Chapter Eight: Whole Lotta 'Love'

AN: May I just say firstly, how grateful I am for all the reviews I've gotten! It really does impact the writing of the story and seeing how many of you have read it, I'm convinced now to see this through until the very last chapter! So I dedicate this chapter and all the others to you lovely reviewers!

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The Marauders lay on their backs, looking up high into the whomping willow. Having already calmed the tree and done the usual exploring of the shack, the boys had decided to sit outside, as it was too hot inside the confines of the haunted quarters. The heat of the summer smothered the boy's thoughts like a thick blanket, and only quiet musings were heard of the normally talkative males. There was one missing, and the whole group seemed to feel it. James' absence was like someone had cut the jugular of the Marauders.

Remus heard rushed footsteps coming towards them and looked over lazily. Whoever was running in this sweltering weather was off their nut.

Hair messy and clothes dishevelled, James Potter came to a halt just in time. Instead of giving his usual cocky grin, his face was a mixture of confusion and annoyance. Kicking Sirius and Peter on his way to wake them up, he sat down against the tree and continued his frowning.

An annoyed Sirius, now with a sore head, decided tact had left the building when James' boot collided painfully with his cranium.

"Well, what the bloody hell is it? I've got a headache the size of a troll and it better not be for nothing."

Peter stifled a yawn and sat up properly, looking expectantly at James.

"Lily Evans just very nearly freaking kissed me."

It all happened very suddenly. Within an instant, Peter's jaw dropped, Remus choked on the piece of grass he'd been chewing on and Sirius exclaimed, "What's the hell did you do? Tell her you were dying???"

Not too pleased with his friend's reactions, James scowled and spat, "SHE initiated it. I reckon if I hadn't left in time, the bird would have been all over me."

"You left?" Now over his choking spree, Remus took over James' confused expression.

"I just- I don't know. I don't know how to explain what's going on right now…"

"Well, why don't we explain it over lunch? I'm hungry and you owe me after bashing my head in."

The boys trudged up to the Hall, and began loading their plates with bacons and eggs, toast and more other wonderful things cooked up by the elves.

"So?" Remus prompted…

"Toast. Eggs. Juice. Bacon." James stated, and was awarded with slightly curious and scared looks from his friends.

"Very good, Jamesy." Sirius clapped like a two year-old.

"See, this is how simple life can be. You get what you're given," James gestured to his lunch, "And you live with it like that. You don't put sauce on it," James picked up the sauce bottle and squeezed, "And then scrape it off. And then decide you want sauce on it again. You make the decision once and for all on whether to have the bloody sauce or not."

James' lunch was now a red tomato mess.

"But what if suddenly, the sauce doesn't look nice anymore. And you're free. But then the sauce comes back, even more saucier and suddenly, you can have it, but you don't want it because the sauce has been an obsession for so long," James was now squeezing the sauce bottle so tightly, it began to whine, "But you can have it. So you need to choose before the sauce screws you around again and gets even saucier and suddenly is out of your grasp and-"

"-okay!" Remus tried to pull the sauce from James' hand while Sirius looked at him like he was crazy.

Luckily, the rest of the hall were focussed on their lunches and planning their Sunday afternoon, not noticing what would soon be referred to as "The Sauce Incident".

"Maybe…just maybe, we can talk about this in… less-foodlike terms?" Sirius asked warily, whilst pushing his lunch away from James' grasp.

"Guys, I've been obsessed with her so long, she became more of a habit than a…recipient of my feelings. And when I realised that, I was so happy, to, to get away from that. She was like a drug in some ways…and I was over my addiction…

"What?" Remus was totally lost- James wasn't making any sense and seemed to be talking to himself.

"Don't you get it, Moony? For so long in my life, it's been about her! And now, I have the chance to sort-of back track and live the last year of my Hogwarts life free of all this! No more worrying about other guys asking her out, any of that…"

"So you don't have feelings for her anymore?"

James was silent…

"It's, it's not like that…but I just can't go down this path anymore, it's taken up too much of my like. It's not her fault, it's mine for letting it go on so long when she clearly isn't interested."

"But she's interested now."

"Yeah, well… I'd rather let go of her peacefully now than end up losing her if we broke up."

"Let go peacefully?" Sirius scoffed, "You sound like a bloody bird Prongs."

James rolled his eyes and suddenly seemed to notice his tomato red mess of a lunch.

"Gimme some of yours." he tried to steal some bacon from Sirius's plate, who slapped James hand.

"Look at you! Bitch-slapping and all now," James laughed as Sirius scowled and bent over his food like a dog.

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"Oh, seriously." Judence groaned as she entered the Heads dorm.

Lily's hair was pulled into a sloppy bun, with strands falling out everywhere. She was in old sweats with bunny slippers on and surrounding her at the table were mountains of books she'd found at the library. Scribbling furiously at a piece of parchment whilst scanning a textbook, Lily barely looked up, mumbling a soft "Hey…"

"Sunday. It's SUNDAY and you're homeworking. That's wrong and immoral. Shame on you." Judence lectured as she looked through the books on the table with distaste.

"mm…" Lily still hadn't even looked up.

Judence sighed, knowing she wouldn't get a proper response for a few hours, settled into an armchair and began to doze…

It was late on a Sunday afternoon. The air was hot and humid and many students were dipping their toes into the lake, hoping to get some sort of refreshment. Two sixth year girls were hurrying into the Gryffindor common room, laden with books. The first, a curvy brow-headed girl with a cheeky smile, collapsed into a seat by the window.

"Merlin, Lily, you hire any more books from the library and we'll have to employ a thestral and carriage!"

The second girl, a slender red-head with emerald green eyes that sparkled, smiled in response and she too plonked down into a sofa near the window.

"Blimey, it's just getting hotter and hotter." she sighed, fanning herself with a blank piece of parchment.

"Talking about me, were you ladies?" A cocky laugh came from the entrance of the common room. In sauntered the popular group of four boys who like to refer to themselves as 'The Marauders'.

A tall boy with a shock of black hair gave a small bow, and gestured with his hand for them to continue.

"Please Judence- tell me that by some miracle, that isn't Potter and his band of gal-pals behind me." Lily groaned in annoyance.

The insult didn't seem to even deter him a little bit. He grinned, stepping forward as if she'd given him fuel.

"Alas, it is, my dear Lillian! May I remark on how marvellous you look today?"

Lily deliberated what to do- attempt and charm all her books to go to the dormitory where she wouldn't have to endure James, or try by some means to get him out of the common room.

Deciding the latter would be more suiting, Lily rounded on James.

"I'm wearing sweat-pants, Potter. I don't think they count as marvellous. Why must you waste your time annoying me? I can't ever recall saying I wanted my life at Hogwarts to be plagued by a guy who runs around on a broom all day."

"I believe it's called flying," James winked at her, "but doesn't matter if you say you can recall it at all. You've had it written all over your face since you met me, love."

Judence and Sirius were about to burst from holding in laughter- James had gone one word too far- love.

Lily was deadly quiet for a minute before whispering, "Call me love one more time Potter and I swear, swear on anything precious in this world that I will hurt you."

James, too caught up in the thrill of the chase, grinned stupidly.

"Oh, say you love me Evans. You so do, like-"

There was a flash of spinning neon light that hit James right on his throat.

"Ha- didn't do anything-" James stopped and massaged his throat. Why was his voice all high and squeaky? It had broken years ago! Yet, as he tried again and again to correct it, all the sound he could make sounded like a six year old girl.

Lily smiled, walked forward and cocked her head at James.

"Do I love you, James Potter? "she shook her head, "I would dare say that you wouldn't hex someone you love. Bad luck, maybe the next girl you see will fall for your manly voice."

Lily and Judence snickered and walked off, leaving James to squeak feebly, "Cheap shot, Evans!"

The marauders laughed their heads off at James' new voice while he tried to find a spell to undo Evan's hex.

"Judence? Are you asleep?" Lily's voice interrupted Judence's reminiscings.

"Not now," Judence grumbled, shaking her hair and wondering over to her friend.

Lily packed up the books on the table and was about to return them to the shelves when they returned themselves. This room was just so, magical! Laughing at her words, she began to walk up to her bedroom.

"I was thinking of going down to watch the Quidditch match this afternoon." Lily told Judence.

Judence snorted, "And since when did Quidditch interest you?"

"Oh, Judence, I've always been a fan," Lily winked and tried to find something to wear.

Judence shook her head and helped Lily.

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Sirius sat in the locker room, waiting for James to emerge. They had arrived early for the match and Sirius wanted a quick talk before the game.

James strode out, broom polished and ready.

"Uh, prongs?" Sirius started carefully as James looked at him, "I was just wondering… are you in the right, um, state of mind to play?"

James looked bemused.

"Well, mate, don't blame me but after the sauce-incidentay-"

"The sauce incident?" James snorted.

"Hey, I wasn't the one who went bang up crazy at breakfast mate. You can't blame me for worrying that this may affect our chances at the game."

James slapped Sirius on the back, "Rest assured padfoot, I won't belt out my internal conflicts in the middle of the game."

Sirius grinned, "Good man."

As the rest of the team trudged into the room, James began prepping the team to win.

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"I am just so sorry, Judes. You are a wonderful person and it took me a little while to understand you, but now I do, I feel like we're kindred souls-" Brian Prent pleaded into Judence's eyes, trying to grab her hand.

How had this all started, Judence grumbled.

She had followed Lily up to the stands, and no sooner did they sit down did Brian Prent pop up and sit beside her.

While Lily drooled over a blur zooming around on a stick, Judence was enduring Brian Prent confess his undying love for her-

"- you're just so amazing, Judence."

Judence snatched her hand from Prent and spat at him "Ok, enough lover-boy. Sorry, but your not my type. And don't-" she snapped as he went to interrupt, " say our destinies are wrapped or wound together. You do and I swear I will jump off this grandstand.

Prent's bottom lip quivered and he sat in silence a little too close to her.

After a few moments, it was too much for him.

"Can I wait for you?"

"Wait for me where?" snapped Judence.

"For you to realise how much we suit each-"

Judence groaned and grabbed her scarf and bag, stomping down the stairs and dragging Lily in tow. She was almost shaking with anger as she waited in the common room for the party celebrating Gryffindors win.

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Sirius swagged down a butterbeer on the way to the party. Grinning like a fool, he saw Brian Prent scurrying around looking for someone. He burst into tears from laughing so hard. Oh, life was good.

He followed James into the common room and he felt someone grab his ear.

"Ow, ow, OW!" Sirius yelped as a short, brunette chick dragged him across the room.

Letting go of him, she glared before beginning to yell.

"Oh, FUN-ney Black, giving Prent a love potion! He's been annoying the crap out of me all day and all you can do is laugh!" Judence was fuming.

"It was pretty funny, wasn't it?" Sirius snickered.

Judence just shook her head and continued her rant at him.

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Parties were supposed to be fun. This party was not fun, Lily thought.

Not only was James avoiding her like the plague, but Judence had ditched her to go and deal with Sirius.

Lily sighed, watching them fight. Not too long ago, it would have been her and James bickering to the amusement of the crowd.

She heard someone walk up behind her. Turning around, she saw a guy she'd never noticed.

Tall, well-built and muscular, a blonde-headed seventh year smiled at her.

Lily struggled to find words.

"Hello, I'm Roman Benekoh. Just came to Hogwarts this year," the handsome guy introduced himself, "You must be Lily Evans."

Lily, flattered by this gorgeous man, stuttered, "How, how did you know?"

"Oh Miss Evans, I've heard all about your radiance," he winked before sitting down on chair he conjured, "Prettiest girl in Hogwarts. Smartest too."

Lily flustered and decided there was no harm in getting to know Mr Beneko.

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Remus Lupin had finally gotten a chance to talk to James. Panting from his frenzied chase, he grabbed James from his Quidditch buddies and pulled him into a quiet corner.

"That thing you said," Remus sucked in air, and started again, "What you said this morning; about giving up Lily and all, you meant it?"

"I mean I want to be friends with her, yeah." James looked confused.

"And that's all? Just friends?" Remus pressed on.

"I- yeah, I guess."

"No, James, you have to make up your mind now." Remus said urgently.

"What- why?" James tried to get a look around Remus to see what was going on.

"James!" Remus got his attention, "You need to make a decision now on what to do, and you need to stick to it. Do you want to be with Lily or not?"

James looked worried, and bit his lip.

"I…"

"James!"

"No, I don't. I just want to be friends."

Remus looked relieved and nodded his head.

"Why?" James asked.

Remus pointed over to the portrait of the Fat Lady where Lily Evans and the new 'hottie' Roman Benekoh were holding hands, and sneaking out of.

"If you'd had said yes, then you would have had to get to Lily before she left with him." Remus looked at James, not knowing what to expect.

James was entirely expressionless, before draining his butterbeer and going back to his old dormitory.

He needed to think.

Well, I hope you like the chap! Next chapter is in progress and perhaps a lot of important events will happen! Until then, happy fanficing!