"Last night in the Quidditch stands was a big mistake. I want to apologise profusely, although I would like to point out that technically you kissed me back so you committed a crime almost as heinous as mine –"

Sirius practised his ‘quiet word’ with Bell that he had planned for that morning as he combed his beloved black hair to perfection in front of the mirror in the boys’ toilets. He had had little sleep due to the previous evening’s embarrassing escapade and the humiliating consequences and awkward feelings which inevitably would ensue today. He was hoping that Arabella would agree to a pact of silence, for the harm it would cause to Celestina’s unstable mental state if nothing else.

"I mean, we were kissing for almost an entire minute, which kind of implies you enjoyed it as it took so long for you to start bawling at me –"

At least the awkward lip-locking episode had distracted Sirius from the pain of rejection from the Quidditch team again. At least it had scrubbed away the ideas he had had yesterday about thumping both James Potter and Elijah Whittall straight between the eyes for his own satisfaction…

"You know, actually, I don’t think this is my fault at all. You were shamelessly flirting with me which I think is quite disgusting for a girl of your reputation and position –"

"What crap!" came an unexpected hiss from behind him. Sirius jumped with surprise at a female voice inside the boys’ bathroom.

"W-What the hell are you doing in here?!" Sirius spluttered at Arabella Figg as she encircled him like a hungry shark, maintaining her trademark icy stare.

"We need to talk," she seethed in a hushed whisper. "I thought this was as good a place as any…"

Sirius gave her a questionable glance with a raised eyebrow before eventually nodding in agreement.

"I think it needs to be established for your benefit that what happened in the stands last night was entirely – entirely – your fault, and thus to save us both the humiliation and torment we should keep the little incident between ourselves," Bell whispered rapidly. Clearly Sirius had not been the only one practicing dialogues this morning.

"Between ourselves," Sirius nodded.

"Not that there is anything 'between ourselves' - it was your idiocy, it didn’t mean anything else," Bell snapped.

"Of course it didn’t!" Sirius laughed. "Bloody hell, Bell –"

"Bloody hell what?" Bell protested. "What are you suggesting? That I’m so repulsive and disgusting –"

"No not at all! You’re a very good kisser –"

"Well good," Bell remarked. "No – that’s not good –"

"Well what am I supposed to bloody well say then?"

"I don’t suppose it matters," Bell said sharply, arms crossed and giving Sirius a stern stare while he projected an equally evil eye.

Bell felt her stare softening as she looked into those wide, boyish eyes of his. Sirius was really quite handsome, with his strong jaw-line, charismatic smile and floppy black hair… really quite handsome… Bell could feel herself breathing heavily as Sirius approached her. She could sense his warm sigh dancing on the bare skin of her neck. It almost felt like her arms instinctively and naturally wanted to encompass him…

Sirius and Bell were so close her nose was touching his cheek. What should I do?! Sirius panicked. You know what you want to do…

He kissed her gently on the lips. She looked at him nervously, before she kissed him passionately and wrapped herself around him. What the hell am I doing? was the question echoing in both of their heads as they headed for one of the toilet cubicles and locked the door behind them. Then the answer came to both of them.

They were being impulsive.

* * *

"… I mean, it’s not like this is the end written in bold at the end of our story, underlined three times in red ink. He’s gonna want me back. I don’t know why I went all emotional before, cos this is just one of his games to keep me wanting him. He thinks he’s so slick toying with my delicate feelings…"

Celestina ranted with her usual theatrics as she incessantly tapped her long, glittery purple nails on the leather cover of her copy of Advanced Astrology by Orra Kull which she clung to her chest. Lily been hoping for a nice peaceful breakfast before the early Prefect meeting, but Celestina was clearly yearning for a heart-to-heart over the crater which had formed in place her relationship with Sirius, and since Bell was nowhere to be found, she had laid the responsibility solely on good-natured Lily.

"I know I shouldn’t let him treat me like this, but you know what it’s like, Lily. I’m sure you and James have your fair share of disagreements too…"

"Well…" Lily hesitated. Evidently now was not the time for her to start gushing about the fact that in six months together she had never had so much as a mild misunderstanding with James. Equally evidently Celestina’s choice of words didn't even begin to describe the all-out war that frequently erupted between her and Sirius.

"It’s not like there wasn’t good times," Celestina continued. "Every Hogsmeade weekend he’d buy me one of those pink lollipops from Honeydukes and we’d go for walks, I’d talk and he’d throw stones at stuff. I’d call that good quality time, wouldn’t you?"

"He’d throw stones?" Lily queried in a tone of dubiousness, eyebrow raised in amusement.

"Yeah," Celestina nodded eagerly, slamming her book down on the table as she began visually describing the scene in hand movements. "He’d get a stone, pelt it at the Shrieking Shack and say, ‘that’s Arabella’s knee.’ Then he’d get another stone and lob into at a nearby tree and say, ‘that’s Arabella’s arm.’ Then he’d get another big one, and really throw it hard at a cat or something, and say ‘that’s Arabella’s damn perfectly-formed nose.’ And then – "

"I get the idea," Lily cut in. "I’m really sorry Tina, but it’s getting near nine o’ clock so I’d better set off for the Prefects’ meeting..."

Celestina’s face fell. "Yes, you go. I don’t mind being alone in this emotionally traumatic time in my lonely existence…"

"I knew you'd understand," Lily intermitted before he friend could sink further into one of her usual ramblings. "James, darling? Are you ready to go?"

Lily tiptoed elegantly over to where James was immersed in conversation with Peter.

"This is terrible," James moaned as he scanned the front page of that morning's Daily Prophet.

"They're sure?" Peter panicked. "That it's... You-Know-Who?"

"I don't see how they can be..." James shook his head with dismay. "But it's still bloody awful..."

"Hello sweetheart," Lily chimed wistfully, kissing her loved one on the cheek. "We'd better get going. You know the lecture we received from Bell the last time we were late for a Prefect conference..."

"Have you seen the Prophet, darling?" James asked. "It's all the news about Ellie Fletcher across the front. Sounds as if it's worse than we thought when Remus told us..."

"Oh God," Lily remarked when she skim-read the article. "but surely they can't know she's been killed by Voldemort... they haven't found a body yet, have they?"

"No, nothing," James shook his head. "Just speculation to panic people and make them more cautious, I suppose... This sort of thing is happening all the time at the moment..."

"All the same, it's all a bit too close to home for my liking," Lily fretted. "Poor little Mundungus... to think, only yesterday he was just another little first-year queuing up for yours and Sirius's autographs... But anyhow, life must go on. Come on, we've got a Prefect Conference to attend. Arabella, she'll -"

"Yes, I know - like I say, Bell needs to lighten up..." James began as they exited the Great Hall. "She needs a bit of love in her life... set her up with that Irish Seeker bloke in Ravenclaw - he wants to be an Auror too, so I've heard... Although she may still be a bit miffed 'bout that game last year when the clumsy git rammed his broom into her face... complete accident of course..."

Not that Lily was really listening. She found the gentle sing-song of James' voice quite comforting, like some people do the babble of a peaceful stream or the distant evensong twittering of sweet birds. In her serene distraction she hummed melodiously; her surroundings suddenly kaleidoscopic and dancing.

They dawdled across the Entrance Hall, waiting for the dregs of students to filter out so they could summon the secret opening to the Prefects' Common Room. James stood by the great oak doors and counted the flags of stone tiling the floor - thirteen up from the centre, then seven left.... he tapped this particularly worn slab with his right foot seven times, causing himself to promptly disappear into the floor. Lily mimicked the old ritual James had performed, and instantly seemed to evaporate too.

They had arrived in the King of the Hogwarts Common Rooms. It was a spacious, circular chamber with no windows or doors; the walls were adorned with swags of plush purple velvets and the floor was patterned with black and white tiles, resembling a chessboard. Scattered about were the comfiest sort of chairs and tables, draped with copious amounts of silver silk. Dominating it all was a sublime domed ceiling, beautified with murals painted by the preceding Prefects of Hogwarts; snow scenes of the grounds, a dungeon filled with chattering students, the Great Hall in its Hallowe'en splendour... all views magically animated and sparkling with life.

However, the most extravagant spectacle of all was the long, thin marble table set in the centre of the room, which on the surface had carved the names of every Hogwarts Prefect there ever had been. Placed around it were twenty-two throne-like chairs; five upholstered in red, five in yellow, five in green and five in blue, with the most lavish gold ones placed at the head of the table. Above it all was suspended an illustrious blue-flamed chandelier, illuminating the room with an enigmatic cerulean glow.

Ten or eleven other Prefects had already arrived and were seated in their ceremonial places, conversing cordially with one another while they waited for the remainder of their associates to arrive.

"That's odd," Lily frowned, as she took her place. "Arabella isn't here yet."

"Probably thought she do an extra twenty laps around the lawns this morning for fun," James remarked jovially.

"But what if she's sprained her ankle or something? She wasn't at breakfast again... I should go look for her..." Lily thought aloud in her worry.

"Sprained ankle?" hissed Slytherin prefect, Severus Snape, from across the table. "Finally tripped over that inflated ego of hers, has she?"

The girl seated next to him giggled maliciously, her unusually pale grey eyes shining with vindictive pleasure. Her skin was almost as chalky as the white in her eyes which was intensified by her flaxen tufts of straw-like hair, yet there was a recognisable sort of unsettling beauty about her. Her name was Mina Desmodus, and she too was a Slytherin Prefect. Severus Snape was equally as sinister in appearance; bony and pallid, he resembled some half-dead creature with long oily black hair. Mina was the only student brave, stupid or peculiar enough to befriend the frightening Severus, who was renowned by all pupils for his illegal delving into the Darkest of arts.

"Nobody asked you, Snape," James maintained his composure. "So I suggest you do us all a favour and shut it."

"Lupin wasn't in class again last week," Snape revelled in hitting James' sore spots. "Not more, err... family troubles, I hope? Not surprising his mother's ill, having her son at home so often must be frightful for her..."

"Shut it, Snape," James refused to rise to Snape's challenge to bite back as Remus joined the table. He was the last but one to arrive; he regarded Arabella's vacant seat with anxiety.

"Where is she?" he asked Lily. She shrugged her shoulders, but attention was soon diverted as the Head Boy, Joshua Dale, and Head Girl, Carmen Donnachie, appeared in the Common Room. There was silence as they took their leading places at the top of the marble table.

"All present?" Carmen asked with an air of superiority.

"Arabella Figg is missing," Snape took great pleasure in announcing.

"Oh," Carmen was taken aback. "Well, we must proceed without her, for we have a lot to get through this morning. Joshua?"

"As you all will have heard," Joshua Dale began, "Thanks to our campaign the upper school will be holding a Yule Ball this year, the first in some twelve years after that famous incident with the dung bomb sabotage executed by a nameless scorned lover."

A ripple of tittering and stifled excitement ruffled the assembly.

"So," Joshua continued. "It is our responsibility to make necessary arrangements for the occasion, which will take place on Christmas night. Carmen and I have set up a list of duties for each of us, which is as thus -"

There was a graceless, clumsy thud as a dishevelled Arabella appeared in the room; her face was frozen in horror as she was regarded with astonishment. Her cheeks were scarlet, her usually perfectly placed hair in disarray and her rose-coloured blouse was buttoned incorrectly.

"S-sorry I'm late," she murmured in embarrassment, shrinking into her seat.

There was awkward silence, broken by Carmen Donnachie clearing her throat. "As Joshua was saying before he was interrupted (Arabella avoided Carmen's venomous gaze), we are all to share the duties in organising this year's Yule Ball... Lily Evans, Leo Black and myself have been assigned to co-ordinating the night's menu with the House-Elves -"

"Food?" Leo, Sirius' elder brother in seventh year, moaned under his breath. "Why do I always get stuck with the boring jobs?"

"- As for the Great Hall decorations, Joshua and the Hufflepuff Prefects will be in charge of co-ordinating that. We'd like to have outdoor ornamentation this year too, of which James Potter and Severus Snape will arrange..."

Both students groaned and regarded each other with equal loathing, neither impressed at the idea of working together toward a mutual goal. It was this point that Lily nudged Arabella's arm to get her attention.

"What?" Arabella whispered through clenched teeth.

"Your bra is showing," Lily murmured, her lips barely moving. In dread Bell glanced at her chest; her blouse was loosely hanging open, revealing white lace. Suppressing the urge to scream with shocked mortification, she discreetly attempted to fasten up, accidentally revealing more of herself in her distraction as she had buttoned her shirt crookedly. The Slytherins on the opposite side of the table were restraining laughter as Carmen Donnachie continued obliviously.

"And finally... Remus Lupin and Arabella Figg..."

"Wh-what?" Bell blurted in her daze. Mina Desmodus fell into fits of uncontrollable laughter.

"Can we control ourselves please," Carmen flashed Mina a supercilious eye. "As we know of your musical talents, we hoped you could provide the music for the evening."

"Music? Yes... of course," Arabella agreed blindly, not wanting to attract any more attention to herself now her underwear was finally under wraps.

"Joshua and I have already drawn up a list of suggestions for you all, which you can view at your leisure," Carmen passed scrolls of parchment around the table. "So, if nobody has anything else to add...?"

"Yes, I do," James half-raised his arm. "I'm not working with him."

He tilted his head in Snape's direction. "And I have no wish to work with him either," Snape said coldly.

"Well, you have little choice in the matter," Joshua said, with an ill-disguised sympathy for James. "Part of being a Prefect is working with other Prefects as a team, so you're just going to have to put up with each other."

"Fantastic," James muttered bitterly.

"Just one more issue to handle," Joshua said. "Now that the Quidditch fixtures have been finalised, we need to make the draw to see who plays who..."

James perked up slightly at the mention of his favourite discussion topic. He avidly observed Joshua conjuring the black leather bag in which James knew were four balls the size of Snitches; a red, a blue, a yellow and a green. "As you all know, there are twelve Quidditch matches in a season so that each team gets to play all the others. The dates are already set, and now we must make the draw for who plays who first. I'd just like to say before we begin, that I wish Ravenclaw House the best of luck this year!"

"Hear, hear!" chimed the Ravenclaw Captain, Gerald Flamel, at those words.

"So, the first game is on Saturday, September the nineteenth... Carmen, would you like to do the honours?"

Carmen raised her wand and tapped the coal black pouch with it five times; instantaneously two coloured balls flew up three feet above the table.

"Red... and blue! That's Gryffindor versus Ravenclaw for September nineteenth..."

Arabella's attention began to wander as October first's teams were drawn. Her cheeks burned as she dared to think of what had transpired in the boys' bathrooms. How could I let that happen? She panicked. So many conflicting emotions were saturating her soul... she was rattled... confused... flustered. She'd let her instincts override rational thought; something she'd never allowed to happen before. A part of her was intensely flattered and wanted to explore this foreign territory, while the rest of her was screaming GET OUT OF THIS MESS WHILE YOU STILL CAN...

It's strange how your feelings for someone can drastically alter in a matter of hours. Hating Sirius Black was ever so much simpler than this disconcerting and unpleasant combination of animosity and infatuation. This is just impossible, she sighed internally. That ignoramus is just determined to confuse and infuriate me... if he thinks he's going to get the satisfaction of seeing me twist with humiliation the next time I see him, he's got another thing coming. That's if he doesn't tell anyone... I mean... why would he? This frightful situation is surely as inauspicious for him as it is for me... not that anyone would actually believe that blockhead... would they? Oh God, if this got out... I tremble to think -

"Bell -" somebody was shaking Bell's shoulder. She abruptly awoke from her unpleasant daze, feeling jumpy, anxious and headachy.

"Come on, the meeting's finished," Lily said, her emerald eyes betraying her concern for her friend. Without a word the two girls left the already emptied room by simply walking through the walls back to the Entrance Hall.

"Where's the lads...?" Bell as weakly. Normally they would have waited for each other at the foot of the marble stair.

"I told them to go," Lily explained. "I know something's plaguing you, Bell, so don't try and deny it."

"I... I guess I'm still messed up over poor Ellie Fletcher, that's all," Bell lied; at least this Sirius business had momentarily taken the weight off all the hefty apprehensions her disappearance had unearthed.

"I know it's scared all of us," Lily's voice wavered. "I mean... that could have been any one of us... straying off the beaten track at night never to be seen again..."

"That's why there are school rules against it," Arabella said matter-of-factly, which for some reason made Lily squirm.

"Fancy getting Brocklebank's homework essay done?" Lily suggested, with the air of someone trying to change the subject.

"Yeah, OK."