Their Seventh Year

Disclaimer: (because I forgot it in the last chapter and I highly doubt I’d get sued but you can never be too careful) Harry Potter and all related characters and ideas belong to JK Rowling and I thank her for letting us play with them.

Sorry this chapter is so short.

Chapter 2- Boy Talk and Girl Talk

"You know what I've been thinking?" James said suddenly. All four of the Gryffindor seventh year boys were in their dorm, after the feast, unpacking. Which really meant just dumping everything out of their trunks onto the floor in messy piles. In fact, the floor was littered with clothes, books, sheets of parchment and quills, and various items from Zonkos designed to either explode or emit nasty smells.

"Wouldn't happen to be about Lily Evans, would it?" Said Sirius tiredly. "He's been like this all summer." He added to the other two.

Remus glanced up from the books he was arranging on his desk. "Seriously Prongs, what is it about Evans? There are lots of pretty girls at Hogwarts, I'm sure you could find at least one who doesn't despise you. Is it really Evans, or are you just after a snog that's a challenge?"

"There's just…something about her. If she'd just give me a chance…" He said earnestly. "How do I get her to just give me a chance?"

"Well, you could start by not acting like a prat every time she's around." Remus remarked.

"Aw hell, Moony's going to go all sensitive on us here." Sirius ducked books thrown at him from two different directions.

"I'm listening." James prodded. "How?"

"Well, for starters, stop harassing her all the time."

"I'm not "harassing", I'm being attentive."

"Call her by her first name."

"That's 'Lily' in case you weren't sure mate." Sirius said helpfully.

"Why?"

Remus shrugged. "Girl thing, they seem to prefer it."

"Okay, number one, call her Lily. What else?"

"Well, rather than coming at her from the angle of "how bloody fantastic James Potter is", you might stop flirting with her, and try talking to her."

"How do you mean?"

Remus rolled his eyes. "Talking to her Prongs. As in "Hello Lily, how was your day?" or "Say Lily, wasn't that a swell potions lesson?" or "Hey Lily, that was a brilliant answer in History of Magic the other day."

"Or "Excuse me Lily, want to step into the broom closet and shag?" Suggested Sirius.

"Find out what she likes." He continued as though Sirius had not spoken. "Do you actually know anything about her?"

James looked highly affronted. "Of course!"

"Oh? What's her favorite subject?"

"Er…"

"Where's she from?"

"!" He said triumphantly.

"Uh-huh, where in ?"

"Er…"

"See what I mean?"

"Compliment her. Tell her she's pretty. Girls like that." Peter said unexpectedly. He had no particular expertise where women were concerned.

"But you have to be sincere." Remus added. "Don't just start going on about how she's the most beautiful woman in the world. Keep it simple. Tell her her hair looks nice or she has a pretty necklace on or something."

"Moony, if you're so bloody enlightened as to what women want, why aren't you the one with the reputation of big man on campus? Huh?" Sirius challenged.

Remus raised an eyebrow and replied simply. "I have standards."

======

"What are you working on ? You can't possibly have homework, we haven't had any classes yet." Lily asked setting out her uniform for the first day of classes.

"I'm not doing homework. I'm writing a letter."

Flora groaned and drew a pillow over her face. "This is horrible. We're going to know way more about the life of Frank Longbottom than we ever wanted to know. That's all she's going to talk about all year."

rolled her eyes and said nothing.

"I think it's very sweet." Said Emily Sheridan, brushing her hair. Emily was a quiet girl from a muggle family who tended to struggle in classes, but she worked hard. Most times she could be found in a corner of the common room bent over a book. She had been sorted into Gryffindor, and they all knew the sorting hat knew best, but she really felt like she ought to have been in Hufflepuff.

"Well, with obsessing over Frank and Lily obsessing over Potter, you won't think it's sweet for long." Replied Flora darkly.

"I am NOT obsessing over that prat!" Lily fairly screeched.

"To tell the truth Lily, I think you're protesting a little too vehemently." Remarked quietly. As sweet and mild-mannered as she appeared, she was a keen observer.

"She says she hates him, but inside she's secretly thinking-" Flora began swooning theatrically over her bed. "-oh James, James I looooove you. Kiss me James!"

"In fact, it's you who keep bringing him up." Lily continued, calming, pointing an accusing finger at Flora.

"I think you should give him a chance. I think he's cute."

"Well if you're so keen on Potter, maybe you should date him."

Flora looked thoughtful before turning off the light. "Well, maybe I will."

As Lily tried to sleep, she pushed away the thought that if she hated Potter so much, why did it bother her that Flora was interested in him? No, it didn't bother her precisely, she reasoned, it was just that Flora was her friend, her good friend, and when a friend gets mixed up with the likes of James Potter, she's bound to get hurt. Yes, that was it, she was just thinking in the best interests of her friend.