Disclaimer: All belongs to J.K. Rowling

'Cause I know we're just friends

But one look from you baby and I'm falling back in

~ Meghan Trainor

James was not speaking to her. Lily couldn't help but feel slightly miffed by it. Sure, James and her weren't exactly on good terms right now but not speaking to her at all? And she didn't even know why.

"Snape has never been good for you, Lily." Mary told her friend, brushing aside a stray piece of brown hair.

"Yes, I know that." Lily sighed warily, "I don't know why I even talked to him last night. I guess I was just hoping for some closure, you know?" her eyes were distant and Mary could only pity her friend. Lily had not had it easy with Severus and she wished she could change it somehow.

"Hi Mary, hi Lils!" Emmeline Vance waved a hello at her friends and Lily grinned back. "Is it true you're being tutored?"

"Yes." Lily sighed, "You know how hopeless I am in Transfiguration."

"Yes, I do." Emmeline laughed, "But by James Potter? Are you two finally getting along?"

"She wishes. James is a bit upset with her at the moment." Mary answered.

"Turned him down one too many times?" Emmeline teased and Lily grimaced.

"Bound to catch up with me sometime."

"Well have fun girls, wherever you're going." Emmeline smiled and Lily returned it graciously.

"Actually I'm off to go be tutored."

"The irony! Bye bye!" she fluttered off and Lily felt a little bit better. She had been worried Emmeline would resent her as she was the next person in line for Head Girl but Emmeline seemed happy not to have the position and the two were closer than ever.

"Well, looks like this is your stop." Mary said and Lily squared her shoulders, "You're not going into battle, Lil."

"Feels like it." she muttered and Mary giggled.

"You'll be fine, now go on!" she shoved Lily forward and Lily walked into the library. She maneuvered her way around the bookshelves and found him easily. He was tucked in a corner, his eyes trained on a textbook. She smiled and went to move forward but didn't. Instead she simply studied him, frozen. His hair was sticking up everywhere and his hands constantly ran through it. His hazel eyes were bright and his glasses slipped down his nose.

Lily couldn't help but think about how cute he looked in that instant. Then she paused. Had she just called James Potter cute? No, she'd been suffering a brain malfunction because they were friends. Just friends. It never had been anything more and it never would be anything more. Suddenly James looked up and a grin flitted across his face for a half a second until he quickly corrected it, seeming almost confused by his initial reaction.

"Er, hi. Come sit." he patted the seat next to him and Lily did as she was told. "Now how about we start with the basics."

*''*

"Alright, Lily, here's the thing." James said, leaning in close to her. They'd been practicing for nearly an hour now and Lily had transfigured a pin into a quill, a quill into a pin, and so on. Now they were working on the vase into the bird. "You don't think you can do it."

"That's not-"

"Yes it is. You have to be confident in yourself, alright? Try again." so Lily did, believing with all of her might she could do it. And she did. A beautiful multi-colored bird swooped in and out of the rafters, chirping a pretty song. James stared in awe at it and Lily squealed loudly.

"I did it!" she gasped and James laid a hand on her shoulder.

"Great job, really, but Madam Pince doesn't look too happy." James said quietly and Lily looked up. Sure enough a very angry Madam Pince was marching towards them. Lily gathered up her stuff and they made a run for it.

*''*

"They're planning something." Sirius said as they lounged in the Heads common room. He'd been thinking for awhile now and the Marauders knew not to disturb him. James, meanwhile, was thinking about a pretty redhead whom he'd just finished his third tutoring session with. She was getting much better and though he wasn't too happy with her he couldn't help but be proud.

"Who are planning something?" Remus asked his friend, looking slightly amused.

"The Slytherins. Mulciber, Avery, Snape, Malfoy, Lestrange, Bellatrix, you know, the usual." Sirius said with a dark glance aimed at the ceiling.

"Why do you think that?" James asked.

"They haven't been hexing anybody. Well, I mean less than usual. They're always whispering. It's unusual even for them."

"That's true," Peter piped up, "They've been getting together a lot but not for hexing people. They just talk really quietly." he looked thoughtful, "I did think they were plotting something."

"Whatever it is, we'll be ready." James shrugged and Sirius nodded grimly.

Short? Yeah. Good or bad? I don't know! Leave me a review to tell me what you thought! Love my readers. Ta-ta!