LILY EQUALS LIFE

By: n33n

Okay, a new approach to the whole Lily && James madness. James is arrogant and charming as ever…Sirius hot, yet maddening at the same time…Remus, quiet and thoughtful…Peter—that worm, and Lily? Oh, Lily's still feisty and kicking. Kicking James in the OUCHES.

Chapter Thirteen

James, however skeptical he was at taking Lily's advice, went to the Common Room and felt around the couches and armchairs.

About to give up and instead go up to the boys' dormitory and give Sirius a good kick up someplace and endanger the chances of Sirius procreating, he saw something oddly familiar sticking out of the corner of his favorite squishy, blue armchair that had a beautiful (in his mind, anyway) polka-dot pattern about it.

"Pink!" James gave a great, joyous shout as he was reunited with his beloved notebook.

Lily, lurking in the background, congratulated herself quietly and slid back into the shadows.

James then, after a tearful reunion with Pink and about ten minutes worth of documentation in his notebook, went upstairs to tell his good news to the rest of the Marauders.

o.O.o.O.o

"Sirius, you prat!" James greeted enthusiastically.

"What are you on, Prongs?" Sirius answered back, not quite as cheerful, having just been insulted to his face. "I told you a million times, at least, not to get into my stash of cra—"

James shook his head and intervened, "No, no. You're a prat because you hid Pink away from me when I needed it very urgently."

"Oh," Sirius said, then a look of confusion overcame him. "When did I do this?"

"Oh, I dunno, either today or yesterday," James said, giving a light shrug.

"I didn't hide Pink at all."

"Er—yeah, you did! I just found her snuggled in my favorite armchair. Now, who else would do that, Padfoot?"

Sirius, for once, looked stumped at this answer. "I dunno."

Remus looked thoughtful for a minute and before Sirius could sprout out a random person's name, quickly said, "Well, the main thing is that you got it back. I think you should drop it, Prongs. It'd save a lot of things." He gave a mysterious smile at James, who merely agreed.

"Yeah." James stayed quiet for a few minutes, which was quite rare for him, and then said softly, "D'you reckon I should give up?"

"Give up what, precisely?" Remus asked, though he had a bad feeling he knew what James was about to say.

"Lily," James said in a mournful note. "I don't think we're ever going to be together. I mean we're friends now, but look how long that took—nearly six years! It's probably going to be another six years before me and her—"

"--She and I," Remus automatically corrected.

"—yes, yes, before she and I get together. By then, we're most likely going to never see each other again. So, what's the point?" James finished half-heartedly, looking very forlorn.

"Ah, Prongs, do not give up just yet!" Sirius said, giving a sagacious glance over at James, who was still looking rather depressed.

Remus also quickly gave in his own piece of advice. "It's probably going to evolve more quickly, James. Just think, she was the one to offer friendship, not you. You still have hope, Prongs. Don't let those six years go to waste."

James's body gave a violent rattle as he said weakly, "I dunno…she's doesn't seem interested in me at all. I think I should lay low for now. I'm just really tired of waiting."

Sirius cocked an eyebrow up, looking at James in disbelief. "You're not in love with her anymore?"

James shook his head quickly. "No, no. I'm still madly in love…it's just that when she's not responding to anything, I dunno what to think. I'm just hoping these stupid feelings will go away if I don't see her as much anymore."

Remus sighed sadly. It wasn't like James to just let go. "It's whatever you want, James. I just hope you don't give her up."

Sirius nodded and grinned cheekily at James. "She's a hot redhead, I must say."

James shot Sirius a furious scowl at this comment, but let it go. He was giving up, anyways, right?

James sighed and announced tiredly. "I'm taking a nap. Mull things over, maybe."

Remus and Sirius both exchanged covert looks and leaned their heads together to discuss a plan after James's usual snores broke through the atmosphere.

"D'you think you can pull it off?" Remus asked worriedly, glancing over at James's snoring form.

"Of course! I'm a master at this," Sirius said, grinning broadly. "Jealousy, my friend, runs deep."

At these wise words, Sirius departed, in search of his subject.

Remus looked over at James again and sighed sadly. Maybe sleeping will do him good, Remus thought as he cast a spell on James that would awaken him in exactly ten minutes and make him have an urge to go downstairs, and left the room quietly.

o.O.o.O.o

"Ah, my dear Evans!" Sirius announced loudly, grinning at the flabbergasted redhead. "How are you today, my lady?"

Lily raised an eyebrow. Since when was Sirius Black so chivalrous and well-mannered? He was up to something. "What do you want, Black?"

Sirius gave her a cute pout, which Lily grudgingly admitted, forced her to soften up. "Aww, Evans, you make it sound like I'm needy or something!"

Lily scoffed. "Oh?"

Sirius nodded and then smiled almost bashfully. "But I do need your help with something, Evans."

Lily laughed. "I knew it."

"Okay, okay, miss Potion Princess. I need some help with Potions, since you're obviously so great at it," Sirius said, flattering her greatly.

Lily smiled. "Which one?"

"Well, you see…" Sirius leaned over, and they discussed it for a few minutes.

They bent their heads down at the table, mixing and adding ingredients.

James, yawning lightly, slowly ambled down the stairs, rubbing his eyes tiredly. It feels like I've only slept for ten minutes…Padfoot? And Lily?

His eyes widened, and he stopped in mid-step.

"Ooh, yes! That was good. You're a natural at this, Sirius," Lily said, beaming brightly, and then her hand quickly went down again to retrieve more ingredients.

James was crushed. To him, it looked like the two were flirting greatly and having a very excellent time together.

Their heads bent together, almost like kissing. James felt a fire burn up inside him, and rushing up the stairs before he beat the lights out of his former best friend, slammed the door harshly and retreated to his bed.

Sirius, who was downstairs, and had heard, smirked to himself. The plan is going rather smoothly.

Lily looked alarmed. "Did you hear that, Sirius?"

Sirius shook his head amiably and gestured towards the happily bubbling potion. "Nope. Must have been a house-elf. Don't fret your head about it. Look, it's done, isn't it?"

"Yes, it's the perfect shade of tranquil blue," Lily said, smiling, as she too looked at the potion.

"Great! Thanks a lot, Lily. Now, if you'll excuse me," Sirius said, apologizing as he went upstairs to suffer the wrath of Jamie Poo-poo.

o.O.o.O.o

"What the bloody hell were you doing downstairs?" James exploded with great fury as soon as Sirius stepped into the room.

"Er, does it matter? I'd prefer not to brag my snogging techniques in front of other guys…" Sirius said, grinning to himself. "It is a private matter."

James's eye bulged out quite abnormally. "You what?"

"Well, you see, it's like this," Sirius said, and pressed his two index fingers together and mushed them very hard. "And then, well, you know what happens when two people snog…"

"I can't believe you!" James cried, livid. "I say that I'm going to back off for a minute, then all of the sudden, who goes? I am your best friend, aren't I?"

Sirius shuffled uncomfortably at the genuine hurt in James's voice. "Well, yeah, but—listen, Prongs, this is for your own good, all of this."

"My own good?" James repeated, glaring hard at Sirius. "How is you kissing Lily good for me?"

Sirius grinned. "Ah, but you see, it wasn't Lily I was snogging."

"It wasn't?" James asked, looking confused. "But I saw you guys…"

"No, we were just innocently working on a potion. I, on the other hand, have just finished kissing my wonderful potion we concocted. Hah, just like Moony said you would react," Sirius said, smirking as Remus came into view.

"My dear Prongs," Remus said, coming forward and grinning as well. "Did that or did that not enflame your desire for Miss Evans once more?"

Comprehension dawned on James as he said these words. "Ohh. Well, yes, but I honestly don't—"

"Wrong," Sirius cut in cheerfully. "I heard that door slam quite angrily. The poor hinges—I might be looking into it later."

Remus then added, "Yes, you're not quite over Lily yet. In fact, you seemed pretty into her, judging from what you just did. Stop trying to find an easy way out, Prongs. You know you're in love with her. Love isn't an easy course."

James blinked twice. "Yeah," he began hoarsely, letting the truth sink in. "I think so."

"You know so."

With a determined nod, James concluded that he was going to get Lily freaking Evans, if not in ten years, most definitely in the end.

Author's Note:

Aww, this was a sad chapter to write (in the beginning anyways)..

Please review! Thanks.

A big thanks to all my dutiful reviewers and new reviewers!

Reviews greatly appreciated…!

neen