Diclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter

AN: this chapter is neither short nor long, just average lenght. I have three more days of holidays and then I have to go back to school, and i'm in vce this year so please dont expect so many updates, but i promise i wont neglect the story! please r/r.

Chapter Thirteen: The Solution to All their Problems

Remus Lupin was so thankful that his friends had stuck by him. Through the rest of their second year, and now in their third, James, Sirius and Peter had done all they could to help make Remus' transformations as comfortable as possible. Wether this was by sitting with him under the invisibility cloak in the hospital wing, or getting him to laugh and smile at a joke when he was feeling horrible, they always helped. They still wanted to help more, and had spent countless hours searching for a way, but had no ideas. Remus had drawn a line though, and has said under no circumstances should they ever follow him into the tunnel again.

"It's too dangerous," he said. "I'm not aware of what I'm doing; all I know is that I see a human and I can chase them."

But even the best of friends get frustrated with one another sometimes, which is exactly what was happening now. Stuck in the common room on such a beautiful day, Sirius Black, Peter Pettigrew, James Potter, Remus Lupin, Leanne Charleston, Jessica Wrought, and Lilly Evans were all very disgruntled. Professor McGonagall had thought it would be a good idea to pair up students in her class to work together, since, in her opinion, there was too much disagreement in the class.

"Unity is what we need in these times, class," She would say "Unity."

So now Remus and Peter were struggling to write an essay together, seeing as neither could agree on the topic. Sirius and Jessica had discarded their assignment completely and were in the middle of a heated discussion about Quidditch. Leanne was just leaving to go and work in the library with her partner, an attractive Ravenclaw boy who couldn't believe his luck. Lilly, much to her disgust and his delight was paired with James.

James was trying very hard to remember all the pick-up lines he had ever heard, so he could use them on Lilly. He started on this as soon as she sat down.

"Ten pound polar bear," he said. Lilly raised her eyebrow.

"What?"

"Ten pound polar bear," he insisted.

"What has that got to do with anything?"

"It broke the ice."

Lilly rolled her eyes. Why, oh why was she stuck with James Potter of all people?

"I don't want to hear about polar bears," she said "Unless we are going to write about how to transfigure one."

"You have the most beautiful eyes."

"We can write about the foundations of transfiguration, but I think Professor McGonagall might expect something a bit more advanced…"

"Did it hurt?" James asked.

"Did what hurt?" Lilly asked, letting her guard down.

"The fall from heaven, because you must be an angle."

"Stop it James!" she cried. "I'm warning you…" Feeling like he was failing, James tried them all at once.

"If I could re-write the alphabet, I'd put U and I together. Do you believe in love at first sight or should I walk by again? You are so beautiful that you give the sun reason to shine. You…"

But James didn't get to finish, because Lilly picked up her wand and hit him with a full body binding curse. She gathered her books.

"When you decide to grow up, James Potter, I'll be in the library," she said, striding neatly out of the portrait hole and disappearing from sight.

Jessica laughed. "James you are such an idiot sometimes! You should know better then to fire up Lilly!"

Remus hid a small smile and undid the charm.

"Better go after her, mate," Sirius suggested.

As he was climbing out of the portrait hole, James could still hear some of the conversation from inside.

"Actually," Peter remarked "Some of them weren't that bad…"

When James found Lilly in the library, she was standing in between some book shelves. She didn't turn around when James approached but continued searching through the books.

"I'm sorry, Lilly," he said, staring at her long, shiny red hair and resisting the urge to see if it was as soft as it looked. "Really. I won't try pickup lines on you again for a week. I promise." Lilly stayed silent. "Do you forgive me?"

"We're going to write the essay on witches and wizards becoming Animagus," she said finally.

"Animagus?"

"Like Professor McGonagall, when she turns into a cat," Lilly turned and placed several books in James' arms, refusing to look at him. She turned back to the shelf.

"Wait…," James said, thinking hard. "So people can actually do that to themselves? They can just whip up a potion, wave of the wand and hey presto, you can turn into an animal?"

"It's a bit more complicated then that, Potter," Lilly said frowning. "But yes, that's the basic idea."

"Can you pick the animal?" James asked, trying to hide the excitement in his voice.

"I'm not entirely sure," she said, still searching for more books on the shelf. "Check one of the books." Hurriedly, James did, flicking through the pages, his grin growing wider by the second. He dropped the pile he had been dropping, causing the books to crash onto the ground. Lilly whipped around.

"James!" she scolded, "What are you doing?!" James paid no attention, but took a step closer to Lilly.

"Lilly Evans," he cried, pulling her into a tight hug "You're a genius!"

James put a hand on either of her shoulders and kissed her quickly on the lips, before grabbing the book and running out of the library.

"James!" she called slightly flustered "What about our essay?"

Lilly sighed to herself and began to pick up the books James had dropped. And despite who it was, and how much she despised him, Lilly put her hand to her lips where he had kissed her, and she couldn't help but smile.

AN: i hope you guys are grateful, because i didnt know any pickup lines and had to search all of those on google. some of them are hilarious and some are just really cheesey and mean, but anyway, that is what james did. and james kissed lilly!! breifly. i hope you guys werent expecting a full out pash, coz they're only 13 and still have a love/hate realtionship, so they have a few more years until they are together (not that it will be mentioned much in this story, i just thought that would add a little bit of humor).

anyway, can u guys please give me your opinion on wether or not i should include the making of the mauraders map or wether they should just have it one day and we dont go into it. because the making of the map and/or the boys making themselves animagus will be what i write about next, and im not updating until i get an opinion or until i make a decision for myself (and i can be VERY indecisive). so please let me know guys. thank you!!