Author's note: A big hug and thank you to everyone who reviewed last chapter... the response was much larger than I had expected! I've just finished this and couldn't wait to get it up! It's not the best, I don't think, but I feel strangely accomplished anyway. The end's better than the start, in any case, I think. But, as always, Read, Review, and Enjoy (but especially review)!

Legal Disclaimer: See Prologue.

This Chapter is Dedicated to Ananymously Morgan.

Chapter 4:

Remarkably Heated

Conversations

The next morning, the girls in Lily's dormitories spent an hour or so fighting over the bathroom mirror, while the Marauders spent that hour sleeping as late as possible.

The atmosphere at breakfast was tense to say the least. Lily gave out about five detentions before she had even gotten to her seat. Charity looked like she was in a rather foul mood as well, and when Sirius tried to kiss her mouth, she turned a cheek to him instead. James was staring off into space, as if he hadn't slept at all the night before, and Sirius was oddly chipper, even for him, and this was especially odd after being refused a kiss. Remus seemed to be the only one acting normal, or, as normal as one can act when their friends are all behaving like lunatics.

As Alice made her way from Frank's seat at the Hufflepuff table to join her housemates, she seemed to notice something awry and sat on the outside of the group, throwing confused glances at Charity and Lily from time to time.

The next few days seemed to go like that. Hushed conversations that ended abruptly as soon as someone from the opposite gender entered the room, furtive looks were being thrown during classes and at meal times, and the Marauders were positively sick of it.

"Prongs, you've got to snap out of it, my friend. There's a full moon coming up in a couple of weeks, you know", Sirius said quietly to James during one transfiguration class.

"I can't go", James replied simply.

"And why not?" Sirius demanded.

"Because I've got Head Boy and Girl crap to do over full moon weekend with Lily."

"Ahh", Sirius said knowingly, "There's the magic word… So, have you thought about what you're going to say to her? Or maybe when you're going to speak to her? Or, oh, here's an idea: maybe you should consider making eye contact with her! Whadaya think?"

"Shut up, Padfoot", James said, teeth clenched.

Sirius sighed and leaned his chair back on two legs, looking over at Charity and sending her a kiss. James looked over and saw Lily, who was sitting next to Charity, looking right at him. She looked away with a start.

"How can I make eye contact with her if she keeps acting as though I'm invisible every time she sees me?" he asked himself glumly.

Lily and James were forced to spend, as Professor McGonagall had promised, obscene amounts of time together over the next few days. Patrolling was becoming a very bothersome thing, especially since Filch, the janitor, and his cat Mrs. Norris kept popping up all over the place, as if trying to find the Heads doing something wrong.

The Quarterly meeting with the Prefects proved to be an utter waste of time, as there was nothing to discuss. The only thing that seemed to be hassle-free for the time being was planning the Hogsmede trips and the Christmas Ball.

James couldn't help but smile at how Lily got so excited when she talked about the Ball. It made her seem like a little girl talking about her dream wedding; she sounded so innocent.

"And I think the faeries that they usually use on the Christmas trees should be used as lighting… like in a glass case on each table… What do you think?" she asked James.

He loved these nights in their office. Lily, while much more nice to him in general, always seemed to be much more relaxed when associating James with work.

"I think it's a wonderful idea. So you want a white color scheme, basically?"

"Yes, I think it beats a red and green Christmas color scheme, you?"

James laughed. "I agree totally. But what about a theme?"

Lily stopped smiling suddenly. Her face dropped and she looked absolutely panic stricken. "A theme! Oh, NO, I've forgotten a theme… what about… what about, umm…. Oh I don't know! The possibilities are endless here! At muggle dances, themes are always something stupid, like dress up from your favorite television show - "

"Television?"

" – Muggle contraption for entertainment… people in a box making you laugh, its not important… but in the wizarding world… my, what if the dance is bad? Then everyone will know it was my fault!"

James put a calming hand over Lily's form across the table. "Lily, it's going to be great, I know it. Don't worry about a thing, okay? We've got plenty of time."

Lily nodded, gently removing her hand from beneath James's. "Thanks, James."

"Okay, what we really need to decide are the Hogsmede weekends."

James checked a calendar on the desk.

"How about we set the date for the weekend after next?"

"I'd love to", Lily said.

"Oka- wait. You'd love… Lily?"

"Yes?" she said, looking up.

"What did you just say?" James asked, confused.

"I said that's a lovely idea", she said without blinking.

James simply stared at her, mouth agape. "Err…"

"The Hogsmede trip? Weekend after next? It's a lovely idea. Before it gets too cold."

James nodded, but couldn't shake the desire to beat his head against a brick wall. I could've sworn she'd just said she'd love to… does that mean she'd love to go with…? Or… no, wait, she didn't even say… Wishful thinking.

"So… Is that everything?" Lily asked suddenly.

"Uhh", James mumbled, still confused, "Almost. We've got patrols tomorrow night starting at eight o'clock..."

"Okay", Lily said, a little too cheerfully, "Well, I'll see you then. Bye."

"Well, wait! We've got to - "

But it was too late; She had already run out the door.

" – clean up", James finished, dejectedly. "Great. What the hell did I do to her now?"

Lily walked quickly down a deserted corridor, hoping that James wouldn't follow her. She knew what she had said. She just couldn't believe she had said it.

It was like I was agreeing to go out with him… And he didn't even ask me! What is wrong with me? She wondered.

Between classes, remembering the embarrassing and potentially traumatizing utterance that sprung from her mouth, and Charity bombarding her with questions about the night before the next day, Lily had completely forgotten about patrols that night.

She had just finished her transfiguration homework in the solitude of the library and was heading up to the common room when she met a disgruntled James waiting outside the portrait for her.

"Where have you been?" he asked as politely as he could.

"The library, not that its any of your business" she replied angrily. How dare he question her? "Why are you questioning me?"

"Because you were supposed to have met with me a half hour ago to patrol, remember?"

The cross expression on her face melted away instantly. "Oh, James, I'm sorry! I forgot all about it!"

"Yes, well, try and be more careful, will you? McGonagall would flip if she knew we were heading out this late."

James began walking down the corridor, and Lily had to sprint to catch up to him. "Hey! Wait!"

He slowed his pace slightly.

Lily looked at his profile. "You know, I never knew you to be such a stickler for the rules."

"I'm not", he replied, not looking at her. "I just don't want anyone to be disappointed in me for not doing my job. I'm not completely without self-respect, you know."

Lily felt ashamed of herself for having said such a thing. Wait… this is James Potter. Since when does he need anyone to feel bad for him? Snap out of it!

They walked on in silence. "So", he said, "Did you finish your potions essay yet?"

Lily smiled. "Yep! I've been done with it since the day it was assigned. I think I do rather well in potions."

James smirked. "Professor Slughorn seems to thinks so, anyway."

Lily slapped him playfully on the arm. "So what? He likes me, big deal."

James stopped suddenly. "Oh! Lily Evans! Such brilliance, such imagination", he said, imitating Slughorn, "such pizzazz, oh, I love you!"

Lily and James, who had both been laughing, stopped abruptly and looked at each other. They both blushed, but did not look away from one another.

"Listen! I think I hear Filch coming. Let's get a move on, okay?" James said suddenly.

Lily nodded fervently. "Okay, good idea."

The rest of the night went without incident. Lily and James returned to the common room somewhere around two am. Lily went up to bed, but James, who's mind was restless, took a seat in front of the fire just as Charity came in the portrait hole.

James looked over to her, surprised, although not as surprised as she was. "Hey… what're you doing out so late?"

"Oh… I was actually looking for Lily. I figured I could get away with it seeing as how I'm still a prefect…"

"She's just gone up to bed." James said, still facing her.

"Okay, then, thanks", Charity said, titling her head to the side. Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Why are you still up?"

"Me? I'm just thinking… I'm not that tired." James said evasively.

"Uh-huh", Charity replied, walking over to the chair next to the one James was occupying. "Whatcha thinking about?"

James looked away. "Nothing important."

"Oh, come on, I'm not stupid, James. I learned how to tell when people are lying to me ages ago. What's going on with you lately? Sirius told me you're not around much anymore."

"Did he now?", James asked venomously. He didn't appreciate being talked about.

"Yes, he did", Charity said, quite unabashed, "and I find that very interesting. You see, I'm her best friend. I know there's something going on with Lily as well, but she's not going to talk to me. I know she won't. What I need is for you to tell me – truthfully, now – if there's something going on with the two of you that's making you both act so… distant from everyone."

"There is absolutely nothing going on between Lily and I", James answered truthfully.

"Nothing?"

"Nothing."

"Then perhaps you can tell me why she's always looking at you when you're not watching. Or maybe you can tell me why you're always smiling at her, even though you never speak to her in front of other people. Or maybe you can tell me why - "

"Look, Charity, I don't know why, okay? Everyone in this school knows that I've had a thing for Lily since the first time I saw her. If something's different, its not because of me."

Charity's eyes flashed. "Shut up James. It is because of you. You know, you broke Lily's heart last year, ignoring her like you did."

"I was just doing what she wanted!"

"James, she wanted you to stop asking her out. She wanted you to stop stalking her. She wanted you to act like a normal person, not some egocentric git. She didn't want you to stop talking to her or to ignore her existence! Especially after that day during O.W.Ls! She felt like you were leading her on, pretending to like her, and when she finally gave you the time of day she thought you decided she wasn't fun anymore… like you were just after her to prove you could have whomever you wanted! For the chase… you made her feel like she wasn't worth your time or effort to be friends with."

"Because I thought if I was her friend and told her how I really felt about her, she'd tell me that I was trying to use our friendship to my benefit; that she'd tell me I was taking advantage of her or something else stupid you girls like to say!"

"That's ridiculous James!" Charity said, firing up at once.

"Is it!" he yelled, standing up, "OR is it ridiculous for me to think that a girl who'd rejected me for five years would suddenly see that I was really adored her and she would throw her arms around me and we'd ride off into the sunset? I think that that is ridiculous. Lily isn't one of these stupid girls around here that likes me, or thinks they do, because I'm good a Quidditch and popular! She's not shallow like that. I knew I wouldn't be able to charm her, so I left her well alone! Did Lily ever stop to think that maybe I had genuine feelings for her and that just being her friend all of a sudden might be hard for me? NO! She didn't!

"But all you girls can do is point the finger at me, like I'm the big bad wolf and I broke Lily's heart! Let me tell you something Charity; Lily Evans had been breaking my heart for the seventh year running, but I don't have my mates running after her, wagging their fingers in her face! I'm sorry, okay? I'm bloody sorry I hurt her, but I got tired of getting hurt myself! So forgive me if I'm being egocentric, but I couldn't stand idly by and watch the girl I'm in love with reject me anymore!"

James was breathing so heavy he felt as though his lungs might explode, while Charity did nothing but sit in wide-eyed shock.

He began to feel very ashamed of himself, the way he had screamed at this girl who was only trying to help him out, but he felt better having said all of that than he had in a long time.

Charity blinked a few times, and then attempted to speak again. "James… did you mean what you just said?"

"I meant all of it, but which bit are you referring to?"

"When you said you loved her…"

James swallowed hard. No point in trying to deny it, he thought. "Yeah, I meant it… I didn't realize I had said it out loud though."

Charity nodded slowly, wheels in her head turning faster and faster. "Okay then. If you meant everything you just said, and you want to… I'd be more than willing to help you out… I mean, Lily deserves that… and I guess you do, too, you know… Happiness and love and whatnot…"

James sat back down slowly, processing what she had just said. "You mean it?"

Charity smiled. "Of course I do!"

James nodded. "Charity? Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Do you love Sirius?"

She tilted her head again. "Of course I do… I think... I think I love him more than I thought I could love anyone. It's the real thing."

"Then you know how much it means to me that you're going to help me, right? Because I love Lily. I always have. I need to feel what you feel for Sirius."

Charity grinned. "Does Sirius ever talk about me?"

"Only all the time. He's a different person now. He really loves you. You two are lucky."

"Yeah, I know… and you will be too. Lily can't hold out on love. She's a sucker for romance… you know the whole Fairy Tale thing the muggle children love, Prince Charming and Cinderella…"

"Fairy Tale?" he asked suddenly, very interested.

"Yeah…" Charity said slowly.

James grinned, jumped up and hugged Charity so tight she thought she'd die of suffocation. "You've just given me the best idea… I hope she likes it. Can you convince her to go to Hogsmede with me? Or at least with me, you, and Sirius?"

"I… I guess", Charity said, laughing.

"Great! You're the best," James said. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" He called, running up the stairs to his dormitory.

Charity shook her head, smiling, as she got out of her chair and started up to bed. "I am the best", she reflected quietly. "Lily better be happy she has such a good friend."

Okay, there we go! I felt strangely accomplished after this chapter seeing as how it wasn't that good... But pretend it was good and leave me some fabulous reviews, okay! Anyway, I've notice my words are sometimes being clumped up likethis... its not me, its the site! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, if not, I'm so sorry, I'll do better... my muse has left me all alone for a few days, so i'm going to be a little slower updating I think... But your kind words can keep me alive! Thanks to all who reviewed last chappy, I'll be getting back to you! Kisses and oreoes for all!

BrittanyRose, the original 'Fleur'