Posted on 1st May 2013, Wednesday.

Relatively important author's note: I would like to point out that this story doesn't have to be a comedy, mystery or drama. It's a story about some people and there will be a mix of everything. Up until now you've only seen the nice and sunny chapters. It might get very dark also.
In any case, this is the fourth chapter. Only James and Lily action. So... sorry about no more June, but this one is a good one for the Jily pairing.

There have been some rumours circulating that I do, in fact, own this story. I wish to deny these rumours whole heartedly, as I only own June Leto and the plotline.

Curiosity Killed the Cat

"Lily, I don't see what you're going at." Mary said frankly.

"It's all very strange, is all I am saying." Lily said, a little frustrated.

"Remind me again, What is so strange?" asked Marlene.

"It is strange because she is amazing in class, amazing in studies, amazingly quiet, and amazingly unknown." Lily burst, a little out of breath.

"I still don't get it, Lily. She must be brilliant and everything, but she lies in her silence. Leave her be." Mary said, reading the Daily Prophet.

"I can see I might have to prove it to you," Lily said heatedly, "I want to help this girl, and I want to know who she is, whether you like it or not."

Lily stormed of in frustration, her green eyes squinting for a clue as to who June Leto was.

Lily had been spending time with her every time she went to the library, and getting more and more convinced that June Leto was supposed to be the centre of attention. But somehow, people just forgot about her, as if she was part of the tapestry or a suit of armour.

"Oye! Evans!" came a voice, ringing through the entrance hall.

"What is it Potter?" asked Lily coldly.

"Don't worry, I won't ask you out," James said uncharacteristically, "Gave up on that after you petrified me on the train. I had something to talk to you about."

"What's that?" asked Lily.

"It's about that girl Sirius keeps at his toe." James said shiftily.

Lily blinked twice.

"We have ancient runes in sometime. Want to sit with me?" asked Lily. Ordinarily, this would have sent James to the seventh heaven of delight, but ordinarily, this wouldn't have happened at all. So he merely nodded, and walked with Lily to ancient runes class.

There was an air of strict business between them, and in fact Lily caught a few pointed stares at this unusual company, but they melted away when people saw the expression of grim determination on each of their faces.

It was strange that James had given up on Lily so soon, but the truth was James had not tried anything on the train. He had tried to be pleasant. But Lily was completely justified in petrifying him, as there had been numerous instances before when James had tried to be 'pleasant' to Lily.

The summer had been a bit hard on him. He had returned to school with the object of trying to repair old bridges, so that everything would be water under the bridge.

Professor Harris entered the class and began with the lesson, so Lily pulled out a spare bit of parchment and wrote in elegant cursive, So?

James looked at the parchment once, and with an uncomfortable air of someone doing a rather unpleasant job wrote back,

I had to ask you if she was going out with someone.

Lily hid her confusion while she wrote back,

No. God no. It would be difficult to go out with someone who never says anything.

Then we might be having a problem.

What is it?

Sirius told me - us - that he had found her in a compromising position and so was using her indiscriminately to do whatever he normally hated.

And you didn't say anything?

I came to you, didn't I?

So you normally use people when you find 'dirt' on them.

Heavens, Evans. We don't use them per say - we just extract favours out of them. Remember when Julia Tryst had done our homework for us?

No. When the hell did that happen?

Oh yeah, that was a secret. Really though Evans, you're a smart girl, you should have known that we don't just give essays the day we are asked to submit them.

You're right. I should have noticed every single time you gave an essay.

Cheeky as ever, Evans. Anyway, I'm worried about the two of them.

Since when were you worried about anything?

Oye! I do too get worried! Remember when we almost lost the Quidditch match?

Either I have been living in a hole, or you are spouting rubbish. When did that happen?

So you admit to my infallible ability to win every time then, Evans?

Arrogant as ever, Potter. Aside that, you do play well.

Dear sweet Merlin, I don't think you've ever said that.

Is it me, or have you gone catatonic?

Potter?

Right. Er...Yes, I was just delighting in the situation. Back to the problem at hand. I'm worried about those two.

First tell me what you found Julia Tryst doing that she did your homework.

Oh. That. We found her snogging Benjamin Fenwick.

WHAT?

Don't tear the parchment Evans, it was just the one snog.

But... Benjamin...

Yes, we all know he and Meadows are meant to be together, but there you go.

Dorcas will be devastated.

Why? She says she doesn't like him, Evans - Funny that may be, as they are clearly for each other and all that. He has had girlfriends before. Can we focus on one problem at a time?

Right. You're worried about them because...?

Her, mostly Evans. Padfoot is thick skinned, he'll bounce back. She looks like she might just die tragically any moment.

Why's that?

Don't you notice, Evans? He's bullying her.

Sirius isn't a bully.

Don't joke with me Evans. He isn't a totally horrible bully, but he does have those tendencies. I was a bully too, remember?

Potter...

Yes, Evans?

You aren't a bully.

Don't beat around the bush Evans, you know full well that Snivellus - horrible he may be - didn't deserve everything we gave him.

...

It has been eating me up for sometime Evans... I'm sorry about that time during fifth year. I was a bit of an idiot. Let's all face it: I was a prick. And I think if I hadn't provoked him, you two probably would still be friends.

Potter... I doubt it. I already knew that there was something wrong going on over there.

Still... I might have been a bit too much. Sorry about that.

No worries, Potter.

Good. Now about Leto... what's up with her?

I'm glad you asked. Here - see this.

Lily passed a copy of one of June's essays to James and watched as his eyes widened.

Who wrote this?

She did. I don't -

It was an odd thing to find a prefect passing notes in class, especially if the prefect happened to be Lily Evans and the second person in this horrifying deed was James Potter. Both of them were sentenced to one night in detention.

"Hi Evans." James Potter said happily, as he came across Lily in the entrance hall before their detention.

"Don't 'hi Evans' me, Potter. It's all your fault I'm here."

"I didn't force you to talk to me Evans. Besides, we get some more time to converse about things that matter this way."

"Whatever you say, Potter," Lily said derisively.

"And by the way, Padfoot says he's proud of you, and he never thought you were going to get detention via me of all people. In his opinion he would have gotten you detention since he was your potions partner and all."

"I have had detention before Potter, it's not like the world has ended," Lily pointed out.

"Right." James said sarcastically, "Anyway, I told Padfoot that he was an idiot for underestimating my ability to corrupt, and that really, Evans likes me a lot more than she likes you."

Lily threw him a dirty look, and James realised his folly before he had time to shut up.

"Oh... I didn't mean it like that Evans, it was just... I thought you probably liked me more as a person than as... you know like that. And Sirius being a git and all-"

"Merlin Potter, you need to get a grip." Lily said.

"Sorry. Anyway, what do we have?" asked James.

"Cleaning out the empty potions room."

"Damn. Too late to turn back now. Shall we go?" asked James.

"Alright," Lily said with a nod, and they went together to the potions room. James began emptying out the closet while Lily decided to clear out some of the old desks.

"So how on earth is June Leto such a genius, and passes by unnoticed?" asked James as he picked up some old cauldrons filled to the brim with old Witch Weeklys. "Dear sweet lord, how old is this?" asked James to himself as he picked out the magazines. "Twelve fail safe ways to get a husband before twenty." He read aloud. "I didn't know Witch Weekly was there in the eleventh century." He said bemusedly.

"I don't really know Potter, but she is a genius. And the fact of the matter is that she considers that essay to be one of the worst of the lot. She's brilliant really. I had no idea there was someone surpassing all intellectuals in Britain at sixteen." Lily picked out a piece of paper from a desk. "Professor McGonagal was looking for this. We had to scrub the whole transfiguration room in its search."

"Yes, I remember that search." James said with a reminiscent eye. "So what do you propose to do about Leto? You know curiosity killed the cat."

"Funny, that's what Marlene said," Lily said as she dusted a bundle of books. "I think there must be some confidential records of us all. If only we could get a hand on that." Her eye went of dreamily into a corner, while James tapped his nose thoughtfully.

"We could help you." He said slowly.

"Sorry?" asked Lily, brought back to earth.

"We could help you get those records." James said.

"Records exist?" asked Lily.

"Shhh!" James said shushing her quickly, "Don't talk here. The walls have ears."

"Alright what is it with the top secret voice of doom, 'don't talk here, we're under attack'?" asked Lily.

"I'm serious Evans. The teachers don't know that the marauders know about the teachers archives in the first place. Shut up. We could be in serious trouble just by mentioning it."

Lily shut up, only because James looked so serious.

He glanced around once, and said softly, so that any imaginary person didn't hear him, "I'll tell the others about it. You will recieve a note on where to meet us, and follow the instructions on the note precisely. Do that, and we might be able to get somewhere." He straightened up, and smiled as if nothing had happened and said:

"Now let's finish cleaning this room."

So... what do you think? About James and Lily specifically. Tell me if I didn't get them right, and review to save my soul.

That little bit with James going all Bond on Lily was the best part yet. Honestly. I don't think I wrote anything funnier.

Sixth chapter is going to be 'Unlikely Alliance' (I decided to give you titles to build suspicion) and is going to be posted on Sunday, 5th May, 2013.