Two Heads Are Better Than One

Chapter 4

"So how was your summer, Evans?"

"Good." Her answer was short, and her look was of somewhere far away.

"That's good." There was a very long silence as they continued to walk down the corridor together. Head boy duties were surprising easy at times, and he was beginning to enjoy their time together immensely. "So...you meet anybody?"

"POTTER!" She whipped her head round to face him now, stopping dead in the corridor.

"Sorry. Sorry." James grinned in spite of himself; at least she was showing some kind of emotion now.

"Maybe we just shouldn't talk."

"Why?" His heart sunk a little.

"Because all you seem to want to do is ask inappropriate questions, that's why!" Lily's eyes flashed angrily.

"You're so beautiful when you're angry."

"Urgh! Maybe we should just split up!"

"Split up?"

"Y'know...I'll patrol down by the Slytherin's dormitories and you...well, you patrol somewhere else. Somewhere far away."

"What good will that do?"

"Well for starters, it will prevent me from developing a headache from listening to you yammer away about utter nonsense. Secondly, it will take me somewhere where you are not, and that's my favourite place to be." She walked a few steps but then turned to face him again, "And even if I had met someone this summer, it's certainly none of your business, Potter." And without another word she had stormed off down the corridor, leaving James to stand on his own and watch her leave.

He stood there for a while, hardly moving, feeling slightly dazed. He usually found it easy to talk to girls, especially when he knew they liked him. He would be suave, turn on the charm, crack a joke, wink, and they would be like putty in his hands. Every time he tried with Lily, however, he always seemed to push her away further. She was like no other girl he had ever met, and for the most part, she didn't even seem to like him that much. He figured this was what drew her to him even more; he wanted what he couldn't have. Cursing quietly, he kicked at the wall, hurt his foot, then cursed louder.

"The patrolling not going well?"

James yelled out in surprise and quickly spun around, brandishing his wand. "Who's there?"

"Calm down, calm down. It's only me." Sirius pulled off James' invisibility cloak just inches away from where James' wand was. "You could've had my eye out with that thing."

"Sorry," James stowed his wand back into his robes again then shoved his hands deep into his pockets. "What are you doing out here at this time of night anyway?"

"Could ask the same of you!" Sirius grinned at him.

"I'm Head Boy! It's my job."

"I know, I know. Doesn't mean I can't ask!" Sirius' grin grew wider. "So where's Head Girl?"

"Who knows? She left to go patrol the by the Slytherins I think." James stared, somewhat longingly, in the direction Lily had just left.

"I thought you said you'd be patrolling together?"

"That's what I thought too."

James tried his best not to show it, but Sirius had obviously already noticed the hurt expression on his best friends face. "Hey, don't sweat it, Prongs" he put a comforting arm around James' shoulder "she'll come around. Who wouldn't? Hell, if I was a girl I wouldn't be able to resist you!"

"Somehow," James removed Sirius arm from his shoulder "that just freaks me out more than comforts me."

Sirius laughed loudly "Fine!" he said, grinning broadly at James, "I'd be far too out of your league anyway."

James stirred furiously at his cauldron. Professor Slughorn has promised a tiny bottle of Felix Felicis to the student who brewed a perfect Draught of Living Death. Apparently he did this with his N.E.W.T. students every year and there was yet to be someone who could brew a perfect enough potion to win the bottled luck.

Naturally, the Marauders were all gathered at the same table in potions class (except from Peter who had only received an Acceptable in his O.W.L.) and, to James' unbelievable delight, Lily Evans.

"Let's keep all the Gryffindors at the same table shall we?" said Professor Slughorn earlier that day on their first moment upon entering the potions class, "There you are Lily, an empty space at this table here." He directed her towards the Marauders table. She sighed and hastily threw herself into a seat between Sirius and Remus.

The rest of their class was composed of mostly Ravenclaws, a couple of Slytherins (including Severus Snape) and four Hufflepuffs. James, Remus, Sirius and Lily were the only Gryffindors in the class.

"So," said Sirius, casually stirring his potion as if he had all day to brew it and not just one hour, "how come you are the only Gryffindor girl taking Potions this year, Evans? Your friends not get the right O.W.L's?"

"I don't know!" Snapped Lily, she looked very flustered and panicked (but still, in James' opinion, very beautiful) with her finger tracing the instructions on the potions book over and over. "Sorry," she said, brushing her hair out of her face and blushing slightly, "I expect they don't like Slughorn very much."

"Why's that?"

"Well, to be honest I think they find him a little creepy."

"Well there is that." Admitted Sirius, "You still in his little 'Slug-club'?" he teased.

"Yes." Lily's expression hardened again.

"What's that then? Fourth year in a row? Fifth?"

"I don't know. I don't exactly keep track."

James watched them both; Lily had definitely turned a deeper shade of scarlet since Sirius had started talking to her. She seemed to be avoiding his eyes, she wouldn't look anywhere but her own cauldron. Sirius, on the other hand, lounged with his usual easy grace, a small smile on his lips.

"Right, class," Slughorn called, "hour's up."

"Dammit." muttered Remus, who was also very flustered. He now looked very close to hitting something and James took a step towards Sirius just in case.

Slughorn shifted his way through the class, examining everyone's cauldrons as he went. "Very good Miss Evans, definitely the closest to perfect that we've had so far. Mr Lupin...hmm...pity." Remus' face was hard as stone and he began quickly scanning the textbook to see where he'd gone wrong. None of the other Gryffindors, Ravenclaws or Hufflepuffs had made a potion suitable enough to win the Luck. It was only when Slughorn had moved over to the Slytherin table did he seem satisfied. "Oho!" he exclaimed. "Looks like we have a winner."

"What? Him?" Sirius looked stunned.

"Who?" asked James, craning his neck to see who had won the potion. He had looked past Sirius' head just in time to see Slughorn hand the potion to... "Snape? How the...?"

"Greasy git must've cheated!" snarled Sirius. "How else could he have won?"

"Maybe he's just good at something you're not!" Lily retorted, swinging her head round to face Sirius so fast that Remus was temporarily drowned in her hair.

"Maybe." Sirius pretended to ponder this option for a minute. "Or...maybe he cheated!"

"You're unbelievable."

("Class dismissed" called Slughorn "Remember to put your unused and borrowed supplies back in the store cupboard before you leave.")

"Am not!" huffed Sirius. "I find myself very believable!"

"Oh of course you would! You're so conceited I'm surprised you're big head fit even through the doorway!"

"What's that got to do with Snape cheating?"

"He didn't cheat!"

"How could you possibly know that?"

"Well how do you know that he did cheat?"

"It's Snape! So obviously he cheated."

While they argued, James was pretending to take interest in what Remus has concocted, trying his best to ignore them. Then, the dreaded thing happened...

"What do you think Potter?"

Both Lily and Sirius turned to look at him, looking slightly annoyed. Lily had folded her arms across her chest and fixed him with a stern look, whereas Sirius widened his eyes as if to say; "c'mon, we both know I'm right".

"Uh..." James glanced at Remus who quickly drew a thin finger across his neck. "I think...well...you both raise valid points. But..." James gulped, "but he couldn't have cheated in class right under Slughorn's nose could he? Especially since he didn't even know what the lesson would be beforehand."

"Wha...?" Sirius' mouth dropped a little.

Lily's face changed from anger to one of smugness. "Thank you, Potter." She then turned to gather her supplies, "You see, Black, even your best friend agrees with me. You must be wrong. Again." She slung her bag over her shoulder, dropped the supplies off in the cupboard on her way past, and walked straight out the classroom without a backwards glance.

Remus sighed, also picking up his bag and supplies. "See you guys back at the common room." Then he left.

James tried to avoid Sirius' eyes; he knew they were on him. He could tell Sirius had been staring at him since he had agreed with Lily. James silently packed away his things and walked to the store cupboard with his cauldron. Just as he had placed his cauldron in the cupboard, however, another one went flying past his ear, crashing against other supplies and making some people yell out with fright. James jumped at the noise then spun around just in time to see Sirius hurry out the classroom. James sighed; he was starting to regret his decision.

Walking out of the classroom, James was feeling guilty for having betraying his best friend to Lily, but at the same time he felt anger. Why should he be the one that Sirius is mad at? He was entitled to his own opinion was he not? Sirius should learn to grow up and stop acting so childish going in huffs over an argument. A stupid argument! About Snape!

"Potter?"

James spun around; Lily had been standing in the hall beside the doorway, she'd obviously been waiting on him coming out of the classroom. "Evans?"

"Um..." she quickly glanced at her shoes then back at James "um...what was that crashing noise?"

"Oh, just Sirius." James shrugged his shoulders. "He threw his cauldron into the supply cupboard. To be honest I think he might have been aiming for my head..." James ruffled his hair at the back and tried to grin but didn't quite manage, so instead stared at the ground. Lily lightly touched his arm which made him look up immediately.

"I think you were quite brave." She smiled at him. Her voice was very soft; he'd never heard it sound like that before.

He gulped. Her smile was beautiful. "B –brave?"

"Yes. To be able to go against your best friend like that. It must have taken guts."

"Stupidity more like..."

"Well, that too." She laughed a little. "But I hate the fact that I've caused some sort of fall out between you. Is there any way I could fix things? She had moved closer to him now. "I know I've been really harsh on you lately, but I've noticed a change in you." James tried his best to regulate his breathing and keep it calm, he could feel his chest heave slightly with every inhale and his heart was beating so fast he was scared she would hear it. "You've really matured," she said quietly, "It suits you..." She was unnaturally close to him now; he could see each individual eyelash and his own reflection in her eyes. His head seemed hazy; why was she doing this? Was he imagining it? She was still looking directly into his eyes. He wanted nothing more than to throw caution to the wind and grab her. To take her in his arms here and now and hold her to him, to kiss her.

"Potter! So glad I caught you." Slughorn came waddling out of his classroom looking slightly flustered. Lily took a large step away from James, looking very suddenly red in the face. "Since you were the last one to place anything in the supply cupboard I presume it was you who made the mess?"

"Well, uh, actually sir –"

"So you wouldn't mind doing an old man a favour and clean up the mess now would you?" Slughorn smiled at him, not giving James a chance to reply. "There's a good lad, just close the door behind you when you're done. Afternoon Miss Evans." And with that he waddled off, round the corner and out of sight.

James stared after him for a moment but not really looking, he was trying to get his head round the multitude of emotions he had felt in the last ten minutes. Knowing that there was no way of picking up where they'd left off, he slowly turned to face Lily again, but she wasn't there. She was already at the end of the corridor, presumably heading back towards Gryffindor tower. He wanted nothing more than to run after her and call out her name to see if she would stop. But then his thoughts conjured up an angry McGonagall dishing him out another detention for not obeying a teachers order. He sighed, staring after her wistfully then headed back into Slughorn's classroom, kicking the doorframe as he went.

James arrived in the common room about half an hour later. A lot of the students had already made their way to the Great Hall for dinner, but thankfully the Marauders weren't among them. James found them sitting in their usual corner spot by the window; Remus with his nose buried in a book while Sirius and Peter played some exploding snap.

James hesitated then took his usual seat by Sirius. Nobody stopped what they were doing; they didn't even look up to recognise his arrival. Remus asked; "What took you so long?" without looking up from his book.

"Slughorn asked me to clean up his supply cupboard. Somebody had messed it up." James glanced at Sirius who shifted slightly in his seat, eyes fixed on the table.

"Anything else?" Remus' eyes shifted so that he was now looking at him from over the top of his book and Peter had stopped his game to stare at James too.

"What do you mean?"

"We saw Lily waiting outside the classroom when we left." said Remus.

James looked between them all (Sirius was still staring at the table. "It's your turn, Wormtail.") and smiled a little. "I think she was about to kiss me." He admitted sheepishly.

"Oh!" squeaked Peter, beaming at him "Really?"

"Yeah, but that's when Slughorn came out his class and asked me to tidy the cupboard so she didn't."

Remus expression was unreadable at first he didn't even look surprised, but then after a few seconds he gave a slightly warm smile and said "Bravo, James. Your plan worked then?"

Sirius finally looked up from the table to look at Remus questioningly while James looked at him with a bemused expression. "My -?"

"Plan, yes. The one where you would agree with Lily, instead of agreeing with Sirius, in the chance that she might see a different side to you, one which isn't constantly attached to Sirius. You were telling me just yesterday. Remember? You also said that you knew Sirius wouldn't mind because you two were best friends and he would understand."

James had no recollection of ever even thinking such a thing, never mind mentioning it to Remus. He also found it very unlikely that he even had the capability to think up such a plan. "Wh -?"

"That true, Prongs?" Sirius had turned to stare at James now, which meant that Remus was free to widen his eyes and nod his head slightly.

It finally clicked. "Oh! That plan! Yeah wow I totally forgot that I'd told you about that, Moony. Yeah, yeah I guess it did work." James tried his best to keep his face passive, hoping his lie was enough to convince Sirius.

"He couldn't tell you, Sirius, or else the argument between you and Lily may not have been real."

Sirius seemed to consider this for a moment, he still didn't look convinced. "Right." he said slowly, "I think I get you. But next time, let us all in on the joke ok Prongs?"

"Sure thing mate." he was relieved that Sirius, even though he still looked very sceptical, had obviously decided he would rather stay friends with James instead of continuing the childish huff. James knew Sirius, and he knew he wasn't stupid, but was glad things were resolved.

"Good." said Remus, setting aside his book. "Now that that's settled, can we please go eat? I'm famished."

They all stood up and headed towards the portrait hole. James waited until he was at the end of the line then caught the sleeve of Remus' jumper. Remus turned to face him. "You know, Moony" he said "sometimes I think I love you!"

A/N: Hey guys! Thanks so much for sticking with this story :) I know its taking me a while to write but I've not been writing so much if I'm honest. I go through phases - which you might have already guessed :P In my opinion, the tone of the story has started to change somewhat, but considering the fact that I started writing this story years ago, I like to think that my writing has improved in style and content a bit? What do you think? Any thoughts would be very appreciated! Also, chapter 5 is already underway (yey)! Thanks again :D