Disclaimer: see all previous chapters. If I magically own Harry Potter, then I will say so.

Lessons, Quidditch, and bonding pillow fights caused time to tumble past. Soon came the decision to go home and forget about exams, or stay and study during Easter holidays. James and Sirius, after many long debates, decided to stay and actually study, but only half the time. Remus, still slightly upset with his parents, quickly, without regrets, decided to remain also. Peter had promised his parents that he would go home, so he would be leaving. Lily also decided to remain, as her exam results were equal of importance to the holiday she would have at home.

On the first morning of the holidays, Sirius now sat on the stairs leading to his dormitory, surveying the common room. He had enchanted two of the pillows to attack James when he went close enough to them, and, without wishing to be detected or too close to the victim, wanted to view the results.

Peter and Remus sat together across from the chair where the pillows were located, obviously quizzing each other on some topic. The chair remained empty because they gave off a very intimidating aura. Probably because the only people who knew what they were talking about, other than themselves, were seventh years, who didn't care, Sirius, James, Lily, and possibly Mandy and her Minions. The only person who was at all likely to sit in the chair would be James. James was, instead, sitting on a table telling a group of terrified fifth years O.W.L. horror stories. Sirius only caught a few words in each sentence, but, based on James's evil smile and their frightened looks, came to the conclusion that James was giving the bare bones of truth some flesh of elaboration.

Mandy was watching James with interest; obviously she hadn't gotten his hints of his lack of interest, and went to sit next to him, tossing her blonde hair back.

James, looking for a way to get rid of her and spotting one, said, "Mandy, hi. Is it just me or is your hair a little thinner than before? Wait, is that a hair on your robes?"

Mandy started to deny it, but looked where James pointed, and did indeed see a single blonde hair.

"I'm – I'm balding!" Mandy shrieked, rushing off into her dormitory.

The fifth year boys looked confused at James for chasing Mandy away, and the girls looked concerned at Mandy's balding. James looked pleased with himself. That feeling just increased when Lily walked down the stairs obviously irritated at having a hysterical blonde in the same room as her.

"What lies is he feeding you now?" Lily asked a small blonde girl.

"None at all. The bare truth," James insisted, but wavered under Lily's glare. "There were a few exaggerations, but it is based on the truth."

Lily sat across from the fifth years and launched into a true, and, judging by their faces, a less interesting, account of her O.W.L. experience.

James first stayed to listen to Lily, but soon stood up and, spotting his two friends, sat in the chair.

"...used in most truth potions. Is very difficult to grow, due to its need to be in below freezing temperatures in the dark and tropical ones in the light. If these conditions are not provided it thrives and goes by the Muggle name of spearmint and has no magical properties other than – hi James – its incredible ability to take over gardens. Did I get it, Peter?" Remus said, obviously reciting the properties of a plant.

Peter's reply was lost in laughter at the attack of James by the two pillows. Sirius, knowing James was going to look for him the instant he could look around, quietly crept back up to the dormitory.

Sirius sat back down with his essay he was writing for Defense Against Dark Arts, he had managed to begin writing again when the door opened.

"Sirius, my most favorite brother in the entire universe, (a/n: just for you, Molly) what did you do to those pillows?" James said.

"I enchanted them," Sirius replied airily, still trying to appear absorbed in his essay.

"What are you writing?" James asked.

"Our 'Beginner's Guide to Basic Dueling, From Spells to Tactics' essay. Once you get into the writing it's amazingly interesting to write," Sirius said.

"You sound like Remus. But stop writing and help me master a spell in that book you gave me from Christmas," James insisted.

"What does it do?"

"It has 'the same results as a cheering charm, only it can be done on an object, such as a door, to have an effect on every passer-through of the door'. It sounded like it would be a fun one to perform on the portrait hole or something, so all of Gryffindor is overly smiley and cheery some morning," James said.

"I'm all for it, let's perform it on our door, test it, then talk to the Fat Lady and perform it on the portrait hole," Sirius said.

After fifteen minutes Sirius walked through the door and started grinning insanely. James followed, feeling the same effect.

"It worked!" Sirius said.

"Let's go! I want to see the rest of the school's faces when we're all overly happy at dinner," James said.

The pair smiled their way out of the common room, outside they confronted the Fat Lady.
"Hello, ma'am. We were wondering if..." James started.

"with your permission, of course..." Sirius continued.

"we could perform a cheering charm on the door." James said.

"It would make everyone who passes through happy. Nothing at all painful, embarrassing, or any of the usual prank things. Just happy," Sirius said.

"Well..." the Fat Lady considered it, "if it honestly is going to make them only happy, then yes, by all means."

"Thank you, ma'am, that's all the spell does. Gryffindor bravery, and please, only open an inch," James said.

The Fat Lady did as requested, James and Sirius performed the charm, and they went outside to fly a little before dinnertime.

They arrived early to dinner, but soon the students filed in. James and Sirius were confronted immediately by a strangely happy, but upset Lily.

"What did you do to the portrait hole?" Lily demanded.

"A cheering charm. You walk through, you become happy," Sirius explained.

"Clever. Why?" Lily asked.

"Because we, obviously, want the Gryffindors to be happy with all this studying they're doing," James said.

"James Potter wanting people to be happy... Why is that, James?" Lily said.

"I was thinking of you, actually," James said.

"Me? Why?" Lily asked.

"I want you to be happy," James mumbled.

"Sweet, but you don't even know me," Lily stated.

"I've tried, though, I've tried to know you, but you won't open up to me," James said.

"Perhaps if you listened when I speak you would know me," Lily said.

"It's rather difficult if we aren't speaking. But tell me about yourself. If some being with the power to grant them gave you three wishes, what would they be and why?" James asked.

"I – I don't know," Lily said.

"Save me, Sirius, this task of getting to know someone who doesn't know themselves is pretty difficult," James said.

"I... Oh, never mind," Lily said walking to sit at the other end of the table.

Dumbledore standing, obviously preparing to speak, saved James the prick of Sirius's taunts.

"Good evening to all those students who chose to remain and to those who were forced to remain, good evening to you too. I wish to pass along a word of advice before the beginning of dinner: When trying to open a closed flower the key is not force, but rather to bathe it in sunshine. This way will result in a flower immensely more radiant than the one resulting in the first option." Dumbledore said, his eyes resting on James.

Most of the school forgot Dumbledore's words as they dug into their dinner, but they echoed in James's mind, making him wonder just what Dumbledore was hinting at.

A/N: I know it's short, but hey, didn't I just post the last chapter last night? Wow! I wrote a chapter in less than 24 hours!