*Lilah POV*

"I so did wrestle the Giant Squid you little bitch!" Sirius yelled, bickering with a second year as I watched on amusedly.

"Nah-ah," The young boy called out.

"Yeah-ah," Sirius retorted, sticking his tongue out childishly, "now beat it kid, you're dulling the shine of my hair."

I let out a small giggle, no longer being able to stay quiet.

"Lilah," he whined, walking over to sit with me by the window, leaning his head against my shoulder. "Don't laugh at me."

"No nickname?" I raised an eyebrow, looking at the side of his head.

"I can't even see your eyebrow, Lil' Lupin, but I know it's cocked so stop looking at me like that," He groaned, burying his head deeper into the crook of my neck.

"How-" I laughed.

"I just know you," He grinned boyishly, moving to lean back against the window.

"Yeah?" I question, resting my back against the wall, my crossed legs overlapping Sirius'.

"Yeah, just like I know that you know that I'm telling the truth about the Giant Squid," He smirked, resting his hand on the skin just above my knee.

"Yeah because you lick your lips-"

"When I lie, I know, you've told me many times before. To be honest, I'm quite surprised that no one else has noticed." He finished, lazily drawing circles on my leg.

I smiled softly at his unconscious actions, enjoying the tingles and shivers it sent shooting through me.

"Even though I am sure that it's been greatly dramatised," I grinned cheekily, nudging him with my sock-clad foot.

"Um nah-ah," Sirius sassed, snapping his fingers.

I glanced down at my lap quickly before lifting my gaze to his twinkling eyes.

He was beautiful.

Not that his body wasn't extremely attractive but once you got to know him, his inner beauty shone much brighter than just his body. He was much more than just a Marauder or even a quick shag - he was kind, caring, sensitive, though I doubt he would ever admit that last one and most of all he was the strongest person I knew who also had the biggest heart.

The fact that this man was my once future child's godfather sent a sense of pride swelling through me, knowing that if he had the opportunity he would've raised him as his own. Cared for him as his own. That's just the type of man he is.

"You," I started, playing with my fingers nervously before clearing my throat.

Sirius, noticing the change in atmosphere, straightened up slightly, giving me his full attention, smiling in encouragement to continue.

"I'm just glad that I have you in my life, Iri." I smiled faintly, using his nickname for the first time in over a month.

He grinned fondly, cupping my right cheek in his palm, softly stroking the red skin with his thumb. "You'll never know how thankful I am for these moments, Hon' Bun, but most of all I'm just thankful for you."

*James POV*

"Why is he doing this to me?" I groaned, leaning back into my pillow.

"I don't think he's trying to do anything to you, James, maybe he has feelings for her," Moony sighed, continuing to flick through odd pieces of parchment, the pile slowly falling off the side of his bed.

"No way does he have feelings for my girl, that's just against the bro code!" I cried out indignantly, upset over the amount of time Sirius had been spending with Lilah despite not being on good terms with her.

"Yes James, because no one else could possibly have feelings for a beautiful, kind, and not to mention single woman. I mean it's just impossible!" He drawled sarcastically, not fully paying attention to my existential crisis.

"Whatever," I mumbled, now sitting up with my legs dangling off the edge of my bed, the red comforter thrown to the floor. "What are you doing anyway?"

Moony paused, his movements halting instantaneously, "I don't think that you want to know, not truly."

This, however, further piqued my interest. "Just spit it out, mate."

"I-uh-I don't think that someone is who they say they are. She's just been caught in a few lies is all and I'm just a bit suspicious."

"She?" I questioned hesitantly, not wanting him to verbally confirm my thoughts.

"You're well aware of who I mean, James, it's just some things don't add up." He ran a hand through his hair frustratedly.

My mind ran back to the ginger bloke from two weeks ago, suddenly feeling guilty for neglecting to share the information with him.

"Aye Moony, you remember that ginger lad Sirius and I mentioned? The one who tipped us off about Nicholas?" I spat out his name, hating how it tasted on my tongue.

"Of course, what about him?" Moony drops the paper, his eyes holding my own.

"He-uh-he maybe also sort of mentioned that Lilah was my future wife and that she'd pop out his best friend," I mumbled sheepishly, rubbing the back of my neck anxiously as I remembered his hurried warnings.

Moony sighs in anger, running a hand down his face. "And you didn't tell me this, why?"

"I didn't really believe him, I mean I was looking for any chance to break Nicholas and Lilah up but now that I've realised that he was telling the truth about Nicholas being a death eater, maybe he was also truthful about Lilah's and I's future. He vanished into thin air right before Pads and I." I finished quietly, refusing to meet his disappointed gaze.

"She's keeping something from us, Prongs, and it's something major."

"Do you think that she knows about what the ginger said about us?" I asked cautiously, wondering if she maybe knew the ginger.

"It wouldn't surprise me," Moony hummed, mulling over several possibilities. "That day that we found her by the Black Lake, did we ever find out why?"

"No," I shook my head, "no one had ever seen her before that as well. It was like she didn't exist."

"You know how she mentioned a while back how she only met Sammy and Alfred over the summer?" Remus began, waiting for my nod to continue. "Well, Sammy died last year."

I looked at him in shock

"I don't think she's who she says she is Prongs, hell, I don't even think she's my cousin!"