Author's Note: I'll tell you lot later where I got the story of this ;) . Meanwhile, enjoy the latest installment! Muwaha. Ha. Ha.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything in this chapter, nor any of my other chapters. Like I have that imagination. Pfft.

Thunk.

"Seriously, Prongs, cut it out."

Thunk.

"Prongs.."

Thunk.

Sirius leaned forwards, placing a plush red pillow against the window before James's head could hit the glass pane again. "Really, it can only get so annoying. You've been hitting your head on the window the past hour."

"I don't care," said James roughly. "My head can burst open and spill out all of my brains, for all I- let alone anyone- will care."

Sirius struggled to refrain from asking, What brains? Instead, he said, "I think I would care if your brains fell miserably outwards from your messy little head. Really, who would prank with me if you were gone?"

James felt his eyes subconsciously narrow. "I'm sure the happy little traitors would be glad to help."

Here we go, Sirius thought, preparing himself for the age long argument that would come next. "They're not traitors. You set the mistletoe."

"Yes, but they went under it."

"By accident."

"Or did they?"

Sirius sighed, propping his chin in the palms of his hands. "James, if Moony wanted to snog someone, it would never be Lily."

"Oh yeah?" James retorted. "And why not?"

"Because he doesn't want to snog anyone?"

"Yes he does," James grumbled, turning back to stare miserably out the frosted window. "And he had to choose Lily to do it. You know, I think he formed a conspiracy against me the first time Lily and I locked eyes." He spun around wildly to look at Sirius- who nearly fell backwards off his chair from the sudden movement. "Wasn't it suspicious, those two always being friends? Wasn't it?"

"No," Sirius said flatly.

James sent him a murderous glare. "Fine." He faced the grounds again.

"It was an accident, James."

"No, it wasn't. They're up to something. I can smell it."

When James wasn't looking, Sirius cautiously sniffed.

Seconds later, the portrait burst outwards, admitting Lily. She heaved a sigh as she saw James, finally having found him. He, on the other hand, only sat stiffly in his wooden chair, not giving her his usual drooling stare.

Lily moved over, standing a couple feet away from James. Sirius hesitated, then moved over to the couch, warming his hands on the fire while secretly listening.

"You know me and Remus didn't want to," Lily said quietly, fiddling with her sleeve. "It was that dam-"

"Lily," James cut in, "please. Just go."

Lily froze. "What?"

"Shut up and go."

Lily straightened, looking angrily at James, her green eyes blazing with fury. "God, you are such an idiot," she muttered under her breath.

"Actually, I thought I was more of a jerk." James turned around to look at Lily. "You know me. Hostility makes me shrink up like a…" He paused. "I can't think of a non-sexual metaphor."

"You should grow up!" Lily yelled, clenching her fists angrily.

"Yeah," replied James. "And dogs should stop licking themselves. It's not gonna happen."

Sirius could only agree.

"I finally agreed to go out with you," Lily growled threateningly, "so now you have to act like even more of a prat?"

"It's part of the package," said James calmly. "You get different moods depending on what you do. Kind of like those cereal box prizes. Snogging my friend, for example, can make one slightly angry."

Lily crossed her arms. "You're like an eight year old boy with a puzzle that's just a little too grown up for him to figure out," she said before stalking off, vanishing back out the portrait.

"Even I have to admit," said Sirius after a brief pause, "I'm not liking you much now."

"Words hurt, you know."

----------

"..Remus?"

Remus lifted his head, looking cautiously around the library from behind his book. He vanished behind the paperback cover before the name-caller could spot him.

Ten seconds later, the book was lifted from his hands by a very confused Peter. "Lily is trying to find you, Moony," he said slowly, as if trying to digest the words himself and figure out what the two were up two.

"Okay." Remus pulled the book back and hid behind it once again.

"..Did you hear me?"

"Yes Peter."

"Are you going to meet with Lily?"

"No Peter."

Peter sighed, sitting beside Remus, resting his elbows on the surface of the cool wooden table. He quickly put his hands on his lap instead, the chilled wood paining his arms. The library was freezing, but that never kept Remus out.

"Why don't you go sort this out with James?" Peter asked after a long silence.

Remus was about to tell Peter he was trying to focus on reading, but it occurred to him that the words were simply floating around his brain like lost balloons. They always popped before he could catch their meaning. "Because," he said finally, abandoning the thought that Peter might leave him, "The moment I take a look at Lily, let alone stand in the same corridor as her, James will be there to toss me out the window." He glanced at Peter. "You know he would do that, too."

Peter bit his lip. "Yeah.. probably." He heaved a big sigh and nudged Remus. "Come on! You're always giving me advice. Why should mine be useless?"

"Because me advice is useless, too," Remus said. "It's always, 'I wouldn't do that if I were you, James', 'I don't think Doxy's like being disturbed', or 'Why don't we run away from the teachers after setting multiple firecrackers off in the hallway?'. Not that my advice is ever taken."

Peter knew better than to argue- which was a first. "Well.. Just talk to James or Lily. You can't avoid them both forever."

"Why not?"

"You still have a whole half a year left."

Is that it?

----------

Lily put her hands on top of her head as she walked, running slim fingers through her shiny sheet of red hair. How, oh how could this happen? She stopped suddenly, noticing who stood at the end of the hallway.

"Hello," said stiffly as she crossed her arms, not in the mood to talk to Serverus Snape.

He only blinked. "I heard about you and James," he said finally. Was it just Lily, or did his voice sound less.. cruel?

"Come here to point and call, too?" she snapped. Plenty of students had tagged her after the 'incident', asking if they had broken up and if Lily was available again. Repeatedly saying, 'I don't know' to countless people grew tiresome.

"No." Snape's eyes narrowed to their usual hard appearance. "Not like I'd be bothered to stand ten feet near your blood."

Here we go again. Lily continued forward, making sure to collide shoulders with Snape as she passed by- hard. She almost regretted doing it after.

"..I'm sorry."

Lily froze. Did Snape just say.. sorry? She turned, eyeing him. "What?"

Wordlessly, he stepped forwards, handing her a thin box. "Sorry," he said quietly, before turning and leaving in the opposite direction, careful to avoid eye contact.

"Lily?"

Startled, Lily spun on the spot. Remus stood by the corner, hands dug deeply into his frayed jacket pockets.

"Hi," she said, breathing in relief and out nervousness. "I've been looking for you."

Remus eyed the box in her hand but made no comment. "Something wrong?" he asked, surprised at the flustered expression she wore.

"Actually.." Lily stepped forwards, biting the inside of her cheek. "I.. need a favour."

"To do with James, right?"

Lily winced. "Er.. yes."

Remus sighed and leaned against the wall. He looked terribly drained. "I don't know, Lily," he said heavily. "Convincing James to believe us will-"

"I'm not trying to tell him we didn't mean to."

Remus tilted his head. "You're not?"

"No." Lily fiddled with the tip of a long strand of hair. "I know we can't convince him. So I was thinking of trying something that will get through his arrogant head."

"And..?"

"I think maybe we should stop talking to each other."

Remus's mind went blank. "What?" he asked, though he heard her clearly.

Lily sighed. "I don't mean to be rude, but.. Maybe I should hang out with you three.. except for James."

Remus raised an eyebrow. "You mean like taking us away from him?"

She shrugged. "Sort of, yes."

"I can't imagine that making it any better."

"Can you 'imagine' anything else?"

Remus looked solemnly out the window. "No," he said quietly. He glanced out the window nearby, spotting the pale moon swimming along the sea of diamond stars. He shuddered, noticing how close it was until full moon, and how far he was from James.