The train took a swift turn.

'James please don't make me do this.' Remus said.

'I am not making you do anything.' James said. 'Just start a casual conversation.'

'Like what?'

'I don't know. Just go say hi and you were bored. Go bore her with your nerdy stories.'

'That just warms up my heart.'

'Are you nervous because Dorcas is there?'
'No.'
Yes he was.

'Just a take a deep breath, incline your eyes to an angle where you don't spot her, and spout crap to Evans. Then sooner or later bring up a conversation revolving around me. God, is this that hard to do?'
'Well yeah, it's hard.'

'I am gonna make this easy for you, Remus.'
'Wha- no. No.'
But James had already slid the door open and pushed him in.

Remus fell face first into the ground.
He managed to pull himself up and cast an awkward hello to the five of them.

Lily.

Alice.

Marlene.

Mary.

Dorcas.

'Sure.' Lily said.
'Not to be rude but why are you here?' Marlene asked.

'Yeah, I am coming to that.' Said Remus sitting down beside Mary.
He could feel Dorcas's eyes on him and tried his best to not look at her.

'Well.. I had to get out of there. James and Sirius were being douchebags and fighting about stupid things. I am not intruding or anything am I?'

'No.' said lily.
'Yes.' said Marlene.

'She's just kidding.' Lily said.
'No, I am not.' Marlene said.

'Oh uh okay I will leave, then.' Remus went out and slid the door shut.

James threw the invisibility cloak aside just enough to show a head floating in the air.

'I have told you millions of times that- that is creepy.' Remus said.

'What the hell, Remus? Just asking you a simple favour.' James whispered.

'You heard her. I was intruding.'

'Her? Her, who? McKinnon? Who cares what she thinks? Just go in there. And just because this is a favour, I am ignoring the fact that you called me a douchebag.'

'You are a douchebag.' Remus stated.
'Okay. You got me. Now, go do what I am asking.' James said.

'Alright fine.' Remus sighed.

Remus slid the door.
'Yeah, they are um still fighting.. about stuff. Can I just be here for a little while.'

'Come in, Remus. Ignore McKinnon. And close the damn door.'

Remus could sense James getting in and he slid the door carefully making sure he got in.

'Yeah, you can ignore me. Just talk whatever you are talking. Just think I am not here.'

'Alright, let's take your opinion into this. Remus, do you think Black is into Marlene?' Mary asked.

'Why are you doing this?' Marlene hissed.

'Because Marlene has gotten into her head somehow that black fancies her.'

'Uh Its not my place to say anything. You can talk to him, if you want.'

Remus stifled a shout as James kicked him in the leg.

Lily narrowed her eyes, being the only one to spot his eyes bulge for a second.

'Remus.' She said.
'I certainly didn't expect this from you.'

'Expect what?' Remus asked innocently.

'This.' Lily waved her hand in the air finally getting the corner of the cloak and pulled it out in a whisk.

'You weren't stalking me, were you potter?' Lily asked.

'It was remus's idea.' James said.
'What?' Remus asked. 'It wasn't. He's—'

'I asked him how to know what you feel towards me and Remus here, suggested that I should stalk you.' James said, faking a laugh. 'I know crazy, right? I told I would do no such thing until Remus urged he was only asking for a favour.'

'Remus asked you for this favour?' Lily asked. 'Seriously, you see no flaw in this lie. Remus would desperately want to know what I feel about you?' Lily asked sarcastically.

'I was surprised, too.'

'Drop the stupid act.'

'What are you talking about? There's no act.' James laughed it off.

Lily glared at him.

'Fine. I am sorry. I hope you are not angry. I hope this doesn't come in between us, lilyflower.' James pointed at himself and lily.

'There is no 'us', potter. There never was, and never will be. Now leave the compartment before I kick your ass.'
***
'Will either of you care to explain, what happened?' Sirius asked.

'Prongs, care to explain your well woven lie to padfoot?' Remus asked turning his head towards James's direction.

'I don't get it, man. What do I do wrong? Why can't she just say this isn't going anywhere. Why does she keep throwing me hints to ask her out?'

'What the hell are you talking about? She told you that there will never be 'us'.' Remus said trying to make James accept reason.

'Reverse pyschology, moony.'

'Oh not this again.' Sirius groaned.

'She is seeing whether I can bear rejection. She is telling me to stop asking her out because she wants to go out with me.'

'Yeah, that doesn't make any sense, man.' Sirius said.

'Love doesn't make sense but you got to do it, anyways.'

'This is not love. You just want her because you know you can't have her. If you knew you could have her, you wouldn't be crazy about her.' Sirius said.

'That may be true about you and Marlene, but this shit doesn't apply to me.'

'What does Mckinn—'

'Guys.' Remus interjected. 'Thirty minutes to crash into Hogwarts. We are getting ready, now.'

'This isn't over.' Sirius said to James then brought out his trunk with a heave.

'Whatever.' James said.
***