A/N: Here you go:)

6.

Lily groaned slightly, as she woke up to a throbbing pain in her head. Cursing the marauders and alcohol, she attempted to open her eyes. Bright lights greeted her, forcing her to revert to her original state of rest. It took her a few seconds to realize that the firm, comforting thing she was currently laying her head on was James' chest. Against the protests of her body, she forced her eyes open, and sat straight. All around her on the floor, her friends seemed to have fallen asleep in similar positions. Sasha and Myka seemed to be missing though. They had probably gone to the girl's dorm, sometime in the night. Peter, Remus and Ashley were fast asleep near her feet, and Sirius and Selena had curled up on the other side of James. Jake was snoring lightly on his bed.

"James." Said Lily lightly, as she tried to shake him awake.

He woke up at once, startled. "Wha-what happened? What're you doing here" he said, looking distinctly disheveled, with his hair stuck up in all directions.

"Party." Said Lily, summing up all he needed to regain his memory, in one word.

"Ah…." He groaned slightly, as he fell back onto the floor.

"Um….James? Said Lily after a few minutes.

"Yes Lily"

"I think I'm going to puke."

"Hang in there." He said as he practically ran to his trunk and returned with a bottle of some sort of potion.

"Quick, drink this. You'll feel better."

Lily quickly gulped it down and within seconds she could feel a noticeable difference.

"Wow! What is that?"

"A potion that helps with hangovers. Sirius and I kind of invented it because Remus and Peter don't have as much well….resistance as us. We needed to make sure they would still be fine after our secret nights of partying at Hogsmead."

"Nice."

"Thanks."

"You know we should all probably get up and get ready. Its already past noon, which means we've missed most of the morning classes. McGonagall's going to kill us already. Better not push our luck. We should really attend at least the DADA class today. We've got about fifty-five minutes to get dressed."

"If you really want us to." Sighed James, as he got up to perform the herculean task of waking six very grumpy and hung-over people, and forcing them to get dressed for class. Of course, he would have to offer the potion to all of them before he even dreamed of attempting to have a conversation of any sort.

Needless to say, all of them were enraged to have been woken up at all, but the potion worked miracles. An hour later all of them could be seen bright and cheery (well as cheery as you can be after a hangover, I suppose), and still bickering of course, as they ran through the hallways to reach their first defense class.

"Ow! James you prat, you just stamped on my foot, again!"

"Oh I'm really sorry Sel, it's totally my fault you won't move faster!"

"If you got ready so early, you should've left with Jake and the others."

"Guys give it a rest! Lily is already hyperventilating."

"It's partly your fault we're late Sirius, Mr. My-hair-won't-set-unless-I-comb-through-it-a-million-times!" retorted Selena, with a smirk.

"Oh Merlin, if he reports us on the first day, my reputation-"

"People!" yelled Remus and Ashley finally, as they reached the door, "Shut up and get in!"

Fortunately, most of the class were still on their feet, enabling the six of them to quietly slide into their places.

The class stared in disbelief as they took in their new defense teacher.

He wore black robes and sported a rectangular moustache that could have been inspired by Hitler's. He was easily above six feet tall, yet he had a creepily thin and hunchbacked look about him. His skeleton thin hand fingered his wand as his gaze swept over the Slytherins and lingered on the Gryffindors. His thin lips broke into a grim smile as he started to speak with a low, arrogant drawl.

"I am Professor Shrimkryl, your new Defense teacher. My knowledge of the Dark Arts far outstrips that of most ordinary wizards, and the things I am capable of are most definitely beyond your comprehension. I believe strongly that students must not only put in effort to master the Dark Arts but also a considerable amount of passion. Learning of these complex spells is no job for the weak. Emotional and easily scared fools will never succeed in understanding this highly rewarding subject. I expect each and every one of you to comply by all I say or else suffer the wrath of my displeasure. Those who prove unworthy of their blood will most definitely be punished…brutally by me. Now before we proceed with our class, I would like to inform you that I am also the new Slytherin head."

Sirius and James raised their eyebrows as they looked at each other. Suddenly, their faces cracked into identical evil grins. It would be their pleasure to break this Slytherin teacher down. He would be the ideal target. They'd show him passion. Snape on the other hand looked like he was going to embrace being gay and kiss their new professor. Obviously, this did not go unnoticed by the marauders.

"Oi! Snivellus, don't wet yourself." Hissed Sirius who was sitting diagonally across.

"Yeah, we really wouldn't want to witness that you know." Added James.

Snape turned beetroot red as he looked at them in anger.

"You two think you're really smart don't you? Just you wait!"

"Wait for what exactly? The baby shower?"

"How dare-imply-you!-" spluttered Snape.

"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?"

The three of them turned around to see Professor Shrimkryl looking at them with a particularly nasty look on his face.

"I said, what is going on here?" he repeated in an icy sweet tone.

"Professor, I was reflecting upon your deeply inspiring speech when Potter and Black here tried to provoke me. Not that I let them of course. " Answered Snape like the kiss-ass that he was.

The professor graced Snape with an appreciative nod before turning his wrath upon Sirius and James.

"So, you two thought it would be acceptable to provoke him, did you?"

"Acceptable? No. Entertaining? Very."

"How dare you talk to me like that? Who do you think you are?"

"The marauders, of course" Replied Sirius and James, smirking in unison.

"Oh really?" said the professor, his voice reaching a dangerous tone. "Well, maybe a dose of spells from me will make you show some better respect."

"Traumastarta!" he said in a chilling voice, but with amazing reflexes born no doubt from their Quidditch training, James and Sirius cast shield charms just in time.

"Oops. Looks like you missed." Said James haughtily.

Lily's mouth fell open, as did many others. Was the boy still drunk or what?

This time the tension in the air was so high, you could almost taste it.

The professor drew back his wand, his lips pulled back into a snarl. Just as he was about to release the words that would no doubt have landed the arrogant boys in a long-term hospital ward, he was rudely interrupted by professor McGonagall's unexpected entry.

"Sorry to interrupt Professor, but I needed to borrow-"

She stopped in her tracks, her eyes widening impressively as she took in Professor Shrimkryl and the marauder's respective stances.

"Potter! Black! What is going on here?"

"These insolent imbeciles were attempting to disrupt my class. I was merely disciplining them." Hissed Shrimkryl.

"Is that true you two?"

On seeing that the boys were neither denying nor accepting anything, she continued, "Meet me at my office immediately after this hour. I expect this class to continue along its usual course without any further disturbances. Professor, you were informed upon arrival that punishment of this sort is not encouraged at Hogwarts. In the future, you will remember to either hand out detentions or speak to the respective house wardens."

Sparing the marauders another nasty look, she stiffly walked out of the class.

"Page 45! Now! I want the chapter to be perfected by the end of this class."

Lily muttered darkly under her breath as she silently berated the stupid dark-haired boy who was currently enduring their house warden's lecture. He always managed to go get in trouble some way or the other. She didn't understand how the same boy, who had been so sweet to her this morning, could be so insolent to a Professor. I mean, she knew that Professor Shrimkryl definitely hadn't been fair, but a student had to show some respect to a teacher! James was way too arrogant, way too rude. His unexplainable hatred towards Slytherins was no excuse for the way he had behaved. Every time he acted like this, it only reminded her of how he used to be a heartless bully and an arrogant toerag. The thought that maybe he hadn't changed much, kept reverberating in her mind. He deserved whatever punishment he was about to be given. She was about to leave for her next class when James exited the professor's room. He looked a little angry, but also a little ashamed.

"What were you thinking?" she burst out as soon as she saw him.

James opened his mouth angrily; his eyebrows creased together, "He provoked us."

Lily let out a sound of disbelief, "Are you serious? He was merely questioning you about disturbing his class. In fact, you two provoked him further."

"He's a Slytherin, he's prejudiced regardless."

"Maybe it's time you realized you're the only prejudiced one here."

"I can't believe you're making this my fault!"

"Making? It's crystal clear whose fault it is."

"Well obviously I'm missing something here. Did you not see how he immediately took Snape's side? Or is the clarity being distorted by the fact that you still think of Snape as the good guy and innocent victim?"

He regretted the words the moment they came out of his lips. He didn't know what made him say it. Maybe it was the fact that he had just been through a grueling session with McGonagall or maybe because he was a little hurt that she wasn't taking his side after how he had been so nice to her lately, but the words had just sort of slipped out. Deep down, he knew she was probably right, but he wasn't thinking much at the moment.

Lily gasped. "Firstly, you are a self-righteous ass-hole! And secondly, you picked on Snape without any obvious reason for the sole purpose of embarrassing him for your own selfish entertainment, because that is just what you are. A big, obnoxious, arrogant bully who cares about no one except himself!" she finished by jabbing her finger into his chest, before walking away, leaving behind a slightly angry, confused and sorry James.

A/N: Review?