A/N: Hey guys. I'm back! I can not tell you how sorry I am for the wait. If anyone is still checking on this story, you are dedicated and I absolutely love you. Thank you so much to all the people who kept after me to update. It really did help. I'm home for summer so hopefully I'll be able to write a little more. I really am sorry for the wait.

I hope you guys like this and it's not a total let down. There will probably be a LOT of errors. I pretty much typed it out, reread it once, and posted it. I'll probably fix things later on. I was just so excited to finally have written this chapter. I really hope you guys don't hate it. Also, if there's any inconsistencies please tell me. I didn't have time to go over all my other chapters.

Please tell me if it was good or bad. Thank you so much again to everyone who hasn't given up on this story. I love all you guys.

I hope you like it.

………………………………………

James sat in the corner of the common room, his potion notes spread out in front of him. The potions professor had assigned them an extremely long and in depth essay. One that James had yet to start. He really should focus, he thought to himself as he ran a hand through his wild black hair. The essay was essential for his grade. He needed to at least start it. But for some reason, he couldn't draw his eyes away from that couch. Or to be specific, that girl.

James didn't have any time to waist. But he just couldn't seem to pry his eyes away from that side of the common room. James needed to focus. Earlier that morning, the boys had decided that James would be the perfect mark for their next prank. The idea was genius. No one would ever suspect. However, the four boys, usually brilliant when it came to mischief and mayhem, couldn't think of the right prank. James wanted it to be unforgettable and original. And, to tell the truth, tonight they were lacking in both areas. Remus' ideas were too calm and controlled. Sirius' were too dangerous and thrilling. James' plans were cliché and Peter couldn't think of a single prank.

The boys had finally spilt up at dinner, leaving Remus and Sirius in the hospital wing. James had planed on finishing his potions essay and then brain storming for the perfect prank.

He hadn't counted on distraction in the form of a long legged redhead.

Lily was sprawled across a couch in the Gryffindor common room. One of her pale arms was tucked under the flame of her hair, while the other held the book she was reading. Her long legs spilled over the side of the couch. Her crisp white school uniform shirt was untucked and had risen just enough to show an inch of her pale white stomach. She shifted to get more comfortable and James watched as the firelight reflected in her deep red hair.

James pictured her smile and he felt butterflies flutter through his stomach. This was bad. This was really, really bad. Since their meeting in the library, James had not been able to get Lily out of his mind. Even when the Marauders had been plotting in the hospital wing, half of James had been reliving and analyzing every second of their meeting in the library. He had touched her. He had flirted with her. And she hadn't run away screaming. He'd seen her later at the dinning hall and she'd waved to him. That's a good sign right? A wave? Well, it's better than a slap in the face, he decided.

He felt heat rush to his cheeks as he watched the beautiful red head stretched on the couch. She pulled her arms high over her head and the white shirt road up a little, revealing more of her flat smooth stomach.

This was hell. No doubt about it. This. Was. Hell. James covered his face with his hands. Why couldn't he get this girl out of his head? It was ridiculous. She was just a girl. Nothing special. Okay so she was smart, and funny, and nice. And gorgeous, my God was she gorgeous. The way her nose tilted up at that cute little angle. The way her green eyes sparkled with excitement when she finally figured out a puzzle. The way her thick red hair flowed around her round face. The way her school robes clung to her body. One of these days, those robes were going to kill him. The way that black skirt hugged just the right places was enough to give any male with eyes a heart attack.

But so what, right? There were a plenty of girls just like this one. She really wasn't all that special. She really wasn't anything. He was just going to stop thinking about her and then he wouldn't have to feel like this anymore.

Yes, James decided. He wasn't going to think about Lily Evans anymore. He gave a firm nod of his head and took one last glance in her direction. Okay, he thought to himself, starting… now.

James looked away and started to concentrate on his paper. He grabbed his quill and dipped it into the black ink. He dragged the feather across the parchment, writing James Potter in his loopy and twisting handwriting, taking time on every letter, concentrating. The familiar scrape of the quill calmed his nerves. Okay, he thought with a smile, So far so good. He moved on to the date.

He smiled, pressing dimples into his cheeks. He pushed his glasses up with one finger. He'd already gone a whole thirty seconds without thinking about Lily and she was just right across the common room. His smile widened with pride. He was doing great. He was in complete control of himself. With a happy sigh, he moved onto the beginning of his potions essay. "There are over five thousand uses for eye of newt. While some are deadly, most are harm—" Lily's laughter washed over him and he dropped his quill. He groaned and let his head collapse against the table. "I'm pathetic," he whispered to himself.

He slowly lifted his head off the table and tried to flatten his untamable hair. Okay, so he wasn't in control. But then again who would be, when someone like Lily was lying just feet away.

He snuck a glance at her and sighed. She was sitting up now. Deep in a conversation with Sirius. Her smile was wide, her eyes were sparkling and it was obvious that she was teasing him.

Sirius eyes were filled with unshed laughter as he watched her. James watched the pair and he felt a wave jealousy flow through his stomach. Sirius reached out an arm and pulled the red head towards him. She let out a high scream that was more of a laugh and began to struggle in Sirius' arms. Sirius wrapped his arms around her and began tickling her stomach.

James watched the pair as they laughed and struggled with each other and he couldn't help but feel jealousy creep through his veins. He knew that Sirius would never do that to him. He knew that Lily didn't feel that way about his friend. It wasn't that.

He was jealous because Sirius could touch her. He could laugh with her. And sit next to her and tease her. He was there, her friend. No questions asked. Because he was Sirius Black, Beater Extraordinaire. And who was he to the masses? He was James Potter. Quiet, shy, lonely James Potter. That is if they knew his name at all.

James watched as the pair stopped their game and settled comfortably onto the couch. Lily rested her head on Sirius shoulder and the two talked quietly as they watched the fire.

Sirius and Lily were friends. The thought nearly killed James with envy. He watched the pair as they talked about their day. Lily's head resting comfortably on his best friend's shoulder. Yes, this was hell. And he could only take so much of it.

James stood up and quickly gathered his papers into his bag. He went up the stairs to the common room. It took all the strength that he had not to glance back at the pair on the couch.

…………………………….

Lily lay sprawled out on the couch in the common room. She was trying desperately to focus on the book in front of her. She rolled her eyes, she'd read the first sentence of this chapter nearly twenty times now, and she still had no clue what it said. Something about Peaches maybe. She distinctly remembered the word Peach. Or maybe it was Pear?

With a resigned sigh, she lay the book down on her stomach and stretched. She raised her hands high above her head, trying to release the tension in her back.

She had way too much going on in her mind to focus on her book. First, she was worried about Sirius. The stupid jerk was still in the hospital with Remus. Sirius had looked pretty bad when McGonagall had dragged the pair away. And what about Remus? Was he alright? She knew Remus was strong, but Sirius was tough and years of Quidditch hadn't exactly made his arms weak and feeble. She sighed, the thought of Remus opened up a whole other line of anxiety. What was with the whole Remus-is-an-actual-human-being-and-is-really-quite-nice thing that she discovered in the astronomy tower? Lily asked herself. Which lead to the whole, invisibility cloak thing and her secret suspensions about the Marauders. Which lead to the thing, or person rather, that was really distracting her: James Potter.

Lily didn't know why her thoughts kept leading her back to James Potter and his goofy smile. That stupid smile that always managed to pull her lips into a matching grin. She couldn't figure out why, no matter where she started, she always ended back at James.

Lily snuck a glance over her shoulder at the boy in question. He was leaning over his parchment, a bright smile stretched across his face. Lily felt her own smile begin to widen. See, she thought to herself. Why does he always have that effect on me?

She was saved from having to answer her own question when someone shoved her legs off of the couch. She looked up to see Sirius Black looming over her. He flashed his mischievous smile at her and through his arms out to greet her.

"Honey," he said, his voice light and happy, "I'm home." He wrapped his big arms around her in a bear hug, lifting her off the couch.

Lily's deep and bubbly laughter filled the room and she wrapped her arms around her friend. She pulled back and examined him as they sat back down on the couch. Her eyes searched his face and noticed that there were no signs of the earlier fight left on his handsome face.

"So, you're all checked out."

"Yep," he said with a wide grin, "God, Lil. I was going crazy in there. Cabin Fever."

Lily raised an eyebrow at him, "Sirius you weren't even in there for a day."

"It felt like a lifetime," he said dramatically, raising a hand to cover his face. He spread his fingers and one of his deep blue eyes peered out at her between his fingers, "It was Hell. And you didn't even come to visit me."

"If you think that was hell, wait until you have to make up for all the work you missed," Lily said, lightly smacking him in the stomach.

"Oh," Sirius said, a smirk resting on his full lips, "But I already have a plan for that."

"Oh really," Lily said watching him closely, immediately knowing what that look meant, "And what exactly is your plan?"

"You, my dear."

"No."

"Lils," Sirius whined, his voice high as he pushed out his bottom lip, "pretty please."

"No."

"Pretty please with a chocolate frog on top."

"No Sirius."

"Why not?" He said as he made his bottom lip quiver.

Lily rolled her eyes in response. "Because this is entirely your fault. You're the one who picked the fight. You're the one that's responsible for missing class. I'm not going to help you. You deserve to be punished."

"But Lils," he pleaded, "Minnie's already taken care of the punishment, remember. Don't you think she knows what's best. Besides, what if I fall behind in all my classes and then I flunk my O.W.L.S. and can never become an Auruor. And I have to work as a Janitor at the Leaky Cauldron for the rest of my life. Would that be punishment enough for you."

"Fine, Sirius. I'll help you. But I'm not doing the work for you. I'll just be there for help." Lily said with a wave of her hand.

"That's all I would ever ask for," he said, his smirk having melted into a would-be-innocent smile.

"Right." Lily said shaking her head and settling back into the couch.

"Hey, Lils?" Sirius asked after a silence.

"Hmm?"

"Your not really mad at me are you? About the fight?"

Lily paused, thinking about her answer. Was she angry? "No, Sirius. Just, could you try not to get you ass kicked again any time soon."

"What did you say?" His eyes filled with mock offense.

"I said please try not to get completely demolished by Remus in the next few days."

"I will have you know that I was the victor of that battle."

"Un hun. Whatever you say Sirius." Lily said with a smirk. She loved teasing Sirius. It took her mind off of everything else.

It was then that he wrapped his arms around her and began tickling her. His fingers tickled her sides, forcing her to squirm. Laughter spilled out of her mouth as she tried desperately to get out of his grasp.

"Please," she grasped, her voice full of laughter. "Please let me go. I'm going to throw up."

"Nun-un-un," Sirius said. His fingers still nimbly attacking her stomach, "Not until you say those magic words."

"Please Sirius, I'm going to pee my pants," Lily said, tears were making their way down her cheeks.

"Then you know what you have to do," he said and a high pitched squeal escaped from Lily's wide smile.

"Sirius is an Amazon warrior," she said with a gasp.

"And?" he questioned.

"And he kicked Remus' butt today."

"There we go," he said with a smile, letting her go. "That wasn't so hard was it?"

Lily just rolled her eyes and hit Sirius lightly in the stomach. Sirius glared at her and pulled her to his side. Lily snuggled back into the couch, laying her head on Sirius' shoulder.

The pair sat in silence for a moment, until Sirius said, "Right before I left the hospital wing, Harold Cabot came in."

"To visit you?" Lily asked as she watched the fire.

"No, he was really sick. His whole body was this gross green color and he looked like he was about two seconds away from spewing his dinner all over the hospital wings' floor."

"Ewww," Lily said turning to him, her face scrunched up in disgust, "Thanks for sharing."

Sirius rolled his eyes and poked her in her side.

Lily was surprised when his usual smile left his face, "I over heard the teachers talking. They say it might be awhile until he gets better. They have to wait until some plant matures to make a potion for him."

"What was the name of the plant?" Lily wondered aloud.

"I don't know. Like I ever pay attention in Herbology?"

"Well, what about Quidditch?" Lily asked, realizing that Harold was their star Chaser.

"I don't know," Sirius said solemnly. "We play Ravenclaw in two and a half weeks." He sighed and ran a hand through his short hair, "I thought this was going to be the year we won everything."

"Hey," Lily said, putting an assuring hand on his arm, "It still could be. Why don't you hold try outs for his position."

"Yeah," Sirius said relaxing, "Yeah, that's a really good idea Lils." He turned to her with a mocking smirk, "Since when are you smart."

Lily punched him playfully on his shoulder. She laid her head back on his shoulder and closed her eyes. She took a deep relaxing breath and realized all the tension in her back was gone. Lily smiled, Sirius always had a way of making her forget about all her school work and stress. She smiled a content smile, he was one of her best friends. Lily wouldn't give him up for the world. Even if he was prone to get into knock-down-drag-out fights for no apparent reason and couldn't remember the name of a single plant in Herbology if it would save his life. She smiled, but then again, that's what made Sirius Sirius.

"Hey, Lils?" Sirius asked.

"Hmm?" She said, not moving from her comfortable spot on his shoulder.

"When I was in that fight?"

"Yeah?" She asked opening her eyes and looking up at him. His face was serious and she frowned, not knowing what to expect.

He gave her a small embarrassed smile, "Did I scream like a girl?"