Chapter 12: Confusion

Lily Evans was now completely baffled. Ever since James Potter had been taking Miss. Westley's advice, he only talked to her about school work and Head duties.

One day, Lily was talking to the Maraudettes about this when,

"Evans!" James said walking towards them.

She held her breath.

"A third year asked wanting to know when the next Hogsmeade weekend is." James told her seriously.

"The next weekend? Well, how about two weeks from now." She suggested.

"Alright. I'll go on and tell Dumbledore. I'll see you around." James said as he left a VERY confused Lily.

"He didn't even ask me if I wanted to go with him." She mused "I'm about to ask him who he is and what has he done with James Potter."

"You're jumping again." Melissa warned.

"Sorry Adolpha." She apologized. "It's just, Bushtail might be right."

"About what?" Spica asked.

"He could be actually maturing."

0000

"Mr. Potter." Miss Westley called to the Head Boy.

"Miss. Westley?" James said.

"I haven't seen you around that much." She said. "How are things going with Miss. Evans?"

"I think I not only confused my friends, but her as well." James said.

"Well, that's a side effect." She told him.

"Well, I have to get to the Headmaster's office to tell him about the next Hogsmeade weekend two weeks from now." James told her.

"Oh. Alright. Say "Hi" to him for me."

"I will." He said smiling at her.

"Oh. James." She called back. "How do you feel about the new you?"

"It's alright."

"Well, if things don't work out, you could always change back." She told him

"I don't think I'd ever be able to revert back." He told her. "I've learned so much by actually stopping to take the time to look, listen, and think. I'm amazed about how I survived the past 6 years acting the way I did."

"Well just remember," she told him. "A prank every now and again is fine. Just not daily."

"Yes ma'am." He said to her as he left.

"Ma'am?" she repeated to herself. "I'm only a year older than him. I didn't mean for him to mature THAT much."

0000

Two weeks later,

"HE DIDN'T ASK ME!" Lily exclaimed when the girls got to Hogsmeade. "NOT ONCE! I'll never get use to this."

"You WANTED him to ask you?" Sara asked her.

"No. Maybe. I don't know." Lily told her as she watched the Head Boy go into Zonko's with his friends. "I'm confused."

"About what?" Melissa asked.

"Why he didn't ask me? What's gotten into him? What are my feelings for him? Where did Professor Peeler and Miss. Westley come from? Why is England called "England"? Why do we speak English? What causes magic? Why are some people muggles? Why does the Earth rotate the way it does? Why do we call things what we call them? What is the meaning of life?..."

"Ok Vix. We get it." Spica interrupted.

"I'm getting Dumbledore involved." Lily announced.

"Well, well." A smooth voice said to the girls. "Look who's here. The filthy Mudblood and her friends."

"Watch it Snape." Spica told him. "That's the Head Girl you're talking about."

"So what if Slytherin looses the House Cup?" Lucius Malfoy asked. "The minute we get out of school, the fact that she's "Head Girl" won't amount to anything."

"Don't make us get Potter." Melissa threatened.

"I'm scared." Narcissa Black teased. "It doesn't take a genius to notice Potter has quit pranking. That last detention must have done quiet a number on him."

Actually, he had pranked, but to a smaller scale where the Slytherins didn't notice. Such as writing on the back of robes.

"Next to the Mudbloods, Blood-traitors like the Potters are on the Dark Lord's hit list." Snape informed the girls.

"How is Potter a Blood-traitor?" Spica asked.

"He believes that Mudbloods actually have a place at Hogwarts." Malfoy told her.

Lily started to go in for the hit when,

"And," Narcissa continued, "Rumor has it that Mrs. Potter's mother was a muggle."

"Malfoy! Snape! Narcissa! Leave them alone!" Sirius Black came storming out of Zonkos wand out. None of the Marauders looked happy.

"And what are you going to do?" Snape threatened.

"I'll…" Sirius raised his wand

"I will give you each detention with Professor Peeler." James interrupted. "I've had some talks with him and he hates the "M" word more than I do. All these ladies have to do, is tell him exactly what happened."

"He was the one to come up with Bellatrix's detention for the bludger incident." Remus continued. "But Dumbledore came up with the length. Peeler wanted it to be longer."

"Come on guys." Narcissa said. "I can't stand to be in the presence of my so-called "cousin" for long."

With that those Slytherins left.

"You should have let us curse them James." Remus said

"They're not worth us wasting our magic." James told him "Let's go back to Zonkos."

The boys left leaving four very confused girls.

"Ok. Let's go to Dumbledore." Melissa said. "Not asking you out is one thing. But refusing to curse Snape into oblivion after he called you the "M" word is another."

"That is the last straw." Lily said looking at the retreating Slytherins as she ignored Melissa. "Astronomy. Monday night. They will pay with their hair."

0000

Monday night,

Peter was in the hospital wing because a Zonkos product went wrong. (That's what they get for trying to pull a prank without the others). The Gryffindors had Astronomy with Slytherins.

"I'm always nervous the Slytherins will try to push us off." John said looking down.

"You're not supposed to look down John." Remus told him. "Look up."

"Thank goodness it's a crescent moon." James observed.

"Tell me about it." Remus agreed.

Just then, the girls walked in with triumphant looks on their faces.

"What did you four do?" Sirius asked.

"Nothing." Spica told him. "If you guys can strut like you do, then we can as well."

"We don't strut." James and Remus defended themselves.

Just then, the Slytherins came up. The minute the moonlight hit their hair, their heads started glowing glow-in-the-dark green.

All of the Gryffindors started laughing. Lily looked and saw Remus fake glaring at Sirius, who was smiling at James, who shot a confused look at Remus.

"Guys." She whispered to the other girls. "We fooled the boys."

0000

"I can't believe we did that." Melissa said for the 66th time that night.

"They deserved it." Lily said. "I'm amazed Peeler knew it wasn't the boys."

"Tattletaling Snakes." Melissa called the Slytherins.

"That's it!" Spica realized as a rabbit hopped around the room. "We don't have to get Dumbledore in on this. We just need Peeler. He'll know what to do."

"Great idea Bushtail." Sara said coming out of her rabbit form. "I love that." She added referring to her transforming.

"But it's past curfew." Melissa said.

"One. We have the Head Girl with us." Spica told her. "Two. I have an invisibility cloak. Three. We're animagi."

"Maybe we should take matters into our own hands first." Melissa said.

"If we do, we do it tonight." Lily said.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were in love with Potter." Sara said.

"Please. If there's a prize for rotten judgment. I guess I've already won that. No man is worth the aggravation. That's ancient history. Been there, done that."

(A/N: I DON'T OWN THIS SONG. Italics are Spica, Sara, and Melissa)

"Who'd'ya think your kiddin'

He's the Earth and Heaven to you.

Try to keep it hidden.

Honey, we can see right through you.

Girl, ya can't conceal it.

We know how ya fell and who you're thinking of."

"No chance, no way

I won't say, no, no

You swoon, you sigh, why deny it, uh-oh!"

"It's too cliché

I won't say I'm in love

I thought my heart had learned its lesson.

It feels so good when you start out.

My head is screaming, get a grip, girl

Unless you're dying to cry your heart out.

Oh"

"You keep on denying

Who you are and how you're felling

Baby, we're not buying

Hon, we saw ya hit the ceiling

Face it like a grown-up

When ya gonna own up

That ya got, got, got it bad"

"No chance, no way,

I won't say it, no, no"

"Give up, give in

Check that grin you're in love"

"This sceen won't play

I won't say I'm in love"

"You're doin' flips, read our lips:

You're in love."

"You're way off base,

I won't say it

Get off my case, I won't say it"

"Girl, don't be proud

It's O.K. you're in love."

"Oh

At least out loud, I won't say I'm in…"

Just then, there was a knock on the Head Girl's apartment door.

"Who is it?" Lily asked.

"It's Black and Lupin." Sirius voice came. "We need to speak to you girls."

Lily opened the door to reveal Sirius and Remus.

"What about?" she asked.

"We're worried about James." Sirius said. "We wanted to know if you knew anything."

"If James doesn't tell, then we're going to tell Professor Peeler." Spica informed them of the plan.

"Good idea." Remus said. "But first, let's try to get it out of James."

0000

In the common room, they found James…doing homework.

"Who are you and what have you done to James Potter?" Spica asked.

"I'm getting asked that a lot." James observed.

"Well, I'm just concerned." Lily said.

James rose an eyebrow.

"This is a first." He said.

"Hey!" she said indignantly. "What about that time when I helped you during the Quidditch incident?"

"You said you only did that because I wasn't in my right mind." James reminded her.

"Well maybe I lied and I really DID care then. A lot. Since third year." Lily admitted before quickly covering her mouth.

Her secret was out.

TBC

A/N: In case anyone was wondering why her feeling for James were a secret, the answer is in the next chapter. So be patient.