The man who was once known as Tom Marvelo Riddle crouched behind a bush, peering up at the large building before him. Narrow red eyes regarded the entrance to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, which surprisingly appeared to be unguarded. Voldemort knew better, though. He assumed the fool Muggle-loving Headmaster Albus Dumbledore would have all kinds of anti-Dark spells if he did not already have enchantments that would alert the entire castle to his presence. No, it would require much more than stealth to get into the heavily guarded fortress.

Voldemort considered his options. His long-term plan was to rid the world of all Muggles and Muggle-born witches and wizards, even though he himself had a Muggle father. The worthless, pathetic excuse for a father that left him in an orphanage as a child. And he dared to name his son after himself. Oh yes, the Muggles must go; yet that was not in Voldemort's itinerary this time. He had discovered the fool boy's plan through carelessness on the Ministry of Magic's part. The imbecile Cornelius Fudge announced to the entire wizarding world that not only was he back and come to power again, but that Albus Dumbledore had been given the Ministry's top secret invention.

Voldemort laughed a cruel, high-pitched laugh that could make the bravest man flinch. So much for top secret. Did they really think he did not have his own news sources and minions within the Ministry itself? Why, Lucius Malfoy was one of the most loyal of all his Death Eaters. The bloody idiots see gold, and they fall all over the man, giving him all kinds of awards and prizes and fool things such as that. They could not have made it any easier for Lucius to just walk into the Department of Mysteries and steal one of the time turners to bring to his master.

There was one snag in the plan. Without the Prophecy, Voldemort had no idea what the consequences of killing the boy's parents could do. It could possibly ruin all these years he had waited to return to full power yet again. If he killed the children that would be Potter's parents in the future, Harry Potter would cease to exist. Without the damn Prophecy, Voldemort could do nothing. He scowled at a robin in such a way that the bird fell right out of the tree. The man-like creature that was no longer called Riddle slunk off towards his hideout.

****************************************

James thought he had reached an all-time low. He was so depressed, he didn't even try to get Lily mad anymore, afraid of her attentions. In fact, he had even stopped playing pranks on his classmates. James even went so far as to be attentive in his classes. Well, at least more so than usual. He didn't think he could ever listen to Professor Binns for a full five minutes.

Also for the first time, he had stopped looking to see if Lily noticed him. If Lily saw that he was participating in classes, James was not aware of it, as he did his best to avoid her gaze. His friends kept giving him encouragement, telling him to just apologize to her, but James did not think he could. He had never apologized before.

This is my own fault. I don't deserve Lily. She needs someone who will respect her wishes and she can talk to. I proved myself unworthy.

Lost in thought, he forgot to attempt to hex Snape on the way to Potions. Then he realized with dread that today was the day where they would be using Truth Potions. Praying that he would end up with someone like absent-minded Rosa, he entered the class full of dread. Sitting down, he saw Hermione come in and scowl at the back of the room, where he knew she was deciding if she should sit on the floor or not. Motioning to her and trying to conjure up a smile but failing miserably, he gestured towards the empty seat next to him. Looking relieved, she smiled and walked over, murmuring almost silent thanks, as she obviously didn't want Professor Hopnill to overhear her speaking.

Hopnill glared at Hermione as if he hated her with a passion, but did not say anything about the seating arrangements, to James's relief. "Today, class, we will be making Truth Potions. As they take a full month to create, I have started them out, and today you will finish them. You will each receive a piece of parchment with a list of questions, with which you are to use to quiz the classmate you are paired up with. Instead of choosing your own partners, I will pick them for you." He grinned evilly at the class, and James heard many around him swallow hard. Hopnill then made a show of pairing the Gryffindors with the person whom they disliked the most, or at least were not friends with, and the Slytherins with exactly who they wanted.

"Black and Rendante."

"Pettigrew and Lirampla."

"Lupin and Wintorko."

"Gropet and Malfoy."

"Weasel and Snape."

No! I can't be with her!

"Potter and Evans."

Hopnill smirked, as both Lily and James had horrified looks on their faces. He then proceeded to allow all the remaining students to choose whomever they wanted to partner up with.

James quickly put his cauldron on his desk and started chopping the heads off caterpillars, intent on his project. He heard the chair beside him move as Hermione vacated the seat. As soon as he had finished mincing the insect, he put it into his cauldron and heard the chair slide against the stone of the dungeon floor again and someone slammed their cauldron down. Lily. He heard a deep intake of breath, and then the sound of a knife working, but didn't bother to look over.

Finally finishing the potion, James turned slowly to Lily and got out the sheet of paper with the questions they were allowed to ask on it. They were each to take three drops of their own potion, as if it was made incorrectly, they could poison their partners.

Realizing Lily had taken her potion, he read off the parchment in a dull voice: "What are your goals for the future?"

"I want to become an Auror."

"List the members in your family."

"My sister, Petunia,…"

James continued down the list, mumbling half the questions so that they had to be repeated. After he had finished, he took three drops of the potion and for the first time looked at Lily.

*********************************************

Lily thought she would die of a broken heart. She had never seen James like this, he had always been the life of the party, so to speak. And knowing she was the cause of his pain was just the last straw. She had cried herself to sleep the past few nights. Tonight, she thought about what had happened in Potions. She had done her best to act all huffy when she sat down, but he had not even looked up. He didn't even bother to look at her until it was her turn to quiz him. When he had rested his hazel gaze upon her, they were flat and expressionless. She knew men had a hard time expressing their emotions, but she had hoped for him to say something, anything more than what was required for the lesson. Instead, he had answered her inquiries in a flat, dull voice, and as soon as class was over, turned away and walked out without a backwards glance.

He appeared almost remorseful, so much so that Lily felt she should be the one to apologize. She had slapped him. But he had kissed her without her consent. She had a reason to hit him. But was it reason enough? No, of course it was, but perhaps she should talk to him. But how? His friends had picked up on his mood and were constantly surrounding him in an attempt to cheer him up. For that matter, her own clique was trying the same on her. It had about as much effect on her as it did on James. Very little, if any.

After another week of almost sleeplessness, Lily couldn't take it anymore. She marched up the steps to the fifth year boys' dormitories, and rapped on the door. Sirius opened it and immediately tried to close it, as she saw they were playing Exploding Snap in the room, causing billows of smoke to rise out the door. Lily started to choke, and at any other time she would have yelled at them and perhaps given all of them detentions, but for now she just gave Sirius a look that made him stop and stare at her.

"I want to talk to Potter, so get out of the way, Black." Perhaps that was a bit rude, but luckily, he appeared to understand and nodded.

"All of you, out of this room! No, James, you stay there."

Sirius let all the protests from his friends slide off his back, and soon they were all out, all except for James. He was sitting on his bed, apparently not having taken part in the activity. Lily walked slowly over to James, all of a sudden unsure of what to say. She looked towards the edge of the bed and raised her eyebrows in a silent question. James nodded and gestured to the spot next to him, implying that she should sit down. Lily obliged, the bed creaking slightly under her weight.

For a while, the two just sat and stared at each other. Lily then swallowed and spoke in a voice so soft that she was surprised James heard. "I--I'm sorry, Po--James."

James's hazel eyes shone in surprise and almost confusion. "For what, Lily? You didn't do anything. It was me. I'm--" James touched his tongue to the roof of his mouth. Lily was touched, as it was obviously hard for him to offer compensation for his actions. He swallowed once, took a deep breath, then continued. "I'm sorry, Lily. It's all my fault. I've liked you for so long, but after what I did--I just don't deserve you." He licked his lips and his eyes widened slightly, as if he were surprised he had admitted all of that. He then smiled, and Lily couldn't help grinning back. "I didn't tell anyone about it, but you have my full permission to hex me with the curse of your choice."

Lily crossed her legs and tapped her lips, pretending to think it through. "Well, I suppose I could use Jelly-Legs on you, but that's so elementary, plus the effects aren't lasting. There always is the Stunning Curse, and I could leave you in a closet to rot, but that wouldn't be nice, now would it? I could cast the Full-Body Bind, but that just doesn't seem fitting. It's too bad you're only letting me curse you, as I could always Transfigure you into a goat or something like that. I might do that anyway!" She pulled out her wand, and James held his hands up in mock-horror.

"Please! I beg of you, mercy!" He belied his true feelings by laughing, and Lily joined in.

Lily grinned wickedly. "Now, James, as I never got a chance to show you, I'll demonstrate the Memory Charm for you now. I will use your suggestion of betraying my darkest secret, then you will see how it's done. If you remember it, of course. My secret is: I've always thought your jokes were funny, although I've never laughed. The reason for that is…" Lily pursed her lips together then released them and spoke. "I like you too. Oblivia--"

"Expelliarmus!"

Lily watched with horror as the wand shot out of her hand and landed in James's.

"Lost your chance to curse me, Lily. I never said I wouldn't defend myself. By the way, that was two secrets in one."

Lily attempted to get mad at him for the obvious unfairness of the whole situation, but she couldn't seem to master the glare that she had grown so used to while looking at James the past five years.

"I'm going to count to three and if the wand is not back in my hand by then…" she mustered as much of a glare as she could, then continued. "One, two, three! James Potter, give that back to me now!"

"You have to get it back from me," James taunted.

Lily launched herself on top of him, and grabbed at the hand that held her wand, which he swung to the other side out of reach. Both of them were laughing hysterically, Lily still trying to get her wand back, when the door swung open on its hinges to reveal the face of Emberlynn.

"Oh! Lily, I was just looking for you. Black said you were up here, but I'm sorry if I was interrupting anything…" A devilish grin slowly spread across Emberlynn's face, and Lily knew that unless she said something, she and James would be the talk of the fifth years.

"No, Emberlynn! He took my wand, I'm only trying to get it back."

Emberlynn raised her eyebrows and Lily realized she was in the frozen position of laying flat on top of James's chest and leaning forward across his face. James, of course, ruined it all by conjuring up an evil smirk of his own.

"Oh, no, Emberlynn. You're not interrupting anything. Lily uses the excuse of her wand, but we all know what she wants--"

"POTTER! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU FOR THIS!"

Of course, all the fifth years had to come and peer into the door, curious as to what James had done this time. Everyone was falling down in the doorway, laughing, James included.

"All of you. OUT. I'm going to count to three." Lily spoke in a dangerously calm voice, which caused everybody to quickly leave.

"You sure like counting, don't you, Lily? Or can't you count past three? You know, after three there is a ten, seven, four, nine--"

As James was distracted, Lily reached forward and finally grabbed her wand. Sitting down firmly on his chest with fake haughtiness, she pointed it at his throat and made a violent motion as if to slit it.

"No! I'll never do it again, Lily. I promise."

Satisfied, Lily slid off James and planted her feet on the floor, hands on her hips in mock sternness. "If you ever do anything of the sort again, I shall have to give you detention. Good day to you." With that, she turned around and proceeded to walk to the door. Hand on the knob, she heard James whisper, just loud enough so she could hear.

"Unless the situation calls for it."

Whirling around, Lily fixed him with a strict gaze, but he looked innocently up at the canopy on his bed as if he had said nothing.

While heading to her own dormitory, Lily fought hard to keep down a smile. The truth was, she was positively beaming and couldn't seem to wipe the expression off her face. As soon as she closed the door, Lily was nearly tackled by her three roommates, Rosa included.

"So, Lily, how was it? Did he apologize?"

"Did you and James…do anything?"

"Oh, you're so lucky!"

Lily just gave them all a look of countenance, and said nothing, much to their dismay.

**********************************************

*Boing!*

Yes, it's a shorter chapter than most, but I need you all to vote:

Who's relationship/events should I continue more closely? *I will likely have already written the 7th chapter when you're voting, but this is just a poll for future chapters*

Continue with Lily and James, Remus and Hermione, A POV from Ron, Another POV from Harry, or Anything you can think of that you want me to do ;)

By the way: I really appreciate all of you reviewing. Thanks so much, I like hearing that someone's reading my stories!

*Sammy-Jo*