A/N: well, it's certainly been long enough. I sort of… well, actually, completely neglected this story. To be honest I'd forgotten the details of the plot. However, having a gotten a recent review (huge thanks to Deirdre4 for inspiring me), I was motivated to a) reread my fic and b) update it. So, here it goes, several months too late.

"Can I come in then?"

James identified a familiar suggestive tone in Sirius' voice. He could also swear that his comment had a second meaning. He smirked- and was awed by the Lily that met him in the mirror.

"Oh, James! I love you!" he mouthed mockingly adding a sarcastically sappy edge to his/her voice, and holding his hand over his heart dramatically while leaning into the mirror.

"I just can't resist you," he continued, no pronouncing the words aloud, "You're so handsome and charming- I've known it all along, really! Please, forgive me for being so mean- no, harsh… cruel and torturous to you in the past! I was under the imperious curse, all the while longing to jump into your arms! Which are very manly, for the record, so are your hands, actually. And you know what they say about those with big hands-"

James' monologue was cut short by the howling laughter of his so-called friend. Apparently he'd been so caught up in his reflection that Sirius had managed to sneak up behind him. It wasn't like it was really a big deal or anything, though…

"I'm never forgetting this moment. EVER!" Sirius managed to assure James in between chokes of hysteria. While his hilarity gradually came to a halt, the bathroom's local half-girl sensation slipped into a cubicle to change out of the uniform adorning his/her body into one that matched his/her current gender, and wasn't several sizes too large. Besides, James didn't want to give Lily the reputation of being a drag… king? But that got James thinking- by transforming his body was he partaking in some twisted magical version of cross-dressing? Maybe this was what it was like to get a sex-change.

All throughout his absent thoughts, James had been stripping out of his wrinkled uniform, not thinking of what the removal of his shirt would reveal. He was suddenly overwhelmed by a feeling of need to protect her body at all costs- he didn't want anybody, especially not Sirius, and not even himself to be taking advantage of Lily. This guarding nature sort of came as a surprise to James- he'd never really taken his obsession with her seriously… more as a routine. In fact, he couldn't recall a day during which he hadn't thought of her, spoke to her, or stalked her. She had become part of his life, whether he liked it or not. And he thought it was just a fickle crush? A game which he enjoyed playing, a little to much?

It was like a denial party.

As efficiently as possible, he/she shimmied into the neatly folded girls' uniform Remus had so kindly snatched from the laundry room. It was a little snug for his liking, but apparently this was what was expected of girls. Most annoying of all, possibly, was the damned bra. Although, there wasn't time to complain about it- enough time had been wasted already.

"Alright, I'm set." James called out to Sirius. His voice startled him, yet again. Defiantly, he placed forward a foot clad in oversized runners (bloody Remus hadn't been so sharp as to remember the vital component of clothing commonly referred to as footwear). To the naked eye he may have look like the regular old perfect prefect Lily Evans with an abnormal pair of scruffy clown shoes, but since James possessed a rather educated eye on the subject, he was so able to accurately analyze the person standing before him in the mirror, or rather, the person he was. He/she was determined. In this case, determined to solve the mystery of the missing map.

So mission impossible turned out to be an oxymoron.

No disguise could have prevented James from tip-toeing up the stairs; despite his flawless masquerade, even more effective then the invisibility cloak, he couldn't shake the feeling that he would be caught. Which was also odd, because he was a generally irresponsible, reckless, hasty being. Maybe this whole 'being-a-girl' thing had pushed responsibility on him. He hoped it was a temporary effect. Surely the whole 'walk a mile in their shoes' philosophy wouldn't apply to him- he didn't want to have to be empathetic and reasonable. Although really, he was still wearing his own shoes…

Yes, he should be safe enough.

Still not used to his new body, James tripped over the final step, collapsed through the open door, and ended up sprawled across the floor, which was thankfully plush and carpeted. He quickly recollected himself and jumped up from his eagle-spread position. He had roughly half an hour to raid the room; it was deserted thanks to Sirius' "distraction" down in the common room. Him shirtless (obviously because he was having his portrait done by peter who had of course found a new come love for painting) was enough of a distraction for your average seventh year girl.

The Lily/James... the Jily, began his investigation, not caring the slightest about being neat, or cleaning up after himself. He ripped clothing from trunks ruthlessly, scavenged beneath the beds, disemboweled the cabinets, and basically turned the entire room upside down. The unfortunate books and papers that had been abandoned were brutally devoured, Jily took no care as he "I solemnly swear I am up to No Good"ed them. Before long it looked as though a tornado had passed through the room. A slight wave of guilt flowed though, but it was almost immediately replaced with another emotion: panic. He could hear Sirius' overly exaggerated tone from the common room, his warning for the hour ending.

"Aren't you done yet, Peter? It's nearly been an HOUR!"

His cry was painfully obvious, and Jily certainly got the message. Little had been accomplished; the entire ploy had been useless. But although James would never be caught admitting it, the experience was worth it.

And as he frantically dashed (quite clumsily) back to the boys' lavatory (conveniently "closed for maintenance", obviously), James found himself smiling.

No, not smiling- beaming. Because this could very well be proof that Lily wasn't actually the culprit.

Little did he know that in a broom cupboard not far away, the map was tucked safely away in her bra, politely not inspected by Remus and Peter.

It was, very ironically, the very same sort that he had damned just an hour earlier.

And so very soon, the hour of Jily would merely be a memory for the marauders, and for Lily, the 'time she slipped and actually knocked herself out for an hour'.

Back into his regular uniform, still wearing the same sturdy shoes, James exited the bathroom, the same as he had entered. Only different.

A/N: totally out of the loop… I hope it was decent.

R&R. I could definitely use the help.