James opened the door with a bucketful of candy and shouted, “Padfoot, I’m back!�

He looked around, and then turned red on the spot. He had just burst into the compartment of Lily Evans and her friends, and Kelsey, Lily’s best friend, had just finished the word ‘Potter.’

“Potter, what a...er...pleasant surprise. We were just talking about you,� Lily remarked, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

“Sorry for interrupting your conversation. Go on.�

“No, we were just finished,� sneered Eryn, another of Lily’s friends.

James could tell that they were definitely not through with their conversation, but he had business to attend to, so he bowed and said an air of a king, “I will leave ye ladies to thy gossiping.� And with that, he went to find the Marauders compartment.

“Padfoot, I’m back!� shouted James.

“Oooh oooh ooh! Did you get the dark chocolate frogs! Oh and the-� Sirius boomed.

Sirius stopped and all the Marauders turned their heads to see a HUGE bucket of candy. “Happy Birthday, Padfoot!� James sang in a very off-key voice. Remus even covered his ears to get rid of the noise.

“P-P-Prongs, how did you know? That’s exactly what I wanted,� Sirius gasped.

“How did I know? Well, let’s see, you wrote me about thirty-five letters this summer even though you were at my house, asking for it for your birthday!� exclaimed James.

“Thanks for the sarcasm. Now, which candy should I pick first?� Sirius contented himself with a Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans. He pulled out one, sniffed it, and then took a bite. “Eww! Vomit!�


“Ha-Ha, Padfoot! So, how did everyone’s summer go?� Remus inquired.
“Oh, OK, I guess. I went to Egypt for month,� Peter sighed. “Quite boring, actually.�

“Well, James and I went to Bermuda, and we saw tons of hot babes,� said Sirius. “Otherwise, it was boring.�

There was a long lull in the conversation, filled in with an occasional “Eww!� from Sirius. Then James had an idea.

“I, Mr. Prongs, motion to call all the Marauders to prank planning meeting. All those in favor say aye.�

“Aye.�

“Aye.�

“Aye.�

“Meeting is in session. All rise and state the Marauders oath.�

They all stood up and chanted in unison, “I am a Marauder, not a swotty prefect or know-it-all. Friends come first, then pranks, then detention, then homework. If I am to change this image, I must forever leave the group Marauders. Have some fun, and then live like a normal human being.�

“OK, let’s get cracking. Who? Where? When? What? Why?� Sirius queried.

James already had a plan formed. He just needed to add the finishing touches. This is where the Marauders came in.

“OK, here’s the plan...�
* * *
Lily sat in her compartment, staring out the window. Her friends were gossiping happily (on what other subject but the arrogant James Potter!). Lily was not one for gossiping, although she did correct them on minor details that they left out or got wrong. All of a sudden, Shannon, yet another of her friends, blurted out, “Well, I don’t think he’s that bad. I think he’s funny, handsome, charming, a bit arrogant, loyal, and a true Gryffindor.�

Everyone stared at her. “You do realize you’re the only one who thinks that. No one here agrees with you. He doesn’t even like any body here, does he?� asked Savannah.

“Fine! Be that way! But I’ll prove to you that he likes, no loves me!� Shannon declared, though she was trying hard not to smile or laugh. All of a sudden they all burst out laughing. Shannon was definitely the funniest and loopiest of the group, even though she was a brunette.

“Now, back to seriousness,� declared Lily.

“Sirius’ last name is Ness? I definitely didn’t know that!� Shannon giggled. Ever since last year, she’d had a thing for James and Sirius.

“I have reached a verdict,� exclaimed Kelsey. “Here it is: Bloody hell, she needs psychiatric help!� Everyone laughed in agreement.

“Kelsey, are you still going to be Beater for the Quidditch team this year?� asked Savannah.

“What do you think? Of course, you dolt! Quidditch is my life,� shouted Kelsey.

“She meant were you going to try out again cause Potter is going to be Captain,� said Eryn.

“Potter, Shmotter! Who cares? I’m still playing Quidditch!� Kelsey answered.

Suddenly they all heard a light snore from the corner. They turned to look and saw Lily, fast asleep with her head against the window. No one woke her, because, knowing Lily, she never fell asleep unless she had no sleep the night before.
* * *

A few hours later, Sirius, Remus, and Peter were standing on the platform for the school.

“I told him this was a stupid idea, but does he listen? NOOOO! He just goes around pretending that everything is going to go fine and dandy!� accused Remus.

“You should know by now that he does expect everything to go fine and dandy.� replied Sirius.

“Yep!� squeaked Peter.

“But I think this will actually work,� said Sirius.

“Pff!� Remus scoffed “Yeah right!�

As they started climbing into the carriages, they saw James and left room for him. But he did not come. He just looked a them and gave a thumbs up.

“Oh, that’s all he gives us? A thumbs up?� complained Sirius.

“Oh, please, shut up! You are seriously getting annoying!� complained Remus.

“But I really don’t think it is the best idea to embarrass someone he hates, just for the fun of it.� squeaked Peter, who was unusually talkative this evening.

“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!� screamed Lily.

As the three boys looked behind, they heard crying, dripping, and the laughter of James. James had set a water balloon the size of an enlarged poodle of Lily Evans.

“JAMES POTTER, I HATE YOU!� Lily cried at the top of her lungs. She ran out of the carriage and to the school. All the people in carriages stared at James. It was then that James decided that it might not have been the best idea. Well, he thought, at least I know what not to do for the rest of the year.

A/N: Hey everybody! I hope you had a good week...or weekend, whichever applies to you. I think this chapter is an improvement on the last chapter, and I hope you really like it. (BTW, now all A/N’s will be signed by the Pit.) Um...R&R!!!

---

Chap. 2

James looked up at the castle. He wasn’t sure why he felt so bad. He had just finished pulling the usual first-of-term prank on Lily Evans, but this time, it didn’t give him the same pleasure as it always had before.

James snuck outside of the compartment before the prefects could dismiss everybody else. He had to hurry if he wanted to get Lily in time. He ran off the train, turned back just in time to see Sirius, Remus, and Peter, and gave them a thumbs-up. He dashed out of the station, and to the gates of Hogwarts.

“Alohomora,� he whispered. He ran up the path and hid behind the trees near the usual stopping area of the school carriages. He waited silently as the carriages came into view. With a wave of his wand, he conjured a water-balloon shaped like an enlarged poodle.

"Padfoot," he moaned under his breath. Ever since they had become Animagi, Sirius had forced the Marauders to swear that they would always conjure dog-shaped things whenever they conjured non-living things. Just to bug him, he made James swear to conjure poodle shaped things. James laughed at the memory, but stopped just as suddenly as he started, for the carriages had pulled to a stop just in front of him. He watched as Lily opened the door of the carriage right across from his hiding tree.

“Wingardium Leviosa,� he whispered. The balloon rose into the air and moved over the spot where Lily stood, waiting for her friends. Then, with another flick of his wand, the balloon fell with a great splash on Lily.

“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!� screamed Lily. The look on her face made James burst with laughter.

“JAMES POTTER, I HATE YOU!� Lily cried at the top of her lungs. She ran from her carriage to the castle, her eyes overflowing with tears. Or was that water? Nope, just water. James looked from Lily to the carriages and immediately stopped laughing. Every single person (with the exception of Sirius, who was on the ground laughing) was staring at him in disgust.

“Heh, Heh. Oops,� he stammered. Maybe I shouldn’t do that anymore, he thought. He turned away and started towards the castle.


James stepped into the Great Hall and instantly saw a head of red hair. Lily was over near the professors’ table, telling Professor McGonagall exactly what James had done. James suddenly remembered that the Professor had told Lily to tell her exactly when and what James had done to Lily.

“And then, he ruined my hair-do with that silly water-balloon of his,� Lily explained to Professor McGonagall. The strict professor turned, saw James, and marched towards him.

“Good evening, Professor. How are you this fine-“

“I’m not here for flattery, Potter. Why do I have to repeatedly remind you that you are not to prank anyone, especially on the first day of school?� scolded Professor McGonagall.

“Um...I don’t know,� murmured James.

“Well, if you can’t provide a reason, you have detention Saturday with me,� said the professor.

“But that day is Quidditch tryouts!� James protested.

“Fine, Sunday! You always manage to make the team anyway,� Professor McGonagall said.

And with that she walked away.

“Hey Prongs!� called Sirius.

“Hey guys!� James called back.

“Prongs, that was the worst prank in the history of mankind,� nagged Sirius, a huge grin on his face.

“Yes, well...um...when have I ever backed down from a bad idea?� retorted James, slow on finding a comeback. He had never been really good at comebacks, even when Sirius tried to give him lessons.

“Ah, James, you’re so bad pulling solo pranks. See! It didn’t affect her at all. She’s just sitting there, waiting for her friends like an innocent little school girl. So sweet and perfect. Ugh, it makes me sick,� said Sirius, shuddering as though the very idea made his skin crawl like dozens of insects.

James shrugged and turned to look at Lily. As James watched, he felt that Sirius was right. She was perfect in every way, from her long red hair to her clear green eyes. So stunning yet so sweet. As much as he wanted to agree with Sirius, he felt another pang of that odd emotion that he had never felt before.

‘What’s going on with me?’ thought James. ‘I have never felt...like this for Evans in my whole life. I guess I never really saw her in this light. Instead of the girl who is the first raise her hand in class or to hex me, I see a sweet, kind, calm girl, who is considerate of others. She kind of looks pretty with her...wait...URGH! James, what is going on with you! You don’t like Evans...do you?’

James was snapped back to reality when he saw Lily’s friends go to comfort her, though as he watched, he could tell that she didn’t want comfort. Then he realized that Lily had been glaring at him the entire time. He gave her a hesitant smile, which he instantly regretted. For a reply, she gave him the coldest stare he had ever seen.

‘Oops. Scratch that last thing about considerate.’

As he looked away, Dumbledore stood up. As usual, the entire hall fell silent, waiting for his words.

“Tuck in,� echoed Dumbledore’s voice. The golden plates on the table filled with food and the normal dinner chattering began. James looked over at Lily’s group of friends gossiping, some of them ignoring Lily.

“James! Are you even here today?� Sirus barked. James once again snapped out of his reverie.

“What were we talking about?� James asked, fighting to keep his eyes from straying over to Lily’s group.

“We were saying,� interrupted Remus, before Sirius could make a comment, “that we think you should pull a better prank on Evans since that one turned out to be a flop.�

“Nah, I don’t feel like it. Maybe pranking Evans isn’t my thing,� said James.

“It’s taken him four years to realize that, you know,� joked Sirius.

“No, Sirius, I’m serious,� groaned James.

“No you’re not, I am!� Sirius cried indignantly.

“I mean that-I really mean it right now! I don’t want to pull pranks on Lily!� James shouted.

All the Marauders fell silent at this.

“Since when do you call her Lily?� asked Remus suspiciously.

“Umm...I...umm h-have always called her that!� announced James.

“No you haven’t. You’ve always called her Evans! What’s wrong with you today?� asked Sirius.

“N-nothing! I have to go!� yelled James, and he left as fast as he could.

“Has anyone besides me noticed that James was staring at Lily?� asked Peter.

“Merlin, Peter! You’re slower than James today!� exclaimed Sirius.

Lily glared after James as he raced out of the Great Hall. She hated him, everything about him. From his messy black hair to his shiny glasses. From his love of Quidditch to his last name, she hated him. She was so sick of his pranks and his arrogance and his bragging about his Quidditch skills. ‘So you can shoot the damn Quaffler or whatever it’s called into the hoop?’ she thought. ‘Who cares? Well, maybe almost the entire school, but anyway.’ Now because of him, she had wasted 50 pounds of Muggle money on her hair that he messed up. She had no doubt in her mind that he was going to pay for all the years of pranks he pulled on her. She would—











“Lily!� exclaimed Eryn. She was obviously upset about something. Lily could see it in her eyes. No matter what emotion, her friends could always tell what Eryn was feeling just by looking into her silver-blue eyes.











“What’s wrong?� Lily asked concernedly.











“What’s wrong?! You aren’t listening to anything I’m saying!� she whined.











“She was too busy staring at the back of Potter’s head,� Kelsey smirked.











“And what a fine head he has,� remarked Shannon, moving in her seat to get a better view of James as he left. As she moved, her beautiful hair swayed in motion with her. Shannon’s long wavy brown hair accentuated her pointed chin. She had bright green eyes like Lily’s, but with flecks of gold, blue, and brown. Lily loved how Shannon always understood what was wrong with all of her friends. With her beauty and acting skills, Lily knew she could pass as a movie star.











“Never mind. What I said wasn’t important anyway,� said Eryn, shaking her head of fine blond hair.











As her friends continued their gossiping, Lily watched them and took in their features. She did this often because she was amazed to have such beautiful friends.











Kelsey was probably the biggest tomboy you could ever lay eyes on. She wore her dirty blond hair to just below her ears. During the weekends at Hogwarts, she could often be seen wearing a t-shirt and grungy camo jeans. She was the Beater on the Gryffindor Quidditch team, and loved every sport you could think of, even Muggle sports.











Savannah was a quiet 15-yr.-old, with long slender legs and dark brown hair. She loved all animals, especially owls, and owned three dogs, two cats, and an owl. Ever since third year, she had taken Care of Magical Creatures. She loved all her friends, especially Eryn. Her dark brown eyes matched perfectly with her hair. She was all around nice.











Eryn had silver-blue eyes and fine blond hair. She was often considered a snob, but her friends knew better. She could be rude sometimes, but deep down she had a heart of gold. Some people thought that she was a veela; she also had a fiery temper.











“So, Lily, what do you think?� asked Shannon.











“About what?� Lily said, coming back to earth.











Every one rolled their eyes.











“You weren’t paying attention again,� laughed Savannah.











“Sorry, just watching—“











“Potter,� giggled Kelsey. No matter how much of a tomboy Kelsey was, she always had a high, giggling laughter.











“No! I was watching you guys! Gosh, Kels, you’re so assuming,� complained Lily. Sometimes her friends could be so annoying about Potter. For some reason, they thought that Lily and James would make a great couple, even though they hated Potter. No matter how many times Lily denied it, they seemed to think that she really liked James. It was the complete opposite. She hated him. She despised that little arrogant b-











“Lily!� Kelsey gasped. Lily hadn’t realized that she had voiced that last phrase out loud.











“Oh, sorry. Getting caught up in the moment,� she mumbled, barely able to hide her embarrassment. ‘Oops,’ she thought to herself. ‘Got to keep those thoughts in my head.’











“So anyway,� Eryn said with emphasis, as though trying to change the subject. “Lily, we were wondering if you thought Potter ought to receive detention or not.�











“Oh he did receive detention. He downright deserved it, too. I spent 50 pounds of Muggle money just for that do. Well, at least now I’ll be able to fix it with magic now,� she sighed.











“Speaking of magic, who’s ready for lessons tomorrow?� Shannon asked everyone.











No one raised their hand except Lily, who was raising her hand as high as it could go.











“Now there’s the Lily I know,� laughed Kelsey. Everyone else laughed along with her, and Lily couldn’t help but smile. It was good to be back at Hogwarts.











^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^











After they had all had there fill, Dumbledore stood up for his speech. As he stood up, Lily noticed that the auburn that had been in his hair last term had vanished completely. She knew that she shouldn’t be worried about this, because most men Dumbledore’s age had hair like that, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong with Dumbledore.











“Welcome,� he began, “to another year at Hogwarts. I hope you all had your minds nice and emptied so you can have them refilled. I have a few start-of-term announcements. First, I would like to welcome our new Charms teacher, Professor Flitwick. Now, for those of you who don’t know, the Dark Forest is strictly forbidden. Anyone who goes in there will receive a month’s worth of detentions.� Lily smirked and looked at Sirius, who already seemed to be planning to go in there to keep up with his record of detentions.











“Thirdly, Mr. Filch has yet again reminded me, for what he says is the 385th time, that magic is still not allowed in the corridors, and that anyone caught doing magic outside of the classroom will receive a detention. That is all for now. You may go up to rest your minds once more before you have to refill them tomorrow. Good night!�











No matter how glad Lily was that lessons were tomorrow, she knew she needed a full night’s sleep. Lily stood up. Her legs felt like iron lead. She headed up to the common room to relax by the fire before going to bed. In her stupor, Lily barely realized that she had reached the portrait of the Fat Lady. It was then that she realized that she didn’t know the password.











“Lily!� called an all-too-familiar voice. Lily groaned in frustration. ‘Not now,’ she thought as she rolled her eyes.











“Lily. I was looking for you. I know the new password,� James said, gasping for breath.











“Like I care,� Lily sneered. “I’m really not in the moo- wait...you just called me Lily. This is wrong on so many levels.�











“Damn it, I was hoping you wouldn’t notice.�











“Just tell me the password.�











“Alright, it’s Zollie.�











“What kind of password is that?�











“I don’t know. I didn’t make it. Don’t ask me.�











“Fine. Zollie,� Lily said to the Fat Lady.











The portrait opened and Lily climbed in without a backwards glance.











‘What is up with Potter? He’s acting...nice...to me. Eurgh! Just the thought sickens me. Wait a second. Did he say he was looking for me? And that he was hoping I wouldn’t notice that he had called me Lily? Oh, Merlin, no. No. NO! He wouldn’t. He couldn’t.... Could he?’

The common room was unusually quiet for the first day back at Hogwarts. Instead of being out in the middle of everything, Sirius, Remus, and Peter were huddled up in the far corner of the Gryffindor common room. They didn’t want James to see them when he came in. They knew that something was up with him, they just didn’t know what. Well they knew what, sort of; they just needed to know why.

“I think it has something to do with Lily,� declared Peter.

“Well, duh, we already figured that out by the way he was freaking out about Lily,� stated Sirius, acting as though it was the end of the world. He had never seen James act this way, and frankly, it creeped him out. He wanted to put a stop to it right then, whatever it was. He hated change. Though he said that, no one believed him, because he had a different girlfriend, at the most, every two weeks. It was a rather bad habit of his, but he told himself that he just wanted to find the right girl.

“Yes,� replied Remus in a soothing voice. “But we need to know why. James doesn’t all of a sudden start freaking out about a girl that he’s known and hated for four years. This isn’t at all like him.� He paused and sat there with an odd, faraway look on his face, which he put on whenever he was thinking (which was pretty much most of the time). Out of all the Marauders, he was the most prudent. He had become a prefect this year, and he was the second smartest in his year (Lily being the smartest in their year). He was all around wise.

They sat in silence, pondering what was wrong with James. As they sat there, the portrait hole opened up, and Lily herself walked in. She was muttering under her breath, “Potter running after me, trying to give me the password. He couldn’t keep his eyes off me before dinner. It’s a good thing I can lip read; I saw his friends say ‘Lily’, and then he ran off. And it sure seems like he was sorry for what he did, which in itself is just wrong and weird. It all adds up. Oh, but it can’t add up, it just can’t! This ruins everything; our relationship as foes, our curses at each other. Urgh! Why does Potter have to be so stupidly frustrating?’

The Marauders looked at each other.

“No...�

“He couldn’t.�

“He wouldn’t.�

“Would he?�

They paused for a moment.

“Nah,� they all said together. The very idea was preposterous to them. They started laughing at the thought. But then they stopped at the same time. Lily was right. Everything he had done that day after the prank pointed straight at the idea that James liked Lily. It startled them that this idea might actually be possible. James like Lily, his sworn non-Slytherin enemy? Never. To them it wasn’t possible. But they had no idea how wrong they were.

---

James stared after Lily as she climbed into the portrait hole and watched until the picture closed. The Fat Lady looked down on him. She gave him an incredulous look and said, “Well, that was completely pointless. Open me up but don’t bother to come in, why don’t you? Gives me more work. You do realize-“

“Zollie,� James interrupted. He really didn’t feel like listening to the Fat Lady’s ranting. The portrait hole swung open and he climbed inside. As he came in, he saw his friends in the corner, laughing. Then they suddenly stopped. ‘OK,’ he thought. ‘This day is just getting weirder.’

He walked over to them and called out their names.

“Moony, Padfoot, Wormtail,� he called. “I’ve got something I want to tell you.�

“Yeah, well, we have something we want to ask you,� Sirius said in an accusing tone. He sounded very offended, as if someone said he should have been in Slytherin.

“OK, you first.�

“Do you like Lily?� Sirius blurted out.

“Um...that’s what I wanted to...um...tell you,� James said, a blush creeping up his face.

“You idiot! This ruins everything! Now we have to start hanging around our sworn non-Slytherin enemy. This is all wrong. YOU ARE DISGUSTING!� Sirius screamed. The whole common room went quiet with his sudden rage ringing in their ears. Yep, Sirius was mad—in both ways.

“Um...hot...cocoa?� James said in a quiet voice. Sirius was recently starting to scare him. Besides, he was in the mood for some hot chocolate. Sirius just glared at him and headed toward the staircase leading to the dormitories. As he reached to open the door, Lily opened it from the other side. Sirius saw her, glared at her, and continued on towards his dormitory. As he slammed the door, he heard Lily ask James, “Potter, what’s going on?�

But Sirius didn’t care. All he knew was that James had made a stupid decision...once again...and that there was nothing he could do that would make Sirius forgive him. Sure, Sirius being a bit rash—actually very rash—but that is beside the point. James had begun to like (maybe even love) the impossible—Lily Evans.

‘No,’ thought Sirius as he reached his dormitory, and he scrunched his eyes closed. ‘No. This is all just a dream, and I am going wake up in five...four...three...two...one.’

Sirius timidly opened his eyes and looked at his surroundings. Nope. Not a dream. Still the window. Still the four-poster bed with curtains. Still that stupid owl with a letter. Still the—wait. Was that an owl on his bed?

Sirius walked over to his bed and snatched at the owl. He grabbed the letter and sent the owl out the window. As he unfolded the letter, he couldn’t help but wonder, ‘Who in their right mind would send me a letter the first day of school?’ He read:



Dearest Sirius,

I know that you barely know me, and that we are known as enemies, but I want you to know that I truly like you. You seem so perfect in my eyes. I know that right now you probably don’t want to hear from the likes of me, but I just had to let you know. Expect another letter from me. If you want to respond, put it under the bookcase next to the fireplace. This is also where you will receive my next letter.

Love,

Your secret admirer



Sirius rolled his eyes. ‘Everything can’t change at once,’ he thought. He already had enough love drama in his life. But there was something that made him want another letter. He pulled out a piece parchment and started writing.

---

Sirius snuck out of the dormitory after everyone had gone to bed. He didn’t want anyone to know that he had come out of his bad mood. Because then he would just get back in it. He tiptoed to the bookcase and slipped the parchment under the bookcase. He thought he heard a tiny cough, but it turned out to be himself. He looked around as he tiptoed back to the staircase, then opened the door to the stairs, and walked back up to his dorm.

Suddenly, a girl sprang up from the shadows. Her long, wavy, brown hair swung with her every move as she bounced over to the bookcase. “I knew you would respond, Sirius Black.� And with that, she walked back up to her dorm.

---

Lily woke up with a bright smile on her face. Today was the beginning of her lessons. Yes! Her favorite day of the week. The day where everyone was able to refill their minds. Oh, Lily loved being smart.



Lily immediately got up to take a shower. She cleansed herself from the previous day and put on her school robes. She did her makeup and brushed her teeth. She put up her hair in the usual high ponytail with an emerald green ribbon tied in a bow around it. That was the way she liked it. Then she went to get everyone up.



“Wake up! Shannon, Kelsey, Savannah, Eryn! Time for school! Get up and get dressed.�



“Lily, it’s six o’ clock in the morning. Breakfast starts at six thirty-five,� yawned Kelsey.



“I know. That means you don’t have much time,� said Lily in a hurried tone.



“Oh, but it won’t take us that long to get ready,� whined Eryn, pulling her bedcovers over her head.



“Eryn, we’re girls. It takes us a long time to get ready,� scolded Lily, pulling Eryn’s cover back down.



“Oh, all right. Help me up,� grunted Shannon. She was always the first to give in to this ‘first-day-of-school-get-up’ routine.



Shannon went to take her shower while the other girls picked out their robes and shoes. By the time everyone was ready, the clock on the wall read 6:20AM.



“Good job, girls. Fifteen minutes to spare, that’s a record. Let’s go,� said Lily appreciatively.



As the friends headed down to the common room, they passed James and his friends. James gave Lily an ashamed look, while the girls just glared at him. Lily shoved him with her shoulder as she passed by and then stomped out of the portrait hole, hating him.



“Ugh, that’s enough Potter for one day,� sniffed Eryn, looking as though she had just caught whiff of a rotten egg.



“I quite agree,� Lily said quietly. She was rather disgusted with James. She fervently hoped that her assumption last night was the polar opposite of what was correct. Just thinking about it made her want to turn around and slap him.



They reached the breakfast hall and took their normal seats at the end of the table. They loaded their plates with pancakes, sausages, eggs, bacon, fruit, and biscuits, and they filled their cups with milk, orange juice or pumpkin juice. As they ate, the Marauders walked into the Great Hall. Shannon looked at Sirius and turned a light shade of red, then returned to her breakfast. Sirius sat two seats away from her and Shannon turned even a darker shade that matched the strawberries on her plate.



Lily turned to face the quartet of friends and said, “Why are you here?�



Sirius gave her an incredulous look and replied, “We have every right to sit wherever we please, Evans. Now, if you don’t mind, I’d be much obliged if you let me eat my breakfast in peace.�



Lily could find no argument against that, and, frankly, she didn’t want to bother with the likes of Sirius, so she finished up her breakfast, picked up her book bag, and headed to the Head Table to get her schedule from Professor McGonagall. As soon as she had received it, she left for her first class: Charms.

---

James watched Lily out of the corner of his eye as she left. Her red hair bounced up and down as she walked, her robes fluttering at the speed of her march.



James quickly finished his breakfast and went over to the Head Table to get his schedule. He ran back to his seat and grabbed his bag. If he hurried, maybe he could catch Lily alone.



As he ran through the halls, he looked at his schedule and saw that his first class was Charms. ‘I sure hope Lily’s first class is the same as mine,’ he thought.



He ran down the Charms corridor and saw Lily sitting on the stone floor, immersed in her new schedule. He opened his mouth to say something when suddenly Lily, without looking up from her schedule, lifted her wand and said, “Silencio!�



James tried saying, “What the bloody hell was that all about?� Oddly enough, not a sound came out.



Lily lowered her wand and said, “Now, Potter, before you say whatever stupid thing you have to say, let me make one thing clear. There is a very small possibility that I will forgive you. That is all I have to say.� And with that, she lifted the spell.



“Lily, I’m really, really sorry. I realize that you won’t forgive me, but I want to make it up to you anyway.�



“Potter, tell me one thing,� Lily said calmly, as if they were discussing the weather, but James could see the fire in her eyes with her next sentence. “Why, in heaven’s name would I forgive you?�



James hesitated with this question, not exactly sure why she actually should forgive him. Then he came forth with his answer: “Because I am sincerely sorry from the bottom of my heart.�



Lily snorted. “Yes,� she retorted, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “And I’m Merlin’s wife from a thousand years ago.�



“No, Lily. I really am sorry-�



“Oh, yes, you’re sorry now. What about last year? Or the year before? Or the year before that? What about our first year? Are you sorry for all those times? You didn’t care before. Why are you so interested now? What has changed?� Lily exploded.



“Me, obviously. You’ve always been there. I just haven’t seen you. I just thought you were another girl worthy of a few good pranks here and there,� rambled James, but before he could continue, Lily interrupted once again.



“A few good pranks? A few? Of all the girls you could have picked, you chose to humiliate me? And what do you mean you’ve changed? You’re still just as arrogant and cocky as before. And what does, ‘You’ve always been there. I just haven’t seen you’, mean?� she burst out, clearly unable to contain herself.



“I think you know what it means, Lily,� James whispered mysteriously. He could tell she knew but was trying to get it out of him.



Suddenly Lily looked terrified. James wasn’t exactly sure, but he thought she had stopped breathing. In the next second, she gasped for breath. She stared at him as if he had come from a different planet and would intoxicate her with poisonous fumes. She backed away slowly, turned to grab her bag, and headed for the classroom. But at the doorway, she stopped. She seemed to be composing herself. James stood firm, ready for the verbal blow.

---

Lily knew right away with that one whispered sentence that last night’s assumption had been...correct. She was horrified. James Potter? In love with her, Lily Evans? She was no gossip expert, but she knew for a fact that this would attract many jealous glares. Especially from his fan club. She had just grabbed her bag and was in the door of her classroom when she thought of something. The redhead took several deep breaths before turning about to face James. He seemed to be cringing, as if waiting for her to shout at him. But her intention was not to shout. It was to ask.



“Why?� she inquired softly. She knew she sounded curious and interested, but she couldn’t help it. She was.



James opened his eyes in surprise. He glanced around to see if anyone else was there to say that. With no one around but Lily, he sighed with relief to know that she hadn’t shouted. He turned to face Lily.



“I’m not exactly sure, but I know whatever I feel for you is not what Sirius claims to feel for anyone.�



“No,� Lily giggled quietly. “That wouldn’t be very good, now, would it?�



“Excuse me,� called out the voice of Sirius Black. “I couldn’t help but overhear parts of your conversation and I feel compelled to correct them. The words ‘Sirius’ and ‘wouldn’t be very good’ simply do not fit together. It is improper use of the English language, and I just won’t have it. Oh, and James, that be me book bag you got there.�



“Speaking of improper English,� admonished Lily incredulously, but she still had a smile on her face.



She looked at James, whose face had gone red out of embarrassment, and she started giggling. James smiled and began to laugh along with her. Their laughing grew until Lily, being the mercurial teenager that she was, stopped as suddenly as she had started, leaving James hanging. Her face was impassive as she walked by him towards her friends. James stared after her, and then rolled her eyes. Girls would be such a mystery to him, now and forever.

I, Sirius Black, knew something was up the moment Evans shoved her shoulder into James’s and gave him a death glare that morning. I dunno, maybe it’s hard for girls to get over their hair. But that gives them no right to shove their shoulders into the person who messed up their hair. Poor James. When he got that death glare from Evans, I thought he was going to die in shame. I’ve seen my fair share of death glares from girls, too, but the goggling stares make up for that. Those are nice.

But my point is, James didn’t deserve that glare. At least not for ruining already ruined hair. (That hairstyle did not look good on Evans.) I have to admit, though, James had done some pretty awful stuff in the past—put rats in her bed, charm her paper so it looked like she cheated (Evans wouldn’t be caught dead cheating, the goody two-shoes), and taped a piece of paper on her back that would change every five seconds saying things like “I’m a nerd,� “Goody Two-Shoes is my name,� or, my personal favorite, “My favorite book is Hogwarts, A History, and I’ve read it forty-nine times.� That is so like Evans.

But anyway, onto after the common room incident. As we watched the Evans posse walk away, James heaved a huge sigh. I rolled my eyes. Drama king. I walked to the couch in the middle of the common room, where I had laid my bag.

“Come on, James, it’s not that bad. You just started liking her. It’s probably just a phase. You’ll get over it,� I said. But James appeared to not be listening. He was grabbing his bag and heading for the portrait hole. Remus, Peter, and I all exchanged worried glances, then hurried after him. James was already near the stair case when we caught up with him.

“James, what’s up? You’re not still going on about Lily, are you?� I asked, trying my very hardest to sound innocent.

“What do you bloody think?� he spat back at me. “I’m so sick of you thinking I’m gonna get over girls within a few days, like you do. I’m not like that, Sirius. I actually care about girls’ feelings even if you don’t. I don’t just throw them away like you do.�

“How many times do I have to tell you? I just want to find the right girl,� I argued.

“Well if you didn’t snog them half to death before you left them, maybe you would actually know who you’re trying seduce. See if you actually want to kiss them,� said Remus, coming up beside me. I glared at him. When James was right, Remus always sided with him. Funny how that works out.

“Come on, guys. Let’s just forget this and head down to breakfast,� said Peter, trying to compromise. If there was one thing Wormtail was good for, it was helping everybody get along. James and I shook hands, and we headed off to the Great Hall, Peter stepping through the trick step.

As we entered the Great Hall, I saw a very pretty girl who was in Gryffindor. I think her name was Sharon, or something like that. I decided to sit close to her. My friends followed, none the wiser. As I headed to near her seat, she looked up at me, and a light blush creeped up her neck. Merlin, this might be the letter girl, I thought to myself. I sat down and her blush grew even deeper.

That’s when I saw Evans. Right next to her.

“Why are you here?� she questioned. Like she actually cared.

“We have every right to sit wherever we please, Evans. Now, if you don’t mind, I’d be much obliged if you let me eat my breakfast in peace,� I said, partially copying a line from a movie one of my former girlfriends had forced me to watch at her house.

Evans, not catching onto the line, shrugged her shoulders, ate the rest of her breakfast, and headed up to the Head table to get her schedule early. Making sure she wouldn’t see me, I turned to her pretty friend. “It’s Sharon, right?�

She looked surprised to see me talking to her. “No. It’s Shannon. But you were close,� she joked, attempting a weak smile.

“Yep. Only two letters off.� I flashed her my signature make-your-heart-melt grin. It always worked. I hope.

But Shannon just rolled her sparkling green and gold eyes at me. I was shocked. No girl could ever resist that grin. I turned away from her and conjured a small mirror. I smiled to myself in the mirror. Nope. Nothing wrong with the smile. So it must be the girl.

I turned back to face her. She smiled at me in a questioning way, wondering what I had done. I waved it off. She nodded in an understanding way, although I could tell she didn’t. I decided to bring up the letter. Maybe if she wasn’t the letter girl, she would know who it was.

“Um.... So, have you ever put anything underneath the bookcase next to the fireplace in the common room? I find it very efficient in hiding...letters,� I said cautiously.

Shannon gasped and looked at me wide eyed. I smiled in triumph. So it was her. The Letter Girl. She glared at me. “So what if I sent you the letter?� she spat at me. “What are you gonna do about it?� Apparently, she believed the best defense was a really good offense. I like feisty girls.

“Well,� I said, pretending as if I was giving it hard thought. “First, I’m going to ask you out. Then I’ll kiss you. Sound good enough for you?� I once again tried my infamous grin.

“That would be good if it weren’t for the fact that I can’t go out with you.�

“That’s great! I’ll pick you up before the first Hogsmeade—Wait.... Did you just say you’re not going out with me?�

“Yes.�

“But – you said you liked me – you sent a letter – and then you – I’m so confused!�

“I do like you, it’s just that – well, look at whom I’m friends with and who you’re friends with. It just wouldn’t work. I mean, Lily didn’t even tolerate you sitting two seats away from me. Just think how it would be if you sat by me everyday,� Shannon elucidated.

I had to admit she had a pretty good point. But it all seemed there. It’s not fair. I can count on one hand the amount of times I’ve been rejected. One hand! But that’s when I had the idea. The most brilliant idea I’d ever had.

“We could keep it a secret,� I said quietly. Shannon, who had thought our conversation was over, looked up at me in surprise.

“A secret? You mean, don’t tell anybody?�

“Not a soul.�

“You know what? I like the sound of that,� giggled Shannon, her bright emerald and gold eyes glistening.

“Yeah, me too.� She had no idea.

“A secret love.�

“A secret love,� I repeated.