--

*Lilah POV*

"Would you wake up!" Someone shouted, flinging a pillow at my head.

"Huh?" I mumbled groggily, still asleep.

"It's Hogsmeade weekend! For Merlin's sake!" Lily exclaimed, rushing over and jumping on my bed.

"Ugh," I groaned, burying under my covers once again.

"You can't sleep in," Mar contributed to the conversation, kneeling down near my face. "You have a date, remember?"

Date. Nicholas. Right.

I flung the covers off my body dramatically onto Lily, dragging my feet towards the bathroom.

"Who stuck a spoon up her bottom this morning?" Alice asked her friends quietly, brushing through her short dark locks.

"You mean her Longbottom?" Marlene giggled.

Lily bit her lip; "James has been ignoring her for the past few days."

"That jerk, we should teach him a lesson!" Marlene grumbled, bunching her sleeves on her upper arms. "He is going down for hurting Lil' Li. This is unacceptable."

"Calm down Mar, let's just let them work it out." Lily chuckled, trying to calm down the angry blonde.

"Well, I hope it isn't over anything Sirius," Alice giggled.

Me too, Ali. Me too.

*James POV*

"Come on Prongs, you can't keep ignoring the girl," Pads encouraged, running his toothbrush under the warm water.

"I can too," I mumbled, leaning back into the bed.

"If you keep ignoring her then it'll come to the point that when you do talk to her she won't want to talk to you," Moony interjected, pulling a light coat over his dark red shirt.

"Yeah," Pads agreed, "at the rate you're going Moony has got a better chance at getting with her – and that's saying something considering they're related."

"Why not me?" Peter questioned.

Sirius and I glanced at one another, not wanting to be mean to the boy.

"He was just the first guy I saw, Wormtail." Sirius lied, placing his red toothbrush in his mouth.

"Oh," Peter nodded.

I always forgot that Peter was around. Must be because he's so quiet all the time.

"But seriously Prongs, do something before the damage is irreparable," Moony advised before walking out of the dorm room.

"Where do you reckon he's going?" Sirius jumped around the room, trying to get his shoe on. "Ow!"

"Idiot," I grinned.

*Lilah POV*

I slipped on my converse before walking towards Marlene's mirror.

"Merlin," I breathed out.

I was wearing a cute brown dress that fell down in short layers a few inches above my knees, a black lace trimming lining the top in a slight V. My hair fell down in messy curls and my eyes were accompanied by a variety of Marlene's brown eye shadows in order to match the dress, my baby pink lips pulling up into a soft smile.

"I'm so proud! You look beautiful," Marlene squealed, jumping up and down in her brown sandals. "I guess the converse don't look too bad but the shoes I suggested would look way cuter."

"Mar, at least let the girl decide her shoes," Lily jokingly scolded, looking down at the girl's chosen footwear.

"What time were you meeting again?" Alice questioned.

I looked at the clock beside my bed, "In ten minutes!" I panicked.

Firm hands gripped onto my shoulders, tugging me to face a stern Marlene.

"You are beautiful. You have a good personality. If he doesn't realise this then he's as stupid as he is cute. Which is a lot!" She smiled cheekily, her dimples showing.

"Thanks," I laughed, moving out of her firm grip and walking towards my bed.

I placed a few items in my small brown bag, slinging it over my shoulder.

I was quite excited. I had spent more time with Nicholas over the past few days and I found that there could actually be something real there, not just some fun like I had originally intended.

I don't know how I'm going to be able to handle going back to the future – a future reaped by war. A future where I'm an orphan. A future where I have a son.

A future I'm not ready to face, not yet.

I smiled at the girls I had already formed such a close relationship with, bidding them a farewell as they wished me good luck.

I descended the stairs, clinging onto the thin strap of my shoulder bag for comfort.

It didn't feel right walking down these stairs without Mi and without Ron waiting at the bottom complaining about us taking our time and Harry rolling his eyes in amusement and Ron's lack of patience. It was an unspoken tradition every Hogsmeade trip since first year, not once had we skipped it.

Well, I guess not until now.

"Damn Lupin," Someone whistled.

*James POV*

"Is that Lilah?" Peter squeaked out.

"Damn Lupin," Sirius whistled, checking out the girl's dress clad figure.

"Idiot," Remus grumbled, smacking Sirius on the back of the head.

"Hey!" Sirius exclaimed.

Lilah giggled as she walked over to us, her soft pink lips pulling up into an amused smile.

"Now try again," Remus scolded.

"You look lovely this fine morning my dearest Lilah," Sirius amended, attempting to rub the sting out of the back of his head.

"Why thank you my dearest Sirius," She curtsied.

She did indeed look lovely. More than lovely, she was breathtaking.

"That's better," Remus acknowledged before turning his attention to his cousin. "You look great cous, you've got that date with Nicholas today right?"

I stopped breathing, sharing a disheartened look with Remus as he reminded me.

Of course, how could I forget? She had a date with Golden Boy.

"Yeah," She replied shyly, tucking a strand of her curly hair behind her ear.

"You heading there now?" Moony questioned.

"Yes actually, would you care to accompany me, dear cousin?" She laughed, extending her elbow in Remus' direction.

"I would be honoured," he mock bowed before slinking his arm through her offered elbow.

"Until we meet again," Lilah winked at Sirius before exiting the common room with Remus by her side.

"What is he doing?" I asked angrily, annoyed that Moony once again stole her attention despite their blood relation.

"Showing you how it's done," Sirius chuckled before making his way to follow the pair.

--