"Remus!" I heard my name called while doing my Charms work at a table in the Common Room and looked up to see James storming towards me.

"Yes, James, is there a problem?" I grinned before realizing how enraged he looked. It looked like smoke could be billowing out of his ears, I thought as I chuckled nervously.

"Yes, there's a problem! And no, it's not my homework this time! It's about Evans!" he pulled my chair out from underneath me, causing me to fall to the ground onto my back. My parchment went fluttering about as my ink bottle spilled over the table. Dripping onto the ground by my feet.

"James, let's be rational-" I began to rise as he put his hand on my chest, gripping to the front of my robes.

"No. You were with my girl, who you snogged a couple weeks ago, and you have always been out-of-sorts lately. Leave her alone, or I'll-" the Fat Lady opened and in walked Lily, I exhaled in relief as James rose up, giving me a look before walking off.

"Remus? You alright?" Lily inquired, timidly stepping forward and picking up a piece of parchment that had flown off my table while I sat up.

"Ya, I'm fine, thanks. You should really go to your dormitory, though... Get some sleep for tomorrow." I stood up and began to take back my piece of parchment when our hands lightly touched. I paused briefly before snapping out of my trance and taking my piece of parchment from her.

"You sure you're alright? You have a bruise on your head. James go after you again?" when I didn't give her a verbal response but shuffle my feet, she seemed to know.

"Well, night Remus. Have a good night, see you tomorrow." Lily smiled and walked off as I began to clean up the rest of my mess.

...

Walking up the Grand Staircase, I heard a group of others chattering from the stairs below me. I stayed on the moving staircase and listened in.

"Tom, it's past hours. Why are we sneaking to the Library?"Snivellus asked.

"Because I need to do some... research. Homework for Potions. Remember that essay due in a week? We need a special book for it in order to get full marks. Understand now?" a boy, who must be Riddle hushed.

"Oh Tom, you just know everything!" giggled a girl who appeared to be hanging off Riddle's arm. I gagged at the sight.

"Well, I have to know everything in order to succeed, Bellatrix." Riddle boasted.

"Yes, Lestrange. Tom has to know everything he has to because he has to... uh... Tom?" spoke a boy whose voice I've not heard before.

"I have to know everything if I want to get top marks and beat Lupin at long last! Do you understand now, Avery?" Riddle spoke in a calm manner at all times, I've noticed.

"Yes, Tom, I understand now. Just beat Lupin!"

"Don't worry, he will, won't you Tom?" giggled a hysterical Lestrange.

"Don't worry, I will. Severus, you're being awful quiet tonight. Thinking about Evans?" Riddle prodded.

"Her name is Lily. Lily Evans. But ya, I'm thinking about her. She's always with Lupin now. I don't know what I'm doing wrong! What does Lupin have that I don't?" Snivelly raged.

"Well, he's got brains, and looks that's for sure. I'm going to let you be best at Potions, and I'll succeed in the other classes. How's that sound?" there was a brief pause,"Thought you'd agree. Alright, let's get to the Library before anyone catches us!"

I climbed up the rest of the floors and entered the Common Room after giving the Fat Lady the password, when I saw Moony on the floor picking up sheets of parchment.

...

"What happened, Moony?" Sirius spoke up suddenly, startling me.

"Oh, er... James found out I was talking with Lily and... Hang on, how did he know about all that?" Sirius shuffled his feet awkwardly and looked down with a look of regret on his face.

"Sorry," he mumbled, "I couldn't stop myself. He kept talking about Evans and Snivelly and... it just slipped out! I didn't know he was going to do anything like this. Here, I'll help you clean up." he jabbered as he took some napkins and wiped up a bit of the ink stain on the carpet.

"You're a wizard, Sirius. Use your wand for that." I took out my wand, realizing I hadn't began using it to clean up either and summoned my sheets of parchment, catching them all and organizing them. Thank Merlin I had numbered them all.

We finished cleaning and I was about to head to our dormintory when Sirius grabbed onto my arm.

"Moony, I need to tell you what I just heard. Might need to sit down for this one. You gotta hear this. Please, Moony!"

"I'm awfully tired, but... alright, lets hear it." I sat down on the couch and put my feet on the table in front of the fireplace.

"Remember how I told you Snivelly was hanging out with Riddle, the Lestrange girl, and Avery? Well, I heard them talking as I was coming up here and-"

"Wait, why were you so late coming up to the Common Room?" I interrupted.

"Uh... I was meeting someone..." he may have blushed, it was difficult to tell in the glow of the fire.

"A girl? You were, weren't you!" he blushed some more as I said it.

"Well, I... Not the point! Riddle's planning to take your spot as top student, and they were all headed to the Library, and that greasy-haired git is going to be top in Potions just to impress Evans and..." Sirius took in a deep breathe and stared at me, seeming to wait for a reaction. I didn't know what kind of reaction to give, since I wasn't aware, nor did I care, that I was top student in all my classes.

"Well... Anything else? Or is that the whole story?" I grinned.

"Right! There's more! Sniv-"

"Start calling him Snape, alright?"

"Alright, 'Snape' is planning on getting Evans too! So now it's Prongs, 'Snape', and you going after Evans!"

"Well, this will not end well, will it Sirius?"

"No Moony, it won't. When this ends, you'll be lucky just to be alive, mate." Sirius pat me on the back before rising from his seat to the right of me and, I assume, he headed up to our dormintory.

"Thanks for the encouragement, Sirius..." I spoke in a near whisper, half-hoping he could hear me, half-hoping he would just go to sleep right away and stay asleep in the dormitory.

I sat there, gazing absentmindedly into the softly glowing embers of the fire. What if Lily did like me? What if she chose Severus over me? Or worse, James. My friend I've known since I was a child. So many different scenarios could occur, and at any given time.

I considered going up to the dormitory, but decided against it. James was mad at me enough already, I should just give him some time.

I lay on the couch after putting my bag underneath it, and made myself comfortable.

...

The lights were off in our dormitory, thank Merlin, as I carefully made my way to my bed, took off my shoes, and pulled up the covers. I waited for Moony to come and sleep in his bed. Waited for an hour before taking his blanket and pillow off his bed and walking down the staircase to the Common Room, confirmed my suspicions. He was sprawled out on the couch, fast asleep.

Carefully draping his blanket over him was simple, though getting his pillow underneath his head was a little more difficult. I was thinking about how to do it, when I heard a quiet cough behind me.

"Hi, Sirius. Need some help?" Evans asked from behind me.

"Hm? Oh, er..." I glanced at the staircase and was relieved to know that Prongs wasn't awake or coming down the stairs, "Yes, please. Just the pillow under his head, don't want to wake him, and..."

"It's alright, I've done it loads of time with my little brothers. I've got it." she took the pillow from me and sent me off to my dormitory.

She seems nice enough, friendly too. Quite good-looking. I lay back down in my bed, wrapping myself in the covers.

I hope Prongs doesn't end up killing Moony for liking her. Or me for just thinking she's attractive.

My mind was working on overload thinking about what could happen to us as I heard shuffling coming from Prongs' bed. Sounded like his sheets were being shuffled about.

"Padfoot. You awake? We gotta work on our Map!" Prongs's wand went alight and I resigned myself to walking quietly over to his bed.

"Alright, Prongs, what do you want to work on?" I drew my wand as we both heard a quiet snore coming from Wormtail's bed.

"I want to work on letting us know who is where!"

"And how are we going to do that, exactly?"

"Well, I think maybe a sort of tracking system? Place a bit of certain magic on each person that enters the Castle grounds that allow us to see where others are!" his face glowed as he spoke, excited about starting The Marauders Map.

"Brilliant idea! Question is, how are we going to find the spell to use it?" Prongs frowned slightly at the question, only to perk up again quickly.

"The Library must have a book of spells, probably millions, of spells that could help us! Tomorrow, we go to the Library. After our last class. What class have you got last?"

"Oh, er... I think it's Potions."

"Great! I've got Charms! Unless I have another detention with McGonagall... I hate that woman."

"Alright, so, meet you at the Library after last class then..."

I made my way back to my bed and thought instead about tomorrow. How exciting it was to be working on our Map! The Marauders Map. Has a nice ring to it.

I realized exactly how exhausting a day I had while I was pulling up my covers for the third time that night and fell asleep even before my head reached the pillow.