Thank you everyone who reviewed, I'm so glad you like my story. I wasn't sure if people would like my idea much!

So without further ado, here's chapter two!

When They Wrote Essays

Chapter Two – The Third and the Fourth.

Third Year

"Lily, come ON!"

Lily groaned. "Must we do this every year, Tia?" she asked her friend irritably. "I am so sick of telling you every time, you go ahead and eat, I'll be down soon!"

She crossed out a couple of words in her essay. She was already in a bad mood because some first years had sat down in her favourite armchairs by the fire, and had no intention of moving, and the library was closed for the day so she couldn't finish her work in peace, and now Tia wanted her to go down and eat dinner at that moment because it was 'tradition'. Well screw tradition.

Tia looked at Lily, hurt. "Well sorry if I wanted us to have dinner with each other. I'm sorry I bothered you," she said sarcastically and pushed past her friend, making Lily spill ink over her essay.

"OH FOR MERLIN'S SAKE!" Lily exploded. Everyone in the common room turned to face her, including her friends. Tia looked horrified.

"Oh my God, Lily, I'm so sorry, here, I'll help you clean—" she started to say, but Lily interrupted her.

"I don't want your help!" she screeched, her eyes stinging. "I don't want anyone's help! Just leave me in peace and let me do my essay! Can't you see that I'm trying to work? Do you want me to shoutbecause you find it funny?"

No one answered. Lily glared at everyone and sat back down on her chair, scrunching up the essay with more force than necessary, and then threw it against the wall. Everyone slowly went back to what they were doing before, only now they were much quieter. Lily got out another piece of parchment and started writing again, snarling and forcefully crossing out every time she made a mistake. Her friends came over and sat down next to her.

"Leave me alone," she snapped. They all glanced at each other.

"We're not leaving without you, Lils," said Arcadia gently. She looked around. Tia looked at Lily nervously.

"Lily, I'm sorry I ruined your essay," she blurted out, close to tears. "I'm really, really sorry. Please forgive me, let me help you!"

Lily looked up at her friend and saw she was genuinely sorry (and almost crying), and felt her heart give a small pull. Yes, she felt guilty about screaming at Tia.

"Oh, it wasn't your fault," she sniffed. "It's just, it's been a really bad year, and everyone was being really loud and I have to hand my Animagus essay to McGonagall today or I get detention next year, and it's already really, really late, and I have no clue what to write!"

"But it was my fault, I shouldn't have told you to come down with us right now!" Tia wailed.

"What are you guys moaning about?" asked a voice. The girls turned around and found James Potter grinning at them.

"Oh, Lily's having an end-of-term crisis," said Carissa casually. James raised an eyebrow, grabbed a chair and straddled it. "She has no clue what to write about Animagi and her essay's already really late. And everyone's loud."

"And I've had a really bad year," Lily added, sniffling. James looked at her, amused.

"I thought you never handed homework in late, Evans?" he said, his eyes laughing. Lily shot him a look.

"Well I'm sorry that I suck at Transfiguration, Mr I-have-no-problem-with-it-and-I'm-top-of-the-class," Lily snapped. She grabbed her essay and stood up, prepared to leave and work in the dormitories, the place where she only worked in as a last resort, when James grabbed her wrist.

"Look, sorry," he said seriously, all traces of amusement gone. "I was only teasing. Listen, I can help you with your essay, if you want. I know loads about Animagi."

Lily eyed him suspiciously, and her friends glanced at each other, smirking.

"What, is this another thing to tease little Lily about?" Lily asked scathingly. "Lily needed Potter's help to do a little Transfiguration essay? Hmm?"

James frowned. "No," he replied slowly. "I was just offering my help because you'll be trouble if you don't do your essay."

James folded his arms and looked at Lily with raised eyebrows. She continued to look suspicious. James rolled his eyes after a few moments of staring.

"Just let me help you, Evans," he ordered. "At worst, I'll tease you for the rest of your life. Big deal, I do that anyway. At best, you'll get an O and McGonagall will love you. It's a win-win situation." He raised his arms in a final sort of way.

Lily's eyes narrowed. "Why do you want to help me so much anyway?" she asked. Her friends sighed, Arcadia irritably.

"Beca-a-ause," said James slowly. He paused. "I don't know actually."

Tia looked at Arcadia with raised eyebrows and a suggestive grin on her face, and they both burst out laughing. Carissa looked at them curiously, and Tia whispered something in her ear. A grin appeared on Carissa's face. Lily and James looked at them.

"What?" Lily asked her friends. They all shook their heads, still grinning. "What?"

"Never mind," Arcadia chortled. "You don't mind if we go eat now, do you Lils?"

"If she'll ever come down," Carissa whispered to Tia, and they both sniggered. Lily looked at them suspiciously.

"Yeah, go," she said carelessly, and looked back at her blank piece of parchment. When they got up, Arcadia went over to James and whispered something in his ear. As she walked away with a grin on her face, James looked at her with an exasperated expression on his face. Lily glanced at him.

"Okay, fine," she sighed, and he moved his gaze to her. "You can help me with my essay."

James grinned. "Great!" he exclaimed, moving over so he could see what she was writing. "Okay, write the title and the date and your name and stuff."

Lily did so. "Are you going to tell me what to write?" she asked him. He shrugged. "Isn't that…you know…cheating?"

"Everyone cheats at least once," James responded in a way that made it seem like it should have been obvious. Lily made a face but didn't reply.

"Okay," James continued. "Just write down what I say. Animagi are creatures that show a person's personality…"

"…you'd probably be a cat."

"No way!" Lily laughed. The common room was empty apart from Lily and James. The room was dark, only lit by the fire. They had moved over to the armchairs by the fire after Lily had just finished her essay and now they were discussing what animals they would be if they were Animagi. "Cats are sneaky and sly. I'm not."

"They're really smart," James argued. "And I'm sure you can be sneaky. You have to be sneaky to be smart!"

"Naaah," Lily shook her head. "I'm no cat."

James shrugged. "What d'you think I would be?" he asked curiously. Lily blew out of her mouth and put her feet on the armrest of the sofa. She looked up at the ceiling of the common room.

"I'd say that you would be…" she trailed off. He was arrogant; he was sporty, and proud. Her first thought was a lion. "Well, I'd say a lion. But that's too common."

"You don't think I'm common?" James asked interestedly, leaning back on his elbows on the other sofa. Usually he would have made an inappropriate comment at this point, but Lily didn't seem to notice that he didn't. She snorted.

"Please," she said. "Potter, you're an arrogant prat. You're bloody stubborn, and proud. But…you can be friendly, like you're being now." She smiled slightly. "No way that's common."

They sat in silence for a while, thinking. After several minutes, they heard people chattering as they came upstairs from dinner.

"Shit!" Lily exclaimed, sitting up suddenly. "We missed dinner!"

James also sat up, alarmed. "Oh God, what are people going to think!" he groaned. Lily quickly grabbed her essay and quill and pretended she was writing. James caught on to what she was doing and lay back down, looking bored. He flicked his wand and the candles lit up.

"…and in conclusion," he said, as people started coming in. "I think if I was an Animagus, I would be a…a swan."

Lily looked at him, eyebrows raised. "A swan?" she asked. "Why a swan?" James shrugged.

"Well," he said slowly. "They're also pretty damn stubborn. They're proud. Beautiful."

The last word came out whispered but Lily heard. She blushed and returned to her essay. "Not the baby ones," she muttered, and James grinned. "No, but they're adorable," he said laughingly. Lily threw a cushion at him. He smiled at her as their friends came over.

"Hey, Lily," said Arcadia, grinning at her friend. Lily smiled back.

"I've finished!" she said happily, waving her essay around. Arcadia's smile faded slightly.

"That's what you were doing all this time? Your essay?" she asked disbelievingly. Carissa and Tia came and sat down next to Lily.

"She was doing her essay all along," Arcadia said to them. Carissa laughed.

"Told you!" she said triumphantly. James' own friends were now sitting next to him, messing around. As Arcadia, Tia and Carissa started arguing about why Carissa wasn't right, Lily glanced at James. He caught her eye and grinned.

"Stag," she mouthed at him. He smirked.

Oh Merlin, I've already been here three years! It's been three years since I first stepped on the grounds of Hogwarts as a first-year! It's a little unbelievable. Time has passed by so quickly! It seems just like yesterday that I was surprised about the Hogwarts Express, and being excited that I can do magic! Actually, I'm still excited about that, because I learn something new everyday. It's amazing that I can just wave a stick and change what something looks like, in my opinion.

Well anyway, this year wasn't the best for me. Mine and Potter's arguments were slightly less frequent, but we still had one at least five times a week. We managed to get along quite a bit, acting friendly with each other, even.

It was actually the Slytherins that ruined my year, calling me 'Mudblood' and trying to hex me and aiming curses at me. Luckily for me, I have friends that know the meanest threats around, and they left me alone. I know I should have told you, Professor, but they always left me alone in the end, so I didn't really care. I don't care. They're just jealous because I actually have friends. They're all just wannabe-Death Eaters.

Please pretend I never wrote that, Professor!

Potter and I have been getting along a bit recently, though. He helped me with my Transfiguration homework yesterday, providing me with information. So I guess I owe him one.

But it was weird, because we actually acted like friends. Like close friends. Best friends, even. How I act with Dee and Carissa and Tia. It felt funny. And unusual. Very unusual!

Lily Evans, 1974, Third-Year.

Ahh, the end of third-year. How nice this year was, waving goodbye to the first- and second-years as we left for Hogsmeade. The second-years decided to become snobby the last few months of school, as they get to go to the village next year. But we don't really care. They're only second-years.

I was helping Lily Evans with her Transfiguration homework. The essay about Animagi, which I'm very clued in about. I love the thought of being an Animagus. Maybe I'll be one some day.

Well anyway, we were talking about what Animagus we would be, and she thinks I should be a stag. I looked up what stags are like, and I found this: 'An animal, especially a pig, castrated after reaching sexual maturity'. I thought 'hang on, that can't be right', and researched some more. And what I found basically said that 'stags are arrogant and proud. They can be very dangerous if they choose to stay and fight, rather than run (if they can)'.

I'm not sure what Evans was trying to imply. That I run most of the time? Because I really don't, I argue back. At least I have the brain to do it! Haha.

James Potter, 1974, Third-Year.

"Mr Potter!" McGonagall called as the third-year Gryffindors were preparing to leave her classroom. "Can I have a word?"

James rolled his eyes at Sirius. "You go ahead," he said to his friends. "I'll catch you up."

He walked over to McGonagall's desk, eyebrows raised inquisitively.

"Potter, you barely wrote anything on your essay," said McGonagall, holding it up. "The plan was to write at least two hundred and fifty words, to stop people from writing one paragraph. You wrote two hundred!"

James was suppressing a smile. McGonagall was his favourite teacher, despite the fact that she was so strict. And the fact that she was upset about fifty words made him feel like he was the adult, for some reason.

"Sorry Professor, but I had nothing to write," he shrugged. "This year hasn't been particularly eventful. Besides, it's not really school work, is it?"

McGonagall eyed him sternly. "Schoolwork or not, Potter, I expect you to add at least fifty words to this essay. Right now. Go, sit down."

James looked up at the ceiling. "Professor, you're really evil, have I told you that before?" he asked his Head of House. She just looked at him tiredly. "Your evilness could rival Evans'."

McGonagall smiled tightly. "Get on with your work, Potter," she ordered. James grinned at looked down at his piece of parchment.

P.S., he added, McGonagall's making me write fifty more words. I've already wasted eleven, so…wait that's confusing. I only have to write a few more words. Ooh, I've written twenty-four. Twenty-eight. Twenty-nine. Hey, this is so fun, I should do this in essays more often. Forty-one words and counting! Forty-eight. Forty-nine. And now I've written more than fifty. I deserve a medal. Or the House Cup. I'm not that fussy, really.

"I'm finished, Professor!" James stood up and handed her his essay. She read the P.S. and rolled her eyes.

"Get out, Potter," she pointed at the door, and James grabbed his bag and left, chuckling. McGonagall shook her head, smiling.

Fourth Year

"Argggh!"

Lily threw her hands up in the air in frustration. Tia looked at her from the sofa, which she was lying on, her eyes half-closed.

"What's wrong now?" she asked, yawning. Carissa sat up on the armchair next to her.

"I can't do this!" Lily exclaimed. "I've written two paragraphs and I have no clue what to write!"

Tia rolled her eyes and then closed them. "Get Potter to help you," she mumbled. Lily's icy glare went unnoticed.

"You know I can't," she snapped. She and James had had a fight during the Easter break, in which she called him a 'conceited, bullying bastard' and he had called her a 'stuck-up, bossy whore'. The fight had ended then, with Lily storming out of the common room in tears and James locking himself in the fourth-year dorms and not letting anyone – even his friends – in. The two fourth-years hadn't spoken to each other since.

Lily, remembering this, clenched her fists and scowled deeply. Arcadia, who was sitting next to Carissa on her own armchair, shot Tia a 'well-done' look and her friend bit her lip. Carissa rolled her eyes at her twin's carelessness.

"Er…Lily?" said Arcadia timidly. Lily glared at her.

"What?" she snapped. The Marauders came into the common room, laughing about something.

"D-don't you think it's time that you and James—"

"Someone say my name?" James called. Arcadia looked at him.

"Yeah, me," she replied loudly. "But don't get worked up about it, just mentioning you in passing!" She turned back to her friends. "I was, right?" she asked quietly. They all shook their heads and Arcadia shrugged.

"Well anyway," she went on, ignoring the Marauders, who were now throwing cushions at each other and talking loudly. "Lily. Don't you think you and James should—?"

"Okay, I definitely heard it that time!" James called from the window, where Sirius had cornered him. "Why are you talking about me?"

"Nose out, Potter!" Arcadia called back, tapping her nose. James pushed Sirius out of his way and started walking over to the girls, when he noticed Lily on the sofa. His smile faded and he changed his angle slightly and walked over to Peter, who was taking out his chess board.

"Give you a game, Peter?" he offered. Lily looked at the glowing fire sadly,

It's funny, really, how the people who you hate most make the biggest differences in your life.

Without the Slytherins, I wouldn't have made friends with Arcadia, because she's the one who stuck up for me a week after starting school. I didn't like her at first because she was loud and confident and I was still shy and quiet. But then we became friends, just because of the Slytherins. They were teasing me for being a Muggleborn and then Arcadia came and told them where to stuff it. We've been laughing about it ever since.

And I've never really liked James Potter, as you know, but this term hasn't been as fun as the others. The first two terms of this year were fine, they were quite fun, despite the amount of work we got! But me and Potter started having more arguments, I don't know why, but we just did. They weren't about anything really. Stupid stuff.

And then at Easter we had a HUGE argument, which you've probably heard about because the whole school was talking about it. Well anyway, after that argument, things have been kind of…boring. Because we don't talk then I don't have anyone to argue about stupid stuff with, or anyone to help me with my Transfiguration homework without them caring about wasting their time.

I just want things to go back to how they were, but they can't because I'm too stubborn, and I know Potter's too stubborn, so…well there's no way we'll ever be friends again.

I suppose I'll just have to make do with my own friends, ha. Like everyone else. Even though my friends think that my mindless chatter is a bit weird. Then again, Arcadia hasn't heard herself talk in her sleep…

Lily Evans, 1975, Fourth-Year.

Lily threw her quill down in frustration and crumpled up the Transfiguration essay she was still working on. Pieces of crumpled up parchment were spilling from the desk onto the floor.

"Bloody hate Transfiguration," she muttered under her breath. She put her head on the table and closed her eyes. After a few minutes, she reopened them and decided she'd never get that essay written, and would have to ask McGonagall for tutoring sessions next term. She pushed her chair back and bent down to pick up the mess she'd made, when she spotted a nice piece of parchment that wasn't crumpled up at all. Puzzled, she reached over and plucked it out from the pile and straightened up. She glanced down at it, and her eyes widened as she realised it was someone's end of term essay – James Potter's end of term essay! She walked over to the sofa and was just about to place it there as if she'd never seen it, when she remembered something Potter said to her a couple years ago – "Well you can read it whenever you want. You can read my future ones too, if you'd like."

She looked down at the essay again. She did want to know if James felt as crap as she did about their argument. And he did say that she could read any of his future essays…she shrugged, sat down on the sofa and began to read.

So, writing two-hundred and fifty words this year won't be so hard. It's been very eventful. And when I say 'eventful', I don't necessarily mean nice eventful.

Sirius, Remus, Peter and I did a LOT of pranks, as you definitely know since you gave us the detentions for them (which I think is unfair). Like the one where we changed Dumbledore's head to water and he splashed all the teachers nearby. THAT was funny; I think I got a stitch from laughing that day. But that might have been because we were practising Cheering Charms in the dorms.

And then there was the one where we started a fake fire and everyone went mental! I still remember the look on Snape's face when he saw his hair – I'm surprised his hair managed to burn, to be honest! You can't say we're not clever, Professor, because thinking of a plan and then carrying it out without being caught? I think that's very clever…or sneaky, I suppose, – Lily smiled slightly at the memory – but for the planning you need to be clever or you'll get caught before you carry out the actual thing!

That was the good part of the year. The other…well me and Evans had an argument at Easter. There's no doubt you don't know about that, Professor, I heard Flitwick and Slughorn talking about it. And if it managed to reach Slughorn's ears…

Well, yeah. I can't remember what the argument was actually about, which is really, really stupid, I know. We've never argued like that before, I mean, we've yelled at each other, LOADS of times, but never like that. I can't say I enjoyed it. And it's not that fun being on the receiving end of a cold shoulder either. Though I suppose I've been ignoring her, too.

Oh well. Have a good holiday, Prof!

James Potter, 1975, Fourth-Year.

"LILY! Come here, you'll never believe it!" Petunia's voice screeched over everyone's chatter. Lily turned to her friends and hugged them all.

"Bye guys," she waved at them and they all waved back. She turned round to face her sister who looked like she was bursting to tell Lily something. Her blonde hair was messy, looking like she'd been running her hand through it repeatedly, and her eyes were round and shining.

"Hurry up!" Petunia whined, and Lily sighed and walked slightly faster, her trunk almost slipping out of her grip.

"What?" she snapped as she reached her sister. Petunia held up her left hand in front of Lily's face, obviously not realising Lily wasn't in the mood to celebrate anything. On Petunia's fourth finger was a gold ring.

"I'm getting married!" she cried happily. Lily's mouth dropped open.

"No way!" she exclaimed, laughing disbelievingly, and grabbed her sister's hand. "To who? That Dursley guy?"

"Vernon, yes," Petunia replied, beaming. Lily smiled and looked down at the enormous ring.

"Bloody hell. Don't fall over; you won't be able to get up!"

Petunia laughed at her sister's comment. "Isn't it gorge—" she stopped in mid-sentence and looked up at someone behind Lily. "Er…hello."

Lily turned her head to see who she was talking to, and her grin slipped off her face. With a cold expression, she turned back to her sister.

"Mum and Dad are in the car, right? I'm gonna go say 'hi' to them," she picked up her trunk and walked past Petunia, making for the exit. James smiled sheepishly at Petunia before following Lily. Petunia eyed him warily as he walked off.

"Evans, wait," he called. She ignored him. "Evans. Look, can I just…can we…Evans, stop. Please." He let out a sigh of frustration when she carried on walking. Pursing his lips, he sped up, reached out and grabbed her arm. This time she did turn around, but on her face was an expression so hateful, so cold that he almost flinched.

"Let go of—" she snarled, but James interrupted irritably.

"Look, Evans, you don't have to talk, but it's just rude to not let me talk," he snapped. "Five minutes, and it'll be over. Okay?"

She glared at him for a few moments, before glancing over his shoulder. Petunia was looking at her, and when she noticed Lily's gaze on her, she raised an eyebrow. Lily scowled in response, and, looking around more, she spotted Arcadia and Tia both looking back at her. They smiled when they saw her. She moved her gaze back to James.

"Five minutes," she said through gritted teeth, "and then I'm leaving."

James gave her a genuinely grateful smile. "Excellent, come over here," he led her over to a pillar and leaned casually against it. Lily placed her trunk on the floor looked at him.

"Well?"

James straightened slightly and ran a hand through his hair nervously.

"Look—" he said, rumpling his hair even more, so now it looked like he'd been electrocuted.

"Quit doing that," Lily interrupted snappishly. He closed his mouth and stared at her.

"Doing what?" he asked, puzzled. She mimicked his actions and comprehension dawned. "Oh! Sorry, didn't realise I was doing it." He smiled sheepishly, and Lily almost smiled back before she caught herself. James took a deep breath and carried on talking. "Well, look. I…" he trailed off and Lily raised an eyebrow. "You're intimidating me," James sighed wearily, and Lily let a small smile creep on her face. James noticed, and it seemed to encourage him, so he ploughed on, his voice a bit stronger.

"Evans, I don't know about you, but the last few months have been hell for me. And not just 'cause of the exams. Look, I know I was a wanker, and I'm sorry, I really am, I didn't mean it at all, I was just mad, and I cant even remember why we were arguing, really, I just remember something about me doing something that I shouldn't have an—"

"Potter, you're rambling," Lily interrupted snappishly, but she was smiling at him. He stopped in mid-sentence and had just raised his hand to run it through his hair when he realised what he was doing and let it drop by his side. Lily continued, "and I haven't been great the last few months either. I mean, I was stressed about everything else and then we had that fight and, well…I'm surprised I haven't had a heart attack yet," she laughed half-heartedly. James smiled back.

"Evans, can we be…well not friends, since we never have been friends really…" he said slowly. "But can we be…can we stop giving each other the cold shoulder now?"

Lily grinned. "Yeah, all right," she said. James beamed, and Lily picked up her trunk and turned round. "Oh, and," she added, turning her head to face him, "thanks. For, you know, apologising first. I wouldn't have had the bottle!" she laughed again and walked cheerily over to her sister, who was tapping her foot impatiently.

"Evans!" James shouted, and she looked at him. He winked. "Have a nice summer!"

She winked back as she left. James watched her until her retreating back was lost in the crowds.

"Have a really great summer," he murmured, and started looking around for his own family.

A/N – that's chapter two for you! I'm not sure if I like it or not, but I hope you will! Here are a few small excerpts from next chapter, which will probably only be their fifth year.

Next Time:

"You, too, know what it is like to lose family members, James," Dumbledore interrupted him, and despite how softly he spoke, James still stopped talking immediately. "You have lost your sisters to the Death Eaters."

James pursed his lips and said nothing. His eyes stung and he refused to look at the old man sitting before him.

"You will know what to do when the time comes," Dumbledore finished.

Lily stared, silent. After a few moments, she broke it. "Why d'you want us to be friends so much?" she asked, genuinely curious. James blinked. He'd never really thought about it much.

"I dunno," he replied, frowning. "I guess I just…like you."

Arcadia smiled wryly. "You know something about that, Prongs?" she asked wickedly. James opened his mouth and closed it again. Arcadia laughed.
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