`*`*`*`

Step Eight: Showing Progress

James found Lily in the library. He ran in crying out her name.

"Mister Potter!" cried Madam Pince. "Be quiet or leave!"

"Sorry," he said, walking instead.

He went over to Lily.

"Lily, please can I hold Quidditch tryouts?" he pleaded.

"James," she sighed, "not until you can prove that you'll have an open mind going into the trials."

"How am I supposed to prove that?" he asked.

"I dunno, you'll think of something," she said.

"I have it!" he cried, causing another "Mister Potter!" from Madam Pince.

"Well, that was quick," said Lily.

"Okay, how's this? You go on a date with me. I mean, you already agreed to it."

"I did? When?"

"That class I asked you to go to Hogsmeade with me."

"That was a simulation."

"Damn you girls and your simulations!" hissed Sirius from behind a bookshelf.

"Sirius? What are you doing here?" asked Lily.

"I am awaiting the fate of the Gryffindor Quidditch team," he replied.

"Why is it so important that the tryouts be now?" asked Lily.

"Because! If they aren't we don't have enough time to train someone new!"

"James, it's a couple of months after school before the first game."

"So? We might not have anyone good tryout! We may need extra time!"

"Mister Potter!" cried Madam Pince. "Either read or get out! Do not annoy Miss Evans!"

"James, someone good will try out," said Lily.

"Well, they get to know the team better this way! Please come to Hogsmeade with me!"

"Is this just another one of your schemes? Because you've asked me out at strange times in the past."

"It's not. I promise. I will be an angel!"

"Alright, alright. Fine. But you'd better be on your best behavior-"

She was cut off by James' "Yes!" and a bear hug.

"Mister Potter!" cried Madam Pince. "GET OUT OF THIS LIBRARY! PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO READ!"

"No problemo!" James cried. "Bye, library!"

"Bye," chorused the people in the library.

"Shhhhh!" hissed Madam Pince.

`*`*`*`

Grace watched, clipboard in hand, as James helped Lily into a carriage. She scribbled something onto her clipboard, and got into the nearest carriage.

James took Lily to The Three Broomsticks, and pull her chair out for her. He got the butterbeers, and returned back to the table. He hadn't arranged any other dates for the same time. He talked with Lily about things that required brains, like politics. He also talked to her about Quidditch. They were topics he had deemed female inappropriate before.

Grace took this all into consideration as she marked on her clipboard.

Suddenly, a figure blocked her view of Lily and James.

"Whacha doin' Grace?" asked Sirius.

"Deciding the fate of your Quidditch team, so I suggest you move."

"Grace, that was not a nice way to respond."

"Do you want your team to do well next year?"

"I'm moving, I'm moving!" He sat down at her table.

"I didn't mean to my table."

"Well, you looked like you could use some company."

"I don't."

"I think ya do."

"I don't," she repeated, turning back to Lily and James.

"Why do you keep staring at Lily and James?" asked Sirius. "Oh wait! I know! You like James!"

"I do not!"

"Yes you do! Hey, everyone, Grace likes James!"

"I do NOT! Shut up right now!"

"Fine, if you don't like James who do you like?"

"That's none of your business."

"It is!"

"No, it isn't!"

"If you don't tell me, I'll tell the Daily Prophet that you're in love with me."

"In love with you? That's utterly disturbing. Plus, after that whole engagement incident, the Daily Prophet burns your letters."

"Like that would stop me! I could pretend I was James!"

"You wouldn't dare!"

"I so would!" He then started grinning. "Wait, you do like me, don't you?"

"What? NO!"

"Oh yeah? Then why won't you tell me who you like?"

"Because it's none of your business!"

"See? You won't admit it because you're in love with me!"

"Sirius, the day I like you is the day you declare your undying love for Snape."

"So wait, you do like me?"

"I just got Sirius to admit he was gay!" cried Grace at the top of her lungs, getting several looks.

"I am not!" cried Sirius. "Besides," he added in a lower voice, "you're ruining my reputation."

"What reputation?"

"As a ladies man."

Grace burst out laughing, "That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard!"

"But it's the truth!"

"No!"

"Tell me who you like!"

"NO!

"Yes! Comeon! I will tell everyone you like me otherwise."

"But I don't!"

"That's not what they're gonna think!"

"I'll tell everyone you're gay!"

"You just did!"

"If I tell you who I like will you shut up?"

Sirius thought for a moment. "Sure."

"Okay! This person has long blonde hair."

Sirius gasped. "You're gay?!"

"NO!"

"You like Lucious Malfoy?"

"NO!"

"Good. He's taken by my cousin. Um, who do you like then?"

"Legolas!"

"Who?"

"Haven't you ever read The Lord of the Rings trilogy?"

"Read? As in it's a book?"

"Oh, I forgot that you can't read!"

"Hey! That's probably not true!"

"Legolas is a character in those books. He's an elf. He goes off with eight other men to destroy the one ring. It's an awesome series!"

"So, wait. Lemme get this straight. You like some made up fairy, who, among other things is openly gay. Plus has the name Arm less. Am I missing something here?"

"Yes! His name is Legolas! He's not gay! He's an elf!"

"Whatever. He sounds gay to me. So, you have a crush on some make-believe dude?"

"It's not a crush! We're involved!" cried Grace, storming out. (a/n: hehe, 10 things i hate about you!)

"Involved in what?" cried Sirius after her, but she had already gone.

"Well," said James, who had heard the while thing, "that was an interesting conversation."

"It was more of an argument," said Lily. "Sirius made a big mistake in insulting Legolas. Grace is gonna be pissed."

"I'll tell him to watch his back then."

"You'd better tell him to watch more than that."

"Meaning?"

"Well, Grace would never let someone she thought was stupid reproduce."

James winced. "W-w-well, I'll just have to tell him to stay away from her."

`*`*`*`

James must have told Sirius to stay clear of Grace, because Lily didn't see him for three days.

He was forced to come back to lessons, as Lily had taken them over.

"Geez," said Sirius after the first week, "she can hold a looooong grudge!"

"You have no idea," said Lily.

"So," said Sirius, "when do you think she'll get over this? Next week? The week after?"

Lily thought for a moment. "Well, I'd say she'll hold the grudge for about… the rest of her life."

"I am so screwed," Sirius groaned.

`*`*`*`

a/n: i just got back today, and i decided u people had waited long enough!

jk said lily's maiden name in a press conference (thanx i o u a name!) i was @ a lake, not grounded. there was no internet where i was staying.

21 reviews 4 me??????? u ppl r sooooooooooooooo awesome!!!!!

i o u a name- thanx 4 all the info! sorry that ur dictiobnary thingy didn't work out!

Alia5- lily and james are more the killing types. waiting 4 him 2 commit suicide would b 2 long! :) i probably would make it so he kills himself, 2, though.

Nike25- now u know the answer 2 the ?!

Little House Girl- there is gonna be some romance later on, but not until 7th year, cuz i don't want 2 contradict jk. i will put in same hints, though!

Dude Wheres My Cheese- i know. it's starting 2 bug me about reading about sirius! thanx a lot jk!

Kirunai- i'm glad u think it's so funny!

GoodCharlotte- thanx 4 adding me 2 ur favs! oh, actually, McGonanagall was the transfiguration teacher when they were at hogwarts because in the third book she says about how inteligent black and potter were and how sad she was that she was hard on peter. thanx 4 telling me, though!

enelya- i live by the internet 2. i have no idea how i survived.

starblaze- thanx 4 all the lovely, beautiful, great, excellent words!

Lady Tiffy- i'm glad u liked it!

sissy-6- thanx 4 ur insight in2 the evans-knowledge name thingy! it made me laugh!

LoverOfAllThingsLegolas- grace shall find her own true love! fear not!

citrus scented- thanx 4 the comments about the rumor thing! i wasn't sure how that was working out!

MoonFaith- there's still plenty of time for torture!

Arianna- the animal turning part is a fav of mine, 2!

JerseyGirl03- i'm glad u like it!

B. Nonymous- i hope u like this chapter, 2!

Carmel March- i'm glad u like the story! i'm 15, y?

Lorelei6- i'm 15. so is the real grace. the whole environmental thing is kewl, though!

sailorsunandchildofthesun- yeah girls rule!

ChickoftheDarkMoon- the site is evil when it overloads! i'm glad u like it, though!