Disclaimer: It's all J.K. Rowling's 'cept Alex, Kate, and whoever else you don't recognize.

A/N: This, as you can tell, is the next chapter. I am experiencing a bit of writer's block at the moment, but I think I've got a pretty good idea for the rest of their fourth year. Well, I really don't have much else to say except that I hope you like it!

The Rivalry of James and Lily

Year 4 - Chapter 4

The Potions Discussion

When Lily's friends came back from winter break, they were more than shocked about the news of the deaths of her parents. But they, too, comforted her like any best friend should. By late January, although Lily still dreadfully missed her parents, she was pretty much back to normal. She wasn't afraid to smile or laugh, or pull pranks on the Slytherins once again. Lily and James, however, hadn't pulled any pranks on each other since their fateful kiss. And this was something James and Lily's friends definitely did not leave unnoticed.

"Psst Kate!" Sirius called during their lunch break before potions on a Friday in early March. As Kate turned her attention to him, he began to tell her what he had observed about his love-sick-but-too-blind-to-see-it friends. "Have you picked up on how James and Lily have been... been nice to each other lately?"

"You know what, Sirius? You're completely right. They haven't pulled a prank on each other since, since... geez, I can't even remember! I wonder what's gotten into them!" replied Kate, curiously.

"I think maybe our friends are finally starting to like each other!" said Sirius with his mischievous grin, which Kate immediately returned.

"Who's starting to like each other?" asked Alex, who had been talking to Remus. Soon, Remus was also involved in the conversation.

"So you actually think they like each other?" asked Remus. "I know they haven't been exactly mean to each other lately, but Lily's gone through a hard time. Maybe James is just being considerate."

Sirius simply snorted into the sandwich he was eating. "Remus, Remus. That's good thinking, my man, except James had stopped pulling pranks on Lily long before her parents died."

"True, but I'm still not sure. I don't think they like each other," Remus replied, shaking his head.

"Think who like each other?" asked Lily, who had just come down the stairs.

"You and James, or course," said Sirius, teasingly.

Lily rolled her eyes. "You've got to be kidding me. The day James likes me is the day pigs fly," she stated. Then she added, "Without the help of your magic," to Sirius, who was obviously itching to say he could make a pig fly. Duh. Wingardium Leviosa, or some levitating sherbert balls.

"So, Lily, are you saying that you maybe like Jamsie-boy?" asked Kate excitedly.

"You sure haven't denied that you don't like him," Alex pointed out quickly.

Lily was about to strangle Kate and Alex for even thinking such a thing when James joined the conversation.

"Who likes me?" he asked interested.

"Lily, of course," replied Alex, sweetly, ignoring Lily's death stare.

"Ha! The day Lily likes me is the day pigs fly! Without the help of your magic, Sirius," he added, smirking at him. Sirius, however, along with Alex, Kate and Remus were all looking at each other with raised eyebrows. Lily was shocked. James had just said nearly the same exact thing she had. Sirius lips broke out into a grin when he turned back to Lily and James.

"It's so obvious," he started slowly. James and Lily knew what was coming. Lily was tempted to cover her ears. "You guys totally, completely, and utterly are in love with each other!"

"Sirius. I'll say this one more time. Lily and I do not like each other!" bellowed James.

"Sure ya don't," smiled Kate.

"You all are so incredibly insane! I can't believe we're having this conversation again! Here, James you still hate me, right?" she asked.

James wanted to say no, he really didn't hate her at all, but agreed anyway. "Right, Lil'. And you hate me?"

She paused for a second before she answered, then responded strongly, "Of course."

Their friends, however, were not convinced.

"Whatever James, whatever," said Sirius, getting up and going back to his dormitory. Soon Kate followed suit and went to say something to Lily.

"You can't deny this forever, you know."

Now Alex and Remus were both getting up to say something to each of their friends.

"James, I didn't believe it at first, but now it's obvious. I can see the way you look at her," James glanced at Lily. "You like her," said Remus knowledgeably.

"Just admit you like him, Lily," Alex mumbled as she passed her.

After cooling herself down for a minute, Lily turned and yelled after her friends. "I DO NOT LIKE JAMES POTTER!"

"You guys don't know what your talking about!" James called to them. The whole Gryffindor common room turned to look at James and Lily, except Remus, Sirius, Kate and Alex, who simply kept walking towards their dormitories, shaking their heads.

Disgruntled, Lily sat down and buried her hands in her face. "Why do they have to keep bringing this up! We DON'T like each other! Any blind man can see that!" Lily cried.

"You're darn right," said James, laughing.

"And why are you laughing?" Lily snapped.

James simply shrugged, smiling.

"Oh no, not you, too. I don't like you James. I don't!" she exclaimed.

"That," he said, "is obvious. And I don't like you either."

"Well, then why don't you act like you hate me?" she wailed.

"Oh, I will if you want me to," said James, looking like she had just offered him a giant chocolate bar. Then he jumped on top of her and started tickling her.

"Ahh! HAHAHA! James! HAHAH! STOP!" she gasped, in between giggles. He simply kept going, so she did the only she could do. And that was, well, kick him.

"Ouch! Bloody hell, Lily! I think you broke my nose!" he howled.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Lily laughed in mock seriousness. "Guys are such babies," she mumbled, rolling her eyes, and turning to the girl's staircase. "See you in 10 minutes at potions, Potter," she called.

"Yeah, right. Bye, Evans," he yelled up to her, still holding his nose.

"Dang that really hurt!" he mumbled, heading up to his own dormitory. Lily could only laugh, glancing at him one last time before she entered her dorm. He really was cute...

***

During potions, to their friends' delight, James and Lily had been paired up as partners. Luckily for James and Lily, they had been seated across the room from Sirius, Alex, Kate, and Remus so they couldn't be taunted by their friends all period. But unluckily, they were right behind Snape and Malfoy and in front of two ugly Slytherin girls; Naria and Zamira. Gross...

As the class progressed, both James and Lily couldn't help but notice how nervous Professor Karkaroff looked. Unintentionaly, they both kept continuously watching his every move. What was wrong with him?

"Why do you think he's shaking and so pale?" Lily whispered to James.

"I don't know. It looks like he's just recovered from the flu or something, but he can't have. He would have been sick for Bailey's class yesterday then, too."

"Bailey?" asked Lily, trying to keep her voice mildly surprised.

"Yea, she's this second year who stayed here at Christmas with her boyfriend. Although, don't let her hear me say that I called him her boyfriend. She denies she likes him, yet it's obvious she does. Anyways, she was talking to me about how awful potions was last night," James told a shocked Lily. Where had she heard a story like that of Bailey and Brian? She couldn't quite place a finger on it.

"Lily, look!" whispered James rapidly, motioning towards the professor. He was slipping a note to Snape and Malfoy, trying to be as subtle as possible so the class didn't notice.

"Ohh... I wonder what it says," Lily gasped, craning her neck to try to get a look at the little piece of paper Snape and Malfoy were now reading.

"Look, Lil' class is almost over. If we want to get that paper, we need to make a diversion," said James.

"I'm all over it," she replied, leaving her seat, and pretending to start cleaning up. Suddenly, she tripped and fell straight into Snape who was still holding the paper, which flew out of his hands. An engorging potion fell all over him, and then he started to swell like a balloon

"Oh Snape, I'm so sorry!" she half-yelled, trying to attract everyone's attention, which she needn't have done as everyone was roaring with laughter because of the inflating Snape. James, who wanted to join in laughing, simply sat stunned for a moment. Dang this girl was quick-witted. Then, he came to his senses. He casually picked up the paper while pretending to sweep up some of the potion that had been spilled on the floor in Lily's "accident."

"Miss Evans!" Lily heard the professor scream. She grimaced. She knew what was coming. "Clean this mess up this instant! And you, too, Mr. Potter!" he yelled, noticing James unable to contain his giggles, laughing hysterically on the floor. Lily, however, almost did a double take. She wasn't getting a detention? Wait, he didn't even call her something foul! Something really was definitely wrong with him today.

Suddenly, the bell rang and the whole class slowly pushed their way to the door. Snape was given an antidote and forced out the door like the rest of the class. James and Lily stayed after to clean up like the professor had said. As they were mopping the remains of the potions off the floor, they heard the professor mumbling to himself.

"Why did I join his dark side? I swear I will get him the next time he uses the Cruciatus Curse on me. I swear I will."

Lily shuddered, then looked at James in shock. Hearing the professor talk about Cruciatus Curse brought back some awful memories of when that particular curse was used on her. But was the professor really on the Dark Side? It didn't seem possible... Not a Hogwarts teacher! James jerked his head to the door and mouthed, "Let's go." He obviously didn't want the professor to realize they were still in the classroom.

After they snuck out of the room, Lily broke out in astonishment.

"He isn't working for Voldemort, do you think?"

"It appears so. That's the only person who could have done that to him. Who else would use the Cruciatus Curse? And no one else refers to their followers as the Dark Side... " replied James, deep in thought. "That must mean he... he..., you know Voldemort, (Lily gulped) is nearby if he performed that curse on him and he was able to return back to the school."

Lily looked scared, but spoke the first true words of comfort. "That's not necessarily true. He could have Apparated from Hogsmeade, or somewhere near Hogwarts, to Voldemort's hideout, and then back again. You know what I'm saying?"

James nodded.

"Hey, wait a second! Where's that paper!" she exclaimed.

"Oh Yeah! I almost forgot!" James said, holding out the paper so Lily could read it, too.

Meeting at 7 o'clock in hideout on last day of term. Their murders to take place.

Lily gulped. "Mu...Mur...Murders?"

James kept reading the paper, over and over again. "I bet their hideout is in that secret room in Honeydukes! You remember that room, right? We went their last year on Kate's birthday and saw Karkaroff slip that note through the crack in the wall."

Lily nodded. James seemed to be thinking very hard.

"Lily, listen to me. Don't go anywhere new Hogsmeade for the rest of this term. You hear me? We can't have you getting hurt.... or killed."

Lily nodded and walked down the hall in silence with James. Then she turned to him. "Wait, one second, James. If your doing this because you think they're after me, then you most definitely need to enforce the same precautions on yourself! You're the Gryffindor heir! I'm sure they want to kill you more than me! I'm just some young muggle-born." Lily grabbed his arm to force him to stop walking and looked urgently into his eyes.

Wow, those eyes were amazing. He wanted to kiss her again, but not now, not yet... He just kept staring into those emerald green eyes.

"James, promise me you won't go down there!" she said sternly.

"Someone's got to stop them, Lil'; figure out their hideout."

Lily threw her arms back in frustration. "James! Tell Professor Dumbledore! He'll be able to resolve it, and probably won't get killed while doing it!"

"Lily, he'll be way too obvious. If they hear he's coming to Hogsmeade, they'll just move their meeting to somewhere else! That'll make it easier for them to carry out our- the murders anyway!"

"James!" Lily exclaimed. "Your talking like a madman! It's suicide! Don't you see you'll be playing right into their trap?"

James grunted.

Lily rolled her eyes. "Fine," she snapped. "You go, I go."

James suddenly looked quite panicked. "Oh no you don't. You already promised."

"I take back my promise. And you know what? A great bat like you isn't going to stop me!"

James looked taken aback. He didn't know what to do. "Fine, I won't go," he agreed at last.

"Good," Lily smiled triumphantly. Little did she know, he had his fingers crossed behind his back.

***

As the end of term approached, everyone was overwhelmed with exams, but excited for the summer. James and Sirius took this time to play more tricks on the Slytherins and get out some of their exam gitters. Lily not knowing all of James's nerves weren't caused by the exams.

During the potions exam, Lily noticed that some of the Slytherins kept looking at her and James both maliciously and sympathetically. It was like they knew something she didn't. Lily couldn't help but notice how nervous James was, and potions wasn't even a hard subject for him. He could hardly speak when he asked if he could borrow her spare beaker for measurements.

On the last day of term, as Lily was packing her belongings in ther trunk, she noticed James still had her beaker. She decided she better go retrieve it from him because if she didn't at that moment she would probably forget to get it all together. She went down to the common room in search of James, but she only found Sirius, Remus and Peter.

"Hey Sirius. Where's James?" she asked.

"He said something about stalking up on some joke items at Hogsmeade, since we used most of them on the Slytherins last week," he replied calmly.

"WHAT!?" Lily screamed.

To be continued...

A/N: Ahh! I'm sorry! I know tons of people HATE cliffy's, like myself, but I had to stop it here... Trust me on this one. The good thing is that I have completely emerged from that bit of writer's block I was experiencing. I know EXACTLY what's going to happen next. I'm really excited to write the next part. I promise it will be out by next weekend for sure. This chapter is just a lead in to the climax of this year, so I'm sorry it's not too good. The next one will be MUCH MUCH MUCH better! PLEASE R/R or I won't continue! J/K... I will no matter what because even if you don't wanna read it, I want to write it... hehe.

Shana: How do you get your chapters out so fast? I'm going to try to get my next one out as fast as you! (Everyone who knows me is probably rolling their eyes at me. They know it won't happen... oh well :]) Everyone read her story, it's good.

Alrighty, review if you get a chance please! - Heraclas