A/N: Oh dear, I've made unhappy readers...oopsie. James has changed a lot from the first chapters don't you think guys? I mean in Chapter Two he's very determined to get Lily to like him because it's their last year, in Chapter 14 & 15 he changes a little because of his Dad and the Hearing and now he's moved on a little more. He's still very attracted to Lily but I'm trying to show that there is more to him than just liking Lily. I've just happened to decide that Lily unfortunately begins to realize that she's attracted to him too when he feels he should have more responsibility and move on. Following that thought I don't think James was frustrated in the last chapter. He's starting to think that some things just cannot be. (Aww!) And because he's kind of stupid in a sweet way, he isn't aware that Lily is starting to like him and she does a very good job of hiding it. That's kind of my interpretation of it anyhow. I hope I haven't disappointed too many readers and you guys will continue to read and hopefully enjoy the rest of the story! xXx

By the way, this chapter wasn't really intended but since I'm such a poo writer I seem to have confused a great deal of people and I think I should try to clear things up a bit. Although I can say that the characters are probably as confused as readers at this point because they certainly don't know anymore than you guys at the moment. For those people who are finding my explanations repetitive I apologize!

TO: ember marieclaire, rain got chucked on me by the bucket load today, trust me, you do not want to live in UK. Very wet! I promise to try to stick more James/Lily conversations in. They've just reached that awkward stage.

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The Marauders sat with their heads low and shoulders hunched over pieces of parchment. Occasionally they would pick up a quill and rapidly scribble a line or two and often they would look serious while perusing their notes. At least to any outsiders they would look as if hard at work. Upon closer inspection one would realize that they were hard at work but none of it was in the least academically related.

James twisted his quill between his fingers before he leant down to write again.

Prongs: You saw how fast that thing moved, it must have slipped in when Rosie ran in. I wouldn't have noticed it in the dark.

No sooner had his inky letters dried, duplicates of the exact same words magically appeared on each of the other three pieces of parchment in front of the other Marauders.

Moony: Most likely.

Came the reply that appeared underneath his sentence in Remus' neat writing. The charmed pieces of parchment had been infinitely useful to them and had served well when they had needed to communicate during lessons and talking was not possible like today for instance. The Potions Master had separated them from each other to avoid any hassle, he'd strategically placed each of them among students he thought would not allow them to get into trouble with. However, he'd made the mistake of placing James two seats away from Snape. As a result James had to keep his left arm permanently crooked over his parchment to prevent Snape from sticking his hooked nose over.

James looked over to his left and there he was, leaning uncomfortably close to the poor girl stuck between them trying to figure out why James had become so studious all of a sudden. He stared at James piercingly and James returned it with a cold glare before hunching over his desk more. An untidy scrawl began to appear under Padfoot's name on his scroll.

Sirius scribbled his confrontation with Rosie in as few words as he could and only paused briefly to look up at her once. She must have sensed his gaze because she tensed but refused to look in his direction.

Prongs: Hold up! Are you trying to say that Rosie attacked Yoanna?

Padfoot: She says she didn't but she does admit that she had the Hand.

Prongs: What ever would she want with it?

Padfoot: Beats me, your guess is as good as mine mate. What do you think that thing does Moony?

Moony: To be honest I really don't know, I'm more worried about why the Calling caused such a violent reaction. As far as we know that Reversal spell might not have worked but there's no reason for it not to work.

Prongs: You know that rock in Bent West? Thins the boundaries doesn't it? What if it's presence thinned it out too much?

Moony: Could be.

Padfoot: I knew that silly Squib was more trouble than he is worth.

Wormtail: Guys, do you think that Rosie could be...a Death Eater?

Padfoot: I wouldn't write it off.

Moony: She certainly seems to know a lot more than she's letting on. I think we are going to need to speak to her again.

A few minutes passed and none of them wrote anything each lost in their own confusion. Sirius had always suspected that there were spies of the Dark Lord in the school and it seemed now that he might be right and he or she or whoever they were was wreaking havoc. Somehow, everything was tied but none of them could quite put a finger on it. The dreams, Yoanna's attack, the Hand and maybe even Brent!

The lesson did not seem to want to end but finally it did and James scraped all of his parchment, ink pot and quill into his bag. He headed for the doors but someone called out his name.

"James! Wait up!" Lily pushed her way out of a throng of people and stopped where he stood waiting. Sirius, Remus and Peter had already gone ahead to catch up with Rosie and he couldn't even signal to them. "Are you busy or something?" She asked hesitantly.

James glanced down the corridor and then back. "Urm, not really." Sirius was right, he decided. Getting Lily involved would complicate things especially since she was so protective of her friends. He stood there waiting for Lily to say what she had to say but seconds dragged on and she didn't seem like she was going to talk. Instead she continued to wring the end ends of her hair in her hands and twisted awkwardly on the spot.

Lily rummaged about for something to say and was ready to back off when she noticed that James looked peculiar, like he was caught in the middle of wanting to do something.

"Are you up to something?" she blurted abruptly losing her strange behavior and assuming her usual self a bit more.

"What? Me? Of course not Evans!" Finding her a bit bizarre James pasted his I'm-so-innocent face on. "Why would you think that?"

Lily narrowed her eyes at him and glared closer at him and he leaned back to avoid her until he could feel his spine protesting. "You've got that look."

"What look?" James backed away and straightened his back.

"That same look you had when you planted a smoke bomb in the classroom to get out of class two months ago."

"Smoke bomb?" James racked his brain for the incident but there had been so many involving bombs of all sorts that he could not recall it.

"What are you planning?" she jabbed at his chest lightly drawing what James thought was dangerously close again. She was like a lie detector he knew he could not physically or mentally pass.

Someone behind them cleared their throat and James thought that he had never been so pleased to see McGonagall before. "Mr. Potter and Miss Evans, care to come with me to my office?" It was not an invite nor even a question but an order. She turned on her heels and walked away expecting them to follow without a question. And follow they did. It felt like they had done something wrong and she was going to pile on the punishment. James and Lily exchanged a glance. She's found the Hand. She must have! Or at least it had made an appearance and terrorized people.

The door slammed behind them once they were in her office.

"Take a seat." She commanded and sat down opposite them. They sat and prepared themselves to face the worst but to her surprise McGonagall's facial muscles relaxed. "You will be pleased to hear that Miss Sunbury is doing fine. She will be fit enough to return to us at the start of the next term." Lily welled with relief, it was less than a week to Christmas holidays and maybe she could go visit her before she came back!

"That's very good news." James said but he did not look as elated as Lily. Yoanna was going to come back with a lot of answers and he was sure there were a few that they would not like. Whether Rosie is guilty or not all would be clear with her return.

"I've got more good news." McGonagall announced and beamed at him. "Dumbledore is on his way back to Hogwarts." James tensed and sat bolt up straight in his chair with suspense. "The Hearing went smoothly and your Father is fine. He's been released without charges. I suspect that you will have an owl waiting for you with the good news when you return to the hall." Lily could see the tension leave James' body and it made her want to cheer on his behalf.

When they left the office Lily could see that James was still wearing a wide grin and she wouldn't have been in the least surprised if he suddenly broke out into song and danced. Well, actually she would have been rather shocked but still, that was how she felt.

"Things are starting to look up don't you think?" she grinned up at him.

He returned her grin. "You know, everything doesn't seem so bad anymore." He surprised even himself when he reached down and circled his arms around her in a happy embrace. Lily let out a soft gasp but her arms reacted on their own accord and hugged him back. It was a happy moment for both and there really was nothing wrong with hugging a friend, she tried to tell herself. Still, the solid and comfortable feeling she had had in his arms stayed with her and she could not help but smile for the rest of the day.

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A/N: Wow, turned out quite unexpected!