Thursday, February 7 (Sixth Year)

Padfoot

After Herbology, doubled with the Ravenclaw sixth years, James told me that he wanted to do something special for Lily for Valentine's Day. "It'll be a Hogsmeade weekend just after Valentine's Day," he said, "and I'm not exactly sure if we're officially going out or not, but... I want to have a real date with her, and make sure it's something she'll like. I know you'll have detention then, but if you can help me plan something..."

"Course," I replied. I've been irritated that he spends all his time with Lily over the last month, but with James and me, it doesn't matter. We never hold grudges.

That was before lunch. Since then, every spare moment when Lily isn't around we've spent planning something for Valentine's Day and the following Hogsmeade weekend. There's always a Hogsmeade weekend around Valentine's Day, and traditionally Hogwarts students going on dates for the holiday wait for the weekend, at least for any big plans. I don't want to plan something completely traditional for James, or Lily won't be surprised—and she's more likely to enjoy a surprise, as long as it's a pleasant one.

We're in the library 'working on our homework' together. Lily didn't seem worried or put up any sort of fight when James told her we wanted to work alone for a while, and I think it made James a little concerned, but I don't think he has any reason to worry. Lily's a good girl. She likes spending time with him, but she doesn't insist on ruling his schedule like some girlfriends do.

"So, no flowers or anything," James says, and he puts up a valiant effort not to look disappointed as he scribbles something almost illegible on his piece of parchment.

I shake my head. "No, big displays of flowers are obvious. You'll probably embarrass her, even though she'd appreciate them."

"Well, I want to give her something on Valentine's Day, even if most of whatever we plan is for the Hogsmeade trip," he mumbles, twirling his quill between finger and thumb.

I start to jot something down on my parchment, but my elbow bumps his, and I roll my eyes. "Switch sides with me, Prongs. We always do this." Being left-handed can be irritating when you're sharing a table with right-handed friends or classmates. We get up, switching seats, and then I get back to the business of deciding what he should do for Lily on Valentine's Day. "Something she'll think is sweet, but not too embarrassing. It'd be much easier if we could get into the girl's dorms, then you could put something on her bed..."

"I could get one of the other girls in her dormitory to put something there for her," James suggests.

"Not as good," I reply, shaking my head. "Then someone besides us will know before she does." I frown for a moment in thought, then brighten. "Just slip something in her bag that morning at breakfast. Something small, but... I don't know, romantic. And put a note on it to ask her out on the date at Hogsmeade."

He nods, approving, and breaks into a beaming grin. "Only question is, what should I give her?"

I think for a little bit, running through things I might give girls and abandoning them. This is James—it needs to be something especially from him. So I think about the things that make him James... and what sticks out is the Snitch he bought from a Quidditch supply shop toward the beginning of fifth year that he still likes to show off with every once in a while. It's especially poignant because he's a House Chaser, not the Seeker. "Do you still have that Golden Snitch?" I ask.

"That? It's stuffed in the bottom of my trunk somewhere, I haven't pulled it out in ages... but yeah, I have it," he says a bit off-handedly. "Why, what d'you think?"

"You can use it. Do something special to it for her, and sneak it in her bag. I'm not sure what, but it's probably better if you think of it anyway." I pause for a second, then add, "You can probably get her something else, too—less mobile so a note will stick to it better. She's Muggle-born, right? Maybe one of those Muggle stuffed animals."

He nods slowly, thinking it over. "Yeah, that could work. I'll think of something. And for Hogsmeade—you said not to take her to a café or something, but what should I do?"

"Well, you can take her to a café if you want," I tell him. "It's just that every other couple will be doing that, too, and you want to do something special for her. Something she'll remember later." He nods, giving me a look that tells me to continue. "Okay, well, I figure we need to find you something romantic, but not... overdone. What all is Lily interested in?"

"Well, I don't know anything she likes that'll really help with this," he says doubtfully, but I've already got an idea forming in the back of my mind. I wave a hand for him to be quiet for a minute while I work it out.

"You can take her for a picnic. It's cold out in the snow... A snowball fight would be fun, and maybe romantic, even, but eating on the cold ground won't really unless you've got something to distract her."

"A view?" James suggests. "I don't think she has a broom. She probably hasn't gone flying since we learned in first year. Maybe I can take her flying?"

I nod, grinning. "Yeah, that's perfect. And you can have a picnic up high somewhere. On a roof, or in a tree, but that'd be awkward."

"Shhh!" the librarian hisses, and we grin ruefully as we realize that we're getting too loud in our excitement. Bowing our heads together, we continue to plan in hushed whispers.

Moony

The moment he finishes eating, Sirius rushes off with James before I can put in two words, and I'm left walking toward the common room with Wormtail. I shake my head to myself, watching the blond sixteen-year-old out of the corner of my eye. "Hey, Peter."

He smiles a little uncertainly and asks, "Are you feeling any better?" I can tell he's asking for his own well-being as much as mine; if I'm still angry, he wants to get out of the way as quickly as possible. I smile to myself as I realize that I haven't really talked to Peter since before the full moon, and even though he can see that I'm doing fine, he probably needs assurance that I'm not angry with him.

"Much better," I tell him. "I'm sorry I was so awful that morning."

He grins, his face flooding with relief. "I understand," he replies, shifting the strap of his bag on his shoulder. "I'm glad Snivellus hasn't said anything."

I know he uses the name 'Snivellus' because Sirius and James always do... did. I haven't heard them call Snape that for a while, though, and I'm glad. To Peter, I say, "Don't call him that anymore, okay? We don't need to give him any reason to get mad." In truth, I never really saw the point in calling him that nickname, and I don't just want the others to stop calling him that because he might get angry—I'm a little grateful to him. He hasn't given away my secret. Granted, James said he would be punished if he did and he promised Dumbledore he wouldn't, but that wouldn't stop him if he wanted the school to know about me.

Peter nods seriously, though, and promises, "I won't give him any reason to get angry with you." I restrain the urge to laugh; he has good in mind, even if he sounds a little... Peterish.

"Thanks."

We start climbing stairs, carefully avoiding trick and vanishing steps. The portraits seem to be particularly chatty today, and they keep saying hello to us as we pass. Maybe it's the weather, or even Valentine's Day next week. Some of them do look rather enthused with holiday spirits, and I even see a wizard with lip stick marks all over his cheeks where he's apparently been attacked by a particularly affectionate someone-or-other.

When we pass a corridor leading from the general direction of the Potions classroom, we nearly run into Snape, who's too busy shoving a book in his bag to see us coming. He looks up, shutting his bag, and his face grows sullen when he realizes who it is. "What are you doing around here?" he asks nastily, his hand moving reflexively to his pocket, but he doesn't pull out his wand.

"We're just heading to our common room," I reply as peaceably as I can. Despite feeling appreciative that he's keeping my secret, it's difficult to suppress the feeling of loathing for him that rises up whenever I see him. We've been enemies too long for that to change.

"Need an escort, do you?" Snape sneers at Peter, fixing him with sharp black eyes. "Figure the big bad werewolf will scare away any other nasty creatures out for your blood?" Those eyes dart back to me, and I can tell that he hates me more than ever. And he isn't afraid. At least, not now, when it isn't the full moon. "I'd be more afraid of the werewolf turning on me, myself."

I carefully ignore the insult. Peter shifts uncomfortably, unsure what to say, his expression falling somewhere between angry, defensive, and wary. He glances at me uncertainly, and I finally murmur to Snape, "I appreciate that you haven't told anyone."

His jaw clenches, his gaze not wavering from mine. "I don't have a choice," he replies icily. "If I hadn't promised Dumbledore otherwise, the whole school would know by now."

At least he's honest, I suppose. And he's keeping his word, even if only to avoid getting in trouble with the headmaster. "I think Lily may be right about you," I say quietly, off-handedly. If Sirius is right—and I'm sure he is—about Snape liking Lily, this might just make his day. At the same time, it's true.

Snape's expression softens almost imperceptibly, and after a beat, he snaps, "I have somewhere to be." He shoulders between Peter and me, and I hear his footsteps receding down the hallway.

I smile a little to myself and exchange a glance with Peter. Wormtail looks a little concerned, but I'm not. "I think he hates you even more," he says.

"I don't really mind," I reply. "Who cares about him, anyway?"

* * *

"Where're Sirius and James?" I ask Lily, sliding into the seat across from her at a table in the common room as she works on one homework assignment or another. I haven't seen much of Sirius in two days, and I'd like to talk to him, not least about the encounter with Snape.

She sits up and sets down her quill, looking grateful for the reprieve, and stretches her back, running her fingers through her shoulder-length red hair. "Off somewhere, planning something, I imagine," she replies, her voice sounding like it's hiding a yawn. "Being awfully mysterious, they are."

She's not concerned in the least, which is more than I can give myself credit for. I haven't seen Sirius alone since helping him with his paper in the library. Maybe it's the old jealousy of their friendship (which I had hoped I was over), but I feel like maybe Sirius is abandoning me for James the moment he's asked for.

"How's the homework coming?" I ask her in an attempt to distract myself, pushing thoughts of both Snape and Sirius out of my mind.

"Fine," she answers, "but dull. I've always hated Herbology homework, but the classes are okay." She looks down at her parchment and shakes her head, barely suppressing a yawn. "I've still got another inch or two. I've run out of things to say, so I'm basically adding irrelevant facts."

I laugh and nod. "I haven't started yet. Doesn't look like I'm missing anything, though."

She smiles her agreement. "I should probably finish, though, Remus. I know you're bored," she adds, giving me an apologetic look.

"It's fine, maybe I'll start mine," I reply, and I wave as she returns to her work and go to get my bag. I find an empty table, drag my school books over, and pull out the books for the two essays I haven't done yet. The Herbology one I share with Lily is due Friday, and the Potions one is due Monday, so I decide to follow her example and start with the former.

I tune the low buzz of noise in the common room out and get to work, focusing on the scratch of my quill on parchment. I need eight inches on Devil's Venom, a relative of Devil's Snare that has poisonous thorns on its vines. My handwriting's bigger than Lily's, but it'll still be a pain to finish.

I'm halfway through by the time James and Sirius make their way through the portrait hole, whispering to each other and grinning madly. My quill stops scratching of its own accord as I watch them. James nods to Sirius, laughing, and claps a hand on his shoulder before nodding back at Lily. Sirius nods and watches Prongs make his way over to Lily's table. Once he sits next to her and she greets him with a smile, Sirius scans the common room, catches sight of me, and grins as he makes his way over toward my table.

"Hey," he says. "What're you doing?"

"Homework," I shrug, brushing my hand across my parchment and accidentally smearing a bit of ink. The damage isn't bad, though, and I ignore it. "What have you and James been up to all day?"

"He wants to do something special with Lily for Valentine's Day," Sirius replies. "Asked if I can help."

"You've been aggravated with him all month for spending all his time with Lily," I point out, a little confused and annoyed. "You just got over it that quickly?" I'm one to talk, I think. But that's different. I doubt James has apologized for ditching us so often.

"Well, yeah," he replies with a dismissive shrug. "It's James. We're best friends."

I feel inexplicably angry for a moment, but then I realize what's irritating me. James and Sirius are best friends. The moment James wants him, Sirius forgets all about me. I haven't had a chance to talk to him all day, and after seeing Snape... I just feel second-best. The accompanying feeling of guilt wells up, but I push it away, getting all the more annoyed. "I haven't talked to you all day."

"We can talk now," Sirius says quizzically, raising an eyebrow at me.

I give a sigh that's actually more of a huff and snap, "James has been ignoring you all month, but the moment he wants you, you forget all about me and spend all day planning with him so he can ignore you more while he uses your plans for him and his new girlfriend!"

Padfoot's eyes widen, then narrow. In what seems like an effort to keep the peace, he replies, "I'm sorry—you could have just told me you wanted to talk. I didn't know." His words come out a little stiff.

"You could have told me you were going to be planning with James in the library," I point out.

"Sorry!" he says loudly, exasperated. "I didn't realize you needed to keep tabs on my whereabouts all day!" The volume of our voices is beginning to draw stares from around the common room.

"You owe me more than this!"

He stops dead, giving me a cold stare, and then nods stiffly. "Fine." He pulls out his wand and gestures with it, muttering a charm under his breath. His coin purse floats down the stairs from our dormitory, and he takes it, opening it and starting to pour coins out on the table in front of me. Silver Sickles, bronze Knuts, even a Galleon or two. "Here. What's a fair amount for me betraying you, do you think? Take it all. I don't care." He drops the bag carelessly on the table, glaring down at me. "I never realized how you are, Remus."

And then he turns his back and walks away.  

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Thanks for reading! This is probably one of my least favorite chapters in this story. Hope it reads okay!