pleez r/r! i live 4 it...giv ne constructive critisism (sp?) or ideas for the plot that u c fit. i'm open 2 everything. o also tell me if i'm rushing (i felt like i wuz in this chap)

Chapter 1: Hate is a Strong Word

"Potter!" yelled a very furious red head as she made her way through the crowded Hogwarts hallways. "POTTER!"

James's laughter caught in his throat as he stared at Lily Evans running towards him.

"Good luck with this one mate," Sirius said before taking a step back and letting his friend get the full force of Lily's rage.

Giving Sirius a weak smile, James ruffled his hair before turning around to face the raging 6th year. He put on what was his "lady-killer" smile and said, "Heya Evans, how's it going?"

Lily's startling green eyes bore into James's brown ones. He saw the frenzy going on inside them and flinched. "Don't you 'Heya' me, Potter. What do you think you're doing?" she asked as she knelt down by the 2nd year Hufflepuff that was covered in boils.

"Aww, lighten up Lils. We were just having a bit of last-day fun."

"We? Oh, let me guess. The other Marauders were involved?"

"Way to go Prongs," Sirius nudged.

Lily ignored the comment and continued. "You, Remus, as a prefect should know better than to play pranks on the younger students."

Remus Lupin looked at the ground, ashamed. "Well, I'll take him to Madam Pomphrey. Wingardium leviosa," he chanted before floating the student down the hall.

Lily then turned on James again. "You are the most insufferable, big headed, prat I have ever met!" she screamed before heading down the corridor.

The whole crowd parted for her and James sat there staring at her retreating form. Suddenly, Chelsea (Lily's best mate) came up to him.

"I'm so sorry James, you know how she is. I'll talk to her, and don't take it personally," she added before running after her.

James turned back to his two remaining friends and heaved a sigh. "Am I really that big headed?"

Peter patted him on the shoulder and said, "Of course not. Just think of what Chelsea said, 'Don't take it personally.' Plus it's only what that stuck up, mu…."

"If you don't finish that sentence with something along the lines of 'fantastic person' I'll hex you next," James threatened, glaring at the shortest marauder.

Sensing something was about to happen, Sirius stepped in between the two. "Settle down there Prongs. No reason to get upset, unless you fancy Evans or something?"

Instead of answering James just turned around and ruffled his hair again. Sirius on the other hand looked like a kid that just got into the cookie jar.

"Hey! Prongsy here's got a thing fore Evans!" he shouted, while looking enthusiastically at the crowd.

A few of the girls scowled but James didn't notice. He instead focused intently on his shoes and gave Sirius a half smile. "Don't call me Prongsy."

"Ha ha. Ok Prongsy."

James playfully punched him on the arm. "Come on. We gotta go pack," he said and started making his way back towards the Gryffindor tower.

Lily stormed through the Fat Lady's portrait and plopped herself down on one of the common room chairs. Chelsea came up to her moments later, out of breath as if she'd been running.

"Geesh, can walk fast when you want to," she said with a smile.

Standing up, Lily made to go past her and into the dormitory. She was in no mood to listen to her friend nag on her for blowing up at the marauders again.

"Lils, why are you always so harsh, especially on James? They only do it for a good laugh."

"A good laugh," she said spinning around to face Chelsea. "A GOOD LAUGH!?! How does watching other people suffer make you laugh?"

"Oh my God, you're overreacting! Those people aren't suffering. They're just getting picked on a little bit."

"Chelsea listen to me! The marauders are going into their 7th year. They should be setting a good example for the younger students, not hexing them. It's my duty as a prefect to set them in their place, since obviously Remus won't do it. And that James Potter, he's the worst of them all! No doubt he's the mastermind behind all of these pranks. Gah, I hate him! My life would be so much easier if he would just crawl into a hole and never come back to Hogwarts!"

Lily paused to catch her breath and noticed that Chelsea wasn't looking at her anymore. She swiveled around to find Sirius and Peter standing behind her. She started to thank her lucky stars that James wasn't there, when he stepped out from behind Sirius. By the looks on his face, he had heard enough to get the gist of the conversation.

Before Lily could say anything in her defense, James quietly walked past her and up the stairs to the boys' dormitory. Sirius gave her a glare before chasing his friend up the stairs, Peter at his heels.

Chelsea gave Lily a skeptical look before heading up the girls' stairs. "I'm off to pack."

"I'm already done but I'll come to keep you company," Lily called as she too started up.

"She hates me," was the only thing James had said for the last five minutes while staring up at the ceiling from his four-poster bed.

"Who hates you?" Remus asked as he entered.

"Our friend here has a little crush on Miss Evans," replied Sirius, "who, we happened to overhear, hates him."

Remus frowned. "Hate's a very strong word. I'm sure she's just upset."

James's expression was blank. "You didn't hear her. I really think she does. I never knew that our pranks really got under her skin, or else I would've stopped doing them a long time ago."

Sirius snapped his head up and quickly turned on James. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! How long have you been fancying this girl?"

"That's none of you're business, Padfoot."

"Aww, cumon mate. Spill."

It was obvious to all the marauders that James was getting uncomfortable on the topic, but that didn't stop Sirius from pressing the matter.

"You know Prongs, we've been your best friends since the 1st year. Why can't you tell us?"

Before James opened his mouth and had to answer the question, Remus saved him.

"Sirius, why don't you leave him alone? Can't you see he's embarrassed enough as it is?"

"Fine, fine. But you better hurry up and pack 'cause we have to leave in about half an hour."

"Bloody hell!" James exclaimed as he fell off the bed. "I gotta get a move on."

Lily lay sprawled out on her bed watching her best mate throw all of her belongings into one suitcase. "Why do you always wait until the last minute to pack?"

Stopping for two seconds, Chelsea glared at Lily before starting her mad das around the room again. "We have 15 minutes left to get down to the main entrance and…I am done," she added while she collapsed onto her own bed. "Hey Lily, there's something I have to ask you because it's gonna bug the hell out of me unless I do."

Lily knew this wasn't a good sign, but reluctantly said, "Ok, ask away."

"Did you really mean what you said about James?"

Sighing, Lily pondered the question for a few moments before answering. "Yes. Life would be a lot easier if he never came back to Hogwarts, and I do hate him. So that is an affirmative."

"He's not that bad of a guy once you get to know him."

"Yea, well I don't want to get to know him. He only makes my life difficult, I don't want to get closer to the problem. Can we please change the subject?"

It was Chelsea's turn to sigh. "Sure. So what are you doing this summer Lil?"

"Oh I dunno. Probably just going to sit in my room and hide from Petunia," Lily said with a slightly uneasy giggle.

The fact is that Petunia and Lily used to be really close. Everything changed the day Lily got her Hogwarts acceptance letter. After that Petunia constantly spat insults at her sister. She would always put Lily down and make her home life a living hell. So now Lily dreaded each holiday where she had to go home.

Chelsea noticed the uneasiness in her friends voice and immediately gave her the reassurance she needed. She grew up with wizards as parents, so she expected to go to Hogwarts, and never had to deal with being singled out by her siblings. "Well, you could always come and visit me! We'd have a blast."

Lily nodded gratefully. "I'll ask my parents about it, but I'm sure they'll be totally fine. Thanks. Oh geesh, we better head down to the main entrance, we're leaving in five minutes."

Regretfully, Lily grabbed her luggage and made her way down the staircase behind her friend, all the while mentally preparing her self for the upcoming summer.