Lily

I sat down at my desk for potions. Remus, my partner from last year, had been put with Jess (not that I saw her objecting much) and I had been put with Alecia Spence…One of the world's most stupid people in the history of witches and wizards. Oh, did I mention she is also one of the many people who are obsessed with James Potter? Thought I'd slip that in there, seeing as I loathed her for it. Unlike me, James actually noticed her. Also unlike me, he knew she was alive. I mean, he flirted with her every time he had the chance to.

"Me and James made out last year, on the day before summer. You know, the last day of school?" She whispered with a giggle in my ear. I gritted my teeth as I continued to slice the mandrake leaves, putting a little bit more force into cutting it then I think was needed to. But at least it helped me resist the temptation of stabbing her way too pretty face.

"Good for you." I smiled, trying to restrain myself from throwing her into the cauldron along with the boiling water.

"She tripped!" would be my excuse if I ever did such a thing…Not that I would of course…Umm…

"He told me he loved me…" She gushed quietly, looking at James with a dreamy/misty expression. A snort of laughter passed my lips and I shook my head laughing.

She had actually believed him?

"You would if he said it to you." My mind interrupted, causing me to stop laughing. Damn my stupid brain.

I looked back at Alecia, who hadn't heard me laughing, and smiled brightly at her.

"Aww! That's so cute!" I smiled falsely, patting her shoulder and leaving the stench of boomslang skin and mandrake leaves on her clothes (accidentally, of course…).

"Isn't it?" She sighed, blushing slightly as she continued to look at the back of James' head as he flirted with Tiffany Graham (whore of the year).

"My relationship with him is so starting to get serious…" She continued, causing me to bite my tongue as another form of the word serious came into my head…

I had been so scared of the fact I had liked him kissing my ear that I had completely run out of the library after the lecture from the librarian last night and ignored him calling after me. Instead I had had the luck of running straight into Remus and James in the Gryffindor common room, not that James had noticed.

"He'd probably been working so hard on his essay that he didn't notice you…" The voice in my head scoffed, as if it was laughing at me.

"Essays!" Professor Slughorn announced, beginning to take in the potions homework from students and causing me to snap back to reality. My gaze flicked to see James with a nervous expression visible on his face. Of course he hadn't checked his essay that I had corrected for him, James Potter didn't check out anything other than girls…

"You are so lucky you have a smartass obsessing over you…James bloody Potter…"

Sirius

I looked at Lily from the corner of my eye, not knowing whether I should march up to her or stay where I was.

"Essays!" The huge bellied professor grinned loudly, beginning to advance towards me and James. My eyes grew wide in shock.

"Obviously he didn't get as pissed as much as we thought he would at that party the professors had last night…" James laughed quietly in my ear, still looking nervous though.

I grinned and pulled the essay out from my bag, knowing that I was screwed and failing no matter what I did.

"Here you go Professor! You're looking well!" James grinned overly-happily at the professor, the git probably thought that flattery would get him out of detention.

"Great tie sir!" I chimed in, handing in my pathetic excuse for an essay.

"Thank you boys." The professor smiled, glancing into our cauldrons.

"Keep stirring that wolfsbane potion Mr. Potter." He snapped, causing James to jump to attention like a dog. I bit my tongue to stop myself from laughing. After James continued to stir, the professor finally left us alone and began collecting other essays from poor stupid students like me and James. Unlike Remus and…and Lily…

I shook my head and tried to think of something else as my gaze began to stray to find Lily.

As potions came to an end, Professor Slughorn stood and asked for the class' attention for what he had to say. Probably about the essays no doubt…

"Shit I'm screwed…Shit I'm screwed…Shit I'm screwed…" I began to repeat in my head, not knowing whether I was fast enough to run out the room and not get blocked by nerds.

"Mr. Black and Mr. Potter, I would like you to stay behind after class. The rest of you may go." He announced, looking directly at me and my best mate.

As the class filed out I turned to find Lily looking directly at me. I sent her a sad smile and winked before she had to leave the room.

"Take a seat boys." Slughorn smiled, pretending that he wasn't enjoying every minute of this.

Stupid git…If his drink was spiked tonight at dinner, I would be right there with the drugs in my hand...

"I've noticed that as the class' level of understanding increases…yours is steadily declining…Would you care to explain?" He asked pleasantly, as if he wanted to be our new best friend. Drunk prat…I could still smell the fire whiskey on his breath from the previous night (unless he drank in the mornings…).

"I'm just shite at potions." James blurted out without thinking, causing me to laugh myself stupid. The professor waited for me to stop before he carried on.

"What about you Mr. Black?" He asked, raising an eyebrow at my flushed face. I hesitated, deciding it would be best if I gave a good answer unlike James.

"Same." I shrugged, not coming up with anything intelligent to say.

"Mr. Potter. Your essay was excellent, you have no detentions. I hope you continue with the good work." The professor beamed at James. Our mouths hung open in shock. How the hell had James managed not to get a detention? Hey! Maybe there was hope for me after all!

"Mr. Black, your essay was the same typical low standard, same time as usual." Slughorn added to me quickly, walking towards his desk. I barely had a chance to argue before we were waved out of his office and sent on our bloody merry way.

"What the hell is going on?" I cried; turning on James angrily as we shut the door to the dungeons behind us. How could he do that to me? He had found a way to cheat and not bothered to tell me what it was!

"I haven't got a clue!" He said with a chuffed grin, his head a million miles away. I gritted my teeth.

"Why did you not get a detention? You always get a detention!" I shouted at him, bloody furious that I had to spend three hours with Slughorn by myself.

"Maybe I handed in the wrong essay…Or maybe I'm just really smart now…" He replied with a shrug.

I sighed and decided I would forgive him for doing well, just this once.

As we headed for the common room, I thought about Lily.

She would never get a detention in a million years…Not even if she tried…

"She probably thinks you're a right prat now…" The voice in my head scoffed.

"Oh shut up…"

R/R please! Thank for reading xxNoemiexx