Hmms…so I decided I need to edit some things.

Chapter 4-

September First. The day that I was absolutely ready for. I was so excited about going back to school, I was flipping out!. I love today!

I woke around 9, expecting to hear my mother screaming for me. But I then realized it was early in the morning and I normally didn't wake until 10 in the morning. I guess I was a tad bit excited to get back to Hogwarts. After all, it had been my home for the past six going on seven years. I and the rest of the Marauders knew it like the back of our hands. We couldn't live a day without recalling a memory from when we were at Hogwarts. I loved the place too much!

I jumped out of bed and quickly dressed in the school uniform, minus the robes and cloak over it. It was a blustery day, or it was supposed to be according to the WWN weatherman, that's what the weather department had planned for us. I was fixing my tie when Sirius popped into my room via apparition. He had a messy hair that rivaled my own and was still in pajama bottoms and an over large t-shirt that stopped mid thigh.

"Morning Padfoot!" I said brightly. He yawned. "Morning James. My your bloody energetic. Ready to get back to Hogwarts much?" He scratched his face and I laughed.

"Padfoot, dear friend," I started saying, "you need to dress, brush, shave, and then eat. Then we'll be ready to get to Hogwarts. Besides, there's a beauty there waiting for me to sweep into my arms." I winked at him. He laughed. "Lily Evans, I presume?" I swatted at him and he ducked.

"Whatever. Go get dressed. It's 9:15" I told him. He sighed and left and I apparated to the bathroom. After brushing my teeth and grabbing my trunk and wand, I levitated it downstairs.

"Morning, Head Boy! My, you look handsome" my mother said. My father had left early that morning to work further more on the Voldemort case. He was steadily rising to power, Voldemort was, and my father and his fellow employees were trying to prevent any more harm come to the muggles families, and other families, out there. I always admired my father. That's why I wanted to be an Auror just like him.

"Thanks mum. What's for breakfast?" I asked, smiling at her. That moment, Sirius apparated next to me. "James, where's the shaving cream?" he asked. He nodded a 'good morning' to my mum and then turned to me, waiting for the answer. I raised an eyebrow. Sirius had already packed his shaving cream last night and he just shaved. Why could he possibly…wait. Never mind.

"Up stairs, in the main bathroom. Ask Scooby to get it from one of the cupboards. She'll know where it is," I answered, referring to the house elf. He nodded and

popped out of the kitchen. I grabbed a coffee and a muffin and started to eat. Sirius popped in a little while later and winked at me while mum was clearing up the table.

"So, boys…"she started off. She looked serious and I had a feeling that I was about to get a lecture. "This year, I want you on your BEST behavior. That means no stupid pranks, no going into dangerous stunts (I gave Sirius a look and we both gulped down the remainder of our coffee.), and especially no going into that wretched forest. Voldemort has a load of creatures and spies and I don't wanna hear my babies are off fighting ridiculous creatures because they didn't listen to their mothers." She each gave us a stern look. "If I get one more letter about either of you, that's negative (she softened her look as she looked proudly on my head boy badge)…I will get my butt to Hogwarts and put you both through so much pain and trouble, you're going to think that I was a vampire without blood for a month!" she growled.

Sirius and I gulped and smiled sweetly. She then laughed at our faces and said, "I'm kidding! But I am serious about behaving this year! I want no…funny business! Of course, if it was some innocent prank like turning some Slytherins into ferrets and back again, hey! NO problem, but if you do anything…drastic…" she looked pointedly at Sirius, "Then I'm going to get mighty upset." She rose from the table and patted us on the head.

"Get your stuff boys. We'll apparate there in two minutes." She quickly cleaned the kitchen and after a couple of scourgify's later, we were off the Platform 9 ¾.

I hugged my mother good bye and promised to owl with news. She hugged Sirius also and gave me another kiss. She handed me a small sack of money to each of us. "Here, boys. Something to tie you over and buy some sweets before the feast." She waved to us while we boarded the train. We caught up with Remus and Peter and took the last compartment in the back (hmm, sound familiar?).

"Moony!" we greeted each other in the usual sorts of man hugging and patting on the back.

"So, any plans for this year?" Peter asked as the train took off. I waved goodbye to mother once more and turned to Peter. I haven't seen him most of the summer unlike my other two friends, who really did live at my house. He seemed fatter and more stressed than normal. Who seemed dodgier now then ever, but I just shrugged.

"Play a few pranks, keep it quiet, then play one that Hogwarts will NEVER forget. That simple, really," Remus replied. Sirius just grinned and stretched out. "Of course, Prongs here will also have the immensely dangerous task of wooing Miss One, Lily Evans and keeping us out of trouble," he added, winking in my direction. I threw a magically conjured up pillow at him and said I had to go to the compartment at the front of the train. He pelted the pillow back at me. I left but not before he screamed, "GO GET HER PRONGS!" and the rest of the car started to give me catcalls. I flicked Sirius off in the brotherly way we did and he stuck out his tongue.

I walked along the way of the train, smiling and nodding as I went along, looking at everyone who had ever been friendly to me. I winked at a few potential girls that could make Lily jealous and I laughed at people's jokes as they stopped me now and then. Ten minutes later, I was at the Head Compartment. Across the hall was the Prefects Compartment and I could hear the laughing and rules being repeated to the Prefects. There was absolute quiet from what I could hear on the other side of the door. I tensed, ready to take on anything she literally threw at me. I opened the door and looked within.

There she was. And if any other way, she grew even MORE beautiful then before. She was curled up on the couch in a white pheasant skirt and matching top (don't ask me how I know these things…let's just say Ann talks my ear off when she's bored). Her red hair had cascaded over he shoulders and her robes were over that. She looked at peace and was reading a book when she heard me enter. She put the book down and looked at me.

"Potter…" she said stiffly, "what are you doing in the Head's department?" She looked at me suspiciously and I looked down on my chest and noticed my badge was missing. I pulled it out of my pocket and pinned it on.

"Aren't you lucky, Evans," I smirked in response to her scowl. "I'm head boy." She stared at me. She kept staring at me. Then she broke into a smile. "Ok, Potter you win. What's the joke? Where's your cronies? Sirius is around here somewhere to put me off guard and hexed the real Head Boy, huh?"

I stared at her in incredulity. I shook my head. "No, Lils. I'm Head Boy."

Her jaw dropped. She swallowed several times. Then she looked me square in the eyes.

"Look, Potter. If we're forced to work together, which I can't believe we are, let's get a few things straight." She stood up and the skirt she was wearing stopped mid thigh. I scowled at my hormones and looked at her.

"Listen Lily, I know what you're already going to say. SO, we need to put up a good performance, no?" I looked at her and when she didn't continue, I did. "So, I'm going to be civil, call you by your first name, and even then I'm not going to hit on you in front of the younger kids. I promise to be on my best behavior simply because this position means a lot to me. I also, if you haven't noticed changed a bit." She just nodded as if willing me to continue.

"I promise Lily, that I have changed and I can't see why you won't give me a chance. But if you won't give me that much, then I'm going to have to learn to understand you better, through all means possible." I sat down on the couch; my legs aching already from standing do long. "So, what do you say, a truce for the first semester at least? If you can't see that I've truly changed, then you can throw at me every curse, hex, etc., at me that you know." I put a hand out. Surprisingly, she took. It. Then she smiled.

I don't know what made me say all that. When I'm around Lily my whole attitude about things change. And I think it's mostly for the better.

You're probably all curios why I've changed so much. Mostly, it's because it has to do with me wanting to get to know Lily better and to gain her trust. But it's also about an incident that happened 2 years ago. And it shook me forever.

Long chappie, I know. I'm sorry. LOL, but I want 5 reviews for this. If not, I'm not updating for two weeks! sticks tongue out All right, well I wanna thank my faithful reviewers! I love you all::kisses:

Flash back to fifth year

Snape was still livid about that stupid prank that had upset Lily late of fifth year. It was a week, maybe two, after the incident, and Snape hadn't attempted to do anything to us. We knew that if we hadn't watched our backs, we'd be in something pretty bad. Snivellus may be a greasy, evil idiot but he has not only the Potions Master of our Year title, but he also knows more hexes and curses then 80 of the seventh years.

I suppose it came as a bit of a surprise when I saw Sirius talking to Snape directly after Potions. The dungeons were dreadfully cold and I was looking in my bag for my sweater. I nearly bumped into Sirius.

Oy! Don't stand in the middle of a hallway, Padfoot. People walk here, you know?" I said sarcastically, picking up the sweater I had accidentally flung on the floor. I picked it up and saw Snape standing before me.

"Potter," he sneered and turned on his heel. I made a face behind his back. I turned to Sirius. "Should I ask? Or were you putting some curse on him?"

"Both," he answered. He sniggered as I flickered my eyes' direction to his back. His retreating robes were in a glittery trail and the details of his robes said, "Luscious' Bitch." In the middle of his back said, "Call me at 410-347-1488." Whenever Sirius put in a muggle joke, it must have been funny. I turned to him.

"what is 410…?" I questioned.

"It's a muggle rejection hotline that Ann told me about. She visited her muggle pen pal. You know what a phone is, right?" he looked at me with a look.

I smacked him on the arm. "I'm not that uneducated!" I protested. "I know what a fellytone is…just not a number."

"Telephone, for one dear Prongs. And for two, you should seeing how the 'numbers' thing is the best way to get muggle women, mate." He gave me roguish wink and we laughed.

We walked down the hallway when I remembered what he also said. "So, what did he ask?"

Sirius snorted. "He wanted to know where we go every month on our little escapades. I told him that we sneak off to muggle London and screw muggle women."

I laughed uneasily. Leave it to Sirius to make the mood lighter and make Snape feel stupid.

I had a sinking feeling anyways…"Seriously mate, what you tell him?"

Sirius snorted. "Prongs, I told him that if he wanted to know so badly, try following us one day."

I smacked Sirius. "SIRIUS! He might actually…oh, I don't know, try that!"

Sirius snorted. "Not likely to happen and that hurt!" He rubbed the back of his head tenderly. I just rolled my eyes. Sirius really knew how to lay it on thick when he isn't thinking too well.

So I spent the remainder of the day dodging Snape and looking at Remus, hoping he'd read the sign that I wanted to talk to him. He didn't get it obviously, due to the amazing amount of stress of the full moon that night atop of loads of homework everyone had piled on us. Fifth year OWLS approached us.

That night however, I followed out to the tree with our gang as usual, but we departed Remus when we saw Madame Pomfrey…I looked at Remus before we turned and told him one thing. "Careful dear friend." Remus just smiled tiredly and said, "As always, James…but take your own advice…I'll be back before sunrise…," and he turned and went.

"Why all cautious all of a sudden Prongs?" Sirius inquired on the way back.

"Worried is all…" I brushed off and pulled out the Marauder's Map and a horrible lurching happened in my stomach. Snape was out of bed….and headed towards an entrance unusually close to the exit.

"SIRIUS YOU IDIOT! HE LISTENED TO YOU!" I yelled, and bolted right out of the incoming corridor, to the place we were before.

The last thing I remember seeing was Sirius's face in contortion and confusion as to why I yelled at him.

I quickly pushed apart the not yet locked front doors, seeing as the caretaker not getting there yet and ran as hard as I could to the Whomping Willow…Snape had already gone inside from the looks of it and I didn't know how to get to him in time. So I did the stupidest thing. I dived at the tree's roots and slid underneath without freezing the tree first…. The tree, needless to say, whipped at my legs, and even managed to catch my foot but I ignored the pain as I slid into the passageway, the only thing running through my mind was the unbelievable anger Remus would feel when he discovered Sirius had betrayed the secret Remus guarded most carefully.

I half ran half-limped down the hallway hoping to catch up with Snape and after five minutes or so; I saw his greasy, hardheaded self, standing at the staircase, smiling with glee. Stupid git…but I called out anyway.

"Snape DON'T go in there," I yelled out, panicky. Every feature on my face pleaded with him to not do the unthinkable, but he just snorted in laughter.

"Ah, Potter. I was wondering when one of you dolts would show up. But no. I think I'll go ahead and see what you're hiding," he laughed maniacally. That man really hated me.

I ran after him and involuntarily turned myself into a stag. Just as he had reached the door I all but tackled him, but it was too late. I heard the familiar growling of the want of human flesh. Remus stood tall, seven feet, or so of pure beast, the human in him forgotten. And he pounced.

I managed to shove Snape down the steps and fought with Remus to go back into the room. By that time, I had heard Sirius and Professor Dumbledore's voice coming down the hallway even more. I tackled the wolf and pinned him against the bed. AN-Raunchy baby! Lol, j/k. Remus howled in pain but at recognition of my Anigmamus shape, he licked at my face. I inwardly groaned but I couldn't help but laugh. But then the expression on his face changed. He just realized what he had just done and he started to tear at himself…I couldn't watch…I jumped off Remus as he attempted to punish himself for attempting to kill Snape…I tried to stop him, but the strength had drained out of me.

I walked out of the room, locked, and closed the door. I continued to hear the howls of disdain and anger and self-pity on the other side of the wall…but I quickly transformed myself back. Snape was sprawled on the floor, in pain. But he hadn't seen me. He seemed to be semi-conscious. I went up to him just as Sirius had reached us. I looked up to see something new. Tears in Sirius's eyes. He just whispered, "I'm sorry James. I wasn't…thinking."

The anger at him swelled down. I knew Sirius knew what he had done was stupid.

Flashback ends

I guess the rest is history. With time, Remus forgave him. Snape was sworn to secrecy about everything. Sirius? He was suspended and forbidden to any Hogsmeades trips for the rest of the time that year, among other punishments (lets just say Mama Black was never a nice woman.) but he wasn't expelled.

As for me? I realized that maybe, just maybe someone was trying to tell me that if I kept up this way, my life was going to spiral downwards. Maybe it was inspiration from Sirius who had changed a wee bit when he came back from suspension that changed me. But I was ready to grow up that day.

Well, that's what happened in fifth year. I don't remember if that's how it happened exactly and I'm not saying that what I was doing was brave or what I was doing was because it was meant to be great. I did what I had to just to save my best friend. I love Remus, ya know?

Back to reality, hmm?

Lily, with her little angelic little outfit on, looked at me while we sat on the train.

"So Po—James," she caught herself, "how was your summer?" she smiled that gorgeous smile of hers and I stretched out, trying to act casual.

"Lots of cake, actually. I celebrated my birthday at the end of June and Sirius had his in August. I threw another party when I discovered I became Head Boy. And Father's Day, Ann baked a cake for her dad and my uncle and also for my dad. Lots of cake," i said seriously. Lily snorted in disbelief.

"It certainly didn't seem to affect your Quidditch figure," she commented and looked at me but immediately turned red as she realized what she had said.

I took the compliment in stride however and just replied "Thank you for noticing, Ms. Lily. Me and Sirius played loads of Quidditch and then we chased each other all around the house a bit. Oh and we naturally avoided Ann whenever we pranked her," I chuckled.

Lily had a look of surprise on her face, as if she couldn't believe I didn't swell up with the flattering remark. But she saved herself and said, "I suppose it was hard seeing how Ann just adores chasing after you."

"Well…Ann wouldn't keep quiet about that blasted birthday of hers, so we had to do something to keep her quiet. She's turning 17 next March, as you probably remember and all she keeps talking about is a ball…a ball, I ask you? Who plans a ball for her seventeenth?" I laugh and Lily laughs along.

"She tends to get very involved with her projects James. Remember her 13th birthday?" Lily laughed.

"How would I forget? She made me wear a bloody polo that day and kept screeching at me that if I scared away any of her friends, she'd pull my hair out. But of course Ms. Lily, if you remember, I was on my BEST behavior that day," I winked at Lily.

"You poured punch all down Ann's shirt and then chased after me with a bullfrog saying if I kissed it, my Prince Charming would appear," Lily said, semi-laughing and semi-screeching.

I partially cackled with delight at that memory. "Aunt Caterina was ready to kill me when Ann went to her kicking and screaming. I believe I ducked about twenty-seven blows before she finally caught up with me."

Lily giggled also, "Did she knock any sense into you though?"

I shrugged. "It took me a few years to gain any form of common sense into me." I tightened up at the memory but shook the feeling off. Lily must have noticed my indifference and she bit her lip.

"Sorry Potter. I mean James…" she trailed off and I looked at her.

"No worries Lily. C'est la vie, as the French would say," I looked at her and sighed. I quickly changed the subject. "And you, Madmemoiselle Evans, how did YOUR summer go?"

"Umm, studying. I was dead excited to find I became Head Girl," she gushed, apparently forgetting she was talking to me, the boy she had claimed to hate. Maybe this was going well.

"Did you honestly doubt yourself?" I said, cocking my head to one side, incredulous. "Lily, you are at the bloody top of our class! You're not only beautiful, but brilliant!" I continued.

Lily just blushed, "James, shut up. If you must know, I was upset that you beat me in the Transfiguration Exams for the past 4 years and the Transfiguration OWLS," she sniffed.

I just stared at her. "You must be kidding me. And all this time, I was thinking you hated me for something…I don't know, more profound!"

Lily swelled up slightly. "I never HATED you James!"

I snorted. "You had a bloody great way of showing it Lily!"

She returned with a glare. "That is probably why I couldn't stand you for so many years Potter! That dubious superior attitude of yours, thinking you're better than any one else! Along with that crude, sarcastic--"

"I'M SARCASTIC?" I asked her, also glaring now. "Don't get me started Evans..."

"Too bloody late, isn't it?"

Our heated feud was interrupted with an announcement, "We are approaching Hogwarts. Students, please leave your luggage on the train and make sure to be wearing your robes prior to exiting. We shall be there in approximately five minutes."

I growled at the disruption and looked at Lily but she was already back to her book, reading.

The rest of our very short ride ended soon and I had a scowl as we got off the train. I turned and tried to apologize for blowing up at her at least thrice but the Potter Pride still got in the way. She started it, damnit.

"Hey Prongs, how'd it go?" Sirius caught up with me as my mates crowded into a carriage. It was a semi-blustery day and the wind kept blowing the hair in my face, so that was probably the reason Sirius didn't see the scowl written all over my face.

"Brilliantly Padfoot," I said sarcastically and bit my tongue as I realized Lily was right on that one. I got in last and sat opposite Remus.

"We were getting on marvelously until we started arguing," I revealed.

Prongs sighed and Remus tutted. "Well, mate…women are the most difficult creatures to compromise with," he replied, attempting to sound comforting. I sighed in frustration.

"Whatever, I'll try and make up with her when we get to our commons together," and as I said that, I perked up considerably.

"That's right, you and Lily share quarters," Peter spoke up. This seemed to interest him even more than me, but I shrugged, pretending to be indifferent about it. No one, especially me, bought it.

They all started teasing me and warning me to behave myself. I rolled my eyes in reply.

"Ohh, James, make sure to not 'accidentally' walk into her in the bathroom."

"Yeah bloody right. If I know James, I know he'll be having surveillance in the room every night."

"Except for the nights she's got PMS. Don't want to see that."

"No, I guarantee you he'll be using that invisibility cloak to good use!"

"Shut up, I have more respect for Lily than that, thank you very much!" I retorted and I silenced them all with a simple spell.

And in return, they smacked me. "Fine, you bloody gits!" I laughed and undid the spell.

We finally got off of our carriage and I noticed that it smelled oddly like cabbages in there because after I hopped out, I was immediately embracing fresh air.

I nodded to a few more of my classmates and glared at a Slytherin or two. I saw Snape later on and me and Sirius couldn't help but curse onto the back of his robes as soon as he flicked us off and turned around a little message for the school to read: "Gets on his knees for Luscious Malfoy."

I entered the Great Hall and pretty much slept through the sorting. (Ok, I might have stared at Lily a bit or I might have changed Malfoy's hair from that sickening blonde to a more…suitable color :coughslytheringreencough: but I slept for the most part!).

Then Dumbledore stood up, and I finally paid attention.

FIN

Ha-ha, ok, until the next time.

THANKS TO MY REVIEWERS. ya'll are the best ya know? Thanks for the sweet words, they mean loads to meh. Thanks ya'll again.