The morning had rushed toward them like a speeding train, and James collided with it at full force. The sunlight began to slither its way through the exposed parts of the window, and it eventually penetrated completely when Peter stupidly pulled the curtains open. James groaned, acting almost identical to the way Sirius had acted when James was pulling him out of bed. He rubbed his eyes reluctantly and finally sat up. Lily's picture flashed in his mind, as it routinely did, which drove him to get up and get dressed. He climbed out of bed and glanced at the other beds, realizing that Peter had already left, Remus was absent, and Sirius was still sleeping. The only sound that could be heard was Sirius's light breathing. James shook his head and smiled. "Typical Padfoot," he thought.

He tiredly moped through the common room and out the portrait hole, fatigue still gripping him with a firm hold. His eyelids drooped and his body was slouched, and he hadn't the slightest clue where he was going. His aimless wandering led him straight into the Great Hall, and it was at this point that his eyes widened and his posture became erect. He raised an eyebrow as he gazed at the scene. Lily, Remus, and Peter were all sitting together. Sure, they were friends, but what was highly peculiar was that Lily's friends were all at the other side of the table. "Why would she be sitting with Remus?" he thought. Accusations began to surface immediately. Jumping to conclusions was James's specialty.

He was about to make his way over and inquire about the situation when he suddenly halted. Lily had gotten up and was walking toward him, a look of intense hatred displayed on her pale face. He looked at her in horror as she stood just a couple of feet in front of him. She was glaring, but it wasn't just a glare. It was the death glare. The glare that made James rather be cuddling with Snape then where he was now.

"Potter, I just discovered something rather interesting," she said fiercely. "So it was Remus's idea to give me those roses? And Sirius dared you?" she barked.

"What are you talking about? Sirius didn't say anything! Remus just-"

"You're not talking your way out of this one, James. I'm not falling for it. Next time you're dared to do something nice, don't bother. I don't want to be falsely flattered."

"So you were flattered."

"Ugh!"

Lily stormed away in a huff, while James turned around and watched her stomp away, appalled. Every time he did something nice it always backfired. His curiosity about Lily's behavior vanished and was replaced by newfound curiosity. Why did Remus and Peter lie? With this in mind, he approached his two friends slowly, giving them a false look of happiness.

"What...why did Lily say that?" he said in an attempt to be calm. Anger was building up inside him. He had flattered her, and they had ruined his chances for them to get together.

Remus looked at him, obviously trepidacious. He muttered his words slowly and carefully to defend his case.

"James, I didn't say anything about Sirius daring you. It was Pet-"

"It was not me!" Peter chimed in his squeaky voice.

"What do you mean it wasn't you? Of course it was you! Lily said-"

"You said it, not me!" Peter argued. His voice sounded strained. James eyed him suspiciously.

"No! Lily said, 'It was quite a surprise...what James did, I mean.' And I said, 'Yes, he fancies you, you know.'"

"You said that!" growled James. He couldn't believe it. Sure, it was really obvious, but he wanted to be the one to tell her, not Remus.

"Yeah, I didn't think-"

"Didn't think it would matter? My feelings don't matter, do they?"

"No, they do!"

"Sure."

There was silence. James's arms were crossed and Peter was almost smirking, now standing behind Remus who was sitting at the table. He felt betrayed. Remus had gone behind his back and told Lily that he liked her. He probably told her all the rest, too.

"Bloody hell, I can't take this anymore!" James yelled, not caring who took notice. He bolted out of the hall, leaving Remus staring after him shocked and Peter trying to stifle his unusual, high-pitched giggles.

James walked at a brisk pace, taking no notice to those he occasionally bumped into. He mumbled under his breath as he went along, muttering things like, "Arggh..Remus, that stupid git," and, "Peter looks like a mouse on steroids." Several bystanders looked at him in alarm, though they usually shrugged it off as he sped away. The only person who chased after him was Sirius. James had just passed Sirius without even realizing it. Sirius blinked, looked ahead of him, and was sure that he had just seen James.

"Prongs!"

James abruptly stopped and turned around, heading back at the same pace, his face growing redder by the second in rage. When he reached Sirius, the ranting began.

"Lily's ticked off at me because Remus told her that the only reason I gave her flowers was because you dared me too! Why would he say that! Now she hates me! Peter-"

His words were cut off when Peter walked by. The peculiar thing was that he had been walking with Narcissa, Lucius's girlfriend. He gaped at the scene, stunned that Peter would go so low as to communicate on normal terms with a Slytherin. He jumped in front of them and looked Peter in the eyes.

"What are you doing! Are you forgetting who that is? NARCISSA BLACK! Have you gone mad?"

Peter stared at him, looking as though he couldn't have been any more perplexed. James blinked, waiting for an explanation for all this madness. Narcissa looked at him anxiously and then decided to speak for him instead.

"He...uh...well...we're...," she said hesitantly, then after a moment's thought, said, "going to detention. Yeah," she muttered confidently. James glanced at her and scowled, then looked at Peter.

"What did you do?"

Peter cleared his throat and talked in almost a whisper.

"Um, well, I...I c-cursed Narcissa yesterday after sh-she said I was ch-chubby. Then she c-cursed me back-ck."

James was overwhelmed with confusion at this point, curious as to why Peter was stuttering in almost inaudible whispers and why all of his friends had gone against him, with the exception of Sirius, of course. He stared at Peter and Narcissa blankly, unsure of what to say. They watched him for a moment, and then walked away, apparently realizing he was done with his interrogation. James shook his head and heaved a heavy sigh, unable to comprehend this insanity.

"Sirius, I need to lay down."

When he spoke those words, he didn't realize that Sirius had been talking to a girl the entire time. That explained why he didn't intercede in the situation. James turned around to face him and rolled his eyes. Sirius ran a hand through his hair as the girl he was talking to giggled sweetly.

"Then I told Lucius that I would curse him into oblivion if he didn't stop, and he left, terrified. So, I saved that innocent girl's life from-"

"C'mon, Padfoot, we need to go," James said, irritated. He grabbed his robes and dragged him away from the girl as she waved and smiled.

"What are you doing? We were hitting it off!"

"You are the biggest liar I've ever seen."

"I wasn't lying...I was...predicting the future. I'm getting much better in Divination, and.."

"Save it."

James released Sirius from his grasp and let him walk freely. They went to the Gryffindor common room and sat in their favorite armchairs beside the fire. James rubbed his head in a pathetic attempt to ease his headache while Sirius whistled a tune he had heard someone else whistling earlier. James then spoke up, feeling the need to confide in someone.

"Sirius, I love Lily. Damn I love her. And now she knows. Remus told her. Just flat out told her. I don't know why that bothers me so much. I guess now the fact is set in stone, even though it was already obvious. She knows..." muttered James distractedly.

Sirius typically had a short attention-span, but whenever he felt his friends were in need, he tried his best to listen. He sighed and looked at James in pity.

"It doesn't matter if Remus told her. She likes you," said Sirius, smiling mischievously.

"What?" asked James, his attention fully focused on Sirius.

"I heard her talking to that girl Jennifer who's all googly-eyed over Remus," chuckled Sirius. "'I can't keep him out of my head. He drives me nuts, but I can't help but like him,'" said Sirius in a high-pitched voice, imitating Lily while twirling a piece of his hair around his finger. He let out a hearty laugh afterwards, amusing himself with his impressions. James, however, was ecstatic.

"She does? She does! Sirius, you better be serious."

"If I'm not serious, then my name isn't Sirius. Seriously," laughed Sirius.

"This...this is...perfect." James was beaming and his eyes were sparkling like diamonds. His dreams were coming true. Sirius stared at him, highly entertained by his friend's enthusiasm.

"Earth to James..."

James shook his head and came back to reality, though he was still smiling.

Weeks passed. James ignored Remus and Peter at all costs, and every time they did happen to make contact, the communication was usually channeled by arguments. He couldn't help but blush when he saw Lily, though he was still his normal, arrogant self, not caring how he acted because he knew the truth. Things were decent enough, until Hogsmeade weekend.

Hogsmeade. It was a lovely little town in which only magic folk dwelled. There were many shops and pubs, but the one place that almost every student revolved around was the Three Broomsticks. James and Sirius, naturally, found themselves drinking the traditional butterbeers in a booth by the window. The day showed the first signs of winter as a light snowfall graced the area. James pulled his jacket tighter around him when someone pushed open the door to enter and a brisk, chilly breeze sneaked inside. He shivered and took another swig of butterbeer. Each gulp brought a warm sensation to his body, which led to the cup's emptiness in mere moments. He stood up to go get a refill when he glanced out the window and saw Lily. He leaned over and knocked on the glass to get her attention. To his delight, she turned and looked him in the eyes. "Smile, James, smile," he thought, and smile he did. The smile vanished instantly, however, when someone else came into view, and this "someone" was holding Lily's hand. His jaw dropped and astonishment consumed his body.

"Remus?"

James was furious. Remus and Lily...together. Lily smiled nervously, but Remus looked practically horrified. James held his gaze, determined to stare at him until he felt the true meaning of discomfort. Remus's mouth opened, as if to say something, but then he shut it as he felt Lily tug at his arm. She was obviously try to escape the situation. She walked ahead and pulled Remus behind her. James watched them leave and put his hand on the cold glass of the window. He scowled and sat back down across from Sirius. Be banged his fist against the table and let out a frustrated yell. He looked up at Sirius, who was still looking out the window. Apparently, he had witnessed the scene, also, and was paralyzed with disbelief.

"Sirius...tell me that was some kind of...dream," growled James impatiently.

"It was bizarre enough to be one," replied Sirius, who was still gaping.

James didn't know what to do. The love of his life had betrayed the truth he thought he had come to know. He stood up and wandered over to get the refill he had previously desired. He lazily dropped the cup on the bar table and requested more, when Lucius walked up next to him. James eyed him viciously, not in the mood for any more drama. Lucius smiled wickedly and ordered a drink for himself. James sat on his stood and avoided any further eye contact with him, hoping they wouldn't have to converse. His stool suddenly wobbled when someone accidentally knocked into him from behind. He regained his balance and turned around to see who stumbled into him. It was very odd. He didn't only recognize the person, but it was the same little boy that had been under their table in the Great Hall. He shrugged and turned back around, noticing the unusually satisfied look on Lucius's face. He got his drink and slid off the stool, glancing back as he walked away. He sat down once again and thought. "Lily doesn't like me."

Then another thought crossed his mind: If she was with Remus, did that mean that Sirius had lied to him? His eyes narrowed and he cleared his throat to get Sirius's attention, since he had diverted it back to the window. Sirius looked at him curiously, and James's expression accurately portrayed his anger.

"You lied to me! Lily doesn't like me at all!" James shouted in anger. Half of the pub was staring at him by now because he was causing quite a commotion. Before Sirius could even open his mouth to protest, James had gotten up and pushed the door open to leave the Three Broomsticks. The wind danced around him, ruffling his hair and sending shivers down his spine, but the chills weren't only from the temperature. They were chills that developed from fear, despair, hopelessness, and intense anger. He carried his butterbeer with him and gulped the whole thing down. He tried to force the dregs of the drink to slither down the cup into his mouth, but when he wasn't successful, he threw the glass carelessly into the nearby wall and heard it shatter.

Everything seemed dark in the castle. Candles were the only source of goodness and light that illuminated the shadows in which James felt he belonged in. He walked aimlessly through the corridors, sulking in his misery, trying to fully comprehend what had happened that day. At the moment, he didn't have any friends. At the moment, he didn't have any happiness. At the moment, he didn't have any hope. He had to escape. He was locked in shackles and tugging helplessly at the chains that bound him to his depression. He couldn't escape the thoughts that were swarming his mind. There was no reason for him to be there. No one cared for him; they all went against him. It was time to move on. It was time to get away from the despair.

Everything looked inviting to him, though everything was seductively sinister. Every object, every person, and every animal seemed to taunt him or tempt him. He walked through the dimly lit halls drowsily, not caring where he ended up. He only felt semi-conscious, but he didn't stop. He pushed opened the great, oak doors and walked onto the Grounds. It was bitterly cold, and he was lacking in the attire required for warmth. He shivered violently, but plowed on, determined to get somewhere, though his destination was unknown.

His vision became slightly blurry. His strides gradually became wobbles. The lake came into view. Parts of it were covered in sheets of ice from the cold, and it stared menacingly at him.

"Come here," it said. The water called to him. His breaths were quick and deep, almost rushed. He was trying to think clearly, but he slowly felt control slipping from his grasp. An idea suddenly gripped him. He was going to transform. That would make what he was about to do easier. Much easier.

A gust of wind soared past him. The trees in the Forbidden Forest swayed dangerously, the darkness within it haunted him. The whole area looked like it was from some kind of evil fun house. He focused his attention on the lake. He had to do this now. He closed his eyes tightly and fought to keep balance in the unusually strong wind. His feet planted firmly on the ground, he concentrated on his Animagus form-a stag. He visualized every detail he was to become, and in less than a moment, he felt his limbs growing longer, horns emerging from his head, and hooves forming at the bottom of his skinny, almost frail legs.

The stag was frozen like a deer in headlights. If it was to act, it would act rashly. It would lose control and go wild, unable to differentiate between right and wrong. It stared at the lake, intent on what it was to do. It finally moved. It walked slowly toward the edge of the water, taking careful steps as it went. It had to be done properly.

Sirius sat up in bed, dripping in cold sweat. He had just had a horrible dream in which James had perished. He panted and looked at James's empty bed, panic overwhelming him. He jumped up and frantically searched through his trunk for a piece of parchment that would aid him. The grasped the Marauders Map and opened it, smoothing the wrinkles. He took out his wand and whispered, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good!" followed by "Lumos!" The tip of his wand lit up and the map's contents appeared simultaneously. He searched for the little dot that said "James" beneath it, but couldn't find it inside the castle. Worry was nagging him, and his eyes darted every which way, desperately searching for James. Finally, his eyes stopped when he saw the dot moving slightly out on the Grounds. Sirius ran over to Remus's bed and shook him awake.

"Remus! REMUS! Wake up! James is in trouble!"

Remus sat up and rubbed his eyes, groaning. He had not comprehended exactly what was going on. He yawned and complained about Sirius waking him at such a late hour.

"What's going on?" inquired Remus while yawning.

"James is in trouble. He's out by the lake. Let's go."

Remus immediately grew alert and quickly got out of bed. Sirius went over to James's trunk and took out his invisibility cloak. Throwing the cloak over himself and Remus, they scurried out of the dormitories, through the common room, out the portrait hole, and headed toward the doors...

The stag's heart was beating faster. Its breaths became shorter and quicker as the anxiousness and terror took full possession. James was present, though he couldn't think logically. All he could think about was how Lily liked Remus, how all of his friends had betrayed him, and how life wasn't worth living anymore. The freezing water was the solution to all of that. He would never have to suffer again. All he had to do was go in...