-CONVERSATION OF THE DAY-

ME: Hello Peter.

PETTIGREW: Hell- hell- hello. Can- can- you pl- please point- point that- that away from me- me?

ME: What this? Nope, sorry.

PETTIGREW: Why- why not?

ME: BECAUSE YOU'RE AN EVIL, BETRAYING, DISGUSTING, LYING, AND A MURDERING RAT!

PETTIGREW: Wh- what?

ME: I HATE YOU! YOU VILE CREATURE! YOU SILMY LITTLE SLYTHERIN GIT! YOU DEATH EATER! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!

PETTIGREW: You're- you're going to kill- kill m- me?

ME: Yes.

*I aim my gun at Peter's heart*

PETTIGREW: Pl- please don't- don't shot!

ME: Silence! You filthy rat! You deserve this! You traitor! Selfish, greedy, unthankful little rat!

PETTIGREW: pl- please! I don't know what you're talking about.

ME: Yes you do!

*I suddenly remember that Pettigrew's not a Death Eater yet*

ME: Well this just suddenly got awkward…

*Awkward silence*

ME: Maybe a punch or two couldn't hurt…

*I grin evilly*

ME: Well, seems that I've got some business to attend to, I have to go sorry. ON WITH THE STORY!

16

James sat in the common room. Sirius and Peter sat with him. Remus had left a day or so ago to visit his sick mother. Things were fairly quiet in the common room, only a few students were gathered in chairs around tables. Mostly, 5th and 7th years getting an early start on studying. He did however spot Lily and Gracie sitting in a corner chatting. He smiled proudly to himself, since talking- shouting at Lily, they had been spending plenty of more time together. And one thing that made him especially happy about it is that Snape hasn't had the pleasure of having Lily all to himself. Snape had even been seen sitting or wondering around alone, friendless.

'James!' Sirius said, snapping James out of his staring.

'What?' he asked, looking at Peter and Sirius who were both smirking?

'Nothing. We were just going to ask you what you think about going out after dark around the castle soon and maybe, even think of pulling some pranks.'

'Pranks? He asked, straightening up. He thought of himself as a very good prankster, he had set up a few in the past at home on his unsuspecting parents. James was pretty sure he'd been grounded more times than usual for a child during their early childhood.

'Yes, pranks. But Peter here doesn't think it's a good idea.' Sirius said, rolling his eyes.

'I don't! I don't think Remus will like pranking either.' Peter mumbled.

'Well Remus isn't here so we can't assume what he will think. Maybe he wasn't all bookwormy when he was younger and did let loose and have a little fun.' Sirius shrugged, though he himself looked doubtful.

'Well I'm all for it.' James said.

'I'm in. since I suggested it.' Sirius said.

They both looked at Peter, who seemed to shrink a little in his seat.

'Well?'

'Can we ask Remus first? Before I give an answer?' Peter squeaked.

'Fine.' James said quickly, giving a warning look to Sirius to not push it.

'It will take a while to think of the prank. So we should have plenty of time.' Sirius said through gritted teeth.

James nodded thankfully in his direction.

'Hey, what were you saying of going out after dark again?' he asked quietly, doing something he forgot to do before, to look around for ears droppers.

'Yeah. Go out sometimes. Maybe even go have a look in the forest.' Sirius said carelessly, like going into a large forest full of dangerous creatures was an everyday normal thing.

'The forest?' Peter whispered with a small shriek of terror slipped from him.

'As much as I'd love to go and explore the forest, we have to wait for Remus to return and it's probably freezing out there at night now. It's nearing winter.' James said.

Sirius sighed in defeat.

'Any idea when he's back?'

'Didn't say.' James shrugged.

'Well let's hope he get back soon and agrees to do the pranking and wondering with us.' Sirius grinned.

Peter opened his mouth to protest when Gracie came skipping over. Literally skipping.

'Hello boys.' She said as she joined them, sitting down and lifting her feet up to rest on the small table.

'Hey.' They all said back.

'How you all hanging? Lost without Remmykins?' She asked, opening a packet of Bertie Bott's every flavour beans and chucking a light green flavoured one in her mouth.

She spat it out a moment later.

Wiping her mouth, she muttered 'grass'.

Sirius started laughing at her misfortune.

So Gracie, in true Gracie like fashion, tackled Sirius to the ground, pinned him down, managed to grab a handful of beans from the box without letting the struggling Sirius get free and forced his mouth open. She shoved all the beans in his mouth.

She clamped a hand over his mouth so he couldn't spit them out like she had done, making him having to swallow them all.

When Gracie was sure he had eaten them, she released him.

'What was that for?' he burst out, getting up from the floor.

'Revenge. How sweat it is Sirius. Just don't try getting revenge on me for getting revenge on you and we'll be okay. If you get what I mean.' She winked at him.

Sirius glared at her and then his face cracked into a tiny smile.

'That was the worst thing- things I've ever tasted. I don't think I'm ever going to eat another bean again. Ever.' He shuddered to their amusement.

'Well more for me, eh?' Gracie grinned, swallowing another bean. 'Ah! A nice one at last! Marshmellow!' she said happily.

'Why couldn't the ones I had forced down my throat had been all marshmellow flavoured?' Sirius wondered aloud grumpily.

'Well coming over here was more interesting than I thought it would be.' She muttered thoughtfully, ignoring Sirius's comment.

'No offence but why did you come over here anyway?' Sirius asked.

'Erm. I don't remember,' Gracie said. 'Give me a minute.'

Two minutes later, they were getting restless.

'Oh! Lily wants to talk to you James!' she said excitedly.

'What?' he said. Had Lily somehow changed her mind?

'Just passing along the message. I don't know anything.' She said, obviously lying by the way she was twisting her hair around her fingers.

'What's it about.' James said pleading.

'Go find out.' She said, directing his attention away from her to Lily.

'Okay.' He whispered and stood up, walking over to Lily.

She was sitting on a red armchair, reading a book.

'Hey.' He said.

Lily looked up from her book. 'I've been waiting awhile. What happened?' she asked.

He sat down opposite her, timidly. 'Long story cut short, Sirius is never going to eat any Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans again.

She blinked at him. 'Okay.'

He shuffled in his seat, getting more comfortable.

Lily watched him, her eyes on him like a hawk.

'What did you want to talk about?' he asked finally, breaking the tension.

'Well, first I want to say you were right. I'm thankful that you told me how Grace was feeling. She is a very good friend and you made me realise that I should be around her more often, I value her friendship greatly.'

James stayed silent. What was he meant to say to that?

'I also talked to Severus the other day. He admitted he did get mixed up and confused. That it wasn't you-'

'Got mixed up?' James said angrily.

'Yes. That is what he said-'

'He said he got mixed up? And confused?' James said, nearly shaking from anger.

'Yes, Potter that is what I said. He told me he got confused because his head must've hit the floor hard, giving him a slight-'

'So Snivellus is really a snivelling git then.' He muttered to himself.

'What was that Potter?' she asked him sternly.

'Oh nothing Evans.' He said lightly.

She looked at him doubtfully, but didn't say anything about it.

'So he said it was Sirius and Grace that they had a fight against. I talked to Grace about it and she said she wouldn't do it again-' Lily said.

James suppressed a snort. Gracie wasn't going too kept to that for long. From what he could tell, Gracie attracted fights like a magnet.

'-and I hope you won't ever try to have a fight with him. About or not about this. Sev said he would stay away from you and asked me to apologise to you for him.'

'Apologise?' James asked stunned.

Lily looked away from him.

'Apologise?' he repeated.

'Yes Potter. Apologise.' She snapped.

'Sorry.' He mumbled.

'Hmm. You can go if you want now.' She said, returning to her book.

James knew 'if you want' meant leave now or else.

So he got up and went back over to Sirius, Peter and Gracie.

When he sat down, they all looked at him, raking his eyes over for injures or signs of what went on.

'Well?' Gracie asked.

James sighed.

'Apparently Snape got mixed up and confused. Because of him banging his head on the floor.'

'Got mixed up?' Sirius said.

James nodded.

'Is that it?' Peter asked.

James shook his head.

'Apparently Gracie said to Lily that she wouldn't fight him again.'

Heads all turned to Gracie who shrugged. 'Well what else could I say? Would you say no to Lily? Lily's obviously one who has a temper.'

They all nodded in agreement. Lily did have a temper, even if they hadn't seen that much of it; it was there, everyone knew that.

'So anymore juicy gossip or is that it?' Sirius asked.

'Well Snape 'apologised'.'

'Snape apologised?' Peter, Gracie and Sirius hissed.

'Of course, you'd have to be dumb to believe that. Snape would never apologise to anyone.'

Gracie and Sirius nodded and Peter's cheeks went slightly pink.

'She's just saying he apologised to try and get you to stay away from him.' Sirius scowled.

'Lily said 'Sev' was going to stay away from me.' James said, saying it in a cheeky type of voice.

'Like that's going to happen.' Peter said quietly.

'It's not going to happen. Snape's going to come looking for a fight. We have to be ready when he does. I have a feeling it won't be soon, in a week or so. So Lily won't be watching that closely. Snape's not going to fight alone.'

'We'll be there James. You ain't leaving mine- our sight- and Remus's when he comes back. We're going to with you every hour, every minute, and every second of the day. We will be there when the fight starts.' Gracie said, firmly.

'Are you really sure you want to? What about what you said to Lily?' Peter asked Gracie quietly.

'It's a risk I'm preparing to take.' Gracie said proudly.

'We will fight!' Sirius burst out loudly, fortunately, no one heard.

Sirius placed his hand in front of him.

Gracie and himself immediately placed theirs on top, Peter did the same a little hesitantly.

Gracie grinned and looked to her left where there was a gap and said 'Remus,' and then, jokingly, but serious at the same time said quietly, 'I Solemnly Swear I Am up To No Good.'