped him. It was the worst possible feeling I've ever had when I saw the look on his face. He just looked so, so sad. I just wanted to die, I felt so awful. It's like my whole world is falling apart because up until now, he really was my world." A few new tears ran down her face and she closed her eyes, taking a deep breath to regain her composure. "I lost it and just ran and ran and ran, until I got out here. I've been out here crying all afternoon. I don't even know what time it is," she laughed bitterly. "I just wish I could take everything back. Do it over. God, I don't even know what I'd do. I just wish he..." she stopped and buried her head in the dog's fur, soft sobs pouring out of her. The dog moaned after a few moments of her crying. Maguire sat up, wiping away the new tears and sniffed miserably, looking down at the dog again.

"You know," she said, looking down at the dog. "I should give you a name, even though you aren't really mine and I'll probably never see you again. But maybe, just for tonight, you can be mine. How about...Blackie? No, that's too unoriginal. Umm, Silky? You're pretty soft and silky, but that's a pretty gay name for a guy dog." The dog barked and Maguire smiled weakly; this dog had to somewhat understand what she was saying, he just seemed too smart. "What about Snuffles? My cousins in Ireland used to have a dog named Snuffles. I like it, how about you?"

The dog tilted its head again and woofed, almost like he was in agreement with her. Maguire giggled softly, saying, "Snuffles it is."

She sat up and wrapped the cloak around her tighter, using a corner of it to wipe a few of her undried tears. Snuffles nudged her hand and she looked down but a large, wet pink object obstructed her view. A warm, wet pink tongue lapped at the tears on her cheeks and she shrieked quietly in shock. "Ugh, okay, kisses are nice, but I prefer guys, thanks very much."

The large dog once again looked at her with a cockeyed head and stumbled to his feet. Maguire got on her knees, sad to see her new friend go. Snuffles meandered around the tree, looking back over his shoulder. Maguire waved, a little sadly it seemed, and wiped yet another tear from her eye. As the dog vanished behind the tree, she bowed her head and covered her once again moist hazel eyes with her cold palms.

Behind the tree, Sirius transformed and lay against the tree, dark eyes closed, hands still in his hair. After a few moments of deep breathing, he tried to process what he, "Snuffles" had just heard.

She doesn't deserve me? What the hell is she talking about? Can she not see how incredible and beautiful she is? A soft sob could be heard coming from behind the tree. If she doesn't stop crying, I'll die. And the fact that I caused those tears...fuck. God, what can I do? I have to do something; I can't listen to her cry anymore.

Hesitantly, Sirius made his way back around the tree. Maguire had her back to the tree, facing out over the lake, with her head resting on her pulled up knees, softly crying again. He stood there for a moment, his hands deep in his jean pockets, trying to come up with something brilliant to say, to do...

"Um. Hey," he mumbled quietly, looking down and out over the lake, mentally beating himself up for his lack of eloquence. Maguire started and whipped her head up towards the sound of his voice, gasping for breath from crying. Sirius flinched as he saw the tears coursing down her face.

"Oh. Hi," she whispered, a chilly breeze twirling her hair around her face and causing a shiver to go down her spine.

"I just--I just wanted to, um, talk," Sirius offered, taking a tiny step forward.

She sat up straighter and scoffed. "Oh, really? What about?"

The sarcasm in her voice stung and Sirius flinched again. "I wanted to talk about, uh, what happened this afternoon." Maguire opened her mouth to protest but Sirius cut her off. "Please! Just...please. Let me explain." He told her all he knew, about how the girl was trying to have a laugh, he never wanted to kiss her, he didn't even know her at all, how he only wanted Maguire; she laughed quietly at the last part and Sirius stopped.

"What? You don't believe me?" he asked, pain etched across his face.

"Why? Why should I believe you? Why would you, Sirius Black, ever like me?" Maguire whispered, looking down at her lap. Sirius groaned and she looked up sharply.

"How can I not? My God, we've been through this so many times and you still don't get it. How can I possibly deserve something this beautiful, amazing and incredible? I don't, but I'm just lucky enough to have you. A guy like me doesn't deserve an...angel like you," Sirius whispered back, finally taking a seat next to her. Maguire froze stiffly for a second and then relaxed slightly, laughing bitterly.

"Yeah, that's me, angel girl," she scoffed resentfully. She looked away for a second and then asked in a pained voice, "Am I just a trophy for you, Black? Some sort of conquest? Do I even mean anything to you at all?"

Pain coursed through Sirius and he had to close his eyes shortly to regain his composure. She had never used his surname as an insult before and it killed him that she did now.

"How can you even ask something like that? My God, you are everything to me and this afternoon, when I thought I lost you...I wanted to die."

"If I'm really 'everything' to you," Maguire quoted, "then how could you kiss her?" Sirius groaned again and turned towards Maguire and took her shoulders into his hands, her expression shocked.

"I didn't kiss her. I didn't want to, I never will want to. Hell, I don't even know who she is! I don't know what she was trying to get at, but it was just some sick twist of fate that you walked in at that minute. Maguire, when I said that you are the only one I care about, I meant it. You are the only one that I will ever care about. Do you understand? It killed me to hear you crying, it kills me that you don't believe me. But if you don't, then I guess I deserve that. I've gotten too many second chances, too many lucky shots through life and if I lose you, if you don't want me...then I deserve it." At the end of his speech, Sirius took his hands off her shoulders and stayed kneeling, his fists covering his eyes in pain and frustration.

Maguire, a little overwhelmed, took a few deep breaths and released some more tears before she gently took Sirius' warm hand into her icy cold one and whispered, "I do want you."

Sirius' brown eyes flashed open and he gaped at her for a minute before he asked in a strangled voice, "What?"

She grinned, still crying silently and said, "I do want you. You are everything to me, my world. I want you."

Sirius stared at her and stuttered, "Wait, what?" The confusion on his face only endeared him more to her as she laughed quietly.

"I don't care. Well, I did but after that...how can I refuse the person who means the most to me?" She said all of this looking down at her hands, and then glanced up shyly at Sirius, tears dangling on the tips of her eyelashes, glittering like tiny gems. Slowly, she leaned in to kiss him, but he stopped her. Confused, Maguire furrowed her brow and tilted her head, causing Sirius to laugh.

"Just wait, I want to show you something," he explained and got up. Maguire whimpered slightly as his warmth left her. She gripped one of his hands and he turned back, taking in her worried face and said, "Don't. I'll be right back, I promise." He continued around the tree and vanished out of sight.

A second later, a familiar black dog poked its head around the tree and his tongue flopped out in what seemed like a happy grin. Maguire returned the grin and started to call him, "Snuff--! Oh my God." Her response choked off into silence as she realized what she was looking at. The dog padded over and sat on his haunches in front of her, giant head tilted.

"Si--Sirius?" Maguire whispered in shock. The dog woofed and wagged its tail enthusiastically. She continued to stare in shock at Snuffles--Sirius--the dog. Sirius gazed at her and leaned forward, his pink tongue lapping up the remaining crystalline tears on her cheeks. She laughed and also leaned in to kiss him on the nose, eyes closed when, instead of lips meeting dog fur, they met another pair of warm, familiar lips. Maguire opened her eyes in confusion and met Sirius' chocolate brown eyes over their connecting lips. He smiled into the kiss and gently pushed her towards the grass. Once lying down, they deepened the kiss, forgetting and forgiving the words and actions of the afternoon. When they parted, gasping for breath and hearts racing, Sirius took Maguire in his arms and lay back against the tree, nuzzling her neck. She moaned and sighed at the same time. At that moment, Sirius decided to take a chance and whispered quietly into her hair, "I...I love you."

Maguire's breath caught in her throat and for a second, she couldn't think, couldn't breathe, couldn't do anything. The absolute sincerity in Sirius' voice shocked her. Repeating the words over and over again in her head made her feel...what? Beautiful, I guess, she thought to herself, happiness washing over her as she reveled in the sweetness.

Sirius, greeted with silence after his declaration, went into retreat mode. "I mean, uh, that was sudden. Sorry. Stupid, that was completely, utterly uncalled-"

"No, no, it wasn't. I..." Maguire took a deep breath and whispered, "I love you too."

Another long moment went by as both of them sat in silence, their words washing over them. Then Sirius laughed once, twice and then scooped Maguire up in absolute, unadulterated joy. Holding onto his shoulders, she shrieked as Sirius spun around the tree and then collapsed back on the ground.

"What was that?" Maguire asked, slightly out of breath. Sirius grinned at her and proceeded to kiss her gently and then pulled back after a moment, leaving Maguire dazed and breathless.

"I don't know. I'm just happy. You love me. Never expected that to happen."

"Oh please, it was inevitable."

"Well, not to me. I mean, you're you. And I'm me. I just never thought you'd love someone like me."

"Will you get over yourself, Sirius? I. Love. You. End of story, okay? Please, just kiss me again or I'll take it back," Maguire teased, walking her fingers up Sirius' chest. He immediately complied, whispering those three little words, all night long, in her ear until they both fell asleep on the banks of the lake.

~*~*~

The next morning found Maguire and Sirius tangled up in each other's arms, sleeping soundly on the chilly grounds. Sirius woke up first and shoved his dark hair off of his face and glanced down at the girl in his arms. He grinned and began kissing her face until she too woke up. Sleepily, Maguire opened her arms and arched her back along Sirius' granite-like torso. She yawned and blinked drowsily up at her boyfriend and smiled.

"Morning," she yawned, covering her mouth with a pale hand. Sirius took her hand in his and kissed her mid-yawn.

"I love you," he whispered, before going in for another kiss. She smiled as his warm, reassuring lips met hers. Sirius was starting to get very friendly when Maguire suddenly sat up straight and scrambled for her things. A disappointed and slightly confused Sirius stared at her as she got up.

"What'd I do?" he asked, a yawn stealing across his features this time.

"Nothing but, oh my God, what time is it? Fuck, we're going to be in so much trouble!" Maguire exclaimed, tugging Sirius to his feet as she dashed for the castle. He grabbed her arms and whipped her around to face him, as she tried to break free and run to the castle, already planning her excuse.

"Hey, hey, calm down. It's Saturday. Saturday morning, to be exact, meaning that no one in their right minds would be up at this hour," Sirius explained, while he slowly began walking forward, Maguire balancing on the tips of his toes like she was a little girl.

"And what hour is it exactly, Mr. Black?" she inquired, touching the tip of her nose to his as they continued meandering up towards the stone fortress.

"Ah...well, I'll tell you once I've gotten my "I love you, too" from you. I don't recall hearing you say that this morning."

"Do I really need to say it? You don't need any reassurances about how I feel, do you?"

"No, but I do like to hear you say it," Sirius grinned rakishly.

Maguire heaved a great, dramatic sigh and said, "Well, if it makes you happy..."

"Oh, it does," Sirius quipped, earning him an eye roll.

"I love you, Sirius Orion Black, more than anything in this world. Happy now?" Maguire asked, pecking Sirius on the cheek.

"Most definitely," he answered, returning the kiss.

They reached the gigantic wooden doors of the castle and, like the practiced pranksters they were, stealthily crept through the silent Front Hall towards the dining hall. The smells of spicy pumpkin bread, fried potatoes and more wafted through the empty hall, reaching Sirius' nose and a rumble could be heard echoing from his empty stomach.

"Jesus, Sirius! What, did you not eat last night or something?" Maguire exclaimed, glancing at her boyfriend's usually well stocked stomach in surprise.

"Nope," he answered cheerily, now making an obvious beeline towards the Great Hall doors.

"Wait, what? You seriously didn't eat last night? Why?" she asked in outright shock, grabbing his arm to keep him from opening the doors.

"I was too upset about what happened. Why the hell would I eat when the girl I loved was out somewhere thinking I cheated on her?" Sirius asked, not really paying attention to the conversation, as he was struggling to break free from Maguire's grasp and to get to the food that beckoned to his teenage boy's stomach beyond the doors.

Slightly stunned at what he had said, Maguire dropped his arm and uttered a quiet, "Oh, Sirius..."

"What? I didn't really miss anything," he said, his focus totally on her now. He snatched her hand into his and smiled down at her. "Let's go in. I'm starving. I might have to eat you in a couple of minutes."

"Oh, really? And just how would I taste?"

Sirius leaned down and whispered seductively in her ear, "Delicious."

A shiver ran down her spine and she took a shaky breath as Sirius opened the door to the Great Hall...and they were faced with what seemed like the entire student body population currently attending Hogwarts. Maguire's mouth dropped open, forming a near perfect O and blood rushed to her cheeks, heat practically radiating from them. Sirius, of course, took all of this in stride and grabbed her hand once again, leading his mortified girlfriend down the row to the eerily quiet Gryffindor table until they reached James, Lily, Remus and Anna. Hundreds of eyes watched their every move, tongues already wagging about what they were seeing and what they had heard. Maguire plopped down in her seat, shading her eyes with an outstretched hand, grimacing in embarrassment.

Before he took his seat, Sirius turned around and exclaimed to his silent fellow students, "Morning all! Beautiful day we've got, eh? Well, tuck in!" and dropped down into his seat beside Maguire, piling his plate with food before he even hit the wooden bench beneath him.

"Oh my God, I cannot believe you just did that," Maguire hissed at him, the pinkish hue in her cheeks having not yet departed.

"What? Who cares what they think, the little berks? I sure don't," he answered, his mouth filled with bacon and eggs.

"You are incorrigible," Maguire sighed, kissing the side of his rather stuffed cheek.

"One of the reasons you love me, right? It's part of my charm."

All of this had taken place between the two, who were completely unaware of their surroundings, including the fact that a good chunk of the student body was still staring at them and whispering behind their hands to their neighbors. Their friends, however, were staring in outright shock and confusion at the two who had been, less than twenty four hours ago, at each other's throats, possibly breaking up and distraught to tears.

After a moment of witnessing the two kissing and cuddling, James broke the silence, asking in a strangled voice the question that was on all of their minds: "What the hell?"

Maguire, mid kiss with Sirius, looked up with a confused expression, as if she had forgotten where they were. "Oh! Hey, guys! Yeah, we kinda-"

"Made up," Sirius offered, grinning Maguire's favorite grin down at her. She giggled and smiled up at him, adoration shining in her eyes.

"Wait. What? Shit. What? Wait. Oh my God, you just can't do this to me!" James cried, his head collapsing onto his arms. A loud, agonized groan could be heard emitting from their very confused friend. James lifted his head back up, glasses slightly askew, and looked at Sirius exasperatedly. "I mean, last night, you were all, 'Oh-my-God-kill-me-now-suicide-risk' and then at dinner you were like a zombie and suddenly you just bolted and we couldn't find you and I thought you killed yourself or something...I was going crazy!" He reached across the table and gripped Sirius' shoulders, shaking them violently. "You can't do shit like that to me, dammit! I was...my brain...it just... God," he muttered and once again placed his head in his arms, groaning at his best friend.

Remus looked over and explained. "We seriously thought you were going to do something drastic, Sirius. Poor James," he laughed, glancing at the slumped figure on the table, "was running around the castle searching for your lifeless body half the night. Finally, we thought to check the Map and saw you...ahem, outside."

"Well, you could've told us that!" Lily exploded from the other side of the table. "We were just as frantic trying to figure out what to do with Maguire. She wouldn't budge and then we tried to find you guys to help us and you were no where to be found! And you," she cried, turning to her best friend who shrunk back at the ferocity in Lily's voice. "Oh my God, I have never seen anything so dramatic! You were absolutely hysterical! You scared us half to death! I thought you were never going to stop!" she huffed and crossed her arms over her chest, annoyed. "Do you know how worried we were?"

Maguire and Sirius eyed each other guiltily and Sirius coughed slightly, covering up a bark of laughter threatening to escape from his throat. Maguire made a little high pitched sound in her throat, biting her bottom lip to control her laughter. When they caught each other's eye, they both burst into laughter, holding each other up for support. Once they had regained their composure, Maguire hiccupped, wiping away tears of laughter and said, "Oh God, you guys, I'm sorry. I-I didn't even think last night."

"I'll bet you didn't..." James muttered darkly.

"Hey, we're sorry. It's so sweet of you guys to be so worried. Thanks," she finished, smiling at her friends.

Lily and James both heaved great sighs of defeat, Anna rolled her eyes and shook her silvery blonde head and Remus just sat there, grinning bemusedly as he so often did.

All was forgiven...again.

~*~*~

All too soon, Lily, Anna and Maguire were running around in the Heads' dorms a few hours later, shrieking excitedly every few minutes for no apparent reason, tugging on shoes and lacing up their dresses for the night of the Ball. They gave each other one last, scrutinizing appraisal and headed towards the door. The groans emanating from the front room clearly painted a mental picture of the boys tugging uncomfortably on their unfamiliar formal ties and jackets, scuffing their shined shoes in embarrassment.

"You guys go to the Great Hall! We'll meet you there!" Maguire called from inside Lily's room. They had all agreed while adorning their nails with lacquers earlier that torturing the boys was part of the fun and wanted to drag the process out as long as they possibly could.

"But why do we have to wait?" Sirius whined loudly through the door; he was dying to see Maguire. Being away from her now, even if it was only for a little bit, unsettled him. Remus and James made sounds of agreement from behind Sirius.

"Because I said you have to wait!" Maguire called from the other side of the door to Sirius, who was clearly pressed against the door on his side. "Just do it! Obey me, for once in your life, dammit." She pressed herself against the door so they could hear her order better.

As if anyone couldn't hear her clearly enough already, Lily thought with a rueful shake of her head, as her gently curled waves shook with the movement.

"All right, all right, we'll go downstairs," Sirius said from the other side. He heaved a sigh. "Let's go, men." He winked roguishly, for he had suddenly had a brilliant idea. The boys grinned mischievously and followed Sirius out of the door. A few minutes later, the girls appeared around the corner of the door.

"Do you think they're gone?" Maguire whispered cautiously.

"Yeah, I bet they are. Let's go," Lily whispered back.

They walked out the door, swiftly making their way down the stairs through the eerily empty corridors. The only noise was the sound of their gowns swishing gently against the hard flagstone floor as they hurried along. Holding their gowns carefully out of the way as they followed the familiar route to the Grand Hall, they were almost around the corner, about to descend the Grand Staircase when-

"Fuck!" Maguire wailed while she stumbled backwards suddenly and horribly maimed a holly bush.

"Jesus, Mary and Joseph, what's wrong?" Lily yelled, rushing over with Anna to extract their friend from the now ruined holiday foliage.

"My heel broke," Maguire said sheepishly from her less than dignified position on the holly bush. Anna and Lily groaned. At a time like this, it was bound to be Maguire's shoe that broke.

"Is that all? I can fix that easily," Anna replied. She muttered something under her breath and Maguire's golden heel was soon back in its rightful place.

Standing their clumsy friend up, they looked at each other, breaking into wide grins as the anticipation reached a climax in their stomachs. Gripping hands, they turned the corner and stood at the top of the Grand Staircase, looking down at the crowd of students milling around, dressed in their finest. Sirius, Remus and James stood at the bottom of the stairs, predictably scuffing their shoes and looking down, talking amongst themselves. Rolling her eyes, Maguire wolf whistled at their oblivious dates and called out her traditional greeting of, "Oy, boys!" Instantaneously and in synchronization, the three friends looked up and finally got their first glimpses of the girls.

Mouths dropped open and eyes widened in complete shock. Sirius appeared to be having some sort of heart failure as he gaped at Maguire. The girls giggled demurely and they continued walking down the stairs, having only eyes for the boys waiting for them at the bottom of the staircase. Upon reaching their dates, the girls all linked arms with their still shell shocked boyfriends and entered the Great Hall.

~*~*~

"Would you look at this place!" Maguire squealed excitedly, waving a hand around.

The Great Hall had undergone a transformation. The House tables were gone; they had been replaced with smaller, more elegant tables for groups of friends. There was one long table set up with different kinds of food and drinks. No one was eating yet, because they were all dancing. Dumbledore had hired a new, little-known band called "The Circes". Maguire squealed and, while pulling Sirius in tow, ran onto the dance floor. Anna and Remus followed, but in a more stately manner. Lily and James looked at each other, laughed, and dove into the fray.

~*~*~

"This has got to be the greatest party ever thrown in the history of Hogwarts!" Maguire stated excitedly two hours later as she fanned herself with a napkin, surrounded by her sweaty, panting group of friends as they finally sat down at an available table, dying to eat.

Sitting at the small tables, the group of teenagers reclined, the girls catching their breaths as the boys managed to shovel food into their mouths, somehow leaving their formal wear in perfect condition. They banged elbows occasionally, as the tables were so small, but it only made for a more intimate, friendly atmosphere. Suddenly, one of the singers announced from her magically magnified voice, "And now, it's time to slow things down. Grab your partner and head to the dance floor." The band suddenly started playing "Somebody to Love."

"This song goes out to, um, Padfoot...Prongs, did I say that right? Um, Moony... and their girls," the lead singer read off of a page with a questionable look on her face.

The group turned towards a sheepish Sirius, laughed for a minute about the inside joke, got up and started towards the dance floor, though they had only just left it for the first time since they had arrived. Gently, James put his arms around Lily's waist and they started to sway to the music's beat. He ducked his head and tried to croon the song into her ear, making her burst into peals of laughter as other couples shot nasty looks their way for ruining the romantic atmosphere. Remus shook his head at the two, once such bitter enemies and now clearly on the other side of the emotional spectrum. Anna nuzzled her head deeper into his shoulder, closing her eyes contentedly. Looking down at her, Remus smiled serenely, a rare occasion, and kissed the side of her head, wrapping his arms around her tighter. On the other side of the dance floor, Maguire and Sirius were having a conversation.

"Well, would you look at that? I never knew you could dance, Maguire. You always continue to amaze me." Sirius whispered into her ear, causing a shiver to run down her spine.

"There's a lot you don't know about me," she replied casually, swaying in time to the rhythm.

"Oh? Like what?"

"Like, that I'm the girl that's sweeping you off your feet." Maguire looked up at him and he looked down at her. Sirius looked at her in surprise, then bent down and kissed her.

"That's true," he said, after they had broken apart. "You are."

~*~*~

"All right! Now, for the first time, we are going to be starting a tradition! The first, annual Hogwarts dance off!" one of the Circes yelled into the microphone. The students screamed in delight. "We are going to be watching for the best dancers. If you're tapped on the shoulder, you are out. Easy enough, isn't it? All right then, let's get started!"

The band started playing and the couples poured onto the dance floor. Lily, Maguire, Sirius and James all danced as a group, short two members of their usual group, however. Anna and Remus had retired to the Gryffindor common room, pleading head aches and tiredness.

"Oh, I'm so sure," Maguire had scoffed at the blushing werewolf and Veela as they quickly made their escape.

Head banging to the beat of the music, Lily's once delicate and refined curls had escaped all confines of their previous structure and were hanging loose, wild and free. Suddenly, James lifted her up onto his shoulders as she shrieked wildly, holding onto him with a death grip to prevent some horrific accident. Maguire and Sirius started laughing when she very nearly did fall and she shot them a death look but then she too began laughing as she grew accustomed to the new heights she reached.

"Man, you better watch it for McGonagall, God knows she'll be pissed if she sees the two of you," Sirius warned with a grin as he spun Maguire in a tight circle, deftly catching her in a dip.

Slowly, couples were asked to sit out, including James and Lily after awhile. Maguire and Sirius were some of the last people left on the dance floor. Shimmying her shoulders forward towards him, Maguire grinned widely, raising an eyebrow at Sirius seductively. Following her lead Sirius did the same, but went backwards as she came towards him, barking out a laugh. As she bent backwards, he gripped her by the waist, suddenly pulling her towards him closely, easily stepping into a fast paced tango. Stepping to the side, Sirius threw her out in a spin, reeling Maguire back in as she spun gracefully on her heels, no longer worried about anything but keeping up with the tempo. Though the rest of the students competing had been eliminated and Maguire and Sirius were the clear winners, everyone watched them spin and twist, expertly catching and following each other as the music continued. Sirius pulled Maguire back to his chest, sliding back slightly as he dipped her and looked up, suddenly realizing they were alone on the dance floor.

"Oh. Hey. Uh, cool," he said to the stunned faces of the Hogwarts student body and faculty, hypnotized by the intricate dancing before them. Maguire lifted her head from her position nearly three inches from the ground and grew flushed but laughed, standing herself up with Sirius' help.

"So I take it we win?" she asked with a laugh, as the music finally died down. The surrounding crowd laughed and the awkward tension Maguire felt bubbling inside her dissipated almost immediately. They were, in fact, crowned the winners, much to Maguire's pride. It was somewhat a joke to James, Lily and Sirius since Maguire was known to create some rather unique dances, like the infamous "I have been fed" dance she invented back in fourth year after the Marauders had brought her food one lonely night during Christmas break.

~*~*~

Suddenly, Lily stood on her tiptoes and spoke into James' ear.

"Come here. I want to show you something."

The song ended and Lily grabbed his arm and started to pull him towards the door. She burst out of the Great Hall laughing, with a confused James in tow. She pulled his head down and kissed him, long and slow. An embarrassed cough startled them and they broke apart. Professor Dumbledore stood behind them with his hands clasped before him.

"Ms. Evans, I'm very sorry to interrupt your evening, but would you be as kind as to follow me to my office? Mr. Potter may accompany you as well. I have some rather important news," he said quietly. Lily nodded, while blushing furiously. The group headed up to the Headmaster's office.

"Pepper Imps," Dumbledore muttered to the stone guardian.

It jumped aside with an elegant bow and they climbed the revolving stairs. Dumbledore conjured two lounge chairs and nodded towards them.

"Ms. Evans, you may want to sit down."

The sense of uneasiness, the rapid flapping of the butterfly wings beating against her stomach, the nervous jitters she had had on the first day of school were all back with a fiery vengeance. The feeling heightened exponentially when the Headmaster said that. What's wrong? What's going on? Her mind was racing, her heart rate and breathing suddenly grew quicker and her hand reached out for James'. She clutched it and it started to shake. She had been having so much fun, not even two hours ago. Why did stuff like this always happen?

"It pains me to bring such bad news to you, Ms. Evans," Dumbledore began slowly. "I realize that you are so young and this may be...difficult to grasp at first. I wish I could spare you from this, but..."

He paused and patted Lily's other hand. She was shocked to see tears in his eyes. The sense of uneasiness was at its climax and she was beginning to panic. Her breathing was irregular, coming in quick gasps and her shaking had increased, as she trembled visibly, holding James' hand in a vice grip. Dumbledore sighed and said, "Ms. Evans, I'm incredibly sorry to have to tell you that your family has been murdered."

She stared at him for a few moments. Then, her mouth dropped open and she stared at him some more, shaking her head in denial.

"What?"

Lily's face began to crumble as it sank in and the tears slowly started to pour down her cheeks. She bent forward, her body racked with the heartbreaking keen of her sobs. This wasn't happening. It couldn't. No. It wasn't. This wasn't real. She was crying hysterically now, feeling as if her heart was empty, inconsolable, black, desolate. She had nothing left. No family.

"No. This isn't happening."

It wasn't. She felt like she'd been stabbed in the back and James hugged her tightly, so tightly it almost hurt, and she sobbed into his chest, shaking violently.

"Why?" she sobbed. Over and over, she asked the question and received no answer. Or anyone who knew the answer to her desperate pleas never answered.

She only vaguely listened as Dumbledore spoke, throwing around terms such as "Lord Voldemort", some sort of "Dark Mark" and something about people who ate death. It hurt, it hurt too much to think or even breathe. It would have been better if her heart stopped beating; death was preferable to this.

"...There is some hope, though. One person is alive, Ms. Evans."

That single phrase birthed a fiery hope into her chest and she sat up straight, feeling the blood rush to her head. "Who is it?" she croaked desperately, her voice dry from her sobbing.

"One of your sisters is alive. I believe her name is Petunia?"

"She'll never take me. I know it. She's always hated me. Probably now, more than ever, knowing what killed my family," she stated, with tears starting to pool in her eyes again and her chin trembling.

"Lily, you'll come home with me. I'll owl my mum right now," James reassured her softly, still holding her in his arms, feeling her smaller body shake with uncontrollable sobs against his. He gripped her tighter to him, wishing he could be the one suffering, not her. Tears of his own pricked his eyes as he watched her crying, remembering the seemingly happy family he had only briefly glimpsed that day back in September.

"Ms. Evans, I have taken the responsibilities of the arrangements and the funeral is on the twentieth of December. I'll let you collect yourself," Dumbledore said quietly, while he rose to leave the room. He paused before Lily and patted her on the back in an almost grandfatherly way. "I'm so sorry," he whispered as he exited. However, she was too wrapped up in her grief to notice. She wrapped her arms around her stomach and lifted her head to the ceiling, her face shiny from tears.

"Why?" she whispered.