A/N: I apologize for the slow first three chapters...there will be more action and Lily/James in the upcoming chapters! Remember, read and review if you enjoyed it, and I'll update ASAP!

ChiChi: Don't worry, I would never block anonymous reviewers...especially if their reviews are as nice as yours!

BeaumontRulz: Thank you a hundred times for your wonderful compliments, mate! You rock!

Stella Blu: It says nowhere in the five Harry Potter books that James is ever Head Boy or Lily Head Girl...for goodness sakes, James's wasn't even a Prefect! I tried to stay away from the usual Lily/James romance where they are Head Boy and Girl. James does excel at Transfiguration and Lily at Charms...he was just simply stumped on a question. Thanks for paying so much attention to notice those possible errors, though!

fairybells3: What can I say to my best reviewer? THANK YOU ever so much! I really appreciate the excellent praise...it definitely boosted my confidence in my writing, which has been lacking. I love writing about Sirius...he is quite a character (no pun intended). Glad you liked his antics! Again, thank you very much!

To all my wonderful reviewers....DANKE a thousand times(For non-German speakers, that means "Thanks!")

"You've been keeping secrets from us, Lils," Laura pointed a finger accusingly at her friend.

Lily opened her mouth in protest and said defensively, "There's nothing going on between me and Potter. End of discussion!"

Jenny looked at her suspiciously, "Then why are you blushing, Lily? You guys were awfully close to each other...."

Hopping onto a nearby navy blue train seat, Lily cleared her throat loudly and announced, "Hear ye, hear ye: Lily Ann Evans does not like James Gerad Potter as more than a casual acquaintance." Then she noticed her two friends were doubled over in silent laughter as a result of her "speech." "Excuse me," Lily said rather crossly, "I did not find that speech in any way humorous...it's the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so what the heck is the matter with you guys?"

"Your face is as red as that time you tripped in front of the whole Transfiguration class," Laura managed to gasp, before collapsing into another fit of uncontrollable giggles.

"As fascinating as my social life may seem..." Lily said frostily, fingering her wand threateningly. "Lighten up, Lils!" Jenny broke in soothingly. Then her face grew serious. "Did you hear about that attack this morning?"

Lily felt her heart plummet to the bottom depths of her stomach. "Attack?" she asked weakly. This morning she had overslept her alarm and woken up in a tizzy. There wasn't time to do much of anything except take a shower and hastily gather her school things, let alone peruse the headlines of the Witch Weekly... "Yes, an attack," Jenny clarified gently. "In France. Four Muggles were murdered. Course those what do they call them? "puhlice" wrote it off as a freak accident, but we know better," she finished grimly.

Patting her best friend's shoulder reassuringly, she then pulled Lily into a tight hug. "Oh, God," Lily moaned, burying her face in her hands. "They're happening every day now...every morning I wonder if today will be the day, "He-who-must-not-be-named" will kill me—or the ones whom I love dearly." Eyes misting over as she thought of her parents, loving and innocent, and even her insolent prat of a sister, Petunia. And Jenny. Laura. Two wonderful young women who had compassionately befriended a timid, slightly nerdy Lily Evans six years ago, she admitted softly, "Every night I have horrible nightmares..." she shuddered, remember the previous night's...Laura and Jenny, both eagle-spread on the ground, dead. And Voldemort, somewhere in the background, his white face lit with glee, maniacal laughter issuing from his thin lips. Casually twirling his long black wand between his fingers, "You, Mudblood," came his cruel voice, "Are about to meet the same fate as that of your friends. Avada Kedavra!" he roared, as a flash of green light hit Lily square in the chest. This was when she would wake up, legs twisted in her sheet, beads of sweat glistening on her brow. Heart beating furiously, Lily would lay awake for hours, staring at her pale blue ceiling until eventually sleep would take her again.

To her family and those who knew her well, Lily Evans was always in the best of spirits—laughing enthusiastically at one of her father's corny jokes, playing duets with her mother on the baby grand piano, practicing new advanced spells and shrieking with joy when she succeeded. The truth was, however, beautiful, popular, intelligent, all-around perfect Lily Evans, loved by all (especially James) had been hiding behind a mask for many years, ever since Voldemort had risen to power. A mask of normality and happiness...one to cover up the fear and dread always threatening to take over her life. Giggling, pretending that life was just peachy...no one knew an inward battle for her sanity and soul was raging day in and day out, all because of a wizard named Tom Riddle.

"Lily," Laura cleared her throat, uncharacteristically serious. "We know you're scared. We're all scared. But the best three seventeen year old witches can do is act like everything's normal and go on living life to the fullest...guys included," she added with a mischievous twinkle in her turquoise eyes.

'You don't know the half of it," Lily thought bitterly, but, nonetheless she managed to crack a smile, "You're right...very unusual, as a matter of fact," she joked, bopping her fair-haired friend lightly over her head. Settling back in their seats, the three friends spent the remainder of the journey in companionable silence, only breaking in with the occasional conversation, each young woman deep in her own thoughts. 'So peaceful," the redhead sighed, slipping out to perform more head duties. Meanwhile, further down the train.....

"I won!" Sirius yelled triumphantly, punching his arm in the air emphatically as James's stack of Exploding Snap cards incinerated, singeing his eyebrows to a lovely shade of burnt black. "What do you have to say for yourself, Prongs?" he asked smugly.

"You beat me," James admitted, defeated.

Cupping one hand behind an ear, Sirius trilled, "I can't hear you, mate!"

"I said, you beat me," James yelled through gritted teeth. Sirius ran a hand arrogantly through his silky black hair and smirked, "That's not enough, mate...admit that Sirius Black beats you in every aspect of life."

Remus then slammed his book, Defensive Magic Grade 7, closed so loudly that the sound made both James and Sirius jump out of their seats. "Honestly, mates, this is ridiculous," he snapped, rolling his eyes. The two paid no heed to his words, of course. "That's where you are incorrect, Padfoot," James said lightly. "I can knock you off your broomstick in Quidditch, and my marks are far superior to yours."

"Hardly," Sirius scoffed, a sinister sort of smile gracing his handsome features. "I am talking about your luck with the female population, of course."

"Below the belt," Remus warned quietly, for he knew that Lily Ann Evans was a VERY touchy subject around James. By now, some of the anger bubbling in the raven-haired wizard could be suppressed no longer. "And just what are you insinuating, Sirius?" James asked icily, taking a step closer to his friend.

"Just how you can't get the one girl you truly love," Sirius said calmly, enjoying the reaction he was causing in his best mate.

In a towering rage, James snarled, "Again that would be none of your business, dear Padfoot."

"Boys," Remus admonished in such a good imitation of the stern Professor McGonagall that Sirius looked wildly around the compartment for the young Transfiguration teacher. Shaking his head, Remus continued in a disapproving tone, "This is very immature behavior. You ought to be ashamed of yourselves. Then again, I would expect no better from you, Potter, and you, Black," he pointed to each of the guilty party in turn. The tension building up in the room immediately dissolved as Sirius let out a hearty chuckle. That set James off, who burst into uncontrollable laughter. "That was a bloody good imitation of ol' Minerva," James gasped, wiping tears of merriment from his eyes.

"To be accurate, Prongs, she's young and quite attractive," Sirius said with a devilish smile. "She obviously falls for my charms...notice how she always looks at me in that certain way?"

James suddenly tackled Sirius, pinning him to the floor. "Minerva is mine," he professed dramatically. "All mine."

"I am hoping those words were just a figment of my imagination," Remus said in disbelief, turning back to his reading.

"You have to admit, Moony, that she's pretty hot," the Gryffindor Seeker joked, not relinquishing his hold on Sirius.

"Moony" simply sighed deeply and ignored his friends' silly antics. James and Sirius, though constantly bickering and teasing, shared a special bond that sometimes ignited the green-eyed monster of jealousy within him. The two were the closest of friends; brothers, really. So tight was their friendship that James trusted Sirius above all of his friends, and would, without any hesitation, freely give up his life for the handsome young man. Not saying he wouldn't do so for the others, but still.....

"We're there," Peter squeaked two hours later, clapping his hands together in glee. "That's a smart one," Sirius whispered sarcastically. His response was a swift kick in the shin. "Bloody, Prongs," he groaned. "What do you have in those shoes, bricks?" "Ten cute little toes," his friend whipped a shoe off and wiggled his –er adorable toes furiously in the air.

"A display I did not wish to see," Remus grumbled, pulling on his school robes. "Remus," Sirius said disbelievingly, "You can be a real party pooper sometimes. I for one like James's toes," he continued slyly, "Although they aren't nearly as sexy as mine." He slung an arm around James's shoulders and announced, "This year, mates, James and his semi-sexy toes are going to catch Lily Evans!"

The owner of the semi-sexy toes shrugged the arm off and replied most seriously, "I bloody hope so."