a/n :some fluff in this chapter! I love this chapter! I just hope you do too!--well here it goes.

Chapter 8: Hidden Revelations

Snapshots of what happened last chapter:

-----"I don't like James do I? I MEAN, I HAVE A BOYFRIEND! But still, maybe I do like him. Okay, let's think rationally. Every time I see James, I get nervous and excited at the exact the same time, is that even possible? Well apparently it is. But he can be complete toerage sometimes! Well, who isn't?

----"Uhh Lily?" James broke her inner battle.

-----"Oh yeah, sorry" said Lily blushing. Why am I blushing? Lily, STOP BLUSHING! Damn, that didn't work. Oh well, maybe he won't notice.

-----"Ok, so who's going to be the test subject" asked Lily as they walked towards the Room of Requirements.

----"I dunno, I think you should take it" said James.

----Lily only rolled her eyes. "Please, Potter, I'm not in love"

-----"Well for the sake of our project, I hope you are. Cause if you weren't we'd never know if the potion worked or not." Replied James rationally.

-----They entered the Room of Requirements and James held out a goblet and lowered so that Lily, who was shorter than him, could pour the potion into the cup.

"Ok, here it goes" Lily said "hope it works!"

James crossed his fingers.

Lily, after taking the potion, stared into mid air for a second.

"Lily?" James said a little worried.

"Lily are you okay?" he said again.

AND NOW… THE STORY…………………………

Lily turned now, and looked at James with blazing eyes. The kind of look that James recognized as the one he gave Lily on countless occasions when he saw her walking in the hallway or focusing in class. The kind of intensity in the eyes that was like no other. He wasn't sure if his gaze was as apparent as Lily's was now, but he knew what that gaze signified. It signified the heart beating furiously in the rib cage, and all sound blocked but the thumping of your own heart.

He felt sad for an instance, knowing it was possible that the look Lily had in her eyes wasn't for him, but for someone else. However, that anguish only last about half a second...

What she did next, was something he did not expect in the least. She got up on her tippy toes and kissed James. James, suprised and happy, opened his mouth and inclined his head to give her a sweet kiss. After a few moments, James was the one to break the kiss, even though he knew he would regret it.

"Wow," thought James, "That was incredible." James sorting his thoughts, as they were all mixed up from the event that had just taken place, was taking everything in. He could not believe that Lily Evans just kissed him. "Did this actually happen? Did Lily Evans--the person who has hated me for five years, who I've had a crush on for five years, just kiss me or am I going mad?" James, after worrying about his sanity, looked at Lily again. They gazed at each other for a few seconds. "No, that actually happened," thought James with more confidence, when he saw that the same look still in her eyes. At this point, James could feel himself mentally screaming with glee. "Lily likes me!" He watched as she put her head down shyly.

He lifted her chin up with his index finger and thumb and looked positively ecstatic. James felt an electric current run through his finger tips and his heart burned with passion. But suddenly she looked away and stared into empty space for a few seconds.

"Lily?" asked James worriedly.

"James?" said Lily looking at him. "So did it work?" she asked.

"Err—yeah," said James nervously.

"And…" asked Lily.

"Well…um…you well…you ..." James stuttered, still recovering from the shock.

"Oh God! Please not be what I think it is! I can't have liked James, can I?I mean he is so annoying…and handsome and funny..Wait what am I saying! I hate Potter, of course I don't have a crush on Potter," cried Lily to herself. "Out with it James!"

"I—well I'm not telling" said James finally.

"WHAT? WHY NOT?" Lily said angrily.

"I don't think I have to, I think you already know." Said James simpily.

"I don't know what you're talking about James, care to elaborate?" asked Lily shrewdly

He wasn't going to tell her, she'd probably never believe him or worse, get angry at him. But he didn't want her to get mad him for not telling her. He had an idea. When a marauder is in trouble, always use distraction. James grabbed the marauder's map.

"Sirius is going to kill me for showing her," he thought.

"Wait—what's that?" she asked. James smiled at her momentarily short attention span.

"This m-dear is the marauder's map," he said grinning. He opened it up and she read it out loud. "Messer. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs offers their complements to Lily Evans, and Prongs suggests that she calm her fiery temper and snog James immediately. Padfoot agrees with Prongs and Moony suggests that Padfoot and Prongs are idiots, and Lily Evans should never-the-less snog James. Wormtail is curious to why Lily's name sounds like a familiar flower." Lily finished reading. "Wait—are those your nicknames?"

"Yep," he said as he opened it up.

Lily gasped. She saw two dots that read their names next to each other.

"It shows where everyone is all the time," James explained.

"This is incredible! You made this?" said Lily happily.

"Yeah—well we all did," said James modestly.

"So this is how James Potter gets away with his pranks!" said Lily smirking and looking through the map.

"With this, and other resources," James grinned evilly. Lily looked up at him.

"So James Potter, what are these other resources?" asked Lily smiling suspiciously.

"Oh you know, my cunning intelligence and beautiful smile," said James giving his famous smile that made any girl's heart melt. James wasn't about to mention his invisibility cloak—that was for another time.

"R--ight," said Lily. "Well, don't think I forgot about the whole potion thing—so who do I like?"

"Like I said, I think you already know…just think about it. Or, I do believe you said you weren't in love with anyone Miss. Evans," said James with a smile plastered on his face.

"Potter, don't give me any of that crap, tell ME NOW!"

"Looky here! Filch is coming, let's go!" said James quickly whispering: "mischief managed," tucking it in his pocket, and taking Lily by her hand out of the room.

They made their way into the Great Hall where everyone was eating dinner. Little did Lily know, that Filch wasn't anywhere near them.

------

Sirius and the marauders were seated at the end of the Gryffindor table--the one closest to the entrance, and Lily's friends were a few rows down.

"So great of you to join us!" said Sirius smirking and wiggling his eye brows. Lily let go of James' hand and flushed.

"Oh shut up Padfoot," said James grinning.

Padfoot made an exaggerated look of pain and clutched his chest where his heart was a fell over.

Lily laughed, "You are such a git, Black."

"Hey Lily," called a male voice sitting next to Angelica and Victoria. Lily turned around and smiled at Chris.

Before walking over to them, Lily turned to the marauders once more. "Well bye PO—James..Sirius..Remus.. James, you better tell me later!" she warned while smiling.

James watched her leave and sit next to Chris and gave her a small grin. "Right, see you."

"Hey Lils!" said Angelica

"Hey," Victoria said as she hastily got up.

"Sorry, we have to go work on the project," said Angelica sweetly, and also getting up, leaving Lily alone with Chris. Lily for some reason, sensed that the real reason why her friends were leaving were to leave Chris and herself alone.

"So Chris, what's up?" Lily said, unsure of what to say.

"Nothing much, so how's it been with Potter?" asked Chris a little angrily, but Lily couldn't tell.

"Oh it's been good, he's been getting a lot better actually. I mean before I hated him, but now he's not that bad," she said happily.

"Right," Chris said giving a very forced smile. " So you heard that Hogsmead is in two days?"

"Yeah! Can't wait!" said Lily grinning.

"Me too," he reached out and took her hand across the table.

----------------

Sirius looked at James. James looked unusually happy right now. "What a grand evening! Don't you think Petey?"

"Yeah, I guess." said Peter having a hard time trying to finish his paper.

"Ok Prongs, why do you look so happy?" asked Sirius.

James dropped his bag and swung his legs under the table before speaking. "Lily kissed me," said James still in a dazed smile.

"WHAT?" yelled Remus, Peter, and Sirius, with their heads snapped at James. Peter had let go of his quill and Remus had immediatly shut his book, clearly demonstrating that he thought this new topic demanded special attention.

"I don't believe you," said Peter dumbfounded.

"Believe what you like," responded James happily and eating dinner. Everyone else had already eaten.

"Hmm...nah, I think James is telling the truth, he wouldn't be this happy if Lily hadn't kissed him. You didn't like put her under the imperious curse or anything, did you Prongs?" questioned Sirius skeptically.

"Of course not! You know I'd never do anything like that!" Said James at once.

The marauders smiled at James. "In that case, Jamsie, congrats" said Sirius slyly. "Now I want the details." Remus rolled his eyes but didn't protest. James continued to tell the marauders about the entire evening.

"So what did she do when you told her what happened?" asked Remus expectantly.

"Um...well.." said James uneasily.

"Wait, you did tell her, right Prongs?" asked Mooney now.

"Well no," responded James. "But what would you have done, if the girl that has claimed to loathe you for all eternity snogged you? How would you ever convince her that she actually likes you?" said James incredously.

"James is right," stated Peter.

"Well firstly, I'd celebrate and continue snogging her. And secondly, I'd tell her and need no convincing because...well..I am Sirius Black." said Sirius grinning smugly and gesturing to his physique.

"Thanks for the help mate," said James glaring and getting up.

"Anytime...and always remember...honesty is the key!" said Sirius. Then James and Remus looked at Sirius as if hell has just frozen over. "Sorry, have no idea where that came from." said Sirius equally bewildered. Sirius began banging his forehead. "Marauder motto: fibs and pranks." Sirius began muttering 'fibs and pranks' over and over.

"Maybe you need to have a lie down," suggested Mooney concerned. Sirius nodded

----

After dinner, Lily excused herself from Chris.

"I have to go."

"Why?" inquired Chris with a flicker of suspicion.

"I have to meet with James, we have head duties remember?" answered Lily.

"Right," he said unconvinced.

----

"So who do I like?" questioned Lily once more. Lily and James were now patrolling. They had previously caught a few Fourth Year Hufflepuffs out of bed and sent them straight to their dorms.

James laughed. "You're never going to give up are you?"

"Nope," she said smiling.

"Fine, if you guess the right person, I'll tell you if he is the one you 'truly love' and yada yada." James felt a little weird hearing himself talk about true love. He was, afterall, a boy, and a sixteen year old one at that, who was saying this to the one person he actually did love.

" Well technically, the seento amoura potion doesn't show your true love, necessarily." said Lily wisely, "it reveals which person the consumer has deep affection for."

"And deep affection is different from true love, how?" questioned James.

"Well true love is much more powerful and strong. True love is felt by people when they are so deeply in love, that nothing else in the world matters more than being in company with that person. True love is an emotion that causes people to be willing to die for each other's saftey (a/n forshadowing Lily and James maybe? LOL)," said Lily in deep thought.

James raised an eyebrow.

Lily blushed. "Sorry, too many muggle romance novels I'm afraid."

James laughed. "That's ok, it was actually rather enlightening." James paused.

"Right, so... is it Christopher?" asked Lily trying to brake the awkward silence.

James snorted and laughed and then covered it with a fake cough.

Lily narrowed her eyes while smiling. "Hmm I guess I'll take that as a 'no' then?"

James merely looked ahead with his hands in his pockets and smiled knowingly.

"...I don't know who else..it's not Black is it?" Lily questioned doubtfully.

James turned to her now and gave her a curious look. "Why would you ask that?"

"I took a fancy to him several years ago," said Lily blushing. "I CAN'T BELIEVE I just told him that!" shrieked Lily inside her head.

"Well that's something he would find interesting," said James smirking.

"Potter! You tell a soul and you won't have your precious handsome features anymore!" threatened Lily.

"So, you think I'm handsome?" asked James grinning, until he noticed a potential Lily blow up, and said put his hands up and said: "OK, OK, I won't tell anyone."

"Good," said Lily. "NOW, why won't you just tell me who I like?" declared Lily exasperatedly.

"Hmm...I don't know if I should...you might get angry with the truth," James replied.

"JAMES!" Shouted Lily.

"Fine," heaved James, "If you must know... now don't be upset--it's not your fault."

"Just say it James!"

"Ok, its..." James closed his eyes in mock seriousness and said: "its Rubeus Hagrid," before sniggering.

Lily let out a scream of anger and took off running after James.

"Not to worry," yelled James mockingly and being chased by an angry Lily, " your secret is safe with me!"

"I swear, when I get a hold of you, I'll..." But what ever Lily was about to say was abruptly halted.

Lily and James stopped running and looked up to see Professor McGonogall standing before them with a curious and strict expression on her face.

"How, may I ask, is running and galavanting down the hallways conducive to your assigned Head Duties?"

Lily was about to look away ashamed until she heard James' voice next to here speak up.

"Well Professor, Lily and I had the idea of running to patrol. You see, running, has a way of improving our senses and allows us to look for hooligans and miscreants faster and better," replied James cheerily.

Professor McGonogall paused to look at them for a second. "Right then, as you were," replied McGonogall before walking away.

Lily burst into giggles. " Hooligans and miscreants?" Lily forgot her anger towards James.

"Well atleast it got us out of trouble," scowled James.

"Yeah, I guess your right." said Lily.

"If anything I ought to be congratualted."

"Ok, don't go too far." Said Lily grinning. "Now, where was I, oh yeah, how about Michael Cromer?"

Lily continued the guessing game for what seemed an hour, and still, no luck prevailed.

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FLUFF! Yeay! And there's plenty more to come. Reviews encourage me to write more—and they are greatly appreciated! SO PLZ REVIEW! Feel free to ask questions or give some suggestions!

So Lily is in denial (obviously), and deep down she knows she likes James. Oh yeah, and technically, Lily's not cheating on Chris! She doesn't know she kissed James! It's not her fault she's madly in love with (or sorry, she has deep affection for) James and doesn't know it! Lol.

a/n: many thanks to all of you who have reviewed!

Happy Christmas everyone!

-Missmarauder5