Chapter 1

"You have too many feelings in that head of yours," Aubrey teased as she walked down the hall, Nora right by her side as her head fell into her hands, not exactly sure of where she was going, but Aubrey had a hold of her sulking best friend, just in case.

"I can't help it," Nora huffed, turning to Aubrey with a frown, her hand finding her hair and soon was she able to see where she was going, "I'm sulking!"

"How boring," Aubrey tutted, "now tell me, dear Nora, how was your summer?"

"Oh, the usual," Nora sighed, rolling her eyes as she smiled at some familiar faces, "horrible."

"You know, you can come to my house, it might not be better but at least we'd be together," Aubrey sighed, "of course, I'm still sorry that you can't come home for Christmas, but other than that, you are always welcome, you know that, right?"

"Yes, I know," Nora sighed, "but if I'm going to be miserable, whether it be with my parents, or yours, at least I can have my room and my records to drown it out if I go home, you know? And don't worry about Christmas, I'll sort something out!"

"Did you get any sleep last night, Nora?" asked Aubrey, frowning as she turned to the girl, "you look awfully tired."

"Because I am," she sighed, her head falling onto Aubrey's shoulder, "all I do is whine, and sulk and I'm sick of it, I tried to make myself feel better by writing in that diary I had when I was younger but it just made me realise how pathetic I am!"

"You are not pathetic for liking someone, Nora," Aubrey chuckled, shaking her head, "it's not like you can just switch off your feelings."

"Oh, but I wish I could," she grumbled, tightening her grip on the books in her hand, "every time I see the power couple of Hogwarts I wish to throw myself off of the astronomy tower."

"Oh please, they are third on the list of cutest couples," Aubrey scoffed, "Adria Hopkins and Sirius Black, an obvious first, Finnegan Wilson and Milo Bell, a definite second, and then Caden and Lily, but that is only because Peter Pettigrew pushed me in the black lake back in second year, and if he didn't then he and Thea Jenkins could come third, but no, they're way back at six."

"How odd that it's all of that group who have the cutest couples," Nora sighed, "oh, yes, forgot to tell you, Isaac Hall is studying with us tonight."

"Isaac, why?"

"Because I promised I'd help him with Divination."

"Oh, why do you still take that?" Aubrey groaned, "If I have to learn more about how you can see the future then I'll be the one jumping off the astronomy tower!"

"None of my girls will be jumping off of any tower!" A voice interrupted, an arm thrown over both Nora and Aubrey's shoulders and soon was Caden pushing his way into the middle of them, "now what has got you both looking for a rather painful death?"

"Divination," Nora spoke before Aubrey could utter a word, "I'm helping Isaac Hall study tonight, you know Isaac, right?"

"I've heard Adria talking about him before, friends with a girl that Remus fancies," Caden shrugged, "you know, you two have to come and hang out with us, they're all quite amazing, you'd love them!"

"I'll pass, you know how busy my schedule is," Nora teased, earning a roll of his eyes from Caden himself, "I think I speak for Aubrey when I say we don't want to intrude, it'd be awkward, don't you think?"

"No of course not!" Caden furiously shook his head, "I was with Lily the other night with the girls, and then the boys came over, as well as a few others and it was so fun, I ended up talking to everyone, although, don't know why but I don't think James Potter is too fond of me."

"Why wouldn't James Pott-" it hit her like a ton of bricks as she stopped her sentence, Nora knew why James Potter wasn't fond of him, it was right in front of her eyes and only now did she realise why.

She had heard the boy talking with his friends just before summer, whining, really, sulking just like she had been doing about a particular red head, how it was simply unfair that she had someone and he didn't, especially since he was trying to get over her, well, that's what Nora took from it.

A grin took over Nora's lips as she turned to her two best friends, shrugging Caden's arm from her shoulder, she rushed a quick, "I'll see you two later, I have to go!" and soon was she rushing down the hall, only stopping when she came to the entrance of the great hall.

Classes where starting very soon, but everyone knew that James Potter and his friends didn't mind all too much about being late, so she had time, and when she saw him sitting at the Gryffindor table, a wide grin on his lips as he chatted with his friends did a bubbling feeling of happiness soar in Nora's stomach.

She pushed herself forward, she wasn't too fond of speaking to people she wasn't familiar with but she could do it if she really wanted to, so when she reached the Gryffindor table, a kind smile on her face as the five turned to stare at her, all rather confused, but nonetheless smiling back, did Nora speak, "if it's not too much bother, I need to talk to you, James, uh, alone."

A smirk erupted onto Adria Hopkins lips as she looked between James, and the pretty girl she knew as one of Caden's friends. She was all too curious to find out what Nora Robinson could possibly want with James, and it seemed he was too when he adjusted the glasses on his face, and with a silent nod did he gesture for her to follow him, and soon where they off in the direction of the entrance to the hall.

"Can't say that wasn't odd," Adria laughed softly, her legs over Sirius' as his hand rested on her thigh, a nod of his own indicating him agreeing with her words.

"Needs a girl though, he's still sulking about Lily," Sirius scoffed, shaking his head.

"Yes, I know," Adria sighed, "poor boy, Caden makes Lily so happy, though, it's hard to mimic his irritation when I'm on both sides."

"I know," Remus chuckled, "I was studying in the library with him and Lily and they were both so happy, I reckon they're ready to take your place as top couple."

"Oh please," Adria teased, leaning closer to Sirius with a wide smile on her lips, "that's quite impossible."

"So, can I ask what you want or are we just going to walk rather awkwardly?" asked James, earning an eye roll from the hufflepuff as she pulled him down an isolated hallway.

Nora was on the lookout for anyone that could possibly hear them, she didn't need any intruders knowing what she was up to, and quite frankly, her plan was mental, crazy, slightly terrible, and maybe there was a possibility that she wasn't in the right state of mind, but she just hoped that James Potter would be on board.

"You fancy Lily Evans, don't you?" she asked, her voice hushed as she leaned against the wall, watching his eyes widen as he shook his head furiously, running a hand through his hair as he scoffed.

He knew for a fact that Caden Duncan was Nora's best friend, he, her and Aubrey Martin had been friends since first year, so his train of thoughts couldn't help but think that Caden had put her up to asking this, remembering the time that he was maybe just a little bit bitter towards the boy when he had seen him with his arm around the red head and Lily's arm around his stomach, chatting excitedly to their friends until Lily went off with Adria, and he came to talk to Remus, who was, unfortunately, with James.

"No, of course not," James shook his head, rather confused when he saw the girl's shoulders slump, "why? did Caden put you up to asking me?!"

"What, no!" Nora shook her head, "if Caden has a problem with you then he can sort it himself, I'm not his bloody owl!"

"Then why are you asking me if I fancy Evans?" James asked, watching her roll her eyes as she pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Because I need to know-"

"Why do you need to know?"

"Do you fancy her or not?!"

"Maybe I do, maybe I don't!" James huffed, shaking his head as Nora let out a groan.

"Has anyone ever told you about how insufferable you are?" Nora snapped, her head on the wall as she watched the amused smirk form on James' lips.

"Well, now that you mention it, yes, actually," he nodded, "now why do you care so much if I fancy Evans?"

"Because I fancy Caden, and I have a plan," Nora huffed, turning to look at him and watching the realisation fall onto his face.

"Oh merlin, that's dreadful," James laughed, shaking his head, "you fancy Caden?"

"Can you not say it out loud, I'd rather not be reminded of how pathetic I am," she grumbled, shaking her head, "and yes, I do, now do you fancy Lily or not?!"

"Fine, yes, I may fancy her a bit, happy?" he scoffed, "it's not as bad as you fancying Caden though, that's worse, merlin, you have to cope with him going on about her, at least Evans hates me!"

"Your support is really appreciated," Nora spoke sarcastically, "is professional comforter a job, because really, James, you should apply for it."

"How can so much sarcasm fit in one body?" asked James.

"It's a gift."

"Right, well," James couldn't help but chuckle as he stared at her, "what's this plan?"

"You can't tell anyone," she warned, wagging her finger in his face, "but you're into pranks, right?"

"Into pranks?" he repeated, "I am the king of pranks, I am the pranks master, I am th-"

"Yeah, mhmm," Nora cut him off, "so first of all, no, I am the pranks master, second of all, I have a proposition for you."

"Oh yeah?" he asked, his eyebrow raised, ignoring her previous statement, "what kind of proposition?"

"The kind that will help us get with the people we want," she shrugged, "you want Lily, I want Caden."

"Caden's the worst."

"Caden is my best friend," she grumbled, narrowing her eyes at him, "and be thankful Lily's not going out with Severus Snape, at least Caden is a decent human being, and now you have someone to win her back!"

"You don't like Snivellus?"

"Snivellus, mind if I steal that?" she asked, her head titled as she watched the grin form on his lips, shaking his head and gesturing for her to continue, "he's a twat, pushed me in the black lake last year because I hexed him."

"Why'd you hex him?" asked James, growing fonder of the girl in front of him with every moment she spoke of her hatred for the boy.

"Because he was mean to Aubrey, can't have that," she tutted, "now back to this plan."

"Right, the plan," James scoffed.

"We need to break them up, simple, easy done, but not really because they love each other," Nora rolled her eyes, "so what we do is, every time they're together, we prank them, let water fall on them, dungbombs, everything we can get our hands on, we do, means then that they can't spend time together, they drift apart, soon, they'll be like 'I love you but we can't be together' we comfort our respective half of the two, bish bash bosh, they're ours!"

"You are terrifying," James spoke after a few moments, "really, how can you look so innocent but be so evil?!"

"It's a talent, so are you in?" she grinned, wiggling her eyebrows as she watched James process her words.

"Fine, yes, I suppose," James nodded, "I'm in."