A/N:

Hi! This chapter is a lot longer than usual as I think my chapters were a bit short. I don't know if future ones will be this length as well or a bit shorter than this and a bit longer than the other ten, around in the middle. I hope you like it!

JAMES: Hello? Hello? Where am I?

ME: You James, *I appear with a boom and smoke* are *Cough* in the *Cough* real world. *I wave my hand to try and clear smoke*

JAMES: Real world? What's that supposed to mean?

Me: James dear, you are not real. Your whole life has been a lie.

JAMES: NOOOOO! *James's no's echo around the room dramatically*

ME: If it helps you feel better, I have a very important job for you to do.

JAMES: Important job?

ME: Yes only you can do it because you're the only one I can trust to do it.

JAMES: Does this job involve Slytherins?

ME: No… okay it does. But only someone so handsome and brave could do it like you.

*James runs a hand through his hair*

JAMES: Okay. What is it?

ME: Tell everyone about the real world okay? Ask Sirius more about it if you want to.

JAMES: Alright.

ME: Thanks bye!

JAMES: See you! *James goes*

Me: ON WITH THE STORY!

11

'We need to.'

'We don't want to.' James, Sirius and Gracie said together in sync.

Remus shook his head mournfully at them.

He stood up and went down one of the hundreds of aisles in the library.

When they could no longer see him anymore, Grace turned around to face James with a large smirk on her face.

'How long have you fancied Lily, James?' She asked.

'Probably since I first met her.' He said not bothering to deny it.

'She's a really nice girl James,' she said quietly. 'My best friend. Though I don't know if I'm hers.' She said bitterly.

'What d'you mean?' Sirius asked, making James jumped. He had nearly forgotten that he was there.

'C'mon Sirius. Don't tell me you haven't seen her with that slimy git from Slytherin in all of the lessons they share together.'

Sirius made an 'o' shape with his mouth.

'We- were your best friends!' he said loudly causing Madam Prince, the librarian to make a shushing sound in their direction.

'Thanks Sirius,' Grace chuckled softly. 'But I'd like to have some girl friends as well. Maybe I'll get to know Alice, Marlene and Mary more. But nevertheless thanks.'

Grace leaned over and hugged Sirius across the table.

He hugged her back happily and they let go, siting back in their seats.

James smirked to himself.

'Anyway, back on topic. When are you going to ask Lily out James?' Grace asked.

'Have to by the end of the month.' James muttered.

'James the end of the month is today.' She said blankly.

'What?' he whispered in shock.

'Yeah. 30th of September. Today.' She said unhelpfully.

'What am I meant to do then? Help me.' He said pleading.

James was panicking, how was he going to ask her out? It needed to be special and nice. Oh Merlin.

'Well, why do you need to ask her out by the end of the month?' she asked.

Sirius and James exchanged glances.

'Made a deal with Sirius.' He muttered, running a hand through his hair.

'What kind of deal?' Grace asked, looking between to two with a suspicious look on her face.

'Secret.' Sirius said immediately.

Grace gave him a hard-to-read look. 'Well, if Sirius agrees, put it back to next month. Do it on Halloween. I think I remember Lily saying it was one of her favourite holidays.'

'I love Halloween. My birthday's a couple of days before as well, the 29th.' Sirius said with his voice an obvious beat that tone.

Grace smiled widely at him and said, 'My birthday is the same day as Halloween.'

Sirius looked like he was trying to see if she was lying or not. When he couldn't find any proof that she was, he straightened up.

'I'm older than you then!' he exclaimed happily.

'By a couple of days!' Grace said down heartened.

'Yeah, Still.' Sirius said proudly.

Grace sighed in defeat. 'Ask her on Halloween James. Do it fast though, you don't want that git to ask her first.'

'Snivellus?' Sirius asked.

'Yes Sirius,' she sighed, shaking her head at him. 'It's obvious he likes her as well. Lily just doesn't see it.'

'What if she likes him back?' James asked worriedly, twiddling his thumbs nervously.

'She doesn't.' Grace had a look of horror on her face and James knew she was imagining them together as more than friends. He himself cringed when he imagined it himself.

'Are you sure?' Sirius asked sternly and repeated the process he did before, trying to determind if she was lying or not.

'Yes.' She said firmly, in a tone inviting them to try and disagree with her.

'Okay. I believe you. But are you sure you want me to ask her on your birthday?' James asked Grace. He didn't want to be horrible and ruin the day for her.

'Yeah. Imagine when you're all married and your first child is all like 'Daddy, when did you ask mummy out?' and then I'll butt in and say, 'they got together on Auntie Gracie's birthday, Harry.''

Sirius started laughing and James looked at her like she was mad.

'Harry?' he said, blinking at her.

'Yeah, he's your first son with Lily. Harry James Potter. And your daughter will be named Grace after me of course.' She said.

'But I wanted them to name their son after me! Sirius James Potter!' Sirius whined.

'Why would they want to name their son after you?' Gracie said jokingly.

'Because- because- I'm me.' Sirius said boldly.

James and Gracie laughed at him as he pretended to wipe a tear away.

'Alright. I'll name my first daughter Grace if you name your first son James.' James said, holding his hand out to Grace.

Grace put her hand in his and they shook on it.

'Deal.' He said.

'Deal.' She replied and stuffed her Herbology essay in her bag, the one she was working on at the end on lunch. James, Sirius and Remus had come in the library as that's where Marlene said she was. At the moment they weren't in lessons as it was DADA and they didn't go to that anymore.

James turned and held out his hand to Sirius, who shook it confused. When Grace wasn't looking he winked at Sirius.

'Deal.' He whispered.

'Deal.' Sirius smiled brightly at him and James returned it.

'So I bet we could ask Remus-'

'Ask Remus what?'

They all jumped and turned to see Remus placing some thick books on their table.

'Well, Sirius say agree.' Gracie said, suddenly.

'Agree.' He said slowly.

'Well, James was meant to ask Lily out by the end of the month which is today. But James forgot and hasn't planned anything out so I said to do it on Halloween because it's one of Lily's favourite holidays and my birthday and he said okay and Sirius agreed just before to allow James to do that because they had some big deal or something that's a secret.' She said so quickly, James hardly heard all of it.

'Alright. And you were going to ask me what?' Remus asked.

'If you knew any charms to make it better or something.' Grace grinned at him.

'To go with the chocolates and flowers James said he was going to give her?' Remus raised an eyebrow and sat down across from Grace.

'Yes,' Grace's eyes twinkled. 'White Lilies and some Muggle chocolate should do it James.' Grace directed her last comment to him and he nodded.

'Wait. Where do ii get that from?' he asked.

Gracie waved her hand in a don't worry about it motion. 'I'll send an owl to mum a couple of days before and ask her to owl me some Muggle chocolates and Lilies.'

'Thanks.' James said happily.

Gracie shrugged. 'Don't worry about it.'

'We could charm words in the air.' Remus said thoughtfully.

'I reckon we could get fireworks.' Sirius added in.

Grace nodded. 'Yeah. That should do it. Wait. James. Dress in dress robes.' Grace said, eyes lighting up, like she had struck gold.

'Okay?' he said questionably.

'Remus you find the words hanging the air spell, Sirius you're in charge of Fireworks, James get your mum to buy you dress robes and I got the chocolate and flowers covered.' Grace ordered.

'Alright, I'll look later.' Remus replied.

'I'll get you the best Fireworks can buy.' Sirius rubbed his hands together and James wondered if Grace had picked the right person for the job. Somehow, he didn't think Sirius and Fireworks would mix.

'I already have dress robes so I'll ask mum to send them over.' He said after he realised they had been waiting for his answer impatiently.

Grace clapped and cheered, earning her a glare from Madam Prince. 'That's all sorted out then. This is going to be great.'

'Right you are.' Sirius said gleefully.

'Right, now we are done talking about that. I have picked a book for us to learn from first.' Remus waved his hand towards the stack of four books he had settled down on the table.

'What?' they all said again. The books had to be at least 500 pages long.

'I think I'm going to cry.' Grace whispered.

They all stared at the books, hoping they would magically shrink in size.

'Don't be silly Gracie. There not that big.' Remus chuckled and shook his head at her.

'I decided we should learn Hexes and Jinxes first. This book has a different variety of them. I think it will be very useful to us.'

They had all perked up when they heard what the book was about.

'Does there happen to be anything in there that could be used against Slytherins?' Grace asked.

Remus shot her a disapproving look but open the book to the first couple of pages. 'Yes.' He mumbled.

Sirius, Grace and himself cheered and they each grabbed a book.

'I never thought I would see you three so eager to read something to do with school work.' Remus muttered.

'Just don't start hanging out essays and detentions Remus and I think we'll get along.' Sirius said, leafing through the book.

'I'm not that mean Sirius.' Remus said quietly.

'I was only messing with you Remus.' Sirius said.

'Or should we call you Professor?' James asked seriously, trying not to laugh.

'I'm not your teacher James.' Remus said disapprovingly.

'Yeah but you're the smartest so technically you're teaching Defence to us Remus, wither you like it or not.' Grace muttered.

Remus sighed. 'Fine, I'll teach you. But you better listen and behave or I'll leave you to teach you yourselves.'

James turned to look at Sirius and Grace and they had an 'eye conversation'.

James turned back to Remus and nodded. 'We'll behave.'

'Thank you.'

'So I think after this we look at Dark Creatures-' Remus started speaking.

'Already planning ahead Remus?' Sirius said cheerfully.

Remus shot him a glared and Sirius quickly shut up to James's amusement.

'I think learning about Dark Creatures is a good idea but what about Curses?' Grace asked.

Remus shuffled on his feet a bit and looked to be debating his answer to James.

'I think we might be still a bit too inexperienced to learn about proper real powerful curses yet. We learn them in older years. We have to learn what first years learn.' Remus explained.

'Yeah it's what we should learn in first year but I bet everyone else isn't. They're properly all stuck learning about Pure-Blood and all that rubbish.' Sirius said, obviously feeling sorry for all our fellow classmates.

'Yeah. I'd hate to be them now.' James said sadly and shuddered.

'Yes but my brothers and sisters told me that for years Hogwarts haven't kept a Defence teacher longer than a year.' Grace joined in to the conversation again.

'No longer for a year? For how long?' James asked curiously.

'Decades. They reckon it's jinxed. No one lasts,' she answered.

'That means if this jinx thing is real, Servark will be gone by the end of the year which means we'll hopefully have a new Professor next year!' Sirius said excitedly.

'Yes! And then we'll have a proper teacher!' Remus said.

They shook their heads sadly at him, wondering how Remus could actually like school.

'But yes, he should be gone. But I don't know why we're worrying. We have a great teacher right here.' Gracie said, patting Remus on his back.

'Yep. Remus will teach us twice as much as a normal Professor would in a year and make it bearable and fun. Right Remus?' Sirius said.

Remus looked unsure of himself but nodded, making them beam.

'You're awesome Remus.' James said, hoping to bring up Remus's confidence. It seemed to work as Remus sat up proudly.

'An awesome friend.' Sirius corrected.

'And going to be an awesome teacher!' Grace added in.

'Alright, alright,' Remus said, turning bright red. 'Thank you but the bells about to go.'

They all groaned again.

'When's the next DADA lesson?' James asked, as they began to gather all their belongings and put them in their bags.

'I can't remember but meet here in the library. Try and read chapter 1 before that. Then we can try and find a place to do the spells.' Remus grabbed his bag and swung it over his shoulder, the other three copying.

They walked out the library, waving to Madam Prince on the way out.

'To Charms we go, my friends!' Sirius yelled as soon as James closed the door of the library behind them.

'To charms we go!'