A Reason in Madness

"There is always some madness in love. But there is some reason in madness."

Chapter Three: The Marauders' Lair

"Hey! Your room's almost as nice as mine!"

"Sweet purple raspberries! You scared me to death! What are you doing in here, James?" Lily had been in the process of hanging her clothes in the wardrobe that was in the Head Girl dorm room. Seeing as the Head Girl was a year Gryffindor this year, Lily's dorm was situated beside the seventh year Gryffindor girls' room. "Wait- how'd you get up here?"

"I don't know. I just decided to go for it," (Idiot.), "and the staircase didn't freak out like it normally would," James told Lily from the doorway. "And hasn't anyone ever told you not to take those purple raspberries from that stranger?"

Lily cocked an eyebrow at him and said, "What are you on?"

James grinned and simply said, "Purple raspberries."

With a roll of her eyes, Lily said, "Anyway, you're probably only able to get up the girls' staircase because of your position."

"Position? What position?"

"Head Boy...I wonder about you, sometimes, James."

A smirk found its way onto his face. "Really now? You wonder about me, Lily?"

With the smirk and that particular comment, Lily was forcefully reminded to whom she was speaking. So much for charming gentleman, she thought. "Please leave."

"Lily, I-" James began, but Lily cut him off.

"No, please...just leave. You shouldn't be here. And don't abuse your 'ability' to come up here. Don't think I won't report you." She said it quite civilly, not exactly friendly, but not really rude. James appeared abashed.

"I wouldn't-"

"Stop it. I'll see you tomorrow. Good night."

As James turned to leave, his head hung, he chanced a glace back at Lily and said, "Bon nuit, mon amour. Á demain."

She went back to unpacking as James shut the door behind him. She realized two things just then: James wouldn't change. She'd never understand French.

*~¤~*

James sighed as he reached a door that should have been bedecked with a sign reading "Seventh Years," but instead read "The Marauders' Lair." He opened the door and looked around. Sirius was in his boxers, dancing on his bed, with what appeared to be Peter's boxers atop his head. Peter, in an act of trying to get his unmentionables back, was jumping around and over Sirius's bed. Remus just looked on, laughing. Once Sirius saw James, he stopped dancing and stood stationary on his bed. "What's happenin', Prongs?" James shrugged and silently walked over to and sat on Remus's bed beside its owner.

Remus looked over at him. "Evans?" He supplied helpfully. James nodded mutely.

Suddenly, he exclaimed, "Whatever I do, it just isn't good enough to get her approval!"

"Sometimes, it's too good, Prongs," Remus replied. "Go sleep in your room tonight, mate. You'll sleep better without these idiots," he nodded towards Sirius and Peter who had promptly resumed their...ah...dance.

James once again nodded and got up to leave. As he opened the door, he said, "G'night, Moony, Padfoot, Wormtail."

Sirius stopped dancing again and said, rather loudly, "Night, Prongsie!!!! Sleep tight!!!! Don't let the bedbugs bite!!!!!" James rolled his eyes and made his (short) way to his Head Boy dormitory. In fact, contrary to what he had told her, his room was the same as Lily's, the only exception being that everything was on the opposite side of the room.

"God, Potter, you're so stupid!" He flung himself backward onto his scarlet-covered, rather large bed. "Great going. And now, you're talking to yourself. Just great!" He thought briefly about what Remus had said before sinking miserably into dreams filled with none other than the resident redheaded female Gryffindor.