A/N: You guys have been kinda quiet lately. :(

Also, with regards to the 'theory' behind the Animagus transformations in this chapter, it's a whole load of bull that I made up based on a little bit of thermodynamics. So if you don't understand it that's cool because it's not really there to be understood, only to show how difficult magic is for the characters in their final year and to show that magic is actually a very tough concept. At least that's what I think because it took the Marauders so many years to be able to transform.

Disclaimer: I do not own any HP characters or the world that they are set in. Anything you recognize does not belong to me.

SCRAGGLY TWIGS WITH WHITE FLUFF

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James sat hunched over roll of two of parchment, hidden behind a pile of growing books. If anything sucked about being the last year it was the sheer amount of work that had to be done. He was in the hospital wing for crying out loud! Homework should be the last thing on his recuperating mind yet here he was clawing through text after text out of necessity.

His post Hogwarts life beckoned to him with a wagging finger and he would dearly love to flip it the finger were it not so damn important. Yet at the same time he was eager to get out and to see the world as a fully qualified wizard. He'd lend his strength (whatever it was worth) to eradicate the likes of Voldemort and his poxy Death Eaters. It was somewhat a romantic dream but James could only shrug, what could he say? He was a traditional kind of guy and he possessed firm foundations of right and wrong. Especially now as his brief reverie came to and end and the spreading ink blotch on his parchment came back into focus. All this work was clearly wrong. Had McGonagall any humor she could have written 'With Love' on top of the assignments that she had unceremoniously dumped on them.

"What, it's been like two days and she's already giving us jip about being behind on work. Give me a break!" He complained moodily. Having been bed bound for what felt like eternity restlessness was beginning to kill him. Madam Pomfrey was keeping an eagle eye on the both of them and they were barely allowed to nip to the loo without permission. For lack of a better they were prisoners sentence to do nothing but homework.

"Did she forget that in one night I dueled against two of my best friends! People don't usually recover from stuff like that for at least a week!"

Sirius shrugged. "Moony doesn't count."

"Yea, maybe you are right. I dueled you but with Moony it was more like him ripping in and me running for my life." James admitted with some thought. "Well, I guess it could have been worse-"

"How bloody worse could it have gotten, Prongs?" Sirius replied tetchily. He'd been in an awful mood ever since Wormtail delivered news of Snape. Apparently the whole school was treating him like some kind of hero because he 'saved' James. This was another thing that was wrong, wrong WRONG! They couldn't help but be put off since somebody had apparently forgotten to mention the fact that he was the one who put them in danger in the first place! Unfortunately there was little they could do because there was simply no evidence. Regulus refused to speak and Lestrange only opened his mouth to spew the foulest words until he was escorted off the premises.

"Stinking Snivellus!" Sirius cursed. "I'll get him back for this."

"Padfoot…" Moony chided as he hobbled in. "I can hear you all the way from my room!"

"What? He gets a bloody medal for being an asshole and what do I sodding get? Not even a pat on the back!"

An uncharacteristic smirk crept onto Moony's pale face. "You're lucky you didn't get detention."

Sirius appeared put out and a little aggravated that he and his friends didn't appear to be on the same wavelength. "Detention? What for?"

"Bodily harm to another student."

"When?"

On cue, James raised his arm.

Sirius was far from impressed. "Oh that? It's a scratch!"

"It was a Severing charm!" James exclaimed indignantly. "One more inch and I'll be catching the Quaffle with one arm!"

Sirius snorted before grinning. "Hmph! Then we'd all be screwed because you can barely catch it with two!"

"OI" James threw a pillow at Sirius who ducked and it hit Moony.

"This is war!" Moony seized the pillow and swung it into Sirius and the two boys began to grapple immediately.

James chortled and moved further away before returning his attention to the piece of parchment he'd been trying to write on. "Two pinches of…" He squinted. "…Squiggle stuff…damn it! I can't read my own handwriting!" he tossed it aside and fell back against his pillows ready to give up almost straight away.

Sirius leaned over and peered at it. "Don't worry 'bout it mate, I don't think anyone knows how to read chicken scratches."

James gave him a withering look. "You try writing with your hand patched up like this!" he held up his heavily bandaged hand just as Lily swept in and deposited some more books.

"Two pinches of dusted Tweazles." She read off to resolve the mystery of the chicken scratches. She was in such a haste to see, hear, sense and feel as little as possible whilst in that room that she didn't even seem to notice Sirius give her the wide-eyed wonder expression.

"I am truly amazed. You must be a very clever witch if you can read chicken scratches!" Sirius exclaimed but all she did was shrug and leave as quickly as she had entered. James watched her go and even continued to stare at the door when he could no longer see her.

"Things are still bad." Sirius observed with a bit of uncharacteristic sympathy.

"Looks that way." Came his sad reply.

For a moment Sirius dropped his childish façade and grew staid even as Moony continued to pound him with the pillow. Things didn't look good but from what he knew of Lily, no matter how extremely one sided her thoughts could become she would eventually come to her senses. He was secretly waiting for her to breakdown. As bad as it may sound he knew that once she realized that James had become too much of a part of her she would return.

Having had enough of being somber Sirius crossed his arms in front of defensively like he was warding off evil. "Forget match-making you two back together! She might poke me with her wand again! Have you tried being mowed down by a dead Centaur lately?"

"It was a phantom Centaur."

Sirius looked indignant. "You call these phantom?" he pointed to his bandaged wounds. "That's blood!"

"Self-inflicted."

"You're a heartless man!" He complained and rolled over preparing for a long nap ignoring Remus still.

James felt his gaze wander back to the door. "That I am now…" he sighed sadly and slid out of bed. With a crafty bit of skill that involved making Moony hide in his bed he dressed and took an armful of books.

"Don't move, if Pomfrey discovers that you're not me, lie." He instructed.

Remus threw himself onto the said bed and made himself comfy. "What if you run into her on the way out?"

James patted the books. I'll tell her I'm on my way to return some books to McGonagall."

"And what if she discovers me missing?"

"Dunno, make something up."

Moony nodded. "Plenty of plot holes but what the heck. Get going!"

"Cheers mate!" James waved and he was off but it turned out he didn't have far to go. Literally not far at all because just outside the Medical Wing stood Lily.

Likewise Lily appeared equally surprised. She blushed and looked down.

"Lily!" he greeted happily before clearing his throat. "I mean hi." He said trying to start again and setting the atmosphere in which he was most likely to be forgiven. "What are you doing here?" He cringed inwardly and before he could help it nervousness got the better or him. "Not that you're not allowed to be here or anything…I mean, you did just bring us some books. Thanks for that by the way…urm…do you know the Quidditch score?" Of all the things to say…

It was as if he could read Lily's mind and she struggled not to roll her eyes. He swallowed and watched as the corner of her mouth twitched and before he knew it, it grew into a smile.

"You're such an idiot." She said. Before she'd been afraid of facing James but now she realized there was nothing to be afraid of, not when he's being his bumbling stupid self.

James didn't know what to make of it, "Uh…"

Lily moved closer and unexpectedly wrapped her arms around him books and all. It wasn't ideal or even comfortable but she was glad. James swallowed back his surprised and managed to chuckle softly. "If you want me to give you a proper hug I've gotta put down my books first."

"That's okay. I was just glad that you're okay." Lily said withdrawing. James let go of the books and the heavy volumes fell to the ground. One landed on his toe whilst the others suffered a rip or two but James didn't care. He opened his arms and pulled Lily back.

"Don't go." He said holding her tight.

Lily didn't reply because she was holding him just as tightly and with her face pressed into his the base of his neck she felt safe. This is how it's supposed to feel like. She told herself. If she'd learnt anything lately it was she could never be the one to walk away, she would stay until the day he asked her to leave…

The pair spent the afternoon wandering about Hogwarts hand in hand like it was their first date. They talked about anything and everything along with all the bits in between. Lily had never felt so at ease in her whole life and James…well what he was thinking became apparent soon. An idea had formed and its persistence grew so strong that he knew it was no longer and idea but something he must do.

"Look I'll show you something!" James took Lily by the hands and led her up to his room. "I transfigured some roses for you." He said once they were there. "Well, it kinda happened by accident but they are for you!"

Lily looked around but all she saw was a vase with scraggly twigs with white fluff on them. She guessed that they were Stargazers albeit dried and dead ones. "Really?"

"Yupz!" He went to pick up the vase but froze. "Where did they go?" he snatched it up and peered in and around completely at lost over how they disappeared. "Moony must have thrown them out." He said fully dispirited.

"Real smooth." Lily teased.

"They were here!" James insisted looking a little hurt.

Lily laughed quietly and swatted him lightly over the head before bringing her fingers to his jaw line. She rubbed it soothingly. "Fine, it's the thought that counts anyway."

"Really?"

"Sure."

"Are you really sure?"

"Definitely."

"Really really sure?"

"Urm…yea…" Lily replied a little suspiciously.

"Good because erm…" He held the dry twigs up to her. "Will you marry me?"

Lily's jaw dropped.

"Quit messing about James."

"I'm not. Seriously I'm not." For a second neither said anything. She was too intent in looking for the slightest hint of humor in his expression and he was too mesmerized by her impossibly green eyes. He felt like her gaze probed straight through his and burnt a hole in his mind. A Lily hole. It wasn't the most romantic of images but it was a truthful one. His heart was beating fast and hard and he wished he could look away from her penetrating glare.

"Do you remember the last time you tried to propose?" She asked seemingly out of the blue.

James feigned deep thought although in truth he had no problem recalling the incident. He believed that students still talked about it even now. "Yes, I believe you was rather insulted."

Lily grinned. "A piece of turkey got up from my plate and started asking for marriage in your voice! I was absolutely freaked out."

"And not in the least flattered?"

"By a talking piece of turkey?"

"By my proposal!"

"I was twelve! Marriage was quite out of my league of thoughts!"

"What about now?"

Lily averted her eyes and fiddled with the hem of her skirt feeling way out of her comfort boundary. "I…I need to concentrate on my studies."

"And you can't concentrate your studies while being married to me?"

"I'm still a teenager!"

"So am I."

"Oh James! Stop messing about!"

"I'm not!" He insisted, bringing the conversation around into a full circle.

"All right then. Why now of all times?"

He hesitated. "Because I only thought of it just now." He said with an honesty he did not intend.

"Just now?" she echoed. James, not one to panic easily, was nearly thrown into a nervous fit by her tone. Should he lie? Should he reassure her that he had it in his mind for ages? Should he go with what he started?

Too many questions and no answers! Without warning he keeled over onto her lap. "James!" She almost freaked thinking that maybe he hadn't recovered from his injuries.

"Too much pressure…brain overload…" He grumbled into her skirt. "Please just say yes."

Lily stared down at the back of his head where his hair stuck up at weird angles. With one hand she scrunched it up some more. "No."

He bolted upright at once. "Wha?"

"No, James. The answer is no."

"But why?"

Lily's seriousness lasted another two seconds perhaps before she dissolved into laughter. "Quit playing James!" she stood up and arranged her uniform. "Besides, It's lunch time!" With that she skipped ahead leaving James to stare after her.

For once food was the last thing on his mind. "She said no…"

---

Since that fateful moment that he had proposed for the first time and Lily had declined thinking that he was having a laugh, James Potter became determined to show her just how serious he was. Yes, it had been a spontaneous proposal for which he was ill prepared for.

It was a life-changing question!

He thought in retrospect and nervousness began to pervade his cluttered mind.

Heck! If he known beforehand that he would be asking Lily to spend forever after with him he might have combed his hair a bit more. He might have spent some time planning his question as well…and offering her a dozen or so fresh flowers would have been nice and a ring would have been dead useful! The list was simply endless! And over the last two weeks he strove to correct the list.

Over breakfast…over lunch, over dinner and just about every opportunity he had with her alone and many when they weren't alone he popped the question over and over. To his dismay Lily was having none of it. Whether in the eyes of everyone around them or alone she always laughed it off.

"Trust me James, it's just a phase."

For being a bright witch it seemed that Lily could be just as equally dim. It was like she was determined to think that he was being insincere and James couldn't tell what hurt him more. He never realized that a word as simple as 'no' could be so damn hurtful especially now that she stopped listening to him whenever he even approached the topic.

He sighed and another listless night passed. James was left behind late in the Common Room trying to chip away at his mountain of work with a flimsy toothpick. Rejection lay heavy in his heart and all he could do was stare at the handful of dried and awfully dead sticks that he'd brought down from upstairs. The sad remainder of his original bouquet. They lay there…mocking him…

He wanted to tell them off, throw them away or better still…burn them but right now they were all the inspiration he had while he pondered over his situation with perhaps a teeny fraction of his mind working on his presentation. He looked down at his ink dotted parchment and the question scrawled along the top.

Essay Question:

Does an Animagi transformation into a large animal give off or absorb Magic Energy? Explain the movement of energy in a transformation using Merlin's Laws.

How very apt it was to his secret talent but how it needled at his bruised brain for the necessary intellect to answer the question! He reread it again and then twice more.

Sweet Merlin, pity my poor soul!

With a bit more thought he began to devise a broken down version of his answer. He needed to write down which he thought happened and to offer proof.

Magic Energy, otherwise known as Entropy (although in a slightly different context to the entropy Muggles were familiar with) is either released or absorbed depending on the particular spell…His head began to throb and he stared at it some more.

The more he looked at it the more he was convinced that this was a bitch of a question, one that he would gladly overlook on the exam paper but when it was set as presentation he hardly had a choice. To make it worse the damn thing was due the next day!

A mixture of Lily's rejection and the essay pulsed his tired brain until at last the two mingled into one. The problem was that Lily didn't seem to take him seriously. The only thing that she consistently took seriously throughout the years was her study…stupid essay…stupid presentation…Lily and presentation…

With a faint "ah" James put his quill to parchment and began to write furiously.

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The next day, to no one's surprise he was made to give his presentation first. It seemed that being a Head Boy did have its own disadvantages and being used to set and example was one of them. Although today it didn't quite matter as much because he was just itching to get started. It was a bizarre feeling, he'd put much thought into this but at the same time he hadn't really considered the consequences, and all he knew was that Lily was listening to him and it was the one situation where she could not laugh it off so easily.

At the front of the room he leant casually against McGonangall's desk. "The first thing to consider when questioning whether an Animagi transformation requires an input of Magic Energy or if it is already charged sufficiently to release it, is how the mass of the subject is changing with respect to time. So we need to know the amount of will/effort or otherwise known as work that is travelling into the subject and out, i.e. how much force is trafficking in and out. Confused?"

He received a few nods from his classmates and one from McGonagall who understood it perfectly and was merely offering encouragement.

"Okay, I've got an analogy to make things a little simpler or more confusing depending. Are you all familiar with the Muggle's concept of Fire right? Remember that they only have one type, it's nothing like ours and usually only burns one colour and to make it burn brighter they have to add stuff like oil." He received a general murmur of consent but he offered a few sentences as explanation anyway. At this point McGonagall's keen nose twitched and she sensed something fishy with James' presentation.

"Right, now that we are all clear on the concept of fire this is the analogy. A fire, say a campfire will represent the subject, the body of the wizard if you will. Since we need to know how much energy travels in and out of the body i.e. the fire we can safely pretend that the energy is represented by oil. Now, how much oil will leak back out of the fire?"

Only Muggle born students raised their hands and James randomly picked one. "Uh…none?"

James snapped his fingers. "That's right! None! So once energy, our oil enters the body they stay put! So that leaves us with how much oil, theoretically speaking enters the fire. Let's face, there are a lot of people out there who use up natural resources without a thought with only a few tying themselves to trees etc." A few Muggle born students laughed including Lily. "So we can assume that a considerable amount goes to the fire. This also applies to an Animagi transformation: most but not all Magical Energy will go into the subject with none coming back out again.

"There is only one more thing to take into consideration and that is the rate at which the oil enters the fire. With the amount of Muggles have to use a daily basis because they have no magic we can expect it to be exponentially high. SO this means a lot of energy is shooting into the subject upon casting the spell.

"Now lets look at the rate of change in the volume of the subject. We need to bring in Merlin's Third Law: In order for the temperature and pressure in a person to stay the same thus avoiding a nasty explosion if the Animagus Spell goes wrong, the volume of the person has expand proportionally to the addition of Energy. By the way, this is assuming that the person is transforming into an animal bigger than himself. Changing into smaller animals is a different matter altogether.

"Anyway back to our analogy, one of two things can happen.

If the fire expands at a slower rate than souls entering then the temperature and pressure will increase and the subject goes pop! And all Hell breaks loose and we have a raging fire in our hands!

If the fire expands faster than the rate of oil added then the temperature and pressure drops and all goes well for the subject. More importantly to me the fire freezes because of the temperature drops and taa daa! Magical fire! Our fire that merely tickles!

"This answers our question nicely! According to Dear old Merlin, for a successful transformation to take place the temperature and pressure inside the person must drop, therefore Magic Energy must be entering the body! It absorbs Magic Energy. The fire freezes which bears a very significant point to me personally"

Everyone stared back at him some with their mouths open. Some were impressed, some confused and a few were still processing things that he had said. All of them in some form or another had a vague idea or at least knew the answer even if they didn't understand the theory too well.

McGonagall cleared her throat. James' presentation of his essay was given in a slightly unorthodox manner but the theory behind it all was entirely correct. "James, your presentation has been…interesting, but why does the transformation absorbing Energy have a significant personal effect on you?"

"It doesn't. I mean the fact that in terms of magic and the analogy, my fire has frozen over and that has a great personal effect on me."

The Professor gave him a look that clearly said that she thought he'd lost it. James only grinned.

"I remember a certain something that a beautiful red headed girl once said to me before she knew magical fire existed. 'Fire will burn cold before I marry you James Potter!'" He laughed a little at the memory of her shouting that across the hall at him when he proposed in their First Year. That time he had been messing about this time he wasn't. However even way back then he'd been rather concerned that Lily had been extremely offended by the proposal. To a certain extent he was a little bit relieved that her rejections nowadays were a lot less hurtful and a lot more civil.

Now that he had Lily's full attention the next part he addressed directly to her. "Lily, will you marry me?"

As one, every last person in the room turned to gawk at Lily with wide eyes and mouths open.

Lily's jaw also dropped and James pranced at the opportunity to make use of her speechlessness. "I am not messing around. I really do mean it." He declared. "Over the two weeks I think that I have felt more than I have ever felt in my whole life combined…" Whatever he had planned next died in his throat as Lily stood up and silently left the classroom, her eyes resolutely glued to the floor at her feet.

James stood frozen on the spot. If at all possible he felt like a part of him had died when she walked out without even a response.

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A/N: Click the little review button pretty plz and tell me what you think.