A clang from the kitchen crashed through his train of thought and Remus's ears perked. Loud cursing followed, and rather than laugh in amusement, his face paled. This was quite a feat, considering the man looked so tired you could push him over with a feather, but none the less he rose upon his tired feet.

His heart jumped into his throat once he saw that red ponytail bent over, cleaning up the scattered mess. His pulse quickened and he could half believe what his eyes showed him. She was back ... the crazy thought tripped over itself multiple times as he stood in the doorway, shocked stiff.

The face turned to face him and the excitement was replaced with a deep root of embarrassment for his incorrect assesment as well as depression it wasn't what he thought. A sharp sliver went down his throat and the girl on the floor smiled sheepishly, unaware of his thoughts.

"Hullo, Pr-- Mr. Lupin, sorry for the racket. Trying to accomplish what my mum considers second nature."

Fourteen-year-old beauty Ginny Weasley sat at the edge of a puddle, sopping it up with a magically super-absorbant rag before picking up the pot and putting it back on the counter.

"It's fine, Ginevra."

"Yeah, well, I'm horrid at cooking. Hermione tells me I'm too clutzy, but, y'know I've never seen her cook. I think she'll just let Ron live on her coach and cook for her, cos Merlin knows Ron's never going to get a flat of his own, and Ron can cook like mad."

"Right," Remus said, smiling, tired and bemused.

"Sorry, Mr. Lupin, I know I'm prolly boring you with all this blabbering."

He shook his head, "Actually, you very much remind me of someone I used to know."

"Really?"

The door burst open, causing Remus to look over his book in shock and Sirius to drop the chess piece he'd been fiddling with. These weren't safe times for the 19-year-olds, and it wasn't as if they hadn't secured their modest flat the best way they'd known how.

But, to their great relief, only the slender Lilly Evans stood in the doorway. Her red hair was tied in a short ponytail and her cheeks were red from the excitement. She flung her hands in the air.

"I give up! I just cannot cook!"

"Sure you can," Remus called, returning to his book.

"No! I've burned two things of butter, which is quite a feat, I'm starving, and the people at the Chinese take-out know my name! So, I was wondering, because I love you all so much," here Sirius and Remus snorted, "if I could eat some of your leftovers?"

She was smiling hopefully, but Sirius studied her quickly, "No."

"No?" She echoed in shock, her smile faltering.

"I have a better idea," he said, rising, "I'll teach you how to cook."

Sirius Black entered the kitchen soon after Remus began retelling the story and stood in the doorframe, listening. Neither Ginny nor Remus had noticed his prescense, Remus caught up in the memory of it and Ginny enraptured by his tone and the mention of Harry's mother.

"Remus," he said during a pause in the story.

"Sirius!" He said, as the friend slid into the seat across Ginny at the table.

"So how'd it end?" Ginny asked.

"Well," Remus said, smiling broadly, "I read my book all the while, but suprisingly Lilly followed him to the kitchen. I couldn't hear much, the kitchen being at the opposite end of the house, except crashes and bangs. About forty minutes later, they came back with dough practiacally dripping off every inch of them, as well as through their hair. The kitchen was dirty enough to be labeled a disastor area."

The three laughed, and Ginny's mother called for her, sending her skipping up the steps.

"It's frightening how much she's like her," Sirius said once the red head had cleared the staircase, turning back to his friend.

"Oh, yeah," Remus responded, "Let's just hope she won't fall for another Potter."

"What a tragically cliche couple they'd be!"

"You know," Remus said, rising from his seat, "I may be off, but I could have sworn your shirt was inside out after that whole fiasco."

Sirius's eyes widened considerably, looking up toward Remus, who was standing in the doorway and studying his face. Sirius didn't respond, but rather looked away from their eye lock. Remus prepared to say more, but shook his head and left, leaving the subject hanging and knowing arguing about what happened that night wouldn't do anything but hurt more.

But there were aspects of that story only Lilly and Sirius knew of.

Sirius decided to begin simply with some home-made rolls. He instructed Lilly on how to prepare the dough and all was well until she was to mix it. Sirius tried to explain to her how she was to knead it, dig her hands through it, but to no avail. He hopped off the counter and dug his own in, but she was still too awkward.

He passed around behind her, fed up, and she shivered beneath his touch. He slowly got hold of her hands and placed his over her, and she tensed between him and the bowl. He soothed her, and guided her hands through the dough the proper way.

It was quite sensual, his moves slow and soft and his hands heating hers. She could feel him so close behind her and it was all to much. She stopped her movements and stood their. He felt her stop but didn't move, but began tracing his hands up her arms and she slowly turned in his embrace, facing him.

His eyes held a look she felt she'd never recieved before she raised her lips to meet his. Few seconds later they were engaged in a very steamy liplock, their dough-covered hands trailing one another's faces, hair....

"Mr. Black!" Ginny said, interrupting his memory with her head poked through the entrance of the kitchen.

He moved his line of vision toward her, "No," he responded slowly, "I don't think that'd be best."

Author's note: this is pre-marriage Lilly, want to make that absolutely positively clear. And the two seem to have this unspoken sexual tension between the two... and I don't care much for James at'all. Sorry for the Ginny & Harry bashing, I couldn't help myself.