Disclaimer: You know what's coming.

Chapter Eighteen

James waited for Remus and Peter to leave the next morning before he cornered Sirius. Remus was still too angry to speak to him anyway and Peter, not knowing whose side was best to be on, just dutifully followed Remus out of the door.

Sirius had been hidden behind the curtains of his four poster bed when the rest of them had gotten to the dormitory that night, and James hadn't tried to bother him, feeling his friend could probably use a bit of space.

James approached him as he was busy with his eyes cast down, fixing his tie around his neck.

"So, are you going to explain what all that was about last night?" He asked.

Sirius glanced up at him before narrowing his eyes and saying, "We should go to breakfast."

He turned and left the room before James could say anything else, so James merely grabbed his bag and followed.

"Come on Padfoot, this is me talking here" James tried again.

"Look, I'm sorry for the things I said to Evans" Sirius said as they walked across the empty common room. "I didn't mean them."

"I know that, have you told her?"

"Not yet" his friend mumbled quietly.

"Well you should" James pressed.

"Better give her some space to cool off first" Sirius countered, "She has one hell of a temper."

"Don't I know it" James agreed.

"Do you think she will forgive me?" Sirius asked, looking scared for the first time.

James hesitated before he answered.

Honestly he thought there was no chance Lily would forgive Sirius that easily. The things he had said were too close to what Severus had said to her by the lake at the end of last year.

He knew Lily had it hard, having to hold her head high and pretend that she didn't notice when people scorned at her and treated her differently. To know people hated her just because of who her parents were. He imagined it was hard enough knowing that strangers were thinking such things, but to hear the same from a person she considered to be a close friend?

James couldn't imagine what she was thinking.

"I don't know mate" he said honestly as they crossed the Entrance Hall together.

They had reached the Great Hall and as they moved down the table James saw that Lily was sat between Mary and Remus. Marlene had taken the seat across from her and they all turned to glare at Sirius as he passed. All but Lily, who was determinedly looking in the other direction.

James glanced around the Hall as they took a seat at the other side of the table and saw that Peter was having breakfast with Katie at the Hufflepuff table.

James shook his head and turned back to face Sirius, noticing his eyes were also fixed on the Hufflepuff table.

"Who'd have thought Wormtail would be the only Marauder with a successful love life" he shook his head disgustedly.

"Haven't you insulted enough friends for one day" James pointed out, raising his eyebrows and pouring them both a glass of pumpkin juice.

"Maybe" Sirius muttered, glancing up the table to where Lily and Remus were talking quietly. "How long do you really think it will take Evans to forgive me?"

"Well she hasn't forgiven Snape yet."

"I would never call her a you know what!" Sirius hissed, looking scandalised.

"You said she has filthy blood."

"No, I said the people she hangs out with think she has filthy blood."

"I don't think she saw the distinction."

"You can't tell me you actually like her hanging out with Belby?" Sirius implored.

"No" James agreed, "but I'm not going to fall out with her because of it, I made that mistake with Snivellus."

Sirius sighed and shoved his hand roughly through his hair, "She's incorrigible."

"This isn't about her" James countered, "What's bothering you?"

"Can't I just be mad at Evans for hanging out with Slytherin's when she so obviously belongs with you?" Sirius asked, his mouth twisting into an ironic smile.

James rolled his eyes, "I don't know how many times Evans has to tell you she just wants to be friends before you listen to her."

"You don't actually believe her when she says that, do you?"

James felt himself go hot and then cold all at once, "Why wouldn't I?"

Sirius opened his mouth as if to answer before closing it slowly and saying, "Never mind."

James narrowed his eyes, he wanted to push it but he also knew that if Sirius didn't want to talk about it then no amount of coaxing would change his mind. Plus there were other more important things to discuss.

"You can pretend to everyone else last night was about Evans, but you don't fool me Padfoot."

Sirius slumped in his seat and sighed, "Do you remember my uncle Alphard?"

"The one you went to visit last summer?" James queried.

"Yeah, well he died a couple of weeks ago."

"Sirius, why didn't you say anything!" James chastised.

Sirius shrugged, "You all have your own problems, and it's not like my charming mother would let me attend the funeral anyway."

"Is that what this crazy behaviour has been about?"

"Sort of" Sirius admitted sheepishly, "It seems Alphard left me a decent bit of gold but mother isn't happy."

"Of course she isn't" James muttered.

"Regulus told me night before last that she plans to contest the will" Sirius said, his mouth twisting as though the words tasted bitter. "Tell them I'm not a part of the family.

"Do you think she'll do it?"

Sirius shrugged, "Uncle Al was pretty smart, he probably guessed she'd try something."

"So why did you go and take it out on, Evans?" James sighed.

"I didn't!" Sirius defended, "I was just trying to make her see what purebloods are really like."

"You're not like that, Sirius."

"Aren't I?" He laughed bitterly, "Like you said, I told her she has filthy blood."

"But you don't really believe it."

"No, I suppose not."

"If you apologise and explain then Evans will forgive you" James said, sounding sure of himself. "She'd forgive you about anything."

"Evans isn't going to let me anywhere near her" Sirius countered

"We'll brainstorm in the back of Charms" James said bracingly, "If Evans can forgive me then I'm sure she'll forgive you."

"Alright let's go" Sirius said, standing up and glancing over to the now empty bench in which Lily and Remus had previously been sat. "We'll have to get there early if we want to sit at the back."

James stood to follow him, weaving his way between the students as he followed Sirius. He was almost at the door, and so preoccupied thinking about ways to coax Lily into forgiving Sirius that he hadn't even noticed where he was going until it was too late.

He walked straight into a Ravenclaw girl heading towards her table, sending books flying everywhere.

"I am so sorry!" He blurted out, kneeling to help her retrieve them.

"That's okay" she laughed a high musical note before kneeling to help him.

"James, are you coming?"

At the sound of Sirius voice he looked up, and his eyes locked with the girl kneeling in from of him, who happened to be no other than Melody Jones.

Melody was Felicity's little sister, and she was pretty but lacked the over the top beauty that Felicity seemed to have in spades. Her thick blonde hair was piled on top of her head with tendrils falling around her face and into her aquamarine eyes.

Her sister might have the beauty, but Melody definitely had the most breath taking eyes.

They were trying to be blue but almost seemed green.

"I'll catch you up" James called to Sirius.

Melody grabbed the last book on the floor before standing, "Thanks James" she said, smiling away at him like he was the best thing since sliced bread.

"Oh it was my fault" James said easily, gathering the books together in preparation of handing them back to her. He noticed A Guide To Transfiguration was on the top.

"Are you studying advanced Transfiguration already?" He asked interestedly as he passed the books back to her.

Melody was only a fifth year, and half of James' classmates hadn't even tackled some of the things in that book yet.

"I have a lot to live up to with my sister as Head Girl" she confessed, sweeping a stray hair out of her face.

"Well, don't work too hard" James smiled awkwardly then inwardly kicked himself.

"I'm having a bit of trouble with Transfiguration to be honest" she confessed, taking a step towards him as though this was some big secret.

"Oh well it's all about concentration" James told her, "As long as you understand the theory, there isn't much too it."

"You're so clever James!" She said breathily, smiling and showing off two rows of perfectly white teeth. "Maybe you could help me sometime?"

"Oh-" James stuttered, "Well, sure if you think I could be helpful-"

"Brilliant!" Melody cut him off, beaming at him. "Meet me in the library at 12 this Saturday?"

Before he even had chance to respond she had turned on her heel and left, leaving him no choice but to follow Sirius to Charms.

He still hadn't quite worked out what he was going to say to his best friend, who he spotted looking utterly miserable stood in the back of the queue when James reached the classroom.

Lily Evans was difficult at the best of times, and this time James could truly understand why she would be angry.

He would have kicked Sirius himself if he hadn't known the idiot hadn't meant a word that came out of his stupid mouth.

So they sat whispering in the back of Charms for an entire period, and by the time the bell rang James was certain they had a plan that might work.

He began putting it into action as soon as they left the classroom. He waited for Lily to disappear to her second period History of Magic class before he cornered Remus.

"What do you want, Prongs?" Remus asked exasperatedly as James dogged his footsteps towards the library.

"I need your help with a prank."

"Would this prank in some way entail convincing Lily to listen to Sirius?" Remus asked without looking up.

"No of course not!"

"So what does it entail?"

"Getting Lily and Sirius in the same room together."

Remus paused in the entrance to the library, shot him a glare and said, "Forget it" before leaving him in favour of the dusty bookshelves.

"Wait!" James hissed, lowering his voice as he stalked Remus into the Charms section. "You haven't heard my plan yet!"

"I don't need to hear it to know it will never work" Remus said plainly, carefully examining the spines of the books piled neatly on the shelves.

"Come on Moony, help a Marauder out here" James implored.

"Sirius should never have said those things to Lily" Remus said simply.

"You know he didn't mean them."

"That doesn't make it right."

"Look we both know Sirius is a prat most of the time" James hissed, "But he really cares about Evans."

Remus sighed and turned to look James in the eyes for the first time since the beginning of the conversation, "What is the likelihood of you leaving me alone before you get your way?"

James pretended to think for a moment, "Slim to none."

Remus sighed in a put upon sort of way but James could tell he was fighting a smile, "Fine, what do you want me to do?"

James grinned triumphantly as he began to fill Remus in on his ingenious idea.

All it involved really was getting Lily and Sirius into the same room as each other, which he knew at least one of them wouldn't agree to.

Which was exactly the reason he found himself practically dragging Sirius up the stairs to their dormitory that lunch time.

"Come on Prongs, I'm starving" Sirius whined as he dragged his heels and followed James up the stairs.

"Stop thinking about your stomach for five seconds, Padfoot" James rolled his eyes, "I think I left my Defence Against the Dark Arts essay in here."

"So get a detention, what's the big deal?" Sirius complained as he shoved his way through the door.

The sight that greeted them was Lily Evans and Remus sat cross legged on his bed, eaten stolen cake and laughing at something Remus had just said.

Lily's eyes were round when she spotted him and her mouth fell open when she saw Sirius come in behind him.

"Lily-" he stuttered.

She stumbled off the bed so fast she fell and James had to stop himself from reaching out to help her.

"I should have known!" She said shrilly as she frantically gathered her things together.

"Come on Evans-" James started.

"Don't you even speak to me, James Potter!" She was so angry her eyes practically burned, and James couldn't help but take an automatic step back.

"Lily, now that he's here why don't you just hear Sirius out?" Remus tried.

"Don't think I'm not furious at you too, Remus" she said, her eyes downcast as she shoved the last of her things into her already billing school bag. "I was stupid to think that maybe just this once you would have taken my side."

"That's not fair Evans, Sirius didn't-"

"I can speak for myself, James" Sirius interrupted quietly.

"Well that's just too bad because I'm no interested in anything you have to say" she made a move towards the door but James blocked her exit.

"You can't leave until you've heard him out" James implored.

"You can't tell me what to do, Potter!"

"Lily, please" Sirius tried again, "Just let me explain."

"What is there to explain?" Lily burst out, throwing her bag back into the corner and glaring at Sirius. "I heard you the first time Black, you think the same things as every other person in this school."

"I don't-"

"And the worst part is, you pretended not to!" Lily was practically screeching now.

"Come on Evans, you don't believe that" James implored.

"Don't act as thought you're any different" she turned on him, her voice hysterical and her eyes bright. "Don't pretend that perfect Potter wants to spend any more time with a mudblood like me."

"Don't call yourself that" Remus reached out to touch her but she jerked away her arm.

"Why not, everyone else does!" Her voice finally cracked and two tears leaked from her eyes.

James' heart broke just a littlbecause for her and he wanted nothing more than to pull her into a hug and never let go. But he wasn't sure she'd exactly reciprocate his feelings and he was afraid of making things worse.

"Lily, just let me apologise" Sirius started again.

"No!" Lily shouted, "Because I can deal with everyone hating me for something I can't control, but after everything that happened with Severus I thought I knew who my friends were."

"I am-"

"But you're just like him!" Tears were fully flowing down her cheeks now and she was struggling to speak without gasping for breath. "I'll never be good enough for any of you!"

"Lil, Lil please calm down" Sirius reached out to take ahold of her arm as she broke down into a fit of tears, but she flinched away from him and somehow James found himself holding her as she sobbed uncontrollably into his chest. He would have been thrilled if he wasn't so heartbroken for her.

"Lily, will you please just let me explain?" Sirius begged, "I really didn't mean anything I said yesterday."

James felt sure she would have retorted if she wasn't currently choking back fresh tears.

"I have things going on with my family, which I know isn't an excuse, but I was just so angry with pure bloods and their stupid values and I didn't want to see you get hurt again."

"You"re rambling, Padfoot" Remus pointed out.

Lily had stopped crying, but she was still sniffling into his chest. He instinctively tightened his arms around her, "Come on Evans, aren't you convinced yet?"

Lily mumbled something incoherent into his chest.

"I will divert to cheating tactics and tickle you" he warned, breathing quietly into her hair just for the pleasure of watching her blush and try to fight a smile.

She moved out of his arms and glared at him weakly as she wiped the last tears from her cheeks.

"Lil, would you just look at me?" Sirius asked, pulling on her arm until she turned to face him. "Come on, have you ever seen me this serious before? I'm really, really sorry."

"Sirius, I just-"

"Come on, Lil-"

"No, you can't just say come on Lil and expect all to be forgiven!"

"Fine, what about this?"

Before anyone could say anything, or even try to stop him, Sirius had disappeared and in his place stood a huge black dog. He sat on his hind legs and looked up at Lily with huge black eyes.

"No!" Lily said at once, turning around so she wouldn't have to look at him, "That isn't fair!"

The dog followed her, his nose pointing upwards as he stared into his face. She gave him on long look and as he cocked his head to one side to consider her she sighed and crumbled onto the floor in front of him.

"I hate you" she informed him, before leaning forward to wrap her arms around his neck.

James let out a sigh of relief he hadn't even realised he'd been holding as the dog turned back into Sirius and hugged Lily back. He and Remus both piled on and soon Lily was laughing and pushing them off, complaining she couldn't breathe.

As if any of them cared.