Full Summary:

You know the story; boy meets girl, girl detests boy, and boy thinks she's playing hard to get and he just persists until she turns him into a water-deprived fish…

At least, that was last year. This year, James Potter has made it his mission to get the girl. With a little help from his not-so-serious and indiscrete friends and suggestive cousin in South America, he might have a one-way ticket to getting what he wants. But when he realises that he truly and honestly cares for her (and that it's not just a game) and the way he's been treating her is definitely what Lily doesn't want, will it be too late to change her stubborn mind about him? (Mainly JP/LE, but Sirius and Remus get love too!)

JP/LE : SB/OC : RL/OC

Fanfiction : JizzyEffrik : Marauders Era: JP/LE

A/N: Hello, hello and hello everyone!

A/N: Welcome to the wondrous world of 'I LOVE YOU, GODAMMIT!' I hope you enjoy your stay, for this might be a bumpy (and lonely) trail down heartbreak lane! (Lame A/N, I know. Sorry :/)

A/N: Please R&R! (Not rest and relax [well, you can if you want], read and review! It only takes a few seconds… :]) Tell me what you think! I'm writing this for you people, you know! :D

Chapter One

"And look at this! The wondrously generous Potter boy is sitting by himself! Oh, dearie me! What is wrong?"

"Why did I let you in my house?"

Sirius Black was currently hanging upside down on James Potter's wardrobe in their shared bedroom. Sirius' tone of voice had taken to one of a dramatic commentator, and James was sick of having everything he did being commented on. After all, it wasn't as though they were in at a Quidditch match. No one needed voice-overs in real life!

"Ah, that is the question, young Potter! Oh, look at that! Wow! He's getting up for the first time since he woke up, which was well over five hours ago!"

"I'm warning you, Padfoot-"

"- Splendid! Look at him, flexing his arms menacingly! My, my! What is he up to now? He's approaching the wardrobe, he's taking away my hairbrush – I mean microphone, AND HE'S GOING TO BREAK IT IN HALF! I THINK I CAN HEAR A COLLECTIVE GASP FROM THE AUDIENCE! OH NO! WATCH OUT, HE'S ON A DANGEROUS RAMPAGE! AHH!"

James rolled his hazel eyes at his friends' theatrics. He put the two halves of Sirius' hairbrush on Sirius' bed. Then, he proceeded to kick his wardrobe. Sirius wobbled and he felt his legs slipping off the top of the wardrobe.

"CALL THE HEALERS! I THINK I'M GOING TO DIEEEEEE!"

Sirius finally fell (the journey to the ground taking about one second) and he immediately leapt to his feet, his arms in the position of a boxer.

"C'mon, Jamesy-boy! Fight your dreadfully handsome friend!"

"Not today, Padfoot. Not today."

"Aww, man! I was getting geared up for a full blown fight! I've been cooped up in your damn house far too long! I need to get outside! I need fresh air! I need to go skinny-dipping!"

"What?"

"Yes, skinny-dipping!"

"You spend way too much time by yourself."

Breakfast at the Potters was not a quiet affair. The Potters and Sirius were not fantastic at keeping themselves quiet for a long period of time.

"So, Mrs Potter-"

"-Just call me Jane or Mum, Sirius," interjected Mrs Potter, her hazel eyes, that were so much like James', crinkling in kindness.

"Right. So, Mrs Jane Mum Potter, what do you plan to do today?"

Mrs Potter let out an amused chuckle. There was a mischievous twinkle in her eye as she leaned towards Sirius and whispered:

"I plan to skinny-dip with Garen."

Unluckily, James was a very accomplished eavesdropper, which was something that Mr Potter had passed down to him.

"MUM!" shouted James, shocked and embarrassed.

"What's wrong with that, James? Just because I have two sons doesn't mean that I can't spend time with my husband."

"But you don't have to broadcast it to the whole world!"

"I'm sure Sirius doesn't mind."

"Actually-"

"Don't, Padfoot."

Sirius pretended to look hurt, but it was hard to do so. Every time Mr and Mrs Potter called him their son, it gave him a warm, happy feeling. The same thing happened when James called him 'That annoying brother of mine' with a playful wink directed at Sirius.

Life at the Potters was a very big contrast to life at the Blacks. And Sirius was so grateful that he had been accepted at the Potters.

Mr and Mrs Potter certainly didn't mind having another son running around the house – after all, they had wanted another child but Mrs Potter couldn't have any more, or else she'd risk dying in childbirth.

Sirius ignored James' warning and continued on, anyway.

"Actually, Mrs Jane Mum Potter, I was planning to skinny-dip as well."

"What's that about skinny-dipping?" asked Mr Potter, finally appearing at the foot of the staircase, bundles of parchment in his arms and his glasses slipping down his nose.

"What is with this family and skinny-dipping?" James cried out, pretending to burst into tears.

"Oh, James. Grow up," chided Mrs Potter playfully, giving her husband a peck on the cheek and buttering some toast. Mr Potter put the parchment down and then started to unroll them, placing items like heavy plates on the corners to stop it from springing back. He skimmed over them, every now and again ruffling the classic jet-black and always messy hair that he had passed down to his son.

James glanced at Sirius and Sirius shrugged and nodded, as if saying 'I agree with her.'

James sighed dramatically then started to eat his cereal. It was silent in the kitchen, bar the sounds of cutlery against plates. At least, until Mr and Mrs Potter started whispering and giggling like teenagers.

"Ooh, you naughty boy!" said Mrs Potter, slapping her husband playfully on the arm, her cheeks slightly pink. James started to turn green at the sight of his parents blatantly flirting during breakfast.

"Really, Mum, Dad? Can't you save that for your… adventure in the lake or the bedroom?" James asked.

Mr Potter merely winked at James.

"I think I'm going to eat in the lounge room."

"MUM! REMUS'S HERE!" yelled James, four hours later.

Remus Lupin stood patiently outside the door with a trunk full of his school and summer things as James hollered about the presence of another Marauder and Sirius started singing a Christmas carol (which was what Sirius always did when he was happy, nervous or excited. No matter what the occasion). Mrs Potter started panicking about the state of the house, and it was Mr Potter who opened the door with a tired, but amused face.

"Come on in, Remus."

"Chaos as always, Mr Potter?" asked Remus with a sympathetic nod of his head.

"As always, Remus. Please, call me Garen," replied Mr Potter.

"All right then, Mr Garen Potter."

Mr Potter chuckled and called for the family house elf, Hilda, who immediately took Remus' trunk upstairs to one of the guest rooms by magic.

Remus opened his mouth to comment on the loveliness of the Potter home, but he was immediately bombarded by two different sets of black hair.

"MOONY!"

"REMY DARLING!"

James and Sirius both hugged Remus in a gruff sort of way, and they proceeded to do the Marauder handshake, which was just like a normal one but with a maniacal grin and uttering the words, "Banana monkey making money!" with a 360 spin and a high-five after that.

"That was refreshing," supplied Remus.

"Yes, Remy darling," said Sirius, batting his eyelids in an innocent way.

"I told you not to call me that," said Remus, glaring at Sirius.

"You didn't mind before," shrugged Sirius. Remus wisely decided not to comment. He fished for something else to say instead.

"Where's Pete?"

"His mother's sick, and you know how Pete is about his mum," answered Sirius, James clicking his tongue sympathetically. Remus nodded in acknowledgement.

"You hungry?" asked James. Remus nodded, and Sirius jumped up and down in an excited manner.

"Not you! You had a huge snack just two minutes ago!" Sirius stopped jumping and he looked down at his feet and pretended to sob.

"Judging by Sirius' sobs and the racket you've all been causing, Remus has finally been let into the house," stated Mrs Potter, walking down the hallway with a warm smile on her face.

"Ah, hello Mrs Potter. You know us too well," said Remus with a warm smile.

"Oh, please! Call me Jane," said Mrs Potter, beaming at Remus.

"Alright then, Mrs Jane Potter."

"Why do you boys always do that?" asked Mrs Potter with a sigh and a shake of her head. She led them all into the kitchen.

"You have wonderful timing, Remus. We were just about to put on lunch," she said, flitting around and getting out several items.

"Lunch!" yelled Sirius excitedly.

"Shut it, you," said James, poking Sirius in the chest.

Mrs Potter stopped tipping flour into a bowl to gesture to Remus to come closer.

"These two bicker on and on all day about anything and everything. How do you stand it? You would think they were married. Speaking of marriage… where's that husband of mine?"

"Did someone mention me?" asked Mr Potter, leaning against the kitchen doorframe.

"Yes, dear. I left my wand in the bedroom, could you please fetch it?"

"Yes, master. Shall I carry it to you in my mouth like a dog?" teased Mr Potter, turning to go and get Mrs Potter's wand.

Sirius was about say something to that, but James shot him a warning glance.

"What are we having for lunch, Mrs P – I mean, Jane?" asked Remus politely, sliding into a chair to watch Mrs Potter. Sirius and James followed suit.

"We're having a roast lunch," said Mrs Potter distractedly placing various vegetables in another bowl. Sirius wore a look of glee.

"Ah, thank you, dear," said Mrs Potter once Mr Potter reappeared and handed her wand to her.

"So, Remus, gotten your Hogwarts letter yet?" asked Mr Potter conversationally, seating himself opposite James.

"No, not yet. But, knowing my luck, the owl would have arrived just after I came here," said Remus with a melodramatic sigh and a playful wink at Sirius and James.

"Speaking of owls…" murmured James, sitting up and peering out of the kitchen window. Three bird-like shapes were heading towards the house, and James and Sirius hastened to open the creaky window.

Three handsome tawny owls landed gracefully on the dining table and each stuck their leg out, waiting to be relieved of their letters.

"James, here's yours. Sirius, you too," said Remus, untying two and reading the names on the front. When he untied the last one, the three owls immediately took off in the direction they came in.

Eagerly, the three boys ripped open their letters and two metallic items fell out of James's letter.

"Is that-?"

"Why yes, Padfoot, I think it is," said Remus, inspecting the two shield-like badges. James couldn't inspect his own badges, for he was in a state of shock. Mrs Potter stopped cooking and Mr Potter leaned over and turned one over. It said 'HB' in gold lettering against a scarlet background.

A wide grin broke out on Mr and Mrs Potter's faces. They started to laugh – it was a proud, happy laugh. Sirius and Remus joined in, though theirs were more incredulous.

The laughing seemed to interrupt James' train of thought.

"Moony, I think I opened your letter," he said, his mouth dry.

"Give it here," said Sirius, roughly taking James' letters. Then, he picked the right one and cleared his throat, reading aloud:

"Mr James Potter, of Gryffindor House – We are incredibly pleased to present you with the Head Boy badge. As you know, being a Head Boy/Girl is a great responsibility, and we have your full support and confidence that you are the right person for this position.

"The Head Girl is Miss Lily Evans, also of Gryffindor House. This is a joint Headship, and we are sure that you two will not forget that. Both of you are to conduct a speech to the Prefects during the train ride to Hogwarts on 1 September, and a list of the Prefect rounds follow this letter.

"I am sure that you are familiar with the Prefect position. If not, I am sure that you can consult a few Prefects and ask them what being a Prefect is all about.

"The Head position is much like the Prefect position, but instead of being a follower of the Prefect committee, you are the leader. You have a great deal of respect and responsibility and it is up to you, at times, to supervise detentions if most of the staff is detained. That will also be an ideal opportunity to learn a responsibility of the staff, should you choose to join the ranks someday.

"You may get a few letters from the Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore. Don't be alarmed – you will not be in trouble. The Headmaster would probably wish to give you a task or to get an update on the standards of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

"If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to ask me (as your Head of House and Deputy Headmistress).

"Yours sincerely,

"Minerva McGonagall."

Sirius lowered the letter to the table to find James paralysed with shock again.

"Oh, come on, Prongs!" sighed Sirius exasperatedly. He promptly slapped James in the face. That brought James back to his senses.

"Ouch, Padfoot," said James, gingerly placing a hand on his red cheek.

"Evans," said Remus suddenly.

"Huh?" asked Sirius and James. They quickly looked at each other and grinned.

"Evans. You have to share the Head position with Evans."

Sirius started to laugh and James grew pink.

"Mate, she'll murder you when you step foot into the Prefects compartment!" gasped Sirius, after chortling like mad.

"Who is this 'Evans'?" asked Mrs Potter. She had returned to her cooking and was watching her son intently.

If possible, James flushed a deeper red.

"James… is there a lady friend here that we haven't met?" asked Mr Potter in his concerned, fatherly voice. However, the effect was ruined by his all-knowing smirk.

"Lady friend?" started Sirius, "More like lady enemy!"

James just sank further into his chair, his face still red. He knew that Sirius would get a kick out of telling his parents about his 'crush'.

"I feel like there's something else to this story…" trailed off Mrs Potter, prompting Sirius into speech again.

"Well, there's the fact that Prongsie over here –" here Sirius slapped the boy in mention on the back, "Has had a major… 'crush' (I guess that's what you call it) on Lily Evans since… what was it? Second year? Or was it first? Whatever, he's had this 'crush' since forever but the real clincher of it is… Evans hates him!" Sirius finished off with a round of laughter, though no one else found it hilarious.

James groaned and sank to the floor. He couldn't believe that Sirius had just ruined his life in a matter of about five sentences.

"Why didn't you tell us this before?" asked Mrs Potter sternly, her eyes almost burning a hole through the dining table. There was an incoherent mumble under the table.

"Sorry, mate, didn't catch that," said Remus, smirking for he knew exactly what James said.

"Because I was too embarrassed to admit that the one girl who wants nothing to do with me is the one I'm always chasing after!" James bellowed, mainly for Remus, who toppled off his chair at the volume of James' voice with the addition of his heightened senses.

There was a stunned silence after James' furious statement. Then, James hit his head on the table as he tried to sit up and slide out under it.

"C'mere, you dork," said Sirius, immediately grabbing James' arm and pulling him out and plonking him on the seat next to him.

James was still red, but it was more because of anger instead of embarrassment. Mr Potter coughed uncomfortably and tried to sound reassuring with the words:

"Your mother and I loathed each other when we first met. Turned out all right for us, didn't it?" Mr Potter desperately turned to his wife, who nodded enthusiastically, her long red hair bouncing around the place.

"Lily would rather have my head on a plate than say my first name!" wailed James. His parents had nothing to say to that. Mr Potter wisely decided to hide behind the Daily Prophet and Mrs Potter hummed a tune by the Dragon Tamers as she cooked.

In an effort to change the subject, Remus picked up the other badge that fell out of James' envelope.

"Prongs! Look at this!" he yelled excitedly, "It'll cheer you up for sure!"

Sirius got up and walked over to Remus' side of the table and was about to comment enthusiastically when James stated bluntly,

"Nothing can cheer me up."

"Oh, Prongsie boy, I think this might!" Sirius held up the second badge, and it took a moment to register in James' mind. Then, he leapt up and starting jumping up and down like a maniac.

Mr Potter put down the Daily Prophet and he inspected the badge that Sirius handed to him. Unluckily, as he did this he was drinking a steaming hot cup of coffee he had fixed himself earlier. He scalded the back of his throat as he cried out his wife's name, in both pain and excitement.

"Jane!"

"What is it, Garen? I'm at a very complicated stage in this process at the moment!" Mrs Potter called out irritably.

"I'm pretty sure it can wait. You'll love to see this!"

With a heavy, impatient sigh, Mrs Potter marched over to her husband and he wordlessly handed her the badge.

"Oh, James!" she gasped, immediately crushing her son in a hug. His glasses immediately slipped off and smashed on the tiled floor and he couldn't see a darn thing.

"Mum, you broke my glasses!" he complained. She let go, grinning at him.

"Usually, the mandatory complaint is, 'Mum, I can't breathe!'"

"Yeah, well, I'm mixing it up a little. Where's my glasses?"

Remus stooped down and repaired the broken glasses with a tap of his wand. He handed them to James who smiled gratefully in the opposite direction.

"He's completely hopeless without them," whispered Sirius to Remus.

"Don't even think about taking his glasses. You know he'll get you back harder," warned Remus.

"Yeah, whatever."

"Fancy me, a Quidditch Captain!" stated James incredulously once he had his glasses back on. He pinned the badge onto his shirt, looking down at it proudly. It had two golden letters, a Q and a C, against a scarlet background. Underneath the words were two brooms crossing each other and a Golden Snitch that seemed to flutter frantically sat where the two brooms met.

"No, I wouldn't fancy you, even if you are a Quidditch Captain. I don't swing that way," teased Sirius. James just rolled his eyes and hit Sirius over the head.

"OK, fine, I'm gay for you, Prongsie-Wongsy!" said Sirius, puckering up his lips.

"That's just wrong! What are you, a sick, twisted, incest-approving homosexual?" asked James, pushing him away.

"I sense a homophobe!" sang Remus.

"I am not a homophobe! I just don't swing that way, nor would I enjoy Sirius kissing me! It'd be like kissing your brother, or even your dad, even! Get away from me!" James pushed Sirius off his lap.

"You know, Dumbledore's gay," said Remus thoughtfully.

"Then go marry him," quipped James. Remus shot him a withering look.

"I'm just saying that there's nothing wrong with being gay. Dumbledore is a brilliant man who will never pass his brains on, which is unfortunate –"

"Then go get your aunt to get him drunk and have his children!" shouted Sirius gleefully.

Mr and Mrs Potter both sighed. Mrs Potter continued with her cooking, and Mr Potter had finished with the Daily Prophet and he had now turned to examine the rolls of parchment he had unravelled earlier.

"Anyway," Remus pressed on, "Being gay is something that you cannot control."

He stated this with a logical, reasonable tone.

"Why are we having this conversation, anyway?" asked James in a bewildered tone of voice.

"You brought it up!" accused Sirius, pointing at James.

"It was a figure of speech! Besides, it was Remus who went into the details! I didn't ask for the mental images of Dumbledore with… I dunno, Slughorn in their office getting it on!"

"Oh, so you're imaging it, are you?" asked Sirius cheekily.

"Oh my God, what is wrong with you? OK, I agree with Remus – being gay is something you cannot control. Being gay is OK. I think that at least you can find someone that you can love unconditionally. OK? You get my drift now? Or would you like me to explain it further?" asked James, a challenging glare thrown at both Sirius and Remus, who both glanced at each other. Then, to annoy James, they merely said one word.

"Yeah."

"Well, I think that it's OK to find love in the world. No matter what gender that you go for – at least you have someone who can colour your world, someone who can give you the best possible joy, someone who you cannot stay away from, no matter how much you try. Someone who you can call 'beautiful' and they know that you mean it. Someone who means it when they say, 'I love you'."

James took a deep breath, meaning to continue, but Remus stopped him.

"Is that how you feel about Evans?"

James paused. Then, it hit him like a ton of bricks. He didn't actually care for her. Well, not much, anyway. Just enough to be satisfied when he'd get her. And he would get her, sooner or later.

He actually thought of her as something he could throw away once he had won the frustrating game.

Mr and Mrs Potter looked at James in anticipation, wondering if this was the girl.

"No."