Author's Note: Please please PLEASE review! I want to know if I'm doing okay, and I would like to take this time to mention that I don't own any of these characters except for the boring ones, and the brilliant and amazing JK Rowling owns all the familiar and awesome ones Thank you for reading and sorry for the wait

After James got out of the hospital, things went right back to the way they were. Which was not alright with Sirius. Along with Alice, Mary and Remus (he filled them in on the details), they thought that Lily had finally realized her feelings for James. But Lily's casual behavior around James made them see that to get the two together, they would have to take much larger measures (which Sirius didn't know how much larger they could go; James almost died for goodness sakes).

"Now, today we will be studying the Unforgivable Curses in further depth than we've ever gone before," Professor Woodland said before writing instructions on the board, right under the words Defense Against the Dark Arts. It was Friday, and the only thing the kids wanted to do was get out of class. "I understand, even though I have only taught here for a year, that most teachers assign you essays, or make you do partner work during class. However, I will be having you study in a more 'Muggle' like fashion," she continued, before gazing sternly over at the grumbling Slytherins (after the Death Eaters had left, there were only four left in their class). "You will all be split up into small groups, where I will assign you a subject for you to design a project around. This project could be absolutely anything, and it is due next week Friday. If you have any questions to what a project is, please visit me after class.

"Now," she breathed. "Here are the groups: Alice Prewett, James Potter, Violet Brown and Krystal Kothe (Slytherin) will be in a group. You will have Avada Kedavra." James sighed, partially in relief because Krystal wasn't the worst Slytherin to have in a group but also in frustration because he didn't have Lily. "Next is Sirius Black, Mary McDonald," Sirius winked at her and she glared in disgust, "Orion Black (Sirius's cousin who was to stay at Hogwarts as a spy for Voldemort) and Remus Lupin. You will have the Imperious Curse." All of Lily's friends looked over at her worriedly; she would be stick with two Slytherins and Peter. "Lastly, Peter Pettigrew, Marcus Zabini, Hillary Black and Lily Evans. You will have the Cruciatus Curse. Any questions? Good, now split up into your respective groups."

The Maurderers, Alice and Mary shot Peter and Lily sympathetic stares as they both sat down next to Hillary and Marcus, two of the most unpleasant Slytherins left.

"So," Lily started, looking around at her group. She watched as Peter basically shrunk back in fear against Marcus's tall, dark stature and intimidating glare. Hillary looked completely relaxed compared to Marcus's formal manner, her feet propped up on the desk as she watched Lily and Peter with crazy, big brown eyes. Peter watched in fascination as Hillary twirled her long dark brown curly hair around her dainty index finger.

"The Cruciatus Curse causes the person at the bad end of a wand to feel extraordinary pain and sometimes causes people to go crazy. Not like some people aren't already," Hillary shrugged. "There, done."

"No," Lily said patiently. "We still have to do research; the origin, after affects-."

"Why don't you just go ask some of your cousins?" Lily heard someone say behind her. She spun around to see an irritated Sirius behind her, glaring at his cousin. Hillary just grinned.

"Like you'd know anything about that."

"It wasn't me that I was implying."

"It sure sounded like you were. Besides," she said casually, nodding towards James who was still on the other side of the room. "you were one of the ones that found him all Crucioed up, weren't you? I bet if you threatened the little Mudblood she wouldn't tell on you."

"Sirius, don't!" Lily cried, grabbing his arm just before he could whip his wand out of his pocket. "It's fine, really."

"It is not, she called you a you-know-what!"

"That's not the only thing I'm going to call her," Lily heard her under her breath. Lily didn't know why, but this comment made her think. A lot. She made eye contact with Hillary just long enough for the other girl to give her a meaningful look, the kind of look girls give their friends that signifies 'I have something to tell you later'. Lily nodded; although the contact was strange, she knew it was important. Or maybe she wanted to torture her. Either way, she was going to have to talk to Hillary about something more than Defense Against the Darks Arts homework.

"Is there a problem here?" Professor Woodland asked, her arms folded over her chest as she glared at the group.

"Not at all," Hillary replied smoothly in her lofty voice. "Just a few chums, catching up on the fresh gossip."

The professor eyed them all suspiciously. "Fine. Class is about to end so make plans to study together this weekend." With that, she motioned for Sirius to return to his group and followed him back.

"Tonight at 8 o'clock in the library," Hillary said lazily, standing up and straightening her skirt. "We want to get a head start so we can finish it, so I'll see you all there." She strutted out of the room with her nose held high just as the bell rang.

James tried to convince Lily not to go to the library; he really did. No matter what Lily thought of him, the last thing he wanted especially after being attacked by all those Slytherins was for Lily to be working with two of them until late at night with her only protection being Peter. He shuddered at the thought. So here he was standing outside the library, trying to pay attention to another one of Lily's rants about 'how it's weird when he stalked her' and 'I don't like you very much so stay out of my business' but actually only noticing how ravishing she looked in her school uniform.

"Got that?" she said, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"Got it," he nodded, not having any clue. "But Lily, I owe you because of that night. And I'm doing that now so the same thing doesn't happen to you- please don't go work with them."

Lily gave him one last exasperated look before turning on her heel and marching into the library. Hillary and Marcus were already there, arguing about something but silencing when they saw Lily. She assumed that Peter was just running late.

"So where should we start?" Marcus demanded, gazing at Lily coolly before motioning to the books him and Hillary had collected.

"I think the origins of the Curse and how it was first used," Lily suggested. The others nodded, cracking into the books. Soon after this, Peter showed up sweating and breathing hard, claiming that Sirius had given him the wrong directions (apparently Peter didn't come there that often). Hillary rolled her eyes at the stuttering boy as Lily helped him catch up. It was about nine o'clock when Hillary stood up and stretched.

"Why don't you big strong boys ask for a pass to the restricted section to look for more books on this crap," she suggested coldly, eyeing Marcus and Peter. The latter squeaked at the thought of being alone with the larger Slytherin while the former gave Hillary a suspicious look. She stared him down, and a few moments later the boys were on their way to talk to Madame Prince.

Lily, who had been watching the escapade, turned back to her book only to look back up uncomfortably when she noticed Hillary staring at her.

"Do you need something?" Lily asked uncertainly, wondering if this had anything to do with the look she had given her in class.

"No, but you do," she responded, her eyes boring into Lily's.

"What?"

Hillary sighed before answering. "A lot of help."