III

A/N: The fic is going to be less than ten chapters, definitely, and more or less, about six or seven chapters, I think. Now it is up to you reviewers to decide if Voldemort should make an appearance or not. I'd love it if you reviewed with some criticism or something. Of course, I'll read your fics and you can't be tellin' me to use better grammar and spelling if your bio says that :im steevan and, ia m tirteen iers oald., and your fic is one big paragraph with no periods or commas. ) ^.~ no, actually, you can say whatever you want, I don't care! lol.

Severus Snape looked around the Great Hall. Usually he did not come in this early, but the peals of laughter that reverberated all the way through the room and up to the library had somehow had that persuasive effect on him. For once, they were laughing at something other than that James Potter and his posse. Maybe he played his tricks on on of the Gryffindor Girls this time. It would be so priceless if he turned that Tamora Matheson's hair green instead of one of the Ravenclaws.

Accompanied by such elaborate thoughts, he came into the Great Hall and ran smack dab into fifth year prefect Andrew Heard of Hufflepuff. While Andy was still on the floor, he stood, not bothering to help him out, and only caring to find out what the hell these numbskulls were laughing about. Even the few Slytherins that were there wore smug sneers of conquest on their faces.

He saw Lily Evans.

Somehow, the most absurd of thoughts struck him actually *not* to laugh like a maniac. The expression on her face showed that she clearly wanted them to laugh! Why would he do what he wanted her to?

"Shut up, you morons!" All eyes were on Snape.

"Evans, why is your hair changing colors?"

"I would have thought you of all people should know the answer to that Severus!" There were audible gasps throughout the halls. The people were amazed that a Gryffindor had addressed a Slytherin by first name. The Marauders looked up at Dumbledore. He seemed to be enjoying the show as if he was simply watching it on telly or something.

"Why don't you look furious like they all do?"

"What a blunt and stupid question Snape, am I overestimating your intelligence, or are you just pretending to be stupid or something?" The students were too stunned even to gasp. Dumbledore chewed a particularly crunchy part of his bacon. McGonagall looked frustrated and tired, and the other teachers were just eating away like it was so common that this happen. Which it was, but that's not the point.

Lily continued: "Why, clearly, I meant to put this charm on my hair anyway, and the Marauders only helped me unknowingly!"

A few snickers were heard and the students resumed their regular chatter. Snape was smiling like no tomorrow and the Marauders (or James and Remus) had retreated to the Common Room, ("unable to bear the failure of their greatest prank," said Lily Evans sarcastically).

*

"Err, Lillian?"

"Yes, James. Here to apologize for the prank are you?"

"No, actually, I'm uh..."

"Here to discuss the ball, then?"

"Yes, of course, that's what it is!"

"I assume you have everything prepared and you have told the professors what we have planned?"

"Yes, Lily."

"And you have a date?" James was suddenly reminded that he'd already asked Tamora Matheson to go with him. Damn.

"As I do?" Double damn.

"Yes."

"What did you want to talk about?"

"Erm...well, I was wondering,"

"If you want a date, why don't you just ask me like you do all your other admirers?"

"You mean to say...you'd say..."

"Yes."

"Really?"

"I'll expect you outside the boys dormitory eleven o' clock sharp, and bring the Marauder's Map with you."

"Thanks Lils."

"What's 'Lils'? You give all of your girlfriends pet names?"

"No, just you." He gave her a beaming smile, at which her expression softened. He ran back to Sirius, clearly happy at his parting words.

*

"That was pathetic, Potter!" Sirius wore an expression like he had just eaten a booger flavoured Bott's bean.

"Yes, Lillian, ok, Lillian, I'll bow down and lick your feet clean, Lillian," Remus mimicked.

"Where's Peter?"

"Aw! Don't try to change the subject? What in hell happened to you back there? Where was Mr. Suave Ladies Man Potter?"

"Chill, Sirius, you certainly weren't suave when you helped her train that puffskein to get everyone's booger and glue me to the bed with it!"

"Eugh, that's disgusting, Sirius, why did you do that?!" Now Remus frowned like Sirius had a few minutes ago.

"Blimey, she was wearing leather! HOW could I refuse?!"

"Ohh...I can totally see you drooling at her feet!

"I wasnt-"

"Sure."

*

Lily looked at the expression on James's face, showing that she had obviously won, and then he gave her that smile. She had just melted! How could she do that? Furious at herself, she ran up to the dorms and started ripping apart the pillows without her wand. She was able to do these things now, in her sixth year, and she had been working all of the summer of fifth year on turning those teacups into frogs without her wand. After a camping trip, Petunia's thick friends tried to play some juvenile prank on her by putting the pond toads on her pillows.

When she finally did it, in her triumph, the house was filled with frogs that went around forming the letters 'I did it' and it scared Petunia senseless. Lily Evans was always flawless with revenge.

She had let Dumbledore know of course, that it was only small things, not any big indication of power, but he did not much look like he'd believed her.

So here she was, ripping pillows to shreds, and breaking her roommates combs and things in her fury. Her roommates had gotten used to her, and knew she would fix the things anyway. On rare occasions they even spoke a word or two to her, but they still held the opinion that they had in first year. She heard them talk sometimes, late at night, when they were sure she was asleep, that she was such a snob and did not deserve such attention. She wasn't all that pretty anyway, just easy, and so all the guys wanted to go out with her.

The actual truth was that she was only really good at memory charms, so even when and if she poured butterbeer down his shirt and kneed him in the stomach, threw him in the Forbidden Forest to be eaten by the Acromantualas, he would wake up the next morning thinking he'd gotten lucky with the prettiest girl in school. Remus Lupin was the only one to know the truth. He walked in on her kicking the stone wall by the fireplace one night, or day, right at the crack of dawn. He had told her about Illegal Animagi and werewolves in the Shrieking Shack, and she had told him about the memory charms. She tried to erase his memory, but one look at an angry Remus, and she understood how he could possible be such a fierce thing as a werewolf.

That night, both proved to each other that they were not what people thought they were. Lily had secretly been nursing a small crush on him since then, but she was good at hiding her emotions. Remus not only knew that she had a crush on him, but that it was only a crush. She was meant for James Potter. They were so different, and the chemistry was apparent even when they stood next to each other. It would never work. And right after James asked her out, he was planning to tell her. Remus followed her up to the girls' dormitory.

"Lily?"

"What the hell do you want?"

"I need to speak with you." Lily opened the door clad in tousled hair and ornamented with multi-coloured chicken feathers. There were patches of pink on her pale skin He stifled a small grin.

"Don't smile or I'll kick your ass."

"How did you do this?" She was about to reply, 'with my wand, what else is there you idiot,' but he held out her wand to her.

"You left this on the table downstairs." He gave her a victory smirk. Lily would have slapped him if he were someone else.

"Come in." He sat down on her bed and looked around like he'd never seen the room before. Of course, Lily didn't buy it because he was sitting on her bed, and that could hardly be coincidence. The countless times he and the Marauders came in here to play pranks on her in Potter's invisibility cloak proved that it was definitely no coincidence

"So are you serious about James, or what?"

"Am I serious with anyone but you, Remus?"

"Well I've come to tell you that you can't be serious with me."

"I didn't mean-"

"Yes, I know what you mean, and I know you have a crush on me." Lily looked at Remus like he was another pillow. And we all know what happens to pillows when Lily's angry.

"And I really like you too, but there are things that-"

"What? How many secrets do you have anyway?"

"No, no, just tell me if you have any real feelings for James." She regarded Lupin's face carefully. She pressed her lips together until they were white and looked at the small velvet flowers on the bedsheet. She could not lie to him, he would know. But if she told the truth...

"No, I don't have any feelings...for him."

"So tell me, what's with this wandless magic fiasco?" Lily's face brightened at the chance to change the subject. The rest of the the conversation, until the Marauders walked in- when they all played exploding snap, was about turning Petunia into a teacup and feeding her to a frog.

A few hours later, Lily shooed the boys out saying that she had to get ready for a date. Her muggle style watch indicated that it was 10:55 a.m. and looking at it, James paled and ran out. Lily threw back her head and laughed, Remus had his fist in his mouth trying not to laugh and Sirius was just gaping, having never seen a genuine laugh of Lily's before.

Needless to say that James was NOT ready at 'eleven o' clock sharp.' He was so nervous he could hardly walk straight. Lily, on the other hand, had just slipped on the same black leather outfit, adjusting it to show her cleavage, and wore her black cloak over it to match; a customized make-up charm from Mrs. Black and she was ready with two minutes to spare. As of then, she was pacing around in front of the boys dormitory.

"JAMES POTTER! YOU ARE LATE! COME OUT OF THERE THIS INSTANT!" She looked at her watch: "11:05"

"I'm cancelling," she heard a weak voice declare from inside the room. Something snapped inside of her and the door magically slammed open.

"WHAT?!"

There was no sound. They were all gaping at Lily.

"What the hell are you gawking at? James Potter you are coming with me." She pulled out her wand and summoned him down the stairs.

"Lemme go, Lily! I don't wanna go! Lily, Let (kick) Me (kick) Go (kick)!!!"

"Dissendium."

"Ouch, get the charm off me, Lily, you keep hitting my head and the ceiling is pretty low if you haven't noticed!"

"Fine."

As was to be expected, it was a horrible day.