"Underneath it all" by marauderyears

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or anything related to it, J.K Rowling does.

A/N: Thanks reviewers!!! I need a Beta. Anyone up for it? Not only to double check for errors, but to help me write certain...mature scenes. I'll try to keep it PG-13, unless you all would rather it be R. Whichever. But I NEED a Beta!! Please. I won't really be able to continue with out a Beta...Plus you get awesome perks of reading what happens before everyone else. I think that's pretty down swell.

Lily's POV

She squinted at her very scaly bunny with fangs. She was supposed to turn it into a snake. They were practicing turning animals from mammals to reptiles. And Lily was getting very impatient with her...animal. Yes, I guess you could still call it an animal. At that moment, the bunny/snake squawked. Damn. How's this...thing...at all like a cow?!

Lena sighed as she watched Lily jabbing at her...Holy crap! What in the world was...that...?

"Stop, stop. You're going to jab someone's eye out doing that!" Lena said, holding back a laugh as she grabbed Lily's flailing wand hand. Lily groaned as Frank promptly burst out laughing as he got a good luck at Lily's disaster.

"I'm glad you two find my predicament amusing, but I need help!" Lily said, clearly irritated. This just prompted them both to laugh harder. Lily looked back down at her now squawking animal and watched in amazement as it turned into a beautifully patterned snake. The snake even hissed.

Lily gasped in amazement. "Wow that was amaz-" Lily looked up to see a smiling James Potter. Lily faltered a little. It wasn't a mocking smile, but more of an amused one. Where was the real James Potter?

He just smiled again. "You're welcome." He went back over to his seat across the room.

Lena smirked at Lily and said in a mocking voice, "Oh he's so arrogant, conceited, and a never helpful prat." Lily glared at Lena as Frank laughed.

Lily did a good job of ignoring her friends for the rest of the class. With no one to talk to she was able to think. Something that Sirius Black always claimed was dangerous. Lily still had not figured out who had set that trap on her or why, but she had narrowed it down. She knew (not to be biased or anything) but somehow she knew it was a Slithering. She was also assuming it was someone at least in 5th or so year because of the male's low voice. She had heard the voices from somewhere, but she couldn't place the voice with a face. Oh well...

"Lily, the bell rang, let's go." Frankie said awakening her out of her trance.

Lily was heading to the door when Professor McGonagall spoke. "Miss Evans may I speak to you for a moment?"

Lily nodded and curiously walked over to her desk that she was sitting at. It was a moment before the Professor spoke.

"Lily, I noticed today that you have some trouble in my class. Now that surprises me because you are at the top of all your other classes. I guess this class isn't exactly your strong point." Lily blushed and she continued. "So I hope you won't mind that I took the liberty to find you a tutor."

"Thank you Professor. When will the tutoring start?"

"Tomorrow night at 8 or so in this classroom. You and the tutor can arrange the next few meetings after that and how often you want them."

Lily thanked her and exited the classroom. She was really embarrassed that even the teacher noticed she needed a tutor. Was she really that bad? A mental image of the squawking scaly bunny with fangs popped into her head. And she realized that yes she was that bad.

James' POV

"I wonder why Brody wasn't there today." Remus said curiously.

"Probably planning something." James said nonchalantly. Although it sounded offhand, he actually did wonder why the teacher wasn't there today.

Peter frowned. "What do you mean planning something?"

James swallowed the Chocolate Frog he had been chewing. "Well, I was just joking, but he's probably sick-let's hope so-or planning his next lesson. I don't know or care what he's doing, so can we change the subject?"

Sirius sighed, "I don't know why there are so many Dumbledore card in these Chocolate Frogs. I've got like a million of 'em."

"Oh I'll take it!" Sirius handed the card over to Peter who stuck it in his drawer.

Remus frowned, "Have you guys finished that essay that Binns asked us to do?"

"Nope." Three voices casually said.

"Have you even started it?"

"Nope."

"Do you even plan to?"

"Nope."

"I cannot even begin to fathom how you are in the top of your classes and you don't even do your homework."

Sirius grinned, "The teachers just love us. Wait, Wormtail's not in the top of any classes." Peter just glared at Sirius.

Lily's POV

"It's not that big of a deal Lily, lots of people need tutoring."

"Are you kidding? This is terrible, horrible, dreadful, awful, bad—"

"I think your just overreacting Lily. Plus it can't be that bad. I mean it's not like your being tutored by Bellatrix Black or something. We all know she hates you."

"Thanks, but the feeling is mutual." Lily said sardonically.

"Lots of people need tutoring...like Gwen and Anna."

"Somehow that doesn't make me feel any better." Lily groaned.

There was a moment of silence. Both girls didn't even bother to turn to the dormitory door as it opened. Gwen and Anna entered the room laughing at something. When they saw Lena and a distressed Lily they stopped laughing immediately.

Gwen and Anna flopped down on Anna's bed and started flipping through Witch Weekly. Lena made a face at Lily and they both laughed before closing the curtains around their beds to get a good night's sleep.

The next day went by fairly fast and 7:30 came quicker than Lily had hoped it would. So when 7:30 rolled around, Lily set her novel down, grabbed her Transfiguration book, and headed to Professor McGonagall's classroom.

It was getting near Valentine's Day and Lily was embarrassed to say she wouldn't have a date. Valentine's Day was on a Hogsmeade weekend and everyone was already planning on getting dressed up and going out to eat at fancy restaurants. Frankie told Lena and Lily that he was going with his friend Alice. Lily had a weird feeling that Frankie had a little crush on this friend, but she wasn't about to intrude. Lena would be the one to do that. Lena also had a date. She was taking her new almost-boyfriend (as Lena liked to put it). His name was Derek Langers and he happened to be that Ravenclaw that Lena had her eye on for that past few months.

Lily glanced down at her watch and realized with a start that she was a little late. She entered the Transfiguration classroom and headed to the desk that she normally sat in. She didn't notice that someone was quietly sitting in the corner of the room. Lily neatly set some parchment, a quill, and her book down (and of course her wand) on the table.

"You're late." Lily turned around when she heard an amused voice coming from a very good-looking boy that she knew all to well.

A/N: I finally got this chapter out. I'm sorry that it's short. I'm sorry that it's stupid and a cliffhanger. And I am most definitely sorry if anyone is disappointed and thought that a long wait would mean a better quality chapter. I was just going through a minor laziness problem.

I'm thinking about starting another L/J fic. It's AU, so it doesn't exactly follow the story line though it's pretty darn close. I'm thinking about calling it "A Redhead's Tale", but I'm horrible with titles as you can see with this story's oh-so-original-title. I've got ideas for this new fic and am hoping to write a few chapters before I actually post it, just to see how it goes. If it doesn't go well, then I'm not even bothering.