The good thing about the next couple of weeks was the lack of personal annoyance I got from the Marauders. The bad thing about the next couple of weeks was where they had directed their attention. Everyday there was a different prank pulled at breakfast. The first was, of course, pulled on the Slytherins again, and then the second was the Hufflepuffs, and though it was much nicer than one being pulled on the Gryffindor table, I was reminded none of us were safe. So I had taken to going down to the kitchens to get breakfast each morning, and wait for the attacks to cease fire.

It was there on one particularly chilly morning that I had ran into the very people I was trying avoid, and they all grinned at me in the same infuriating, identical way. I wondered if they practiced in front of a mirror. I can definitely see it happening.

'Why Lily, what are you doing down here on this fine day? Shouldn't you be up in the Great Hall breaking fast with your fellow students?' Sirius said.

'Not while it's the war ground it is. What have you guys got planned for this morning?' I asked wearily.

'Nothing out of the ordinary.' Remus said.

'So by that you mean your standards of ordinary?' I smirked. He smiled at me guiltily.

'Honestly Moony, you could never be an undercover spy.' Potter said exasperatedly.

'Why would he want to?'

'Just in case we ever need him to...in the future.'

'Oh, sweet Merlin we're all doomed.'

'Don't worry Lily; it'll all work out in the end.' Sirius reassured me.

'What's the point anyway?' I questioned them.

Potter shrugged. 'It's fun.'

'It's irritating. I've almost been late to class three times this week because I've been avoiding attack!'

'So by that you mean your standards of being late to class?' Potter smirks, throwing my own words back at me. I stifled a smile, and frowned instead.

'What're you guys doing in the kitchens?' I asked suspiciously. 'The danger is upstairs, isn't it?'

'Of course it is, but we're attacking through the food now.' James said gleefully.

'Gryffindor?'

'Nah, today it's Ravenclaw again.'

'Well, then, I hope you have fun with that.' I said, sidestepping them and walking through the open portrait.

'Oh, we will!' I heard Sirius call as they walked away.

'What would you like Milly to get you today Miss Lily?' A small female house elf approached me with a beaming smile on her face. I just love house elves. They're so cute. And polite. And helpful.

'Um, I'll just have some toast please, Milly.' I requested, and the words were barely past my lips when a tray laden with toast appeared, carried by two more house elves. See what I mean by helpful?

'Thank you so much!' I said, taking the tray from them. They beamed at me and bowed.

'Would miss like anything else?'

'No I'm- actually,' I said, as an idea hit me. 'I was wondering if you could tell me what those boys were doing in here?'

'Oh, Master James?' Milly said, her eyes alight with happiness. 'And Masters Sirius, Remus and Peter?'

I couldn't help but notice that she tagged the others names onto the end of Potters. It seemed as though Milly had a slight crush on the arrogant toe-rag. I have no idea why.

'Yes, what did they want?'

'Why, to have breakfast, of course! The masters visit us often, they do.' Milly squeaked. 'And today was no different.'

'Did they happen to go near the Ravenclaw table's food?'

Milly thought for a moment. 'Well, Master Remus went and had a look at the menu, but that is all miss!'

I smiled at her. She really was quite sweet. How could they even have the heart to trick her like that? 'May I have a look too, Milly?' Okay, so I'm just as bad.

'Yes, of course, Miss Lily!' She led me over to the replica's of the four house tables, and I went over and took a good look at the food on the Ravenclaw table. It looked normal, the same as the others, but the Marauders were actually pretty bright, surprisingly, and they could hide things in the food and such. I pulled out my wand and waved it over the food.

I muttered a revealing spell, and sure enough, a fine pink dust appeared all over the table. I shook my head and chuckled slightly. They were too easy. I removed the dust-like particles with a flick of my wand and laughed again. Ah yes, it is a good day when Lily Evans gets one over the Marauders. I turned back to Milly and saw her looking at me with a slightly perplexed expression on her face. Only then did I realise I was still cackling madly. I stopped, and cleared my throat self-consciously. 'Thank you Milly, that's all.'

I left the kitchens with my toast and a smile on my face and walked upstairs to the great hall. I saw many people throwing furtive glances towards the Gryffindor table, where the Marauders sat eating quite happily.

If you looked at them now you wouldn't even guess the evil hiding in them.

And- THEY WERE SITTING WITH MY FRIENDS! Where is the justice in this world? Why does it seem as though when I've finally accomplished something they bring it down by doing something far worse? I'm so sick of them hanging out with us! Have I been missing this everyday when I'm getting breakfast from Milly? Have my friends been all buddy-buddy with the Marauders for that long? This is a tragedy!

I stormed down to where my friends sat and slid into the seat next to Day. Nobody even looked at me. I cleared my throat loudly.

Potter looked around at me. 'Oh, hello Evans! Come to watch the show have we?'

'Oh yes of course that is the only possible reason for me being here.' I said sarcastically, rolling my eyes. Day seemed recognise my mood and immediately turned away from Sirius and started chatting to me. He looked rather insulted, which I sniggered at, and then gained Peters' attention.

Day also seemed to notice my distraction as I looked towards the Ravenclaw table for any sign that I had failed, and that the prank would go on anyway. It wasn't until Ja-POTTER also looked at the table, then at his watch and frowned did I grin with victory.

Ha! Lily Evans beat the Marauders. Go me! James glanced at me and then our gazes held; mine full of triumph, and his dismay. I finally burst out laughing, and my everyone looked at me as though I'd gone crazy. Why does everyone keep doing that today?

'What did you do?' James asked me suspiciously.

'I simply gave the Ravenclaw table a break for today.' I smirked at him. He scowled. 'Maybe now you'll stop? At least for a few months? I mean god, James, a prank here and there is all right, but when you start doing one every single day, it gets a bit irritating, and I for one- what are you smiling at? I'm telling you off! You should be crying, or at least whimpering!' I broke off angrily. He really was grinning like a maniac. He looked like he'd overdosed on happy pills.

'That's the second time!' he said, wonderment in his hazel eyes.

'The second time for what?'

'The second time you called me James!'

'Well, it is your name, yeah? Shame Sirius can't learn mine.'

'Hey, I know your name!'

'Sirius, you call her Lillian all the time. Lily doesn't have to be short for something.' Day said, taking the reins of the conversation. Phew. Otherwise that would've been a little awkward. Why does that keep slipping out? It's so annoying! Giving Potter false hope is just cruel. Though just about anything I do gives him false hope. Thank God for Sirius and his inability to learn my real name.

I stood up to leave for class soon, but before I left I turned around and grinned at Potter. 'By the way, apparently a certain house elf has a bit of a crush on you. Maybe you should ask her out.' I walked down the hall as the other Marauders began laughing at Potter and slapping him on the back. Oh my, it really has started off as a good day.

--

I had won! The Marauders have stopped their reign of terror! Actually, they now look at me with a new respect, something which I feel I have earned. Go me! Although James has gone back to annoying me incessantly when I join everyone at breakfast, it's nice to not have to eat without my friends company. Ironic though, isn't it? That when I stopped the pranks I stopped the lack of annoyance I received from them?

The Marauders really have taken it upon themselves to join us for EVERY single meal. They're everywhere! They sit with us in class, in the common room, and at the last Hogsmeade trip they tagged along too! How extremely unfair!

I thought Ry would've been at least slightly irritated with this new development, but she's actually warming up to them. Well, except Sirius. She still holds a bit of a grudge when it comes to him. And she keeps disappearing at random intervals. Once she didn't get back to the Common room until nine. Now that's extremely weird. Where could she be going? It isn't though we have a mall at Hogwarts. Though that would be nice...

Day has jumped back into Quidditch practice with Potter and Black, and so those hours are the only time I have to myself. Which is usually spent in the library, doing homework. The teachers could possibly be driving me crazy. N.E.W.T's aren't until next year but they feel the need to drown me in a pile of essays, diagrams and charts. It's insane! And now all I can do is dive head-first, or I'll be joining the Marauders in detention next! Although then again they'd probably find a way to get us out of it.

It was a month after our arrival in the castle, and we (yes, including the Marauders. How did they get into a plural word with me?) were all sitting in the common room. All except for Bell, who had gone to the Owlery. I was extremely bored, just sitting there, reading and watching Sirius and Potter talk about absolutely nothing and then once in awhile hex each other. The fifth time this had happened, after Sirius had changed himself back into his school robes, Potter looked over at me.

'Evans, I'm bored. Go out with me?'

I rolled my eyes. 'No, Potter. Go find something else to entertain yourself with.'

He looked at me, a wounded expression on his face. 'But I don't want anything else. I want you.'

'Could we please stop now?!' I exclaimed, and went back to my book. I glanced up again about five seconds later to find him still staring at me with the same wistful expression.

'Fine!' I threw my book down beside me rather violently. 'What do you want to do?'

Potter's face immediately brightened. 'We could all play a game!'

I raised my eyebrows. 'You just keep giving me more proof that you're really three years old on the inside.'

He just shrugged, and turned to Sirius for help in his endeavour. 'Let's play Truth or Dare!' Sirius 'Yes, I really did just squeal' Black said excitedly.

'Yeah!' Day exclaimed. I sighed, looking over at her. I was wondering when she'd throw her opinion in. 'Please Lily? Pretty please with a cherry, four marshmallows, one hundred chocolate frogs and me on top?'

I wrinkled my nose. 'You may have had me there for awhile, but why the heck are you sitting on top of the pretty please?'

'I can't help it if I'm very appealing and you're in love with me.' She sniffed.

'I'd take it.' Sirius offered. She smiled at him.

'Thank you. At least someone'-She threw a significant glance in my general direction-'Appreciates me.'

'Okay, could we just play the game now? Anything to stop this conversation.' I interjected.

'I second that.' Ry said, looking at Day incredulously.

'Alright then, gather round!' Potter exclaimed with a certain amount of growing enthusiasm. I really don't know how all of them can have such a huge supply of enthusiasm. They're going to go mental and bring out the shot guns any day now.

I slid closer to him by about a finger width. Everyone else went and sat quite close to the fire. Potter frowned at me.

'Now now my dear, you can do better than that.'

'Don't worry James, she'll probably end up in your lap by the end of the game.' Day said, waving me off, still slighted by my earlier question.

I may not have ended up in Potters lap, but five minutes in I was snuggled between Ry and Remus, having no idea how I ended up there. I just don't like being left out, okay? Don't judge me!

The game started with Remus being told to go over to Amy Wilson in fifth year and immediately start having hysterics about her beauty.

'Black! You can't make him do that to the poor girl! How embarrassing!' I had exclaimed.

'Don't fret Evans,' He had replied. 'She'll just love to be getting attention from good old Moony man over here.' I rolled my eyes at him, but watched Remus stroll over to the other side of the common room with a rather calm facial expression.

I watched as he stared deep into her eyes, seemingly oblivious to her giggling friends. And then, suddenly, he dropped to his knees.

'AHHHHHHHHHHHH' He shrieked. 'I THINK-I THINK...OH MY GOD, I'M HAVING A HEART ATTACK! YOU, YOU'RE JUST SO, SO....' He twitched for a few seconds, apparently struggling to get the last word out. He gasped in quick sharp breaths, his usually quiet and sensitive eyes wide and frantic. 'BEAUTIFUL!!!!' He finally screamed.

By this point Potter, Black and Pettigrew were all having their own hysterics, once again on the floor, and even I had started giggling. The whole common room was laughing at Remus, but he simply got up, brushed the dust off his robes and bade Amy 'Good night'. He was really very good at this.

Remus had taken his seat next to me again. And was in the middle of asking Black to do something that I would've never thought his mind was capable of thinking up when Bell clambered through the portrait hole.

'Oi! Allison! Come join the festivities!' Black yelled to her. She looked up and blushed at the number of people who had turned at Black's too-loud voice.

She hurried over to us. 'What are you doing?'

'Playing Truth or Dare.' Potter said. Bell shrugged.

'Might as well.' She sat down gracefully on the other side of Ry. 'What did I miss?'

'Remus just professed his fanatical attraction to Amy Wilson.' Day told her. 'And now he's asking Sirius to do something extremely dirty.'

Bell's eyebrows were raised, but she didn't question the proceedings.

Honestly, it wasn't really....all that bad. I mean, sure, the four of them were still absolute gits, but they weren't hideously unfunny or rude. I guess when you actually accept the weirdness you can learn to be friends and- I sound very stupid right now. I suppose I'll just stop before I somehow realise I'm talking out loud and embarrass myself further. Any who, let the games roll on!