JAMES

Lily. Evans. Lily. Evans. Lily. Lily. Evans. God she was driving me insane. Those two words echoed in my head repeatedly as I tapped my wand against my desk. Lily Evans had to be mine. Some how I was going to prove to her that we were meant to be together. She was consuming my every thought and I'm starting to think that it's been affecting my work ethic, Marauders work ethic that is.

Lily. Evans.

"Mr Potter, is there perhaps something you needed to tell Miss Evans, or was her name simply enough to distract you from turning your tea cup into a turtle?" Professor McGonagall asked tersely.

Busted.

The whole class turned to watch my humiliation, every single face now smirking at me, except one.

"No ma'am, I was merely using Evans as inspiration to do my best in class. So sorry to disrupt the class, I promise I'll be inspired quietly from now on."

"Potter if you exerted as much effort in class as you did trying to charm your teachers you could be head of the school. You may want to consider that. Everyone, back to you work. Potter has wasted enough of our time, clean sweeping wand motions please."

Beautiful, green, pissed off eyes remained burning into my back. Man I'm so glad they hadn't invented a looks to kill spell yet for us or I'd never get a chance. I chanced a look behind me and paled at the raw hatred staring back.

I'm sorry I mouthed.

Evans mouthed back two words I wasn't even sure she knew up until that point.

I turned back to the front and took a deep breath.

I needed a good plan. Fast.

Class dragged on for what seemed like hours before finally McGonagall told us we could put our wands away and to pay attention.

"Alright, quiet down everybody. SILENCE. Thank you. Now as your Head of House I'm required to give you daily news of coming events and other miscellaneous things. This year, the sixth years of each house will be going on an excursion into the forbidden forest to learn basic survival skills when camping. You will pair with another house and stay with them and their head of house as well as yours. Griffindor and Hufflepuff will be together this year…"

Alice Newton pumped her fist in the air silently, looks like someone was going to get lucky.

"Boys and girls will not be sharing tents, however, they will be paired up in the activities to provide some more diversity. You leave Monday morning for four nights, consent forms have already been sent and signed by your parents or guardians. I suggest those of you that need help deciding what to pack for such an occasion, take the parchment provided on my desk of items to bring and start packing before the weekend is up."

If possible, a small smile played on her lips as she inclined her head to the already giggling girls.

"Camp mate, this is gonna be our best work ever!" Sirius whispered to me. "And we get to pair up with girls!"

"Pair up with girls?" I whispered back.

"Yup, smorgas board of selection of scared girls seeking comfort," he replied, eyes glinting madly.

I glanced back at Lily who was looking happier and more alive than I had ever seen before and grinned.

Perfect.

LILY

"Oh I hope they pair me up with Frank, wouldn't that be amazing?"

"Alice, I don't think they're completely daft. They know you'll just run off to snog every chance you get," Carla giggled.

"And what's wrong with that? She's showing team spirit, and diversity like they wanted. Getting to know someone in the other house and showing him around, very generous our Alice is," I commented with a grin.

Alice had no words, but instead just jumped up and down giggling.

"What are we meant to pack?" Carla asked resting her head against my shoulder as we sat in the common room.

"Let's see what we're advised to take… warm parker, three sets of pants, one set of shorts, joggers, four shirts at least one of them warm, socks, toiletries, sleeping bag, tents will be provided, wand, back pack, quills, parchment…SCHOOL ROBES NOT NECESSARY!"

All three of us squealed with delight before the last sentence really hit us and we slowly went quiet.

"That actually means I have to plan the perfect cute outfit, fit for the forbidden forest that makes Frank notice me without looking and feeling ridiculous," Alice said, forehead creasing.

"I know! Our chance to lure the hot boys away and we are so unprepared," Carla added miserably.

"Hey, we're all gorgeous, young girls, and we have great sense of style, we don't need to stress out about this ok? Let's just pack the clothes we feel comfortable in and look good in and we'll be fine. We're there to learn too right?" I asked.

They stared at me like I was an alien.

"You're right," I sighed. "We're screwed."

"Evans!"

"Kill me now," I muttered as Potter strutted over with his stupid pack.

"Excited for camp?" he asked, sitting down next to me.

"A chance to dump your body in the woods? Yeah I'm jumping at the chance," I replied.

To my surprise there was no witty response just a small smile as he continued. "I think this will be a good chance for everyone to all get to know each other better, you know, find out who we really are."

"Exactly," Sirius interjected staring at Carla like she was ice cream and he was the spoon. "There are sides to us no one has ever seen before, or knows about."

"And what exactly am I going to find out about you Potter that I didn't know before? You're worse than I thought you were? You're secretly a stripper? You have six illegitimate children you need help feeding?"

Potter actually looked stung for a second then shrugged it off and his new humble smile was back in place. "Maybe you'll find out that I'm not the bad guy here. Maybe you'll find out that underneath it all, I'm human like you too and I make mistakes and I have feelings and I'm capable of making people happy Evans, all I need is a chance."

He didn't try to touch me, he didn't make any remarks to warrant a slap, he just nodded at us, got up and left me there staring after him and wondering possibly for the first time ever.

Had I been wrong about James Potter?