AN: Ok, I'm back! Sorry about the previous chapter being too short. This one is dedicated to 'names are overrated' and Jack's Skelington Queen who said that James was boring: you were right guys! I hope this chapter is better… and a huge HUG for my other reviewers: THANK YOU!

Disclaimer: If I were the owner of Harry Potter and Co. I wouldn't be writing this fic. but the 7th book, so… is it necessary to say it?

No Strings Attached.

Chapter IV: James' change of attitude

"Good morning class." Greeted Professor Walter "Today we are going to deal with a complicated little spell, so we aregoin towork in pairs." He turned and wrote the instructions on the blackboard. "I've arranged the couples myself, so please don't start complaining.It isimportant thatyou learn how to work with different partners."

To Lily's great relief, she was paired with Remus. Susan, her friend, was ecstatic because her partner was Sirius. Jane and Tammy were working together and James was left to try to work with Peter. Once all the couples had settled, Professor Walter spoke again

"Can anyone tell me what the Borrouxs hex does?"

Remus raised his hand. "It is used to blur the vision of your opponent giving you the chance either to escape or to attack him."

"Excellent Mr. Lupin, take ten points for Gryffindor." Lily beamed at him, something that James did not fail to notice.

"The idea is to practice both the hex and the counter charm. Work first on the wand movements and the incantation. Once both of you are ready, test it on your partner. You may begin."

James got the gist of the spells fairly quickly, but Peter was useless and he didn't seam able to get neither the movements nor the words right. This gave James time to look around. Everyone looked as though they were having fun. It was a very complicated spell, but the students generally enjoyed practical lessons. His eyes rested on Lily and Remus who were already practicing the hex on each other. After several attempts they managed to perform it correctly and soon got bored of it. So, once the professor told them that they had got it and awarded Gryffindor twenty points,they started chatting amiably. James couldn't hear what they were saying, but Remus must have been telling a very amusing story because Lily was having a hard time keeping her laughter low.


The bell rang some time later, and the group separated, some of the students went outside for Care of Magical Creatures and others climbed the stairs towards the third floor for Arithmancy. The Marauders walked down the lawn together. Peter was still trying to recover from the last time James had used the hex on him, and the latter was oddly quiet and kept glaring at Remus.

"What's wrong Prongs?" Asked Sirius.

"Nothing." Was James' only response.

"I know what'll cheer you up. Lets do something to old Snivelly; we never got him back for landing us in detention last week." This brought a mischievous grin to the other boy's faces. Even Remus was angry at Snape for what had happened the week before and wanted to get even.

"What do you have in mind, Padfoot?"

"Do you still have those fake coins I gave you last term?"

"Yeah, I'll summon them right now." Said James catching up with Sirius string of thought. "Accio coins."

They reached the class just in time to see Professor Scamander taking out a niffler from a box in front of him and show it to the class, as he explained what it was and all the properties that creature had.

"Moony, care to do the honors?" Asked Sirius ceremoniously handing him the bag of fake coins. Using a banishing charm Remus placed all the false Galleons in different places of Snape's overlarge robes. He was so skinny that there were many places in which a coin could be put without him feeling a thing.

The moment he got near the box to take a closer look at the fluffy black creatures, at least five of the jumped at him and started digging inside his robes. He began to move hysterically to shake them off, yelling curses and swearing.

All the students around him were roaring, not even the teacher seamed able to control the laughter. In truth, it was very funny to see his scrawny figure doing a sort of spastic tap dance to get rid of the gold seeking animals. And the more he moved, he made it more difficult for the nifflers to get out.

Finally the professor recovered his composure and performed the body-bind curse to stop Snape's furious attempts to get rid of his attackers. Once he was immobilized, the nifflers got out, each of them carrying one or two coins and returned to their box. Then Professor Scamander did the counter curse and Snape got up, blushing scarlet. Everybody around him, even the slytherins, was laughing.

"You idiot kid!" Shouted the professor. "I said last class that we were going to study nifflers today. Why on earth did you bring all those Gallons for? Twenty points from Slytherin. I would also give you a detention but I fear you are too stupid to do anything useful. Now go to the Hospital Wing, the nurse will need clean all those scratches."

At this point, the marauders had tears in their eyes and their stomachs ache from laughing so hard.

"You were right Padfoot. That was exactly what I needed."

"It worked like a charm. He even lost Slytherin twenty points. That was brilliant." Agreed Lupin.


When the class finished and the gryffindors arrived at the great hall for lunch, the entire school had heard what had happened.

"It was you, wasn't it?" Susan asked Sirius as they sat on the table.

"This girl recognizes a superior work when she sees it." Said Sirius beaming at her.

"That was bloody amazing." Congratulated Jane. "I've never laughed so much in my life."

"And he completely disserved it, after what he did to you last week." Continued Susan.

"Yes, it was time we thought him a lesson." Responded James. "Now he'll think it twice before messing around with us." The girls nodded smiling and turn to talk among themselves. James lowered his voice and told his friends winking "That was revitalizing. And just before the full moon."

"I'm glad you are back to your usual cheerful self Prongs, it's a nuisance when all you do is stare after Evans like she's the greatest piece of Honeydukes chocolate." For Sirius there was nothing better that a large piece of candy.

"We haven't yet decided what we are going to tomorrow night." Said Peter.

"We can talk about that tonight, after quidditch practice." Sirius suggested.

"Yes, although it's not going to be a practice session, since we have already won the cup this year. I would call it an ability demonstration for our fans." Corrected James.

Somebody snorted behind. James turned to see Lily standing right in front of him looking annoyed, as she always did when she heard James making a conceited comment like that.

"Lily, here take a seat." Offered the boy, moving aside to make room for her.

"No thank you Potter." She replied coldly. "I don't fancy being indigested." Then she turned to Remus and added, in a much kinder tone. "Remus, could I have a word?"

"Sure." He said, hastily standing from the table and following her out of the Great Hall.

The murkiness that had left James at the hilarious show Snape had provided returned as he saw Lily and Remus walk together. And the fact that his friend came back grinning widely didn't help.


"What did she want?" Asked Sirius as they reached the charms corridor.

"Nothing important, we had to arrange our patrolling schedule for tonight."

"Yeah right!" Said James bitterly, looking fiercely at Remus.

"What's wrong with you?"

"I can't believe you are doing this" Responded James furiously.

"Doing what? What are you talking about?" Asked Remus blankly.

"You are hitting on Lily."

"What? Of course not!"

"I'm not stupid you know."

"You could have fooled me."

"James, Remus wouldn't do that. None of us would go after Evans even if she is one of the hottest chicks of the school." Siruis tried to reason with him

"Iused tothink that too, but I was clearly mistaken."

"What makes you think I'm hitting on Lily?"

"Come on! You were together this morning during breakfast and looked very happy with each other. Then you were flirting with her during the Defence class. And then after lunch she asks you for a private word… It is pretty obvious to me."

"James, you've completely lost it! We were together at breakfast because we both woke up early and the rest of you were still sleeping. We didn't arrange to go together to be alone! And I was not flirting with her, I was just talking to her. She is my friend and we were talking like I talk with the rest of my friends."

"Then why did she ask you to talk to her alone?" Asked James, imitating the tone Remus had used when he had uttered the words 'talk' and 'friend'. "And don't tell me it's about your prefect duties 'cause I don't believe it. You came back looking as if you have been told you had won the lottery."

Remus didn't answer. He had been talking with Lily about Helen, and she had told him that her friend actually fancied him. But the boys knew nothing about his crush and he feared that if he told them, they wouldn't stop making fun of him. However, it looked as though he didn't have a choice. James' jealousy was unfounded, but he knew he would never believe him unless he told his friends all the truth.

"Ok, there is something I haven't told you guys. But it has nothing to do with Lily. I would never go after her or any other girl one of you liked. I thought you knew better…" He took a deep breath and continued. "The thing is, and please don't start making fun of me, I fancy Helen Dermen."

"Dermen, Dermen? Isn't she a Ravenclaw?" Asked Sirius.

"Yes." Replied Remus sheepishly.

"Yes, I know who she is. She's pretty enough. Not my type though, too bookish. Why didn't you tell us?"

"You know why! You get unbearable with this kind of things and I didn't want her to find out. At leastnot from one of you shouting during breakfast, for the whole school to hear it, that I'm madly in love with her and that I want to have three children with her."

"Hey! I only did that once!" Said Sirius, pretending to be hurt.

"Yes, but it was enough to make Mathew Perkins look himself in his room and refuse to leave it for a week." Peter reminded him.

"Oh yeah… Well some people just lack self-confidence." He replied, shaking his head.

"And what does Lily has to do with all this?" Asked James who still sounded angry.

"Lily is friends with Helen," Explained Remus "and today I asked her if she could talk to her and find out whether she liked me back or not."

"Judging by your expression, I'd say she told you Helen is head over heels in love with you." At this Remus blushed even worst than Snape during their previous class.

"Well, she did say she fancied me back."

"That is great Moony!" Sirius congratulated him clapping him on the back. "All you have to do is go and ask her out then. Let me see, maybe you could…" But Remus interrupted him.

"Don't start! Please, stay out of this and let me handle it." He begged. Sirius looked disappointed but nodded. After all, he could always help James plan his date with Lily. Peter, on the other hand, was a lost case. He wouldn't find a girl even if his life depended on it.

James, however, looked ashamed. He didn't say anything until Flitwick had told them they could go inside the classroom. He sat next to Remus and addressed him rather formally.

"Listen," he said quietly so that the other two wouldn't hear "I'm really sorry I doubted you. It's just that I really like Lily and after what I heard today… I don't know what to do to get her to like me."

"I know you do and that's why I would never go after her."

"Still, I shouldn't have said all those things to you." He mumbled.

"It's ok, really. Forget it." They smiled at each other.

"What are you two murmuring about?" Asked Sirius.

"Never mind." Said Remus. "Now we need to find a way to get Lily interested in James so he won't have to get all worked up about us again."

Sirius grinned mischievously.


That afternoon, the Gryffindor quidditch team was getting ready for practice. Lily and her friends were sitting in one cornerof the common room,chatting. Sirius spotted the girls and made his way to them.

"Hey girls!" He greeted. "Susan, could I talk to you for a minute?" She nodded and went with him.

"Su, we need your help. You are Lily's best friend and the only one who could convince her".

"Convince her of what?"

"That James is the right guy for her." Susan snorted. "What? He is!"

"It's not that, I know he is. But she will never accept it."

"That is why we need you. We have a plan."

"Ok, I'm in." She said happily, and when Sirius looked quizzically at her she added "I've been trying to persuade Lily to give James a chance for ages, and if anyone can come up with something to get them together, it's you. What do I have to do?"

A/N: I know the jealousy was perhaps a bit, cheesy, but I couldn't get the idea out of my head, so I had to write it! I'm waiting for your reviews!