"Alright, Marauders

"Alright, Marauders!" James shouted at his friends, who looked exceedingly bored. "I have come up with another plan! We will call it... Plan No. 394!"

Remus rolled his eyes. "Gosh, James. How did you ever come up with that?"

"I'm going to ignore that, Moony, because this is such an amazingly fantastic plot of pure genius. But... I need help."

Two of the three boys who were listening groaned with well-practised synchrony.

"No, listen, listen, listen... It's really simple. You just have to be my back-up singers!" James was so excited that he actually jumped when he informed his friends of their part to play in his scheme.

"You've tried singing before!" Sirius reminded him.

"Yeah, but this time it's different... I researched a muggle song for her!"

"Oh, Merlin..." Sirius sighed.

--

Later that night, in the Gryffindor Common Room, Lily Evans hadn't a clue of the ambush that had been planned upon her. She was reading a charms book, quite happy, oblivious that from across the room, Plan No. 394 was about to be put into action.

"Are you ready?" James whispered eagerly. Only Peter replied, "Yes!" with any kind of enthusiasm. The other two were sat in armchairs, still looking pretty bored.

And then, suddenly, James burst out of his hiding place, (the corner, behind an armchair) and cried,

"Lily Evans, words cannot describe what I feel for you... So I prepared a song!" with a wave of his wand, a band of floating instruments flew forward from the corner, and started to play a familiar song. And James started to sing...

"Why do you build me up?"

"Build me up." Sirius and Remus only muttered the words from their posts in the corner – after a hard look from James – while Peter sang with as much energy as he could muster.

"Buttercup, baby

Just to let me down" "Let me down." "And mess me around
And then worst of all" "Worst of all." "You never call, baby
When you say you will" "Say you will." "But I love you still
I need you" "I need you." "More than anyone, darlin'
You know that I have from the start
So build me up" "Build me up." "Buttercup, don't break my heart,"

Lily stared at him, with obvious horror not only at his terrible singing, but at the fact that the whole Gryffindor Common Room was laughing at the pair of them.

"'I'll be over at ten', you told me time and again
But you're late, I wait around and then" "Bah dah dah."
"I run to the door, I can't take any more
It's not you, you let me down again,"

One of Lily's friends nudged her, and whispered, 'Aww'. Lily only scowled.

"Hey, hey, hey!" "Baby, baby, try to find"
"Hey, hey, hey!" "A little time, and I'll make you happy"
"Hey, hey, hey!" "I'll be home
I'll be beside the phone waiting for you
Ooo-oo-ooo, ooo-oo-ooo,"

"Why do you build me up?" "Build me up." "Buttercup, baby

Just to let me down" "Let me down." "And mess me around
And then worst of all" "Worst of all." "You never call, baby
When you say you will" "Say you will." "But I love you still
I need you" "I need you." "More than anyone, darlin'
You know that I have from the start
So build me up" "Build me up." "Buttercup, don't break my heart,"

"You were my toy but I could be the boy you adore
If you'd just let me know" "Bah dah dah."
"Although you're untrue, I'm attracted to you all the more
Why do I need you so"

By now some of their fellow Gryffindors had started to sway in time with the music, or even sing along. Sirius and Remus were, at this point, simply laughing at how ridiculous the entire plan was.

"Why do you build me up?" "Build me up." "Buttercup, baby

Just to let me down" "Let me down." "And mess me around
And then worst of all" "Worst of all." "You never call, baby
When you say you will" "Say you will." "But I love you still
I need you" "I need you." "More than anyone, darlin'
You know that I have from the start
So build me up" "Build me up." "Buttercup, don't break my heart,"

"I-I-I need you-oo-oo more than anyone, baby
You know that I have from the start
So build me up" "Build me up." "Buttercup, don't break my heart!"

The Common Room burst into applause, as James cried,

"What d'you say, Evans?"

She stared at him, appalled and said;

"When have I ever "built you up"?"

Quick as a flash James replied, "Every time you look in my eyes, something goes up." He added a wink for added measure.

With a glowering look, Lily cried "Furnunculus!"

"I doubt anything will be "going up" for a long time, Potter."

James could only moan in excruciating pain, as the entire Gryffindor house roared with laughter.