"O.W.L testing begins next week!" Flitwick called to the Gryffindor class as everyone hurried out the door.

"Can you believe its already here? It's crazy to think about it," Lily said to Pat as they walked down the corridor to lunch.

"Yeah," Pat yawned, "one more late night like last week and I'll pass out during testing."

Lily laughed as they sat down in the middle of the table. A few minutes later and the four Marauders joined them for lunch. The food appeared and everyone began shoveling it onto their plates. Lily and Remus had both pulled their Charms essay's out and were starting on them as they ate quickly.

"What are you going to do after you get done eating?" Sirius snorted, "Go to the library and snuggle up with Madam Pince? Tell me if you manage to get her away from Filch."

"Oh shut up. Madam Pince and Filch aren't dating," Lily rolled her eyes.

"I don't know, Evans. We've seen them curling up in the teachers lounge." Sirius winked at her.

Lily rolled her eyes again and scribbled at the parchment. James hadn't said a word and just kept shoveling food in his mouth while Peter drooled on the table. James and Sirius both eyed the pair as they crouched over their parchment; quills flying.

"I don't understand why you don't just wait till the Common Room tonight," Sirius said.

"Because I'm actually going to get some sleep tonight," Lily replied with a yawn.

"That's a good idea!" Pat grinned, pulling her own essay out of her bag.

"I need the rest too," Remus said softly.

"That's right…" James nodded.

"Are we going to be able to come this time, Mooney?" Sirius asked.

"No. You need to be sure you keep up on your school work. All of us got too far behind the last time." Remus replied.

"Go where?" Lily asked.

"Nowhere," the three said quickly.

Lily rose her eyebrows but said nothing. She stood up and hurried out of the room calling over her shoulder,

"I'll see you next lesson!"

A few minutes later Pat got up and followed after her towards the library. Nobody said anything as Remus kept scribbling on his parchment while the others ate and Peter snored.

"Someone wake him up," Remus finally snapped.

Sirius reached over and clobbered the boy in the back of his head,

"Oy! Get up fatty!"

"Padfoot!"

"What? He's up isn't he?"

Remus gave Sirius a dirty look before returning his attention back to the essay for Charms.

"Full moon isn't going to be any fun if we have to stay cooped up in the Common Room, Mooney." James muttered.

"You can't come, okay? We shouldn't be doing it anyway. What would Dumbledore think?" Remus shook his head.

"Oh yes," Sirius rolled his eyes, "Lets all just bow down to Dumbledore the great, shall we? We don't have anything else on our hands. Come on, Mooney, I'm sure Dumbledore broke rules while he was at Hogwarts. What kid hasn't?"

"Lily," James replied immediately.

"That's not true. She's best friends with Snivellus. That's a big rule breaker right there," Peter chirped up.

James shot him a dirty look before pulling his own essay out.

"What're you doing that for?" Sirius demanded.

"If Lily isn't going to be in the Common Room working on it tonight why should I?" he asked.

Sirius slammed his hand down on top of James's essay.

"We as Marauders never do our homework early." Sirius gave him a withering look, "EVER."

"Stop being dramatic," James muttered.

"Snap out of it Prongs!" Sirius shouted.

A few people turned to look at the four in surprise. Sirius gave them a harsh glare and they looked away quickly, muttering amongst themselves. Sirius turned back to James and surveyed him coldly. Remus watched them both over the edge of his parchment. Peter sat with his mouth gaping open.

"I have a chance, Padfoot," James said softly, "I have a chance to show her that I'm not the bad person that she thinks I am. Just let me have that chance, okay? Its not always going to be just about you and me. Sure we've had some big laughs and we've been in detention more then we've been in actual lessons, but that's all over now. Okay- I take that back. Its not completely over but I'm not going to do that kind of stuff in front of her anymore. This is important to me, Padfoot. I have to have her."

Sirius shook his head softly,

"What men do for love."

James grinned.

"In the mean time," he said slowly, looking around the Great Hall.

James stood up in his seat and lobbed a spoon of mashed potatoes at the high table. It smacked McGonagall right in the face. She spun around and glared at James who was standing on the bench waving at her with a crooked smile in place.

"Potter!" she yelled, "Come here!"

Sirius jumped up and stuck a roll in his pocket. He winked at James and the pair strolled up the two tables towards the High Table. James leaned his elbow against the edge and winked at her.

"How are we doing today?" he smiled.

"Stop the flattery, Potter." she snapped.

James shrugged and simply smiled at her. Sirius had the roll out. He threw it in the air and caught it as he gazed up at the enchanted ceiling.

"Put that away, Black," McGonagall ordered.

Sirius heaved a sigh and made to catch the roll. It grazed off his fingertips and landed on top of Professor Flitwick's hat. He jumped and stared down the table at McGonagall and the two boys.

"Sorry, sir!" Sirius called.

"That is it! I am sick of your fooling around in the Great Hall. You will have detention with me tonight for the rest of the week. Six o'clock. My office. Go to class." she ordered.

The boys turned and walked away. As they walked towards the doors James looked over at Sirius and laughed,

"I never said I couldn't goof off when Lily wasn't around."