AN: I just wanted to clear one thing up real quickly before the story starts. I am sure not many of you know what a Scouser is. Lily is referred to as a Scouser because in my story she is from the Liverpool area and the people in Liverpool are called Scousers and they speak with a scouse accent, which I cannot write. I fell in love with Liverpool when I was there and felt that it worked for Lily. Anyway, on with the story! (This is kinda all irrelevant right now I think… Hahahahaha!)

I would like to dedicate this chapter to my good friend Sarah (DolphinDreamer24-7) Today is her birthday and I worked super hard to finish this chapter in time for her birthday as a kind of birthday gift/surprise. Thanks for sticking around with me for so long! Have a great birthday and a super fun ride back to Hogwarts today! Hahahaha!

Chapter 5

Two weeks after sending his letter to Sirius, James stood outside of the entrance to the Salem Quidditch Stadium. The crowed has disappeared quickly after the game. Most likely the majority of them had gone to the local wizard pubs to celebrate. James had made himself comfortable leaning against the gate. He was excited that any minute he would see his best mate. It felt like it had been forever. James looked down the hall and saw Sirius walking towards him.

"Padfoot." He called out. Sirius looked up at him and smile.

"Prongs? Is that really you? Man, what happened to you?" Sirius said, tousling James' hair.

"It's a long story. I can't tell you here. Let's go to my office." James said.

"Office? Where? Jam—" James quickly shoved his hand over Sirius' mouth, successfully stopping the words coming out of his friends mouth.

"I am not James anymore." He whispered harshly. "It is detrimental that you now call me Liam, otherwise you risk not only my life but another's also. Do you understand?" James said, not daring to move his hand until Sirius nodded his head.

"Yeah, mate, I understand." Sirius said with a questioning look in his eyes.

"Ok good. Lets get out of here. I just took the position of Transfiguration professor at Winston. Come on, grab my arm and we can apparate there." James said. Sirius grabbed a hold of James' arm and before he knew it they were on the grounds of Winston.

"So I was one of the first people to get to there after the explosion. I saw Joni's best friend standing in the ruins and knew that Joni would kill me if I didn't do all I could to help her friend. I stayed with her the rest of the night when she was questioned in Moody's office and then the next day I was there as a body guard as she and Joni went shopping. When we got home Dumbledore and Moody told me that I had to take this assignment." James said sighing and running a hand through his hair.

"And now you are Liam. Man, things are going to be different without you back in London… What are we going to do?" Sirius asked.

"Well, we still have the mirrors. You'll just have to remember not to call me by my name… But seriously, you can't tell anyone. Not even Remus. Understand?" James said in a serious tone.

"Yeah, don't worry. I wont tell anyone. So do I get to meet this girl?" Sirius questioned, smiling.

"No." James said quickly.

Two month later

Lily sat in the front of her favorite class, Defense Against the Dark Arts, next to her new best friend Iris. It was her favorite class for two reasons: 1) Lord Voldemort had killed her parents nearly five months ago, causing her to flee her beloved England and move across the pond to the USA, where the only person she knew was her former best friend's bother who was now her body guard. Now she would stop at nothing to defeat Voldemort and DADA gave her the ability to face him. 2) Said best friend's brother, James, was the professor, and he was anything but had on the eyes.

She could never tell her friends the true reason why she liked him. They didn't know the circumstances that brought her here, and they could never find out. Nor could they ever find out about all those late nights she visited his office to find out information about what Voldemort has been doing in England.

She also couldn't tell them that she had been sneaking into his office every night for the past two months. They would stay up late into the night listening to a radio program that a few members of the Order of the Phoenix broadcasted in secret.

On this particular night, Lily was preparing to leave for his office.

-Lily's POV-

I looked at my alarm clock and it read midnight. As quietly as I cold, I pulled the curtains around my bed, revealing the small room that housed four others and myself. I looked around and saw all the curtains were drawn shut. A sigh of relief escaped my lips as I found my slippers and robe and pulling them on. I made my way to the door and slipped out unnoticed. I made my way down the stairs a bit more noisily.

"Penny, where are you going?" came a voice out of the darkened common room.

"Iris? Where are you?" I asked before pulling out my wand and casting a quick lumos. Her face appeared right in front of me. "What are you doing up this late?"

" You didn't answer my question. Where are you going? And don't give me any bullshit. I know that you have been leaving every night."

" Iris… I… I cant—"

" Penny, I am your best friend. You can trust me. Have you been seeing someone in secret? Who is he?" Iris asked.

" Ire, I can't tell you right now. But I promise that I will tell you… just not right now. I'm sorry but I have to go." I said, brushing past her and leaving the common room and making my way to James' office.

The hallways were dark and the moonlight gave everything and eerie glow. An overwhelming feeling of alones washed over me as I walked the empty halls. Had I been back at Hogwarts, I would have been sneaking out to Hogsmead with Jonas to go drinking or dancing… not sneaking off to the office of an older man we hardly knew. I mean, sure I had know James for five months but did we really know each other? I couldn't tell you his favorite color or the name of his best friend and I am positive that he couldn't answer the same for me. And now I just pushed away the only friends I had in this whole wretched school.

I am alone. The realization hits me like a train. I felt my knees give way but made no attempt to keep myself from falling to the ground. Voldemort had succeeded. He had taken everything I knew and loved away from me. A sob escaped my lips as tears rolled down my face. I haven't cried since the week my parents had died. All the emotions I had been feeling over the past few months hit me as I continue to let the tears run freely. I couldn't breathe. My chest was tightening up painfully. I was gasping for the breath that wouldn't come.

Suddenly, warm arms wrapped around me.

"Shhh, Lily. It's ok. I am here. Everything is gonna be ok. Shhh…" My savior said, calming me down. I gasped one last time for breathe and felt the pain in my chest subside as the cool night air rushed into my lungs. The arms around me were so warm and comforting that I instantly relaxed.

"There you go… It's ok." He said as his arms tightened around me. I lifted my head and craned my neck to see who the man was that comforting me. My eyes me the beautiful blue of my savior's and I instantly recognized them.

"James…" I said, breathing in the night air. "I'm sorry…"

"Don't worry. Let's get you back to the office and warm you up first. Then we can talk." He said before picking me up off the ground. "Do you think you can walk?" he asked, moving to stand me on my feet.

"I'm not sure."

Before my feet even touched the ground he had picked me back up bridal style and started to carry me off down the hall to his office.

Once inside he sat me in an over-stuffed chair next to the fire and wrapped a blanket around me. He sat in the chair across from me and stared into the fire. The minutes passed by slowly as I waited for my heart rate to slow down again. I waited for James to say something and as the minutes passed my hope of hearing his words of comfort quickly died. I knew that my breakdown in the hall was a sing of weakness.

I also knew that James had been expecting so much from me. I needed to be the strong women that I had been raised to be. We couldn't afford for me to have a mental breakdown. Our safety relied on us being strong and I had failed.

"James…" I said tentatively, "I am sorry about that… It won't happen again."

" You're right, it won't." He said, staring at me. "Next time come to me. I can help you. You don't have to cry alone in the dark. That is why Dumbledore sent me with you. I am not here just to protect you and keep you safe. I am here so you have someone to turn to and talk to." He moved closer to me, kneeling on the ground and grabbing my hands. "Lily, I thought you already knew you could come to me at any time. My door is always open to you. It is important that we lean on each other."

"Thanks James." I said, my eyes finally meeting his.

"No problem. Now why don't you tell me why you were crying tonight?" He said, sitting back on his feet, never letting go of my hand.

"It's stupid really. I was just on my way over here when Iris stopped me and asked where I was going. I couldn't tell her I was coming here because I would have to tell her who I really was. So instead I told her I couldn't tell her right now but I would later. I lied to my only friend here… I can't tell her the truth." I said in one breath. I could feel the moisture start to form in my eyes. I looked at James helplessly. " I don't know what I am going to do… If I don't tell her something she is going to be pissed… James I don't want to lose my only friend here!" The tears started rolling down my face again.

"Don't worry Lily. We will think of something. Do you know what she may think you are doing?" He asked, brushing the tears away with his thumbs.

"She thinks I am seeing someone in secret."

"Perfect! That's an easy solution."

"No it isn't James. Who am I going to tell her I am going off with? I can't tell her about you! What am I going to do?" I put my head in my hands.

"I got it! Give me a minute." He said before standing and walking into his bedroom. He came back out a few minutes later carrying a small mirror.

"What's that?" I asked.

"Shhh. Just a minute. Sirius." He said looking straight into the mirror. "Sirius? Padfoot! Answer your damn mirror you mangy mutt." He growled.

"Hey, watch who you call a mutt." A voice said, coming from the mirror.

"What the hell is that?" I asked, grabbing the mirror from his hand. "What the…" I said as I saw a face in the mirror that was not my own. The face that stared back at me was hansom and familiar. The stranger had the most beautiful gray eyes I had ever seen. The way his dark hair framed his face accentuated his high cheekbones and his beautiful smile showed his white teeth off perfectly. All together he reminded me of some Greek demigod.

"Lily, this is my best mate Sirius Black. I think he may be able to help us." James said taking the strange mirror back from my hands. "Sirius, we need your help. Lily has been asked by someone close to her why she keeps sneaking off at night and whom she is going to see."

"And clearly she can't spill the beans." Sirius finished for James.

"Wait how does Sirius know of our secret? We weren't supposed to tell anyone." I said, furious that James was still in contact with his best mate.

"Lily, that something you need to learn about me. I don't follow rules. Especially when the rules mean not seeing my brother. I am more of the type f person who is more focused on the well being of myself and my kin." James said looking at me with a hard face.

"James, you woke me up. Let's get on with what you need me to do." Sirius' voice brought us out of our unspoken staring contest.

"Right, well I was thinking that Sirius, you could pretend to be her boyfriend. It makes sense. I mean Sirius you are on an international Quidditch team; you are always traveling across the pond. She can use my mirror to show her friend that she really is dating you. You guys have to keep it a secret because you are still in school and can't have the paparazzi following you around. It's too simple really. You will help, wont you Sirius?" James said. It really was the perfect plan. No one would suspect I was actually sneaking out to see my professor. No one need know that my true name is Lily, not Penny, and that I, along with James, was a refuge from England.

"Yeah, I'll help. I could never overlook a beautiful women in need." Sirius said. I let out a breath I didn't know I had been holding.

"Great, then why don't you come over so you can meet your new girlfriend?" James said smiling. He then placed the mirror in my lap and stepped over to the fireplace. I looked at the mirror, expecting to see Sirius' face but instead saw my own eyes. I began to inspect the mirror, only to realize that now all it was was a mirror. There was no secret switch or buttons on the back. No etched directions anywhere to be found. The sudden blaze of the fire interrupted my search. I looked up to see the beautiful man, who was in the mirror mere moments before, stepping into the room, brushing the soot off his clothing. He looked up, saw me, and quickly moved towards me. Before I knew what was happening I was pulled to my feet and wrapped into the arms of Sirius Black.

"Lily my love. It is so good to finally meet you. Mean old James has been hiding you away from me, keeping you all to himself." He said, placing a kiss on my cheek.

"Yeah, because I knew you wouldn't be able to control yourself. You never could resist a beautiful women." James said, smiling at his mate. Sirius turned towards James and engulfed him in a hug.

"It's been a while mate. London just hasn't been the same with you gone."

"I'm sorry. Hopefully things will be resolved soon. I mean, I am going crazy here. I want to be out fighting again."

"Hey guys. Sorry to interrupt your little catch up time but it is nearly two in the morning and I have to wake up early for class tomorrow. We need to figure this all out." I interrupted their conversation. I looked at the clock and realized that I had to wake up in four hours.

"Just tell your friend you are sleeping with Sirius Black, famous and hottest beater on the best quidditch team in the world, Puddlemere United!" Sirius said, raising his arms in the air and smiling.

"Well I am sure you would love for me to say that but I am not telling my friend that. She would want too many details." I folded my arms across my chest.

"I could give you some examples which you could use for your details." Sirius said, raising an eyebrow at me.

"Ugh, you are so crude. This will never work." I said moving away from Sirius and towards James.

"No, this has to work. Sirius stop being such a dolt. You guys need to learn more about each other so it's more believable. Lily, you now know that Sirius is a beater for Puddlemere. Why don't you tell him what your plans are for after school?" James edged us on.

"I want to fight Voldemort. I am going to kill him for what he has done to my family and other muggle families." I said.

"Really?"

"Yeah, Voldemort kinda ruined my plans. I want to ruin his now."

"Wow, you are a feisty one, aren't you? I think I'm in love." Sirius said, looking me in the eyes. "I hate my family because they are al Death Eaters. We have the hatred of Voldemort to share."

The conversation then flowed easily as Sirius told me stories of his Hogwarts years. As he spoke he changed from the flirt who had entered the room to a very loyal and loveable man. My heart grew for him as he told me of his brother whom he tried so hard to keep away from the death eaters but had failed miserably at. By the end of the night, I was sure I was in love with the man sitting before me. Soon it was time for me to leave. Sirius was going to walk me to my room but before we could leave James asked to talk to me alone.

"Lily, I am going to give you my mirror. You must take extreme care with it. Its one of a kind and cant be replaced or repaired.

"Don't worry. I'll take good care of it." I said, gently placing the mirror into the pocket of my robe.

"What do you think of this plan?" He asked, looking for my reaction.

"Sirius is brilliant. I can see why you two have become so close. I really like him. He is such a sweet heart." I said, smiling at James.

"Well he is a charmer. Just be careful, Lily."

"I will be. Thanks for the help James. I'll see you tomorrow. Night!" I said before walking out the door. I saw Sirius leaning against the wall and soon we fell into a comfortable pace next to each other. The majority of the walk was silent but as we neared the common room he stopped us and turned towards me.

"Was James warning you about me?"

"Yeah."

"Well you don't have to worry; I am a prefect gentleman." He said leaning in closer to me. His gaze was so intense. I licked my lips in some sort of anticipation. He leaned in closer to me, eyes still bearing into mine. When he was an inch away from me I felt myself close the gap between us.

I didn't know why I was kissing him but his lips felt so warm and inviting that I didn't want to stop. His lips melted against mine. He kissed me like I was the only girl on the planet. He slowly backed me up against the wall. Any remaining fears of being alone quickly left me as we continued to kiss. I felt his tongue run across my lips, asking permission to enter. I parted my lips slowly and felt his tongue enter and greet my own tongue. My hands found their way to his hair and I felt his fingers try to find the bottom of my sleep shirt.

I turned my head away from him and gasped for breath. Sirius continued his lip assault on my neck and ear.

"Sirius…" I panted. "We need to stop…" I stifled a moan when he began to suck at my pulse point on my neck. "Sirius." I said again more forcefully. He stopped and pulled away.

"I'm sorry. You are so beautiful…" He said, resting his forehead against mine.

"Don't worry. I just need to get to bed. It was nice meeting you. Night Sirius." I said, walking into the common room.

"Night" He said before the door closed.

I walked to my bed and lay down, thinking of what just happened. A smile spread across my face as I fell into a peaceful sleep.

AN: Hey guys! I am back! I am so sorry for the long wait in between updates. I had such a major case of writers block. I honestly thought I wouldn't write for this story ever again, but here I am! I promise the next chapter will be up a lot sooner than this one. I am back in school now and have at least one boring class a day that I have been using to write. Anyways I hope you all like this chapter! Please review and let me know what you think! Thanks!