Author's Note: Okay. This chapter is short (and I took my time getting it up - sorry about that, but I went up to Vermont with my friend for President's Weekend) and I personally think it kinda sucks. Sorry. The next part, however, is going to involve Petunia's oh-so-considerate Pretend-You're-Not-A-Witch Survival Kit. Which means I have to do some research, since I know basically nothing about British pop culture in the 70's and I don't want to be one of those people who says, "Screw it, they'll just watch Dawson's Creek." So if you are British and could name a few TV shows and bands you know were popular from around 1975-79, or if you did similiar research for your own story and want to share the wealth, I would really, really appreciate it. And if you want the next chapter sooner rather than later, it's for your own good. :)

Disclaimer: What do I need Harry Potter for, I'm already filthy rich! *takes another sip of her non-alcoholic strawberry daiquiri and leans back against the raft floating in the middle of the Olympic Size swimming pool in her backyard* Except not.



Lily and James studiously avoided each other for the next week. After a few days, hoping they had cooled down, their friends tried to patch things up, but to no avail. Both claimed that any friendship that had previously existed between them was now disentegrated, null and void, over and done with.

"James? Jaames?" Remus waved his hand in front of James' face. "What are you staring at?"

"Look!" James answered, disgustedly. He pointed to the small blue figure that was hopping across the Commons Room. "She's turned our Transfiguration project into her slave. It's sickening."

Normally Remus would have commented on how lifelike the kangaroo's hopping motions were, but one look at his friend's face informed him just how dangerous that could be. James stood up and grabbed the little stuffed animal before it could reach the girls' staircase with a jar of ink for Lily.

"You're my project, too," he told the struggling animal sternly. "And it's time we spent some quality time together." Remus laughed at that, but James' smile was rather twisted. "First things first: you are a boy. And your name is Matthew, not Matilda, got it?" The kangaroo looked petrified. "Second, I think Matthew's hop needs a little something, don't you, Remus? Summus Salio!" James' smile widened. "Now, let's see about that ink..."



Lily frowned impatiently. "Tildy!" she called. "Where are you?" She'd sent the kangaroo for ink from the Commons Room twenty minutes ago. She turned around to go look for her little pet, just in time to see Matthew/Matilda bounce wildly into the dormitory. The kangaroo's hops had become five feet high and highly erratic as a result of James' charm, and the ink, which the prankster had removed the top from, was spilling all over the room - and all over Lily.

"EEEK!" she shrieked as it seeped through her robes. Lily scrambled to her bed to get her wand, and hurriedly shouted, "Stupefy!" The kangaroo froze and fell to the ground, motionless, but the damage had already been done. The entire room, most notably Lily's bed and she herself, was covered in black ink.

Examining the malfunctioning marsupial, Lily found a small note attached to its collar. Lily- Thought I'd contribute to the project. What do you think of the improvements I've made on Matthew? -J

Furious, Lily marched down the stairs, Stunned kangaroo in tow. She refused to look at James and his friends as she passed, and was ignoring the laughter at her ink-splattered appearance. Head held high, she walked briskly to the Transfiguration classroom. Professor McGonagall was sitting at her desk, grading a large pile of fourth year papers. She looked up in shock as her star pupil stormed into the room, red hair and pale complexion besmirched with ink.

"Professor, I'm very sorry, but I cannot continue to work with James Potter. He sees this project only as an oppurtunity to torment me. He refuses to share the workload, doesn't take anything seriously, and we can't even be in the same room together anymore without hexing each other." Lily took a deep breath.

Professor McGonagall tried not to smile as she listened to Lily's tirade. It was a skill she had found necessary to master very early in her teaching career. Back then it had been Adam Bell and his gang of Hufflepuffs, now it was James Potter and his cronies. Whoever the clowns, it wouldn't do for a teacher to be laughing at the salamander they'd set on fire, and she was positive Lily would not be thrilled to find she wasn't being taken completely seriously.

"I'm very sorry that you feel that way, Miss Evans," the Professor said at last. "But I am afraid a partner switch is simply not possible. We are too far into the project to disrupt the other groups, and I have reason to believe you two have already begun working as it is?" Lily blushed, thinking of her teacher's "reason." "You and Mr. Potter will simply have to learn to get along."

Disappointed but not particularly surprised, Lily trudged down the corridor towards Gryffindor Tower. At least I tried, she comforted herself, and began to plan her revenge.



Oh yes, and if your name happens to be Dracorulz, Hyper Princess, Unicorn77, Miki, kiki, Devonny Stratton, quitesirius, or Danny, you get homemade oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. No, don't worry, my mom made them, they're safe.