Final Year, Final Chance

"I personally think it's really strange."

Remus rolled his eyes as he sat on the edge of Sirius' bed. "We know you do Sirius. You have said that at least a thousand times."

"But it is!" Sirius protested. "Why would she just run off without saying another word? Did you see the way she looked at him?"

It was a week after the Marauders noticed something very peculiar about one Lily Evans. They were experts in taunting and teasing her, and noticed every change in her since she was a very petite first year. The reaction she presented to them did not leave their minds quickly.

"We all saw it," Remus sighed, exhausted by the conversation. "I'm pretty sure the whole common room saw it."

"Well I think she likes him," Peter offered.

"Thanks captain obvious," Sirius snapped sarcastically. "Reveal more of your super powers, please. I'm begging you!"

"We can't say anything to James," Remus warned.

"Why not?"

"It'll get his hopes up!"

"Whose hopes up?"

James had just entered the seventh year boys' dormitories to chat to his friends. He didn't fancy spending time in the Head Boy's room by himself. While he liked being Head Boy - particularly all of the time he got to spend with Lily, he got very lonely without his closest friends.

"Nothing James, don't worry about it. Sirius is practicing keeping his nose out of other people's business," Remus added pointedly looking at Sirius, who looked as though he may protest.

"This is about me, isn't it?" James asked walking over to them. He suddenly began to shout at them. "Look, I'm sorry if I am Head Boy, it doesn't mean I am not first and foremost a marauder! But I promised Lily, no more pranks and if you-"

"Mate, we don't think that at all," Remus interjected, shocked at James' sudden outburst.

"Really? Are you sure?"

"Of course, quit being a moronic git," Sirius cracked, throwing a pillow at his best friend.

James laughed, feeling slightly embarrassed. "Okay, so just tell me what you blokes were talking about."

"It really is nothing, James." However as he said that, Remus couldn't look James in the eye.

While James took a seat in the nearest chair, Sirius got up and paced the room. He couldn't handle the fact that he had this feeling; a feeling that there was something more to Lily and James' relationship than James' long-running crush. And judging by the look on Remus' face, he was getting at something that Remus seemed to have reached a long time ago. Sirius rounded on him.

"You know something? Or believe something, don't you?"

"Who? Me?"

"Yes you, Moony."

Remus feigned innocent. "I don't know a thing."

"Know about what?" James asked warily.

Peter was frantic. "Is there a test I haven't heard about?!"

"Peter you prat! It's just coming onto the second week," James snapped impatiently. "Why on earth would we have a test?"

"I don't know, I'm just really confused. Are we still talking about the fact that we think Lily likes James? Or have we moved on from that?"

James fell off his seat. "What?!"

Remus rolled his eyes and Sirius grabbed Remus' book and threw it at Peter. It smacked his head, causing him to yelp and fall off his bed.

"Nice going, Mr. Smooth!" Sirius groaned.

Peter hopped back onto the bed, rubbing his now bruised head. "Jeez what did you do that for?"

"You are a twat, Peter," Remus spat, annoyed. "You know that right?"

"What the hell are you talking about?!" James yelled.

Sirius and Remus exchanged dark looks. Sirius pressed Remus for more information.

"What do you know?"

"I don't know anything, Padfoot," Remus said, picking up a book off the floor as he walked to his bed. "But I, like you, have a feeling."

"Will someone please tell me what's going on?"

"Go on," said Sirius, as if he hadn't heard James.

Remus walked towards his bed and sat down, his book in his lap. "Okay. I'm going to tell you but you all have to promise not to go mental or anything okay?"

The others nodded in agreement.

Remus took a big breath. "Okay. So, when I was showing the first years where to go, and Lily found me she asked where James was. And that's when he gave his grand entrance!" He pointed at his friend, as James smiled fondly at the memory.

Sirius sitting down on his bed, gave James five seconds, and cleared his throat. "Continue."

Remus inclined his head, and went on. "She laughed. And it wasn't a grimace or a regretful laugh. It was a true laugh. Like a laugh of admiration or affection or something."

Remus turned to James, directing his remaining thoughts only to James. "And then there was this moment between you two; it was the weirdest thing I have ever seen. But it was after that, and it was like lightening had struck between you two. Suddenly there was this new... I don't know, something in the atmosphere that I had never seen before."

They boys all looked at him in awe, Sirius had a look of slight disgust on his face.

Remus went a bit pink in the face. "Or something like that. Make of it what you will."

With that Remus sat on his bed alone, and began to read his book.

Sirius and James exchanged looks. James wasn't sure what to think. Sirius however, said, "Moony, that has to be the most ridiculous..."

"Oh shut up, Sirius! You asked me what it was and I told you," Remus snapped back, incredibly agitated with Sirius. "If you want the simplified version I'll give it to you: Lily laughed. They looked at each other. And now I reckon Lily might like James."

"Why couldn't you just say that then, you idiot?"

"Because it was all coming off the top of my head, you prat. It just came out."

"Well you could have said it like that, instead of such a nancy-boy way!"

Remus stood up from his bed. "Listen here mate-"

"OI!"

Remus and Sirius whipped their heads around so quickly to look at James, that they both cracked their necks. James was still on the floor, staring up at the two of them. Peter, on the other hand, didn't know where to look.

"Let me get this straight," reasoned James. "You both have a feeling, some kind of feeling... that Lily Evans might like me back?"

There was a slight pause. Sirius and Remus didn't want to get James' hopes up, only to have them crashing down if they were terribly off the mark. However, the look on Lily's face...

"There is a possibility, mate," concluded Sirius. "But I'm saying this now: try not to get your hopes too high. It is very rare that our high intelligence has steered us into incorrect territory. But you never know."

"But more importantly, what are we going to do about it?" asked Remus.

"Do about what?"

"About you and Lily!"

"We're - we're going to do something?"

"Do you want to be with Lily or not?" demanded Sirius.

"Yeah but-"

"Haven't YOU been the one pining and prosing over her the past couple of years?" Remus challenged.

"Yes but-"

"Don't you want to see if she really does like you?" Sirius pressured.

"Yes but I'm-"

"Then let's not muck about! Let's think up a solid plan!"

"Would you hang on a second!"

Remus, Peter and Sirius looked at James. He was still sitting on the floor, with a very concerned and scared look on his face.

James took a few breaths. He couldn't get his head around how he felt about this recent development. "I don't think this is a good idea!"

Sirius surveyed James with a pensive look, and let out a trademark bark-like laugh. "Oh James, so simple. So naïve."

"What on earth could possibly deter you from this?!" asked Remus, genuinely confused from James' hesitation.

"I want Lily to find out for herself if I'm decent or not. I don't want you idiots trying to convince her."

Sirius and Remus were both confused. Normally, a plan like this would have James chomping at the bit, ready to take on the adventure that befell them. This James, this scared, confused, hesitant James did not do well at a plan of this magnitude. Obviously, the boys needed to convince him otherwise.

"Come on mate-" Remus coaxed.

"I'm serious!"

Sirius was growing tired of this. "No you're not, I am," he joked.

"IT'S NOT BLOODY FUNNY!" James exploded, leaping upright. The others froze in shock. "You lot just don't get it do you?! Any of you! It's not like some stupid joke or jinx that we're planning on Snape or anyone else. This is something that is significant in my life and you lot seem like you want to make it some silly game. It isn't like that. I'm asking you - no wait, I'm telling you just to leave it be, okay?"

Remus thought about what James had said for a moment. It was understandable he was scared, and clear that he really did not want to do this. But it was a chance to get him Lily! Then suddenly, he had an idea. "Okay mate."

Now it was Sirius' turn to hit the roof. "WHAT?"

"No, we'll leave it."

Sirius was not happy "You have GOT to be kidding me!"

"Sirius! Just leave it!" Remus bellowed, which caused Sirius to shake his head and sit on his bed. "Don't worry about it, Prongs. We won't do a thing."

"Thanks," said James, a wave of relief and gratitude washing over him. "Thanks kids. Look, I've got to go and patrol. I'm sorry about exploding about it... but thanks."

"No worries mate. Have fun."

"Yeah. Have a whale of a time," Sirius added, sarcastically.

"Bye James!" Peter called.

James gave them all a quick grin, shut the door behind him and descended the staircase.

Sirius grabbed one of his own books and threw it at Remus, missing target. "Moony I'm going to absolutely throttle you."

"What for?"

"You seriously cannot be cool about it!"

"I'm totally being cool about it-"

"How is conceding defeat being cool?" Sirius barked. "How is doing nothing about this brilliant development in the Potter-Evans chronicles 'totally being cool about it'?"

"Who said I was conceding defeat?"

"Sirius did!" offered Peter. "Just then-"

"Ah you don't understand," Remus grinned. "Believe me, we're going to get James and Lily together this year if it kills me. Who says James has to be in on it?"

Remus picked up his book and watched as the idea ticked over in Sirius' head. Remus allowed one of the brightest students in the school to absorb the information that had been laid before him until...

"You sly dog Remus," Sirius smiled. "I like your thinking. Let's do it. Planning is underway tomorrow in the library, five o'clock in the afternoon."

Peter sat there for a moment. He had been taking all of the information in, processing it all. Nevertheless, he still was confused.

"Wait a minute? Are we going to try and get Lily to like James? Or James to like Lily? Or both? What are we doing?"

Remus took his book and hurled it at Peter's head, hitting the target. Peter yelped in pain.

"You really are thick, Peter."