A/N. How is everyone? It's been a while, or so it feels like. Maybe it hasn't, I haven't really checked the date since I last posted.

Some perfectly amazing things have happened since I last posted, and let me just say that I'm very incredibly proud for my team who's just made it to the world series. Actually, they're up in the series three games to none.

Anyway, thanks as always to those who reviewed and added me on alert/favorite. You're loved very much :D

Here's Chapter Six—Growing Up and Falling Back Down

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When you're young and naïve, everything is in black and white. You're told to eat this, watch that, you even had a certain bedtime. Follow the lead of those wiser then you, and above all be sure not to rock too high on the swing set.

And, as kid's, it's natural to whine and complain about being overwhelmed and suffocated by this. It's a fact; we're all just trying to change the world. So, naturally, we sneak in a few chocolates late at night. We check out the television stations that we know our parents would never approve of. We swing so high on that old tire swing out back that it feels like we're flying.

But the thing is, deep down we also have a sliver of appreciation towards are parents for setting such strict rules. And, if we don't, by the time we're shipped off to school like cattle and forced to make our own decisions we begin to wish that we were still under the wing of our parents. In other words, we begin to wish that we hadn't yet grown up.

Once, in my muggle English class, we read this book in which a kid undergoes a transformation which my professor referred to as the 'loss of innocence,' also known as growing up, as I mentioned before. In this book, the boy's best friend jumps off of a tree aiming to land in a river of water, but instead splats onto the earth, breaking his leg. He undergoes surgery and after a bit of time the readers find out that there were complications to his surgery and he's dead.

Why, out of all the books in the world, my English teacher chose that story to explain to us the processes of growing up I'll never know. Because the fact is, I guess, as parents say; kids mature. It doesn't take your best mate vanishing off the earth for it to happen, eventually everyone looses their childhood clarity. The more we try to change the world, the more of the world we see. The more of the world we see, the more adult-like we become. It's just in the circle of life, or whatever. The black and white turns to color. Children grow up.

Well, most children anyway. And no, I'm not about to start a Peter Pan sort of rant, but I must say that there are several Hogwarts students that I can safely say have yet to undergo the process I mentioned. One in particular; James Potter.

I mean seriously, what kind of mature teenager would chuck note after note after my head during class? Especially when the class is Defense Against the Dark Arts, a subject in which a person really needs to pay attention to in order to pass.

So I tried to ignore him. Actually, I'll admit, I gave him the dirtiest look I could muster after the first piece of paper bounced off the back of my head. Then I ignored him.

After all, the primary rule in dealing with children is to not give into their juvenile games. Don't let them feel like they've got the upper hand. Resist the temptation to knock them out cold.

However, once a seventh piece of parchment made contact with my back and the stubborn bloke showed no signs or relenting, I couldn't help but give in. Turning to face him in his seat directly behind me, I hissed, "What the bloody hell do you think you're doing?"

Potter grinned at me and shrugged, "Shh, don't talk in class. You're supposed to read the note, Lily."

I raised my eyebrows and gave him a nice long stare as to make him uncomfortable. You know, one of those looks where the only thought going through your head is "Is he crazy?" but you dare not ask it out loud for fear that he'll go completely mad and kill everyone in the castle.

"Why would I ever read a note you wrote?" I asked seriously, but turned around before he had time to answer.

Lydia cocked her head in curiosity as I returned to my notes. Shrugging my shoulders to let her know that it wasn't anything important, I turned my attention back to Professor Styles. It was moments later, however, that I found myself turning once more in my seat.

"Do it again and I'll curse you," I threatened, pulling my wand out of my pocket and lying it upon my desk threateningly.

"Marry me?" He whispered, and it took all of my strength not to blush due to the nature of the question, especially after I heard Sirius snort from James's side.

"Go to hell." I insisted automatically.

"Only if you'll come with me,"

"You do have the hair for it..." Sirius interjected jokingly.

"Got boxers?" I muttered, lowering my voice dramatically so Lydia wouldn't hear. His eyes darted to her automatically then back to me, and now it was his turn to glare.

"Touché."

James looked in interest from me to Sirius, obviously not knowing what we were talking about. And, of course, James Potter always has to know.

"Boxers?" He asked curiously, fixing his gaze fully on his best mate.

I turned toward Sirius myself, and in all honesty I was quite amazed that James didn't know about the incident with Lydia. After all, Sirius Black and James Potter were the closest of friends that I ever knew. In actuality, it's pretty much impossible to find one without the other. They're like some strange combo pack. Like fries and a coke; you can't have one without the other.

So you see, I would have inquired more on the subject as to drive Sirius mad, but this whole not communicating thing was all new to me. And at that moment I felt guilty as hell for mentioning it. So instead I turned forward in my seat once more and tried my hardest to pay attention to the lesson being presented, attempting and mostly failing to ignore the whispered questions James continued to ask Sirius.

After an unsuccessful class, James naturally turned toward me once more for further inquiries. "So," he began, falling into stride next to me as I exited the classroom and turned left towards my next subject, Divination. I would have waited for Lydia and walked with her instead, but rather then opting for seeing into the future she instead was learning about the past in Ancient Runes next period. So I was pretty much fated to be annoyed half way across the castle. "How's life?"

"I'm not telling you anything Potter," I firmly stated, adjusting my books from one arm to the other and tucking a strand of hair behind my hair.

"I wouldn't want you to," He grabbed the small pile of books out of my hands and rested them idly underneath his arm (he was too lazy to carry his own around).

I looked at him quizzically due to his statement. "Why not?"

"Because Sirius doesn't want me to know," he said with a shrug.

"And you're content with his choice?"

"I respect it, if that's what you mean. He can tell me whatever her wants, but he doesn't have to."

I raised an eyebrow at him in amazement, "You're crazy." I insisted before grabbing my books back from him.

"You're charming."

I rolled my eyes, not at all phased. "You always use that line."

"No," he contradicted after mulling the thought over for a moment. "Sometimes I use 'beautiful' or 'amazing' in the place of charming. Whatever I'm in the mood for."

"And the more you use it, the less it works."

"So it worked at a time?"

"Eh," I admit, squinting my eyes slightly to remember correctly. "I think I found it a bit flattering the first time in fourth year or so. Mostly annoying at strange, but the littlest bit becoming."

The grin on his face significantly widened. "Lily Evans found me chivalrous?"

"When did that word come into play?" I asked, suppressing the urge to smile.

"Lily Evans finds me chivalrous and stunning." He repeated goodheartedly, adding a second adjective in a more final sort of tone.

"Aren't we a little old for make believe?" I asked, turning towards him.

"Yeah, so stop pretending."

I opened my mouth for a retort, but his witty response had caught me off guard. I turned once more and began to climb the narrow staircase in front of me, quickening my pace a bit. "I do not pretend."

James laughed, following behind me. "You pretend you hate me."

I stopped once more in my tracks for the second time during the walk to class. Yeah, I realize that I do that a lot. Anyway, of course since James was behind me he walked straight into me, which caused me to wobble a bit, and the bloke had to grab me by the waist to avoid me following down about fifteen steps of the staircase. There was just something he had said that made my mind flash to that drunken night. Which also made my mind flash to the fact that I was supposed to not be talking to him.

My lack of response caused him to continue. "We could be friends, you know." He insisted, stepping behind me into the Divination classroom and sitting down across from me.

No response. So he continued further. "I'd make a great friend. I'm respectful, like we mentioned before about Sirius. Plus I'm funny and amusing. And I'm a great snogger if you're into the whole 'friends with benefits' sort of thing."

I rolled my eyes, finally speaking. "We'd be friends when hell froze over."

James pretended not to hear me; instead he gazed deeply into the crystal ball that sat in front of him on the desk, as if entranced by it. "What's this," he said in a strangely vague voice that reminded me greatly of our professor. "It's telling me that there are snow falls coming to the underworld. And soon."

I couldn't help but laugh a bit and reach across the small table to lightly punch him in the shoulder. Because the thing is, as much as I disliked the thought of getting along with James, my life would be so much duller without him. He was immature and pathetic, yes, but without him I feel like I would grow much too old much too fast. Because I suppose that sometimes, no matter how grown up you become or think you become, you're still really a kid inside. Everyone is. The truth tends to be that when the chance presents itself, as if in the form of Potter, the layers of baggage begin to peel off and once more the innocence is revealed.

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