CHAPTER 1

"Hey Lily," said the dashing young wizard named James Potter.

Before he could even ask a question, Lily abruptly said, "No," and then walked out of the Gryfindor common room and most likely headed to the library.

James just shrugged the rejection off and walked back to his good friend Sirius, who was lounging on the floor looking at a joke and trick shop catalog.

"Hmmm... this sounds interesting," said Sirius as his best friend approached. "Actual voo-doo dolls, all we would need is a lock of Snivey's hair and we could jinx him from the comfort of our own common room."

Suddenly James got a terrific idea. "Can you do anything besides jinx the person with the doll?"

"Like what?" asked Sirius with interest.

James glanced over to the portrait to make sure that Lily was indeed gone.

Sirius followed James's line of vision and smiled. He had watched James get dumped by Lily again. "I don't know," remarked Sirius. "But I know how we can find out."

James smiled. He loved the way his partner-in-crime's mind worked.

The next day Sirius went up to the owlery and sent his black owl, Nightshade, out with an order for two voo-doo dolls (one for Snape and one for Evans), a new supply of dungbombs and a couple of fireworks.

Two weeks laterthe joke shopdelivered the shipment to its most loyal customers. As soon as the owls arrived at breakfast, James and Sirius took their loot and stashed it up in their dormitory for use after classes, or between, or knowing James and Sirius, during. The rest of the morning was used to locate and steal, or borrow without the intention of ever returning (as the Marauder ringleaders liked to refer to their mischief with other people's possessions), a lock of hair from two people; a greasy clump of grease with some hairs in it from Snape and a lock of red from the haloed head of Lily. It was Sirius's job to attack Severus and James's to cut of some of his hair. This was all completed after Potions class, which Gryfindors and Slytherins had together. There was one significant problem that almost put the kibosh on the whole operation however. Lily Evans was also in the Gryfindor/Slytherin Potions class that morning, and she had stayed after to speak to Professor Slughorn about using essence instead of extract of snake liver for better results with the Wendinky potions, so she walked out of the classroom right as Potter and Black were cornering Snape.

The whole thing was almost a disaster when James chanced to look over at Lily and the disgust that was so evident on her face as she walked away, not willing to intervene on Severus's behalf after he had insulted her the previous summer.

"Oi! Prongs! Now!" yelled Sirius as Snape struggled to free himself of the hex that had been placed on him by Black.

James turned from Lily and got the hair from Snape.

"Now what?" asked Sirius cruelly.

"Let him go," said James dully as he remembered the look Lily had given him.

Sirius released Snape downheartedly and then the two of them left Severus to gather up his spilled quills and other school supplies.

"What's up with you? You losing your edge?" asked Sirius, half-joking, half-not.

"She's never going to like me," answered James sadly.

"That's what the doll is for, remember?"

"I just kinda wish that she would like me of her own free will though."

"Why can't you just pick another girl? I bet you that any other girl would be happy to go out with you. What about that, ummm... the Ravenclaw with the dark-haired girl, the one who is on the Quidditch team?"

"Nah, she's going out with that Chang guy, I think."

"How about Alice whatever, she's kind of pretty," suggested Sirius.

"I think Frank Longbottom fancies her, I don't want to make it a triangle."

"What about this red head I know? Let's see, what is her name?" Sirius looked down at the floor and covered his face with his hand in fierce concentration. "Rose? No. Violet? No. Lilac? Close, but no."

"Lily!" exclaimed James.

"That's the one!" said Sirius looking up. But then he saw what James had stopped dead. Lily was standing right at the end of the hallway, as if she was waiting for them, for reasons unknown.

James, as usual, lost all control of himself for a couple of seconds at the sight of Evans.

While James was collecting himself, Sirius asked Lily, "So Evans, you need to ask Sluggy to change your grade from Super-Outstanding to Ultra-Outstanding, or do you just want to inform him that we should all be using killey fish scales instead of kiley fish scales?"

"No I was going to ask him if tomorrow we could use students instead of mice to test out the mummifying potions. I was going to vote for Potter, but one more comment like that Black and I may just have to nominate you," retorted Lily.

"I'm touched that I won your vote," said James, having regained the ability to speak.

"Don't flatter yourself."

"So, Evans, what really brings you to this neck of the woods?" asked Sirius.

"Besides classes? Well, I just thought that you should know that if you gang up on Snape one more time, I will take points from Gryfindor."

"From your own house?" asked James, mystified.

"Yes, from my own house, I am amazed that Remus hasn't taken away hundreds of points from you two by now."

"He hasn't taken away hundreds of points from his own house, one because he, unlike some people, actually want to win the House Cup and two, because on most occasions he would have to take points away from himself for aiding and abetting the criminals," stated James smartly.

"Oh, I think he pays enough for your little schemes, but not in points," said Lily as she walked away.

"What did she mean?" asked Sirius.

"Ummm... not sure exactly and frankly I don't care; let's just work on our plot to get some of her hair."

"Yeah, I doubt she is going to just hand over some of her DNA."

James nodded in agreement, "but maybe she just won't hand over some of her hair to us."

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

James of course was. At the same time they both said "Remus!" and rushed off to convince their friend to do their bidding.

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"So how is your transfiguration essay coming Lily?" asked Remus as he approached the library table Lily was working at.

"Alright, how's yours?" replied Lily as she momentarily paused in her work.

"It's ok, not my best work, but it's better than Sirius or James's."

"Remus," sighed Lily. "Did they make you proof-read their essays again?"

"It wasn't at all strenuous, neither of them have anything written and Peter hasn't gotten past his name. Do you mind if I join you? The common room is a little… well… it's… it's impossible to work with James and Sirius within a ten-foot radius!"

"I feel the same way! Sirius isn't so bad on his good days, but James is just downright intolerable all of the time. It's because of them that I spend so much time in the library."

"Yeah, this is the one place I can escape them too," said Remus downheartedly.

"The only reason they would come in here is if there was a section of books about pulling pranks and hexing Severus."

Remus and Lily laughed and then Remus said, "They really aren't as bad as you think; they just like having a little fun."

"A little fun I could comprehend, everyone wants some fun, but what they do to poor Snape is just cruel and unusual."

"I don't mean to defend them, but I just have to say that half the time he has it coming to him."

"But they never fight fairly, two on one? How could Severus ever defend himself if they both advance on him?"

Remus smiled, "Therein lays their genius. They will always win. Perhaps it's best that James wins for two reasons."

Lily asked, "Why is it good that James hexes poor Snape?"

"Number one, James and Sirius may be cruel, but they would never really hurt Snape; they just have some fun with him. Snape on the other hand might actually maim James, Sirius, or both if he was given the chance."

"For your sake I won't comment on that."

"I thank you," said Remus as he was about to list the second reason. "I believe that you will readily agree with my second reason."

"What is it?"

"James needs to satisfy his ego almost daily and beating Snape often gives him a boast."

"I agree with the need to satisfy the ego part, but I'm not sure why someone has to get hurt to see it accomplished."

"Snape provides an everlasting supply of ego-boosters for James, that and Quidditch are the only true sources he can use, other than dangerous stunts. Do you remember that one time he tried tofeed the giant squidbecause he was feeling bored?"

Lily laughed at the recollection. "Why do you hang around with those two morons Remus? You can do so much better in the way of friends."

Remus smiled again, but his face still looked sad. "Yeah, until they find out what I really am. James, Sirius and Peter are the only ones who accept me for the monster I am."

"They aren't the only ones," said Lily shyly.

"Trust me, they are. People are pretty stubborn about this sort of thing."

Lily was more than slightly offended at being left out as one of Remus's friends. "So what, I don't count as a person anymore? Now I'm a thing to you too; you have been with James too much."

"I'm sorry Lily, really I am. I didn't mean to leave you out; it's just that I have you and then I have Sirius, James and Peter."

"At least you didn't count me as one of them."

"I never could, I can talk to you like I can't to them. They just don't understand or even listen for that matter."

"You are a good listener yourself. I'm glad that we have become friends, I don't know how I would have gotten this far in Hogwarts without you," said Lily sweetly.

"You've been there for me when no one else has and I thank you for it."

"There is no need to thank me, I have been happy to listen to all of your problems."

"I know, and that is what makes you such a wonderful person," Remus said.

Lily paused for a second before saying, "Remus, I, I, think…"

"No, Lily, don't say it. I feel bad enough as it is."

"Remus, please," pleaded Lily. "I need to know."

"Know that everything you feel for me, I return to you, but we both know the problems that would evolve if something came from our feelings."

"You don't know that if you don't try."

"I don't want to see you hurt, Lily, I care for you too much."

"Then don't reject me," begged Lily.

Remus got up to leave. He couldn't sit there anymore; it was proving to be impossibly difficult to not give into the demands of his heart.

Lily got up also. She grabbed her stuff and followed Remus out of the library.

"Remus, please, just wait," called Lily.

Remus was barely ten steps in front of her, so by the time he had stopped and turned around, she was upon him.

Just as Lily's lips met Remus's, James walked around the corner. He had been walking to see if Remus had been successful in obtaining a hair sample from Lily. Instead he got a full view of Remus kissing the head the hair sample was attached to.