Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling. I am not JK Rowling. Therefore, by the transitive property, Harry Potter is not mine.

The rest of the week flew by rather quickly, as their remaining classes consisted of tons of new information being thrown at them, but no practical work. They were lectured in each and every class about the dangers of wandwaving and mis-read incantations and the dangers of backfiring spells, but nothing could stop the four friends from practicing their spellwork back in the dormitory. James' detention was scheduled for Friday night (much to their relief, as Saturday and Sunday were to be put aside for exploring) and besides a slight fire caused by Peter's backfiring wand, nothing very exciting happened.

James and Lily were to do their detentions together that night, simply cleaning up around the potions dungeon. Apparently, Slughorn had requested the two specifically, which came as a great shock to James.

"What d'you reckon he wants with us?" James asked his friends during dinner, just before his detention.

"I dunno," Sirius said. After three days, he still wasn't making any attempt at being social. He was just waiting for a howler. "It's just detention, mate. No need to get all bothered about it."

"I heard he has a club," Peter piped up. "Maybe he wants you to join it?"

"The Slug Club? But then why's he asking us to detention?"

They all shrugged, and at that moment their conversation was cut short by Lily Evans. She tapped James gently on the shoulder. "Would you like to head down together?" she asked, stiffly and rather coldly.

"Sure," he said, brushing crumbs off himself and standing up. He couldn't help but notice that she was within an inch of his height. This bothered him, for some strange reason. Snivellus was a good three inches taller than her…

James waved to his friends and set off behind Lily, who was walking briskly with her nose firmly in the air. She was determinedly looking away from him, and he knew it.

"I'm really not all that bad, you know. And we're both Gryffindor… aren't we supposed to be like family or something like that?" he asked.

She sighed. "I guess. But you know, having friends in other houses is perfectly acceptable too… I don't know why you're so set against other houses; I just can't believe that you'd try to pick on Sev because he's in a different house—"

"Woah, woah, I didn't pick on him because he's in another house… I picked on him because he's in Slytherin. They're evil, Evans! Well, maybe not all of them." He thought briefly of Sirius's cousin—the middle sister. "But a lot of them are. And Snivellus is just so… so…" he caught Lily's eye and realized he had just dug himself into a hole. "I mean, I didn't… I'm not… ergh!" he said, slapping him palm to his face. "Forget it. You wouldn't understand."

"Why wouldn't I? Because I'm muggleborn?" she accused.

"Muggle—what does that have to do with anything? Now you're confusing me with Slytherins; they're the racist ones. Pure-blood all the way and anything less is scum in their eyes."

"Liar!" she shouted. "Sev told me that it wouldn't—that it doesn't make a difference…"

"Well, he's full of dung then, isn't he? He's in Slytherin—he'll be one of the worst, you'll see. I'd never hold that against you, ever. He, on the other hand—"

"You're the prejudiced one! Turning against him just because he's a Slytherin without giving him a chance—when he's never done anything to you—"

"Alright, you know what? Stop putting us in the same category. I don't want to be compared to him. He's a slimeball and a Slytherin, and I don't care if you think I'm prejudiced for saying so! I don't like him for reasons that I'll never quite be able to explain to you without jumping down my throat, so just stop talking!"

Lily opened her mouth again, thought better, and closed it. She sped up a few steps before turning around to shout, "You arrogant little JERK!" James just stuck out his tongue, because he could think of nothing better to do that didn't involve cursing a girl.

It took a moment for James to realize that he and Lily had been having their fight right outside the potion master's door, and that this particular potions master was head of Slytherin house. Which may have been why James got a less-than-warm welcome into the dungeon where detention was to take place.

Lily, on the other hand, was showered with affection by Professor Slughorn. Though they were supposed to be sorting potions ingredients, he would call her away every few minutes to examine a book or get her opinion on some famous wizard or other. Her answers seemed to delight him, for he gave a booming laugh every time she answered. By the end of the night, James was stuck doing the detention by himself while Slughorn reminisced to Lily about some old student.

"Very bright, he was, very bright. No surprise to me at all when he went on to the Ministry. Still sends me crystallized pinapple every year for my birthday. Now, Lily, I'm having a bit of a dinner party in a couple weeks—nothing too fancy, but I was wondering if you would like to come. It's rather select, though, so don't go spreading it around," he said in a rather loud whisper. "I've been trying to corner your friend Severus, as well, to invite him, but he keeps slipping out of the common room to visit you. So if I don't get around to it, would you mind telling him…?"

"Of course, sir. I'm sure he'd be delighted. I know I am," she said, beaming.

"Sir, can we leave?" James asked rather obnoxiously. It seemed as if Slughorn had forgotten he was in the room.

"What? Oh, yes, Potter, of course. Hurry along, it's almost two hours past curfew, isn't it? Merlin's beard, how time flies." James dumped a handful of flobberworms into a bucket and ran out of the dungeon, leaving Lily behind.

When he stormed back into the Common Room a half an hour later, muttering to himself, he didn't even look where he was going and ran directly into Remus, who was carrying a small satchel. Remus, being rail thin, was knocked over by the impact.

"Sorry, mate!" James said, holding out his hand to help Remus up.

"N-no problem." James noticed that his friend's eyes were darting around the common room as though panicked, and he looked in a huge hurry to get out of there.

"Is something wrong?"

"N-no, no, of c-course not," he stuttered. "I just, er, I have to…" he tried to dart past James, but James' arm blocked his exit from the portrait hole. Remus looked terrified; there were tears quivering in his eyes.

"Are you sure everything's fine? You look like you're about to be sick."

"I just need to go, James," Remus said weakly. James looked at him suspiciously for a moment, then lifted his arm to let his friend pass. "Thank you," Remus said, relief flooding his voice as he scampered away.

James called after him. "If anything's the matter and you want to, um, talk…" he suddenly felt very awkward. Talking about feelings wasn't his strong point, but if one of his fellow Gryffindors was upset…

He thought Remus may have looked back for a split second, but he couldn't be sure.

Sirius and Peter had already fallen asleep in their dormitory by the time James got there, so talking about Remus would have to wait until tomorrow.

Tomorrow! They were finally going to explore the castle tomorrow night. Was Remus going to be back? He'd better be. James thought, or we're going without him.