1Disclaimer: Any characters mentioned or even talked about in J.K. Rowling's books are not mine. I only own my characters, which obviously are not in her books. And if I did own those characters, I would not be writing online, I would be publishing my book!

A/N: Hello to all of the people that read this part of the page! I once again have to apologize for not posting anything about the story for awhile. I really was going to be writing for this fic, but I decided that the best way of keeping up to pace with this story would be if I thought out the overall plot and then added the details, so that when I went to write the chapters, I could write the storyline that I had. That way I wouldn't be like, "So, what should happen next?" So anyway I have been writing tons of story notes and I have begun making a timeline for the story with all the stuff on it. So, no more about my reoccurring writers block, or my daily dilemmas and activities! On with the plot! Oh and by the way, send me you ideas! Especially for like the Halloween Costume Party, the Winter Ball, and the Trip at the end of the year! Where should they go, what should they do?

Chapter 5: Start of Term

The Great Hall was alive and noisy with the sound of chattering students as they ate and socialized during breakfast. Heads of the houses were walking up and down the tables delivering class schedules.

"Hi-ho, the witches row across the Arabian Sea, Hi-ho the witches come to search for you and me!..."Sirius sang jovially strolling to the Gryffindor table towards his fellow Marauders.

"Good morning Mooney!" Sirius said fully awake.

"How come you're so awake?" Remus asked with his eyes closed as he yawned. His pale face was worn with stress from the full moon two nights previously.

"How come you're not? Ha-ha haa! Last night was great! The shack actually looks like something! All thanks to little Prongsie!"

"Now that you mention him, where is he?" Mooney said casting his glance around the Great Hall checking random faces for a glimpse of his friend.

"Last I saw, he was lying on his bed mesmerized. I think he was thinking of his 'flower', Lily." Sirius said adding an extra emphasis on her name. "I don't know why he didn't go to the head boy and girl dormitories last night though. I think it would be too much for him. His brain would be filled with more Lily than he could handle, Poor fellow." Sirius added bluntly.

"Oop! There he goes? Why is he grinning like that? Am I the only person who doesn't feel like starting today?" Said Mooney.

"No Mooney, you just have PMS. That's why you are moody." Sirius added turning red from laughing.

"What! I'm not a girl!" Remus added outraged.

"Oh, whatever are you talking about? I never meant you had 'girly' problems. I meant you had Post Moon Syndrome!" He replied falling over with laughter.

"Mister Black, please get a hold of your self." Professor McGonagall said sternly, handing him his schedule.

"Padfoot, what are you laughing at?" James said grinning from ear to ear, after getting his schedule from the professor.

"Mooney has PMS." He replied.

"Oh yea, Post Moon Syndrome! Good one Padfoot." James said smiling still.

"And why are you so happy?" Remus asked James.

"Oh nothing, nothing at all. I just can't help but think that I have rounds tonight with the Head girl. That's all." He said containing his excitement.

"You know what puzzles me. Ninety-five percent of the girls in this school like you, but you choose the one girl who doesn't." Sirius said grinning as he scooped up a crumpet to eat. Most girls in the school like the Marauders for two things. One, they can't help but love the pranks the Marauders pull that brighten up their otherwise somewhat dull school days. Two, the girls can't help but love the quidditch made body of James; the puppy dog perfect face of Sirius, not to mention that eye-catching grin. Remus was not as spectacular in looks as his fellow Marauders, but he kept a certain amount of mystery to himself, which echoed loud enough to make girls search for. The only Marauder that did not carry the special 'Marauder Extraordinaire' trait was Peter. Poor pathetic Peter was like a pawn in the game of Hogwarts, moving about unnoticed amongst his fellow game pieces.

"Well, it's like my gran used to say, 'You always want what you can't have.' I guess she was right. Honestly, it's just something about her… I can't put my finger on it." James said breaking into thought. Sirius seemed to be puzzled by his fellow marauder's dilemma, so he simply shrugged it off and began to eat some buttered toast. Remus on the other hand has a slight smirk on his face. Seeing this, James asked him what he was thinking about.

"Oh, nothing, nothing at all… I just can't help but think, well, you know what I'm trying to say…" By the look on James' face, apparently he didn't. "Oh come off it! Can't you see? You're falling in love with her! How is it that all of you are so awake and alive this morning, but I'm the only one with a brain!" Mooney said getting annoyed.

"Well now that that's said, when are quidditch tryouts?" Sirius said changing the subject before he stuffed his face with another slice of buttered toast and gulped down some pumpkin juice.

"You think I'm in love?" James said more to himself than to Remus.

"Well, I have no other explanation for your, well, your behavior…"

"Mooney thinks I'm in love? Mooney thinks I'm in love! Well do I love her? Well I do but do I love her, love her? I don't know, Mooney thinks I'm in love…" James said to himself lost in thought and concentration. "Maybe I am, maybe I'm not. Maybe I'm just really close to love. Hmmm… I think what I will do will be to think about it and see where things go. Yea, yea that's what I'll do. I'll think about it. Yea, Mom always says to think before you act…"

"I guess you are right Mooney." Sirius said to his fellow marauders. "He's got to be in love. James has never passed up a quidditch question."

After breakfast and James' mental discussion, the students gradually began to leave the Great Hall to go to their first class of the term.

"So, how's the old Mooney feeling this morning?" James asked on his way to double potions with Remus. James already knew how Mooney felt: Moody, but still all the same he tried to make conversation to lighten the boredom that was to come from classes. Remus did not reply to James' question, but he simply gave him a look clearly expressing his point, "Do I look like I feel great?" Still, he was grateful for Prongs' effort to seem like everything was somewhat normal.

Potions was painfully long for the two marauders but a certain red-haired girl made things better for Prongs. Slughorn moaned on and on about the importance of precision when one makes potions such as sleeping draughts. A few drops of this or too many shavings of that could have someone knocked out for a couple of days or worse, so for the entire first half Slughorn lectured and wrote notes about the consequences of different ingredients while the second half they made sleeping draughts. The potion would not be ready for quite some time, but James managed to get the first few steps correct because his potion turned salamander-green when he completed the first portion of instructions. Slughorn was partially too busy looking at Lily's potion and raving about how she had figured out which two ingredients you switch in order to make a sleeping draught into an awakening potion for when you're tired.

"So we can make these awakening potions?" Mooney said yawning.

"Yup!"

"Do you think I could take some right now because frankly I'm getting awfully tired?"

"Well, I don't have a protest about it but one mine's not finished, and two you do know I'm not the potions genius; so if it kills you, you can't say I didn't warn you!" James stated innocently.

"Could you imagine the look on Slughorn's face if a student died in his class? His reputation would be finished." Mooney said breaking into a laugh.

"That'll be all for today, class. Finish up and bottle what you've got, so that I can grade it."

"On to Transfigurations for me; where to for you," Mooney asked.

"Well, I have Defense Against the Dark Arts, then Transfiguration, then Charms, but I've got to go run up and get my books. See you at lunch." James said.

"Alright then, see you later."

The day went on, and lunch was squashed with students who were abruptly shaken from their sluggish lives to a world filled with homework and stress. Lily was halfway to her dormitory for the night when she ran into James in a nearby corridor.

"Hey, Lily."

"Oh, hi."

"So, umm how are your classes?" He said as they began to walk down the corridor towards the head boy and girl dormitories.

"Fine." She replied. They were almost to the door of their dormitories when James blurted out, "You want to go to the lake this afternoon?"

"What?"

"Do you want to—"

"I know what you said, but why would you ask me that?"

"Because I thought—"

"James, I have too much to do and far too little time to be going out with you, anyway. Why would I go out with you? All you do is do everything you're not supposed to do. Haven't you figured out that I prefer what you're supposed to do?" She said before whispering the password to the portrait and stepping through it.

"Wait!" James said grabbing her arm.

"Let go of me!" Lily said breaking into tears.

"Just one night; it'll be fun, I prom—"

"Let go of me!" Lily screamed getting more panicked. She finally broke free from James' grasp and ran to her bedroom.

"What are you going on about?" James stated confused. "It's not like I was attacking you or something! Fine!" James muttered as he plopped himself down on the couch in their common room. Meanwhile, Lily was attempting to pull herself back together.

"James must really think that I've gone mad! But he doesn't know… I'm just gonna take a shower, calm down, and then try to get ahead on my Herbology essay. Yea, that's what I'll do."

"Well, so long for my weekend and Lily. What's left of my life? Homework? Okay, parchment, ink quills, and my books. Okay, so I'm out of parchment. Should I ask Lily for some, or not do anything? Ask… Don't ask… hmm… Well, the chances of me actually doing work on this later on in the week are slim to none, so I'll ask her." He said getting up after he finally made a decision. Once he got to Lily's door he knocked and waited for a response; however, no response came. "Maybe she left. She won't mind if I sneak in and get some." So James slowly pushed open the door to Lily's dormitory. At the same time, Lily was walking out of her bathroom in her bathrobe.

"Aaahh! Get OUT!" Lily screamed upon walking out of her bathroom to a dumbstruck James. "What the bloody hell are you doing in here?"

"I-uh-well-"

"Get Out! Get Out, Get Out, GET OUT!"

"You never said anything when I knocked on the door! I thought you left!"

"So you just go in my room without me in it or knowing?" Lily screamed.

"I needed some more parchment! I didn't think you would mind!" He said apologetically.

"Just get out."

"Fine by me." James muttered as he walked back to his bedroom.

After Lily cooled off a bit and changed into some normal clothes, she laid sprawled out on her bed. "How am I supposed to get through this year if I have to live next to James? Its bad enough living in the same school, but sharing these dormitories…" She finished a sigh. She began playing with the gold tassels on her pillow. "I think I've snapped. Yes, I have. I now talk to myself! Well I 'spose he might really need that parchment though. He probably won't ever come near me because he thinks I'll explode again. I guess I was a little distraught. Well I guess I'll give him some parchment." So she ventured off towards his dormitories, how sure not the next few moments would go.

"James, I have some parchment for you." She said after knocking on his door.

"You can come in."

"Here you go." She said before handing him the parchment. "What class are you working on?"

"Charms. I have an essay due on the history of hiding spells. Complete madness that class." James said shaking his head.

"Do you need some help?" Lily offered.

"No thanks. I'm sure you have enough to be going on about tonight. You don't need me to add that I can't write an essay too."

"Yes, well I guess you have a point there!" She said before laughing herself.

"Lily, I am sorry you know. I didn't know mean to walk in on-"

"I know. I'm sorry I didn't lock the door. I could have saved you from that, well shall we say shock."

"Trust me, I don't need to be saved in fact I need to be killed with it!" He said grinning.

"Well just because you like parading around girls bedrooms while there in bath robes doesn't mean I'm going to allow it!"

"Yes ma'am!" James said saluting her orders.

"Shut up you prat!" She said before hitting him with a nearby pillow.

"I'm being attacked!" He said playfully covering his face like he was hurt.

"Come on you, we've got to go on our rounds."

"Aw, can't we party some more?" James joked like a little kid.

"Come on." Lily said dragging a reluctant James out of bed.

So the night continued and the two were off on their rounds. They chatted mostly, nothing serious. They simply just enjoyed each others company on the long strolls down the corridors together.

Once they were finished and off to bed both felt fully satisfied the way the night ended.

As Lily climbed into her bed a few last minute thoughts trailed across her mind. "He's changed. He's definitely changed.' She thought grinning as she drifted off to sleep.

James, on the other hand, was thinking of something entirely different. 'I'm going to ask Lily out. I have to. I need to. I know it. There's something about her that drives me crazy and I fully intend on finding out exactly what that is!"

A/N – I finished the chapter! I'm so happy. And I just want to give thanks to my friend Note (that's what I call her…) for helping me type up the chapter. Yes, to my readers, she helped me get the chapter typed quicker. Just to give you all a heads up on the status of the story writing, I have officially finished writing the entire story plotline with all major and minor events so all I have to do is look at my notes and write! So, hopefully that will help me write the story quicker! Just to let you know there will be 27 chapters in all 

Also thanks to my latest reviewers:

-Smittened By Marauders

-sumdea