Chapter 2

A/N: Just so you know, I really don't like Peter Pettigrew, so he does not exist in my story. The only Marauders are James, Sirius, and Remus. Again, thanks Kat!! Please read and review!!

"JAMES POTTER, IF YOU DON'T HURRY UP WE ARE GOING TO MISS THE TRAIN!" Liz shrieked up the stairs at her brother. Lily and Sirius were standing next to her. The Hogwarts Express was leaving in ten minutes, and James was still upstairs. "What is taking you so long?" Liz said exasperatedly.

James, meanwhile, was frowning into the mirror. He looked forlornly at the pink hairbrush laying on the counter of the bathroom. He had tried to brush his hair to impress Lily. Instead of looking fabulous in its usual messy glory, James's hair now resembled a sad black poodle. He shook his head and glanced at his reflection one more time. He grabbed the brush and ran down the stairs, pulling his trunk behind him.

As James descended the stairs noisily, Lily gaped at him. She pointed at the brush with a shocked expression. "You actually brushed your hair?" she asked in awe.

"More like attempted to," Sirius sniggered quietly Liz sighed and shook her head.

"Come here and let me fix it," she said. James bent down in front of Liz. She stared at his head for a second and then ruffled it. "There," she said pleasantly, smiling at James's messy hair, "much better."

On the train, Liz was sitting with James and Sirius, who had been rejoined by their other best friend, Remus Lupin. Liz was waiting impatiently for Lily to return from her prefect's meeting. She was horribly bored, since she had eaten the supply of candy she had brought within the first twenty minutes of the train ride.

The glass door slid open to reveal a short redheaded figure. "Lily!" Liz cried. Lily said hello to everyone and walked past James to sit next to Liz. As she passed James, he slipped her a tightly folded piece of paper. Liz looked between James and Lily suspiciously. "What did you just give her?" Liz asked her brother.

"Nothing," James and Lily replied a little to quickly. Liz thought for a moment.

"Are you secretly a drug dealer?" Liz asked loudly. Lily glanced at James and then pinched Liz.

"Of course not!" Lily said. Of all the things Liz could possibly come up with with that imagination of hers, Lily thought. "You know I don't do drugs."

Liz shook her head and smiled slightly. "I meant James. I saw him hand you something."

"Liz," James said, "it was a little piece of paper. With writing on it." Liz rolled her eyes.

"No kidding," she said sarcastically.

"It's about their secret operation, I bet," Sirius stage-whispered to Liz. Liz nodded.

I'm going to find out what they're up to, Liz thought decidedly, Their secret operation won't be secret much longer. Liz bit her lip. James leaned away from her warily.

"She's thinking something sinister," James said. He looked at his sister. Lily gave him a questioning look. "She's biting her lip," he explained, "and she always does that when she's plotting something." Sirius nodded wisely. Liz rolled her eyes.

Lily turned to James. "I should be scared, shouldn't I?"James raised his eyebrows and nodded exaggeratedly.

"Learn to sleep with your eyes open," he advised. Lily had a look of terror on her face.

"Oh, come on," Sirius said, "she's not that bad. I want to know the secret too!" James and Lily exchanged hopeful looks.

Liz leaned back in her seat. "Thank you, Sirius. And I saw that, you two." James grimaced at Lily.

"Definitely sleeping with my eyes open tonight," Lily said.

Later that night, Liz was struggling to pull her overflowing trunk to Lily's dorm. Lily sat on her bed with her arms crossed, a look of amusement on her face. "Remind me again why you get to stay in the fifth year dorm?" Lily asked.

"Because," Liz huffed, "I am special."

"You are certainly special," Lily agreed. "But really, why?" Liz stood up straight.

"I traded with the girl who was supposed to be over there. Blair Something. But aren't you happy I'm here? Now we can have constant sleepovers!"

Lily smiled widely. "I know. First-Day-of-School sleepover? Tonight?"

"I'll get plenty of chocolate," Liz said. "Oh, then I need to find James. I'll be back later. See you." Liz walked away and skipped up the stairs to the fifth year boys' dormitory.

"James?" she called, "Are you in here?" She opened the door without waiting for an answer. Inside, James was sitting on his bed, reading. Sirius was standing in front of his trunk, once again without a shirt. He turned around and, noticing Liz, screamed. Liz smirked. "You scream like a little girl. And come on, it's not like I haven't seen you shirtless before." Remus looked between Liz and Sirius.

"Later," Sirius said to him.

"Anyway... James, where's the chocolate Dad- Oh, my God, why are you reading?" She rushed over to her brother's bed. "You never read. Ever. Are you feeling all right?" James laughed.

"Relax, Liz. The chocolate's in my trunk." Liz glared at Remus, as if blaming him for her brother's sudden interest in books. She kneeled in front of James's trunk, letting her long, dark brown hair cover her face. She pulled out several bars of chocolate and noticed a piece of paper with 'Lily' written on it in small letters Glancing up at James, she hid the paper between two large Hershey bars. Quickly, she returned to her dorm, where Lily was waiting.

"Did you get the chocolate?" Lily asked eagerly.

"Yeah, I, er, just have to go to the bathroom. I'll be right back." Liz dropped the chocolate on her bed and locked herself in the bathroom. She quietly unfolded the note and read it. It said:

Lily,

Watermelon definitely likes Lady Watermelon, but not sure if he would go out with her. I suggest jealousy. You have to convince Lady Watermelon to get a replacement Watermelon, for now. I will do the rest. Talk to her ASAP.

James.

So that's what was going on, Liz mused. Maybe it's something about a watermelon-eating contest? Liz shrugged and stuffed the note in her pocket.

"So it doesn't mention us? Just these Watermelon people?" Sirius asked.

"Yeah. Not one word about anyone I know," Liz said. She and Sirius were huddled together in the Gryffindor common room, trying to decipher James and Lily's note. "Oh! I know!" Liz said suddenly, "Code names. They are talking about us, but in code names."

"Yeah," Sirius said slowly, "that makes sense. I was telling James about how much I love watermelon."

"And Lily was acting all strange and unLily-like." The two looked at each other carefully.

"I say," Sirius said softly, "we need our own secret plot. Now that we've figured out theirs."

"I agree," Liz said, "but what are we plotting? How about..." She stood on her toes and whispered her idea into Sirius's ear. He grinned wickedly.

"I like it," Sirius decided. They looked at each other again, and both broke into an evil smile.