Well…sorry this has taken a while for me to even start and I am almost positive that this will be up long after I have begun writing the first bit. This chapter is probably one of the longest I have ever written, yet, it is not that long compared to those I have read. I suppose this chapter deserves a dedication…umm…how about I dedicate it to…my husband, Jason. (Yes, I got married…via AOL instant messenger…) Any ways…here is chapter two. (Rachel…you now have ME doing the dots…)

Chapter Two

Changes

After the feast, James and Lily made their way to the Entrance Hall to meet McGonagall.

"As you know, Heads are provided with a tower to themselves. It includes two bedrooms, a bathroom, and a Common Room. You may stay in the Gryffindor Dorms if you so wish. I prefer you stay in the Head Dorm. Do not abuse this privilege. Remember that you are still in a school. I hope never to find out anything…inappropriate…has been going on. Do you both choose to live in the Head Dorm?" McGonagall asked.

"Yes, Professor." James said.

"I suppose." Lily said coldly. James frowned slightly. He had hoped she would have warmed up to the idea by now.

"Follow me." McGonagall said, leading them up many staircases. At first, they thought they were going to Gryffindor Tower, but at the last minute, they changed directions abruptly and went up a few more flights of stairs. Finally, they came to a portrait of a man standing in front of a sapphire dragon, wielding a ruby sword. "The password is 'Amor Ominia Vincit'." McGonagall said as the Portrait swung open to reveal a grand Common Room. Lily gasped as she looked around. James was very impressed as well. His family was quite wealthy so he was used to the finer things, but Hogwarts' grandeur never ceased to amaze him. Since both Heads were in Gryffindor, the Common Room was decorated in crimson and gold. There were three doors in that oh-so-grand Common Room. The first one read, in delicate gold lettering: Lily Evans: Head Girl. The middle door had no writing on it at all and the third one in deep crimson and slightly harsher writing read: James Potter: Head Boy.

"It's amazing." Lily breathed, looking around the room.

"I shall now leave you alone so that you may explore your new living quarters. Have a good evening. Oh, and please, no fighting." McGonagall said as she turned to leave.

"Good night, Professor." Lily said as she began exploring her new dorm.

"Good night, Professor M. See you bright and early!" James said cheerfully. Professor McGonagall said as she exited through the Portrait Hole.

'When will she realize that he really does care for her? They are destined for each other. Now I can see why Albus made them Heads.' McGonagall thought as she made her way down the corridor.

"Evans, can I speak with you for a minute?" James asked as he sat down on the couch.

"I suppose." Lily replied as she sat down on the opposite side of the couch.

"Do you hate me?" James asked quite bluntly. Lily was a bit taken aback.

"I don't necessarily hate you. You just annoy me beyond all possible reason." She replied.

"Do you think that, since we have to share these dorms and everything…we could…I don't know…start over?" James asked.

"I don't know. You do seem to be acting a little bit more mature than in the past, but that could also be marvelous acting. I mean, how long can this façade last? I don't know if I can. We have far too much of a negative history." Lily replied, standing up.

"Evans, wait." James said standing up as well. "Please, Lily. Give it a chance." James pleaded. Lily looked at him curiously for a few moments before letting out an audible sigh.

"Alright, but if you revert back to your old ways, I shall go back to despising you. I am going to bed now. Good night, Po-James." Lily replied as she walked into her room and locked the door.

As James watched her leave, he couldn't help but smirk. This was going to be one bet he was sure to win.

FLASHBACK: (on the train)

"We need to make this year, our last year, the best damn year yet!" James said as the train began to move.

"I have an idea!" Sirius said. James gasped dramatically. Sirius punched him playfully in the arm.

"Well, let's hear it."

"A bet." Sirius said.

"What kind of bet, Padfoot?" James asked skeptically.

"Prongs, you have to get Evans to date you by the end of the year. If you win, you get twenty galleons. If you lose, you pay us twenty galleons." Sirius explained.

"I have been trying to get her to date me for years!" James exclaimed.

"We know, Prongs…we know." Sirius said.

"But this time, we are going to help you. First, stop acting like a prat. Deflate your ego. And for Merlin's sake….STOP HEXING RANDOM PEOPLE!" Remus answered. "And don't be late to meetings, like you are right now."

"Bugger! I have to run." James said as he quickly left the compartment. In his rush, he bumped into someone.

"Oh! I'm sorry. I wasn't…" James trailed off as he realized who he had bumped into. It was none other than the object of his affection…and bet, Lily Evans.

Meanwhile, back in the compartment, the other Marauders were discussing what had just taken place.

"Moony, why did we change the bet again?" Sirius asked.

"Because Padfoot, unlike you, I am not obsessed with them shagging. I know if James changes his ways, Lily will fall for him. I am helping him get the girl of his dreams to be the girlfriend of his dreams; not the shag of his dreams."

"Whatever, Moony." Sirius replied.

"Let's just hope Lily never finds out." Remus said darkly.

"Yeah, the wrath of Evans is frightening." Sirius agreed.

END FLASHBACK

Lily walked into her room to find all of her clothes and books all put in the drawers and shelves. There was a big king sized bed with a lush golden comforter and shimmering crimson sheets. The walls were painted gold and the furniture was mahogany. James's room was exactly the same yet completely different. His walls were painted a darker gold than Lily's. He had a crimson comforter and golden sheets. Plus, the house-elves had taken the liberty of removing all of his Quidditch posters from his room and hanging them on his walls.

Back in the Gryffindor girls' dorm, Madison and Cara climbed into their beds after a long day. Cara looked over at Lily's empty bed and sighed. She was going to miss her.

The boys' dorm was not much different. Sirius was going to miss staying up with his best friend, his brother it seemed, planning their next prank. Sirius crawled over to the foot of his bed and reached into his trunk. He pulled out a small square mirror and spoke but one word ever so faintly.

"James."

The person whose name was just spoken into a mirror was in fact entering his room when he heard someone whisper his name. He glanced around. Then, his eyes settled on a mirror sitting on his nightstand. He crossed the room and picked it up. He did not see his reflection, but the reflection of the one they called 'Padfoot'.

"Hello, Padfoot. How are things going over in Gryffindor Tower?" James asked.

"Not too bad Prongs. How are things going with Evans?" Sirius asked.

"Pretty damn good, if I do say so myself." James replied. "She has agreed to be civil and we are on a first name basis. Though, I don't know how long that will last. I can't have one slip-up. Just you wait, I'll win this bet."

"Good luck to you, mate. By the way, have you seen Regulus? I haven't seen him since June." Sirius asked.

"Yeah, I've seen him. I saw him on the train. He was in a compartment with Narcissa, Snape, and a few others…you know, the usual crowd…HIS crowd." James replied.

"Damn it! You would think he would listen to me!" Sirius said a bit too loudly.

"Potter, who are you talking to?" Came Lily's voice.

"Bugger, I'll talk to you in the morning. Good night Padfoot." James said quickly.

"Sure Prongsie. See you at breakfast." Sirius replied as his reflection faded.

"I wasn't talking to anyone, Lily!" James shouted back at her. Suddenly, the bathroom door opened up.

"No need to shout, Potter. I am right here." Lily said as she stepped into the room.

"James." He said. "My name is James so please call me that. You have said it twice today; it won't kill you to say it on a regular basis."

"Fine, James. I was just wondering when you are going to be using the bathroom each day." Lily replied.

"Well, breakfast is from 7-9 in the morning. I usually jump in the shower about 7-7:15." He replied.

"Good, we shouldn't run into each other. If the door is unlocked: knock first. If the door is locked: too bad, I'll be out soon enough." Lily said.

"Okay. That's fine with me. Well, I am beat. Good night, Lily." James said as he lay down on his bed.

"You're going to sleep in your robes?" Lily asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Ah, good point." James said as he sat up and began to unbutton his shirt. He heard someone gasp then run across the room and slam the bathroom door before he was to the fourth button. He chuckled softly and continued undressing. When he was done, he slipped in between the silky sheets, took his glasses off and went straight to sleep.

The next morning, James woke up at seven o'clock on the dot. (Well, not really. It was more like 7:01 and forty-two seconds, but you get my point.) He crossed the room and was about to open the door but he heard someone singing. Very softly, of course, but they were singing. He knocked on the door and heard something hit the tile floor. Then, he heard someone running softly across the floor and unlock the door. Lily was standing before him as he opened the door. She had just been finishing up and dropped her brush.

"Good morning, Po-James. I was just finishing up." Lily said as she turned and went back into the bathroom, James following her.

"No problem. Take your time. Did you sleep well?" James asked, politely.

"Yes, I did in fact." Lily replied. She was still surprised that James had not yet made some rude or perverse comment. He really did seem to have changed, or maybe he was still tired from his most recent train trip.

"That's good." James said kindly. Lily was correct in but one aspect. While James had not said anything perverse, his mind was a different story. ' She could have slept with me. Though, I don't know how much sleeping would have been going on. I would have loved waking up next to her. Oh well, I guess I can only dream…for now.' James thought to himself. He was broken out of these thoughts by Lily's voice.

"Well, I am done here. See you at breakfast, James." Lily said as she exited the bathroom then the Portrait Hole.

"Bye Lily." James said, sighing. 'Why do I care about her so much? I used to think it was just for the chase, now…I don't know. Could I be falling for her? Oh no. Oh no, oh no, oh shit! I think I am falling in love with Lily Evans. But there is no way she would ever love me back. Damn it. This is not what I need!' James thought to himself as he got in the shower.

James finished his shower and continued getting ready. Finally, by 7:30, he left the Head Dorm and made his way down to breakfast. It took him nearly fifteen minutes to reach the Great Hall (he got lost a few times; Sirius still had the Marauder's Map). He sat down next to Sirius who was across from Remus. Surprisingly, Madison was sitting next to Remus and Cara next to Sirius. Lily was sitting on the opposite side of Remus, across from James. Peter was next to James, but no one really cares about that rat.

"Thanks for saving me a seat, Lily." James said, cheerfully.

"This was the only open seat. Don't get any ideas, Potter." Lily said. She seemed much harsher and colder in public. James was going to say something about Lily's strange behavior, but just then, owls began pouring in. A Daily Prophet was dropped in front of James. He sighed. There was another attack the night before on a group of Muggles in Bristol.

"Oh, Prongs. Professor M. Handed out time tables while you were taking your time getting down here." Sirius said as he handed James his time table. As James took it from him, he could have sworn he heard Sirius mumble something that oddly resembled 'lazy arsehole'.

There is not nearly enough time to tell you about James's horrified reaction at having Double Potions on Monday morning with Slytherins, so I shall just tell you their schedules. All of the Marauders had the same schedules, as well as Lily, Madison, and Cara. But, as with everything, there are exceptions. Madison had Divination instead of Ancient Runes or a free period. Remus and Lily had Ancient Runes instead of the free period that everyone else took. Some took Care of Magical Creatures. Well, actually, 3 of the Marauders took that class. Cara and Madison had a free period and Lily took Arithmancy with Remus. Other than those…few…exceptions, their schedules were identical.

"Madi, why are you taking Divination? It's such a stupid class." Lily scoffed.

"Because, I personally find it fascinating. Professor Beam is amazing. She can really See." Madison replied sarcastically. "And besides, it's fun to laugh at the girls who actually believe her. I consider it a free period anyway." She replied.

"Oh you just take that class because whatshisname in Ravenclaw takes that class." Cara said. Madison blushed and glared at Cara, then averted her eyes. Remus's face fell, but he quickly regained his composure. Only one person saw this. She was shocked. Did the boy she truly liked, like her back? Madison contemplated this new discovery.

"Ryan is just a friend. He's nice to talk to. Besides, you know I have my eyes on someone else." Madison replied, quickly glancing at Remus to gage his reaction.

"Really? Who is the bloke because Mo…" Sirius began but was cut off by James subtly kicking him in the shins under the table. He had almost let slip that Remus liked Madison, too.

"…because most guys are arseholes." James finished. Remus gave him a weak smile.

"Sure, Potter. Sure." Madison said as she stood up. "Well, I am off to class, now. Breakfast is almost over."

"Oh, I'm coming, too." Lily said as she put her napkin down.

"Me, too!" Cara said as she stood up and slung her bag around her neck. The three girls then left and headed towards the dungeons.

"Padfoot, you shit! You almost told Madison!" Remus whispered loudly.

"Sorry, mate. I wasn't thinking." Sirius replied sheepishly.

"Damn right you weren't. Do you think she caught on?" Remus asked worriedly.

"I don't know…she said she liked some other bloke. You may have a chance, you could be that bloke." James said.

"Yeah right, Prongs. In my dreams." Remus muttered darkly as he got up and grabbed his books.

"Dreams can come true, Moony." Sirius said as he and James got up and each slung an arm around Remus and led him out of the hall with Peter running after them.

"Hurry up, Wormtail!" Sirius shouted.

They entered Professor Slughorn's class with only a moment to spare. Cara and Lily were sitting together and Madison was all alone.

"Wormtail, would you mind if I sat with Madison today?" Remus asked.

"No, I don't mind. Go ahead." Peter replied as he took a seat next to Alice Nesser. Alice's boyfriend, Frank Longbottom had graduated the previous year.

"Is this seat taken?" Remus asked as he approached Madison.

"It is now." She said kindly as she moved her books over. Remus smiled and took the seat.

"I apologize for my friends' behavior at breakfast. I don't know what got into them." Remus said.

"That's fine. I am used to the Marauders by now. Six years will do that to a person…except maybe Lily." Madison said with a slight laugh.

"True, but James really does like her." Remus said sincerely. Madison simply nodded. After a brief pause she spoke again.

"I don't like him like that."

"Excuse me?" Remus asked.

"Ryan. I don't like him like that." She clarified.

"Okay…I guess. May I ask why you are telling me this?" Remus asked, though inside he was ecstatic.

"Just thought you'd like to know. I've liked someone else for a while. I just never had the nerve to tell him." Madison said, trying to drop a hint.

"Do I know him?" Remus asked. Just then, Professor Slughorn walked in.

"Good morning, students. This is Year 2 of N.E.W.T.S. Potions. If you are in the wrong class, leave now." Professor Slughorn said. No one moved. He smiled slightly and continued with his class.

The day seemed to drag on forever. At the end of the day, James was sitting in the Head's room working on planning try-outs and practice dates for the Gryffindor Quidditch Team. He was just finishing up some new plays when Lily walked him.

"Hello, Lily." He said with false cheer.

"Hello, James. Good day I presume?" Lily responded as she sat her bag down.

"Oh, so now it's James, is it?" James asked coldly. It was a complete change from his previous tone.

"Excuse me?"

"This morning at breakfast, you called me Potter, quite coldly I might add. Can't you just make up your mind whether you hate me or not! One minute it's 'Oh hello, James. Did you have a good day, sweetie-pie?' then the next minute it's 'Don't get any ideas, Potter, I am just going to lead you on, then crush you like a BUG!' You are so infuriating!" He shouted at her. She looked stunned. Her eyes were wide and she was motionless, even a little pale. James realized what he said a split second after he finished. He instantly felt immense guilt. He crossed the room and spoke softly to Lily. "Lily, I am so sorry. I don't know where…" He was cut off as Lily's hand collided with the side of his face. Now it was his turn to be stunned. She bolted to her room and locked the door. James fell to the ground and put his head in his hands.

"Damn it! What have I done! I've lost her for good this time. WHY THE HELL CAN'T I EVER DO ANYTHING RIGHT?" He shouted.

"You can." Came a voice from behind him.

Yes, a cliff-hanger! Wootness2. Well, I must say I got this out a lot faster than I had previously expected…but then again, when you are home sick and you have nothing better to do, these things happen. Well…review…because I know how many people read my chapters…and very few people review…SO REVIEW!