"James!" I yelled up the stairs.

"Yeah?" he yelled back, not bothering to sugar-coat everything he says to me anymore, since we're living in the same tower. If he did, that'd be a right old pain in the you-know-what.

"We have patrol!"

"Oh. Right. One second!"

I sighed. As Head Boy, he ought to know at least what time patrols are. But no. I have to remind him every day to come down. Well, at least he's fast, I thought to myself as James bounded down, pinning his badge on hurriedly. I rolled my eyes.

"If you can remember, for one day, when patrol is, I'll give you five Galleons," I said, heading to the portrait hole.

"Slips my mind," he replied.

"It can't possibly slip your mind every day! It's January!"

He shrugged again. "What can I say? I'm a busy man."

"Busy, my arse," I snorted.

"Fine. You're on." He crossed his arms as we stepped into an empty corridor.

"What?" I asked.

"The bet. If I can remember what time patrols are, then you owe me five Galleons."

"What? I was joking!"

"Too bad," he grinned. I punched his arm.

"Well then, I make it for a week," I challenged as we ambled along at a nice pace.

"Fine," he shot back. We continued patrolling in silence until we came upon a broom closet whose door was slightly ajar. A certainfamiliar broom closet, might I add, with certain familiar—and unpleasant—sounds floating out of it. James gestured to the closet and raised his eyebrows. I sighed to confirm.

"Want me to do it?" he whispered. I shook my head.

"I've got this," I whispered back. Then, without further ado, I clenched my teeth and yanked open the door.

"What did I tell you two about snogging in your own dormitories?" I demanded, facing a shirtless Sirius who was hiding a blonde girl behind his back. I tried not to look down as he grinned at me without a trace of shame.

"Hey Lily, did I ever tell you that you're like a sister to me?"

"Nice try, Black. Marlene, stop hiding, we've seen it all anyway." I directed that last part at my best friend. She didn't respond. "Mars?"

James came up behind me, shaking his head at his best friend. "Oh Padfoot," he said. Sirius grinned at him too, just as unabashed.

"Next time, at least pick a different closet," I sighed. This was Sirius's rather infamous snogging closet. In total, I've walked in on him at least ten times this year, and more than I can count when patrolling as a prefect in fifth and sixth year. And all of them were right here. I feel sorry for the brooms and buckets inside.

"Aw, c'mon Lils," he whined. "This closet holds memories!"

"I don't want to know."

He smirked. "Oh, poor Evans. Don't have anybody to snog? Jamie boy right here is a good candidate."

I glared at him, my patience gone.

"Sirius Black. If you don't get out in the next ten seconds I will hex your balls off," I threatened. Sirius gulped and sneaked a glance at his family treasures then looked at me again. I smiled pleasantly while James stood by, awkwardly watching.

"Fine," he sighed. "Give us a bit of privacy first."

"Yeah, yeah," I grumbled. "Make it fast though—" I broke off with a gasp. For peeking out from under Sirius's arm was a pair of eyes. Not the playful blue eyes of Marlene McKinnon, but an unfamiliar murky pair of grayish-greenish eyes that I had never seen before. "Wait a second," I said slowly. "That's not Marlene, is it?"

He gulped again, shoving the girl's head behind his arm. "Er—it's not?"

"Sirius Black," I growled, pulling out my wand. "How dare you."

He looked terrified, as he most definitely should. Cheating on my best friend! I'll give him terrified!

"Lily, it's not like that," he stammered, beads of sweat shining on his forehead.

"Oh no, Black. Don't even try. You don't deserve her anyway."

"Lily, please!" he begged. "Just let me explain!"

"What's there to explain anyway?" I cried. "I saw it with my own two eyes! And so did James," I added.

"You're dead, mate," James added helpfully. Sirius cursed.

"You, put on your clothes and go back to your dorm," I told the frightened girl. If I knew Sirius—and unfortunately I knew him quite well—then this girl was completely innocent. It was all his fault. "And you," I growled. "You're coming with me."

"Oh goody," he muttered.