I've been stranded in the combat zone
I walked through Bedford Stuy alone
Even rode my motorcycle in the rain
And you told me not to drive
But I made it home alive
So you said that only proves that I'm insane

You may be right
I may be crazy
But it just may be a lunatic you're looking for
Turn out the light
Don't try to save me
You may be wrong for all I know
But you may be right
 "You May Be Right," Billy Joel

Disclaimer:::

I don't own Harry Potter
If I did I really oughter
Stop writing these fics
And get on with book six
As for Umbridge, I wish Peeves had shot her.

I am not Billy Joel
Think otherwise? You're as dumb as a pole
The song is his
So don't get in a tizz
And don't throw me in a dark, dank hole.

I don't own the "Thumb of Devotion"
He who does should be dumped in the ocean
I don't know why he said it
So let's just forget it
And be rid of these odd little notions!

Summary::: Lily and James are constantly at odds, Sirius and Alice are plotting, Frank is jealous, and Remus is at the end of his rope. And what exactly is the Thumb of Devotion? Mainly Lily/James, with a tad of Alice/Frank thrown in there for fun. PG for a teensy swearword.

A/N::: OOPS! I messed up! Lily Evans isn't Lily Potter yet!!! ((crazy moose)) Well, I think this one is free of idiot mistakes like that, but tell me if you spot any. Moving on...

CHAPTER TWO: Fear for Your Lives—Something is Afoot! Or is it... Athumb?

Saturday, November 13th, 1986

The Jovial Journals of James Potter

7:46 PM

Gryffindor Common Room

I hate girls. They drive me insane. I hate Lily Evans. I HATE HER. Oh, for goodness sake. Let me explain what happened:

After Quidditch practice—GO GRYFFINDOR!!! HOUSE CUP FOUR YEARS RUNNING! WE'RE UNBEATABLE!! Caught the Snitch in record time first game last year—one minute three seconds—right—where was I? Oh, yes, well, Alice and I got to talking. "That was a nasty trick you pulled on Lily yesterday, Potter," she said. Alice is Evans' friend, but isn't nearly as insane as Evans is, and what's more she's a Chaser.

I shrugged. "Well, she hexed me! What was I supposed to do?"

Alice rolled her eyes. "You are such a... oh, never mind..." she straightened a bent twig in her broom's tail. She looked like she was trying not to smile. "So... I'm guessing Lily refused you today as well?"

"Yup. Dunno why. I mean, I'm everything a girl could want, right?"

She shook her head, looking torn between laughing and sighing in despair. "You've got a lot to learn, James Potter."

"Yeah? Like what?"

"Like not every girl is won over by good looks and popularity. Come on, you've got to admit that 'Go out with me, Evans," isn't the nicest way to put it. You're never very nice to her!"

"She's never nice to me, either! You'd be annoyed too if you'd asked her every day for a year and she still says no!"

"So why do you keep after her like you do? Why don't you just leave her alone?"

"What? I'm not giving up that easy!"

"Why, James?? Come on . . . you've got to have a reason . . ." she wheedled. To be honest with you, I can't understand exactly what she was wheedling me about. I guess I must have given her a rather blank look, because she stomped off with a sigh and a "You are hopeless, James Potter." As she walked away, she raised her hands to the heavens as if pleading, and yelled, "You and Frank Longbottom!" through clenched teeth. Stark, raving mad she is.

But at least she talks to me.

Hm. She may have a point. Maybe I should try and be a little nicer to Evans.

Maybe.

The Reflections of Remus J. Lupin

9:15 PM

Dormitory

Those crazy blokes I have for friends will never cease to amaze me.

James and Sirius and Peter and I were sitting around in the common room a while ago. Sirius and Peter were toasting marshmallows and sausages and things, I was staring off into space, and James was writing something that I thought was homework, muttering to himself. I say that I thought it was homework because as I sit here on my bed he's writing furiously on the same piece of parchment, muttering to himself about Lily and stabbing the paper in a rather frustrated manner, and I hardly think homework constitutes that level of emotion. Anyway, moving on.

So we were all just sitting there, and then Lily and her friend Alice came down the stairs. Lily glared at James, but sat down in an armchair anyway. Alice moved to follow her, but then Sirius, who was lounging around on the armchair nearest the stairs, grabbed Alice's hand and pulled her down on his lap and said, in this outrageously love-struck voice, "Ah, Alice, my serene little sunflower, how lovely you look tonight! Even the brightest star in the sky cannot compare to you, my dear." We all laughed, except for James, who had been lost in his thoughts when Alice entered the room. He looked up, confused. I rolled my eyes, partially at Sirius's immaturity and partially at James's thick-headedness.

As she laughed, Alice looked pointedly at James, but also glanced across the room. I followed her gaze and saw a red-faced, clench-jawed Frank Longbottom giving a month-old edition of The Daily Prophet a look to kill. Oh, for God's sake. If there are any two people more obviously in love with each other than James and Lily are, they would have to be Frank Longbottom and Alice Thomas. No contest. Anyway, Alice gave Frank a good long glare before turning back to Sirius. "Oh, my darling angel, I wish all men were as eloquent, loving, and in touch with their emotions as you are, my handsome, charming prince," she said in a breathy voice, giving James and Frank another glare. James only laughed, but Frank's ears turned even redder and he began turning the pages of the Prophet much faster than any mortal man can read.

Sirius turned to Lily, giving her a meaningful look. "I quite agree with her, don't you think so, my sweet Lily-flower of delight?"

"Yes, Sirius, my love, I most certainly do," chortled the usually-disapproving Lily, who was for once "letting her hair down," as McGonnagall might say.

James stiffened at that, and narrowed his eyes forcefully at Sirius, then furrowed his brows and glanced around the room at Alice, then Frank, then Lily, and back to Sirius. His expression then turned to one of sudden enlightenment.

There is more going on here than meets the eye. Sirius and Alice are most definitely up to something, and by the looks of it, so is James. I could have sworn I just heard him mutter, "Muffin—my muffin of love—no, no, no—of devotion, muffin of devotion, yes..." just now, and in a devious manner, nonetheless.

9:34 PM

Still in the dormitory, obviously, where else am I to go? It's after curfew.

This is getting more bizarre by the second. Sirius was reading something until he yawned and looked over at Peter, and then he yelled, "Is Peter sucking his thumb?!" before rolling off his bed and collapsing on the floor in mirth.

James suddenly perked up and said, "Thumb? Thumb, yes... thumb of devotion!" rather loudly and proceeded to scribble triumphantly. We all gave him rather blank looks, except for Sirius, who was rolling on the floor laughing, and Peter, who was trying to convince him it wasn't funny. Oh, all right, then, I was the only one who even noticed, but the blank look I gave him was so very blank it was enough for the three of us. James just looked up at me and said, "What?"

I wonder whether I should be curious or afraid for my life.

Merlin save us all.

A/N: Heehee! I LOVE Remus, he's so cool. The more reviews I get, the more motivation I'll have to get chapter three up, so click the button!!

My lovely reviewers...

Animagus Brushtail::: Thanks! And I know who you are now! Whoo! Go me!

Sam::: Ah! ((smacks self)) Thanks for pointing that out! My apologies are extended to anyone else who was disappointed by my lack of attention. They're just so clearly meant for each other, haha. . . THANK YOU!!!