Chapter Seven: Lifetime Obsessions

James Potter wasn't exactly the easiest person to deal with. He was bigheaded and stubborn in a way only he could be and not many liked him at first... I didn't really like him that much. True, he was brave enough to stand up to my mother without knowing her and was the first friend I ever had at Hogwarts but he wasn't likeable. He walked around school as if he was a kind of god in our first year when everyone else just thought of him as a midget. There were many few occasions in which James was a likeable in our first and part of second year; every time he saw Lily Evans walking down the hall...

I was walking toward my transfiguration class one day during spring when I walked right into James. Boy, I hated when things like that happened when I was lost in my thoughts, but what else could you expect to happen? "Watch it, James!" I yelled annoyed but he was too lost in his own little world to notice.

"She's so beautiful," he breathed. I followed his gaze and immediately spotted the dark red haired girl talking to one of her friends at the end of the hall. She was beautiful I admit it. However, to me she was not the one that would make me stare at her like an idiot and make me drool all over the place.

I tried to drag James into the classroom but he wouldn't move. "Remus!" I called. Remus looked back at me from the classroom door. He was smart and knew better than to stay around when James was looking at Lily; it was not a pretty scene for guys with pride.

"Again?" asked Remus annoyed. Every time we had to drag James into the classroom, they took off points from the three of us... worse than that one time we got detention with Filch and that is not something entertaining to go into detail about. I nodded at Remus and he dragged Peter out the door. Between the three of us, we managed to drag James into the classroom; not before Lily saw him and rolled her eyes. James saw this as a sign and yelled. "Evans, would you go out with me?"

It was that time of the day when we would groan and drop James so that he fell flat on his butt. "Hey!" he said indignantly. We walked into the classroom not caring about James anymore.

Most of our years at Hogwarts went like that. The three of us trying to drag James away and then giving up. I tell you he was a tough kid to put with and Lily discovered that on her fourth year when James behavior went from a little school boy crush to complete obsession. Oh yes, the time of the day for groaning and dropping tripled...

We were all outside taunting Snape. James hated him a little less than I did but Snape hated James a whole lot more than he hated me, until sixth year, that is. It was just the fact that James played quidditch and was top student that irritated Snape, he didn't mind me that much 'cause we had once been 'friends' and I didn't play quidditch. I actually kind of liked Snape for being so easy to pick on.

Lily would always watch us taunting him and glare at us. But we were bored, what else can I say? Besides the fact that we were stupid fourteen-year-old kids who had nothing better to do than bully others, that is.

After what seemed like a lifetime of James, Snape, and I dueling, he gave up and hurried away glaring at everyone who was laughing at him. James walked over to the place were Lily and her friends were sitting; I reluctantly followed.

"Hello, ladies," said James casually. All the girls smiled sheepishly at him, except for Lily. I almost forgot, when I got there their sheepish smiles became seductive. Then I talk about James being bigheaded...

"Evans, are you going to keep turning me down for that date?" asked James smiling. She looked up at him, anger flashing in her eyes for a second to pure sympathy. What was the girl on? James wouldn't know of course, he couldn't read the girl's eyes if his life depended on it.

"Why d'you waste time and energy asking if you already know the answer?" she replied in a horribly sweet tone that made me want to laugh. James was still blind.

"Well, in my mind it's a yes, you see," he said, still grinning like an idiot. I rolled my eyes and flashed one of my sexy smiles at one of the girls who immediately turned beet red. I smirked to myself. James trying to win Lily was always fun... because I rarely paid attention.

"I'm so glad," smiled Lily. "In my mind," she said standing up. "It's no." Then she stormed away. I started choking, well tried, to keep from laughing. I loved all the different ways Lily would turn down James. They were just as amusing as Snape trying to defend himself.

Then came that time in sixth year when I was sure my life was going to completely turn around. I only had Peter for a friend. I can't even bring myself to express the hatred Remus showed toward me after he almost bit Snape. However, I'll never forget the look on James's face when I tried to talk to him after I had apologized to Snape...

"James?" I asked walking into the boys' dormitory. His back was to me and I saw him tense up before turning around and glaring at me.

"What d'you want?" he asked coldly. I shivered. I hated myself for my stupidity, but I hated James even more when he was so bloody difficult even before, I could get more than two words out.

"Can we talk?" I asked quietly. "'bout what happened yesterday?"

He laughed bitterly. "What are you going to do? Tell me something I don't already know, Sirius? 'Cause I'm pretty sure I know all the most important points and the level in which your stupidity is, so I really don't need you to amuse me more."

I wanted to hit him. Why couldn't he just let me talk? "Look," I said taking a deep breath. "I apologized to Snape, though he didn't really take it well–"

James snorted. "Don't tell me you actually expected him to?" I groaned inwardly.

"Could you please just listen and don't interrupt?" he fell silent and turned his back to me again. "I'm sorry, okay! I know what I did was wrong, but I was so mad that he had to butt in into other people's business that I didn't think of the consequences! Could you please understand that...? I already have Remus hating me... I don't need you to hate me too," I finished that lame speech quietly. I had a lack of vocabulary that day.

"Too late," was all he said. I reached inside my robes and took off a chain with a little plaque that read: Marauder Sirius "Padfoot" Black. I traced the small letters before walking over to James and putting it on his bedside table. "I guess you'd like this back." When he didn't say anything, I walked out of the room. That day was the death of our friendship... of course, resurrections existed in Marauder life...

Now back to James interminable obsession with Lily. It went on for six bloody years until it finally ended the day Lily finally gave in. I remember Remus, myself, and Peter sinking to our knees and thanking the lord for the amazing blessing. We thanked him too soon...

"Hi, honey!" said Lily cheerfully, sitting down next to James and giving him a long passionate kiss. The rest of us groaned as they broke apart.

"I haven't even started with my breakfast and I'm already full," I said putting my head in my hands.

"That's not possible," Peter, pointed out from my left.

"And why is that?" I asked annoyed.

"'Cause you're never full," said Remus innocently from my right. I glared at both of them before turning my gaze toward James who was wrapped up in a "honey, darling, sweetie pie, pumpkin" kind of conversation with Lily. We all groaned again before getting up and sitting down at the end of the table, putting as much space as humanly possible between us and the "mushy little couple."

"Now you hate the mushy crap, Sirius?" asked Remus as I piled my plate with food.

"What d'you mean?" I asked curiously.

"Don't tell me you don't remember how you and Marissa were at the beginning of your relationship?" said Peter innocently and the gulped when he saw the death glare I sent him.

"There's just on minor difference," I said, Peter and Remus looked at me curiously. "Marissa sat at the table once a week, Lily seats every day." I stretched the last words to make it clear.

Remus and Peter nodded. "Point taken." We sat quietly for a few seconds eating when Lily and James came to join us.

"Hey, guys, why did you leave?" asked James, he seemed to be attached to the hip with Lily.

"Gee... I wonder why?" I said sarcastically, and then adopted Lily's high- pitched voice. "'Oh, honey, next week is Hogsmeade weekend... we could go on a hot date!"

Peter and Remus choked on their food, as Lily blushed to the roots of her hair and James grinned mischievously at me.

"Oh, baby, I can't believe we're engaged! In addition, we're only sixteen! I'm so happy, darling... I love you!'" said James in a high-pitched voice, also known as, Marissa's, making half the hall turned to look at him, but he didn't seem in the bit embarrassed. It wasn't until Remus and Peter busted out laughing that I saw Marissa standing behind James with a hand on her hip. I smirked at James.

She cleared her throat and James turned around, "Yes?"

"I want to be there the day you propose to Lily so I can mock you," smiled Marissa. "Although, I already know how it will go... 'Oh, my god, Lily! You said yes! Sirius! Sirius! I am engaged! Engaged! Can you imagine? I, engaged! Ooh, I have to start planning the wedding! Sirius... would you like to help me?'" Marissa said in a girly voice making the hall explode with laughter. Even Lily was laughing as James turned to glare at Marissa.

Things went pretty much like that for the rest of the year. James never got mad at Marissa for making fun of him. It was one of those mutual agreements in which 'I embarrass you, you embarrass me, and it's all cool'. By the end of our relationship, Marissa was starting to be fed up with James but it was just jealousy... but who am I to say occasionally James wasn't hated. Even I admit it, Remus admits it, hell even James himself admits it. Nevertheless, he was the best friend I ever had.

Disclaimer: I have no reason to slap Draco Malfoy, though give me a reason and believe me I will touch his face delicately... (Okay, I've officially signed a contract with the hopeless-romantic-beyond-pathetic department...)

A/N: Peeps I think you should all know I'm a review hungry author and I thank you Nicole Black for that one and only review I got for the last chapter. However, you've got to admit... no chapter has really been worth reading after chapter four. At least I have faith in this one!