Cover Art: belongs to me :)

Disclaimer: the Harry Potter universe belongs to J.K Rowling

Ignoring

Four students stood behind a bookshelf in the school library watching a table occupied by a sole student. They appeared to be arguing – and one appeared to be losing the argument.

"That's it! I've made up my mind. I'm doing it." James said.

"Of course you ar- wait- what?" Sirius said startled, "I thought we agreed it was a bad idea."

"No, the three of you agreed it was a bad idea." James reminded him.

"And you're suppose to go along with it." Sirius said.

"Yeah, what possessed you to make that decision?" Peter asked.

"Have you really thought this through?" Remus asked.

James shrugged, "it's now or never."

"I vote never." said Sirius firmly

"Tough. Your vote doesn't count," James said simply.

"Doesn't count for what?" Alice asked coming up behind them.

Sirius answered her, "James here, thinks that it would be a brilliant idea to go and chat up Ms Evans."

Alice stared at him, "why?"

"Because he's an idiot." Sirius supplied.

"Death wish?" Peter answered.

"Bordem?" Remus guessed.

"Well that's a stupid reason." Alice said bluntly.

Sirius glared at her, "clearly," he turned to James, "at least wait until she's out of the library."

"Why would do that?" Peter asked, "this way she can't make a scene because it risks her getting kicked out."

"Yeah, but he can't run from her, unless they're in the corridors." Sirius reasoned.

"You think she's going to chase him?" Alice interjected, "as if she would go that – there's no fun in that."

"Who said anything about fun?"

Alice rolled her eyes, "if he's going to keep bugging her, then she should get something out of it."

"If she would stop turning him down then she would be getting something out of it!"

"And if he stopped being a jerk about it, then she wouldn't have to keep turning him down!"

"Well, if she-"

"Oi!" Remus interrupted them, "just thought you should know: he's left."

Sure enough, James was almost at the table where Lily sat surrounded by books.

"He's a dead man." said Peter, who had been following Sirius and Alice's back-and-forth and didn't notice his absence.

"Why didn't you stop him?!" Sirius accused, hitting Remus over the head.

Remus rubbed his head, "what would I have said?"

"Hmm... lets see," Sirius said, pretending to think, "how about something along the lines of 'don't go over there'?"

"That wouldn't have worked, and you know it."

"You don't know that."

"Yes he does – and so do you," came a different voice, "he's stubborn and everyone knows it."

"Butt out, McKinnion." Sirius snapped.

"Oh, does it bother you?" Marlene batted her eyelashes, "looks likes I'm staying right here then."

"How did you know what we were talking about?" Remus asked, cutting off whatever Sirius was going to say.

"You're not exactly quiet," Marlene shrugged, "and anyway, it's not that difficult to work out who the 'he' and 'she' you're talking about is when you're all more-or-less facing their table."

"Their table?" Sirius repeated.

The group turned in unison towards the table. Just as Marlene had said, Lily and James were seated at the table. Even more surprising was that it appeared that they were actually having a civilized conversation.

Peter was the first to speak, "well would you look at that."

"There's got to be a reason," Sirius said, "Evans wouldn't willingly talk to him. Maybe he paid her off."

"Don't be stupid." Alice said.

"Or maybe – she's really just leading him on," he continued, ignoring her, "and she's really a secret agent send out to destroy him. Or maybe-"

"Oh shut up!" Alice said smacking his arm, "she's not out to destroy him."

"You don't know that!" he gasped, "maybe you're in on it too! Maybe you being here is just to distract us from witnessing what she's really up to!"

Remus clamped his hand over Sirius's mouth and hissed, "if you don't shut up then we'll all get kicked out and nobody's going to know why she's suddenly talking pleasantly to him."

"Where'd they do?" Peter asked suddenly.

"What do you mean, 'where'd they go'? They're right over-" Sirius stopped shot.

The table that Lily and James were at, was presently empty.

"We lost them! We're never gonna see him again!" Sirius wailed dramatically.

"Is he always like this?" Alice asked.

Remus and Peter looked that each other and shrugged.

"Hit or miss really."

"Depends on the day."

"How do you get him to stop?" Marlene said, glaring at him.

"I could tell you what I would do, but he'll probably stop any second now," came James' voice.

As if on cue, Sirius stopped abruptly and said, "so how'd it go? These guys were all worried when you suddenly disappeared. But I knew you could hold your own with her."

"Sure you did," Lily said, moving into view.

"Oh hey, Evans ... didn't see you there." Sirius said.

"Apparently," Lily said smiling, "anyway," she turned to James, "thanks for your help."

"Anytime, Evans, you know that." James grinned at her.

"Maybe you could help me with the next Transfiguration assignment, Merlin knows I'll need help on." She touched his arm and smiled before turning away.

Alice and Marlene were quick to follow her, firing whispered question at her.

"What just happened?" Peter asked finally.

"I don't know," Sirius said thoughtfully, "but I do know that we have to check out his arm incase she put an explosive on it then she touched him!"