Hey, guys! Here's the super, super delayed update! I just wanted to say I'm so sorry that I wasn't able to post this before. I had writer's block and I've been busy as hell, you wouldn't even believe.

PLEASE go to my profile because I have a few things to explain, I won't be updating for a SUPER long time, I have a lot going on, but I've explained every thing over there. Thank you!

I'd like to thank every single one of you for your kind - naw, AWESOME reviews!

Kriti: I like your inpatient reviews, reminds me of well...me? XD
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MEand updateplzzzzzzzz believe it or not, I'd forgotten to update, and your reviews reminded me! Thanks!

I'm sorry for this long author's note n stuff, but they all just make me grin and just push me forward like you wouldn't believe.

Enjoyyy!

"Oi, Lily!" James shouted, running into the Gryffindor common room one afternoon, searching for Lily, "Where are you!"

"I'm over here, James. Be quiet, you're shaking all of Hogwarts with your loud voice," Lily hissed at him, coming downstairs from the girls' common room.

James grinned, "Anyway, so I had this bloody brilliant idea-"

"Enlighten me," Lily cut in sarcastically, rolling her eyes at him.

"-Before I was so very rudely interrupted," James continued, earning a snort from Lily, "I have a plan that can bring Padfoot and our very own Marlene together!" he said, grinning triumphantly.

Lily's eyes brightened, and she grinned back at him, sitting down on the couch and motioning him to do so too, "Well, tell me. Spill," she laughed, immediately joining in on this 'bloody brilliant plan'.

"Well, this is what we can do. As you know, they're both in the depths of denial, so what my plan is-"

Lily rolled her eyes, "Enough small talk, would you care to tell me the plan?"

"-that when we go to Hogsmeade today, we take Sirius and Marlene with us. You know, go to the three broomsticks or something,"

Lily nodded eagerly, "And?" she asked, bending forward in her curiosity.

"Well, what we do is, order some drinks and things for them, and just leave. Let them be together, you know? They won't have a say in this because I'll tell Sirius earlier that I want to spend some time with you alone, but that's just a lie so we can put them together," James finished triumphantly.

"So we ditch them, you say?" Lily asked, trying to ignore the sad tug her heart gave when he said that he didn't want to spend time with her, not in that way. Lately, she had been feeling different towards James, and with all the teasing, remarks and theories that her friends had been coming up with, she couldn't help but think of him often. Still, she hadn't figured out what she felt exactly, but it hurt when James said it, anyway. He had, in fact, asked her out many times in their fourth year, but all that had stopped when they became friends.

Lily had made it stop.

"Potter….we have to try...and just be friends, alright? We can't be like this...I don't want us to be like this...we're too different and it would never work out. I'm sorry, but let's just be friends?" Lily said one day, pulling James over in the corridor when he'd hopefully asked her if they could try.

"Fine, but I'll be there when you're ready…." James' voice trailed off, "Because I still like you, but maybe if you don't want to, I'll move on, too,"

Anyway, back to the present.

James nodded eagerly, "That's the only way, Lily! And besides, it'll be fun," he wiggled his eyebrows, "We can secretly spy on them too, I have the invisibility cloak and everything,"

Lily sighed, "Fine," she agreed finally, "but only this time, okay?"

James grinned, "Fine, only this time. Unless you fall under my spell and we have to prank them again," he paused, "My pranking spell, I mean," he added quickly at Lily's confused look.

'Of course, he didn't mean it like that, why would he?' Lily thought, inwardly sighing, even though she didn't know why she cared.

James frowned, "Are you...alright?" he asked suddenly, "You look rather...far off? What's wrong?" he looked worried.

Lily shook her head quickly, "I'm fine," she replied hurriedly, forcing a smile. James quirked an eyebrow and gave her a disbelieving look, "Really. I was just...thinking that Marlene would kill me after this, you know how she is," she added quickly.

"Yes, she would," James laughed, but Lily could tell he didn't believe her. But still, he didn't push more on the matter, much to her relief.

"Are Remus and Peter coming to Hogsmeade?" Lily asked suddenly, changing the subject.

James shook his head, "Naw, I don't think they are. Remus, well, he wants to stay and study -I pity him- and Peter….I have no idea,"

Lily laughed, "Well, see you outside in thirty minutes then. I'll go upstairs and get Marlene, god knows what she's up to,"

"Dreaming about Sirius, I'm sure," James said in mock thoughtfulness, grinning at Lily. She couldn't help but laugh as well as she walked away, not noticing the wistful look in James' eyes as he looked at her disappear.

"Come on, Marls!" Lily called, slipping on her coat and stepping out of the girls' dormitory, "You look great, don't worry!" she added teasingly because Marlene had been changing her look a little bit lately, much approved by Alice and Mary. Perhaps it was because of a certain Black, but we might never know.

Still, it gave James and Lily an opportunity to tease them both. But she wasn't the only one who dressed up, to be fair to Marlene, it had become pretty apparent to the girls that Lily had also started wearing a little bit of makeup, just to change things up a little. She hadn't ever been too girly, but now in the fifth year, it had to change. But Lily was strong on the point that she would still look like herself no matter what, and the girls liked that about her.

Marlene finally came out, and the girls left the dormitories, hand in hand.

"Do you think I look okay?" Marlene asked suddenly, as they stepped out of the portrait together. Her voice was quiet, and for once in her life, Marlene McKinnon looked hesitant.

Lily sighed and gave her and a gentle squeeze, "Mar, you look amazing, don't worry," she said sincerely, "You always do, so don't worry, okay?"

Marlene bit her lip, "Don't tell, Lily, but I've been feeling rather funny lately," she paused, "I don't know what's going on, I feel like...so...different,"

Lily smiled softly, "Is this about Sirius?" she asked when they were safely out in the empty hallway, "You tell me,"

Marlene smiled sheepishly, "Maybe…" she muttered, feeling butterflies in her stomach at his remembrance. Well, not remembrance, because he was the only thing on her mind these days. Oh, Marlene…

Lily smiled, she wasn't going to tease, only help Marlene this time, "Do you like him?" she asked, as the girls turned the corner.

"No!" Marlene exclaimed suddenly, making first years who were crossing jump in surprise and run away, "I'm not sure…." she added in a low voice.

"Well, do you like the way he looks?" Lily asked uncertainly, "the way he is around you?"

Marlene didn't reply but gave a meek nod in answer. Truth be told, she wasn't sure if she liked him.

"But he's a player, Lily…. I've heard about what girls say, you know, that he's probably dated half of the girls in our year but broke up with them? Broke their hearts…" she said finally, looking doubtfully at Lily, "I don't want that to happen to me…"

Lily bit her lip, it was true that Sirius had broken many hearts, and she never wanted that to happen to Marlene, "I….." her voice trailed off. Lily paused, "He looks at you differently," she said finally.

"What?"

Lily pursed her lips, "I know Sirius, and I've noticed that he doesn't look at you in the same way as other girls, Marl," she paused, "And I for one think that he does like you, whether you do or not,"

Marlene smiled a little, "You think?" she asked, biting her lip a little.

"I know," Lily replied with a cheeky wink, and both the girls burst into laughter.

After a few moments, Marlene looked thoughtful, "Well, I'll see for myself," she said, "I'm not even sure if I like him, you know?"

Lily shrugged, "You can always try," she smiled, "But if he breaks your heart, remember, I'll break his face,"

Marlene grinned, and the two girls laughed as they walked outside.

The boys were waiting at Hogsmeade for the girls, with nothing to do. They had gotten sick of pranking people by using the invisibility cloak and pushing them and god knows what else, of course, it was fun, but they'd bored of it, and now sat on a bench outside the three broomsticks.

"What's taking them so long?" Sirius grumbled, digging his hands deeper into his pockets because of the cold. It was snowing, and the shop owner had kicked them out because they weren't ordering anything, as they had to wait for the girls.

James grinned, "Impatient to see our very own - no, sorry, your very own McKinnon? My, Marlene should be pleased that you're fussing over her more then you've ever done on any other girl, eh?" he teased, glancing sideways just in time to see Sirius' cheeks redden, and he knew it wasn't because of the cold.

"N-No! I don't like her, okay?" Sirius said quickly, hoping James hadn't caught that stutter, but of course, he had.

James nodded innocently, "Of course, you don't like her, you fancy her," he said, a smirk tugging on his lips, "But at least you won't be grumbling about the cold when she's around, you're practically burning already, right, dear?"

Sirius groaned, "Stop already, don't you have anything better to do?"

James grinned for a moment, before turning serious suddenly, "Would you stop lying to yourself? You know you've fallen for Marlene you're in denial," he said.

"I'm not in denial, I do not know what you're thinking, James. You must be going bonkers," Sirius said, and James lifted his eyebrows, "Okay, maybe I do….but I don't know if she does, alright? Besides, we wouldn't ever be good together. She's smart and would hate everything I did, we're not alike at all,"

James laughed, much to Sirius' surprise, "You're in love, mate," he clapped Sirius' shoulder, "You two are more alike than you think, for instance, your denial that you love each other,"

So, this wasn't too long of a chapter, but the next one will (hopefully) be longer! Can't wait to write it and show you guys! I'm pretty much over the writer's block and my head's just full of ideas! Yay! But while you're waiting, I have a buncha more fics, so you could read those! "Broken" is a jily fic that you might like. So pop over and check those for your enjoyment...and my views *insert cheeky grin here*

Thanks for all the support,
thefanster outttt!