A/N: Okay this is chapter four, if you haven't noticed. I really tried to get a lot of LJ action in here as well as another pairing (read to find out!), as much as I could without separating from the Prankwar and getting them together. This chapter is one to pay attention to character-wise, seeing as there is a lot of insight on mostly everyone.

The next day, everyone at the Gryffindor table was eating cautiously. No one wanted to experience the food waterfall that had hit the Marauders yesterday morning. The only people who seemed to be eating with any ease at all were Gracie Harlow, Emmaline Vance and Lily Evans. They seemed to be (according to gossipers) giggling about Gracie getting peppermint ice cream allover her front.

On the other end of the table, the Marauders sat. Tense and vigilant. Only Peter (who was happily eating his new favorite waffles and ketchup) seemed to be relaxed out of all of his friends. James and Sirius were talking in low voices and Remus was reading a book titled "Surviving Newts: What to know and How to know it".

"Do you think the rules will come soon?" Said James, looking over the table for a letter.

"No," said Remus, "I think well get it tonight in a more private area, where we won't be disturbed."

A letter appeared on Sirius' plate.

"IT'S HERE! THE REPLY IS HERE!" He shouted, scrambling to open it up.

"Wait. Padfoot don't." Began James as he recognized the scarlet envelope.

Too late.

As soon as Sirius opened it, the letter leaped from his hands and a loud, clear and oddly familiar voice filled the room. It sounded annoyed, determined and headstrong. Not too patient at all. James could have sworn he had heard the voice somewhere in this same tone, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

"DEAR MARAUDERS." The voice shouted across the hall, making many students turn around and stare directly at the four boys.

"WE ARE PLEASED THAT YOU HAVE ACCEPTED OUR INVITATION IN A PRANKWAR. THE RULES AND REGULATIONS ARE JUST ABOUT TO BE DISCUSSED SO THAT THE ENTIRE SCHOOL MAY KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON AND WHO IS PARTICIPATING."

Students began to whisper excitedly at the word 'prankwar'. Lily, Gracie, and Emma talked excitedly too, acting along so as not to stand out. The voice carried on now addressing the entire school.

"TO MOST OF THE STUDENTS AND FACULTY, MOONY, WORMTAIL, PADFOOT, AND PRONGS ARE KNOWN AS THE BEST PRANKERS. THEY AREN'T."

"THIS YEAR THE MARAUDERS WILL BE COMPETING AGAINST US (THE ANONYMOUS MARAUDERESSES) IN A PRANKWAR. THIS WILL CONCERN THE STUDENT BODY BECAUSE YOU WILL BE TH JUDGES. EVERY WEEK, EACH TEAM WILL PERFORM UP TO TWO MAJOR PRANKS AND THREE MINOR PRANKS. THOSE WHO ARE PRESENT TO WITNESS THE PRANKS, VOTE AT THE END OF EVERY WEEK BY LABELING A SINGLE PIECE OF PARCHMENT LABELED EITHER MARAUDERS OR MARAUDERESSES AND SEND IT MAGICALLY BY TAPPING IT TWICE AND SAYING, SUFFRAGIUM."

"DON'T WORRY DEAR MARAUDERS; WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO CHEAT, BECAUSE ALL VOTES ARE AUTOMATICALLY SENT TO A SCOREBOARD POSTED IN THE FOURTH FLOOR CORRIDOR. THIS BOARD CANNOT BE REMOVED NY ANY MEMBER OF THE FACULTY OR STUDENT BODY SAVE FOR THE MARAUDERESSES ONCE THE PRANK WAR IS OVER."

"NO ONE CAN VOTE MORE THAN ONCE A WEEK FOR ONE TEAM. PARTICIPANTS IN THE PRANK WAR ARE NOT ALLOWED TO VOTE AND ANY STUDENTS SEEN TRYING TO CORRUPT OUR FLAWLESS SYSTEM WILL BE CRUSHED AND PUMMELED BY YOURS TRULY."

"FOR QUESTIONS, COMMENTS OR COMPLAINTS, PLEASE WRITE TO US BY OWL. JUST WRITE THE MARAUDERESSES ON THE FRONT OF THE ENVELOPE AND IT'LL GET TO US. TEACHERS PLEASE NOTE THAT ANY INTERFERENCE OF THIS PRANKWAR WILL RESULT IN THE DISAPPEARANCE OF ANY VALUABLE ITEMS YOU POSSES, INCLUDING YOUR UNDER GARMENTS. THE ONLY PERSON AUTHORIZED TO STOP THE PRANK WAR IS US OR PROFESSOR DUMBLEDORE."

"AS FOR CONSEQUENCES. IF THE MARAUDERS WIN, WE THE MARAUDERESSES WILL REVEAL OUR IDENTITY AND BE PERMANENTLY SHAMED, IF THE MARAUDERS LOSE HOWEVER, WE GET TO GIVE THEM A FULL MAGICAL MAKEOVER ON THE FIRST DAY OF EXAMS. THE FINAL TALLY WILL BE GIVEN MAY 23RD, THE DAY BEFORE EXAMS."

"THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME."

SINCERELY,

MIDNIGHT, FRECKLES, AND FROWN

A.K.A. THE MARAUDERESSES

P.S.

MS. MIDNIGHT WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT THE MARAUDERS ARE SEXIST, FAKES, EGO MANIACS AND WAFFLE LOVERS (PARTICULARLY MR. WORMTAIL)

MS. FRECKLES WOULD LIKE TO ADD THAT THE MARAUDERS ARE ALL SLIMY GITS, THOUGH HILARIOUS GITS AT THAT.

MS. FROWN WOULD LIKE TO CONCLUDE THAT SHE DESPISES THE MARAUDERS WITH A BURNING PASSION AND WOULD LOVE TO PERSONALLY BEAT THEM ALL UP.

The letter burst into flames and the entire room burst into applause in excitement.

James turned to his friends with a venomous look on his face.

"This means war." He spluttered.

"Well we better start planning a prank, gents." Said Sirius, rubbing his coarse hands together maliciously.

"I've heard that voice before." Said Remus quietly.

"Well obviously, it's someone we've met but don't know that well," Said James all-knowingly, "trust me, if my Lily was one of the Marauderesses, I would know."

"Your Lily?" Said Sirius slyly.

"Yes... I mean no! I... ugh. Forget it. Well find out sooner or later who those little girls are."

"I don't know about you guys," said Sirius, shaking his shaggy hair and winking at a Hufflepuff 7th year that burst into tears and ran off yelling about 'undying love for Sirius Black', "I think the one who was doing the speaking was real hot. I could tell. She sounded so solid and real."

"Yeah well, I wouldn't say that just now, for all we know, we could be against Snivelly in his real personality for all we know." Said James, sipping his tea.

"Okay, don't make me lose my breakfast Prongs," Said Sirius jokingly, "But really, who do you think it is?"

"Obviously someone, hot, sexy and smart." Said James.

"I certainly hope you weren't talking to Sirius about himself, Potter."

Speaking of Marauderesses...

James turned around and found himself staring at three beautiful girls. He would have instantly asked the three of them out if he had not known before hand that he would be killed. Though the three girls were equally pretty, he focused on the one in the middle. The red head.

Lily smiled happily at him and sat down to his right, shoving Sirius off the bench and onto the floor.

"I heard you need some help eating pancakes. Ten galleons say I beat you and eat the most."

"You're on," Says James, "Sirius and Gracie, will you please fill our plates?"

"Sure," they both said, before leaning in to grab pancakes and smacking heads.

"Ow! You arse, Black. Why did you get your air-filled Head in the way?" Gracie shouted, rubbing her forehead and glaring at him.

"Me?! That was all you! If you hadn't been so bloody slow in grabbing the plate, the collision wouldn't have happened it the first place!"

Lily rolled her eyes and grinned at James, and he grinned back.

"Girls are always screwing things up!" Muttered Sirius, "First those bloody Marauderesses and now this and--

He doubled over in pain as Gracie kneed him in the groin shouting, "You sexist bastard!" And sitting down huffily, while piling a dozen pancakes onto both James and Lily's plates.

"So," said Emma both innocently and conversationally as she sat next to Remus, "What's with this prankwar?"

"It's all a stupid matter of pride." Said Remus, his sandy brown hair glinting in the sun shining through the window.

"Aren't you curious to know who your opponent is?" Said Gracie, pouring syrup onto the pancakes and rolling her eyes at Sirius, who was lying on the floor groaning about 'his wounded pride and joy'.

"Yeah, but we've got a few ideas on how to catch them in the act!"

"Like what?" Said Gracie, who was now filling an emergency glass of orange juice just in case either James or Lily started choking.

"Advertising for a free date, of course!" Said Sirius, who popped up from under the table and was now leaning on Gracie's shoulder, "No girl can resist anyone of us, minus Peter."

"Hey!" Peter shouted through some ketchup and waffles.

"Only kidding Wormtail."

"Haven't you considered the fact that these Marauderesses might be immune to your so called charm?" Said Gracie irritably, glaring at the head on her shoulder, though Lily silently noted how her eyes softened when Sirius grinned cheekily up at her.

"But Gracie darling," Said Sirius, "if you're not immune to me, who else could possibly be?"

"Get off Black." She growled, shoving him on the ground again and taking out a stop watch.

Lily and James looked at each other and silently asked, Could they be any more perfect for each other?

"Alright guys. You've got five minutes to eat as many pancakes as you can. Right now you've got two dozen on each plate. No tickling or spells. Ready. Set. Go."

James and Lily dug in. Two pancakes later, James looked over at Lily and smiled a syrupy smile. And then he dug back in.

Lily was scarfing it. She had purposely not eaten anything that morning just so she could beat James. She would win this and the prankwar. How fulfilling.

James looked over a Lily again and wished he hadn't almost immediately. She was bent down so far over her pancakes that he could see a tiny bit of cleavage down her black v-neck that he was sure one of her friends had forced her in. Her emerald eyes were narrowed in concentration and her dark eyebrows scrunched up as she continued to chew. Her nearly flawless skin (minus a few dainty freckles on her cheeks and nose) was pale and soft and (though James had never touched it) looked like milk and honey. Her hair was put up in a messy bun. James always noticed that neither Lily nor her friends ever put their hair down except Emma when she didn't have enough time to pin her long, black hair up. He knew that if Lily did wear her hair down, it would have been pooling down her shoulders in long auburn tresses.

Damn, that girl is something else.

"And... time!" Shouted Gracie, making him jump.

"And the final tally. Lily, 23 pancakes. James, 14?"

The group froze. James lost an eating contest? Impossible!

"Well," said Lily rather satisfied, "It seems that you, Mr. Potter, owe me 10 galleons. You can cough up at Head's Duties tonight." James noticed with slight regret that she had sat up straight and her cleavage was no longer visible.

"Alright." He said, refusing to take his eyes off Lily's face.

"Oh, James. You've got some syrup on the corner of your mouth." Before he could wipe it off, Lily gently pressed a thumb to the corner of his mouth, removing the syrup and faintly brushing his bottom lip. What seemed like a jolt of electricity, shot through her as she touched him.

Why did I just touch James Potter's lips?

The entire group stared at them both for a minute, as if praying for something to happen.

"Well," interrupted Gracie, "I'd love to stay and gab all day but we have homework and Lily here is much stressed. Toddle loo!" She cooed, as her and Emma dragged Lily out of the hall.

"What the hell was that?" Said Sirius incredulously, wincing as he sat up a little straighter.

"I agree." Said Remus.

"What?" said James, "It was just a friendly gesture!"

"But the... way you looked at each other. It was as if you were like connected by some invisible string." Said Sirius as Remus nodded.

"Well, we're good friends." James said, beginning to finish off his pancakes.

"Yeah okay." Said Sirius moodily as he began staring at his plate.

"What now?" Said Remus, "If it hurts, just grab a bag of ice and stick it in your pants."

"It's not that. I don't even know what it is. Gracie is just...so amazing. I can't believe I hated her for the first six years of school. Now, I can't see how I could ever have hated her."

"Really?" Said Remus with amusement.

"Yeah. She's just got these... eyes that reveal everything about what she's feeling. Maybe it's just me, but even when she pretends to be mad or angry, I can sometimes tell that she's feeling something else. And her smile? The most brilliant thing I've bloody ever seen. And she's so... fiery and headstrong. Like a rock!"

"Very nice comparison Padfoot," James snickered, earning the middle finger in return, "If you're so attracted, why don't you just ask her out, snog her and get it over with?"

"Because..." Sirius replied, "Gracie is different. I want to seem smart around her. Not just extremely handsome and talented. She makes me want to... this probably sounds insane but... she makes me want to grow up a little."

"Wow. A grown up Sirius Black," said Remus laughingly, "Have you even heard of such a thing?"

"Nope, can't say I have Moony." Said James, as Sirius moaned trying to walk away to be with his own thoughts.

"Oh. . . What was that?" Gracie shouted hysterically to Lily when they got back to the common room.

"Nothing," said Lily looking at the small drop of syrup that was still on her fingers," James had syrup on the corner of his mouth and I wiped it off. What's the big deal?"

"What's the big deal, she asks?" Said Emma to Gracie, her violet eyes flashing.

"The big deal is, you gently and sweetly touched James Potter! The only time you usually ever touch him is when you hurt him, and the look you two gave each other? There was absolute passion in that glance. How could you not have felt it?"

"Because there was nothing there." Lily snapped, though deep inside her mind she kept playing that moment over and over.

"Do you even realize how in love you are with him?" Said Emma, staring dreamily off into space.

"No! Now can we just drop the subject of our pathetic love lives and do something fun?"

"Why?" Said Gracie, looking around the room as if there weren't anything else to do.

"Cause what's the point in talking about something we will never even have?" Said Lily, her eyes saddening as she spoke.

"Who's to say you are not going to fall in love?" Said Emma incredulously, sitting at her red head friend's feet and patting her on the knee.

"I say because I'm Lily Evans. Enough said."

"Lily, Oh My Lord. You are beautiful. You've got a hot bod, cherries for lips and colorful features that light up the room. And you are smart, but like the rest of us tough girls, guys are afraid of you. But James isn't."

"That's because James is James." Lily said unhappily.

"You now what? Shut up right now," said Gracie, sitting down next to Lily and putting an arm on her shoulder, "You got lucky in the good looks department, be thankful for that. You have a figure and if you say that you're fat one more time, I'm gonna stick this quill up your bloody arse."

Lily laughed and said, "I'm sorry for being a baby. What would I do without you guys? It's just, Sirius said about a week ago that I needed to get out and live and sometimes... I have a feeling that defying society isn't the way to make the most of my life."

"And you listened to what that sexist prat said to you?" Gracie demanded.

"Well, if you fall in love, go for it." Said Emma, her ebony hair spilling to the floor as she undid her low pigtails.

"What about you guys?" Asked Lily quietly, "Do you ever wonder what it would be like to stop fighting society and join it?"

"Yeah. In fact," whispered Gracie, "when we were talking to the boys a few minutes ago, and Sirius laid his head on my shoulder, I suddenly got this sudden urge to... ugh this is so gross... but... I got this sudden yearning to kiss him. Is that sick or what? He probably put some kind of fatal attraction shampoo in his hair, the bloody moron."

"You wanted to kiss him?" Asked Emma abruptly.

"Only for a moment Em, just for a second."

The girls sat together quietly for a few minutes, staring at the fire and thinking about secret wishes and desires they possessed.

The silence was broken as Lily burped loudly and said, "Must be the pancakes."

"Is it me, or are we all just extremely tired?" Emma said, yawning.

"Yeah, I am very exhausted." Agreed Lily sleepily as she lay down on the couch.

"Yes, well, goodnight Marauderesses." Gracie whispered as she too lay down next to her friends and fell asleep instantly.

James walked into the Heads Room and found the love of his life and her two friends on the couch fast asleep. It had been two hours since he last saw them because he had gone out to play Quidditch with Remus, Peter and Sirius.

Without making a single sound (minus cracking up at the situation) he levitated Emma and Gracie back up to their own rooms in the 7th year girl's dorms. As for Lily, he preferred to do it himself without magic.

Slowly and tentatively, he gathered her up in his arms in a cradle-like position and carried her up, up, and up to her private room in the Head's Dorms, all the while straining to keep from leaning down and kissing her in the open position she was in.

Laying her down on her bed, he wrapped her in a blanket, in which she curled up in like a small child. This was the first time he had ever seen her asleep and he took the one chance he had to take in every detail about her.

Like he had noted earlier that morning she was he exact definition of perfect. Her eyes were closed, yet her lids still fluttered oh-so-slightly revealing long auburn lashes. There was the smallest smile on her face and she was obviously dreaming about a pleasant something.

Or someone... He thought, not even daring to fathom who his new friend might be attracted to.

Whenever he saw Lily, whether it was in the hallway or in class, she always had a hard expression on her face that rarely ever let her emotions show. Seeing her like this, in a full state of vulnerability, made him even more in love with her than before. The fact that she was strong enough to master her emotions made her even more amazing. Her lips, which were no longer covered in syrup, were pink and pristine. They looked like a pink rose-bud about to bloom. Oh, if only he could kiss that bud and make it bloom.

He hesitated and then (after looking around to make sure no one was looking) brushed his lips against her flushed, warm cheek. It tingled where her skin had touched his.

He wrote a note, stuck it on her bedside table, and then strolled out of her room, silent, but beaming with satisfaction.

Four hours later a pair of emerald eyes opened and Lily smiled, remembering the dream she had just had.

Wait, why was I dreaming about kissing James?

Because you want to kiss him. Period.

No I don't! We are just friends!

Yeah, well keep telling yourself that Evans.

Why does the sarcastic voice in my head sound exactly like Gracie?

Shaking her head in order to clear her thoughts, Lily looked next to her and noticed a small slip of parchment on her bedside table.

Dear Lils,

Hey, just thought you might want to know how you got from the couch to your bed. It was I, James Potter, a valiant warrior who fought to carry thy fair maiden up to her fiery tower near the Dragon's keep. And your friends are in their own beds as well. See you at dinner.

-Jamsie

The red head smiled to herself and headed down to the Great Hall, and although she was acting fine, her head was already in turmoil.

Why did he do that?

Because he loves you.

He doesn't love me! What's there to love about Lily Evans?

Everything damn thing Evans! Stop putting yourself down already!

Why should I?

Cause if you don't stop, James will eventually give up and you'll never have him.

I don't want him.

Denial.

Go away.

She stopped discussing her personal matters with herself when James stood and waved her over to the table, where her friends were already sitting.

"I'm starving," she groaned, beginning to fill her plate as soon as she sat down, "How long have I been sleeping? Oh, and thanks for the note Jamesie."

"Six hours I believe, and you're welcome." Said James as he smiled down at her.

"So..." she searched for a topic, "What're you going to do for your first prank?"

"It's all confidential. Since we don't know who were up against, we've got to make sure no secrets get out."

"Oh." Said Lily, acting slightly put out which drove James nearly crazy with wanting for her now pursed lips.

"Gracie, how long have you been out?" Asked Lily, tearing her eyes away from James' face.

"About four hours, and it would have been longer if this idiot hadn't come in and woken me up saying it was an emergency." Gracie replied, gesturing to Sirius, who had a bag of ice held to his forehead.

"What was the emergency?"

"He thought his lips were gone and he wanted me to kiss them so he could know if they were still there. I beat him with my potions book. It made a very nice weapon."

Lily choked on her pumpkin juice and said, "Wow, my sympathy Sirius, but be happy you didn't get a concussion. It's happened to guys before."

"I really feel lucky now Lils, thanks." Replied Sirius saucily.

"Hey, I just realized something guys," said Emma, resurfacing from her conversation with Remus, "This is the first time we have ever sat together for an entire meal without fighting. I actually think we are getting somewhere with this friendship."

"We most certainly are." Said James, flashing Lily a brilliant grin.

A/N: Well that was the end of chapter four. Please review. I NEED REVIEWS. I CRAVE THEM. Hee, hee.