Another chapter for those of you who seem to be hooked on this story.

Sorry it took so long - I'm very busy with school. But if you really like this story and review - I'll be sure to update it :)

Chapter III - Intoxicated Will

"Look at him. Look at his little midget face." James muttered into his goblet of pumpkin juice, practically chewing on the rim to benefit his frustration. Remus lowered his eyes and gazed where James' death stare lead.

"He's not a midget, James. He's eleven." Remus answered, playing with his food. James nodded his head like a shaking leaf. He put down his cup but did not – under any circumstances – break his gaze between himself and his arch nemesis – Nigel Puckle.

"Yeah. . . Bloody eleven year old midget."

"I find that term offensive!" Peter squeaked like a mouse, the most chipper of the morning. The food he had shovelled into his mouth fell out the sides and onto the table once more. Sirius pulled back with a sickened look painted onto his face.

"I find your table manners offensive. Honestly, Wormy. Were you raised in a barn?"

"No." Peter muttered, missing the point of Sirius' rhetorical question. James made a fist with his fork in grasp, he stabbed the dull end into the table repetitively.

"If I wasn't avoiding missing the game, I'd smack him over the head with my plate." Prongs nudged Sirius with a jab from his elbow as Sirius was attempting to eat resulting the food on his fork to hit his lap. Mouth still ajar, Sirius shifted his eyes to his friend, an air of rage floating around him.

"Let's not be rash. Lily is in ear shot, Prongs." Peter piped and nodded his head to the direction of Lily Evans, who sat idly with her group of friends.

"Did you hear him run his mouth at me? He deserves worse! I'll hang him in the air if I hear one more peep out of that little gnome!" James promised. Peter, Sirius and Remus shared looks with a sigh. His friends were beginning to grow exhausted with James moaning on and on about the young bloke.

"Run his mouth? He merely pointed out how contradicting you were." Remus offered. James' mouth hung, shocked with betrayal.

"Contradicting? Contradicting? I'll show you contradicting!" He tossed his fork to the table. Remus raised his brows in a dead beat manner.

"Yeah, that doesn't really make sense, now does it?"

"Pipe down, Moony." James commanded. His gaze fell toward the end of the table, he imagined himself twitching his ears like his mother's cat to catch anything from Nigel's mouth. He was just waiting for a reason to tell him off. Remus trailed where his eyes lead.

"Now you're just looking for a reason to hit him."

"Hush!" James yelled. Remus shook his head and dug himself back into his readings.

So, James listened with every ounce of ability he had in his average human ears while his friends were throwing in the towel. Clearly, James would never take a bit of reason they shoved at him. Despite being senior to Nigel Puckle and exceeding everything he did, James could not tame the jealous beast that drove inside his chest. James tried to drone out the useless conversation from those beside him. The giggly girls, the rowdy boys, the clanks of plates, knives, spoons, forks, glasses, and so much more. He wanted to silence the whole Great Hall but his plan would fall to pieces. With extreme determination, he listened and listened until finally he caught the voice of his sworn rival speak up.

"Do you have the stuff?" Nigel was now standing, pulling a boy with darker hair aside excitedly. James smirked to himself, proud he could finally eaves drop and have a decent view.

"I nicked it from my sister. Pretty cool, eh? They were just learning how to make it. Did you know it smells different to everybody?" The nameless boy said with high interest.

"Does it look like I care? I just want to know if it'll work." Although Nigel claimed to be careless, he couldn't help but eye whatever his friend was toying with in his pocket with a smile.

"I'm sure it will. Slughorn told Beth that it would work on a regular person, witch or wizard to the same extent that the Book of Advanced Potions requires. I think a few droplets will last the day. He gave her an E for it. Not bad, huh?" He finally pulled out the tiny flask, filled with pink liquid and a caged smoke.

"A day? Isn't there any that will last a lifetime?"

"I don't know, really. I'm quite sure they wouldn't be making those types in school, anyhow. You could always just give the person a new dose every time it runs out. It's not exactly love, though. It's extreme infatuation."

"Well, what's the difference?" Nigel took the flask before it was offered, he held it in front of his eyes as he examined cautiously.

"Beats me. You're the one that says you're in love, you tell me."

"Doesn't matter. I'll take anything I can get."

"Are you sure it's a good idea, Nigel?" The dark haired boy asked, looking at the flask with worry.

"Good? It's brilliant. A whole swig of this and Lily will be all over me. You can't tell me it's not a good idea." Nigel answered as he lower the flask to his waist.

"You could get in a lot of trouble, though. My sister said that when she was in first year, a boy in seventh year tricked a girl in taking it. He got in so much trouble from taking advantage of the situation."

"I would never take advantage of Lily." Nigel raised a hand to his chest, appearing appalled by the accusation.

"But... this is taking advantage of her. You're intoxicating her into liking you." The dark haired boy reached for the flask.

"I didn't ask for your opinion, Terrance." Nigel said with a tone so cold he could freeze open flames. Terrance dropped his hand, lowering his head and raising his shoulders like a scolded dog as he looked up to Nigel.

"Okay... but if you get into trouble. You did not get it from me. I just want the extra sickles." He mumbled this time, James finding it hard of hearing anything else he might have said. Terrance rubbed his neck sheepishly.

"You got it. If all goes well, you'll be getting sickles every day." Nigel dropped each sickle into the palm of Terrance's raised hand slowly. Terrance's eyes widened in joy as he began to use two hands to cup his earnings.

"Merlin's pants!" Terrance exclaimed almost identical to what James had been thinking. Nigel was planning to plant a Love Potion into Lily's pumpkin juice – or whatever she had been drinking at the moment. Regardless of James' incoherent ramblings, he had to do something. It was his duty to protect Lily.

Nigel slipped the tiny flask into the abyss of his pant pocket as he strolled up the table toward Lily and her group of giggling girls. James had to move fast. And that's exactly what he did. He shoved Remus and Sirius to get out of his way as he was in the middle of the seating of the bench. They provided him yet another look of swollen displeasure. The two boys did not budge. James began to panic, unable to offer words to explain the trauma at hand. He went with his only escape route left. James flipped himself over. Shooting his legs up and throwing his back to work with gravity and hit the floor. The entire Great Hall took in his plummet to the floor. With a shimmy of his feet, he sat up right on his arse. Looking both ways before pulling himself to his feet on his own. He made an anxious sprint towards the far end of the table.

"Hi, Lily." Nigel yipped like a new born puppy. Lily – distracted by James Potter's terrible gymnastic attempts – turned slowly to Nigel but never met eye contact with him.

"Hi there, Nige." She answered in a quiet voice before rotating backward to see the commotion. Nigel smirked to himself. 'Stupid Potter. Little does he know, him causing a ruckus like that is going to make this so much easier. I should thank him later.' Nigel mustered up disturbingly in his mind. He creeped his hand into the previous pocket and retrieved the bottle.

"Here comes Potter." Marlene announced to the group to brace themselves. They all laughed together except for Lily, her familiar glare only returned.

"Great." She mumbled right before James arrived in front of her.

"Lily!" He arrived in a clumsy state. James ran a quick hand through his hair before catching his breath.

"What was that about, Potter?" She answered, voice leaking with vexation. James ran his eyes down the group as they played the audience of the situation. Nigel popped open the cork of his flask and poured the pretty coloured liquid into her cup. James squeaked out a curse loudly. Nigel looked up at him with wide eyes appearing like a child with their hand caught in the Cookie Jar.

"What is wrong with you?" Lily asked in a shout.

"Uh. . Sorry, sorry! I just – uh . . . Well, you know me, Evans. Just practicing some moves for Quidditch. Perfecting my strategies. I'm sure you're impressed." He answered – though his eyes were stuck to her goblet. Nigel quickly threw the flask to his feet and kicked it under the table.

"Practicing? You're practicing your Quidditch crap on a bench at breakfast?" Lily span herself around on her seat to face him.

"It's not crap!" Her words caught him off guard.

"Why are you here? Do you need something or . . ."

"Um, I just wanted to inform you that I hear Pumpkin Juice causes acne. And not even little acne. Back acne! Don't even get me started about the nipple acne." James wiggled a finger in front of her nose before he poked the tip in a mixture of playful and nervous emotion.

"What the hell are you talking about? Are you saying that this whole table is going to get nipple acne?" Lily pulled back. Worried that this was another stupid prank. She put a hand on her lips. James began to nod his head as if to explain everything until he saw her expression, realizing she was going to blame him for this.

"Er... sure. I mean – no! Just your cup. You know, Evans. You look so hydrated. You could go days without a drop of water or in this case – pumpkin juice!"

"You're honestly beginning to scare me. Are you okay, Potter?" She said with a tilt of her head as she grasped her cup and brought it to her full lips. She stared up at him beneath her eyelashes as she started to banked the goblet to her mouth.

"Agh! No! Gimme that!" James snatched the cup from her hands. She screeched in surprise as a few droplets landed on her uniform.

"Potter!"

She shot up from her seat and drew her hand to his adam's apple. He backed away immediately from the end of her wand. Nigel just watched in fear. He finally came to the conclusion that Potter knew his master plan.

Nigel stepped between them. "Lily. Don't worry about him. You look a little parched from stress. Here, Potter. Give her her drink."

"I do feel a bit thirsty." Lily placed her fingers on the pulse of her neck. She didn't move her aim away from the knot of James' throat. James pursed his lips in anger.

"No! You don't!" He held the cup above his head. The height was too much for Nigel and Lily to reach.

"Seriously, Potter! You're acting more stupid than you usually do! At least when you come up to me – you usually have a plan of bothering me. Stealing my drink? How old are we? Grow up!"

"Godric, Lily. You don't understand." James mumbled in agitation. At that moment, Severus Snape was passing the three. He held his hooked nose high in the air to ignore Potter and Evans. His stomach positively churned at the sight of Lily and James' interactions.

"Oi, Snivellus!" Potter screeched right into his ear. Snape wheeled immediately.

"Piss off, Potter."

"Here, a peace offering." He pushed the goblet into Severus' flimsy grasp. Snape took the goblet with surprise.

"NO!" Nigel screamed at the top of his young lungs. Snape glanced to the idiotic first year – assuming this was another Marauder's prank. He declared he wasn't stupid enough to take anything that James Potter or his moronic friends handled.

Lily's friends were in bits laughing, they were holding their stomachs and some could bare to watch. Tears filling their eyes from the hilarity that was performing. Lily lowered her wand in utter confusion.

"Go away now." Potter tossed a hand for him to follow it's direction. Snape cocked an eyebrow.

"I shall." Snape answered before throwing the drink into James Potter's face. James struck by the liquid, he clenched his eyes shut in pain. His entire torso, face and hair were drenched with Pumpkin Juice and love potion. Lily let out a gasp before backing away from the dripping mess. Nigel looked horrified.

"No!" He cried out loud. Lily averted to him – wondering why he was worried about James' well being.

Snape stomped off, leaving James Potter soaked as a cat given a bath. James rubbed his eyes with his knuckles five times prior venturing a try at opening them.

"Oh Godric, are you alright, Potter?" Lily approached him with a napkin and some care in her body language.

"I can't say I didn't see that coming." James answered before wiping his mouth to speak. Lily began to pat out the juice from his clothes. James stared down at her with a colour rising in his cheeks as he watched her tend him. She wiped his chest with tender effort. She felt his eyes on her. She gazed up at him with those unforgettable virescent eyes. Her hand laid on his chest and between his clothes and the napkin she held – she could feel his heart beat slam the walls of his body. She smelled mild peppermint, blown out candles, brand new hard-back books, and the last scent she couldn't peg. It smelt like a bit of nature. The smell of the woods or the smell of the Forbidden Forest. James smelt vanilla sugar, broom polish, crisp air and the scent of Lily's hair. He swallowed hard and worried she could smell every single characteristic spiral. Suddenly, something snapped inside the head of James Potter.

"Oh, Nigey." He answered. Lily drew back – their small moment killed at the sweetness in his voice.

"God no. What have I done?" Nigel put his hands in his hair and pulled harshly. James walked past Lily as if she was chopped liver. Lily's mouth became ajar. James picked up Nigel by the waist and tossed him onto his broad shoulder with ease.

"Nigel, I'm in love with you, my sweet! Let's run away together!"

"Someone help me! Snape gave him a love potion!" He screamed. Lily watched with shock before helping Nigel. She pried James off Nigel with all her strength until she had him by the forearm.

"No, you can't stop our love!" James sang as loud as he possibly could, fighting off Lily to get back to Nigel.

"You knew my drink was spiked and you were trying to help..." She mumbled to him and herself as she began to realize the reasoning to the scene. James ignored her rambling.

"Nigel. I will chase you forever. No matter what – I will never give up on you!" James serenaded as he turned to the eleven year old who was running out of the Great Hall – embarrassed by the booming laughter.

"We'll take care of this, Evans." Sirius placed a hand on her shoulder for her to release him. Remus and Peter stood behind him. Lily – with a wam blush painting her face – let him go.

"Hey, Prongs!" Sirius yelled to grab James' attention. James turned around like an excited pup – you could have sworn he had a wagging tail. Sirius held Peter's empty plate above with two hands and smashed it over his cranium.

"Sirius!" Lily roared as the shards of the plate scattered around the floor. James hit the floor as well.

"A little concussion never hurt anyone – oh wait." Peter began but ended with a murmuring voice. Lily began to look distressed at the unconscious Potter. Remus scooped up the left side of his body.

"Relax, Lily. We've got this. You said yourself, he's thick headed." Sirius tapped her head with a wink.

"He'll thank us later. Wouldn't want anymore intoxicated quotes roaming about." Sirius said before he bent down the pick up the right side of him. The three boys carried off their friend in the midst of the laughter and Lily's head was filled with much to process.

It's a bit more of a comedy fiction than a romantic one.
Do you think I should bring out the fluff or keep on the laughs?
OR a mixture of both. Well, you better tell me or I'll never know :) Leave a review for more!

I'm only going to continue if I know people are reading, so :) Do as you must.