A/N: oh my gosh. I am SO sorry for the gigantic wait, I have been working to the other fic, and life has been busy. Please read my other fic too, I like it a little more than this one.

REVIEW. Especially if this story is in your alert or faves.

Last Chapter:

This kiss was different. Their first kiss had been hungry, hasty and passionate. This kiss was soft and tender. To Sirius, it was beautiful. He held her soft face gingerly in his hands as he kissed her, so afraid that she would change her mind, run away again. He felt a sudden surge of emotion come over him and he wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her closer. He knew in that moment that from now on he would keep her, and there was nothing anyone could do about it.

Chapter Twelve: Announcement of Sorts

Emily sat up and groggily rubbed her eyes. She ran a hand through her hair, blinked blearily and fell backwards onto her bed with a cry of surprise.

"Hello beautiful," Sirius laughed, "Did I startle you?"

"Well," she giggled hesitantly, "Um, yes, I supposed you did." He laughed and wrapped his arms around her.

"So," she mumbled, twisting her fingers into his, "I… fell asleep?"

"Yes," he murmured back, kissing her cheek tenderly, "It was quite adorable. After we kissed I was talking to you and I looked over and you were sleeping."

"Oh dear," she blushed, "I'm sorry. How long did I sleep for?"

"An hour or so. Lily came in to check on you."

"She's normal sized again? Ha!" Emily laughed, "What did you do the whole time?"

"Oh nothing much," he grinned, "Read your diary, tried on your bras…"

"Oh stop it," she laughed, swiping at his head with a free hand, "You're terrible."

"And you're beautiful." He kissed her cheek again, "Ma belle fille."

"What?" she asked, her brow crinkling, "is that French?"

"Yes, it's French. I was taught when I was younger. It's a pureblood thing." He grinned at her.

"Wow…" her eyes glazed over for a moment before she exclaimed, "Ooh, say something else!"

He cleared his throat, "Je veux passer la reste de ma vie avec vous."

˝Aw!" Emily giggled, "That sounds so pretty. What does it mean?"

He kissed her chin softly, "What does what mean?"

"You know what I mean! What you said in French!"

"What did I say in French?"

"Ugh!" Emily groaned and fell back onto her bed, "You're still terrible." She informed him. He lay down beside her and kissed her cheek again.

"You know, you really kiss me quite a lot. Already."

"Well, you're just going to have to get used to that," he mumbled into her cheek, "I like kissing you."

"Mmm. I like that you like kissing me," she sighed back.

They lay simply holding each other for a moment, before the door of the dormitory swung open. Lily smiled at them and quickly tied off her half finished braid.

"Hi guys!" she grinned, flipping the braid behind her shoulder, "I know you are having some special lovey-dovey time, but I really need a shower. So get out." She raised an arm and pointed down the staircase.

Emily giggled and Sirius let out a bark-like laugh. Lily scowled and stomped away into the bathroom.

Sirius sat up with a small grunt and reached back to pull Emily up with him. They started stumbling towards the door when Emily stopped.

"Wait a minute Sirius," she told him, "I have to get some spare clothes and a clean towel out for Lily. She always forgets. Just turn your back to the bathroom door so she doesn't get upset when I open it." She giggled slightly then skipped over to the armoire that was practically drowning in Gryffindor-colored objects. The one Lily and Emily obviously shared.

She yanked open the top drawer and dug around for some clothes. When she found them, she skipped over to the bathroom door, where she paused and opened an odd compartment in the wall where lay an abundance of fluffy scarlet and gold towels. As she pulled one of them out, Sirius heard Lily swear loudly from within the bathroom. Emily giggled again and knocked softly on the door, the clothes and towel tucked under her arm.

"Emily?" Lily called.

"Yes, I brought you some clothes and a towel. I know how you always forget."

"Oh, yes, thank you!" Lily opened the door a fraction, and steam poured out into the dormitory, "I just realized what I was missing. I take it you heard me swear?" she giggled, peeking out the door.

"Yes," Emily replied solemnly, "You best not do it again!" Then she laughed.

Lily laughed with her, accepting the bundle and tucking it under her own arm, "Thank you. You don't know how helpless I would be without you."

"You are very welcome. And I know that you would probably suffocate, because I wouldn't be there reminding you to breathe." Then she bounced forward, kissed Lily's cheek and skipped back to Sirius calling, "Have a lovely shower!" Lily laughed in response and shut the door.

Sirius took her hand and entwined their fingers. She smiled.

"Are we going to tell them?" Emily asked suddenly.

"Tell who?" Sirius asked, confused, "And what are we telling them?"

"Remus, James, Peter…?" she listed off as though this were obvious, "About us."

"Oh," He said shortly, "They kind of know already."

"And how exactly is that possible?" she squeaked in disbelief.

"When you were running away from me. They stopped me in the corridor. I had to tell them that we kissed!"

"Oh," she drew out the word, "so they don't know that we're 'official' yet?"

"What's the difference?"

"What's the difference? There is a huge difference mister Bla-AAAACK!"

In the middle of Emily's sentence, they had stepped out of the dormitory and into the hallway, and because Sirius is, in fact, a boy, the stairs became a long stone slide within an instant.

Emily latched onto Sirius, one arm in a death grip around his upper arm, the other hooked around his chest. He held tightly onto her waist and they both screamed as they sped down the winding staircase. When they landed in a heap at the bottom, they both burst into deafening laughter.

Upon seeing them, Remus chuckled and James let out a loud whoop and bounded over to the laughing couple.

"Feeling better Ems?" he asked, laughing. He extended a hand to her and she took it, letting herself be pulled into a standing position.

"Much," she grinned, "Sirius and I have reached a decision."

"Oh really now?" James feigned surprise, helping Emily pull Sirius to his feet, "What sort of decision?"

Emily shot him a jokingly skeptical look and turned to Remus.

"You explained your theories to him?"

Remus gave a regal sort of cough, "Yes." Emily laughed. James pouted.

"No fair Moony." He sulked, crossing his arms, "I wanted Emily to think I knew what was going on."

"What about me?" Sirius asked incredulously, wrapping his arms around Emily. She giggled.

"Well Padfoot, I'm not sure you even know what's going on, so what's the point in making you think that I know? Hey!" Emily made a swipe for his head and he ducked, laughing.

"Let me have my fun James." She stuck out her bottom lip. Sirius put his chin on her shoulder and pulled the same face.

James held his hands up in defeat, "all right, all right! Now what did you want to tell—?"

Emily cut him off with her shrill scream of, "WE'RE DATING!!" Half the people in the common room turned to look at her curiously.

"Right on mate!" James slapped Sirius a high-five. Sirius grinned, spun Emily around and pressed his face against hers.

"Mmph!" Emily squeaked in surprise, "Sirius…"

"Yes?" he mumbled, wrapping his arms around her waist. James chuckled.

"Um… never mind." She grinned against his lips and kissed him back. A third year sitting nearby pretended to gag. His friends laughed.

Sirius eyed the third years for a moment before beginning to exaggeratedly kiss Emily. She caught on immediately and joined in, running her hands through his hair until is strongly resembled James'. They were hardly even really kissing; more like slobbering on each other's faces. The desired effect was achieved however; the third years looked disgusted.

Sirius walked Emily backward towards the sofa and they collapsed onto it still keeping up their exaggerated snog session. Emily gave a hugely fake moan and Sirius snickered into the kiss.

Then suddenly Emily was pulled from Sirius' embrace. She squealed loudly and he looked up to see her being dragged away by a good-naturedly disgruntled looking Remus.

"Get a room you prats." He grumbled "You're scaring the first years."

James covered his face with his fingers and said, "Yeah, virgin eyes here."

Emily punched his arm.

"Yeah sure," Sirius piped up, "We'll get a room when you shut up about bloody Lil—" he suddenly stopped when a certain redhead came bounding down the stairs. James blushed violently.

"James!" she called, jogging across the common room towards them, waving a rolled-up piece of parchment in the air. "I've just gotten a letter from Professor Dumbledore. Wants us in his office as soon as possible. No rush though," she added pointing to the post-script at the bottom of the parchment, slightly out of breath.

James simply blinked for a moment before saying, "What about?"

"No idea," she shrugged.

There was a pause in which Sirius pulled Emily back to the sofa.

"Shall we go then?" Lily suggested awkwardly.

"Not without me you don't!" Emily proclaimed, leaping up. She pranced to the portrait hole, and then turned to them. "What are you guys waiting for? Let's go!" She drew out the "L" sound and made and exaggerated beckoning motion with her arm.

___

"Professor Dumbledore?" James knocked cautiously on the door at the top of the moving staircase. Lily peeked around him at the door.

"Come in Mr. Potter, Miss Evans," The Headmaster called from within. The door swung open and they filed in.

Dumbledore was standing in the far corner of his office, stroking his magnificent red bird.

"Amazing creatures, Phoenixes." He said tranquilly.

"Oh, they're incredible!" Lily agreed earnestly as she and James took their seats, "The healing properties of the tears, the use of their feathers as wand cores, their regeneration…"

"I see you've done you're homework," Dumbledore smiled, "Well done Miss Evans." He nodded to her. She beamed.

"You wanted to speak to us Professor?" James asked curiously.

"Why yes actually," he took a seat behind his desk and steepled (is steepled even a word?) his fingers.

"As you probably are not aware of, every seven years Hogwarts holds a series of Formal Balls, in honor of certain holidays."

"Yes!" James exclaimed, "My parent's told me about that."

"Precisely Mr. Potter," Dumbledore smiled, "It has been seven years since the last Ball year."

Lily gave an excited, "Ooh!"

"Now as Head Boy and Girl you are required to present the Balls and help set them up. You may, for example, oversee the decorating," he nodded towards Lily, "Or perhaps schedule an appropriate musical group." He nodded to James who grinned widely, "Of course, all final decisions fall upon myself, but I rather enjoy having the students help."

"How many Balls will there be Professor?" Lily asked breathlessly.

"Let me see…" Dumbledore adjusted his spectacles and inspected a piece of parchment on his desk, "Halloween, Winter Holidays, Valentines Day, a more casual Spring dance, and of course, the yearly Seventh Year only, Graduation Ball. The Halloween Ball is to be a masquerade, or a costume party."

He looked up with twinkling eyes to the exhilaration in Lily's face and the poorly concealed enthusiasm in James's. "It will take place in two weeks, on Halloween night. Good luck, you may go." They jumped up and scrambled out the door, calling out rushed Thank you Professor's to him.

James practically skipped down the spiral staircase, hardly able to contain his excitement; the school having Holiday Balls meant having to get a date which meant he could ask Lily!

Dumbledore had said that they were to 'present' the balls, whatever that meant. James wasn't particularly sure, but he hoped it meant that he and Lily would be paired up in some way.

As soon as he stumbled past the gargoyle, which jumped aside for them, he nearly tripped over a blonde girl who was lying on the floor. As he regained his balance she looked up at him expectantly. "Well?" she asked him. He grinned.

"Balls." He said simply. She made an exaggeratedly offended face.

"Well that's not very polite," she admonished him. Sirius, who was sitting nearby, barked a laugh.

"No! No, that's not what I meant." James grimaced. "I—" he cut off as Lily stepped out from behind the gargoyle.

"We're going to have balls this year!" she squealed excitedly. Sirius and Emily opened their mouths simultaneously but she lifted one finger and said, "Don't even. That's not what I meant."

Remus sniggered and Emily glared at him.

"We are going to have Formal Balls this year," Lily said slowly, with the air of one explaining to a small child that grass is not to be eaten, "Big fancy parties. With music And dancing."

Emily squeaked excitedly and threw her arms around James' knees. He tried not to fall over.

"There's to be quite a number of them actually," Lily said, "and James and I are to plan them!"

Emily squealed eagerly and buried her face in James' kneecaps. He wobbled dangerously and Lily put a hand on his shoulder to steady him.

"Professor Dumbledore says we get to choose the musical group," James grinned excitedly at Sirius who promptly crowed, "Excellent!"

"There's even going to be one for Halloween! Dumbledore said it has to be a Masquerade!" Lily clapped her hands, "I'm so excited."

"Oooooh!" Emily jumped up from the floor, "You mean we get to wear costumes?" Lily nodded enthusiastically and Emily jumped up and down.

"Anyway, I'm starved," James said, rubbing his stomach, "isn't it time for dinner?"

"Way to change the subject," Sirius rolled his eyes.

"I believe so," Lily checked her watch, "Yes, it's nearly seven."

As everyone turned to leave Emily said, "Sirius?" he turned and looked at her quizzically.

She raised her eyebrows and smirked devilishly, "Come here?" she beckoned with one finger. Sirius grinned widely and hurried to her side.

"Yes?" he drew out the word and smirked, but she just watched their friends walk away. As soon as they had rounded the corner she immediately shoved him against the wall and pressed her lips hard against his. He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her back with just as much intensity. When she pulled back, panting, he raised an eyebrow at her, "That was random." She blushed.

"I wanted to kiss you!"

"Well good." He stepped away from the wall and bent to kiss her again and she tangled her hands in his hair. They continued in this vein for several minutes until they heard a polite cough. Sirius whipped around and when he saw Professor Dumbledore smiling at them he cracked a huge grin, "Why hello Professor! Fancy seeing you here, next to your office!"

Dumbledore chuckled, "Nice to see you too Mr. Black. Why don't you take Miss Brown and go to dinner? I hear there is going to be treacle tart for dessert."

Emily emerged from behind Sirius' back, her face still flushed in embarrassment by getting caught and said, "Oh my favorite! Let's go Sirius. Bye Professor!" and proceeded to drag Sirius down the hall.