Chapter 3:

James's Revenge

The rest of the day, James was seriously peeved. That little git Snivellus was trying to steal Lily from him! Well… Lily wasn't exactly his… yet.

He couldn't stand the fact that there was a chance that he wouldn't even get to win her over! Lily… with her beautiful red hair and lovely amber-colored eyes…. Lily, with the way she mystified him with the way she believed in and loved her independence so much, not to mention the fact that she was incredibly smart and naturally elegant, even when she wasn't trying to be.

Stupid Snape for keep her out of his reach.

He didn't tell anyone, but he was planning revenge. It was top-secret what he was planning, not even his best mates knew about it. He DID leave them hint every once and a while, though, that he was planning something against Snape.

"I'm going to do horrible things to Snively, something to make him regret EVER getting in the way of me and Lily! Or… what COULD be one day!"

Sirius rolled his eyes. "What's he going on about NOW, Remus?"

Remus merely shrugged, still not looking up from his book. "I don't know. James, mate, are you under any new medication we should know about?" he said, idly turning the page.

The rest of the Marauders laughed as James gave them all cold stares.

"No," he said defensively. "For your information, Moony, I am NOT under medication. NO, I am merely plotting something… oh yes… something big… something HORRIBLE…." James continued to mutter similar things to himself, half sounding like a madman. Ah, love. It tended to make a person crazy… literally.

Sirius chuckled under his breath. "You're not still on about your SNAPE being in love with Lily thing, are you? James, mate, you're just paranoid. She's NOT in love with Snape, for the LAST time."

"BELIEVE WHAT YOU WANT TO!" James shouted, throwing his hands up in the air in utter defeat. Then he simply walked off, even MORE peeved.

It wasn't until the next week that ANYONE, including the Marauders, knew what revenge and love really was.

Little did they all know that this was only the beginning….

* * *

James sat in his seat in History of Magic, seriously depressed. What was the point in annoying Lily if she wouldn't even meet his gaze? He just stared at the back of her head, mentally wanted to dig himself in a hole for the rest of eternity.

Lily sat in front him, sitting up straight, the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end.

She COULDN'T look at James. If she did… she just might fall into their hazel spell and she might… might reconsider him being a giant arsehole.

But, he was! He was HORRIBLE! Someone just couldn't change OVERNIGHT… could they?

She barely even heard Professor Binns arid lecture on dwarf revolutions; the only thing that she was fully aware of was James, staring at her, his eyes on her.

It was like she could… feel his stares, as stupid as that sounded. They were like a beam, keeping her in place, causing her to not be able to move a single muscle.

She had been completely avoiding James, refusing to even LOOK at him, for nearly a week and a half, and she didn't know how much longer she could keep this game up. She HAD to look at him, even if it was to tell him that she wanted nothing to do with him. But… was all of that entirely true?

Enough, Lily! she thought to herself, Stop being such a bemused soul! OFCOURSE you want NOTHING to do with him! He's been bugging you since first year!

But… maybe the old James WAS really gone. Maybe, he was turning into… a different kind of guy. Maybe, just MAYBE, when he wasn't torturing countless people, maybe he was… nice. Sweet, even. MAYBE caring, to stretch it a little.

"Lily… Lily Evans?"

Lily looked up suddenly, just realizing she had gotten lost in thought. Professor Binns was looking at her impatiently, looking to be awaiting an answer.

Lily blushed as she heard giggling in the back of the classroom and attempted to regain her good sense as a student.

"Yes, Professor?"

The ghost teacher sighed. "I was asking when the rebellion the Dwarves of Midgen was."

Lily opened her mouth, her answer ready in her throat. But, before it could even get out, a sonic boom shook the room, getting everyone's attention, and taking it away from a fumbled Lily.

Professor Binns looked at the door, then began to hover towards it slowly, while yet ANOTHER boom went off.

The students in the classroom were all now whispering to themselves, wondering what in the name of Merlin could be causing such a ruckus. Suddenly, along with another boom, a scream was heard, echoing through the class. It sounded… faintly like a girl. Lily could have SWORN she heard someone snickering behind her….

As soon as Professor Binns opened the door, Lily smelled a faint, burnt smell.

Professor Binns floated through the door, muttering, "What's all this about?"

Everyone in the classroom followed the teacher out of the room, the booming getting louder and closer by the second. Now Lily was CERTAIN that someone was laughing behind her….

When they all reached the hall, they could see that everyone else had moved outside to see what the explosions were and where they were coming from.

The confusion hung all around them, until something came flying from the boy's lavatory.

That's when Lily knew what it was: Her best friend, Severus, just came running into the halls, his bum set to fire. The unmistakable smell of dung suddenly filled the corridors.

Lily ALSO knew where the laughter was coming from: from James Potter and Sirius Black, standing right behind her.

As much as she wanted to scold Potter for setting this childish prank… Lily actually found herself snickering. It WAS pretty funny to see Sev, robes afire, screaming very with a very high pitched voice.

She mistakenly allowed a small laugh to escape her throat and she immediately regretted it when she heard someone chuckle behind her and tap her shoulder.

"Funny, isn't it?" It was the unforgettable voice of James Potter.

Lily turned around to felt him, and felt a familiar rush of anger flood into her.

"No! That was very irresponsible and SO immature!" Lily crossed her arms tightly.

James grinned at her. "But… you laughed."

Lily opened her mouth to speak, but bit her tongue and blushed. She HAD laughed. She looked up slightly, only to meet the stare of his hazel eyes, the stare she had been avoiding for a while, these days.

James smiled at her, his eyes seeming to twinkle, just as they had that day by the lake. Lily couldn't move or speak. The only thing she was fully aware of was James. Not even Severus's screams and the laughter of the students around them seemed to wake her up.

James stood there, in a similar trance. Lily's emerald eyes bore into him, breaking all of his defenses, causing him to stay in his place, just smiling and looking at her, glad that she didn't yell at him… too much, at least.

Lilly finally looked down, amazed that the great gravity of his eyes didn't cause her to move forward and… possibly do something that she'd be horrified to find out SHE did.

"Potter!"

Sev's yelled echoed in the hallway, as well as everyone's jeering laughter.

James looked up. "Well, it's been nice talking to you, Evans, but I better go before Snivellus get the best of me."

He ran away from where she was, Snape close behind, while James teased him by pretending to run in slow motion, causing Lily to laugh.

Wow. That was the second time that day she had laughed at something JAMES POTTER did.

She was clearly very tired and confused… maybe even demented.

Lily walked back to the dormitories after the crowds had thinned out and lessened and everyone had been escorted back to their classrooms, only to be released.

Only one thing occupied Lily's mind. Not her best friend's safety and well being. Not Potter's cruel (yet A LITTLE humorous) prank.

No, not any of those things. But, the thing that stayed planted in her brain, as much as she tried to rid herself of it was James's bittersweet hazel eyes.

And no matter how hard she tried to be angry with James, she just couldn't.

Because somewhere inside of her, something inside of her had secretly confirmed that James Potter was indeed funny.

* * *

"So, exploding Dung Bombs, Prongs?" Sirius chuckled. "Those aren't even on the market yet!"

"I know! I have my connections…," James smoothly replied, sounding like a secret agent.

"That was brilliant!" Sirius continued to praise his friend. "I mean, did you SEE Snively's face?! It was like a tomato!"

James laughed, only halfheartedly with his friends, his thoughts still fully on Lily.

She had LAUGHED. And it was a real laugh, not a fake and dry one. She… thought he was funny?

She amazed him. One minute, she wouldn't even look at him and the next, she was laughing a joke HE had made, about her best friend!

James smiled to himself, as he was now certain that Lily wasn't in love with Snape. Sirius had been right: it had all been in his head.

But… would Snape forgive James so easily?