I don't own JK Rowling's Harry Potter, but I own this fanfiction. ;-)

Chapter 5: Conversations

Lily stormed downstairs to the Great Hall, completely disappointed in James Potter. For a second there, he had her believing that he was capable of actually apologizing and being a normal, compassionate person. She felt like a fool, but then considered the fact that many girls at school would have simply died if he had given them a basket of chocolates. Maybe she wasn't that gullible after all. And she sure wasn't as artificial as other girls. As if James Potter actually thought that he could buy her affection!

Lily laughed to herself. That was such a James thing to do. It was thoroughly annoying. As she seated herself down to the breakfast table, a large of group of her friends sat beside her. Alice, of course, was on her right. Monique Pickering and Konica Rice were also there. As they chattered away, Lily couldn't help but melt into the conversation. It was so easy with her friends. There were no pretenses, no nervousness. She could just be herself. One minute she was angry at James Potter, and the next minute she didn't really mind. With her friends, it was like…James? James who?

"So," asked a rather tall blonde haired boy, "What are your plans for Halloween, Lils?" His name was Joseph Radisson, and he was also a friend of Lily's.

Lily rolled her eyes. "I have no clue."

All the girls burst into laughter. Monique said teasingly, "Well, you know. You could have accepted Wyatt McLaggen or Jace Braisington's invitations to Hogsmeade on Halloween, Lils. Or the ten other guys that asked you."

Lily shrugged. "Yeah," she said distantly. "I could have, but I just didn't want to go with any of those boys. Plus, Wyatt is far too conceited. And Jace? He's so quiet and shy, I'd be talking the whole time. Did you see his face when he asked me out? He couldn't even look me in the eyes. I really didn't feel like going with a date, you know. "

Alice grinned. "No, I don't know!" Everyone laughed. They could all tell that she was very excited about her date with Frank.

Joseph continued, "Well, everyone here is going to Hogsmeade with someone special except me and you, Lily." He gave everyone at his part of the table a very sour look and a joking wink to Lily.

Lily smiled brightly. "Well, then I guess it's just me and you at Hogsmeade on Halloween. That's so much better than a date. A friend!"

Joseph raised his goblet of pumpkin juice and said "Cheers". Lily laughed.

"I just don't want to talk about it!" James protested, poking at his fried egg lazily with a fork. It was looking more like a mutilated yellow blob by the second.

"But is Lily going to Hogsmeade with you on Saturday?" begged Sirius.

James looked furious. "NO!" he yelled more loudly than he meant to. "She's not!" People were starting to stare again.

Sirius bowed his head in disappointment.

James looked around. All he saw across from his was Wormtail spilling egg yolk down the front of his robes. "Where's Moony?"

"Er…he wasn't feeling well, I think. He went to talk to Madam Pomfrey."

"Ah."

"Well…what happened?"

James glared at Sirius. "Actually, I have no bloody clue. But if you really want me to relive it, fine. Here goes: I went to her. I said all the things you told me to say. I acted like I was sorry. I pretended that I care, when I really don't see any reason why she should have been mad in the first place. Then I handed her the chocolate and she seemed to like it. But Evans has this crazy mood-swing, I'm-a-schizophrenic thing going on, because the next minute I'm telling her that I'll buy her new robes and she dumps the entire basket over my head. I don't know what her bloody problem is! You'd think that a girl would be happy if I offered to buy her things."

Sirius sat there, listening to James. For a moment, he was lost in his own thoughts. A small voice told him that no sensible girl would want a guy to buy her things to win her happiness. But Sirius ignored this voice, thinking it was probably belonging to Satan or something. He said slowly, "Yeah…I don't know what Evans' problem is! I mean, what did you do wrong!"

James shrugged. "Exactly. Maybe she's going through that thing girls go through…you know…their…their….apostrophes or something."

Sirius snorted and rolled his eyes. Condescendingly, he informed James, "No mate. Not an apostrophe. It's called a comma." He raised his eyebrows in a way to suggest that this was the most obvious thing in the world.

Peter looked at the two boys as if they were mad. Clearly, they had never ever been around girls before. Wormtail said gravely. "It's their period, you gits! A period! How could you not know that?"

Siruis retorted, "Sorry, mate. We don't have sisters or girl cousins that we spend all of our time with!"

Wormtail protested, "You go out with enough girls!"

James said, "We snog them, Wormtail. We don't usually ask them about their bodily functions." All three boys laughed.

Wormtail said, "I don't even have a sister, and I haven't gone out with that many girls and I still know with a period is. You two are so weird."

Sirius glared at Peter and said sarcastically, "Yep, Wormtail. We're the right old creeps here at Hogwarts."

Remus banged his head on the wall. Again. And again. And again.

Sirius was getting worried. "Stop, Moony! Stop! What the hell are you doing?"

"I'm just trying to forget that I every joined this Operation and simultaneously punish myself for it."

Sirius asked, "Why? What did I do wrong, now?"

Remus stared at his best friend, who really seemed at a loss. Sirius really didn't know what was wrong.

Remus said slowly, patiently, "Let's just say that the reason that your plan didn't go well was because Prongs offered to buy Lily clothes and material gifts in return for a relationship. Lily Evans is not the type of girl who would go for that."

Sirius stared at Remus in disbelief. "Really?"

Remus nodded, smiling now. "Really. She's been an acquaintance, if not a friend, of mine since we were first years. I know what type of person she is, and it's not that type of person."

Sirius protested. "But she's so popular. Lot's of guys like her. She has so many friends and all the teachers like her. James and I are popular, too! Lily and James – They're two of a kind." He paused for a moment. "I mean, I'm not saying that you're not popular too, Moony, because you are. You really are. But everyone thinks that the Marauders are cool. Isn't Lily like that?"

Remus laughed. "No! She's popular, but she isn't shallow."

"I'm not shallow!"

"I didn't say you were. All I'm saying is that it seems shallow to go out with someone just because he promises you presents."

"Right. I will convince James not to offer any more presents."

"Good."

"Then again," Sirus stammered. "Maybe you should talk to him and explain this to him."

Remus let out a hollow laugh. "Haven't you noticed, Sirius?"

"What?" Sirius was confused more than ever.

Remus shook his head. "The only person that Prongs ever listens to when it comes to things like Lily Evans, popularity, Lily Evans, Quidditch, Lily Evans, and Snape is you."

Remembering this, Sirius said lamely, "Oh yeah."

James was running down a corridor that night. He recognized a boy up ahead of him. "Oy, Harkinson! You're not supposed to be out this late."

The fifth year Slytherin stopped and replied coolly, "Look who's talking, Potter."

"Silencio!" James flicked his wand casually, and smirked. "Expelliarmus!" The boy fell backwards onto the hard floor, and James caught his wand easily.

"Shame on you, Harkinson. I hope you don't plan to walk in the corridors at this time of night again!" James said mockingly. With that, he smacked Harkinson over the head with his own wand and ran away. He looked behind, making sure that the Slytherin wouldn't curse him.

"Nice work mate!"

James whirled around, with his wand out. "Padfoot?"

Sirius stepped out of the shadows. "The one and only!" He grinned.

James chuckled. "Thanks. What's up?"

"Oh nothing," said Sirius casually. "What are you doing around the castle without your cloak?"

"I dunno. Just wanted to go for a quick stroll, but it turned out to be a full tour of the castle." James seemed a bit melancholy, Sirius noted.

"Ah. I see. What's on your mind?"

"Nothing much, really," James lied. "You?"

"Actually, I stalked you half way around the castle to talk to you about Lily Evans again."

James frowned. "What about her?"

Sirius shrugged. "I don't know. I was thinking about what you told me, and I think that Lily is the type of girl who wouldn't like to accept gifts in exchange for going out with someone."

James stayed quiet for a minute or two, lost in his own thoughts. Sirius waited patiently for a response. Finally James said, "I was thinking about that myself, and I think your theory is right." He added in a perplexed tone, "Surprisingly, it makes sense."

"Good," Sirius said, feeling relieved.

The conversation ended there. With James and Sirius, sometimes a few words seemed like a whole conversation between them. They were like brothers, and they didn't always have to speak to communicate. They also didn't need words to understand what the other was feeling. This time, Sirius knew that James was regretting his words. He just didn't have the heart to point it out. Walking around with James and being on his side was all that Sirius could do.

On the other hand, Sirius didn't realize just how much James appreciated that.