"So when are we continuing our tryouts?"

James glanced up from his breakfast with a grin, welcoming his friend as she dropped down into the seat beside him "I'm head boy Vix, we can continue tryouts whenever we like."

She had rolled her eyes at his statement, teasing him as he dropped the head boy card while she piled her plate high with breakfast goods.

They planned as they spoke (James using cutlery and condiments to portray different players, making them move around the table as he showed her his tactics). Geller and Green, the two beaters Daxia had tried out, matched both the Slytherin and Ravenclaw beaters (surpassing the Hufflepuff beaters) in speed, strength and technique. The potential Gryffindor keepers James had tried out needed work in different areas but made up for it by excelling in others, making it extremely difficult to choose between them. They had started the year concerned (they'd had a right; half the team had graduated) but now all they felt was enthusiasm.

"So," Sirius's tone caught their attention as soon as he sat opposite them, rolling his eyes at their Quidditch talk "Where did you two go last night?"

Confusing Daxia James simply shrugged as he turned back to his breakfast "Nowhere."

Sirius frowned, suspicion clouding his eyes as he looked between his best friends, repeating "Nowhere?"

Attempting to hide her confusion, as James kicked her beneath the table, Daxia nodded a confirmation "Right. Nowhere." Before she glanced between the two boys, the looks on both of their faces telling her they had already shared a similar conversation.

Why was this so awkward? She thought to herself with a nibble on her bottom lip. Why didn't James want Sirius, his best friend-brother-practical same person, to know they had been spying on the Slytherin tryouts? He hadn't been this secretive with Sirius since the few weeks following the incident with Snape and Remus the previous year.

Across from them their mutual best friend was picking at his food with a scowl on his face, stabbing at the eggs on his plate as though they had offended him. Daxia sent James a questioning look; he shrugged and smirked.

"So are you actually going to show up to the first SlugClub party this year Remus?"

James's back straightened as Lily spoke, arriving to the Gryffindor table with Remus, Adiya, Mary and Peter (God knows where Benji was; probably sleeping off the alcohol the Marauders had swayed him into drinking the night previous). Daxia sent him yet another look.

"I doubt it," Remus was replying as the group sat down beside their friends. There was nothing he found more boring than the parties put on by their potions professor for his 'most promising students'.

"How about you two?" Lily asked hopefully as she turned to the two others in their group who were regularly invited along by Slughorn; Daxia and James. She was unsure why she even bothered; Marauders stuck together so if Sirius and Peter weren't going James would be planning something else for them to do instead. Daxia, on the other hand, had been tricked by Lily into going a few times, hated it and usually spent the time with her guy-friends.

Yet her eyes were on James almost hopefully, the feeling was back as much as she hated to admit it to herself but he had backed off and she barely saw him! It felt like the end of summer all over again when he had left her to her boredom – and all she wanted was a joke, an eyeroll…anything.

Instead, without answering Lily's question, James stood "I'm going to head to Defence," he mumbled referring to their first lesson of the day; Defence Against the Dark Arts as he pushed his half eaten plate away from him.

"Why?"

"It doesn't start for fifteen whole minutes!"

Ignoring Remus and Peter's comments James ran a hand through his hair and stalked out of the great hall. He didn't even notice the pair of emerald eyes following him almost sadly as he walked away from her.

"I'll go," Daxia sighed greatly, getting to her feet and starting after James.

Sirius also stood quickly, forgetting the plate full of food on the table before him "I'll come."

She eyed him in an almost suspicious manner as they met at the end of the table "You alright?" she asked. He (and James) normally let Daxia have full rein over any issue which may be emotional (not that she was any good at it but a pat on the back and a quick one armed hug always seemed to work with James and Sirius).

Nodding he shoved his hands into his trouser pockets though the tense muscles in his jaw told her otherwise. She could tell that the 'Great Marauder Fall Out of Sixth Year' was, once again, present in his mind as well.

Though before she could retaliate and bully the real answer out of him they caught up with a stony faced James. Sirius frowned once more as Daxia placed a hand on his friend's shoulder reassuringly "Tough eh?"

James nodded forlornly "It's just easier not being around her y'know?" he replied in an overly sad tone, his eyebrows arching as he glanced to a sympathetic Daxia and she squeezed him closer in a supporting manner.

"Wait," Sirius jumped in, eager to be in on the secret. He wasn't used to being kept out of his best friend's affairs "Being around who? Evans?"

James's eyebrows twitched almost in amusement as his gaze flickered from a concerned Daxia to a very suspicious Sirius "Yeah, Vix is helping me get over her."

Sirius went back to silently frowning.

After taking the long way around to their Defence Against the Dark Arts class they arrived just as Professor Remy did, securing their normal table at the back; James sitting in between his two friends.

"When do you wanna meet up anyway? Y'know for-"

Knowing she was still over excited about tryouts and meant discussing the potential new members of the Quidditch team with Adiya (and not wanting Sirius to know that's what she meant) he jumped ahead before she could say it "How about tomorrow night?" he asked retrieving his Defence book from her bag (it was the only way she could actually get him to bring it to lesson) (Sirius too).

Her eyes narrowed at his enthusiasm "Okay," she agreed as the rest of their classmates entered the room.

"Right everyone!" Professor Remy welcomed, clapping his hands together to focus their attention "Get out your homework!"

James, Daxia and Sirius groaned simultaneously and jokingly "We had homework?!"

Severus Snape had been heading back to the Slytherin common room from the library when he'd bumped into her. Literally.

Lily Evans had gasped as she'd bounced off his chest, arched her eyebrows in shock as he grasped onto her waist to stop her from nearly falling to the floor "What are you doing?" she snapped pulling away from him. They hadn't spoken, barely even looked at one another, since he had slipped up towards the end of fifth.

"I…it was an accident," he stuttered, jumping to let her go as she glared down to his hands, his fingers curled around her slim waist "Out on duty are you?"

He hadn't even meant to say it, they weren't friends anymore. He'd screwed up and she'd made that perfectly clear.

Proving his point she narrowed her eyes as she took a step back away from him, brushing down her crumpled clothes "Well, yes of course," she replied curtly. It seemed that as their friendship died so had Lily's rose coloured glasses for him; all of the things she had previously overlooked (well mildly scolded him over) had rushed to the forefront. All of the things she had taken his side over against James Potter and the Marauders had flipped; she now saw it hadn't all been them but him as well.

"With Potter I suppose," he practically spat angrily, he couldn't stand the fact that she was on their side now.

She arched an eyebrow as she took another step back, arms folding loosely over her stomach "He is head boy Sev…erus." She'd almost finished there, almost just called him by the old nickname she'd given him when they were children.

He took this and ran with it "I can't believe you let him and that Lestrange girl brainwash you."

She coughed in disbelief "Brainwash me? Oh Severus that's rich; coming from you," she paused only continuing when his angered features fell into a confused frown "When we were children you told me about Hogwarts, the honourable and worthy house of Slytherin and how no one would look down on me for having non-magical parents-" (she refused to use the word muggle with him) "-and look around us now! You and your death eater wannabes pouring over The Daily Prophet each morning to see what their parents have been up to; killing people, starting a war! You cannot tell me the Marauders are even half as bad as that!"

There were angry tears lining her eyes as he stammered and stumbled over a reply. He wanted to burst out about that time Sirius Black had tried to kill him; sending him off to face a werewolf until James Potter had had a stroke of conscious warning him about the danger and not talking to his marauder pal for a week. If his friends were there – Evan, Amycus, the Lestrange brothers or even Regulus (brother to Sirius) – he knew what they'd say. They'd tell her to keep her little mudblood nose out of their business, that the only thing she had to worry about was whether or not she was next on the Death Eater's list.

Of course; he was unable to even think those words directed to Lily. Sweet, kind, beautiful Lily who almost made him want to leave his friends; to stick up for the good side. The side who weren't killing but standing up for what was morally right.

Almost that is.

"Y'know what," she continued on, a tear daring to drop from her eyelashes to travel down her rosy (with anger) cheek "Your silence is deafening."

That was, of course, when James Potter arrived.

"Hey Wormtail, you finished your charms work yet?" Daxia asked hopefully as Peter wandered into the common room. She was surrounded by books and parchment, her hair dragged up into a messy ponytail as she chewed on the end of her quill in confusion. Sirius hadn't helped; with his stupid photographic memory he had finished his essay earlier that day refusing to help her to 'teach her a lesson'.

His face dropped as he joined her and Sirius around the fire "Not at all," he sighed pulling said work from his bag "Where're Prongs and Moony? Evans and Tink?"

"Head boy and girl duties," Daxia replied, obviously referring to James and Lily, not looking up from her work.

"And library…probably," continued Sirius, they didn't know for sure but it was always safe to assume Remus and Adiya were in the library if they weren't in the common room. He was lounging along the sofa, his feet irritatingly in Daxia's lap and his arms behind his head as he rested against the arm. A yawn of boredom loudly left his lips.

Peter nodded "So it's just us three?"

"Yep," Daxia answered (seeing as everyone knew it was Benji and Mary's date night) as she sat up "Weird right?"

"You guys are so boring," Sirius moaned earning a slap on the shoulder off Daxia "Hey!" he protested shuffling into a sitting position as he reached across the sofa to wrap his arms around her, squeezing her tightly "No hitting!"

She giggled as a squeal left her throat, her head rolling backwards to lean against his chest "Get off me!" she exclaimed as she wriggled in his arms in an attempt to break free.

"Oh get a room," Peter grumbled with an eyeroll, attempting to begin his essay.

Both freezing Daxia and Sirius separated slowly and awkwardly, Daxia going back to her work as Sirius fell back into his relaxed state from earlier. She glanced across to him tentatively before she turned back to her charms book, smiling awkwardly as their eyes met for a second.

"So guys," Peter began as he dropped his quill "Cheering charms?"

As the three exchanged confused glances (Daxia and Sirius because they were sure they weren't doing cheering charms again) the doorway to the common room swung open.

"I'm so glad you're back!" Daxia exclaimed as Lily stormed into the room, a stern and stubborn look on her pretty features.

"I hate him!" she almost growled, Daxia slowly sat back down (deciding giving her friend the welcome back, thankful to see her, I really need your help hug was probably a bad idea). Sirius and Peter glanced up from their writing with intrigue.

"What-" Daxia began before Lily interrupted.

"James Potter! I had it under control! There was no need for him…Severus didn't do-"

"Severus?!"

"Snivellus?!"

Daxia and Sirius let out their exclaims together, both jumping to their feet as though Snape had broken into the Gryffindor common room and was stood waiting to duel them.

"He didn't do anything!"

"He called you a…a…mudblood," Daxia argued, the last word spoken in almost a whisper, as her hands curled into fists through her anger. She had only managed to utter the word a couple of times in her life; deciding this would be an appropriate time in order to remind her friend just how awful her ex-friend had been.

Lily clenched her jaw stubbornly "At the end of fifth year! Something I'd rather forget to be honest with you! James is just abusing his head boy powers!"

"I am not!" James shouted finally joining the party and appearing through the portrait hole, Remus and Adiya close behind (looking extremely harassed; possibly from hearing James's side of the story first) "He was rude to you!"

"We had a disagreement!"

"You were crying!"

Their five friends (now all sat down, perched on the edge of their seats) watched in silent awe. James never argued back to Lily this severely.

"You weren't even there!"

"You. Were. Crying!"

"And why would you even care?!"

"Because I care about you!"

"Well I didn't ask for that!"

James sighed angrily; it was almost like there was no one else in the room as his hands ran through his messy hair "Of course you didn't. I'm so sorry my feelings are so incredibly inconveniencing for you!"

"Hey! I didn't say they were inconveniencing!"

"Whatever!" James waved her off, the two of them stomping off to their respective dorms.

The common room fell silent as the two head students disappeared. Doors slammed from above and the remaining friends all exchanged worried glances. Sure they had seen their two friends banter back and forth over the years, stretching to a small row whenever it involved Severus but they'd never witnessed them screaming at one another like that before.

"What just-?" Remus frowned.

"Did they-?" Adiya breathed.

"They so like each other!" Daxia exclaimed, turning to hi-five Sirius.

He was frowning "And you're okay with that?"

Confused she shook her head as she pulled a face at him, picking up his hand she hi-fived him anyway.

"Now all we just need to do is get them to admit it when they're not screaming at one another," Peter mumbled.

"So," Sirius began, jogging to catch up with Daxia, all awkwardness from the previous day's breakfast seemingly forgotten about "What're we doing about Evans and Prongs?" he asked placing an arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer to his side.

"Not much right now," she replied as they arrived at their first lesson of the day; Muggle Studies "We were the only ones cool enough to take this subject in our group remember?"

"I suppose," he shrugged keeping his arm around her as they joined their fellow students (mainly from Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw) waiting for the professor to arrive "But we need to do something. They'll never admit it on their own."

Agreeing she looped her arm around his waist, leaning with her head on his shoulder as she yawned. She'd been up practically most of the night whispering ideas between herself and Adiya while Lily was safely up in her head girl dormitory for the first night that year (she, apparently, didn't like to sleep alone so had been staying in the, now, spare bed in the girls dorm) (Adiya and Daxia were convinced she just didn't like to be left out yet agreed that separate dorms for heads were stupid and unnecessary) "You do know it's full moon tonight don't you?"

He tensed up slightly as he leant with his chin on the top of her head, speaking in a whisper as he surveyed their surroundings. Even if he hadn't been aware of the exact date Remus had begun to look peaky a few days previous, having to retreat to the hospital wing that morning "Of course I do, why?"

Her jaw tensed stubbornly, she knew what the answer to her next statement was going to be but she said it anyway in the most nonchalant manner she could manage "Because I'm coming with you this time."

He let her go, taking a few steps back as he gripped onto her wrist to pull her away from their fellow students "You are not."

"I'll be fine!" she exclaimed making sure she remained quiet enough so no one could overhear "I'm as good as you are!"

"It's dangerous Vix! And I won't be able to protect you!"

She rolled her eyes, drama-queen-Sirius back with a vengeance, before folding her arms across her chest and sending him a glare "I can look after myself!"

"You don't know what it's like Vix! It's not fun!"

"I don't care, I want to help!" she argued, a few of their classmates glanced around noticing Black and Lestrange were in a row and wondering if they needed to run and hide "I did all of the studying and the practising; I want to put it to good use!"

"No," he said calmly (noticing the fearful glances being thrown their way) as Professor Burbage entered the classroom, thankful students following after her.

"You can't stop me," she whispered as they reached their seat, in the back as usual.

He glanced across to her out of the corner of his eye "Oh yes I can."

Those were the last words they exchanged throughout their Muggle Studies lesson, shocking even Professor Burbage who (as she was teaching them the ins and outs of Muggle Soap Operas) normally expected a lot of inappropriate questions called from the back of the room.

The silence lasted all the way back to the common room where the rest of their year were also beginning a free period.

"So what's up with everyone now?" Peter asked when they were all finally back together (minus Remus who was, of course, in the hospital wing). Obviously knowing what had happened between Lily and James he was clearly referring to Daxia (who was pretending to study with Lily's cat curled up on her lap) and Sirius who were sitting as far away from one another as physically possible, venomous and dangerous looks on both their faces.

Adiya shrugged "All I know is that Lily and James aren't speaking through sheer awkwardness."

A smile of amusement came to Peter's face "Understandable."

"Peter knows!" Daxia suddenly exclaimed out of context as she jumped to her feet (the cat practically growling, unimpressed as she was virtually thrown to the floor), even catching hold of Lily's attention "Don't you?!"

He sat back in his chair, eyes wide as Daxia looked down at him and Sirius sent him a warning glare. It was almost impossible to choose which side he would rather take "Er…I do?" Staying mutual always worked he supposed.

Or not.

"Peter!" Sirius shouted as he also jumped to his feet "Don't side with her! She can't come with us tonight!"

"What!" James suddenly joined the angst fest with an outburst from where he was trying not to steal glances in Lily's direction "No Vix!...Wormtail…how can you agree to this?!"

"I didn't…?" Peter began, glancing around his three glaring friends in confusion before Daxia interrupted.

"You can't stop me James and I will be there to help!"

Lily and Adiya were looking up from the books they'd previously been lost in; eyes wide and mouths open in shock as they scanned around their angry looking friends. It had taken up until the previous year for them to be included in Remus's secret life as a werewolf (though they had both pretty much guessed anyway). Though Snape thought otherwise the boys and Daxia had clued them in properly the day after Sirius had almost led Lily's ex-best friend to his death.

Of course they'd had no issue with the furry-little-problem, just the prank Sirius had thought acceptable (as it was Remus, who could be scared of Remus? Also with Lily being muggleborn she didn't understand the prejudice against werewolves in the wizarding community as well as all of the others who'd had it drilled into them at a young age) (As bad as she knew it sounded it had made her feel like she had someone on her side, someone who could understand how she felt about the prejudice surrounding something which couldn't be helped; it only helped her friendship with Remus blossom further).

What they didn't know was the fact that their friends were unregistered Animagi. That they didn't head down to the hospital wing to await Remus's return to ensure he was okay after the transformation but instead joined him during the full moon.

Due to this reason Lily spoke up for her friend "Wait, why can't Dax join you tonight?"

Daxia grinned smugly.

Sirius sighed "It isn't safe Evans, you don't understand."

"Then make me understand!"

James groaned loudly, the more people who knew about their illegal activity the more they were risking their secret getting out "Dax will explain while we're out," He forced, his tone filled with reluctance as he looked to the expectant redhead awaiting her explanation.

He hadn't wanted her to find out like this. There had been many, many different scenarios he had thought of over the years but allowing Daxia to let the secret loose in order to keep her safely indoors for one more full moon had not been one of them. He would have done anything to choose one of those scenarios over this one but if this one was the one which made Daxia stay in, which kept the girl he would do anything to protect out of danger for another month then he was happy with it.

Hell, he'd even hand the map, the cloak and the two way mirrors over for Evans to examine if it meant Daxia, the younger sister he was fiercely overprotective of and who had been like family to him since their first year, stayed within the walls of the castle.

"I will n-!"

"Dax!" he exclaimed cutting her off, his mind running as he tried to come up with a solution to keep her happy "We'll give you a trial okay? Tomorrow in the forest, prove you've been working and…you can come next time," he continued grabbing Sirius by the arm before he could protest and dragging him out through the portrait hole, Peter trailing along after them.

Lily and Adiya turned to Daxia "You'll explain what?"

"Are you insane?!"

"Sirius I-"

"You can't just give her everything she wants Potter! She could get herself into trouble! She could get hurt!"

"I kn-"

"You two may have this new thing going on – which I am NOT happy about by the way – but you wanting to shag her to get over Evans doesn't excuse…this!"

"What! No I-"

"She could be killed! She could be bitten! She-"

"SIRIUS!"

The boys came to a stop, none of them really realising just how far they had gotten from the common room without the use of the cloak or the map until that very moment.

James glared up to his best friend's slightly taller frame (Peter glanced between them in confusion; since when had James wanted to shag Daxia?) "I don't want to shag Vix and I don't want her to come with us either!" he exclaimed explaining once Sirius sent him a confused look and an over dramatic shrug "I told her that to shut her up, we'll take her out for her to show us what she's been working on then by next full moon we'll find a reason to put her off again!"

Sirius arched an eyebrow "And the secret meetings, helping you to 'get over Evans'?"

James smirked at the jealousy in his friends features "That's for you to figure out mate."