The Most Popular Couple In School

Prologue

It started with a kiss, as so many things do. One ten-minute snog between Miss popular and Mr Popular of the fifth years, and there you have it. The Most Popular Couple in School. Sirius Black and Lily Evans. It caused much controversy. The male half of the school was devastated that Lily was no longer single. Mind you, she'd been out with half of them already. The female half of the school was in tears. Gorgeous Gryffindor Beater Sirius Black, taken?! Even though he'd been out with most of them already (some of them twice) the girls mourned this loss.

They'd always flirted, but never wanted to tie themselves down to one person. But they finally grew up a bit. They were wonderful together, two of the school's best prankster minds working together, the other being Remus Lupin, Sirius' best friend, who was in on all the pranks.

They'd shocked the school with their pranks for five years. Now, in their sixth year, they were about to be shocked, well and truly, for the first (but not the last) time.

***

Chapter 1: Lily Meets a Tall, Dark Stranger

James sat in the Library and sighed. With Peter ill, he'd had to do his homework on his own. Now he was finally finished (why did McGonagall so love to give them piles of homework?) apart from the Astronomy. He packed up his books and headed to the Tower.

As he went, he pondered, as always, why Peter was his only friend. He was quite willing to be friends with anyone, but he was dreadfully shy and wouldn't dare start a conversation with a stranger. When they'd first arrived, the other guys in their dorm, Sirius and Remus, were already friends, and barely noticed Peter and him, they were so wrapped up in planning their first prank. Since then, overly-friendly Sirius had become the most popular guy in the school, and Remus was famous by association. Neither of them noticed the two geeks with black and sandy hair. James could swear Sirius didn't even notice if James was in the shower before him, but luckily there had been no 'mishaps'.

Caught up in a daydream of himself, Peter, Sirius and Remus all being best mates and the pranking geniuses of the school, James didn't notice the furious figure storming towards him until it was too late.

Lily was royally ticked off. The conversation in the common room a few minutes previously hadn't exactly put her in the best of moods...

"Sirius!" Lily had shouted across the common room from the comfy sofa in front of the fire.

"Yes, my Lilyflower?" he had replied from the opposite side of the room, where he was currently engaged in a furious game of wizards' chess with his best mate, Remus Lupin.

"Have you done the Astronomy homework yet?"

"Nope."

"Well, let's go and do it then," Lily had purred.

"You go. I want to finish this game." Sirius had said distractedly.

Lily had pouted. Yes, she did have Astronomy homework to do, and she was planning to do it, but that wasn't all she had been planning to do with Sirius. She had stormed off to the Tower, alone...

She was so wrapped up in her own anger she didn't notice the guy holding a pile of books walking towards her.

She slipped on a paving stone, sliding over backwards and tripping the guy over on top of her.

There was an awkward silence as Lily and James stared into each other's eyes.

She's beautiful, thought James, I wish I knew her.

Who's this guy? I've never seen him around before. He's gorgeous! thought Lily, No! Wait! What am I saying? I've got Sirius!

The boy got up and extended a hand to help her up. "I'm really sorry about that," he said, "I wasn't looking where I was going."

Lily shook her head. "No, it's my fault really, I was in such a bad mood I forgot about the slippery paving stone! I'm Lily Evans, by the way."

"James Potter. Gryffindor sixth year."

Lily stared at him in amazement. "So am I, but I'm sure I've never seen you before! You must share a room with Sirius, right? He's never mentioned the other guys except for Remus."

James nodded. "I'm very quiet. Me and Peter Pettigrew (the other guy in the dorm) don't really talk to the others-"

"Oh, but you should!" burst in Lily, "They're really nice, and you seem really nice. I'm sure you'd get along fine- oh, but wait, do you like pranks?"

"Do I like pranks? Is Dumbledore mad? I'm the king of pranksters at home, but I don't get a chance to do any at school, Peter's a bit goody-goody-ish."

"I'm sure you'll fit right in then. We'll soon cure you of your shyness, we did it to Remus!" Lily smiled at him. "Now, where are you going?"

"Up to the Astronomy Tower." James replied.

"Ooh, meeting a girl are we?" Lily winked and nudged him.

"No," answered James, "Astronomy homework. I don't have a girlfriend."

"I'm glad about that." said Lily quietly.

James wasn't sure he'd heard her correctly. Did she just say she was glad he didn't have a girlfriend?

Lily hurriedly continued, remembering her boyfriend, "What if she was someone horrible? You're much too nice for that." Phew, thought Lily, Nice cover-up. What are you doing, flirting with a stranger? Remember Sirius!

James' heart, which had momentarily risen, sank. Of course this girl didn't care if he had a girlfriend because she liked him. She was just being nice.

Lily led the way up to the Astronomy Tower, chattering as she did so. "I've got that homework to do too, and Sirius (you know Sirius, right? My boyfriend.) wouldn't come with me. So I came alone. That's why I was in such a mood."

Finally the pair reached the room at the top of the Tower, used for stargazing and moonlit trysts. They setlled down to work, the comfortable silence broken only by occasional inquiries over the state of a particular planet. Soon they were both finished and headed off to the Gryffindor common room, to introduce James to Sirius and Remus.