CHAPTER THIRTEEN

"Pleeease?"

Jane rolled her eyes, annoyed at her friend's incessant pleading. It was Saturday, and she was sitting in the library, trying to focus on the Transfiguration books that were on the table in front of her.

"No," she told James for what felt like the hundredth time.

"Why not?" he whined.

Jane snapped the book that she was reading shut. She looked up at him. He had been trying to get her to go to Hogsmeade with him for an hour now. He was bored out of his mind. It was one of those rare occasions when Sirius was in detention without James. James hated it and clearly didn't know how to deal with it, like an animal with separation anxiety.

"I've already told you a thousand times!" Jane said, picking up another book. "Exams are the week after next. I need to study, not go to Hogsmeade."

James rolled his eyes and laid his head down on a pile of books on the table.

"You don't want to go. Remus doesn't want to go. Sirius can't go…"

"Take Peter," Jane suggested.

James groaned a little at the suggestion. Jane suspected, though James liked all the hero-worship that Peter gave him and Sirius, that he was starting to get on James' nerves just a bit.

"Look, I'm sorry, but I really have to study," she repeated.

"But Transfiguration is easy," James said.

"Maybe for you, but for the rest of us normal people, it doesn't come naturally."

James scoffed.

"I'm normal!"

"No, you're above average. You and Sirius. Both geniuses," Jane said, almost disdainfully. James smirked a little.

"Yeah, well, I got good looks and brains. Guess I'm just lucky."

"Yeah, while I sit over here with neither of those things," Jane mumbled.

"What are you on about? You're smart," James said. "You're really good at Herbology."

"That's because Herbology's easy," Jane said.

"Other people don't find it easy."

"Do you find it hard?"

"I thought we already established that I was good at everything," James replied arrogantly.

"James, I haven't even had time to write to Sarah in two weeks. What makes you think I have time to prance about Hogsmeade?" Jane said.

"Come on! It can't be good to study this much! You need a break," James whined at her.

"No."

"How about you at least come with me to the Three Broomsticks? I'll buy you a Butterbeer and help you study there," James said.

Jane raised her eyebrows at this offer. He was going to help her study? He didn't even study. He must've been really desperate. You take someone as energetic as James and give them nothing to do, and they would act as though they were dying the most dramatic death you've ever seen.

Jane looked down at her wristwatch. A small break wouldn't hurt her. She looked up at James with a tired little smile. He smiled from ear to ear, knowing that she had given in.

"Fine, but we're not going anywhere else, and you have to help me study!"

"Yeah, yeah. All right, let's go!"

Jane grabbed a book and walked after James to the One-Eyed Witch statue. He helped her into the statue and off they went to Hogsmeade. Once they were out of Honeydukes, they walked into the Three Broomsticks. Madam Rosmerta looked at them with this stern face but then smiled. She knew they weren't supposed to be there, but she wasn't going to rat on them; she absolutely loved James and Sirius.

Jane took a seat and opened her book. A few seconds later, James arrived at the table with a couple of Butterbeers in hand.

James held true to his word for a little while at least. He wasn't a really good tutor in Jane's opinion, but he was better than nothing. After a while though, he became very uninterested.

"This is boring," James stated, snapping her book shut. Jane scoffed and tried to open it again, but James snatched it from her.

"Come on, James, I have to study," she whined. He rolled his eyes, but still held onto the book.

"Just take a break for two seconds, will ya?"

Jane huffed at him but fell back into her seat without further argument.

"So, can I ask you a question?"

"You just did," Jane said.

"How do I get Evans to like me?" he asked. Jane smirked a little.

"That's gonna be kind of hard to do."

James furrowed his brow.

"Why?" he demanded.

"Only because she hates you," Jane informed him as if he didn't already know this information.

"Well, how do I get her to not hate me?"

Jane shrugged.

"Why are you asking me for advice on how to get someone to like you? I can't get the guy I like to even notice me hardly."

James frowned.

"What guy?"

Jane took a big gulp of her Butterbeer, knowing that she had said too much.

"That's not important. But if you want Lily to like you, I guess you could start by not—"

"Who do you like?"

"I'm not telling you," Jane said.

"And why not?" James asked, affronted.

"Because you'd take the mickey out of me if I did."

"No, I wouldn't!" he lied.

"Well, you'd tell Sirius, and he would," Jane said. "He's always teasing me."

"If I promise not to tell him, will you tell me?" James asked.

"You? Not tell Sirius something? That'd be something to see," Jane teased.

"I promise I won't. I won't tell anyone. Not Sirius, not Remus, nobo—"

"Remus already knows. It's just Sirius I'm worried you'll tell."

"Remus knows? You told Remus but not me?" James asked, clearly offended at the thought. Jane shrugged.

"I tell Remus lots of things. He doesn't tell anybody if you ask him not to."

"Come on! You know I like Evans," James argued.

"Yeah, along with the whole class. It's only painfully obvious."

"No, it's not!" James said defensively before taking a sip of his Butterbeer. Jane let out a laugh at his expression.

"Come on, I promise I won't tell anybody."

Jane looked at him, debating in her head.

"Not even Sirius?"

"Not even Sirius."

Jane sighed.

"Blake Hanson, okay?"

"Alice Hanson's older brother?"

Jane nodded.

"Really?" James asked. Jane saw the look on James' face and furrowed her brow.

"Yeah, why?"

James shrugged.

"Nothing."

"What?"

"I don't know, I just don't really like him that much," James said.

"Well, why not?" Jane asked, crossing her arms.

James shrugged, and Jane just rolled her eyes at him. The only reason that James didn't like Blake was because Jane liked him. James knew that Blake was very nice and kind; in fact, he was never rude to anyone. No one had any reason to not like Blake. Except for James because Jane shouldn't be liking anyone, especially not boys that might steal her away from them.

By the time they got back to the castle, Sirius was already out of detention.

"Where have you been? I've been looking all over!" he exclaimed to James.

"We went to Hogsmeade for some Butterbeers," Jane answered.

"Bring me back anything?" Sirius asked.

James tossed him a bag of sweets they'd bought at Honeydukes before they'd left. Sirius smiled.

"Well, I have to finish studying now," Jane said.

The boys protested, but Jane insisted that if she didn't study, she'd fail. Jane's parents might have not understood too much about Hogwarts, but they knew every school gave marks. And they didn't tolerate bad marks too well.

So, James and Sirius were left alone to wonder around for a while. They found their way to the courtyard and sat down. A few minutes later, a group of second years passed by them. James heard Blake Hanson's voice and quickly spotted the older boy. James nudged Sirius' arm.

"Guess who Jane likes." Did she really believe he wouldn't tell Sirius?

Sirius perked up at this. He was always looking for new ways to tease her.

"Now you can't go letting her know that you know; she'll know I told you, and I promised her I wouldn't." That alone should have made James rethink his position on telling his friend, but no matter how smart he was, he was known to be idiotic at times.

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever," Sirius said impatiently. James nodded over to the group. Sirius pulled a face.

"Crossly? She likes Crossly?" he asked incredulously. Ian Crossly was a scrawny, pimply young lad with a terrible sense of humour and a pompous attitude.

"No," James said. "Hanson," he said, pointing over to the group again.

Sirius smiled wickedly. Oh, was this going to be fun for him.