Dear James,

It is nice to hear from you again. I am very sorry about what happened between you and Lily and I can't give you much advice on how to handle this situation. I have spoken to your mother and she suggests to simply sit Lily down and talk. I know this may be difficult but I also believe that it will be a good idea. I am pleased that you've finally given up on your boyish ways and are trying to make an effort. As for Sirius, I know you boys will work things out. Keep up with your school work and your mother or I will write soon

Dad

James screwed up the letter, sit and talk to Lily? She was too damn hard to force her to sit down. James wouldn't managed unless he performed a few spells and hexes and he didn't want to hurt her. James let his family owl return home and he sat on his bed thinking about what to do.

"Why are you going to your parents for help?" Peter asked James. He was the only one in the room with James and was watching James carefully.

"Because they're my parents and I value their advice." James said. Peter shrugged and went back to rummaging through his things looking for his Defence against the Dark arts Text book. James didn't know whether to tell Peter that he had seen Sirius transfigure it into the clock that lay on Peter's bedside table. James decided not to and lay down properly on his bed and stared at the ceiling. He had two relationships to repair, both would be hard to reconcile but James had to do it. Who would be easier to win over first? James thought. Lily was still actually quite proud and James didn't understand how her mind worked but Sirius on the other hand was James' oldest friend. James knew him perfectly, all he had to do was say that he, James, had been a right git and that he was sorry. James decided to do that and closed his eyes for a moment. The moment he closed his eyes he saw Lily's beautiful angelic face. Her innocent, knowledge hungry green eyes and her sweet nervous smile. James gave a sigh and Peter let out a few swear words as he hit his foot on his trunk.

Why was his friend so hooked on a mudblood? Thought Peter, sure Lily was a remarkably pretty girl but she was a muggle born witch. What did James see in her? The door was pushed open and Sirius came in followed by Remus.

"The Hogsmeade trip has been cancelled" Sirius said stressed. James opened his eyes and stared at Sirius.

"What?" James asked.

"There have been three attacks in Hogsmeade so Dumbledore has cancelled the Hogsmeade weekend."

"But we need to go into Hogsmeade that weekend." James said.

"No, the girl's need to go into Hogsmeade," Remus told them.

"They need to restock on their make up and get their dress robes re-fitted" Sirius said prancing around like an excited girl. James smirked.

"Yeah, that's true. I've already got all my stuff ready but I'm not sure I'll be going" James said, his smirk going. Sirius looked at him curiously.

"Why?" Sirius asked. Apparently Sirius was talking to him again.

"You remember a certain pissed off girlfriend?" James asked Sirius.

"Oh yeah" Sirius said frowning.

"Are you two speaking again?" Remus asked.

"I don't know." James said.

"Only if he says he was a git."

"I was a git"

"And that he was an idiot and very sorry" Sirius said

"I'm an idiot and I'm very sorry." James said. Sirius grinned.

"Ok, now to get that Girlfriend of yours back." Sirius said.

"What are you planning?" James said sitting up and looking at Sirius seriously.

"Just a few bangs, an invisibility cloak and-"

"Sirius, Lily is a girl and a respectable Gryffindor, not a Slytherin whore" Remus said, reminding Sirius that Lily was a human.

"Oh yeah." Sirius said. "Well it's obvious isn't it?" James and Remus looked at Sirius confused. Peter looked over as well but was mainly concentrating on finding his text book. Grout would kill him if he didn't have his homework done.

"Is it? Because I sure as hell don't see anyway of getting Lily to talk to me." James said.

"Well, who said you have to talk to Lily?" Sirius said. James looked at his friend intrigued.

"Go on," James said.

"Who knows Lily better then anyone in the world, better then you." Sirius asked nodding towards James. James looked at Sirius confused. Remus looked like he'd just been hit round the head by the idea.

"April." Remus said. "Talk to April and try and find out the best way of talking to Lily again. That's brilliant Padfoot" Sirius grinned.

"Well they are like sisters." Sirius said. James could have kissed Sirius, had he been a girl James would have kissed him.

*    *    *    *

"Oh no, here he comes again." Lily said. April rolled her eyes. The old Lily was starting to emerge again. April had just been ranting to Lily about the injustices of cancelling a trip to Hogsmeade.

"Lily just try and act Civil." April said. Jenny had wandered off to go and tutor her date to the ball so it was just April and Lily. James approached them and sat down.

"Good day ladies." He said. He didn't look at Lily as he said this and turned his attention to April. "April I need to ask you a few questions so could I maybe meet you at the prefect common room entrance in say, about ten minutes?" James said. April looked slightly surprised at this request.

"I am dating your best friend" April said.

"I know that and I don't want to see you because of anything like that. I need to ask you a few questions about a project the Marauders and I are working on." James said. April looked even more confused but nodded.

"Sure" She said. James gave her a smile and got up to leave.

"Why did you agree to meet him?" Lily snapped at April.

"He wants to ask questions." April said. Lily gave her a cold look. "You don't have to be jealous or anything" Lily looked at April.

"I'm having a bath." Lily said getting up and going to get her things.

Ten minutes later James strolled up to the prefect common room entrance and saw April standing there examining the tapestry that protected it.

"April." James said. April didn't turn to look at him at first, she touched the tapestry then looked satisfied with whatever she was looking at and turned to James.

"Make it quick because I think Lily is really jealous." April said. James frowned. "What do you need my help with."

"Lily." James said.

"Lily?" April asked, "What are you going to do? If it's a Marauder plan it's going to be a trick."

"Actually no trick" James said. He looked around. "Lilium" The tapestry moved aside and a door opened. "Come in" James said. He led April into the common room.

"I think I should tell you that Lily's having a bath but I don't know if she's using the head's bathroom."

"That's alright, I just need to ask a few quick questions." James said. He sat down on a chair and April sat on the sofa. The Prefects Common room was decorated in all the house colours and the effect was actually quite regal.

"Ok, what are they?" April asked.

"You've known Lily since like the first day in Hogwarts and you're her closest friend and you know everything about her, right?" James asked.

"Almost everything" April said, "Why?"

"Well I need advice on how to get her back" James said. April looked at James quite impressed.

"Well, you are trying aren't you?" April asked.

"Just tell me." James said.

"Ok, ok. Well Lily wants you to apologise for lying to her or keeping secrets from her, I can't remember which, maybe both. She's really annoyed with you for that and she's also been bitching about your bad points, namely the hexing people in the corridors. She's heard about when you hexed people for calling her a conquest. She's really flattered by it but she doesn't want you hexing people because she doesn't want you to lose your head boy position." April told James. "She was also saying something about marriage yesterday but I didn't fully understand it."

"Oh, we've talked about what we're going to do after Hogwarts. I suggested marriage and she seemed quite pleased about it." James told April.

"You want to marry her?" April asked,

"Of course, I want to spend the rest of my life with her and I want her to have my children." James said so sincerely it nearly made April cry.

"Oh, I wish Sirius was a bit more like that." April said emotionally. "But he's great as he is." James could have laughed at April.

"Ok, well I'll help you if you want, I can get Jenny in on it as well and we'll work on Lily. I'll get her to go to the Quidditch match and you just make sure you win." April said.

"But that's two weeks away." James said. "I can't wait that long."

"You're going to have to, our Lily is a very complex girl. You win the match and she'll start talking to you again and go to the ball. I know she's also telling us that she won't go to the ball" April said.

"Thank you so much. You are the best" James said giving April a hug.

"No problem." April said happily