"So here we are again," James said, as he and the others clambered into the train and began to look for a compartment.

"Yep, another year gone, just like that" Kiaria added, snapping her fingers for effect. She and the girls were just talking about how they'd end up being in their fourth year, with OWLS just around the corner.

"We're actually going to have to start trying," Sirius said, awestruck as the knowledge hit him. He wasn't excited about his future; he had good grades, but nowhere to submit them.

"You didn't realize that beforehand?" Remus asked, looking up from a book he was reading, with an eyebrow cocked at Sirius, who shrugged. "Did you take Arithmancy?"

"Nope" Sirius said, popping the 'p'.

Remus shook his head, "obviously not. There aren't any girls to chase in that class."

"Hey, unless I'm mistaken, I am a girl. As Sirius pointed out, I have . . er, what did you say exactly?" Demi said, trying to recall a conversation the pair had in the beginning of the year.

"I think it was something about tits" Sirius said, and the pair nodded.

James' eyes bulged out of his head, "you said what? Sirius, that's my sister!" He yelled ready to strangle his best friend.

"Jeez, he just mentioned them, it's not like he touched them," Demi laughed. James whipped his head towards her.

"No funny business between you two. Not at all. Especially since we're going to the World Cup together," James said, waiting for the response.

"WE'RE WHAT!?" The pair yelled in unison.

"I was going to wait until we got home," James said, "but this way Sirius knows when to come over. In fatc, seeing as the cup is only two weeks away from the first of September, you might as well stay with us for the rest of those fourteen days."

"If it'll get me away from my mother, I'm in" Sirius said, nodding furiously. James and he high fived before sitting back down in their seats like normal human beings. "Who do you reckon will make it to the finals this year?"

"I think Bulgaria. They've got a good line up" Frank said.

"Yeah, but the Soviet is packing a pretty fierce punch. They've got Youlkan" James pointed out.

"But Ireland have got Muller," Alice interjected.

"Yeah but those are just one player teams. Luxembourg has a strong seven," Kiaria added. "My family's from there. We've been to a few of the games last summer. They're amazing. Did you know they've put in orders for seven Cleansweep 270s?"

"Those are the best brooms out!" James exclaimed. He had recently been flipping through Quidditch Weekly, to keep up with the teams, and happened upon the advert for the new brooms.

"I heard they go at, like, 170" Peter said in awe. "Try going head-to-head with the Slytherins on those. They'd probably crap themselves."

"That is if they haven't already. We've got the best line up in the school," Remus said over his book. The others looked at him strangely. The boy was interested in Quidditch, they all knew that. But this was the first time they actually realized how much he liked the game. "According to this year's statistics, we've got a 97% confidence interval towards getting the cup this year," he said.

Immediately groans were emitted from the Gryffindors, "trust Remus to bring statistical analysis and data reconfiguration into the best game in the world," Demi sighed, slumping back on her seat.

"Hey, it's actually quite useful to know that stuff. It'll definitely help with the football matches next summer," Remus replied.

Demi threw her hands in the air, "that's what I forgot. I didn't get a chance to ask Dumbeldore about the television. How're we supposed to watch the games? I didn't think this through," she said.

"What games?" Alice asked.

"The FIFA World Cup," a voice said. They all looked up to the compartment door, where Lily stood, a a book in her hand. She shimmied through the pairs of legs until she wedged herself in the small gap between Demi and the window. "Severus is too preoccupied with Nott and Avery."

"Probably asking him to join their little Mini-Bite Death Eater club," James said snidely, as he and Sirius began to laugh.

Lily gave him one of her withering looks before turning back to Demi and Remus, "so what's this about FIFA?"

"Well, we wanted to get a television into the school, but we have to ask Dumbledore before we can go ahead. Otherwise it won't work," Remus explained.

"Why can't you just shrink it and smuggle it in?" Kiaria asked.

"Anything to do with electricity and that kind of stuff will go haywire and malfunction if it is near or in Hogwarts. That's why the guitars and gramophones have to be enchanted. The magic in the air messes with the electricity. It's all in Hogwarts: A History," Lily explained.

"Ah, yes, the concept of ecklecity" James said. "I've heard muggles that live near our town talking about it. Apparently it's a huge deal for you muggles, huh?"

Lily shook her head, as Demi and Remus exchanged smirks. "Electricity is what keeps the entire motor of England going. We use it for everything, like cooking, cleaning, and to turn on lights," Lily explained patiently, or as patiently as she could. The others could see her growing red in the face, her temper rising from having to deal with James' stupidity.

"Why don't you just use lumos?" James asked obliviously.

Demi and Remus burst out laughing, as Lily's face got even redder. "Because muggles can't do magic you buffoon," she said, gritting her teeth.

"Oh yeah" James muttered, causing Lily to throw her hands into the air. She stood up and slid open the compartment door. Before leaving, however, she gave James a look of complete distain and slammed the door shut behind her. James turned to the others smiling, "I think she's beginning to warm up to me." The others shook their heads, knowing how useless it would be to try to explain the situation to James. He could be so stubborn.

"So, how are things going with Jeremiah?" Kiaria asked, knowing that James had had enough of a grilling.

"Great actually," Demi said, hoping to cut the topic short. She could feel the tension in the compartment. While Peter didn't really mind who she went out with (for which she was glad), the other boys were becoming increasingly interested in her private affairs which were, well, private.

"I heard him telling the guys that he's really into you," Alice said, not noticing anything wrong with the topic. The guys began to fidget, Sirius even pulled his wand out of his back pocket.

"So how are you and Frank?" Demi said quickly, hoping to head the boys off. They all whipped their heads around to face the boy, who was sitting in the corner next to Alice, who looked as if she wanted nothing more than to sink into the ground and disappear. Demi sat back and closed her eyes; her job was done.

"What's this?" Sirius asked, looking positively delighted that the topic moved away from one which was going to make him want to punch a hole through the Hogwarts Express.

"Why do you care Sirius?" Frank said exasperatedly. He knew he and Alice were going to have to tell the others but they didn't know they were going to be forced to. They'd hoped to leave it in the shadows until the next year, but Demi had other plans.

"Well, it certainly changes the group dynamic," James said. The others turned to look at him, confused. James took one look at the expressions and explained. "If one of us goes out with someone else in the group, it messes up the group dynamic."

"How can this possibly mess everything up?" Peter asked.

"Well, if things don't work out and you break up, God Bless that doesn't happen, it'll give the group a weird dynamic. I mean, I don't know about you, but I've dated a few girls and I would be pretty bothered if I had to see them every day. Especially if my close friends were her close friends."

Sirius looked over at Demi, who was facing the others. Little did he know, she turned around just before he looked at her. Although it had been months since the little incident at the top of the Astronomy Tower, the pair were still acting slightly unusual with each other. Luckily enough, it was a small change, so it wasn't easily noticed.

"But you going out with Lily would be fine?" Demi asked.

"Well, yes. Technically she isn't part of the group," James explained, gesturing to those in the compartment.

Demi shook her head, "technically she is. She's my best friend, so-" was cut off by a loud 'No' from Sirius. She looked at him apprehensively, and asked him what he was doing.

"I thought I was your best friend?" he replied, looking quite sad, but in a dramatic way.

"Mate, you're my best friend," James stated, looking quite shocked.

"No, I thought that was me," Remus replied, looking thoroughly offended that James would even consider Sirius as a potential candidate for the position.

"Wait, aren't I yours?" Peter asked, confused. The five started to argue, talking rather quickly. Frank, Alice, and Kiaria caught random words such as "lies," "completely useless", and "dingbat."

Frank turned to Alice, "wanna go somewhere else?" to which she nodded yes, and the pair got up.

"I'm not going to stay here alone with this lot," Kiara said gesturing to the floor where Sirius was sitting on Demi's lap, Demi was trying to push him off, James was messing Sirius' hair, Remus had climbed on to James', piggyback style, and Peter was furiously prodding Remus in the back. All were yelling. The three left the carriage, unnoticed.

Ten Minutes later . . .

"Where is everyone else?" Demi asked, looking over Sirius' shoulder. They all stopped yelling and wrestling to look around. "Did you see them leave?" she asked Peter.

"No, I was with you lot."

"Well then, seems like we haven't matured," Remus added, as he climbed off James' back and sat back on his seat. The others followed his example, sitting on the seats rather than each other.

"We're really a handful aren't we?" Sirius said.

"Ah, maybe next year we'll be a bit more civilized," James suggested. They all exchanged looks before they busted out laughing.

"You think we'd be able to do that?" Sirius said, ribs cracking.

"Your face was all serious," Remus stammered.

"Too fake," Peter gasped.

They all took a moment to breathe before going back to the conversation they were having before. "Why can't I date Lily?" James asked.

"Because, if it didn't work, it would mess things up between her and I," Demi said. "You're my brother, she's my best friend. It would be like me dating one of these three," she said, gesturing to Remus, Sirius, and Peter, who looked quite shocked.

"That would be really weird," Peter said. "I don't think I could ever think of you like that, you're like a sister."

"It'd be, kinda odd" Remus added.

"Really odd,"Sirius finished.

Demi turned back to James, "See? Even they know it's weird. Besides she doesn't even like you. She hates you, actually. She only puts up with you because you're my brother."

"She'll come around," James said, leaning back and closing his eyes.

Demi rolled her eyes at his stubbornness, before turning to the others. Anyone up for a round of exploding snap?"

At the station . . .

"Make sure you write to us. And don't forget to eat. Keep all bad comments that could get you sent to your room in your stomach until you've eaten, okay?" Demi said. She was giving Sirius another round of 'Don't do it' before he was carted back home for two months.

"I will," he sighed, giving her a hug. He turned to the others, "wish me luck." They all gave him a nod and a pat on the back as he slumped over to where his brother and mother were standing, impatiently tapping their feet and clicking their tongues.

Demi waved goodbye as the trio vanished. "He'll be okay," James said noticing how upset Demi was sending him back to his folks.

"I know, but still. I feel like I should do something about this," she replied, grabbing her suit case.

"Don't worry, once we find something to do about it, we will do just that," James said. The pair turned to Remus and Peter, who had located their parents, and were about to walk towards them. "Have a good summer" Demi and James said.

"You too," Peter and Remus replied. The four disbanded and joined their families, knowing they'd see each other quite soon.