"Avis."

Twirling my wand in my hands, I watched the lone golden canary flutter around my ceiling from where I was lying on my bed. Joanna was standing at the window, engrossed in who knows what.

Without turning to look at me, she said, trying to keep the laughter out of her voice, "I just can't believe it. Community service…with your worst enemy…for the rest of the month!"

"Joanna, saying it over and over again won't alter my fate…I'd rather not think about it right now anyways." What I was really trying to avoid thinking about was that bloody kiss. I hadn't told Joanna about it, but I knew that I probably should before she got the news from someone else, aka James. And, knowing him, his recollections of what happened would most likely be distorted. Yes, I was almost certain that he would probably tell anyone who would listen how he seduced me into letting him feel me up.

I followed the canary with my eyes as it came to a stop, perching on the windowsill inches from Joanna's hand. The little bird turned its head this way and that, trying to get a good look at Joanna's fingernails. All of a sudden her hand gave a slight spasm, causing the canary to take flight once again in a flurry of wings. My heart jumped and I sat up on my bed as Joanna's fingers clutched the windowsill, her knuckles whitening. Her head bowed and her chin fell to her chest.

Almost as quickly as it happened, Joanna returned to reality and turned around to face me. Walking over to sit with me on the bed, she said, "Don't look too excited. Nothing particularly interesting. Just someone getting off the Knight Bus. I couldn't see who it was, though."

Before I could even answer, the telltale BANG came from outside, literally shaking my whole house. Joanna and I rushed to the previously vacated window just in time to see a blur of purple rushing pell-mell down the street, scattering trees and mailboxes from its path. The few muggles that were out for a stroll were oblivious and only continued to mosey on. Next second, the Knight Bus was completely stationary right in front of the Potter residence. After maybe half a minute, there was another earth-shaking BANG and the Knight Bus was two blocks down and around the corner.

The lone figure that had been left behind seemed to be swaying on the spot. He stooped down, turned over his suitcase, and sat on it with his head between his knees.

"Poor bloke. Yeah, the Knight Bus can do that to you," laughed Joanna.

Before the newcomer could gather up his belongings and pull himself together, there was a tornado bursting out of the front door in the form of James and Sirius. Their jubilant cries of "MOONY!" could probably be heard from anywhere in the neighborhood.

"Oh. Of course, it's Remus," I said.

"Yep. Who else could it have been?"

"It could have been Peter." Joanna and I exchanged wide-eyed looks of repulsion.

"Yeah, let's be grateful it's Remus," said Joanna, turning back to the window. Sirius, overjoyed, seemed to be giving Remus a noogie while James appeared to be recounting something, waving his arms animatedly. No doubt he was giving Remus a play-by-play of last night's events.

Joanna had been watching James's emphatic arm movements too. She said, "James looks like he's on a rant or something…I wonder what he's talking about?"

I sighed. The time had come. "He's probably talking about what happened last night…"

Joanna, still watching James miming climbing a ladder, nodded. "Oh, yeah. That makes sense."

"Yep…I wonder what Remus's reaction will be when he finds out we kissed."

"Well, I imagine he'll be very sur—WHAT?" She finally wrenched her gaze from James, who now had his hands behind his back, pretending they were cuffed. Joanna's brown eyes were round as Galleons, and I was pretty sure that if her jaw dropped any further, it would soon become detached.

I recounted the police car scene and told her everything that I had skipped over before. I told her how James had cut me off in the middle of a rant, but I also told her how I had failed to pull away at first.

Joanna was speechless for a while. During the silence, we both turned our gazes back the Potters' front lawn, and could actually hear Remus's incredulous cry, distant but intelligible, of "What? No way!" As James commenced a very enthusiastic victory dance, Joanna finally turned back to me, shaking her head.

"I don't even know what to say. Before, you would have sawed his lips off with a dull butter knife if he even so much as puckered them towards you."

"Joanna, I was handcuffed. That has to make some difference."

"Well…I suppose." With what I thought was actually hope in her eyes, she said, "Does this mean you're going to consider being civil to them from now on? Maybe even try to be friendly?"

"Erm, I dunno," I said, a little caught off-guard. "Maybe."

"Think about it, Lily. How excruciating would your summer turn out to be if you didn't try to at least have a little fun during community service?"

I gave Joanna an incredulous stare. "How can community service even come close to being fun?"

Joanna didn't let this pessimism damper her high hopes and said, "Lily…life is what you make it."

I rolled my eyes. "Okay, Confucius."

"Really, Lily. Have you ever considered that you may be able to get along with James if you just tried?"

Sighing, I watched the three boys across the street as they made their way up the walk to the Potters' house. "That's the problem, Joanna. I don't want to try." In order to avoid Joanna's reproachful eyes, I kept my own focused on the Marauders. Sirius led the way into the house, followed by Remus. But James paused on the doorstep, one hand on the doorknob. Looking over his shoulder, I was almost convinced that his eyes were trained on the very window Joanna and me were standing in. My suspicions were proved true when he raised a hesitant hand and gave a small wave. I didn't wave back, and James, looking disappointed, disappeared into the house. Joanna didn't seem to have noticed the unrequited wave; she was still staring at me avidly. She wasn't going to let this go.

"You don't want to try. Right. Is this the Lily from first year talking, then?"

"No, this is rational Lily talking." There was a sudden rustle next to my ear; the little golden canary that I had almost forgotten about had landed lightly on my shoulder, and was now plucking at strands of my hair. Unlocking the window, I opened it wide, admitting a warm summer breeze into the room. The canary's attention was instantly caught by the many chirps of his fellows, and the next second he was already swooping out the window to join them.

I glanced over at Joanna. Her warm brown eyes were still focused on me, waiting patiently for me to explain my rational reasoning. I sighed, and gave in.

"How would it be if I decided to start being friendly to James?"

"Not all that bad."

"How would it be if this friendliness started to lead him on? If James misinterpreted it for actual feelings towards him?"

Joanna didn't have an answer.

"He would start to like me even more—"

Joanna scoffed. "Impossible."

"—and he would get his hopes up. He would get his hopes up, and be crushed in the end. I know James has an infatuation with me, anyone could see that much. I'm not going to try to force myself to like him back. I'm not going to be the one to break his heart with even more efficiency by giving him false hopes."

What was in Joanna's eyes now was astonishment, mixed with some shame. Her features became troubled. "Oh, Lily, I had no idea. I feel so stupid now."

I gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't. It's fine."

After this somewhat intense revelation, Joanna didn't seem too keen on bringing up the subject again. Instead, she suggested, "Well, how about we go see Remus?"

"Sure, why not?" Yes, it was true that I didn't want to see James right now, but getting to visit with Remus was worth it. He was the only Marauder that Joanna and I could get along with.

By the sudden excitement that spread across Joanna's face, she apparently was just bestowed with a brilliant idea. "I bet I can beat you there!"

An abrupt childish impulse seemed to wash over me then, and I made a break for my bedroom door. Before I could even dive for the handle, a resounding CRACK filled the room, causing me to duck in alarm. Confused, I looked around to see what object Joanna had thrown at me, and was disconcerted when I couldn't see her anywhere.

"What the heck?" I said to myself. "How did she—OH!" Extreme blonde moment. Usually don't get those. After smacking myself in the forehead, I tried to remember in detail the Potters' foyer—marble floor, piano in the corner, rays of sunshine everywhere—and spun on my heel, feeling the uncomfortable nothingness close in on me. And then I felt solid ground under my feet again, and opened my eyes to see if I reached the correct destination.

I was in a long, wide corridor with doors spanning the length of both walls. There was the occasional expensive-looking scenic painting, and a fancy chandelier hanging above. Crap, I thought, is this the right house? The lavishness of the furnishings implied that I was most likely in James's house, but I couldn't be sure; I had only been acquainted with the first floor. Looking out a window, my suspicions proved true: I was on the second floor. Still, I shuddered at the thought of how mortifying it would be if I was caught sneaking around some random person's house. With my luck, it would be a muggle's, suspicious questions would be asked, shifty answers would be given.

Just as I reached the conclusion of simply disapparating back to my own house, a door to my left was suddenly flung open, and standing right in front of me was a sight I never thought I would have to see: a soaking wet James in nothing but a fuzzy white towel. He didn't have his glasses on, so he squinted at me for a while until he could make out who I was. When he did, a blush tinted his cheeks and he clutched the towel around his waist tighter.

"Oh—err—Lily. I wasn't, uh—expecting you here…erm, outside my bathroom…" Then his hand jumped to the dripping mass that was his hair and gave it his trademark rumple, which culminated in water being flung every which way.

As I brushed the speckles of water from my face, I tried to think of something to say. Oddly enough, James's half-nakedness seemed to be clouding my mind. I felt the tell-tale warmth creep onto my own face as I tried to explain, "You see…er, I was just, uh—"

"Stalking me?" James seemed to interpret my obvious discomfort in a way that would take the pressure off of him. He was in his element now.

Finding my words, I finally got out, "No, I am not stalking you. Joanna and I just wanted to see Remus—"

"Uh huh. Nice cover story."

"—so I guess Joanna decided it would take far too long to just walk here, and when I went to apparate after her, I—"

"Thought of me in all my nakedness and ended up here." He ignored my angry retorts and went on, "It's okay, Lily, don't beat yourself up. You were only a little off your mark, just a few more feet and you would have been able to satisfy your peeping Tom desires."

I took a few steadying breaths to ready myself for the coming storm. But before I could start screaming, we could hear someone coming up the stairs, and a voice yelling, "Prongs, did you fall asleep in the shower again? You should really stop doing that, especially with what happened last time—oh. Er…Hi, Lily." Remus froze in his tracks, absorbing the sight before him. The faint ghost of a sly smile began to grow on his tired face. Great, I thought, you know the situation gets bad when even Remus shows his inner Marauder.

I decided to try to delay the inevitable by distracting them with conversation and said, "Erm—James, why were you taking a shower in the middle of the day anyways? I'd have thought you'd be spending time with Remus."

James's jaw locked up and a trace of annoyance seemed to flicker in his eyes as he pointed furiously at his friend. "He made me do it!"

I turned to Remus to see him standing there with his arms folded, with an expression that might usually be used on a tenacious three-year-old. "James, do you really think I was about to let you go un-bathed for the rest of your life?"

"Why would you want to do that?" I asked incredulously.

"He wanted to keep 'the scent of Lily' on him forever," Remus answered for him, using air quotes.

This was one subject I did not want to venture into, and even James looked a little uncomfortable. I casted around for an escape and said, "I'm gonna go find Joanna…"

James once again put his hand in his hair to rumple it up and noticed that it was now almost completely dry. "I should probably get dressed anyways," he said, and retreated into his bedroom.

Remus joined me going down the stairs and said, "So you and James, community service." I groaned in reply. "When's your first day?"

"Day after tomorrow. Saturday."

"The best of luck with that." Oh, Remus. He's always understood me.

"Thanks. I'm going to need it…so how long are you here for?"

"The rest of the summer."

"What do you guys do when…you know, things get hairy?"

Remus laughed. "Lily, you don't have to speak in code, everyone in this house knows that I'm a werewolf."

We were in the foyer now. I glanced around avidly, as if expecting Joanna to pop out of a potted plant. I hissed, "Shh! Not Joanna!"

Remus's eyes widened. "Oh, that's right! I always forget you never told her."

"Did you expect me to?"

"Well…yeah, I guess. You two are best friends."

"It's not my secret to tell. I'll tell her if you give me permission, though."

An almost panicked look flickered in his eyes for a second, and then he said, "No, no. That's alright, you don't have to tell her." I would have asked for Remus's reasoning for not letting Joanna in on the secret, but we were now walking into the kitchen, so I dropped the matter.

At first glance, it seemed that Sirius and Joanna were merely sitting quietly together at the kitchen table, but when I looked closer, there seemed to be an air of awkwardness. Sirius's gaze was all but penetrating Joanna's soul, and the latter was staring fixedly at the table.

Remus cleared his throat and said, "James didn't drown in the shower, he was just…talking to Lily."

Joanna finally wrenched her gaze from the table and looked at me with enormous gratitude written all over her face. She had obviously needed saving.

With gritted teeth, Joanna said, "Why were you upstairs talking to James, Lily? Why didn't you apparate into the kitchen?"

"Oh, you know. I just needed to see James's naked, soaking wet body," I said, with sarcasm dripping from my voice. And, of course, that was when James decided to make his entrance, fully clothed now. I sighed. Fate had it out for me.

"I KNEW it!" James pointed wildly at me, with a ridiculously smug smile on his face.

I scoffed and said, "I was being sarcastic and you know it, Potter."

So for the next five minutes, we did our catching up with Remus as Sirius occasionally glanced back to Joanna every so often and James, giving up all pretense, continually stared at me. At this point, the situation had reached a new height of awkward, and I decided we should get out of there.

"Well, we should probably go. It was nice seeing you, Remus," I said. Joanna jumped up so fast you would've thought she'd been sitting on hot coals. As we headed for the front door, James followed and protested.

"You're already leaving? But you just got here." I almost felt sorry looking into his currently sad hazel eyes and downcast features.

"Uh…sorry, James. We just came to catch up with Remus." James turned around to see Remus hovering in the kitchen doorway, looking a bit ashamed.

James turned back to me once more. "Right. Of course. Well, bye then," he said, and sadly watched us go.

On the walk back to my house, I asked Joanna what had happened between her and Sirius.

"Ugh, it was terrible. He was blatantly hitting on me, asked if I was single and all that. Said he hopes he'll see me at the end of the summer party."

"What end of the summer party?"

"Oh, the Marauders always throw a party at James's house before we go back to school. They don't really invite anyone, it's usually just them. I've shown up a few times before but I usually just leave because of the overbearing testosterone levels."

"But now Sirius is going to want you to stay, eh?"

"Looks like it," she sighed. "I don't understand it, though. He's never paid much attention to me before, I don't know why he's decided to now all of a sudden…hopefully it'll just blow over soon."

"Yeah, that's what I thought in third year when James started taking a fancy to me. I was obviously wrong."

Joanna sighed once again. "It'd be nice to attract a guy that isn't a Marauder."

"Welcome to my world." What sounded like a large truck made me look up from watching the sidewalk beneath my feet. It turned out to be what looked like a moving van; as the vehicle passed us, I saw the words 'Powell & Boyd Moving Co.' printed on the side. Directly behind the van followed a white Honda. The back passenger window was rolled down with a boy of about seventeen or eighteen staring out of it, his shaggy golden hair being tossed gently by the wind. His dark, piercing eyes found mine and held their mysterious gaze the whole while the car was passing Joanna and me.