He returned to his room and polished his broomstick, after he had done it. He took out Charlotte's unused broom and held it in his hands as he laid down on the floor. And, he fell asleep with it. He woke up when Sirius came up to wake him at five thirty.

"Hey….." Sirius shook him, "Come on, wake up….Prongsie! It is Quidditch time,"

James woke up groggily,

"What time is it?"

"Fifty thirty."

Sirius took the broomstick from his hands but James wouldn't let it go.

"James…" Sirius said, "Let it go…."

He pulled the new broomstick from his hands.

"Careful." He said. "It is Charlotte's, she is going to be mad if it scratches."

Sirius gaped but recovered himself immediately, if they still slept in the same room he would have noticed that James often screamed in his sleep. He often talked about Charlotte in the present tense, but only when he was really tired or had just woken up.

"Okay." He said, "I'll put it back."

James nodded.

"Just coming." James stood up, "And, let's pop by the Wing first." He said, "And, check up on Moony."

Finding Remus asleep, James and Sirius took off, leaving Peter to stay with him till they got back and the trials for the Quidditch team began.

James allowed everyone to take a turn and at almost nine am, he had his team ready, including a first year who was particularly good at dodging Quaffles. This was a first for the Quidditch teams. Several girls had come out to see James Potter at his finest, which was the pitch. He directed students and waited patiently as the wind blew his dark hair and stung his eyes. Sirius was so proud of him.

In the last few weeks, James had become even more popular and more attractive since he matured and had a brooding sense about him. Girls from all houses swooned over him and he had eyes for no one. Not even the head girl of Gryffindor house.

After the late night talk, Lily started to notice what her friends said about James. He was changed. He had really changed. Both of them were living in close quarters to each other and James Potter didn't even look at her anymore. Before, he had begged her to go out with him each chance he got. But, things had really changed. No snarky comments. No sniggering. No flirting. And, maybe…..she was just a little teensy weensy bit interested in James. Only the thing was…….she was no longer the first priority on his mind, because vengeance was.

For the weekend, James had the rest of the Marauders over to help Remus cover up the work he missed. Peter had borrowed some of Lily's notes to help study from. And, when he left he forgot to give them back to him.

"Can I have my notes back….?" Lily knocked at his door.

James had just come out of the shower and was looking for his t-shirt, when he heard knocking again.

"Come in!" He shouted, thinking it was probably Peter who had come to take back his books. "It's open."

"Can I have my books back?" Lily came inside, " Oh, I am sorry,"

"I didn't know it was you." He confessed as he put his shirt on. "Your books…are on my nightstand. Help yourself."

She went to the nightstand when she spotted the teddy bear on the bed.

"Oooooh, James Potter has stuffed animals." She teased him.

"Yeah…." He smiled for a brief second.

She toyed around with his teddy bear and twisted its neck without thinking.

"Who would have known the great Headboy kept stuffed animals." She said, "How does no one know about this?"

"Lily, put the bear down." He told her, fearing it would break.

"Oooooh, someone loves their teddy." She laughed, "Does it have a name?"

"Yes." James admitted, "It is a she….and it's Florence."

She laughed loudly and stumbled softly. She twisted it a little more not knowing what she was doing and the neck of the bear broke,

"No!" James shouted. "What did you do?"

"I am sorry." She said, "It's just a bear, James. I'll fix it with…."

"Get out." He shouted.

"James?" She whispered.

"I said, GET OUT!" He shouted at her, "OUT!"

"I can fix it." She said

"Leave me." James sat down on his bed, snatching the bear from her hands.

James Potter held the bear in his hand as he regretted the moment he had shouted at Lily. He didn't know what was happening to him. He wasn't this guy. But, he was forced to be. The death eaters forced him to be angry. Voldemort forced him to be agitated. It was Snape's fault that made him angry with Lily. He noticed Lily being nicer to him and he…..was blowing all his shots, he was pushing the one person he wanted the most in his life now. He fixed the bear and hid in his trunk so no more harm would come to Florence.

Lily Evans came out of the bedroom, her eyes tearing up. James never talked to her like this. James Potter always put her on the pedestal. And, she loved it. She didn't like him treating her this way. How could he do this? Didn't he know she was falling for him?

She ran outside and she went into the grounds and tried to walk around and organize her feelings. James Potter would have apologized to her immediately but he couldn't because he had more pressing matters at hand. It was a full moon that night.

Remus Lupin was in for a hard night. They ran towards the Whomping Willow and no one would have seen them ever…….had Lily not been in the grounds still. She had fallen asleep on a bench and woke up at dusk. She walked all the way to the building and saw them. Peter Pettigrew, Sirius Black and finally the man she did and didn't want to see at the same time, James Potter. And, after a few seconds, they all disappeared and in their place were……..No, no….she couldn't believe it. A stag, a dog and something small. Her mouth dropped open. Now, she knew. Prongs was James because he was an animagus who could turn into a stag. Padfoot was Sirius because he was a big black dog. And, Pettigrew was something small, probably a rat. Then, a wolf came running out from under the Whomping Willow, howling loudly. They all followed. She didn't know how she came back to her room and waited. She waited for James to come back, forgetting everything that happened in the morning. She waited for hours but James Potter never came home that night.

After the Marauders had safely housed in the Shrieking Shack for the night, Sirius and James left a sleeping Remus under Peter's watch and moved into the dark sides of Hogsmeade where some Death Eaters had been sighted. Dumbledore had ordered them to spy quietly and report back any suspicious activity and try to recognize as many people as they could.

They were hanging around a seedy bar and quietly listening to them all ... .and they did an excellent job as spies and got information on the death eaters next moves. They returned back to the Shrieking Shack by dawn when they saw that Remus wasn't there. And, only Peter sat, scared and wandless, under the keen watch of Severus Snape.

"I am sorry, Prongs." He whimpered. "He forced me. He said he would kill me…so I told him….I told him where you went."