When Harry and Hermione came out into the corridor, Hermione sighed and placed a hand on her forehead. The extent of her worry seemed to be at its peak. Hermione suddenly looked unkempt and distressed. She began pacing the floor.

"I really don't know how we're gonna do this, Harry. It seems almost impossible that we would succeed," she said, sighing deeply again. Harry bowed his head. "But we are doing it," she assured him quickly. Harry smiled and nodded.

"So," Hermione continued after a moment. "How are we gonna do this? We can't just go out and say 'James, Peter's horrible, don't be friends with him'." Harry laughed and Hermione smiled lightly at him.

"Well, I was thinking its gotta be done soon, before everyone's sent home in two days, right?" Harry said as they started down the deserted hallway.

"Right."

"So, I was thinking that we should frame him for hurting things that really matter to Remus, Sirius and James," Harry went on.

"Yeah," Hermione agreed, nodding. "We could…jinx Lily for James. Sorry, Harry," she said quickly. Harry nodded slowly. "But that's all your dad really cares about. We could embarrass Sirius in front of all those girls who like him." Hermione giggled a little and Harry smiled. "And Remus…" Hermione stopped walking and frowned. "How could we get Remus? All he thinks about is school and exams and classes are already finished." Harry stopped too and leaned against the wall, his arms crossed.

"Well, we could make him think he got a really horrible grade. Like, change his mark on his grade sheet?" Harry suggested, looking up at Hermione. She nodded a little.

"We could," she said mildly. "But if we're gonna do this we have to do it today. Like, we need to be planning all this out right now." Harry nodded and clapped his hands together.

"Let's get to it then."

Harry and Hermione found James, Remus and Sirius out by the lake, eating toast from breakfast and talking pleasantly. Hermione sat down next to Remus, who was already buried in a book. Sirius smiled at her.

"Where have you two been? We didn't see you at breakfast," James asked, glancing between Harry, who had just sat down next to James, and Hermione. She shrugged.

"I fancied a walk and I didn't want to go alone, so I brought Harry along," she said simply. She looked over Remus' shoulder to see what he was reading. While she was preoccupied, Sirius leaned over to James and whispered something in his ear. James rolled his eyes.

"What time is it?" James asked, leaning back to lie on the grass, closing his eyes. He put his hands behind his head. Harry responded to his father with "eleven." James gasped, and sat up, but before he could say anything, Lily Evans came up from behind him and gave him a playful push.

"Not very punctual, are we?" she said with a grin, putting her sleek, red hair behind her ear. James gave her an apologetic smile a muttered "sorry". She sat down behind him, wrapping her arms around his neck and resting her head on his shoulder. Harry and Hermione beamed.

"Are you two an item, or what?" Sirius asked, looking away from Hermione (she was sitting awfully close in order to read Remus' book). Lily's bright green eyes found their way on James and he grinned. Sirius laughed and whooped, pounding James his back. Lily rolled her eyes, but smiled as well.

A short, pudgy boy came around a tree and sat next to Hermione. He had short, mousey, brown hair and a round face. His robes seemed to long and too tight for him, in Harry's opinion and looked liked he had never had a date in his life. The boy smiled at Hermione in a friendly way. Hermione, realizing instantly who it was, did not return the smile; His vanished quickly.

"Wormtail, have you been in the hospital wing all this time?" James asked in an incredulous voice; Peter nodded meekly; Sirius snorted with laughter. Lily, however, frowned.

"Why were you there for so long?" she asked in a sympathetic tone. Sirius' smile widened.

"He fell down a flight of stairs after slipping on one of Moony's books." James, Sirius, and Harry all laughed. "This is Peter, by the way," Sirius added to Harry and Hermione. Hermione made no acknowledgment and Harry merely nodded, a serious expression set on his face.

Behind James, Lily sighed.

"James, I promised I would meet Cecile after we met up, so I'll see you at lunchtime, mkay?" she asked, smiling at him. James kissed her gently (Peter narrowed his eyes, jealously) and she rose, beginning to walk away. Peter suddenly stood as well; Sirius laughed as he danced away from some red ants that had crawled up his pant leg. He quickly drew his wand and began shooting them frantically. Everyone laughed except Hermione who nodded swiftly to Harry. He stood up.

"Hey guys, commere," he said, addressing Remus, Sirius and James. They all stood and walked over to him. "What's that building over there?" Harry pointed to a building at random. Immediately, while Peter's back was turned to her, Hermione drew out her wand, pointing it at Lily's retreating figure.

"Locomotor Mortis!" Hermione mouthed. The spell instantly hit Lily, causing her body to stick together suddenly. She fell onto the ground, her head hitting the ground especially hard. Quicker than anyone could notice, Hermione was standing next to Remus, looking at what Harry was pointing at, wand away. The five of them heard Lily's cry and turned to see Peter with his wand out and Lily, not fifty yards from him. James tightened his jaw and stepped forward to confront Peter.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" James shouted, his eyes flashing. Peter dropped his wand, cowering.

"J-James, w-w-what are you t-t-talking ab-about?" Peter stuttered, shaking beneath James' anger. Remus immediately went to Lily's aid and brought her back over to James, her hands shaking from shock and anger.

"You're such a coward!" James roared. "You can't even admit it! You're a spineless, talentless little worm!"

"J-James, I didn't!" Peter squealed helplessly.

"Who did then, huh? Do you see anyone else around here?" And James was right; the courtyard was deserted of students except one or two frightened first years.

Peter sputtered wordlessly, sweat appearing on his face. James opened his mouth to yell more, but Lily beat him to Peter. She raised her hand and slapped Peter's round, stricken face.

"Get out of here, Peter," she ordered in a low, dangerous voice. Peter, tears leaking from his already watery eyes, ran from her frightening figure up to the castle. Still breathing quickly, James turned to Lily.

"Y-you're okay, then?" he said, trying to keep his voice calm. Lily wiped a smudge of dirt off her face and nodded. James let out a slow, shaky sigh and put his arm around Lily's shoulder and walked her out of Harry's sight. Immediately, Sirius turned to Remus, talking and laughing with him.

"That was really good, wasn't it?" Harry whispered happily in Hermione's ear. She looked guiltily back at him.

"I still feel sort of badly…But I suppose it'll work out in the end," Hermione whispered back.

"Yes, it will," Harry said firmly. "Do you think we'll have to do it to Remus and Sirius?" Hermione didn't need a moment to think.

"No, don't you see? They'll never make a friendship with someone who's trying to destroy Lily and James' relationship. The three of them are too close. No, but I do think we'll have to jinx either Lily or James once or twice more. Peter may try to take the blame just so he can have his friends back and say he's sorry. No, we need to make this really deeply rooted," Hermione whispered urgently and quickly to Harry.

Harry felt oddly satisfied about what he and Hermione had just done. True, it had caused his mother a fall, but it had strengthened Lily and James and separated Peter from his parents…at least for a period.

A/N: Please leave a review on your way out