Disclaimer: Wait..let me check. pause Nope...still not JKR. sigh

"Sirius, I can't believe you drank it! I mean, weren't you listening to anything that was going on!" Remus said disbelievingly, as they walked towards their next Transfiguration class.

All four boys were trying their hardest to ignore the glares they were getting from all the students that walked past.

"I was thirsty, ok! I just took the cup closest to me! You know how –"

"Impulsive you are?" James interjected, smirking. "Yeah, we know Sirius."

"Well you'll just have to suffer with everyone else, then." Remus said, even though now he was grinning.

The idea of Sirius drinking the potion seemed to have hit all the Marauders hard and now James, Remus and Peter were all laughing loudly. Sirius was grumbling to himself.

"Some friends I have…"

James choked whilst trying to stop himself from laughing.

"Come on Sirius – ha ha – you have to – ha ha ha – see the funny side. I mean after all that – that planning and then you go and drink the potion yourself…" James dissolved into laughter again.

Sirius punched James lightly on the arm, whilst Remus chuckled in the background.

"Oh yeah?" Sirius quipped. "Well I guess I'll just have to hang out with Evans, Corner and McKinnon now that you guys don't appreciate me. I have to say truthfully that I prefer them to you anyway!"

Purple smoke suddenly issued from both of his ears. James, Remus and Peter burst out laughing. Sirius looked confused.

"Where's that smoke coming from?"

"You really don't want to hang out with us anymore Sirius. Truthfully?" Remus choked out.

A look of dawning comprehension suddenly spread over Sirius' face. James found himself having to lean on Remus for support from all the laughing.

"Damn! Forgot about that!" Sirius almost shouted. "Oh, shut up! Fine! I'd rather be around you guys, okay?"

The purple smoke disappeared from his ears immediately and Sirius glared at the other three boys, who were rolling on the floor.

"Ok, ok…" Remus managed to gasp out. "We'll stop, Sirius."

"Hmph! Let's just get to McGonagall's class before she blows her top like the last time when we came in halfway through the lesson. Sheesh! I could practically hear her cat self snarling!" Sirius said grouchily.

The four boys walked into Professor McGonagall's classroom to find all the other students already seated. Immediately everyone in the room, especially Professor McGonagall and Lily started glaring at the Marauders.

"Play a small prank and everyone gets so annoyed…Where's their sense of humour these days…" James mumbled to the other three boys.

They took their seats at the back of the class.

"Right," Professor McGonagall said. "You will all please continue with the work from last lesson's class. Just carry on with the practice of human transfiguration: Transfiguring each other's eyebrows in pairs."

James and Sirius paired up and so did Remus and Peter. Lily, Marlene and Alice formed a threesome with Professor McGonagall's permission.

James lazily flicked his wand whilst muttering a few words and Sirius' eyebrows instantly turned blue.

"Good work, Mr Potter," Professor McGonagall said as she passed.

After a few more tries each, James and Sirius were bored. Remus had also managed to transfigure Peter's eyebrows and was now waiting patiently for Peter to master the spell.

"I'm bored," Sirius whispered.

"Yeah, me too," James replied. "You think we should have some fun with the potion? I mean, we didn't make it for nothing!"

Sirius broke into an evil grin.

"Well Evans and company are sitting near us. Think we should start with them? Unless you want to start with McGonagall?"

James shuddered, imagining the number of detentions they would get if they provoked McGonagall.

"I think we should work our way upwards," he said quietly.

Both of them nodded.

"Evans," James hissed. "Evans, like my new look?"

Lily glanced over at James' bright green eyebrows and without thinking said, "It's a much better improvement than before, if that's what you mean, Potter."

James looked slightly disappointed but that was short lived as purple smoke suddenly streamed from both of her ears. James raised his green eyebrows at Lily and then looked at Sirius, before bursting out laughing.

"So Lily, really? You find me hot?" he said in between his gasps of laughter.

"It's Evans to you, you twit and I don't have to answer any of your questions! Fine, it's not an improvement! – The purple smoke dissolved away – Now bugger off!" Lily said angrily, knowing and cursing the fact that she was blushing.

"You didn't answer my question darling…" James whispered quietly in a sing-song voice.

"Oh shut up! Since when have I ever answered any of your questions anyway? Now go away and stop calling me darling!"

Marlene and Alice glanced at each other, both of them remembering the conversation they had earlier in the Great Hall with Lily. James was definitely not making a good case for himself.

"But, Evans, we were made for each other! The purple smoke explains it all! The secret to our future life!"

"The purple smoke holds the secret to our future life? Have you finally lost it!" Lily said, the volume of her voice rising with every syllable.

"I thought you thought that I lost it a long time ago!" James said brightly. Then he paused, thinking about what he had just said. "Wait…that came out wrong."

Remus and Sirius hid their laughter.

"You smooth talker you, Prongs!" Sirius quipped.

Remus and Peter burst out laughing. James just looked embarrassed.

"I did think you had lost it long before, Potter," Lily said sarcastically.

But, unfortunately for her –

"AHRG! POTTER, GET THIS PURPLE SMOKE AWAY FROM ME! WHAT THE HELL POSSESSED YOU TO PUT THAT DAMN POTION IN EVERYONE'S PUMPKIN JUICE ANYWAY!"

Professor McGonagall finally came over to see what all the noise was about.

"Miss Evans! What is the meaning of this?"

Lily looked up at McGonagall, purple smoke still pouring from her ears. Her face was really quite red. Sirius was having silent convulsions of laughter behind his chair. The sight of a purple-smoking eared, red-faced Lily was too much for him. James on the other hand, was staring intently at Lily to see what she would tell Professor McGonagall.

"Sorry Professor. I was just telling Potter to bugge – I mean I was giving him a piece of my mind because of that potion he used to spike the pumpkin juice with." Lily said quickly. "Fine, just to be rid of the smoke I'll say I don't think you've lost it." she added.

For the second time that lesson, the purple smoke disintegrated away from Lily's ears.

Professor McGonagall stared at Lily for a moment, before glancing at James and Sirius and saying, "I can imagine, Miss Evans,"

James and Sirius looked offended.

"Oh come on, Professor," James wheedled.

"You know you love us," Sirius finished.

"I most certainly do not," Professor McGonagall answered automatically, not even considering the effects of what was about to happen.

A millisecond of time past before –

"POTTER! BLACK! LUPIN! PETTIGREW! I don't care what Professor Dumbledore says! You will be serving detention with me for the rest of the year!" she stormed, purple smoke pouring from both of her ears from her previous comment.

"So you do love us!" James said happily.

"Awww…we knew you had it in you, Professor!" Sirius exclaimed.

"Congratulations, Professor! That makes us feel so much better!" Remus chimed.

Lily cringed. How could they find the nerve to talk to their Head of House that way?

Professor McGonagall muttered something under her breath that sounded remarkably like curse words.

Sirius raised his eyebrows.

"Wow, Minnie, I didn't know you had that in you as well!" he commented in an impressed voice.

"Black! How many times have I told you not to call me that!" she snapped.

"Sorry Professor, it's so fitting!"

"How am I supposed to stop the smoke from coming?" she asked, suddenly noticing that students around the room were pointing at her ears. She glared at them and they hurriedly looked down.

James grinned widely.

"You have to tell the truth about the lie you said just now, Professor!' he said joyfully.

Professor McGonagall twitched.

"That's the only way to stop it?"

"That's the only way to stop it!"

"I do like you all then," she said quickly.

The purple smoke kept on coming.

"You have to say the complete truth, Minnie dear!" Sirius exclaimed.

Professor McGonagall glared at him.

"Sorry! I mean, you have to say the complete truth, Professor!" he corrected.

Professor McGonagall took a deep breath before saying all at once, "I do love you all,"

The purple smoke disappeared and the whole class burst into applause.

Slightly red-cheeked, the corners of her mouth twitched before she said, "Don't think you've escaped detention, you four!" she said.

The Marauders exchanged glances before all four of them broke into huge smiles.

"We're used to it by now, Minn – Professor. Don't worry, we won't forget!"

"Carry on with your work! I've never seen such a bunch! Potter, come with me to outline your detentions then you can tell Black, Lupin and Pettigrew. There's no point for all of you to come up."

James followed Professor McGonagall to the front of the class.

A few moments of peace and silence took place before Sirius suddenly had one of the best ideas he had ever had in his life (and that was saying something). He slid his chair over to Lily's table and said, "Evans, why won't you give James a chance?"

Lily's head snapped up so quickly Sirius could have sworn he heard her neck crack.

"That is hardly any of your business, Black!" she snapped quietly.

"Actually it is Evans, because James happens to be one of my best friends and you hurt his feelings every single day."

"Potter doesn't have feelings!" Lily whispered suddenly.

Purple smoke started spilling out of her ears. Cursing, Lily muttered something under her breath and the smoke disappeared.

Sirius immediately saw what he had to say.

"Evans, you know when I said you hurt James' feelings, there was no smoke coming from my ears. But when you spoke, there was. I think it's time you came to see the truth and not just from any purple smoke."

Lily, Marlene and Alice looked stunned as Sirius moved back to his own table. Since when had Sirius been so profound?

"The worst thing was…he was actually telling the truth!" Lily murmured to herself. "

Alice and Marlene exchanged another glance at the look on Lily's face.

The end of class bell rang and smiling slightly, Professor McGonagall dismissed the class. Lily, Alice and Marlene were the first to leave the classroom.

"Wait, Evans!" James yelled. "I have to ask you something!"

"Well, you know what, Potter?" Lily yelled back. "You just can't! Leave me alone!"

James slowed down, noticing that her eyes looked slightly brighter than usual. Then he ran up to her anyway.

"James, leave her alone for a while," Alice pleaded.

"I have to ask you something Lily," he said.

"Why? Just so you can see that damn purple smoke come from my ears again? Get a life and get lost!" she yelled.

"Are you scared to answer me?" James asked quietly, suddenly looking serious.

Lily faltered.

"No I'm not! I – I just want you to leave me alone for awhile." Lily took a deep breath. "Pl – Please? Just leave me alone for awhile?"

James stood still. This was the first time Lily had ever said 'please' to him in a remotely calm voice.

"Alright then," he said and started walking back towards the Marauders, not even noticing the grateful looks that Marlene and Alice gave him. He was deep in thought about Lily's bright wet eyes…

A/N: Ok, so i kind of got the feeling that this wasn't one of my better chapters but i still hope that you enjoyed it! Don't forget to leave a review! You're all darlings:D