Lily stared at Lucious. She expected him to walk towards Tera but instead he walked toward Sirius. Sirius met his look with venom and spat

"Malfoy what do you want?"

Lucious smiled an evil smile and said

"Just this one thing. Over the period of the week I want to have a prank war. Winner gets Tera."

"No way." Yelled Tera

"Wait...." said Sirius "You think you can beat us hey?"

"Not us Black just you and me...one on one."

"Sirius....."began Tera

"I accept." Said Sirius firmly.

Everyone looked between them as if expecting something to happen. Nothign did. Lucious walked away and Sirius sank to his chair out of breath. Ter sat beside him and put her hand on his arm. He smiled a bit unaware of the shocked looks on everyone's faces. Talee and Dalyce looked shocked. Especially Talee and her expression changed to one of jealously as Tera and Sirius hugged.

Tera felt nervous. She very highly doubted that anyone could beat Sirius at pranks... but with Malfoy you could never know.

Dalyce under normal circumstances would've said to Talee, after seeing her look, 'Don't worry Tal, you'll find a Black of your own some day!' then run away cackling. However instead she felt nervous. A prank war? Sirius was totally awesome with pranks... but she had to admit that he was better with the Marauders.

Talee felt torn in two. Winner gets Tera... She really liked Black. If he lost then Tera'd be Malfoy's... but Tera was her idol, she loved Tera. Besides... Black was happy with her. She made a grim smile. She wanted Sirius to win.

Lucious smiled. He was going to win this prank war... as he walked away he used a small spell on Sirius's shoelaces to make them tie together. When Sirius got up he'd fall onto his over-inflated head. Game on...

James stood beside Sirius. He slapped his back and said

"Don't worry bud you'll do it."

Sirius merely nodded. He made to stand up but Kal quickly noticed the shoelaces and muttered the reverse spell. Now instead of Sirius it would be on Malfoy. Luckily he wasn't looking and didn't notice the spark of magic. She didn't tell Sirius for fear of lowering his confidence. Tera pulled Sirius back down. She grinned at him and asked

"Aren't you asking me to the ball?"

Sirius grinned "I thought that it was a given..."

Tera smiled back and Sirius sat down. James turned to Lily. He had just remembered his question.

"So Lily are you going to the ball with me?"

Lily smiled and said "I suppose it could be arranged."

James smiled so big that it almost split his face. Remus turned to Kal embarrassed and asked

"Kal wannagoballwithme?"

Kal laughed and said "Sure."

Talee looked at the 3 couples and felt even more jealous. She didn't have anyone.... as far as she knew.

Dalyce saw how lonely Talee seemed. She grinned and slapped her on the back, "Wanna come to the dance with me Tal?" she asked.

Talee grinned. "You know it Dal," then they broke out laughing.

Tera grinned at her smaller friends. They were awesome and never seemed depressed for long.

"Sirius?" she asked.

"Yeah, what?"

"Kick Malfoy's ass for me in this prank contest!" then she kissed him on the cheek.

Sirius grinned and kissed Tera. Sirius got up and Tera followed as did the whole crew except Talee and Dalyce. The remained sitting talking about what had juts happened.

"Were you joking when you asked me Dal?"

"Nope unless someone wants to go out with you."

Talee grinned but inwardly felt sad. She would never go with someone. A guy at least. Meanwhile Lily and Kal were talking about who they had said yes too.

"You said yes Lils!" said Kal

"Well yeah I suppose."

Lily and Kal walked with the group. James called out

"Party in the Heads Room! Marauders and 3 female Marauders only."

Kal Tera and Lily looked at each other in amazement. They were part of the Marauders? Cool. Meanwhile Lily was tapped on the shoulder. It was Dan.

"Lily can I talk to you?"

Tera stopped walking when Lily did. Wasn't the dude talking to her the guy who'd dumped her? One by one everyone else stopped walking too.

Talee grinned, "Go upstairs and play exploding snap?" she asked.

"Awesome," Dalyce agreed. They started their long journey out of the great hall all the way towards the seventh floor. Gryffindor common room.

Lily slowly turned around and said ok. Dan made to move away with her but she planted her feet firmly on the ground.

"Anything you say to me you can say in front of my friends."

Dan looked awkward. He said "I really think I need to say this in private Lily."

"No. You threw that away when you dumped me."

"Ok Lily I wanted to know if you'll get back together with me and go to the ball with me."

Lily looked shocked then cool and she walked up to him. James had a sick feeling in his stomach. Lily had already conjured a glass of water in her hand behind her back. Kal and Tera knew what she was going to do and grinned.

" As if!" said Lily and she splashed the water on him. She turned on her heel and walked away. Dan called after her.

"Who Lily? Who are you going to be with?"

Lily walked over to James and put her arm around him. She said

"Him."

Tera grinned. This was the way it should be. Lily with James.... and of course Kal with Remus. And DUH her and Sirius. She really didn't like Dan. He had hurt Lily so that had hurt her. Part of the marauders... sweet! she thought. Everyone started walking again.

"You know what you said James? Did you really mean that we're part of the Marauders?" still not believing it.

James was so shocked he almost didn't hear Tera. Lily was with him? He tentatviely put his arm around her. She didn't push it away. She instead moved closer to him. He gained confidence and steered her away. Everyone followed. He remembered Tera's question and answered

"Yep."

Tera shook her head and grinned. She whispered to Sirius

"Lets show them what a girlfriend and boyfriend's are supposed to do."

Sirius grinned and pulled Tera close. Kal and Remus grinned. They still were a bit nervous around each other. They arrived at the Heads Room. James said the password. They walked in.

Meanwhile David Summers walked up to Talee nervous. He tapped her on the shoulder. She turned around and grinned.

"David? Right?"

"Yeah anyway I wanted to ask if you ah wanted to ah go to the ball with me."

Talee grinned then turned quickly to Dalyce.

"Sorry gal, I can't go with you!" she turned back to David with a grin on her face, "That'd be totally wicked!"

Tera grinned. The heads room was so sweet. It alomst made her want to be one. Then the thought of it revolted her. A head? A severed thing from somones shoulders? No thanks! Besides... heads were usually concidered in a bad light and were the most pranked. Pranked... Prank war... she was unpleasantly reminded of the whole war.

David's face lit up and he sat beside Talee. Dalyce quickly remembered something she had forgotten and hurried away. Note to self Kill Dalyce

Sirius gazed in awe at the room. It was awesome.

"Hey guys wanna have a sleepover?" asked Lily

"YEAH!" screamed everyone.

All the girls hurried upstairs to change. Tera followed Lily and Kal. She was amazed. Lily's room was HUGE. Damn she had not gotten her clothes. Wait was that her stuff by the bed. Lily grinned as if she had read her mind and said

"Welcome Tera to your new home."

The guys all were having a pillow fight. Sirius being the most enthusiastic (due to the fact he pictured Lucious in place of James and Remus' heads) had already ripped 3 pillows. The room was covered in feathers.

"So Pad what are we going to do to Malfoy?"

"Not us Prongs me. I want to win fair." Said Sirius quietly

When Tera came back into the room with the boys she excitedly intercepted a pillow and threw it at Sirius. She ducked a what would have been a very hard one in retalliation from Black and joined the fray.

"Hmm have to get... wait where am I?" Dalyce said to herself. The staircase that she was on looked nothing like any of the other ones she had seen in her entire three years. She shrugged and continued on her way. Then she accidently stepped into a trick step. Dangit... Her leg was stuck through the staircase all the way to her hip. She tried to pull herself out but only succeeded in wedging herself in further. She tapped her fingers on the stairs wondering how long it'd be until someone came along.

"Er- Do you need help?" asked somone from behind her.

"Noo," she replied with sarcasm dripping from every word like liquid, "I wedge myself into this staircase all the time and enjoy not being able to free myself!" she rolled her eyes. She felt hands grip her arms tightly and heave her up. "Thanks," she muttered finally looking up at the person.

"No problem," replied Lucious. Dalyce's eyes narrowed.

"What do you want?"

"Nothing,"

"Ooh so you're telling me that you, Lucious Malfoy, go around helping third year Gryffindors who are stuck in stairs just for the heck of it?"

"Well if you really want to help me..." Dalyce saw a blinding flash of light and then her mind went blank.

"Do as I say...." said an intruder in her mind.

" ok..." Dalyce thought. She'd been put under the imperious curse.

Lily looked around. She was surrounded by friends who loved her. She eagerly joined and threw a pillow at James. He looked around to see who had thrown it. When he saw Lily's laughing face he grinned and chased her around whacking her with a pillow. Eventually he tackled her and rolled on top of her. Lily was laughing like a madman. James looked at her and grinned

"I hate you James."

"Me too." Said James and he leaned in to kiss her. Instead of pulling away she put her arms around James' neck pulling him closer. All their friends stopped and exchanged happy looks. James finally pulled away and instead of hearing noise heard silence. He looked around embarassed. Everyone not wanting to make the couple even more embarassed resumed what they were doing. Lily smiled at James. They sat together watching Kal whack Remus with a pillow then Tera and Sirius. Bad move thought Lily as everyone chased her while she screamed. Lily was content. She snuggled into James' arms. She felt right. Finally everyone collapsed exhausted. Tera with Sirius and Remus with Kal. Everyone eventually fell asleep. The fire was roaring and nobody noticed the figure that walked into the room. The figure was a man and he walked over to Tera. He whispered

"Sis you shouldn't get too close to people."

Tera woke up and opened her mouth but no sound came out. Tera gulped. She had hoped to never hear that voice again. She sat up straight and saw Tom standing there right across from her.

"What are you doing here Tom?" she asked. He smiled.

"I'm just here to tell you to be careful. Cause you never know when some one you love could get hurt or dissapear," he smiled again.

"No, really, why are you here?" he just gave her that calm, cold smile.

"I thought that you should be able to figure that out," he continued to smile. "I hope that you enjoyed your friends while you had time because you're out of it now," he grabbed her hand and she couldn't speak again. Silently Tom opened the window and left with Tera in tow.

Sirius! Lily! was all Tera could think.

Lily woke up groggily in time to see someone pull Tera out the window. She screamed. Tera yelled. She shook James up and he too saw something fly by the window. He didn't know Tera that well but he knew her scream. He muttered something and a broom came whizzing down. He jumped on and yelled "BE BACK!" Lily watched him. She was worried. Tera was a powerful witch. If she couldn't stop whoever it was what was James' chances? She ran to the wondow. She got there fast enough to see a silver stag charging at a figure. Someone was on the sidelines slumped over. Eventually ths stag won and the thing had flew away. She ran out of the room down to the lawn. She bumped into 7 ghosts who had protested most extremely but for the first time she didn't do anything. She just ran. She jumped onto the lawn and sprinted over to the stag. The stag was standing next to a girl who was slumped over. Lily lifted the girls head. It was Tera. She seemed unconscious. Lily hugged her. She just sat there. She's been through so much. Thought Lily. Unaware the stag formed into James and he sat beside Lily. They all just sat there quiet.

"Lils we should take her to the hospital wing."

Lily nodded and followed James who was carrying Tera. Tera was now only pretending to be unconscious. She needed time to think. Tom will be back. I know that. He'll go after Sirius I know it! I can't be with him.....it's my only choice.