Catching A Flower

*Disclaimer*- Messrs. Fuzzbutt and Fantail do not now, nor will they ever, claim to be J.K. Rowling. They own none of the characters or situations presented by Ms. Rowling in any of her brilliantly written books.

Authors’ Notes: Welcome to chapter five, the thinking chapter, and so, more writing time needed than normally.

Chapter Five: Distracted

Lily awoke, her mind feeling heavy for reasons she didn't remember. And then it hit her. She was going to try and become friends with James bloody Potter. She sighed heavily.

Lily got ready for the day along with Marlene and Emmeline, and the three of them chatted as they walked to the Great Hall.

"So, Lily, what have you decided what you're going to do as far as James goes?" Marlene asked.

"As much as it pains me to say, or even think, this, I'm going to try and befriend Potter."

Emmeline made a triumphant gesture. "Hah. I knew it!"

Lily scowled slightly. Her attention was soon caught, however, by the object of her soon-to-be attempted friendship. James was walking nearby, seemingly distracted. In his distraction, he bumped into a fifth year Slytherin girl. She dropped all her papers.

"Oh, crap, I'm sorry," James said, helping her with her papers and books. "I wasn't watching where I was going."

"Lily, are you coming?" Emmeline asked. Lily had frozen to watch James not only not hex a Slytherin, even with an opportunity presented to him, but help her pick up her papers as well.

Emmeline then snickered, seeing what Lily was staring at. "I thought you were just going to try and be friends with him, not stare at him at all opportunities."

Lily rolled her eyes. "I guess I was just astonished at the fact that he didn't curse that girl for getting in his way."

"He hasn't done that for ages Lily,” Marlene pointed out.

"Well, I don't normally pay attention..."

"We know," the girls chorused as they continued toward the table. Lily mumbled something about 'being unpredictable for a change' and followed.

"You know Lily," Marlene said, "James really has changed. He's cut back on the pranking, and the pranks that have been pulled have been more funny than harmful, he hasn't cursed much of anyone yet this year, and he's been much more polite than last year. I spend more time with him because of Remus, and he really is nicer than you give him credit for."

"Yeah," agreed Emmeline, “and as far as I know he hasn't asked you out once this year, and I normally know, because you rant on about it every time he does for about 3 hours..."

"And he's doing all of this for you Lily," added Marlene. "He really does like you."

I don't know," said Lily. "I think you're giving him too much credit."

Emmeline and Marlene give her a look. "Okay, so I may be a bit prejudiced against him," Lily said. Emmeline snorted. “Alright, a lot prejudiced against him, but I think I would notice if he was really that much better."

What about last night on patrol? her brain cut in. He really was quite polite, and you bit his head off.

"Lily, I'll bet you a galleon that if you pay attention, you'll see that James has really improved," Emmeline challenged.

"You're on Emmeline," Lily replied. After all, he can't be that much better. I would have noticed. "You had better be ready to lose a galleon!

----------

In Charms, James sat a few seats over from Lily, and she spent the period studying him out of the corner of her eye. Indeed, he wasn't just chatting with Black like she had expected he would. He actually didn't talk much at all, but stared alertly at Professor Flitwick, looking like he was deep in thought.

He did, however, run his hand through his hair a few times which made Lily wince, but he didn't seem to be thinking about it, merely doing it unconsciously.

That doesn't mean anything. We’ll just have to wait until Transfiguration...

Unfortunately for Lily, though, James acted much the same in Transfiguration, and even in potions he acted quiet, as though he were deep in thought.

He worked hard throughout the period and completed his potion perfectly. When a Slytherin taunted him about his quietness, James responded with a look that plainly said, "I don't care, you're immature." Lily couldn't help but be impressed.

He wasn't like this before. I know he wasn't...don't I? But suddenly, Lily wasn't sure anymore. Lily noticed Professor Walker coming towards James. This will have to get a reaction out of him!

"Potter!" Walker snapped.

"Yes?"

"Tonight will be your last tutoring session with Evans. I suppose you can do your potions well enough. For now."

"Yes Ma'am" James replied, glancing over at Lily to see if she had heard.

Wow. No snide comments or anything! What's wrong with him today?

And with that thought the bell rang. Emmeline approached Lily with a smug look on her face. "See Lily? He was fine all day!"

"The day's not over yet," retorted Lily. She refused to give up that easily.

"Fine," Emmeline said. "We'll just wait until after dinner then, but you'd better have that galleon ready!"

“We shall see who needs the galleon ready," Lily replied with a smile.

The Gryffindor seventh years all trooped back up to the common room, the girls to get a head start on homework, and the boys to put the finishing touches on the prank. Most of the boys, that is. James, Lily noticed, wasn't in the corner with the rest of his friends, he was sitting at a table in the opposite corner with a small boy Lily vaguely recognized as a first year.

What is he doing to that innocent mind? she wondered. He's probably trying to corrupt him into being the future of the Marauders...

Lily watched James and the first year carefully. He couldn't possibly be doing anything that wasn't against the rules.

Unfortunately, Lily could not hear what the two were saying. She had to settle for watching.

James flicked his wrist and something on the table, (Lily couldn't tell what), glowed slightly for a moment. Curiously, she watched as the little boy mimicked James' movement and, assumedly, words, and the little thing on the table glowed again. The boy grinned widely. James smiled.

James held out his hand and the boy smacked it in a 'high-five.' Lily smiled. It was too cute.

Then she realized in horror that she was considering James Potter's actions cute, and the smile was wiped from her face immediately.

"Still watching like a hawk, eh, Lily?" a voice suddenly asked. It was Emmeline. From the snickers she was hearing, she guessed that Marlene was there, too.

“I’m waiting for him to do something to earn me a galleon,” she said, her eyes never leaving James.

“Face it, Lily. You owe me a galleon.”

“He might still pull a prank,” Lily said, sounding unsure.

“I don’t think so,” Emmeline said with a grin.

Lily kept watching. James had just transfigured something, Lily couldn’t tell what, and had given it to the boy. He was whispering something to the first year, who nodded, as if in understanding.

Suddenly, James looked up and straight at Lily. He must've known she had been sitting there, given the fact that he had looked right at her. Does he know I was watching him? she thought, panicking.

"Hi, Lily," James called, grinning and waving.

Lily scowled and turned around so that her back faced him. Emmeline rolled her eyes, but Lily failed to notice. "There," Lily said triumphantly to Emmeline. "Did you see that? You owe me a galleon."

Emmeline raised an eyebrow. "Lily, he waved and said hello. That's not galleon-worthy."

Lily was about to reply, but was interrupted by a tug at her sleeve. Lily looked down to see the first year boy James had been helping.

The boy, seeing that he had her attention, began to speak. "Are you Lily? I think you are, because you're the Head Girl, and James said the Head Girl's name is Lily."

Lily smiled politely. "Yes, I'm Lily."

The boy grinned. "Here, then, James sent you this. He says he's sorry for asking you out all the time since fourth year." The boy was holding out a single red rose for Lily to take. She took it.

"Tell James he should stop tutoring kids so that they'll do his deliveries," Lily said.

"Oh, he's not my tutor. He just helps me out a lot. He only let me do this because I said I wanted to pay him back because he gives up so much time on me, because I need a lot of help. I'm pretty bad at Transfiguration, but he's really good," the boy said. "James says I shouldn't give up, though, because I have potential. And he says he reminds me of his friends." The boy grinned widely.

Lily was flabbergasted. "Oh," she said. "Um, thanks then." The boy nodded and scurried off.

After a few moments' silence, Lily looked up to see Marlene chuckling and Emmeline grinning smugly.

"There's still dinner," Lily pointed out.

"Speaking of which, James and the Marauders have already gone," Marlene said.

Lily turned around and saw that this was indeed true. "C'mon," she said, stepping out through the portrait hole to go to dinner.

Lily, however, was disappointed at dinner, as well. All things seemed to be going in Emmeline’s favor. James had yet to do anything. There he was, at the table with the rest of the Marauders, doing nothing against the rules.

Lily was aggravated. He just had to pick today, of all days, to act like a good guy. Unless he's not acting... No, he had to be acting.

"Emmeline?" Lily asked, suddenly coming up with an idea.

"Hmm?"

"You asked James to behave, didn't you?"

"No, he does it on his own," Emmeline said happily.

Lily raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Marlene, did she or anyone else ask James to behave?"

Marlene shook her head. "No, Emmeline's telling the truth. James actually has changed."

Lily sighed. Maybe they were right. Maybe James had changed. After all, he hadn't hexed Snape, he hadn't asked her out, he hadn't pulled any pra-

Suddenly, there was a flash, and Lily was seeing red. Lots of red.

Literally.

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Sirius was at his wits' end. James had been asking about the prank all day.

In Potions, James had asked a good forty times whether or not the prank was safe. At lunch, Sirius had sworn he'd heard James asking Remus if Lily would be upset.

James had even wanted to be included in the prank, so that Lily didn't think it was him, but luckily, Sirius had talked him out of it. That would have been quite embarrassing for their image. Marauders are not to be included in their own prank.

Sirius sighed. If James asked if the prank was going to go well one more ti-

"Padfoot, are you really, really sure that this is going to go well? It's not going to hurt anyone, right?"

Sirius twitched. "No, Prongs, I'm not sure. I bet we're going to blow up the entire school into tiny, tiny bits, and all the students are going to turn into frogs.”

James raised an eyebrow. "Padfoot, the prank isn't complex enough for that. What are you on?"

Sirius rolled his eyes and made a noise of extreme aggravation.

"Pads, I think you need to relax," James said, wandering off.

-----

"James! Hey, James, can you help me with something?" called a voice. It was first year Patrick McNorbert.

"What is it, Patrick?" James asked.

"I'm having trouble with transfiguring a match into a needle. I can't get it to go silver."

"Have you got a match?" James asked with a kind smile. He was certain this kid was going to grow up to be like an odd combination of Remus and Sirius- polite, yet talkative.

Patrick pulled a match-colored needle from his pocket. "I have this," he said.

"Alright, I'll turn it back into a match, and then you'll turn it into a needle. See, what you have to do," James said, crouching down to the boy's level and setting the match on the table, "is think very had on a picture of a needle. That's the most important part. Then you flick your wand like this," James flicked his wand. "Now, watch this." James flicked his wand again, this time toward the needle, and it glowed momentarily before turning into a match.

Patrick grinned at James.

"Alright, now you try it. Remember, focus very hard on that image of a needle."

Patrick nodded, screwed up his face in concentration, and flicked his wand. The match glowed before turning into a silver needle. Patrick beamed at James. "Thanks, James!" he said. Then he frowned slightly. "I'm sorry I take up your time like this."

James grinned. "That's alright," he said truthfully.

"Can I do something to make up for it?"

"Oh, you don't have to-"

"No, I want to. I feel bad taking up your time."

James sighed. "Alright. How about this?" James took the needle off of the table and transfigured it into a red rose. "Do you know who Lily Evans is?"

"Um..."

"She's the Head Girl. I'm going to say hello to her, and point her out. I want you to give her this rose, and tell her I'm sorry for asking her out so often since fourth year. Alright?"

Patrick nodded.

James looked up and saw Lily staring right at him. Odd... she must think I'm corrupting the children, and is waiting for proof so she can hex me. Ah, well, I've got a job to do. James stood up. "Hi, Lily," he called, grinning.

Lily turned her back. James turned to Patrick.

"Alright, she's the one who rolled her eyes and turned her back on us. Got it?" Patrick nodded again. "Right, then," James said. "You know what to do?"

"Yup."

"Good luck." As Patrick walked over to Lily, James walked over to Remus, Sirius, and Peter. "Alright, I'm ready," he said. "One dinner and a prank coming up."

Sirius grinned. "Wonderful!"

They all stood up and walked to the Great Hall.

Fifteen or so minutes later, there was a flash.

And a lot of red.

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Authors’ Notes: Thanks to all who have reviewed on past chapters! We hope you liked this one. Yes, we know there is a cliffhanger. Our deepest apologies. Erm… actually, we’re laughing evilly.

Now, onto more important news: We at Messrs Fuzz and Fan Inc. have come up with something grand to organize all the places we post our fan fictions at. We’ve now got a live journal page! Check it out, if you’d like. It’s our homepage. (We’re messrsfuzznfan, by the by.) Let Us Eat Cake.