Disclaimer: I am not Joanne K Rowling and I don't have any rights to anything recognizable. I'm borrowing.

.o.O.o.

Chapter 10

"Alright then, James, you're free to go"

"Thanks, love." James said, winking at Marlene as he smoothly stood up. He saw Lily roll her eyes. Marlene put a hand on his arm. "I still don't have an answer." he said quietly. Marlene nodded.

James met Sirius and Remus as they walked out of the Hospital Wing, and the three of them went down to the Great Hall to meet Peter.

"Did the, uh, Marauders claim credit for that prank yesterday?" James asked as he helped himself to eggs and bacon.

"Uh-huh. Lasht nigh ah dinnah." Sirius said through a mouthful of toast.

"Sirius, stop acting like a dog and chew your toast with your mouth closed."

Sirius grinned at Remus and said, "Ish no' toasht, ish shee foo'" and opened his mouth.

"Lovely." Remus grimaced as James laughed. Sirius grinned again around his mouthful of see food.

"Mr. Potter and Mr. Black. My office. Now."

"But I'm eating!" Sirius yelled after McGonagall, swallowing his mouthful.

"And we didn't do anything wrong!" James added.

"Now."

James groaned, stood up and practically dragged Sirius from the Great Hall.

The boys settled into their usual seats in front of McGonagall's desk. The two of them had been in the 'Trouble Chairs' often enough, that they were now as comfortable in them as they were in Gryffindor Tower.

McGonagall sat down at her desk and looked at the two boys for a moment, before asking, "Would one of you be so kind as to tell me what happened on the platform?"

"My parents went ballistic because I didn't come home this summer." Sirius said quickly.

McGonagall blinked. "I beg your pardon?"

"Sirius didn't go home over summer break." James explained, "He stayed at the Manor with me. We didn't tell his parents."

"And, to be honest," Sirius added, "I will spend ten years in Azkaban for a murder I didn't commit before ever setting a foot back in Grimauld Place."

"Why is that, Mr. Black?"

"They tried to make him a Death Eater." James said, leaning back and crossing his arms, daring McGonagall to disbelieve him.

"That is a very serious accusation, Mr. Potter. Do you have any proof?"

Sirius replied for him. "I kept the letters, if you want to see them. They don't out right say 'We're turning you into a Death Eater for your birthday!' but they don't really leave any room for doubt."

"Very well then." McGonagall said, "You will both be pleased to know that there were few fatalities and that the majority of those were Death Eaters. Now, we also need to discuss your upcoming detentions–"

"But we haven't done anything wrong! The only prank that's been pulled this year was that one that the Marauders did, and they claimed credit for it. I also don't think you have any proof that we are the Marauders–" James shot Sirius a look, warning him to shut up. Sirius caught his eye, and fell silent.

McGonagall peered at the two boys over the rims of her spectacles in a very Dumbledore-esk manner. "I was talking about the two months of detention that I assigned you at the end of last year. Although, with the way that you were carrying on, Mr. Black, one might think that you have a guilty conscience."

"He's just been feeling guilty about the whole Platform incident, Professor," James hurriedly improvised, "He's been going on about it quite a lot, actually. But, I'm sure he'll be better now that he knows that the Death Eaters took the worst of it." James kicked Sirius, prompting him.

Sirius winced. "Yea, what he said."

McGonagall pursed her lips, not sure whether or not to believe them. "I'll let it go this once, only because you both have two months detentions already lined up. Speaking of which, it has been decided that you will serve with Mr. Filch and Hagrid, assisting the two of them in looking after the castle and grounds. Your first detention is tonight. The two of you will trade off, one of you with Hagrid one night, the other with Filch, and then switch the next night. Detentions every weeknight from seven o'clock until ten o'clock. You may go."

James sighed as he and Sirius made their way out into the hallway and went as quickly as possible to class, which was starting in two minutes.

"Dibs on Hagrid." Sirius whispered as they slid into our seats at the back of Defence Against The Dark Arts.

"Damn." James hissed. Sirius chuckled as Professor Kettleburn came into the room. Kettleburn was onto his twentieth year teaching Defence, but his methods hadn't changed at all.

"Today they were reviewing spells that you already know." Kettleburn said, coming in. "Pair off." James and Sirius grinned at each other. Kettleburn caught their look and paled slightly. "Ah-hah, no boys. I think I'll split the two of you up. Mr. Potter, you can go with Mr. Snape, and–"

"I'm sorry to interrupt, Professor," Lily interjected, "But that might not be the wisest pairing considering their, ah, history."

"Right you are, Miss Evans, right you are. And thank you for volunteering."

"I'm sorry?" Lily asked, looking thoroughly confused.

"Yes, Miss Evans and Mr. Potter, Miss Payne and Mr. Black." Kettleburn said before returning to the front of the class. He waved his wand, and the desks stacked themselves neatly along the walls. "Please make sure that you have plenty of room around you. You will have mock duels, using disarming spells, shield spells, stinging charms, laughing charms and the like. Well, go on!" The class bustled into activity as the students spread out in their pairs, bowed, and began to duel.

James sauntered over to where Lily was standing. Alice had abandoned her and gone with Sirius into a space near a wall. Alice was currently dancing uncontrollably under the influence of a Tarantelegra hex.

"Shall we begin, Evans?" James asked raising his wand and bowing elegantly.

Lily glared pointed her wand and said, "Expelliarmus."

James merely flicked his wand and murmured, "Protego."

"Stupefy."

"Protego. Aguamenti."

James smiled sweetly at Lily as she pulled her dripping hair back from her face. She glared. "Petrificus Totalus."

"Finite Incantatem. Locomotor Mortis."

"Protego. Oppugno"

James waved his wand and transfigured the birds into lily petals. Lily scowled as she recognized them and James grinned, before saying "Rictusempra."

Lily hurriedly blocked it, and then sent a Bat Bogey Hex at him, followed by a Confundus Charm. James just lazily flicked his wand twice. She had sent the two charms at him to try and get a hit, but James had spent all summer dueling with the other Marauders in the back yard of the Manner. Even Peter seemed to be finding the mock duels ridiculously simple.

James and Lily sent spells back and forth all period. Lily was trying hard to land a spell on him, but James always stayed one step ahead. Finally, nearing the end of the period, James grinned wickedly.

Lily blinked, and immediately knew that she was in trouble. James started a rapid-fire series of hexes and charms, naming them aloud because he wanted to create enough of a scene to draw the class's attention. It worked.

The other students stopped dueling, turning to watch James and Lily. Sirius and the other Marauders started grinning and Sirius actually began to snigger. They all knew what James was doing. They had developed this particular pattern of spells over the summer. None of the spells were fatal, but if even one landed, the person was doomed. James was going easy on Lily, casting the spells out loud.

As James started nearing the end of the pattern, he started casting every other spell non-verbally, then all of them.

It was all Lily could do to watch his wand and say "Protego!" over and over and over.

James grinned evilly at her, cast a quick, "Levicorpus." Then the counter-charm followed by a full body bind.

Lily shrieked as she was yanked into the air, and then fell quickly to earth only to be frozen, unable to move.

Sirius and Peter were laughing hysterically and even Remus couldn't help smiling and clapping James on the shoulder in congratulations.

"Sorry, Evans." James said, grinning. Waved his wand and removed the spells, then reached down a hand and pulled Lily to standing. She noticed Severus out of the corner of her eye. He was practically white with anger as he glared at the four boys. Lily shoved Potter's hand away from her, and stood up.

"Temper, temper!" Black scolded, still laughing. "God, Evans, I never knew you were such a sore loser."

"That's why she never loses." Peter managed to squeak between giggles.

"Oh, stuff it you two." Remus scolded, at last managing to get hold of his grin. "You alright Evans?

Lily just glared, grabbed her bag, and left with the rest of the class. She didn't leave quite fast enough though. She still heard Professor Kettleburn say, "Very good, Mr. Potter, excellent wand work, excellent spell casting. You've been practicing I see. Well, twenty points to Gryffindor. Off to your next class now, you don't want your teacher taking away those well-earned points, do you?"

Lily shook her head in disgust as she made her way down to the dungeons for potions. The four boys were late, and she couldn't help smirking as Slughorn took forty points from Gryffindor, ten for each of them.

"Alright class, today we will be learning about Ten-Minute Potions. Who can tell me what they are? Mr. Black, you must know since you seem to not need to pay attention." Black had the decency to look away. "What about you Mr. Pettigrew? Mr. Potter?" The two looked down as well. Remus smirked. "Mr. Lupin? Since you seem to find this so entertaining, what is a Ten-Minute Potion?"

"It's a common potion that has two methods of preparation. The one that you are talking about are ones that have their full version and ones that have recipes consisting solely of shortcuts."

"Very well. Thirty points from Gryffindor."

"What?" Potter yelped. "But he got it right!"

"Yes and you three weren't paying attention. That is why I'm taking thirty not forty. Ten points from each of you." Potter glared.

"Leave it." Remus whispered. "It's pointless. He's prejudiced against us and there's nothing we can do about it."

Lily returned her attention to the front of the class to see Slughorn writing down partners on the board. She groaned as she saw him write Potter/Evans. She busied herself with getting her cauldron set up and finding the instructions in the text book.

"Why don't I just do the difficult stuff and you can get the ingredients?" Lily said as soon as Potter sat down next to her. He grunted in response then went to the cupboard and got everything they needed.

They spent all class making four different Ten-Minute Potions. As they were finishing the second potion, a purple paper airplane flew into the classroom and began nudging Slughorn's head. He took the airplane and unfolded it.

"Mr. Potter, Mr. Black, Mr. Lupin, and Mr. Pettigrew, the Headmaster would like to see you in his office please. You may take your things with you. I will give your homework to Miss Evans. Make sure it is done for next class." The boys packed up their things and left the class.

"Mr. Snape, Miss Evans, Mr. Greenbank, and Miss Fallow, since you are all partner-less, please partner with each other. Snape with Evans, and Greenbank with Fallow."

Severus slowly gathered his things and made his way over to Lily, who refused to look at him.

"Um … can we talk?" he asked.

"About what?"

"Um … last year."

"No." Lily turned back to the Pimple Popper they were making.

"Come on, Flower. You know I didn't mean it. I wish that I hadn't said anything. I wish it more than anything." Severus pleaded.

"I know Sev." Lily sighed, "But the friendship wouldn't have lasted much longer anyways."

"Don't say that." Sev said, putting a hand on her arm, "You don't know what would have happened."

"Severus, you are aiming to be a Death Eater. I am a muggle born witch who opposes everything that Death Eaters and Voldemort stand for. A friendship wouldn't have worked and you know it."

"So you've moved on?"

"Yes."

"Wonderful." Sev said sarcastically, taking out his quill and beginning to jot notes in the margins of his text book. "So you've replaced me already."

"What?" Lily asked confused.

"You've replaced me. With Potter."

"What are you even talking about?"

"As your best friend. I couldn't help noticing that you and Potter are getting chummy."

"What do you mean?" Lily asked cautiously.

"You don't snap at him or insult him anymore. Time was you would argue yourself blue to get out of working with him during class time, but you just accepted that he was your partner both times you two were partnered today."

"So I've grown up and I'm not stupid enough to argue with a teacher anymore. If you will remember, arguing rarely did me any good anyways."

"Except with Slughorn." Lily refused to look at Severus. "Tell me, Lily, how much do you hate him, on a scale from One to Potter?"

"Potter." Lily immediately answered. Severus scoffed, but didn't press it.

But Lily couldn't help realizing that she didn't hate Potter quite so much now that he wasn't always bugging her. He was at a level more like Loud Snoring, annoying, but bearable.

.o.O.o.

A/N: If you have a second to type an adjective (such as cute, awful, decent, entertaining, etc.) into the review box and click the Post Review button to submit it, I would be eternally grateful!

Timmins