Disclaimer: The characters are the property of the amazingly talented J.K Rowling. I'm only borrowing the characters and world that she has so brilliantly created.

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Beta by: ilovethedotgame

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Hey everyone! Yes, I have a new pen name. I used to be Penguin623, for those who may be confused. I promise, this is the last time I change it.

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Chapter Two: Sixth Year

"Okay, so let me get this straight," Sirius asked, a slightly confused look on his face. "You're going to use Wormtail as bait for some Slytherins so Lily can see you acting heroic?"

"No, so she can see me being unselfish and kind," James corrected with small shake of his head as he pushed his glasses up to sit properly on his nose.

"Er …how is sacrificing your friend unselfish?" Sirius questioned thoughtfully. "It's actually rather selfish if you ask me."

Peter nodded vigorously. "I agree with Sirius."

James rolled his eyes. "You're doing it willingly because you're my friend, and you want me to win Lily's affections."

"I don't want to be bait," Peter whimpered, his watery eyes pleading.

"Fine," James replied tersely, running a hand through his hair. "Remus?"

"No good," Sirius waved the idea aside. "Remus can handle his own. He doesn't need rescuing."

"True…" James pondered. "How about a first year?"

"Absolutely not," Remus said forcibly, speaking up for the first time. Setting his book on his nightstand, he scooted to the front end of his four poster bed. "I will not allow you to sacrifice an innocent first year to any Slytherins."

"What if we pay them?" Sirius offered with a mischievous grin.

"No," Remus repeated firmly. Turning to face James, he fixed him with a level stare. "Besides, what if Lily found out? How do you think she'd feel about you using eleven year olds as bait?"

"Okay, okay," James answered, scratching the back of his head. "Bad idea."

L … J

"I will never understand that boy, Alice," Lily sighed, covering her eyes with the palms of her hands. "He has so much potential, yet he's always in detention with Black, and it seems like every time I turn around he's found some new way to undermine my authority as a Prefect."

Alice shrugged. "I don't think it's you personally, Lily. I think it's just the way he is."

"Oh, I'm sure it is," Lily responded darkly. "But I have no illusions that trying to harass me and drive me to an early grave is a fringe benefit."

Alice let out an exasperated sigh. "He's just trying to get your attention, Lily. Why can't you see that?"

"I do see it," Lily countered. "He's getting my attention, but it's for the wrong reasons. I'm not impressed by hexing random students in the hall or by enchanting the corridors," Lily sighed. "Everyone else seems to think he's so wonderful, but he never lets me see that side of him. If it weren't for people like Remus, I wouldn't even know it existed."

"He's just going about getting your attention in the only way he knows how."

Lily absent mindedly turned a page in her book, glancing around the library. "What does he want my attention for anyway?"

"Let's not fish for compliments," Alice smiled, jokingly.

"I'm serious, Alice!" Lily protested. "He could be dating any girl in this school. You know it, I know, everyone else knows it, and I'm sure he knows it. Why me? Why do I have to be subjected to this?"

"I don't know what to tell you, Lily," Alice sighed, weary of the conversation. "Maybe you should ask Remus."

L … J

"What is it that I do?" Lily cried, placing her hands firmly on Remus' desk and leaning towards him. Several of their classmates glanced over at the two, puzzled by Lily's odd outburst.

"Do?" Remus questioned, truly confused.

"Potter," Lily explained, feeling quite hysterical. She had just literally run into Potter outside the Charms classroom. Naturally, he had tried to impress her with his wit and charm. Most other girls would have been flattered, but for Lily it was a breaking point. James had been relentlessly chasing after her for an entire year. While he was showing no signs of giving up, Lily had had quite enough.

"Whatever it is that I do, that makes him want to be with me, tell me," Lily pleaded desperately.

"Uh, Lily," Remus began, but she cut him off.

"I know he's your friend, but please! I can't take it anymore! I'm going mad! Whatever it is about me that draws him, I'll change it."

"Don't do that," a deep voice behind her said solemnly. Lily sighed heavily and closed her eyes. She knew the boy to whom that voice belonged.

"Potter, please," she replied wearily, turning around to face him. "Just leave me alone."

He opened his mouth to say something in response, but Lily brushed past him before he could get the words out.

"What's wrong?" Alice asked as Lily sank into the seat beside her.

"Nothing," Lily replied as she dared a glance over at Remus and Potter. Potter was staring at his desk; he seemed to be deep in thought. What about, she wondered, then immediately dismissed the idea.

L … J

James lay on his four poster bed staring at the ceiling. "I think…" he began slowly. Sirius gave a cough that sounded suspiciously like "Evans" but James ignored his best friend.

"I think that I should give Evans a break," he announced to the occupants of the room. Peter's mouth dropped open, Remus dropped his book, and Sirius actually fell off his bed in surprise.

"You – you mean you're giving up?" Peter stammered, shocked at the thought of their group's fearless leader giving up on something (or in this case someone) he'd been going after for a year.

"Of course not, you twat," James scoffed, folding his arms behind his head. "I just mean that I think I'm crowding her a bit. I think she'd respond better to me if I give her a little room for a while."

Remus smiled, his face positively glowing. "I'm so proud of you, Prongs," was all he could manage to say.

L … J

"This will work, right?" James asked Remus as the two boys jumped down from the Hogwarts Express, returning from the winter holidays. Sirius and Peter were right behind them, Sirius slipping and sliding over a patch of ice.

"I don't guarantee anything, Prongs," Remus replied as he strolled towards the horseless carriages, wrapping his scarf around his neck.

"But if I don't act conceited, there's bound to be some sort of reaction, right?" James asked as he opened the carriage door and pulled himself in, careful to duck and avoid the pointy icicles hanging from the top of the roof.

"Do we have to hear this again? I think I could say it in my sleep," Sirius grumbled, rubbing his eyes with the palms of his hands.

"Yes," James snapped irritably. "Now bugger off."

"James," Remus said with a sigh. "Being 'unconceited' as it were, doesn't guarantee you anything. Maybe Lily will notice, maybe she won't. And even if she does, it doesn't necessarily mean she's going to like you."

"What do I do if she doesn't?" James asked, not wanting to think about the possibility.

"Then you have to accept that and move on," Remus said gently.

James didn't answer. He stared out the window, watching a cloud above him drift away, thinking of the time he'd spent chasing Lily Evans. He had to make her see him for who he really was and not for the façade he put up for everyone else to see.

L … J

"All right there, Evans?" James asked, throwing himself down into the seat next to Lily and setting his schoolbag next to the chair. He watched as Lily sighed and mentally debated what answer to give. Surprisingly, she chose to be civil rather than cross.

"I'm fine, Potter. You?"

"Never better," James answered, elated that Lily hadn't told him to go away, and that they were holding a normal conversation. "What did you think of yesterday's lesson? Fascinating, wasn't it?"

Lily stared at him for a moment as though trying to figure something out. "Potter –" she paused, "What do you want?"

"Want?" James asked, confused by the sudden change now presenting itself. "I just wanted to talk to you."

Lily bit her lip and glanced at the door where Alice and a tall dark haired boy had just entered. "See you later, Frank," Alice told the boy as they separated ways, and headed towards where Lily was seated.

"That's Alice's seat!" Lily told him in a rather flustered manner. "She always sits there! You can't just walk up and take her seat!"

"Oh….er…sorry," James stood and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "I guess I'll just be going then. See you later, Evans."

"See you," Lily echoed as Alice slid into the seat he had previously occupied. James slowly walked across the classroom and heartlessly flopped into his usual seat next to Sirius.

"How'd it go, mate?" Sirius asked, throwing an arm around James' shoulders in a brotherly manner.

James glanced across the room, looking longingly at Lily who was now conversing with Alice in low, urgent tones. "Why does she dislike me so much, Padfoot?" he asked almost wistfully.

Sirius shrugged and removed his arm. "I dunno. Ask Remus."

L … J

"What did I do wrong?" James asked, spooning a generous portion of mashed potatoes into this mouth.

Remus sighed and picked up his sandwich. "Explain again what happened."

"I went over, said hello, and tried to make small talk. That's it."

"What kind of small talk?" Remus asked with a frown.

"I asked her what she thought of yesterdays Defense lesson. Then when she asked what I wanted, I told her that I just wanted to talk to her. I swear that's all I said. And then she started acting all funny and accused me of stealing Alice's seat."

Sirius snorted into his drink while Peter looked on, clueless. Remus, however, looked thoughtful.

"It sounds to me," he began, but was cut off by Sirius's snickering behind his goblet. "That she's run out of creative methods to insult you with."

"It sounds," Remus continued calmly, "as though she was flustered by what you said."

"But I didn't say anything pratish!" James protested, not understanding what he had done wrong.

"Exactly," Remus answered as he speared a strawberry with his fork. "She's used to you acting differently. She knows how to react when you act like a git, but when you act like a normal person, she's confused."

James stared at his friend. "Is that a good thing?" he asked slowly.

"Depends," Remus answered almost happily. "If she realizes that you're actually growing up and being civil, then yes. But if you decide to act like a right prat to everyone else while being nice to her on the side, she's not going to be convinced."

"I'm becoming less pratish, aren't I?" James asked hopefully, taking a drink from his goblet of pumpkin juice.

Sirius and Peter began laughing at this comment, leaning on each other for support.

"Oh bugger off," James told them unhappily, feeling very much as though he'd like to dump the remainder of his juice on their heads.

"Yes, James," Remus replied, smiling. "You are growing up quite nicely. These two on the other hand…"

L … J

"Hey, Remus," Lily said, falling into step with her fellow Gryffindor prefect. "Mind if I walk with you to the meeting?"

"Not at all," Remus replied cheerfully. "Now, what is it that James has done now?"

Lily felt her face growing warm, and she cursed the redheaded genes that caused her to blush so easily. "You know me too well, Remus."

Remus smiled. "I'm just perceptive."

Lily sighed. "Why hasn't Potter given up yet? I don't do or say anything to encourage his actions. I don't understand what it is about me that causes him to act like this."

The corners of Remus' mouth twitched as though he wanted to smile. "Last year you were a pretty face and a challenge, both of which were appealing to James. This year, he's gotten to know more about you –"

"How? I never tell him anything!" Lily interrupted, confused by what Remus was saying.

"I tell him things," Remus answered honestly. "And so does Alice."

"What?" Lily cried, astonished that all this time Remus and her best friend had been aiding Potter with information about her. "What kind of things?"

"Things like what kind of books you like, what you like to do in your free time, your favorite color. Harmless, trivial information that's really of no use to him, but it's stuff that he feels that is important. But as I was saying, this year he knows more about you, and it's…piqued his interest, shall we say? He wants to get to know you."

"Get to know me?" Lily intoned, not quite believing what she was hearing.

"Sure. Be your friend."

"I know what Potter wants, and it isn't friendship," Lily remarked, raising an eyebrow.

"As much as he'd like to be more than friends, I think that right now he'd settle for you just talking to him."

Lily bit her lip and turned the idea over in her mind. "I'll see what I can do."

Remus smiled and held the door open for her. "Thanks."

L … J

James was strolling down the Charms corridor when he accidentally knocked into some one smaller and sent their books flying all over the floor.

"I'm sorry!" he quickly apologized, then turned only to find that the person he ran into was Lily Evans. James marveled at his good fortune.

"It's all right," she said, kneeling to pick up the things she had dropped. James knelt too, helping her to collect the scattered parchment, quills, and broken ink well.

"Repairo," she said softly, prodding the broken well with her wand. The shards quickly fused together, but the ink remained spilled over the floor. "Evanseco," she muttered and the floor was clean once more.

"Here," James said, hastily pulling his own bottle of ink from his schoolbag. "Take mine, I have an extra," he lied. He did have an extra one, but it was up in the boys dormitory and not readily available. He would just share with one of his friends.

"Are you sure?" Lily asked hesitantly.

"Absolutely," he nodded confidently, thrusting the ink well into her hands. Her hands were cold, but he savored the brief touch nonetheless.

"Thank you," she told him, her emerald eyes shimmering from the light coming through in the window behind him.

"Mind if I walk with you?" James asked, hoping he sounded more nonchalant than he was currently feeling.

"No, not at all," Lily replied without hesitation. James could have done a jig then and there but restrained himself. Maybe things were finally looking up. Maybe she was finally seeing him.

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I hope everyone is having a great summer!