Harry Potter 1. The Hogwarts Express

A/N: This is my first fic, so please please please review! I need to know what you think. Flamers are welcome, but please be constructive in your criticism. Thanks!

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters you recognize. If I did, I would be the richest woman in England, i.e. J. K. Rowling. But I'm not, so please don't sue me. I don't have any money worth mentioning anyway, so it would be a wasted effort.

**Chapter 1: The Hogwarts Express**

It all started on September 1, 1977. Well, I shouldn't say that. It actually started on September 1, 1971. But for all intents and purposes of this story, we'll start on September 1, 1977, the first day of my 7th year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

I made my way across Platform 9 3/4 feeling on top of the world. It was my final year at Hogwarts and I knew it was going to be good. I was Head Girl. I was 17: a full-grown witch. I would be starting a life for myself in the wizarding world. And, best of all, I would never have to see my horrible sister and her repulsive boyfriend ever again. Not like they'd mind. Nevertheless, this year was my year, and I was sure nothing could change that...until I saw_ him_.

"Evans! Hey, Evans!" I saw a boy with unruly black hair and glasses making his way towards me across the platform. I quickly did an about-face and tried frantically to board the train. Maybe he'd lose me in the crowd...I could pretend not to have heard him...oh please don't see me...

Fat chance of that. People always complimented me on my hair color. True, it was a beautiful shade of auburn, but it stuck out like a sore thumb in a crowd.

"Evans!" That boy just didn't give up.

"Hello, Potter," I said as I turned to face him, trying very hard to be polite. His best mate, Sirius Black, followed him closely. I wasn't surprised; you rarely ever saw one without the other.

"Fine day for Quidditch, isn't it?" he asked as he neared me. Soon I was practically eye-to-eye with James Potter, the one person on the earth I positively loathed. Well, Petunia and Vernon ran a close second and Sirius was right up there too. But anyway, we were practically eye-to-eye. I saw practically because my eyes were level with his chest, as he was a good head and shoulders taller than I was. And, my eyes being level with his chest, I noticed he had a shiny badge pinned onto his shirt.

"Well, I suppose you cou- omigod," I said as I looked at the badge. "James Potter, how the hell did you get that badge?"

He looked at me appraisingly. "Apparently the same way you got yours, Evans," he replied mildly.

I nearly exploded right then and there. James Potter was Head Boy?!? What was Dumbledore playing at? James Potter was an arrogant, egotistic, self-centered, conceited, selfish, big-headed, offensive, rude, mischief-making prick and most certainly didn't deserve the position. I couldn't stand him, and now I was facing an entire year of working with him?!? Well, there was only one thing I could do.

"Listen to me, Potter, and listen well. You may be Head Boy, but that doesn't mean you can abuse you authority," I snarled, stepping towards him angrily. "If I find out you've been causing trouble- you or any of your stupid little friends, for that matter-," I threw a dirty look at Sirius, "I will hex every single one of you into the next millennium."

James cocked an eyebrow and looked at Sirius, who shrugged.

"I better warn Remus and Peter then," he replied nonchalantly.

"You're insufferable!" I exclaimed angrily, turning on my heel and boarding the train. I couldn't stand his carefree attitude and had no idea how I was going to deal with it all year.

I should probably pause here and explain a little about James' and my history. James was the ringleader of a group of troublemakers called the Marauders. There were only four members: James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew. Peter more tagged along, actually, as the other three were considered the most lusted-after boys ever to roam the halls of Hogwarts. I seemed to be the only one who could stand up to their charm. They were infamous for their pranks, which occurred at least once a week. I disliked James Potter from the moment he played his first trick on me in 1st year, which involved a tarantula-like spider, a jar full of frog spawn, and dragon dung. Need I say more? Consequently, I disliked Sirius Black. Sirius and James were the best of friends. They were two peas in a pod, those two. Good-looking? Yes. Arrogant? Hell yeah. And it was for that reason I hated them both. On the other hand, I liked Remus a lot. I became friends with Remus in 5th year when we were both named Prefects, and I realized he was actually a very nice guy. I thought it unfortunate he hung around the likes of James and Sirius, but other than that I had no problem with him. And as for Peter, well, you'll learn why I hate him with all my heart later on. But as for James and me, I was certain we would never get along. He had developed an unfortunate crush on me in 3rd year, which only cemented my fervent dislike for him. As far as I knew, he still had that stupid crush on me when we entered 7th year. But I digress. Back to the story.

I made my way to the back of the train and found my friends in the last compartment. Octavia Meliflua (better known as Tave), Alice Prewett, and Drusa Medlum were all crowded around the latest issue of _Teen Witch_. Once more I must interrupt and give some background information, this time on my friends. Tave was my best friend of the three, which is odd as we were complete opposites. I had long, wavy auburn hair and bright green eyes. She had long, brown, straight hair and blue eyes. I was a bookworm and a bit of a studying addict. I loved getting good grades. Tave, on the other hand, loathed studying. She was extremely bright and did well in all her classes but would whine and complain incessantly about homework. She didn't care if she got a "P" or even a "D". She was extremely athletic and was arguably the best Keeper the Gryffindor Quidditch Team had ever had, while I could hardly stay on a broom. She loved to play jokes on people, much like her second cousin, Sirius Black. She was a pureblood. I, needless to say, was not. The one thing Tave and I had in common was that neither of us really dated. We had occasional boyfriends, but felt our valuable time was better spent playing Quidditch (Tave) and studying (me). And yet we were best friends. Go figure.

Alice Prewett was slightly plump but nonetheless beautiful. She had short blonde hair and, surprisingly, brown eyes. She was down-to-earth and often calmed Tave and me down when we were too upset to think straight (which was usually due to the Marauders). She was a good student and we would often have late-night studying parties where we would really tell our deepest, darkest secrets. Her boyfriend of three years, Frank Longbottom, had graduated the year previously but was an incredibly nice guy.

And last but not least was Drusa Medlum. She was usually the quietest of us four, mostly preferring to listen rather than to talk. She had incredibly black hair and equally black eyes. Her silence and appearance gave off the impression of being mean and hard to approach, but she was actually just extremely shy. Once you got to know her, you absolutely loved her. And now back to the story.

"Hi, Lily," Tave said vaguely as I opened the compartment door.

"You guys, help me," I whimpered, sitting across from them. When they didn't reply, I plowed on. "James Potter is Head Boy."

"Good for you," Drusa murmured, obviously not paying the slightest attention to me.

"Drusa!" I exclaimed, trying to pull the magazine out of their hands. "This is serious!"

My three friends looked at me reproachfully. "I don't see what you're so fussed about," Drusa replied. "Any girl would love to be in your position."

I rolled my eyes. "Well I'm not any girl."

Tave shut the magazine and tossed it on the floor. "Lily, Lily, Lily," she sighed. "You can't honestly tell me you haven't noticed how gorgeous James is. His hazel eyes are so beautiful...his hair is a perfect black and it always looks like he just tolled out of bed..." She put a hand on her forehead and fake-swooned, earning giggles from Drusa and Alice.

"Of course I've noticed," I snapped, then mentally slapped myself. Way to go, admit to your friends that you think your worst enemy is attractive. Luckily, I saved myself. "But I've also noticed he's a conceited, arrogant, selfish bastard."

"Oh whatever," Alice laughed.

"Honestly, you're the only person in the entire school that thinks that," Tave added. "He can't be that horrible if everyone likes him."

"Just because _you_ fancy him doesn't make him nice." I knew my comeback was pathetic, but it was all I had.

"That's bullshit and you know it," Tave laughed. "I don't fancy James Potter; everyone knows he fancies you!"

I had nothing to say to that and was quite relieved when Alice chimed in, "You don't fancy James Potter, you fancy Remus Lupin!"

Tave turned bright pink, but denied it anyway. "I don't fancy him, I just find him incredibly sexy," she replied with a devilish smile.

"As much as I'd love to continue this conversation, I need to go to the Heads' compartment," I said quickly, eager to leave.

"Have fun," Drusa said suggestively, and I rolled my eyes as I left.

I found my way to the Heads' compartment and was incredibly impressed with the décor. Scarlet and gold covered everything, and there was a lot to cover. Plush chairs were strewn randomly about the compartment and as were tables. There was even a fireplace on one end. A banner was hung above it with the words "Congratulations James and Lily" emblazoned upon it.

"Merlin be damned," I heard behind me. I turned around and saw James standing there.

"Language, Potter," I said reprovingly. Okay, so I swore occasionally myself, but still.

"Sorry," he said, but didn't seem it in the slightest. I rolled my eyes and picked up a piece of parchment resting on one of the tables. "What's that?" he asked, walking towards me.

I shot him a withering look. "A piece of parchment," I replied nastily.

He raised his eyebrows. "No need to be hostile, Evans. I haven't done anything to you."

"Yet," I muttered, and his eyes danced.

"Exactly. And I won't, if you don't give me a reason." I ignored him, so he read over my shoulder.

_Dear James and Lily, _

_I would like to extend my congratulations on being named this year's Head Boy and Girl. While the position is prestigious and highly coveted, it is not an easy one to fill. I have full faith in you ability to work together to make this a successful year. _

_You both will have several responsibilities to take care of throughout the year. They include holding monthly prefect meetings and patrolling the corridors after curfew to make sure that there are no students out of bed. You have the ability to dock House points as a teacher would; however, you must not use this as an excuse to harass any of your fellow students. You may also assign detentions, but once again, you must have a legitimate reason. Any abuse of authority may result in a grievous punishment. I am confident, however, that this warning is unnecessary and a punishment will be unneeded. _

_You will share a common room that is set aside for the Head Boy and Girl. Each of you has a dormitory off the common room, and there is a bathroom to share. This is mainly because you will be keeping late hours and wouldn't want to wake your fellow housemates. Your dormitories are located on the 4th floor, guarded by the portrait of Igor the Ignorant. The password is for you to decide. _

_After you have finished reading this, please go to the Prefects' compartment and instruct them of their responsibilities. _

_I have high expectations for you both this year. Don't disappoint me. _

_Sincerely, _

_Prof. M. McGonagall_

When I finished reading I looked over my shoulder at James. He nodded, indicating he was done.

"To the Prefects' compartment then, Evans?" he asked. I nodded, biting back the harsh retort I had ready. Professor McGonagall made it clear we were to work together, and I felt the first step was being civil. He held open the compartment door for me, and I grudgingly stepped through. We moved one compartment over to the Prefects' compartment and were met by eight 5th years and eight 6th years. They were all talking amongst themselves but quieted the moment we entered.

"Er...hi," I said, suddenly shy as sixteen pairs of eyes all focused on me. "I'm Lily Evans, the Head Girl this year-"

"And I'm James Potter, Head Boy." James jumped right in, seeming to enjoy the attention. "I want to get this meeting over as quickly and painlessly as possible, so let's get down to business. Sixth years, this'll be old stuff to you but bear with me. Fifth years, listen up. Being a prefect means you have authority. Not much, mind you, but some. You get to dock House points, but only in sets of 5. You're basically here to keep the younger kids in line. But you're not supposed to abuse your authority, so don't go knocking points off anyone unless you have a good reason to."

A sneering, slightly familiar-looking Slytherin spoke up. "Like you won't, Potter?" he asked contemptuously.

James' eyes flashed dangerously as he pulled himself up to his full height. It was impressive; he had to be at least 6'2" to my 5'4". "No, I won't, Black," he snapped. "But I, unlike you, have the power to put insolent gits, like you, in detention. So watch your mouth." As soon as James said that, I realized why the Slytherin looked familiar. He was related to Sirius. I thought it odd that he was in Slytherin as Sirius and Tave were in Gryffindor, but I put the thought out of my head as James progressed with the meeting. Too soon, though, we were alone.

"I'm going back to my friends," I said when the last prefect had left.

"Me, too," James replied, and once again held the compartment door open for me. He followed me all the way to the back of the train, and it was all I could do not to turn around and yell at him. He was, after all, looking for his friends. That is, if he wasn't staring at my arse.

I came to the last compartment and found, not only my friends there, but James' as well. Sirius, Remus, and Peter were sitting across from Tave, Alice, and Drusa.

"Lily!" Sirius cried delightedly as I stepped into the compartment. "How simply smashing of you to join us! And James, old chap! How sweet of you to drop by!"

"Stop talking like that, you're scaring me," James said as he settled himself between Sirius and Remus.

"And to what do I owe the honor of sharing a compartment with the Marauders?" I asked sarcastically from between Tave and Alice.

"Family," Sirius replied. "And the fact that every other compartment is full."

"Right." I had temporarily forgotten Tave and Sirius were second cousins. Unfortunately for me, they got along extremely well, and that meant I was looking forward to a train ride with the Marauders. _Well_, I thought bitterly, _at least it can't get any worse. Things can only get better from here...I hope_.

I had _no_ idea what was in store for me...


	2. Life Changes

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters you recognize. If I did, I would be the richest woman in England, i.e. J. K. Rowling. But I'm not, so please don't sue me. I don't have any money worth mentioning anyway, so it would be a wasted effort.  
  
**Chapter 2: Life Changes**  
  
"Welcome back to school!" Dumbledore's voice filled the Great Hall. I was seated at the Gryffindor table between Tave and Drusa, with Alice on the other side of Drusa. The Marauders were several seats away from us, eyeing the group of first years just added to our House.  
  
"They better not do _anything_ to those first years," I muttered to Tave, and she grinned at me.  
  
"They have a few things up their sleeves," she replied vaguely, and I rolled my eyes.  
  
"Before we all partake in the scrumptious feast, there are a few announcements I need to make," Dumbledore continued. "First, the Forbidden Forest is exactly that: forbidden. A few of our oldest students would do well to remember that as well." I noticed his eyes twinkled in the direction of the Marauders as he spoke. "Second, the Whomping Willow does indeed live up to its name: it whomps anyone who is within reaching distance. If you make the mistake of going too near it, you will find yourself most disfigured and injured: therefore, you would do well to avoid it. And last, Mr. Filch has asked me to let you all know there is a list of 327 items forbidden in the hallways. The list is posted on his office door if you wish to check it. Now, I've rambled on enough. Let the feast begin!"  
  
"Finally," I heard Sirius growl from his place down the table.  
  
Soon all the students' stomachs were filled with excellent food and it was time to go up to the dormitories. I told the Prefects the Gryffindor password (pixie dust) and made sure all the first years followed them.  
  
"Aren't you coming to the tower?" Tave asked when we reached the 4th floor landing. I had started to go to the painting of Igor the Ignorant.  
  
"Oh, didn't I tell you?" I asked. "The Heads have their own dorms and everything."  
  
"You mean you're sharing with James?" Tave asked with a wink.  
  
"I share a common room and bathroom with Potter," I said testily. "And that's all." After a glare, I smiled. "But you guys can drop by any time. I'm sure you can all spend the night sometimes, too. Maybe I'll stay in Gryffindor tower a few times, too."  
  
"Yeah, we need to keep up our, er, studying," Alice smiled. Then she gave a fake cough that sounded suspiciously like "gossip".  
  
"We'll see you tomorrow, then," Drusa said, and the three continued on towards Gryffindor tower.  
  
I sighed, knowing I would miss being in our dormitory. I saw James waiting for me by the painting of Igor the Ignorant (a short, stooped over man with a huge nose) and resigned myself to the fact that we would be sharing living space.  
  
"What do you want the password to be?" he asked as soon as I was near enough to hear him clearly.  
  
I looked at him in surprise. "You mean you're asking me my opinion? Don't you want it to be dungbombs or something stupid like that?"  
  
He surprised me again by looking at his shoes in embarrassment. "I just figured you'd want to set it, is all."  
  
Instantly I felt bad for what I had said. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have been so cynical," I replied. His hazel eyes met mine for a moment before I looked away. "You can make the password whatever you'd like."  
  
"Wingardium Leviosa," he told the portrait.  
  
"Right then," replied Igor the Ignorant, and he swung forward. We stepped through the portrait hole and I was instantly glad I had the Head dorms, not Gryffindor tower. The common room was enormous and there was a fire burning merrily in the fireplace. Overstuffed chairs and couches were assembled around the fireplace and some were in various corners around the room. Two desks were up against opposite walls, I assumed for studying and homework. Instead of staircases there were two hallways leading to our dorms. To the right there was a sign saying "Head Girl" and to the left was an identical sign saying "Head Boy". Halfway down the hallway was a door that, when opened, led into the bathroom. The enormous tub was sunk into the floor, much like the one in the Prefects' bathroom. Several faucets led into it, each labeled with a different scent of bubble bath: lavender, rose, and French vanilla, to name a few. Then I found my bedroom. I squealed with delight when I saw my bed. It was a huge bed and looked incredibly inviting. I ran over and jumped onto it, completely forgetting James was there too.  
  
"Having fun there, Evans?" he asked from the doorway with a smirk on his face.  
  
I glared at him. "How did you get in my room?" I demanded.  
  
"The door was open so I stepped in," he replied with a grin.  
  
"But what about like in Gryffindor tower, where boys can't get into the girls' dormitories?" I asked, not quite sure I liked the idea of James being able to get into my room.  
  
"They must think we're more trustworthy because we're Head Boy and Girl," he replied with a shrug. "Oh, and by the way, boys most certainly _can_ get into the girls' dormitories."  
  
He left me sitting wide-eyed on my bed.  
  
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The next morning, schedules were handed out at breakfast. I was taking Defense Against the Dark Arts, Potions, Charms, Transfiguration, Astronomy, and Arithmancy at N.E.W.T. level. I wasn't exactly sure what I wanted to do after Hogwarts but was dabbling with the idea of becoming an Auror. Naturally, James also wanted to be an Auror and therefore was in all my classes except Astronomy. A vast amount of 7th years were bent on becoming Aurors because of the threat of Lord Voldemort, the most evil wizard in magical history. Many who weren't keen on being Aurors decided to be Healers. Alice wanted to be an Auror, and Drusa wanted to be a Healer. Tave, however, had been signed on to the Chudley Cannons and would being playing as soon as school let out. She was only taking D.A.D.A, Potions, and Charms at N.E.W.T. level.  
  
"Why the bloody hell would I want to take more classes than I need to?" she asked me incredulously when I pressed her to take more than 3.  
  
"You'll need Transfiguration!" I insisted, buttering my toast.  
  
"I took six years of Transfiguration and that was quite enough, thank you very much," she replied. "Besides, if I'm flying around on a broomstick, how am I going to need Transfiguration? It's against the rules to transfigure anything while playing Quidditch."  
  
"It's a lost cause," Alice told me while reading the Daily Prophet.  
  
I ignored her. "Honestly, Tave, you can't spend the rest of your life playing Quidditch. What happens if you get hit with a bludger and are permanently injured? Then where will you be?"  
  
"In St. Mungo's," she replied promptly with a smile. "That won't happen, Lil. But let's assume the worst and say it does. Well, then I'll just find a hot guy and get married. Then he can worry about money while I spend it."  
  
"Fine. I give up," I said, picking up my books. "I have to go and get ready for Charms. See you there."  
  
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I had hoped that perhaps the first week of school would pass without a prank pulled by the Marauders. Alas, my hopes were dashed that night. Tave, Alice, Drusa, and I were in the Gryffindor common room doing homework when I noticed the Marauders sitting in a corner whispering urgently.  
  
"This doesn't look good," I murmured, noting how they often looked up towards a group of first year boys doing homework.  
  
"It doesn't look good, it looks bloody excellent!" Tave exclaimed. I glared at her, but before I could reprimand her, Alice spoke.  
  
"Oh, come off it, Lily," she said. "We're in 7th year now, it's their last year to prank first years. Besides, they don't ever do anything that would hurt them."  
  
"So what?" I demanded, but didn't get up. I watched at Sirius walked over to the group of first years.  
  
"Do any of you have a quill I could borrow?" I heard him ask.  
  
"I do," squeaked a small boy. He pulled out a quill and handed it to Sirius. "Do you need ink too?"  
  
"That would be excellent," Sirius replied. He took the offered ink and rejoined the rest of the Marauders. They all were doing their best to keep straight faces but failing. Well, all except Peter, who looked a bit lost. I saw James exchange the quill and ink with some other he pulled out of his bag. A few minutes later Sirius returned to the first years.  
  
"Thanks a lot," he replied, handing back the quill and ink.  
  
My eyes narrowed as I watched the first year intently. Something had to be messed up with the quill and ink. Sure enough, as soon as the boy tried to write with the quill and ink given him by Sirius, the quill squirted ink out of the wrong end and into his face. He looked extremely surprised as his friends burst out in laughter. I made to get up to tell the Marauders off, but Drusa held me back.  
  
"Come on, Lily," she laughed. "No one was hurt, and the ink will come off in a few days."  
  
I sighed. "Fine. But just this once." We turned back to our homework, and I couldn't help but think that the prank really was a good one.  
  
The next few weeks seemed to pass by uneventfully. Pranks from the Marauders were minimal, to my surprise. I managed to avoid James for the most part by hiding in my room to do homework or pairing up with someone else during class. When we were together, I did my best to be civil. I also noticed that he hadn't asked me out yet. Usually by the end of the first few weeks of school, I would have been asked out around 100 times. I decided he might have actually grown up. But then again, it could just have been the incredible amount of homework we had and were stressing out about. We were all up to our eyeballs in essays to write and charts to fill out. If I had thought 5th year was hard, 7th year was ten times worse.  
  
But one Friday towards the end of September, something happened to make me realize how trivial my problems really were. I walked into the Great Hall for breakfast but, instead of being greeted by the usual dull roar of laughing and talking, I was greeted by urgent whispers. What was going on? I glanced at the teachers' table and noted the grim expressions they all wore. Something bad had happened. Oh no, it couldn't be...  
  
I quickly found my friends at the Gryffindor table silently poring over their copies of the Daily Prophet.  
  
"What's wrong?" I asked quietly as I sat down next to Alice. She mutely pushed her copy of the Daily Prophet under my nose. I gasped as I saw the headline:  
  
'**You-Know-Who Murders Entire Families**'  
  
Underneath the headline was a black and white picture of two neighboring houses reduced to rubble. The Dark Mark glittered menacingly above it. A sick feeling settled into the pit of my stomach as I scanned the article. Voldemort's Death Eaters had murdered two families. Apparently the parents were working against him and he had decided to "eliminate" them. Both families had children, ranging in age from ten years down to six months. Tears stung my eyes when I put the paper down.  
  
"He killed children," I murmured, completely horrified.  
  
"Oh, Lily," Tave whispered, reaching across the table to squeeze my hand reassuringly.  
  
"How could they- a little baby!" I closed my eyes, feeling distinctly nauseous.  
  
"They're horrible, horrible people," Alice said softly, gazing sadly at the picture. "I'm going to do all I can to stop them."  
  
I looked into her round face and knew in that instant that I would be an Auror as well. No matter how much it took, we would fight back.  
  
"I'm not so hungry anymore," Drusa said, pushing her plate of scrambled eggs away.  
  
"Me either," I agreed. "I'm going to get my books." I got up to leave, noticing the worried looks on my friends' faces. As I left I heard Tave say,  
  
"I'll bet you any money she's scared for her parents."  
  
Tave was exactly right. My parents were Muggles and had no idea what they were up against. I was scared for their lives. I thought about it all the way to the portrait and Igor had to prompt me several times for the password.  
  
"Are you just going to stand there all day?" he asked, quite irked.  
  
"Oh, sorry. Wingardium Leviosa." He let me in and I hurried into my dorm to pack what I would need for the day. My Transfiguration book was on the window seat and as I got it, I paused to survey the grounds. I pressed my forehead against the cool glass and noted the giant squid was near the surface, apparently trying to catch the sun's feeble rays. Hagrid was tending his pumpkin patch. It was so peaceful, and yet- horrible things were going on in the world. I sighed and allowed a tear to trickle down my cheek.  
  
A knock on my door caused me to jump. I quickly brushed the tear away.  
  
"Evans?" called a low voice tentatively from the doorway.  
  
"Yes, Potter?" I asked, not turning around. I head his footsteps and knew he was coming towards me.  
  
"Are you- are you okay?"  
  
"Yes. Why would I not be?" I replied, rather unkindly. I turned around with the intent to tell him off for being in my room, but the look on his face stopped me. Concern was etched into every line of his face, and his eyes were uncharacteristically soft.  
  
"You just seemed really upset at breakfast," he said, trying to sound casual but failing miserably.  
  
"Of course I was, you saw the paper, didn't you?" I, too, tried to sound casual but also failed miserably.  
  
"Yeah. But something else is bothering you, isn't it?"  
  
Damn. He could read me like a book. "I assure you, Potter, that I'm fine. Now if you'll excuse me, I have classes to attend. I believe you do too. Accio bookbag." I caught my bookbag neatly when it soared towards me. I passed him without another word, but not before I noticed the look of worry in his hazel eyes. I ignored it, however, and continued on with my already-ruined day.  
  
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A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed!! I can't believe I got 13 reviews for my first chapter!!! Keep reviewing, please!  
  
**otakuannie:** yay, my first reviewer!!! Thanks so much for reading (and reviewing)!!! I'm glad you like it!  
  
**Mary Ichijouji:** thanks! I most definitely will!  
  
**Jen103:** The idea is basically that Lily is writing this after she died, looking back at all the events in her life that led up to her death. She's not upset about dying, or anything, it's kind of a memoir (I think that's the right word). Thanks for reviewing!  
  
**fille-chica143:** here's the second chapter for you!  
  
**loonysango:** thanks!  
  
**i-luv-romance:** I love romance too, which is why I'm writing this!  
  
**vickiicky:** I'm Prongs' Princess and I'm glad you're happy. Good luck with your story!  
  
**JessieRose:** thanks a bundle! I most certainly am continuing!!  
  
**Arwen Sauron:** People may have known at the time that James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter were called the Marauders. My reasoning? In book 3, when Harry has the Marauders' Map, Snape almost confiscates it. He calls Remus into his office and asks if Harry got it "directly from the manufacturers". This leads me to believe that at least he knew of their group name. And if Snape knew, then odds are other people knew too. But in any case, it's my story and I have a reason for Lily knowing their group name. But thanks for the review!  
  
**Triforce Knight:** cool name! The Marauders will only be here and there for the first few chapters in this story, as it's from Lily's POV and she wasn't friends with them at this point in time. But they will definitely play a big part later on!!! As Lily gets to know James better, who do you think naturally comes with the package? Sirius, Remus, and (gag) Peter of course!!! Thanks for the review, and I love Lupin too!  
  
**taniita:** thanks for the review!  
  
**Rhandi:** nah, I'm not going to quit. I intend to write this story until the end. Thanks for reading!  
  
**sdalfvo:** nah, Head Boy and Girl most definitely don't feel excluded from their friends, as you'll see later on. And the gossip is coming too, never fear!


	3. Snape and Homework

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters you recognize. If I did, I would be the richest woman in England, i.e. J. K. Rowling. But I'm not, so please don't sue me. I don't have any money worth mentioning anyway, so it would be a wasted effort.

**Chapter 3: Snape and Homework** (sucky title, I know, but nothing else comes to mind)

A few days later I was still rather preoccupied with the attacks. I struggled, therefore, in Potions, as my mind wasn't on the task at hand. We were making Veritaserum, and I kept messing it up horribly.

"No, Lily," Tave moaned for the fourth time that day. "The dragons blood comes _after_ the unicorn horn!" Tave was my cauldron partner and a whiz at Potions. I was good, too, but preoccupation can do many things to you.

"Oh, Merlin, Tave, I'm sorry!" I apologized, quickly rectifying my mistake. "I'm just not here today."

"Listen, I know you're worried about your parents, but you also need to pass this class if you want to become an Auror." Tave had dropped her voice so no one could hear.

I looked at her sadly. "I'm that readable, huh?"

"Nah, you're just my best friend. We've been best friends for six years, you'd think I'd be able to tell when and what you're worried about. If I were you, I'd be scared You-Know-Who'd get my parents, too. Well, I _am_ worried about my parents, but it's different for me. My parents know what's going on. Yours don't. They're Muggles and have no way to defend themselves."

I nodded mutely, knowing if I spoke I'd burst into tears. She had hit the nail right on the head. She gave me a quick hug of reassurance.

"Aw, how touching," sneered a voice behind us. "Mudblood's feeling bad so her blood-traitor friend tries to cheer her up."

"Sod off, Snape," Tave spat to the greasy-haired boy behind us.

"Go screw yourself," I added maliciously, my worry turning into anger.

Severus Snape was an unpopular, unattractive Slytherin in our year. He had shoulder length hair, much like Sirius. Snape's hair, however, was stringy and greasy. It's blackness contrasted greatly with his pasty white face. He had a long nose and wore an expression that made one think something extremely repulsive was under it. He was up to his greasy hair-roots in the Dark Arts, and the Marauders loved to prank him.

"Tut, tut, Mudblood, you and your friend have dirty mouths. Ah, well, it fits...filthy mouth, filthy blood..." he trailed off.

I was struggling to keep my anger in check. I noticed James and Sirius were watching intently from across the dungeon. I couldn't give them a reason to hex Snape, much as I disliked him. I turned back to my potion, deciding to ignore him.

"You stir it four times counter-clockwise," he sneered joyfully, "not clockwise."

That was the last straw. I whirled around to face him, my eyes flashing angrily.

"It really pisses you off that I'm a Muggle-born but can beat you in every class, doesn't it?" I demanded angrily, much louder than I had intended.

Snape's eyes narrowed but before he could reply, Professor Yeva intervened.

"Do we have a problem, Miss Evans? Mr. Snape?" she asked as she crossed the dungeon toward us.

"Severus was just pointing out a mistake I made in my potion, and I was thanking him," I replied glibly.

Professor Yeva arched an eyebrow. "Well, then, I would appreciate it if you would keep your conversations at a lower volume and with less crude language, if you would."

"I can't believe you got away with an outright lie," Tave laughed as soon as she had turned away.

At the end of the period we were assigned a 4-foot essay on Veritaserum and its uses, and as the professor was looking straight at me when she assigned it, I wasn't so sure I _had _gotten away with it.

James was waiting for me outside the classroom door and I motioned Tave to go on. I'd rather face him alone.

"No, I won't go out with you," I said before he could open his mouth.

"That wasn't what I was going to ask," he replied reproachfully.

"What do you want, Potter?" I asked tiredly as I started up the stairs.

"Why'd you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Keep Snape out of trouble."

I sighed. "If you haven't noticed, Severus Snape is up to his greasy brains in the Dark Arts."

"So?"

"What do you think he's going to do after Hogwarts?"

"How the hell should I know? It's not like I just go up to him and start a conversation!" James was looking at me as if I'd grown a second head, and I was quickly losing patience.

"Dear Merlin! Do you have shit for brains? He'll join You-Know-Who, that's what he'll do!"

James stared at me for a moment, then shrugged. "I'm not fussed," he replied carelessly.

"Well you should be," I snapped angrily. "He's a powerful wizard and capable of serious harm if he's on the wrong side. You should stop harassing him."

"You want me to get matey with Snivellus?" James asked, his eyes wide in disbelief.

"No, I just want you to leave him alone. Don't hex him. Avoid him. And, if necessary, be civil."

"What?!? How the bloody hell am I supposed to be civil to that ugly git?"

"I don't know. How the bloody hell am I civil to you?" And with that, I walked away, leaving James wide-eyed behind me.

-----

The following night found Tave, Alice, Drusa, and I once again in front of the Gryffindor common room fire doing homework. This time we were doing Potions.

"How the bloody hell are we supposed to fill up 4 feet on the _uses_ of Veritaserum?" Tave complained loudly, earning stares from 1st years across the room. "All you use it for is to make people tell the truth."

"I could fill 100 feet," I said vaguely, perusing a page of The Complete Guide to N.E.W.T. Potions.

"With what?" she asked skeptically.

I set the book down. "For starters, I'm going to write down the ingredients and process of making Veritaserum. Then I'll tell of the effects on those it's administered to and give examples of when it is or is not appropriate to use. I'll probably throw something in there on how it must only be used on humans, and I could put in how to make fake Veritaserum-"

"Okay, okay, I get it!" Tave exclaimed. "Good thing you write killer essays. So- start talking." She poised her quill over her parchment and looked at me expectantly, ready to copy down what I said.

"How bout you write your own essay for once?" Drusa asked sarcastically.

"Because if I wrote my own essays, I wouldn't get as good of grades," Tave replied loftily. "Lily's never gotten lower than an E on her essays, and, consequently, neither have I."

"Drusa has a point," I teased. I knew Tave was a good student so I didn't really mind her copying me. "You've been copying my homework for six years now. I'm surprised you've learned anything at all."

"I learn in class. Homework is a waste of time. Let's take this essay for example. We know how to make and use Veritaserum because we're freaking doing it in class. Any shit-head could tell you what it's used for, so all we're doing is wasting time, ink, and parchment. I've got it all up here." Tave tapped her head and I couldn't help but laugh.

"That's arguable," I said, earning a glare from her.

"Just tell me the damn essay," she growled.

The next two hours were filled with quill scratching and my voice intoning what we were writing down.

"Three feet, one inch," Alice sighed, stretching her fingers. "Merlin, this takes forever."

"We have to stop now, anyway," I said, glancing at the clock. "I have to go make my rounds."

"Mmm, have fun," Tave said jokingly. "We all know that you and James secretly snog all night."

"Oh how funny," I replied sarcastically as I packed up my books. "As a matter of fact, I hardly see him when we do rounds. _I_ don't think he actually does them. But you know what, I don't care. Maybe he'll be replaced." I sighed. "Ah, well, I mustn't get my hopes up."

"Lily," Tave said reproachfully, "I don't know why you're so mean to poor James."

"Poor James?!? Hah! He's an-"

"Arrogant, egotistic, self-centered, conceited, selfish, big-headed, offensive, rude, mischief-making man whore? Yes, we know," Alice intoned, taking the words right out of my mouth.

"If you'd just get to know him-" Tave started but I cut her off.

"I don't have time to discuss this," I said shortly, walking towards the portrait hole. "I'll see you guys tomorrow."

-----

I checked my magically powered watch as I started towards the Astronomy tower. 11:45. Good, I was almost done. I'd just make sure no students were snogging in the tower and I could be off to bed. I had caught a grand total of 24 students snogging there since the beginning of the year and came to the conclusion that it was a hot spot. I came to the foot of the staircase and heard the unmistakable sounds of a snogging couple.

_I hope it's just snogging,_ I thought to myself, slightly repulsed at the noises. I had yet to catch anyone going further than a good make out session and fervently hoped I never would. I put my hand on the railing, ready to ascend the stairs, when I heard a noise behind me.

"Who's there?" I demanded, whirling around. It was extremely dark, so I lit my wand. Nobody was there. "You're paranoid, Lily," I said aloud, more to comfort myself than anything else. Yet I couldn't shake off the feeling that I was being followed and had been followed for quite some time.

I started up the staircase and the noises grew louder. I reached the landing and soon saw the curfew-breakers. Sirius Black and a Hufflepuff girl I didn't know, but was pretty sure was a 4th year, were practically jumping down each other's throats.

"Black!" I screeched angrily, bringing them out of their liplock. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Sirius sent his most heart-melting smile my way, but it had no effect on me. "Well, Evans, me and Gina here were studying. I was helping her with her astronomy."

"More like her anatomy," I growled. "I highly doubt you'll find Jupiter up her shirt. Twenty points from Gryffindor and Hufflepuff, and a detention tomorrow night for both of you."

"Do you really find that necessary, Evans?"

I whirled around and found James standing a foot behind me. "Where did you come from?" I demanded, hurriedly stepping back a few paces.

"Third floor," he replied, not quite meeting my eyes. I didn't believe him but decided to let it slide. There were more pressing matters at hand.

"Yes, I do find that necessary. They'll be serving their _separate_ detentions tomorrow night." I noticed the worried look that passed between James and Sirius.

"I'll see you later, Gina," Sirius said, motioning for the girl to leave. She obliged, leaving me alone with the boys. They turned to me and I was surprised by their pleading looks.

"Listen, Evans," Sirius began. "There's a bit of a problem with that whole detention thing."

"Oh?" I asked, folding my arms across my chest. "Enlighten me."

"I'm, er, a bit busy tomorrow night," he said, staring intently at his shoes.

"You'll have to cancel your plans," I said carelessly.

"That's not exactly possible," James replied.

"And why is that?"

The pair exchanged nervous glances, looking extremely uncomfortable. I was enjoying this immensely.

"We can't quite tell you," Sirius said slowly.

"But if we could, we would," James added fervently. "I swear to Merlin, we would."

"It's not our secret to tell," Sirius finished lamely.

My curiosity was instantly piqued. I watched them closely as I spoke. "Does it have anything to do with the full moon tomorrow night?" Their shocked looks confirmed my thoughts. "I thought so. Oh, don't look so surprised. I know Remus is a werewolf."

As soon as I said that, their shocked looks turned to those of worry.

"You do?" James asked nervously, running his hand through his already unkempt hair. Damn, that annoyed me.

"I've known since 3rd year," I said exasperatedly. "It wasn't that hard to figure out. And yes, Remus knows I know."

"Er, right," Sirius said, still looking rather uncomfortable.

"What does Remus being a werewolf have to do with you serving a detention tomorrow night?" As soon as I asked, they became visibly more relaxed.

"Oh, nothing much. We just like to be there for him, you know?" Sirius said with a grin.

"We're his support group, me, Sirius, and Peter." James put an arm around Sirius' shoulders as he spoke. "What are best mates for?"

"Well, you're support group will be one member short tomorrow night," I replied dryly.

"No, Evans, you don't understand!" James exclaimed. "Remus needs us- all of us!"

"I'll do double detention," Sirius added hopefully. "I can't let Remus down."

I sighed. Remus was the only Marauder I got along with, and he was a really nice guy. He had told me how difficult being a werewolf was, and if he needed them...

"Fine," I snapped, angry I was giving in. "Detention on Sunday and Monday."

James and Sirius looked as if Christmas had come early.

"You're the best!" Sirius exclaimed and pulled me into a big hug. I was shocked, to say the least.

"Er, um, thanks," I replied, gently pushing him off me. I caught the murderous look on James' face. "Potter, if you would be so kind as to escort Mr. Black to Gryffindor tower? He doesn't need to be caught be Filch."

"Right," he muttered, and they left the Astronomy tower. I knew they were up to something, but I had no idea what. I put the thought out of my mind, however, as I was incredibly tired. I returned to the Heads' dormitories and settled into a peaceful sleep.

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A/N: Wow, you guys are the best!!! I have something like 20 reviews for 2 chapters. Yay!! It makes my day every time I check my email and there's 4 or 5 reviews waiting for me. I'm going to give you all chocolate chip cookies to celebrate. Oh, and by the way, I probably won't be updating as quickly in the future, as I was bored out of my mind yesterday and decided to do this story. But I do plan to update at least once every two days or so. School doesn't start for me until September 8th, so it'll definitely be pretty steady up until then. But that's a whole month away. I can write a lot in a month. Once school starts I'll let you all know my schedule, but I definitely won't quit this! (Not when I'm getting so many reviews! I love you guys!) So here are my thank yous:

**barnesisnoble:** thank you! Glad you like it! Have a cookie.

**otakuannie:** lol, nice happy dance, it's totally something I would do. :-)Thanks for reviewing, and you get two cookies (because you were my first reviewer).

**TC:** wow, thank you so much!!! blushes profusely What a compliment! I'm a totally HP fan/junkie, too. I'm glad you like my fic! You get a cookie.

**taniita: **yeah, Lily's kinda in the dark for now. But she'll realize it eventually. (Otherwise they wouldn't get married! ooh, I totally have an idea...scribble scribble scribble...) Oh yeah. hands you a cookie

**libyanauthor:** thanks a bunch! Cookie for you, too.

**Princess Myra: **thank you so much! I was kinda iffy about putting in the background info, then decided it was a definite must. I'm glad you agree with me! Do you like chocolate chip cookies? Here's one for you.

**DigitHZ:** thanks! Here's a cookie for you.

**reina del noche: **wow, thanks so much! I'm glad you really like it! You get a cookie!

**IdUnNoXx:** thanks! Here's your cookie.

**Beth: **I _love_ your name! (It's my name too!) Thanks for reading and reviewing! Mmm, yummy, here's your cookie!

A/N 2: I was going to have chapter 3 up yesterday, too, but my computer was all screwy and it wouldn't let me upload. It fixed itself for now. I'm working on chapter 4, and it should be up either later today or tomorrow (if my computer doesn't mess up again!) Thanks, you guys rock my socks!! Keep those reviews coming!!!


	4. Only Human

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters you recognize. If I did, I would be the richest woman in England, i.e. J. K. Rowling. But I'm not, so please don't sue me. I don't have any money worth mentioning anyway, so it would be a wasted effort.

**Chapter 4: Only Human**

I spent the entire next day wondering what on earth the Marauders were up to. I was sure they were up to something, and I wanted to find out what it was. I had planned on secretly following them around all day, but when I told Tave of my plan, she immediately talked me out of it.

"They'd figure it out faster than you can say Honeyduke's," she told me. We were sitting in the library, looking at books for a Charms essay we had to write. "If I've learned one thing from my dear cousin Sirius, it would be to never play a trick on him or his friends. They'd pick up on it in a heartbeat. Following them around isn't exactly a trick, but they have their ways of finding out who's around. I have no idea how they do it, but they always seem to know if anyone's following them, or even in their near vicinity."

"Hmm," I said thoughtfully. "I know they're up to something, and I know it has to do with Remus, but I just don't know what it is!!"

"Do you think they follow Remus?" Tave asked in a whisper. She also knew about Remus' "condition", but it didn't seem to bother her in the slightest. On the contrary, she seemed to find it incredibly attractive.

"The Marauders may be airheads at times, but I can't believe they'd be _that_ stupid," I said. "Really, to follow a grown werewolf? He could easily kill them or turn them into werewolves. Besides, Remus wouldn't let them follow him. He knows he's incredibly dangerous in his werewolf state."

"Well, why don't we ask him?" Tave suggested. "He's right over there." She pointed towards the hallway just as Remus was passing the doorway.

"Do you honestly think he'd tell us?" I asked skeptically.

"It's worth a try," she replied, getting up.

"But then they'll know we're suspicious!" I argued, following her. "He'll just tell the others and then we'll never find out!" I had a sneaking suspicion that Tave really just wanted an excuse to talk to Remus.

"Remus!" Tave called as we exited the library. He turned around and seemed surprised to see us. I noticed how haggard he looked and once again it hit me how difficult being a werewolf must be.

"Hi Tave, Lily," he said as we neared him. "You girls want something?"

"Yes we do, actually," Tave said. "Well, more like we want to know something."

Remus studied us intently with his piercing light-blue eyes. "Okay," he said cautiously. "Does this have anything to do with my, er, illness?"

"Yeah," I replied quietly. "Here, let's go in here." We ducked into a deserted classroom and I shut the door.

"What do you want to know?" Remus asked, sitting on top of a desk. I noticed Tave eyeing him and resisted the urge to smack her.

"I won't beat around the bush," I said, deciding it was best to get straight to the point. "We know you're a werewolf, right?"

"Right," Remus agreed, looking at me as if he wasn't so sure he liked the direction this conversation was going.

"And we know that the full moon is tonight," I continued. "We also know that Potter, Black, and Peter are up to something. Something that involves you."

"Oh, really?" Remus pretended to be surprised, but I knew he was faking.

"Come on, Remus," Tave prodded. "You know what they're up to. Don't lie to us."

Remus looked from Tave to me. He sighed. "You're right, I know what they're up to. But I also can't tell you."

I looked pointedly at Tave. I had been right; Remus wouldn't tell us and now we'd never find out.

"Why can't you tell us?" Tave asked, a slight frown appearing on her face. When Remus squirmed uncomfortably and blushed slightly under her gaze, something clicked inside my head.

"We swore not to tell," he replied with a shrug while staring at a tile on the floor. He was trying to act nonchalant, but it just wasn't happening.

_No way_, I thought to myself as I watched the pair interact. _Remus likes Tave!!_ I just about did a happy dance right then and there.

"I guess I can't ask you to go back on your word," Tave sighed, looking incredibly pouty. It was all I could do not to laugh at her non-existent flirting skills.

Remus looked incredibly relieved. "No, you can't," he said, apparently glad she wasn't going to. I got the distinct impression he was having a hard time keeping the secret. "And I really must be getting to the Hospital Wing."

"Okay," I jumped in. "We'll see you tomorrow, then. Come on, Tave, we have homework to do." I pulled her out of the classroom and practically bolted up the stairs.

"Lily!" she exclaimed angrily as I pulled her into a deserted girls' bathroom. "I almost got him to tell!!"

"I couldn't let him tell you," I said.

"What? Why not?" she demanded, folding her arms across her chest.

"Because he _fancies_ you, that's why!" I exclaimed. The frown on her face turned into one of shock.

"What are you smoking, Lily Evans?" she asked incredulously. "Remus Lupin does not-"

"Oh yes he does," I said with a satisfied smile. "Honestly, Tave, most guys wouldn't have had _that_ hard of a time telling you no when you were flirting back there. But Remus was having an incredibly difficult time."

"Are you saying guys wouldn't want me?" Tave demanded.

"No, I'm just saying you need to brush up on your flirting skills, that's all," I replied sweetly. She opened her mouth to speak but I continued before she could. "But anyway, it's not like you need to, considering Remus is head-over-heels for you."

Tave sighed. "Excellent, I find out the guy of my dreams falls for me the night he has to turn into a werewolf. Just my luck."

I couldn't help but laugh. "So you _do_ fancy him, then!"

"No, I've already explained this to you. I find him incredibly sexy. It just so happens that the man of my dreams is also incredibly sexy. Since both of these men share this endearing quality, I have decided that they are now one and the same." She smiled triumphantly at me.

"Whatever, Tave."

-----

Though I was determined to figure out the Marauders' secret, thoughts of what they were up to were driven from my mind when I arrived at breakfast about a week later. Once again, the Great Hall was filled with urgent whisperings. I already felt sick as I sat down by my friends, knowing what would be plastered all over the Daily Prophet. I was not, however, prepared for how gruesome the story would be.

**You-Know-Who Tortures and Kills Muggles**

My heart leapt into my throat when I read those words. No, it couldn't be my parents...oh thank Merlin, it wasn't. It was a group of teenagers in London, apparently chosen at random. They had been tortured mercilessly for several hours before eventually being killed. The list of curses used on them ran on and on, and a feeling of despair washed over me.

"It's okay, Lily," Tave murmured.

I tried to blink away the tears that were welling in my eyes. "No, it's not okay," I replied softly. "They were our age, Tave, and Muggles to boot. They didn't understand what was going on. They were killed for fun!" I buried my face in my hands, ignoring the stares from other people around us. My friends had no idea what to say to me, and I didn't blame them. Here I was, the Lily Evans with nerves of steel, crying over some people I didn't know. What they didn't understand was that it went much deeper than that. I got up to go to my dorm. Maybe I could sort things out there.

"Lily-" Alice started, but Tave cut her off with a look. I hurried out of the Great Hall, wiping my eyes furiously as I went. I made it to my dorm in the nick of time; as soon as I entered my room I started sobbing.

I didn't go to classes that day, as I knew I was far too upset to listen to lectures. I slept fitfully off and on, nightmares tainting my sleep. It was around 5:00 when I heard a knock on my door.

"Evans?"

Great, just great. Potter was the last person on earth I wanted to see at the moment, and he was outside my door. But something inside me stirred, and before I knew it I was calling, "Come in."

He opened the door and stood in the doorway tentatively before slowly crossing over to my bed. He sat on the very edge of it as though he wasn't exactly sure how I'd react.

"What?" I asked softly after he'd settled himself.

James looked at the plush carpeting while answering. "Well, I, er, you ran out of the Great Hall looking pretty upset, so I, um... came to see if you were okay."

"I'm fine," I replied automatically, determinedly not looking at him.

"No, you're not," James said quietly. "Every time there's news of another attack, you get extremely upset."

"Why wouldn't I? There's people out there being brutally murdered," I said.

James seemed to have nothing to say to that, then his face lit in understanding. "You're scared for your parents, aren't you?"

I felt hot tears rush into my eyes again and slowly nodded.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

I had all intention of saying no, but once again something stirred inside me and I began pouring out my fears to him.

"My parents are both Muggles," I said, trying hard not to cry. "They don't understand what goes on in the wizarding world. Don't get me wrong, they really try hard to understand, but they just don't get it. They don't understand magic. Last summer I tried explaining to them what's been going on, but I could tell they were completely clueless as to what I was talking about. I don't blame them, though, as I don't completely understand what You-Know-Who's after either. It's so hard to know that if You-Know-Who decides to go after them, they won't have a chance in hell of survival. And my sister, too! Petunia and I don't get along very well. In fact, most of the time I really dislike her. But you know what? She's my sister. I couldn't live with myself if I found out I was responsible for her or my parents' deaths. And you know what? I was relieved this morning when I saw it was someone other than my parents killed. I was glad it was them and not my family. I feel terrible, because these people _were_ someone else's family, and here I am, just glad it wasn't mine. " I finished my narrative with a shuddering breath and timidly looked up at James, ready for him to burst out laughing. To my surprise, he was looking at me with nothing but concern.

"Anyone in your position would feel the same way," he said, looking me straight in the eye. "And no, it wouldn't be your fault."

I felt my tears spill over and mentally cursed myself for crying in front of James. "Yes, it would," I said through my tears. "I'm the witch in the family. It'd be my fault for going to Hogwarts and bringing magic into their world."

"No it wouldn't, Lily. Voldemort kills either at random or when somebody gets in his way."

I stopped crying immediately, partly due to the fact that he had said Voldemort's name, but mostly due to the fact that he had just called me by my first name. It calmed me down immensely. I looked at him, wide-eyed.

He got up off my bed and began to pace. I could tell he was holding something inside him and it was dying to get out.

"I don't know if this will be any comfort to you," he began, "but I'm scared for my family, too."

I stared at him in surprise. James Potter- scared? I didn't get a chance to speak, however, as he continued on immediately.

"My dad's an Auror at the Ministry. He's one of the best; he and Mad-Eye Moody are together responsible for almost all of the Death Eaters currently residing in Azkaban." I detected a note of pride in James' voice. It was gone, though, with his next words. "He's also very high on Voldemort's list of people to kill. Some of Voldemort's higher-ups are in Azkaban due to my dad, and that doesn't sit too well with him. My dad's constantly out there, risking his neck to put a stop to him. But I can't help thinking that one day he might not come back. He's had several close calls before, and he can't always have lucky getaways. Each time I see the paper or get an owl, I can't help thinking it might be the news that my dad died saving someone else. But I don't know what I'd do without my him."

I stared at him, my mouth slightly open. I had no idea he had this bottled up inside him. I was going to say something, then realized I didn't know what to say.

"Just thought you'd want to know," he said after a moment, as if suddenly realizing he had just told me one of his biggest secrets. He silently left me alone in my room.

I sat for a few moments on my bed, completely floored at what had just happened. James Potter- the infamous James Potter- had just confided something in me. So he wasn't the indestructible pillar of strength he so often portrayed. He was scared for his family just like I was scared for mine. It was in that moment that I knew what I had to do. I went into the common room and saw him sitting on the end of the couch, staring into the fire with a slight frown on his face. I sat down next to him and he turned to look at me.

"Hi," I said softly.

"Hi," he replied, then turned back to the fire.

I took a deep breath before speaking again. "I had no idea-"

"No one does," he said abruptly, cutting me off. He had such a pained expression on his face that I found myself wanting to comfort him. I didn't care that I usually couldn't stand him. He looked so forlorn and alone... I couldn't help but crawl into his lap like a tiny child and lean my head against his firm chest. He stiffened for a moment, then relaxed.

"James," I said softly, "can we be friends?"

He was quiet for a moment, and I was scared he'd tell me to no and push me off his lap. "Yeah," he said finally. "Yeah, I'd like that, Lily."

His strong arms tightened around me and I suddenly felt the most secure I had been in a long time. I couldn't believe that less than 24 hours previously I had hated him with a passion. But there I was, sitting in James' lap on the couch, comforting him as much as he was comforting me. That night marked a turning point in our relationship. We were no longer Potter and Evans, feuding classmates. We were James and Lily, friends with a common fear. He had shown me that he wasn't the fearless, emotionless troublemaker I had been intimidated by since first year. He had proved that he was, in fact, only human.

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A/N: Whew! I didn't really want James and Lily to be friends this early, but this chapter just kind of wrote itself. I had a horrible case of writers' block, but then this started coming. I looked at it and was like, wow. I can definitely work with it. So here it is. But never fear, James and Lily most definitely won't be together for a while yet. I have a few things up my sleeve. So let me know what you think of it!

**ronlover05:** thanks! It does kinda take some patience, but maybe not as much for me. I want them to get together so I can start writing more about the Marauders. As for Molly and Arthur, I think they graduated quite a bit before Lily and James. Here's my theory: say Molly and Arthur were in the same year (as each other, not James and Lily) and married right out of school. Say they started having kids right away, too. Roughly a year later Bill would be born. Say another year later Charlie was born. There had to be at least 3 years between Charlie and Percy, because when Percy was a 5th year, Charlie had already graduated. There's 2 years between Percy and Fred and George (Percy was a 7th year in book 3, Fred and George were 7th years in book 5). Then Ron came 2 years later, and he's the same age as Harry. So the Weasleys started having kids about 8 or 9 years before the Potters. I think James and Lily had Harry 3 years after leaving Hogwarts (that's a whole nother explanation there), so Arthur and Molly have to be at least 5 years older than them. That would mean they were 7th years when James and Lily were 2nd years. I hope you followed that long, drawn-out explanation of mine, it's kinda confusing. Oh yeah, and I'm not worried about you copying me. Good luck with your story!

**otakuannie:** glad you liked your cookie!

**Mary Ichijouji:** thanks! I know, Remus is kinda absent for now (except in this chappie, I decided we needed to talk to him). He'll be around more later, though, as Lily and James work on their friendship.

**taniita: **yeah, that chapter did have more swears than I'd usually put in, but Lily was just kinda all-around pissed off. (or was it me? hmm...nope, wasn't me. it was Lily.)

**Jillie:** thanks!

**vickiicky: **thanks for pointing that out, I totally missed it! I went back and changed it. If you ever see anything like that again, make sure to let me know. Oh, and the cookie thing was just something silly I decided to do. Don't mind me, my friends tell me I have an incredibly odd sense of humor. shrugs

**JessieRose:** thanks!


	5. Purebloods, Muggleborns, and Transfigura...

A/N: Bad author!!! Bad, bad, bad author!!! Let's see...I posted on Saturday (I think) and now it's Tuesday. Three whole days!!! I'm a bad author. I said I'd have a chapter up at least once every two days. I lied. But I was busy! Really, I was! (yeah, yeah, that's what they all say...) My mom is freaking out because my sister is going to college in September, so she's decided that my family needs to bond. gag So my parents, my sister, me, and my two younger brothers all "bonded" last weekend. I had no time whatsoever to write or post or anything. But I'm back now, so here's the incredibly crappy chapter I wrote over the span of three days. I have something really good written, but I can't use it yet. Grrr.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters you recognize, because J.K. Rowling does and now she's the richest woman in England. I wish I owned Daniel Radcliffe, but we can't have everything in life, now can we? Oh yeah, don't sue me because I have no money. If I dug in my couch I might find a few pennies, maybe a dime, or even a quarter if I was lucky. But other than that, all I have is pocket lint. sigh

**Chapter 5: Purebloods, Muggle-borns, and Transfiguration**

"What the hell happened between you and James?" Tave demanded at breakfast the next morning.

"What do you mean?" I asked innocently as I poured myself some pumpkin juice.

"Don't play stupid," she replied. "Two days ago you were complaining about how James was just the most arrogant person you'd ever met. Today you two come in for breakfast, laughing and joking like best mates. What's going on?"

I looked at her for a moment, then at Alice and Drusa who were seated across the table.

"We had a little chat last night and decided to settle our differences," I replied airily. Even though they were my best friends, I wasn't about to tell them what had happened between James and me the night before. I didn't think he'd want anyone to know, and I had to respect that. It _was_ rather private, after all.

"My ass," Drusa said mildly. "As if a 'little chat' would make you stop hating James."

"Well, it did," I replied matter-of-factly. "And I never actually _hated_ him, I just...strongly disliked him."

"Emphasis on 'strongly'," Alice muttered.

"Oh ha ha. Last night I realized that James isn't as arrogant, self-centered, conceited, selfish, bigheaded, offensive, and rude and I thought he was," I said.

"What about mischief-making?" Drusa asked with a smirk.

"Some things never change," I replied dryly, looking pointedly down the table. My friends followed my gaze. The Marauders were sitting several seats down from us with their wands pointed towards a group of Slytherins at the Slytherin table. Every time one would try to take a bite of something, their food would disappear, and whenever one would glance at the Gryffindor table in confusion, the Marauders would instantly turn back to their food, pretending to be deep in conversation.

"Look at Bella's face," Tave giggled, pointing at a sour-looking seventh year.

"Bellatrix Black- your cousin, right?" Drusa asked.

"Second cousin by marriage," Tave replied with a sigh. "We can't stand each other."

"I don't get how you know all your distant cousins," I said. "I hardly know my _first_ cousins, much less my second cousins."

"We've discussed this before, Lily," Tave said shortly. "You know that family is everything in the wizarding world."

I got the distinct impression that she didn't want to talk about her family, but I was curious.

"I'm sorry, Tave, but I just don't understand," I said. "Family is important to Muggles, but it's just not the same as the wizarding world."

She sighed. "I don't mean family, Lil, I mean blood. You know, purebloods and half-bloods and all that shit."

This was the part I truly didn't understand. I looked at her questioningly, and Alice intervened.

"Why don't we discuss this after classes," she said, making Tave groan.

"I really hate talking about my stupid family," she complained, earning a very stern look from Alice.

"This whole blood thing is something Lily should understand," Drusa interjected.

"Please, Tave?" I asked.

"Fine," she muttered, clearly not happy about it. "But never again, okay?"

I agreed, glad I would be getting some answers.

-----

Several hours later I found myself sitting on my bed next to Drusa. Tave was sitting cross-legged on the floor and Alice was in a chair.

"What do you want to know?" Tave asked resignedly.

"Let's start with your relation to Sirius Black," I said, deciding to start easy. "He's your second cousin, right?"

"Yeah. My dad is a first cousin to their mother. You might have heard of my aunt Araminta, Dad's sister," Tave said with a disgusted look on her face.

"Araminta Meliflua...sounds vaguely familiar," Drusa said thoughtfully.

"Several years ago my wonderful aunt tried to force a bill through the Ministry that would make Muggle hunting legal," Tave spat.

I looked at her in horror. "She didn't!!!"

"Oh yes she did. My dad fought the bill, so he was disowned. Blasted off the family tree."

"The what?" I asked.

"The family tree. Sirius' mum has a tapestry in their house that has our family tree on it. It dates back well into the Middle Ages, and it sort of proves our purebloodedness. But if anyone does anything to piss them off, they're blasted off. My dad was blasted off before I was born, though, so I don't think I'm even on there." Tave shrugged. "I don't care. Not with all their pureblood shit."

"So what is this 'pureblood shit', as you so graciously put it?" I asked with a smirk.

Tave rolled her eyes at me. "There are some witches and wizards that think purebloods are better than anybody else," she said shortly.

"But it goes much deeper than that," Alice added. "I think a lot of those purebloods feel threatened by half-bloods and Muggle-borns. There aren't near as many purebloods as there once were, and there are many more half-bloods and Muggle-borns. If the purebloods hadn't started marrying Muggles, we would have died out."

I thought for a moment. "So what, exactly, makes someone a pureblood?"

"You have to be able to trace the witches and wizards on both sides of your family back several hundred years," Tave sighed. "I don't remember exactly how many, something like four hundred years."

"That sounds about right," Alice replied.

"If you can't do that, then odds are you're a half-blood," Tave continued.

"Half-bloods are the biggest group, so to speak, of magical people," Drusa piped up. "I'm a half-blood because my mum's a witch and my dad's a Muggle."

"But that's not all that constitutes as half-bloods," Tave said. "If you have an ancestor that's a Muggle, you're a half-blood. Even if it's your great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandma."

"So if a half-blood married a pureblood, their kids would be half-bloods," I asked, trying to sort it out in my head.

"Yup," Drusa affirmed.

"You know all about Muggle-borns, of course," Alice said. "If both parents are Muggles and their child is magical, then that child is a Muggle-born."

"So any child I have will be a half-blood?" I asked.

"Yeah. It doesn't matter if you marry a pureblood or even a Muggle. If your child is magical, he or she will be a half-blood," Tave said.

"Oh." I was quiet for a few moments, trying to process what I had just been told. Then another question came to me. "So why are you and Sirius such good friends?"

"I don't know, maybe because we're both outcasts," Tave replied with a shrug. "I'm not on the family tree because my dad was blasted off it before I was born. Sirius was blasted off this past summer, so neither of us are welcome in the Black household."

"What did Sirius do to get blasted off the family tree?" I asked interestedly.

"He ran away from home," Tave replied. "I don't blame him. His parents have always favored his younger brother Regulus, and all three of them are full of that pureblood crap. It really got bad when he started Hogwarts and was put in Gryffindor."

"But what's so bad about Gryffindor?" I exclaimed.

Tave looked at me in disbelief. "Lily, you know enough about my family to know that they're mostly Dark witches and wizards," she snapped.

"Well, yes, but-"

"We're purebloods. Dark purebloods. That guarantees Slytherin. Sirius isn't Dark, and neither is me or my dad. But that's it. The rest of our family is Dark. I hate them all." She folded her arms across her chest and looked extremely angry.

I sighed. I hadn't meant for her to get so upset about it all. "I'm sorry, Tave. I know you're not a Dark witch even if most of your family is Dark."

"Don't worry about it," Tave sighed. "My family sucks and that's all there is to it."

Just then a knock sounded on my door.

"Come in," I said, and Sirius opened the door.

"Woah, what has you all in a huff?" he asked, seeing Tave.

"We were just discussing our wonderful family," she replied sarcastically. Immediately Sirius' face darkened.

"Bloody bastards," he said angrily, then took a deep breath. "Sorry. Anyway, I was elected to come ask for your help, Lily."

I raised my eyebrows. "Sirius Black is asking me, Lily Evans, for help? Somebody alert the Minister of Magic."

"Oh hardy ha ha," he replied sarcastically. "Actually, I'm asking you for help on the behalf of my fellow Marauders. They're having trouble with their Transfiguration essays."

"Oh really?" I asked sarcastically. "I suppose I'll have to see just what the trouble is." I figured that since I was James' friend now, I should at least help him and his friends with their homework.

"I'll come, too," Tave said, jumping up.

"But you don't take Transfiguration," I told her matter-of-factly.

"I just want to see if I'm missing anything important," she replied airily.

"More like you want to stare at Remus," I muttered to her as we went into the common room. She just smiled sweetly at me.

The essay was on conjuring large object, such as furniture, out of thin air. I started to work on Peter's essay and was appalled by the bad grammar and spelling errors.

"You know, Lil, you should start charging for doing this," Tave said to me while sneaking glances at Remus. He was laying in one of the overstuffed chairs in front of the fireplace. He had an arm dangling over one armrest and both legs hanging over the other. I had to admit that he was definitely good to look at.

"Honestly, why are you doing the essay the day before it's due?" I asked irritably after I had handed Peter back his essay and looked over James'.

"Because there are more important things to do than homework," James replied, as if it was obvious.

"Like what?" I asked shrewdly as I scratched out some of his sentences.

"Like prank people, of course," Sirius replied. I shot my death glare at him. "But homework's very important, too," he added hastily.

"Besides, it's not like Transfiguration's hard," James said with a shrug.

"Oh? Then you shouldn't need my help on your essay," I replied, promptly giving it back to him.

"Nah, I really don't need it. I'm number one in the class," he replied with a mischievous smile. Transfiguration was the only subject he had managed to get ahead of me in. He really was an excellent student.

"Not for long," I replied sweetly. "You'll find yourself edged out soon enough."

-----

The next day I had decided to put James in his place. Sure, we were friends, but we had only been friends for two days. And, at least for me, being friends meant I wouldn't yell at him as often, and I would try to tolerate him a little more. I'd try to do some nice things for him occasionally, too. But there was nothing wrong with becoming first in Transfiguration. I was first in every other class, so I may as well be first in Transfiguration.

"Please take out your essays," Professor McGonagall said brusquely as she entered the classroom. There was a shuffling of papers as we all pulled out our essays. She collected them with a wave of her wand. "Thank you. Please turn to page 154 in your books."

I looked down at page 154. We were starting a unit on human transfiguration. This would be fun.

"Human transfiguration is an extremely difficult branch of magic," Professor McGonagall said, flicking her wand towards the blackboard. Notes began to appear there. "Can anyone explain to me why it is so difficult?" My hand shot into the air. "Yes, Miss Evans?"

"Human transfiguration is extremely difficult, and dangerous, because it deals with the human body," I said quickly. "The human body is incredibly complex, especially the mind. If a spell is performed incorrectly, permanent disfigurement or death can result."

"Excellent answer, five points to Gryffindor," Professor McGonagall said. I smiled smugly at James. He rolled his eyes. "Now, can anyone tell me the two ways human transfiguration can be brought about?" My hand shot up again, but it was preceded by James'. "Yes, Mr. Potter?"

"Human transfiguration can be brought about by one witch or wizard hexing another, or it can be brought about by the witch or wizard upon themselves. The latter would require the individual to be an Animagus."

"Correct, five more points to Gryffindor."

James smiled at me and I shook my head. There would be more questions. We weren't done yet.

We passed the rest of class this way, James and I fighting to answer questions. I kept tally on my parchment of how many questions each of us had answered. The bell rang and I looked at it. Damn. We had tied, seven questions each.

James grinned at me as the class filed out the door. "You're not ahead of me yet, Lily," he laughed.

"I might get a better grade than you on our essays," I replied. "This won't be hard at all."

I walked down the hallway with a smile on my face. It was actually quite fun to compete with James. I was incredibly glad I had decided to be friends with him.

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A/N 2: Okay, there it is! Please review and let me know what you think, even if you think it sucked and was completely pointless. I would totally agree with you there. But like I said before, I have something really good written, I just can't use it yet. So if you hang in there, I'll be able to use it in the near future!

**taniita: **the killing and stuff does suck, but that's what it was like back then. (omg, I'm talking about this like it really happened...I need to get a life...lol) No one knew whom Voldemort was going to kill next. And I think he was a very evil man (well, duh). But never fear, that's all the Voldie killings for the time being. No worries about the happy faces, I use them a lot too. :-D (see?)

**original-creativity:** thanks so much! I'm really glad you like it.

**hotwerwolfizmine:** whew, what a review! Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know what you're thinking. Never fear, I have every intention of keeping James and Lily apart for awhile (and possibly throw a few fights in there, too...). And wow, how weird is it that you suggested I have some friendly competition between James and Lily and I totally did this chapter! (I finished writing it before I got your review.) I won't be concentrating on Voldemort. He's going to lie low for several more chapters. Thanks so much for your advice, I really appreciate it!


	6. The Astronomy Tower

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters you recognize, because J.K. Rowling does and now she's the richest woman in England. I wish I owned Daniel Radcliffe, but we can't have everything in life, now can we? Oh yeah, don't sue me because I have no money. If I dug in my couch I might find a few pennies, maybe a dime, or even a quarter if I was lucky. But other than that, all I have is pocket lint. sigh

**Chapter 6: The Astronomy Tower**

I began to hang around with the Marauders more often in the weeks following. Alice, Tave, Drusa, Sirius, Remus, Peter, James, and I formed a large "study" group that met in the Heads' common room at 8:00 every night. Each night I came with the intent to actually study, but then got sucked into the conversations that were going on around me. I hated to admit it to myself, but it was actually fun to procrastinate.

"Hogsmeade weekend is this weekend," Tave said several nights later as we munched on Sirius' large stash of chocolate frogs. We were all draped over various chairs and couches, making a semi-circle-of-sorts. Sirius' chocolate frogs were in a pile on a table in the center of our semi-circle so anyone could grab them at will.

"Thank Merlin," Sirius replied, throwing a wrapper into the fire. "We need to stock up on Zonko's products."

"No, you don't," I said half-heartedly. I had thought that if I became friends with the Marauders, then maybe they'd stop their pranks. Such good fortune eluded me, however, and I had begun to resign myself to the fact that I wouldn't be able to control them. Ever.

"Yes they do," Drusa said as she grabbed another chocolate frog. "Aw damn, I got Agrippa again."

"I have eighty-six of him," Remus said absently. I hadn't failed to notice how he kept sneaking glances at Tave. That poor guy had it _bad_.

"Have another," Drusa said and handed over her card. Remus pocketed it and I saw Tave's eyes widen appreciatively. She had just gotten a nice view of his arse.

"We should make a list of what we need," James said and pulled out parchment, ink, and a quill.

"We need to start planning our big end-of-year prank, too," Sirius said thoughtfully.

"It sure as hell better be good," Tave replied. "You guys are graduating this year and you need to go out with a bang."

"Hell yeah," James said, his eyes brightening. "You just gave me an excellent idea."

"Way to go, Tave," I muttered dryly as I tried writing a paragraph of my Arithmancy essay.

"We'll need to stock up on Dr. Filibuster's Fireworks," Sirius said through a mouthful of chocolate. "And dungbombs, of course."

"That goes without saying," Remus said. "You're almost out, aren't you? You'll need a good two hundred more if you're going to drop them in the dungeons next week like I suggested."

I looked at Remus incredulously. "I didn't think you usually planned these pranks," I said to him. "I thought you just executed them."

"Holy mother of Merlin, no! I plan much more than I execute!" Remus exclaimed while he opened another chocolate frog. "Damn, Agrippa again. I swear, I must be cursed or something."

"So you're the master planner?" Tave asked interestedly.

"You better believe it, my dear cousin," Sirius said, shaking his head so a lock of hair fell elegantly into his eyes. I saw Drusa perk up slightly and watch him intently. "Remus is the mastermind behind most of our best pranks."

"Oh come on, Sirius, you and James do a lot of planning too," Remus replied, trying to be modest. Tave smiled at him and I thought I was going to be sick right then and there. My friends fell easily under Marauder charm. I exchanged knowing glances with Alice.

"What are you writing?" I asked, tuning out of the others' conversation.

"A letter to Frank," she said, and a light blush crept into her cheeks. "I'm asking him if he has this weekend off from Auror training. If he does I want to meet him at Hogsmeade."

"That sounds lovely," I said with a smile.

"We need to go to Honeyduke's, too," I heard Remus say. "I need sugarquills. They're the only thing that makes Arithmancy bearable."

"Hey, I like Arithmancy," I said. "I think it's fascinating."

"You would," Tave muttered. I threw a dirty look in her direction. She stuck her tongue out at me and burst into giggles. "I haven't done that since I was eight," she laughed.

"I'll need more chocolate frogs," Sirius said, looking at the severely depleted pile on the table.

"What?" Tave exclaimed. "You've still got at least fifty there."

"Fifty is hardly any!" Sirius defended himself. "Besides, I had about a hundred before I offered them to you pigs."

I was about to make a retort when James exclaimed, "Holy shit, Lily, we have to go do our rounds."

I looked at the clock and saw it was 10:15. "Damn. What are we going to do about everyone here? They can't all go back to Gryffindor tower because they'll definitely be caught by Filch."

"We'll stay here, of course," Tave said with a smile. "Don't worry, we won't trash your place _too_ badly while you're gone."

"But you don't have your pajamas, and there's nowhere for you to sleep," I protested.

"Lily, we're witches and wizards. I'm sure we can figure out _something_," she replied, rolling her eyes. "Look." She picked up a pillow and promptly turned it into a squashy blue sleeping bag. "And there _is_ such a thing as the summoning charm."

I was impressed with her Transfiguration skills. Maybe she didn't need to take N.E.W.T. Transfiguration after all.

"Come on, Lily, we have to go now," James said. "It's fine if they stay here, but we have to go. Let them figure it out."

I shrugged. "Okay, fine. Whatever."

James and I left the common room. We usually split up because it took less time than if we would patrol together. But as I turned left, James followed.

"Let's do rounds together tonight," he said when I looked at him questioningly.

"Umm, okay," I said. We walked in complete silence for a while. I tried to think of something to talk about, but nothing came to mind.

"So..." James said, attempting to start a conversation.

"How's Quidditch been?" I asked, grasping at straws. Quidditch practice had started at the beginning of October. "Tave said you were captain."

"Oh, yeah," James said. "It's been going well. We have a really good team this year, so we definitely have a chance at the Cup."

"That's good," I said. We lapsed into silence once again. "You know, you've changed a lot since last year," I said suddenly.

James looked at me questioningly. "In a good way or a bad way?" he asked.

"In a good way. You're different."

"How so?" His hazel eyes met mine and I had to look away.

"I don't know. You just seem more...mature. I was having a hard time finding things to criticize about you this year," I admitted guiltily, looking at the floor.

James gave a small smile. "You looked for things to criticize about me?" he asked.

"Yeah," I mumbled. "But I was having a real hard time because there really wasn't anything to criticize. And then, when you told me how you were scared for your dad, I realized how stupid I'd been. You_ do_ care for people other than yourself. You're actually a really nice guy. A little intimidating, maybe, but nice."

James studied me for a second. "Thanks," he said. I met his eyes and smiled at him.

We continued talking, mostly about nothing important. I had to admit to myself that I enjoyed James' company. The time flew by and I was amazed to find it was nearly midnight when I next looked at my watch.

"We should check the Astronomy tower," I said. "I've caught a total of fifty-two students snogging up there so far."

"I'd believe it," James laughed. "It's a nice place for a late-night snog."

I raised an eyebrow at him.

"Well it is," he said defensively. "You can either be in the classroom or out on the observation deck."

"And how many girls have _you_ snogged up there after curfew?" I asked in an accusatory tone.

"I don't know," he muttered, slightly pink.

"Suuuure," I drawled, then laughed. "Well, anyway, we need to go see if I can bring my total up to fifty-four."

When we reached the tower, however, it was deserted.

"Oh well," I said as I stepped out onto the observation deck. The cool night air felt incredibly refreshing and I took a deep breath.

"You have all year to up your total," James said, following me.

"Yeah."

We were silent for a while as we looked over the grounds. A light was on in Hagrid's hut, but other than that everything was dark. The Forbidden Forest seemed like a giant shadow on the edge of the grounds. The stars were reflected in the lake, making the sky seem to run into the ground.

"The view is beautiful from here," I said with a contended sigh.

"Yeah, it is," James replied softly.

I turned to look at him and realized he had been watching me the whole time. I felt a blush creep into my cheeks and was glad it was dark.

"James-" I started, but he cut me off.

"Don't say anything because I know what you're going to tell me. You're going to tell me that we can't go out, that we can only be friends. If that's what you want, fine. But that doesn't stop you from being beautiful."

His eyes met mine and I was surprised by the sincerity in them.

"Thank you," I whispered, not quite sure what else to say.

He shrugged. "I'm only telling you the truth."

"I'm sorry-"

"Don't be." He cut me off again. "You can't help it if you don't like me the way I like you. Sometimes that's just the way it is." He turned away from me and gazed across the grounds.

I sighed. Why was rejecting him so much harder this time? "Are you okay with us just being friends?" I asked hesitantly. If he wanted something more, I wasn't so sure we _could_ be friends.

James studied me for a long time. "I guess I have to be," he replied finally. "You have nothing else to offer me."

I detected a hint of sadness in his voice, but I pushed it aside. "It's getting cold out here. Let's go back to our dorms."

We walked all the way back in complete silence. I felt bad, but he himself had said it. And he was right. I had nothing else to offer him.

We entered the dimly lit common room and found every one of our friends fast asleep in brightly colored sleeping bags. Peter was on the end, drooling slightly. Alice had apparently edged as far away from him as possible and was practically on top on Drusa. Sirius was next to Drusa, then there was quite a gap between his and Tave's sleeping bags. A small smile lit my face when I saw how close Tave and Remus were. Their faces were inches apart.

"I'll bet Sirius did that," James whispered, indicating the pair. "Remus has fancied her since fifth year. We've been trying to get him to ask her out, but he's too shy."

"Pity," I replied. "Tave fancies Remus, too. She denies it, but she sucks at lying. She'd definitely go out with him."

"It'll be quite an interesting wake-up for them, then," James said.

We were silent for a moment, then I spoke. "Should we stay out here or sleep in our beds?"

"I'm sleeping out here," James replied as he transfigured a pillow into a sleeping bag.

"I guess I should too, then," I replied. James handed me his sleeping bag and quickly transfigured another one for himself. "Thanks," I said, laying it between Sirius and Tave.

"Damn, I have to sleep next to Peter," James sighed as he laid out his sleeping bag.

"Sorry," I said, then ran into my room and quickly changed into my pajamas. When I returned, James had stripped down to his boxers. I found myself eyeing his toned body, then mentally slapped myself.

_That's James Potter, remember?_ I thought to myself sternly as I crawled into my sleeping bag. _You two are just friends, and nothing more. You won't ever be anything more than friends._ I watched him fold his clothes. _But then again, it never hurts to look, does it? Dammit, Lily, stop that! You're acting like a hormonal teenager!_ _That's because you are_ _a hormonal teenager. _When he finished folding his clothes and crawled into his sleeping bag, it was all I could do not to sigh in relief. Damn hormones got me every time.

"Night, Lily," James said, waving his wand to turn out the lights.

"Night, James," I replied. We were _barely _friends, much less anything more. We had only been friends for a few weeks, for Merlin's sake, so we hardly knew each other. I didn't _want_ to be anything more. He was James Potter, for crying out loud. I had hated him for six years. I didn't like him in that way, and that was all there was to it. It was just those damned hormones kicking in. Thus convincing myself, I went to sleep.

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A/N: It's just a tad shorter than usual, but I felt this was a good place to stop. And no, Lily doesn't like him yet. It really was just those damned hormones kicking in (you know the feeling, when one of your hot guy friends takes off his shirt and reveals an amazing six-pack that you had no idea was there...not like that's happened to me recently...:-D). Oh yeah, if it was a little confusing with her thoughts up there, she was having conflicting thoughts. I tried to offset her conflicting thoughts with asterisks, but the stupid thing wouldn't keep them in. I didn't particularly feel like fighting with it, so I left it. I hope you still got the point, though. But anyhoo, I want to know what you think so go ahead and click that little bluish button down in the lefthand corner of your screen...you know you want to! :-)

**otakuannie:** yay! I'm glad at least somebody liked it. I really did hate that chapter with a passion. But what can I do, you know? Writer's block sucks.

**taniita:** it is just dandy that Lily and James are friends. Professor McGonagall hasn't seen anything yet...lol Happy faces rock my socks! :-P

**LupinLover99:** okey dokey. And... you, Mary Ichijouji, are now LupinLover99...got that. I'm kinda glad you changed your name, I had a heck of a time typing out Ichijouji. I'd type it, then be like, wait, that's not right. I'd check it again, then try typing it again, and get hopelessly confused. But I did eventually figure it out. (kudos for me!) I'm just slow like that. :-D


	7. Hogsmeade

Disclaimer: None of the characters you recognize belong to me. They belong to J.K. Rowling, the lucky ducky, and now she's the richest woman in England. I'm not the richest woman in England, but I _am_ the richest 15-year-old girl on my street (that could have something to do with the fact that I'm the _only_ 15-year-old girl on my street...). Anyway, my point is that my life savings totals $3,066.71 (I just went to the bank today). Please don't take it from me, I need it for college. Of course, there are always those pennies in my sofa...

**Chapter 7: Hogsmeade**

The next morning did indeed prove an interesting one for Tave and Remus. I was the last to wake up other than them. I had every intention of rolling over and smacking Tave with my pillow to get her up, but Sirius stopped me.

"We're going to get Remus to finally ask her out," he said, taking my pillow from my hand.

"And how will you do that?" I asked groggily as I got out from my sleeping bag.

"Wake them up at the same time, of course," Sirius replied, rolling his eyes.

"Somehow I'm not so sure that will work," Drusa said hesitantly.

"Of course it will," Sirius replied with his signature grin.

"Riiiight," Alice laughed. "Wake them up at the same time and Remus will be overcome with the urge to ask Tave out. This should be interesting."

The three of us stood back with our arms folded, sure Sirius' plan wasn't going to work. He and James each picked up a pillow and poised them over the sleeping pair.

"Ready?" James asked, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Ready," Sirius affirmed. "Three...two...one..." With incredible force, Sirius brought his pillow down onto Tave just as James brought his down on Remus.

The pair's eyes flew open and Remus opened his mouth, ready to yell at whoever had just hit him. He realized how incredibly close he was to Tave, and promptly shut it again, eyes wide. Tave was looking at him wide-eyed, too.

"Um...good morning," she said breathlessly, a blush creeping into her cheeks.

"Hi," Remus replied, also blushing. They were silent for a moment, then he said suddenly, "Would you like to come to Hogsmeade with me this weekend?"

Alice's jaw dropped.

A slow smile spread across Tave's face. "Are you serious?" she asked, as though she couldn't believe it.

"No, I'm Sirius," Sirius cut in (A/N: I know, the joke is old, but it cracks me up every time). "Just freaking tell him yes and get it over with!"

"Okay," Tave replied, apparently not minding her cousin's interruption. "I'd love to."

"Finally!" James bellowed, pulling Remus up and clapping him on the back. "Took you long enough to work up the courage to ask her!"

"I _cannot_ believe that worked," Alice said huffily. "I mean, what an unorganized plan! And it worked!"

"Of course it worked," Sirius said with a grin. "We're the Marauders, and Remus is our best friend. Who needs to waste brain power on something as simple as this?"

I rolled my eyes. "Come on, girls, we should get dressed," I said, helping Tave up from where she was still sitting on the floor. Drusa, Alice, and I had to practically drag her into my dorm.

"No!" she protested as we shut the door. "Did you see how hot Remus was in just his boxers?"

"You were practically drooling," Alice replied dryly.

"And guess what? I'm going on a date with him this weekend!!!" Tave completely ignored Alice's remark and started dancing around my room. "I'm going on a date with Remus Lupin! I could sing!"

"Please don't," Drusa grimaced. "I'd like to be able to hear for the next hour, thanks."

"Merlin's beard, what am I going to wear?" Tave cried, throwing open my closet. She seemed oblivious to our comments.

"That's my closet!" I exclaimed, rushing over to shut it. "You're not wearing my clothes!"

"Hmm, this looks nice," Tave said, pulling out my favorite sweater. It was the exact green color of my eyes and fit me perfectly.

"Not on your life," I replied, taking it out of her hands.

"Lily!" she cried indignantly. "This is a date with _Remus_!!"

"I don't care if it's a date with the bloody Minister of Magic, you're not wearing that sweater," I said sternly. "You have two days to decide, anyway. And if you absolutely _must_ wear my clothes, _I'll_ pick something out for you." And with that, I put my sweater back.

Drusa and Alice were giggling from the other end of the room. I rolled my eyes at them.

"Come on, let's get dressed. We don't want to be late for breakfast," I said. The four of us quickly dressed and went to the Great Hall for breakfast.

-----

Saturday morning dawned bright and cold. I was woken up much earlier than I wanted to be by Tave bouncing excitedly on my bed like a two-year-old.

"Guess what day it is?" she asked, pulling open my shades so bright sunlight streamed into my room.

"Do you honestly think I care at...6:30 in the morning?" I asked grumpily as I checked my clock.

"It's Saturday! We're going to Hogsmeade today and I'm going with Remus!" Tave pounced on my bed again and pulled my covers off.

"Augh! Give me those!" I cried indignantly, grabbing the blankets back. "How the bloody hell did you get in here, anyway?"

"Because I know the damn password," she replied with a satisfied grin.

"Must you be so...perky?" I growled, resigning myself to the fact that I would be getting no more sleep that morning.

"Lily, this is _Remus_ we're talking about," she said, looking at me as if I'd lost my mind. "He's _only_ the sexiest man alive. And I'm going to Hogsmeade with him!"

"It's freaking Hogsmeade!" I exclaimed exasperatedly, not in the mood for my friend's childish antics.

"Exactly. Now we have exactly two and a half hours before we leave. Well, before I leave with Remus. You and Drusa will be hanging out all day because I'll be with Remus and Alice will be with Frank," she said, throwing clothes in my general direction from my closet. "Put these on, we need to go to Gryffindor tower to look over my wardrobe."

"Fine, fine," I sighed, grabbing my t-shirt from off the floor. "So Drusa and I will be alone all day?"

"You don't mind do you?" Tave asked, turning to look at me.

"No, no, it's fine. We'll find something to do." I gathered the rest of my clothes and went across the hall into the bathroom to change. I heard Tave humming to herself and couldn't help but smile. She and Remus really liked each other a lot. I couldn't blame her for being so happy.

I finished changing and there was a knock on the door.

"Are you almost done?" James asked through the door.

"Yeah," I replied, opening the door. James squinted in the bright light of the bathroom. Apparently he had just gotten up. "Did Tave wake you?"

"Yes," he muttered darkly. "She must really like Remus."

"You could say that," I said sarcastically.

"I heard that!" Tave called from my room. "Now come on, Lily, I already got Drusa and Alice up. Tackling my wardrobe is a four-woman job."

I soon found myself practically being dragged up to Gryffindor tower and into the seventh year girls' dorms.

"She woke you up, did she?" Drusa asked, a very disgruntled frown on her face. She looked rather frightening, what with her black eyes and tousled black hair.

"We tried to stop her," Alice said tiredly. "Sorry."

"Don't worry about it," I sighed. "This was inevitable. Honestly, I've never seen her so excited about a date before."

"I've told you a million times!" Tave said exasperatedly. "That's because this is _Remus_." She said it as if that explained everything.

"Right," I nodded, trying not to roll my eyes. "Anyway, on to your wardrobe."

We spent the next hour pulling out Tave's articles of clothing one by one for her to critique. Occasionally she'd ask our opinion, but mostly nixed what came up. After what seemed like an eternity, she settled on a light blue sweater and hip-hugging black jeans.

"You'll be walking around Hogsmeade all day," Alice had pointed out when Tave had originally vetoed anything denim. "You'll want to be comfortable." So Tave had agreed to jeans.

"Not blue jeans," I had said instantly. "Wear your black jeans. Blue jeans and a blue sweater are way too much blue. You'd look like you just walked out of a freezer."

"What's a freezer?" Tave had asked, throwing her blue jeans back into her trunk. "Is it some Muggle thing?"

"Yeah," I had replied, shaking my head. "Never mind. The point is, it would be too much blue. So go black."

Alice, Drusa, and I heaved a sigh of relief when we had finally chosen an outfit. We were finally done, or so we thought.

"Help me with makeup!" Tave demanded, and the three of us groaned at the same time.

"Do we have to?" Alice whined, looking as if she was going to pass out.

"I'm not exactly a pro at makeup," Tave replied.

I sighed. She had a point. She was _not_ good with makeup and hardly wore any. She said she only used it for special occasions. Unfortunately for us, she deemed this date a _very_ special occasion.

"Okay, fine," I said in resignation. Drusa gave me a death glare, and I tried not to shudder. She was rather scary when she was upset, and apparently being woken up at 6:00 in the morning didn't sit well with her.

Another hour later Tave was finally satisfied with how she looked. I had to admit that she did look good, and I was secretly proud of our handiwork. Not that Tave wasn't pretty; on the contrary, I thought she was gorgeous. She just didn't usually bother with her looks. But today I knew Remus would be knocked off his feet.

"We have about ten minutes for breakfast," Drusa said, losing a little of her grumpiness at the thought of food. The four of us traipsed down to breakfast and found the Marauders deep in conversation.

"...out of the Shrieking Shack?" I heard the tail end of Sirius' question.

"It's no problem. We can easily keep Moony in line," James said, then realized we were about two feet away. "Oh hello, ladies," he said with a suave smile.

"Hi," I said shortly, reaching for a blueberry muffin.

"I gotta run, I'm meeting Frank at the Three Broomsticks," Alice said as she also took a muffin. "See you later."

"Shall we go, Tave?" Remus asked, getting up. He looked incredibly nervous.

"Sure," she said with a smile. The two also left, leaving Drusa, James, Sirius, Peter, and me at the Gryffindor table.

"Looks like it's you and me today, Lily," Drusa said, forking a pancake onto her plate. "We've been abandoned."

"We'll survive," I shrugged as I took another bite of my muffin.

"You ladies could come with us," Sirius offered, sending a charming smile in our direction.

I raised an eyebrow, ready to turn him down. I didn't want to spend all day with three-fourths of the Marauders. Okay, so we technically were friends, but I still had to fight not to yell at them sometimes. And they still irritated me. A lot. Actually, it was more Sirius who annoyed me. James wasn't as bad as he had previously been, and I had hardly ever talked to Peter. But before I could get a word out of my mouth, Drusa answered for me.

"We'd love to."

I turned my head so fast I got a crick in my neck. She was smiling sweetly at Sirius and I almost gagged on my muffin.

"Excellent." Sirius got up from his chair, followed closely by James and Peter. "Then let's go." Drusa and I finished eating quickly and followed the Marauders outside. I shot daggers and Drusa the whole way, but she only looked at me innocently.

We got into Hogsmeade and, as I had expected, James and Sirius headed straight for Zonko's. I had only been in there once in my life, and that was enough for me.

"Coming, Lily?" James asked, holding the door open for me.

I sighed. "I guess," I said, and stepped through the door.

"This won't take long," he said to me reassuringly. "We know exactly what we need. Then we can go somewhere you want to, okay?" He moved ahead to where Sirius was, and I was touched at his thoughtfulness.

True to James' word, we were out of Zonko's in ten minutes. I didn't want to know what was in the overflowing bags they brought out with them. If I didn't know, I couldn't yell at them, right?

"Can we go to the Three Broomsticks?" I asked, deciding it was time for a Butterbeer.

"Sure," James said. He led the way and I soon found myself sitting in a booth with a Butterbeer in front of me.

Nothing too exciting happened to me the rest of the day. Spending the day with three-fourths of the Marauders wasn't as bad as I had originally thought it would be. Sirius _did_ occasionally get on my nerves (like in the Quidditch supply store when he bewitched a quaffle to fly around behind me and make disgusting noises), but James would stop him before I reached the point of doing something drastic. I was reluctant to admit that it wasn't a bad experience when Drusa asked me at the end of the day, but I eventually did.

"But that does _not_ mean I like the Marauders," I said hotly when she had insinuated that I secretly had a soft spot for them.

"No, I think you like one specific Marauder," she teased when we were back in her dorm. "One who's name starts with a James and ends with a Potter, to be precise."

"In his dreams," I replied haughtily.

"But dreams can come true, you know," she said with a smirk.

"Oh whatever. James and I are hardly even friends. I don't know why you, Tave, and Alice seem to think we're more," I defended myself

"We don't think you're more than friends," she said, grinning mischievously. "We just like to get you riled up."

I threw a pillow at her for that.

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A/N: Kinda pointless, I know, and there really wasn't much about actually being _in_ Hogsmeade. I just don't exactly feel like writing out every little thing James does that softens Lily towards him. Just the big things. If I wrote out every little thing, this story would never ever end. And besides, you want to know how Tave and Remus' date went, right? Yeah, I know you do. That's coming soon. And a Quidditch thingy too (what's Hogwarts without Quidditch?). So I must get back to my notebook and start scribbling away. I find that I usually write something really good when I babysit and the kids are in bed. Maybe it's boredom that inspires me. I'm babysitting tomorrow so maybe I'll have this huge lightening bolt of inspiration and just write and write and write. Ha ha, who am I kidding? But anyway, my whole point was that I need to go write some more. So I'm off.

**taniita:** I know, poor James. It would totally suck to be in love with somebody for years and years, and knowing the whole time they don't love you. But they do get together eventually! lol, I liked your little dialogue there. Very nice.

**otakuannie:** you know, I never got into Buffy. I've seen a few episodes here and there (that one vampire with the bleached blonde hair...I think his name is Spike or something like that...is totally hot) but not many, so I never really understood the stories. I got into Alias, but now I think it's stupid. So I really don't watch much tv anymore. I should start renting the Buffy series on DVD from Blockbuster. Maybe that'll help me with my writer's block. :- ) Yeah, I guess I do update a lot. (I updated last night, and now I'm updating again...lol) Chappie number eight probably won't be up for a few more days, though. I don't know, depends on how fast I type.

**not-theonly-dreamer037:** glad you like it! I love JL fics, too. They're my favorite, which is probably why I'm writing one...lol. Hey cool! Wisconsin rocks. I live in southeast Wisconsin, around Milwaukee. Whereabouts do you live? And yes, I most certainly will keep updating. :-D


	8. Lovers and Fighters

Disclaimer: Any characters you recognize aren't mine. They belong to J.K. Rowling, and people like me think she's a frickin genius and pay a lot of money to read about aforementioned characters. Hence, she's a bazillionaire. I, however, get nothing when people read my story, so I have to rely on the First National Bank of Dad for my money. In short, I have nothing. No money, no car, no boyfriend...sigh

**Chapter 8: Lovers and Fighters**

"Well?" I demanded when Tave clambered into her dorm. Drusa and I were sitting on Drusa's bed, paging through the latest issue of _Teen Witch_.

"Well what?" she asked, sitting next to us and picking up the magazine.

"How was your date?" I asked exasperatedly.

"Fine," she said vaguely, flipping the page.

"Fine? Just 'fine'? You went out with the guy you've had a crush on since the middle of last year and it was just 'fine'?" I asked, my voice rising slightly in pitch and volume.

"**YOU MEAN YOU WOKE ME UP AT 6:00 THIS MORNING TO GO OUT ON A DATE THAT YOU DIDN'T ENJOY**?!?" Drusa bellowed angrily, pulling away the magazine.

Tave looked at us both for a moment and then started laughing hilariously. "I'm just kidding you guys!" she gasped, falling onto the floor in a heap from laughing so hard. "You should have seen your faces!"

"So you enjoyed it, then?" I asked, slightly perturbed. I didn't find her "joke" funny in the least.

"Hell yeah!" Tave exclaimed, getting herself under control and climbing back onto Drusa's bed.

"So what did you two do all day?" Drusa asked disinterestedly. She seemed to be debating whether to shove Tave back onto the floor or not.

"Well, first we walked all over Hogsmeade and just kinda talked and window-shopped. It did get kinda boring, so Remus took me to the Shrieking Shack."

"You went into the _Shrieking Shack_?" Drusa asked, her eyes wide. "But that's the most haunted house in Britain! The ghosts there are extremely restless!"

"Oh we didn't go in," Tave said hurriedly, shooting me a look. Drusa didn't know of Remus' "ailment" and we weren't about to tell her. "We just looked at it and I got spooked."

"Did he kiss you?" I demanded.

Tave smiled secretively at me. "That's none of your business," she replied matter-of-factly.

"That's a yes if I ever heard one," Drusa muttered.

"But that's pretty much it. We didn't do anything too exciting. It was a first date, you know. We just kinda got to know each other better. " While Tave spoke she threw glances at me that negated her statement. I knew she was talking for Drusa's benefit. She definitely wanted to tell me something.

"That's great," I said, trying to think of a way to get Tave and me into my dorm without Drusa coming. "Well, I need to give Tave my Defense Against the Dark Arts notes because she was too busy daydreaming yesterday to take any. They're in my dorm. Let's go, Tave."

"See you girls later, then," Drusa said, opening _Teen Witch_ again. "I have all those notes. I'll stay here and wait for Alice to come back. I swear, she must be snogging Frank somewhere because it's getting kinda late to be in Hogsmeade."

Tave practically ran to the Head dorms and I had quite a time keeping up with her. She was in excellent condition from Quidditch practice. Not that I wasn't in shape, I just found running halfway across the castle and down eight flights of steps more draining than she did.

"So, what did you want to tell me?" I asked, slightly winded, as we sat in the common room.

"Remus and I did go into the Shrieking Shack," she said quietly. "He transforms there every full moon."

"I know that. He told me in third year," I replied.

"But this was...I don't know. Well, I'll start from the beginning. We started by just looking at it from the outside, and I said that it was the most haunted house in Britain. Then he got real quiet, and I asked what was wrong. Then he told me that it wasn't restless ghosts that lived there. The shrieks the villagers hear are made by him when he transforms every full moon, and Dumbledore encourages the rumors of restless spirits. I was floored when he told me. I mean, I knew he was a werewolf, but I never thought about how painful it must really be. So we went inside, and everything in there is ripped to shreds. There are huge claw marks all over the walls, and all the furniture is all bitten and torn up. He seemed really embarrassed about it. So I told him not to worry, that he couldn't help it. It didn't seem to cheer him up at all, though. Then he said that he was showing me this for a reason. He said that he really likes me a lot, but he's scared that if we get too involved I might back out. Because he's a werewolf, I mean. I might decide that I don't want to deal with him becoming a monster once a month. He said if I didn't think I could handle it, then we should quit now. He doesn't want to get emotionally attached, then have it all thrown away." She drew her knees up to her chest and peered over them at me.

"That's a lot to handle on a first date," I said awkwardly, not exactly sure what she wanted me to say.

"I'm glad he brought it up," she countered. "I like him a lot, too. It's not like we can skirt around the issue of him being a werewolf. It's a fact of life that we have to face. But you know what? I don't care if he's a werewolf or not. So I have to watch out every full moon, big deal. He's a really great guy."

"So then you have this all figured out," I said.

"Yeah. But it got me thinking. Should I care that he's a werewolf? He seems to think that it's a really bad thing and that everyone wants to avoid him," she said thoughtfully, a slight frown creasing her forehead.

"I think he's been sort of brainwashed into thinking that it's really horrible to be a werewolf," I replied after a moment of thought. "Society thinks that werewolves are these big, bad monsters that have no feelings. What they fail to recognize is that ninety-nine percent of the time, werewolves are humans, humans with feelings. Remus is living proof of that. You said before that he's a really great guy, and he is. So my answer is no, you shouldn't care. Don't let it get in the way."

"Wow, that's deep," Tave said, smiling a little. "I'm impressed."

I laughed. "Well, did it make you feel better?"

"A ton. Oh, and to answer your question earlier about him kissing me? Yeah, he kissed me. That's okay to do on a first date, right?" Her blue eyes looked at me, suddenly extremely worried.

"Of course you can. There's no rulebook for what you can and can't do on a first date," I replied, rolling my eyes.

"Oh good, because we kissed twice."

-----

"You still haven't gotten ahead of me in this class," James was kind enough to remind me a few days later as we waited in Professor McGonagall's classroom for the bell to ring. We were _still_ doing human transfiguration, as James, Sirius, and I were the only ones who had mastered turning each other into various animals. I was surprised that they had caught on so quickly but had to admit that they were incredibly smart.

"I'm just taking my time," I replied airily. Truth be told, I was doing my best to get ahead of him but never seemed to be able to pass him up. It was extremely frustrating.

The bell rang before James could reply and Professor McGonagall started class immediately. We were going to take a break on transfiguring each other and spend the next few days learning what it took to become an Animagus. I thought it odd how James, Sirius, and Peter immediately tuned her out and began playing hangman on spare bits of parchment. They usually paid attention for the first ten minutes or so of class before zoning out. I didn't think much of it, however, as I found Animagi fascinating.

"Will someone please tell me what determines the animal a witch or a wizard will turn into if they are an Animagus?" Professor McGonagall asked, and instantly Sirius' hand, immediately followed by James', was in the air. I was shocked; I didn't think they had been paying attention. "Yes, Mr. Black?"

"Character," he replied easily. "The animal is a reflection of the witch or wizard's character. If a person turned into a dog, for example, one might come to the conclusion that that person is incredibly loyal."

"Very good, Mr. Black, five points to Gryffindor."

James smirked at Sirius, and I saw him distinctly mouth "Loyal, my ass!" Sirius replied with a shrug and said something I didn't catch. I once again found myself wondering what secrets the Marauders had. I most certainly wanted to find out, and I had my chance when James sent a note my way.

_Lily-_

_You're slipping. You didn't even have your hand up for that question. You'll have to do better than that if you're going to beat me in this class._

_James_

I shot a withering look in his direction before scribbling my reply.

_James-_

_I was incredibly amazed that Sirius was answering a question (and correctly at that) and thus I couldn't bring myself to raise my hand. I could beat you with my eyes closed and both hands tied behind my back, so you have no need to worry about me. Like I told you before, I'm just taking my time. If I were you, I would pay attention. You never know what she'll ask for on tests and quizzes._

_Lily_

Sirius looked over James' shoulder so he could read my reply as well. He sent a fake-hurt expression my way when he saw what I had written about him. James wrote for a moment then sent the piece of parchment back.

_Lily-_

_You won't beat me, so don't even try. I don't need to pay attention because I know everything we're going over. It's easy stuff._

_James_

It was all I could do not to laugh out loud when I read what he had written, so I satisfied myself with a smirk. He knew everything we were going over? That was funny.

_James-_

_I will most definitely beat you. You know everything we're going over? Ha. That would entail you studying outside of class voluntarily, and somehow I just don't see you doing that._

_Lily_

I noticed that James hesitated a moment before replying.

_Lily-_

_No you won't. And yes, I do know everything we're going over because, for your information, I **did** voluntarily study outside of class. I happen to find Animagi fascinating. _

_James_

I raised an eyebrow when I read that. He was underestimating my intelligence if he thought I would believe that he, James Potter, studied Animagi because he felt like it.

_James-_

_Yes I will. And bullshit. You honestly think I'd believe that you studied Animagi just for the fun of it? I wasn't born yesterday, James. You and the rest of the Marauders are up to something._

_Lily_

James was about to write a reply when Professor McGonagall swept the piece of parchment off his desk.

"What do you find more important than my class, Mr. Potter?" she demanded sharply, opening the note to read it. Her eyes swept the contents quickly, and I thought I detected a flicker of amusement in her eyes. It was gone in an instant, however, and she surveyed the both of us coldly. "Miss Evans and Mr. Potter, I would like to see you after class."

After the bell rang about an hour later there was a mad dash for the exit, but I stayed in my seat a few moments before getting up. I walked slowly towards her desk with James right behind me. She peered over her spectacles at us sternly.

"I am extremely disappointed that the Head Boy and Girl did not find it necessary to pay attention in my class," she began, flattening the parchment that contained James and my conversation. "It is inexcusable. You both should know better. That being said, I must also address this little competition you have going for first in the class. I want you to learn in my class, and I don't care if you're first or second or last, as long as you're learning. It's childish and I want it to stop. You both have a detention tomorrow night."

I almost fell over when she said that. I had never had a detention before in my life, and now I had one because I wanted to get ahead of James in class? My perfect record would be ruined because of a stupid competition?

"But Professor, that's not fair! We're getting detentions because we were competing for first place?!?" I asked unbelievingly.

"No, you're getting detentions for passing notes in my class. You're also going to be late to your next class if you don't go," she replied.

"But Professor-" James started, but she cut him off.

"I said go, Mr. Potter. This conversation is over."

I turned to go, completely floored. I had a detention. I had gone six years without one, and now, three months into my seventh year, I had a detention. For passing notes! Notes that I hadn't even started! I swung my bag over my shoulder angrily. It just wasn't fair.

"Don't worry-" James began, but I wasn't in the mood.

"Don't talk to me," I growled. "I wouldn't have this detention if it wasn't for you."

"What?" he asked incredulously as we hurried towards the Defense Against the Dark Arts room. "This is my fault, is it?"

"Yes," I replied angrily. "If you hadn't written me the note, I wouldn't have this stupid detention."

"I didn't force you to write back," he said, seeming a bit upset himself.

"That doesn't matter!" I snapped. "You presented the opportunity, and now I'll be serving my first detention ever tomorrow night!"

"It's just as much your fault as it is mine!" James replied hotly. "Don't go blaming me! Besides, it's _just_ a detention! I can assure you that your life won't end."

That was _not _what I wanted to hear. I turned on him. "Damn you, Potter," I growled. "Don't talk to me. I don't know what I was thinking when I asked to be your friend. I should have known you'd just get me in trouble."

We reached the Defense Against the Dark Arts room and I scooted in just before the bell rang. I found a seat as far away from James as possible, still fuming. That bastard had gotten me in trouble. I should have seen it coming. I stole a look at him halfway through the lesson, and I was surprised to see that he looked extremely upset. My stomach gave an uncomfortable lurch.

_Well, he got me in trouble,_ I thought angrily. _If it weren't for him, I wouldn't have that detention tomorrow night._ **_But it's just a detention. He was right, it's not important._** I felt sick as soon as I thought that. _It's very important! You have a clean record; you've never had a detention. Not many students can say that, and come tomorrow night, you won't be able to either._ That thought made me feel sick, too. My perfect record that I had maintained for six long years was going down the toilet.

And it _was _James' fault.

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A/N: This chapter took **a lot** of rewriting and tweaking, so I hope you like it. I've complained about it a ton but I'm going to complain about it again: writer's block sucks. I was _soooooo_ losing those creative juices, so I decided to take a little break. When I came back, some juices were there and some weren't. So I played around and came up with this. I think it's pretty good. It's definitely better than some things I've written coughchapterfivecough. So anyway, even if you totally hate it, please review! I just love getting reviews, and I haven't been getting that many lately. sigh But I do almost have 50, and that totally rocks. And you know what? Not one of them is a flamer. I think that's so exciting. Flamers are incredibly welcome, just so you know. Not that I'm asking for them, but if you hate this story, you can tell me. I won't be offended or anything stupid like that. To each his own. But now that I've rambled on and on, feel free to click on that nice little button down there...thanks!!

**BROKENsmile:** thank you! lol, I don't mind your laziness. I'm glad you beat it to review for me. :-D It means a lot. My writing is "bloody brilliant"?!? blushes profusely wow, thanks so much! I can't wait for Lily to like James, too, but things have to go slowly. sigh But they'll get together eventually! hehehe, I love that Sirius joke. I'm glad you do too, because now I don't feel so dumb. I mean, almost every LJ fic has it, but I think it's so funny! But anyway, keep reading and reviewing for me!

**not-theonly-dreamer037: **thanks a bunch! Yes, it's safe to say you live in Stoughton. A lot of people live there, so it's not like anyone can go hunt you down. And I promise I won't, either. :-P I actually live in Waukesha (if you know where that is). So yeah, you're not too far from me. That's really cool. Oh yeah, good luck with your story! Writer's block sucks.

**Jules713:** thanks! Glad you like it!

**taniita:** lol, you never know what's going to happen when Sirius is around. That whole rude-awakening thing was actually something that happened to me not too long ago. My friend had a big party and was asked out by this totally hot guy (a friend of a friend, apparently). Me and a few other girls slept over that night because it was about 1 in the morning when the party ended and we didn't really want to go home (yes, we called our parents to make sure we could, which probably wasn't a good idea anyway because my parents were asleep...hehehe). We all zonk out around 2:30. But then, she wakes us all up at 8 to help her pick out her outfit for her date at 7 that night!!!!!! We were _soooo_ pissed...omg, it was hilarious. Well, looking back it's hilarious, but it wasn't then. sigh I have such a crazy life. lol O man, I babysit all the time. I usually do homework too, but since it's summer I haven't had any homework to do. I've fallen asleep babysitting so many times, but when the parents don't get home until 2 in the morning (when they say they'll be back around midnight), I kinda feel like well, it's their fault. :-D Wow, I really blab a lot don't I? hehehe


	9. Detention

Disclaimer: Let's look at this logically. J. K. Rowling owns Harry Potter and all related characters you don't recognize. I'm not J.K. Rowling. Since I'm not J.K. Rowling, I obviously don't own any of the recognizable characters. There, that wasn't so hard now was it?

**Chapter 9: Detention**

"Are you a freaking crackhead?!?" Tave yelled at me the instant she saw me coming between classes the next day. Several people stopped and stared as she grabbed my arm and started pulling me towards the dungeons.

"Ow-Tave! What the bloody hell are you going on about? Ouch- let me go! That hurts!" I exclaimed, convinced she had gone mental.

"You're stupid fight with James, that's what I'm going on about," she hissed into my ear as she let me go. We descended the steps to Professor Yeva's classroom and stopped several feet behind the line of students waiting to be let in. "I can't _believe_ you got upset over something as stupid as a detention!"

"Well it- wait, how do you know about that?" As far as I knew, I hadn't told her anything for fear of this exact reaction.

"James told Sirius who told me, but that's not important. What's important is that you're throwing away a perfectly good friendship because of a freaking detention," she said angrily, folding her arms across her chest.

"It's his fault!" I exclaimed indignantly. "I've never had a detention in my life, and now I've got one thanks to that no good son of a bitch."

"That's bullshit," she replied instantly. "You didn't have to write back. You earned that detention, Lily Evans. I don't know how you get off blaming James for it."

"And I don't know why you're all over me because of it," I said hotly. I could tell by the look on her face that this was going to be a major argument. The dungeon door opened just then, saving a big scene, so she threw me a "we're-not-done-with-this-discussion " look.

We avoided discussing it during class, but Tave was incredibly frosty with me. I wasn't the only one who noticed that, either.

"Blood traitor's feeling a bit snippy today, is she?" Snape asked silkily from behind us.

"Mind your own business, you bastard," Tave growled through clenched teeth. "I'm not in the mood to deal with you today."

"Well, well, well, you _are_ rather testy today," he replied in his irritatingly careless manner. "What could be the cause? Perhaps your worthless boyfriend dumped you for another slut after he got what he wanted last night? Or perhaps Mudblood's done something to upset you?"

Before anyone knew what was happening, Tave lunged at Snape, sending the contents of his cauldron everywhere. She slammed him against his table and easily pinned him there, her wand pressed against his throat.

"Don't you _ever _make insinuations about me and Remus again," she snarled, poking her wand harder against his throat. "And while we're at it, you call Lily a mudblood ever again and I'll hex your balls off. Give me a reason and I swear to Merlin I'll hex you into oblivion."

The class was dead silent as Tave and Snape glared at each other, pure hatred in their eyes. Professor Yeva looked like she had no idea what to do.

"Don't, Tave, he's not worth it," Alice said quietly from her table across the aisle. For a moment Tave looked as if she was going to blow Snape's head off anyway, but then she slowly backed away.

"Miss Meliflua!" Once Tave seemed under control, Professor Yeva found her voice. "Never in all my years at Hogwarts have I seen such a display! To the Headmaster's office this instant!"

Tave packed up her books and left the classroom without a word, but not before glaring murderously at Snape one more time.

The class quietly returned to their potion making as if unsure what had just exactly happened. I snuck a glance towards Sirius and James and saw Sirius looking distinctly proud. James, however, looked incredibly upset.

"If she gets suspended from Quidditch, I'm going to kill her," I heard him growl to Sirius. "Our first match is this weekend, and we can't play without her."

I found myself hoping she had been suspended from Quidditch, just to piss James off.

-----

I didn't see her again until classes were over for the day. She was sitting dejectedly in front of the Gryffindor common room fire with Alice and Drusa.

"So what's the verdict?" I asked, setting my book bag on the floor next to the chair I had sat in.

"Detention every night for the next three weeks," she sighed. "I'm not suspended from Quidditch, but I may as well be because I can't go to any practices during those three weeks if I'm in detention."

"At least you get to play," Alice said comfortingly. "What had you so riled up in the first place?"

Tave shot me a look. "I was pissed because Lily here had a stupid fight with James and is throwing their friendship away."

"Oh, so it's my fault, is it?" I demanded. That was unfair if she thought it was.

"No, it's not," she said haughtily. "I chose to attack Snape. You didn't force me to. But you think it'd be unfair if I blamed you, huh? This is exactly what happened between you and James."

"Lily attacked someone?" Alice asked, looking thoroughly confused.

"No, but she has a detention tonight because she and James were passing notes in Transfiguration yesterday," Tave explained. "She says it's James' fault because he wrote the note first, then she responded. She says he got her the first detention she's ever had."

"That's really stupid, Lily," Alice said gently. "You're just as much at fault as James is."

"Why is everyone siding with James?" I asked desperately. Even my friends agreed that I was being stupid.

"Because he's right," Tave said simply.

"Look, Lily," Alice said, and I knew a long lecture was coming. "James wrote you a note. As soon as you got it, you had a choice to either write back or just let it sit there. You could have even wrote back and said you could talk after class or something. But you went along with it, and as soon as McGonagall said you had a detention, you get mad at James. But don't you see, _it wasn't his fault_. He didn't make you write back. Sure, he presented the opportunity, but you took it. It's your fault you have a detention. The same sort of thing happened today between you and Tave. Tave was annoyed because of the aforementioned argument. You weren't going to give in and admit you were wrong, which irritated her even further. So then, when Snape tries to get under her skin, she snaps and attacks him. She could say it was your fault, that you got her mad. But it's not your fault. She chose to slam Snape into his table and threaten him. She got in trouble for it, and she deserved to. You got in trouble because you deserved to, too."

Alice had a way of making everything seem so simple and clear, and I realized I had been wrong. Really wrong. "I guess I really screwed up," I said miserably.

"Yeah you did," Tave replied quickly. "I think you owe Mr. Potter an apology."

I sighed. That was something I wasn't so good at. I was used to being perfect, and having to admit that I was wrong was a difficult thing for me to do. I decided I'd apologize the next time I saw him, no matter how hard it would be.

-----

The next time I saw James was, in fact, that night for detention. He, Tave, and I were given the task of cleaning the Owlery and all the trophies in the Trophy Room without magic.

"That'll take forever," Tave moaned, looking at all the tarnished trophies. "This _and_ the Owlery?"

"That's why it's called detention," Filch said, looking especially pleased. He provided us with what we would need, then walked away, humming off-key as he went.

"I'll go up to the Owlery," I sighed, grabbing a broom.

"James can go too," Tave said, shoving a broom into his hands. "I'll be down here, working on the trophies. I hate owls anyway. Come on down and help me when you're done."

James looked more than a little nervous as he followed me up to the Owlery. I couldn't blame him, considering I had broken off our friendship less than 24 hours previously. I was nervous, too, since I had to figure out a way to swallow my pride and reinstate said friendship.

"Sick," I said as we reached the landing in the Owlery. Owl droppings and feathers littered the floor, with bones of small mammals mixed in. James didn't reply as he began to sweep. We were silent for a few moments before I decided that I might as well get it over with. "Listen, James-" I started, then faltered. I had no idea what to say.

He paused a moment in his sweeping but didn't look at me. "Yeah?" he asked.

"I'm...sorry," I said softly, staring determinedly at the small bones just to the right of my right foot. "About yesterday. I shouldn't have gotten so upset."

"It's fine," he said automatically and began sweeping again.

"No, it's not fine," I contradicted. "I completely overreacted. Like you, and all my friends, said, it's just a stupid detention. I was way out of line, and I wanted to apologize."

James finally looked up at me and his hazel eyes met my green ones. I held his gaze unwaveringly, and a small smile lit his face.

"Apology accepted," he said.

"So we're friends again?" I asked hopefully.

"Yeah, we can be friends again," he replied. For a moment we just stood there, then he asked, "So are you going to help me with sweep up all this owl crap or am I going to have to do it by myself?"

I joined him in the sweeping and we had the whole floor cleaned up in under an hour. We swept everything into one big pile, and for the first time I wondered what we were going to do with it.

"How are we going to get rid of this?" I asked, indicating the pile.

James looked at it thoughtfully for a moment. "Throw it out the window," he replied.

"We can't do that!" I protested as I looked out said window. "That's disgusting! It could get in somebody's dorm window!"

"Sucks for them," James replied with a laugh, and he began throwing it out the window.

"No!" I looked at him in horror. He had just thrown owl crap all over the roof.

"Don't worry about it," he replied as he dumped the rest over the ledge. "We can't use magic to clean it up, so how does Filch expect us to get rid of it? He won't even notice. It'll all be gone by tomorrow, anyway."

I looked out the window, then back at James. I sighed. There was nothing I could do. "I can't believe you did that," I said, shaking my head. "I can't believe it."

Silence fell between us and I suddenly noticed that I was very close to James. Incredibly close, actually. I could smell his cologne and found it intoxicating. _No, Lily, don't start this again_, I berated myself. _Just because he smells so goddamn good doesn't mean he's the one for you. He most definitely_ isn't_ the one for you. _Something stirred in the back of my mind, but I pushed it away. I decided that I was going mental. I needed to have a nice little chat with Tave when we went down to the Trophy Room.

"Well, we're all done here," I said, moving away from him. "We should go find Tave and help her with those trophies."

"Oh, right," James said, as if he had just been deep in thought. "Good idea."

We found Tave sitting on the floor trying to polish a huge gold trophy. "Thank Merlin," she said as we came in. "These bloody things are so hard to clean up, and there's so many of them! Grab a few and help me."

I pulled a trophy out of one of the display cases and sat down next to her. "We need to talk," I muttered, making sure James was out of range.

"What about?" she asked as she looked dejectedly at the trophy in her lap. "I swear, this shit is never going to come off."

"I need you to tell me if I'm insane or not," I replied, grabbing a rag and some polish.

"That's easy. You're insane," Tave shrugged.

"Oh ha ha," I said as I rolled my eyes. "No really, this is serious."

"Actually, that's a trophy. Sirius is-"

"Don't even!" I cut her off her impending Sirius/serious joke. After six years of them, they got rather old. "Anyway, just recently I've been noticing how James isn't exactly...ugly."

Tave giggled. "'Not exactly ugly?' Dear Merlin, Lily, where are your eyes? He's only the hottest male ever to roam the halls of Hogwarts. After Remus, of course. And I guess Sirius is up there too, but he's my cousin so I just don't see him as someone to lust after. But now that I think of it, he is pretty damn hot."

I ignored her rambling. "I mean that lately I've found him almost...enticing. Maybe that's the wrong word for it, I don't know. But that night you all slept in the Heads' common room, when you were all asleep-"

"Holy shit, you didn't shag him did you?!?" Tave exclaimed rather loudly. I saw James look at us sharply across the room, and I quickly hushed her.

"Dear Merlin, no!" I exclaimed, feeling my face redden. "And next time you want to ask me about my sexual activities, please do so at a lower volume!"

"Sorry," she said, but there was a twinkle in her eye that completely negated her apology.

"Anyway, as I was saying, I just noticed that he had an _incredible_ body. Holy mother of Merlin, I had no _idea_ he had such a hot body! And then, tonight in the Owlery, we were standing really close and I was practically intoxicated by his cologne! His freaking cologne! Am I going insane?" I asked desperately, praying I was.

"No, you've just finally awoken from that bloody stupor studying puts on you," Tave replied with a wicked grin. "Honestly, you're realizing what a wonderful creation men are! Way to go, Lil!"

"Shut up," I replied, throwing my towel at her. "That's not funny. And besides, this is _James Potter_ I'm talking about. It feels incredibly weird. I mean, I hated him for six years, and now I think he's hot? I'm insane. I'm going bloody mental."

Tave laughed. "I think you're falling for James. You've always had a crush on him, but you've been hiding it all this time."

"What?!? I don't have a crush on James!" I protested. "I've never liked him! I couldn't even _tolerate_ him until this year! And now, I tell you I think he's attractive and you automatically jump to the conclusion that I fancy him!! There's a difference between thinking a guy's hot and fancying him. Those are two _completely_ different things!"

"Me thinks the lady doth protest too much," Tave said with a wink. "You fancy him, don't you?"

"Never," I replied fervently. "Never have, never will."

Our hushed conversation was interrupted by James saying, "Why don't we just summon our wands to clean these up? Filch will never know. Remus figured out a spell that'll make them appear incredibly shiny. Of course, they'll go back to their original state in about a week, but it works."

"Sure, why not?" Tave asked. I knew her question was rhetoric, but I answered it anyway.

"Because we'll get caught, that's why," I said, glad for the subject change. "James already threw all the owl crap out the window and all over the roof."

"Really?" Tave asked with a laugh. "That's a bloody brilliant idea."

I glared at her, ready to contradict, but James cut me off. "I'll just summon my wand and get this cleaned up. You girls can go off to bed."

"Okay thanks, see you tomorrow, James," Tave said and started pulling me out the door.

"Yeah, thanks," I called over my shoulder. Tave and I parted ways and I was left with my own thoughts as I climbed into my bed. Of course I didn't fancy James. I admitted he was a much nicer guy than I had originally thought, but that was it. It ended there. And, for the umpteenth time that school year, I convinced myself just before falling asleep.

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A/N: Okay, here it is, hope you like it. I don't really have much to say (I know, what a surprise!) except review, review, review! I love reviews, they make me so happy.

**otakuannie:** sorry to disappoint you, no snogging today. I was _incredibly_ tempted to put some in, but decided against it. There will be some snogging coming up soon (because the wee little plot bunny has hopped right into my lap, so to speak), so sit tight and be patient with me. All in due time, my dear (I feel incredibly old saying that...lol) : )

**I LOVE HUGS:** I love hugs too (the Hershey's candy and physical hugs, they're great). lol I know, Lily most definitely needed to chill. But then again, my reaction would have been very similar, because I've never had a detention in my life. So I guess both of us would need to "take a chill pill", as my rather eccentric father would say. Well, now they've made up, and it's only a matter of time before Lily realizes she's totally head over heels for this guy. But will it be smooth sailing from here? Not on your life. : ) Ah, yes, I know the feeling of struggling with ideas. This story can be very fickle sometimes, and sometimes I sit for days without making any progress. Sometimes I write something, then decide at the last minute that I don't like it. But I guess that's part of the addiction to writing for me.

**tanitta:** I think Lily needs to realize that there's more to life than school. Heck, sometimes _I_ need to realize that. I've never had a detention, either. Not in elementary or middle school, and not in my freshman year of high school. We'll see about my upcoming sophomore year, but I don't think I'll land my butt in detention. I've had a few close calls, but my teachers always love me (maybe that has something to do with my 4.2 GPA...hmm... it seems ironic b/c I'm also a cheerleader...lol) and don't like to put me in detention. I could get away with murder, I think. lol Blabbers rock, I gotta say. :-D

**LupinLover99:** your wish is my command!


	10. Quidditch

Disclaimer: Um.... Harry Potter isn't mine, and any of the characters you recognize aren't mine either. If they were, I'd be a bazillionaire living in England and named J.K. Rowling. But alas and forsooth, I'm a poor, 15-year-old named Beth and I live in Wisconsin. So don't sue me (technically, you can't anyway because I'm a minor. You'd have to sue my parents).

**Chapter 10: Quidditch**

The next Saturday found me, along with the rest of the Hogwarts students, putting off homework as I made my way towards the Quidditch pitch, chatting merrily with my friends.

"This is going to be an excellent game," Remus said as he scanned the stands for a spot to fit the five of us: him, Peter, Drusa, Alice, and me.

"You're telling me," Drusa replied happily. "Gryffindor versus Slytherin is _always_ an excellent game."

"Gryffindor will definitely get the Cup," Alice piped up as we found fairly decent seats. "I mean, with James scoring and Tave keeping, the Slytherins don't stand a chance."

"Don't forget about Sirius beating," Drusa added. "He does one hell of a job."

I was about to tease Drusa about her comment, but Steven Jackson, a Hufflepuff fifth year, drowned me out by beginning to announce the teams.

"Here's your Gryffindor team!!! Led by captain and chaser- James Potter!!"

James soared out onto the field amid deafening cheers from all Gryffindor supporters. I was annoyed at the antics of some fourth years a few rows below me; as soon as they saw James they all began screaming for him hysterically.

"Followed by Cunningham, O'Malley, Black, Johnson, Meliflua, and Liddell!!!" The rest of the Gryffindor team flew onto the field and followed James in a lap around the pitch.

The Gryffindor supporters cheered wildly, nearly drowning out Steven's announcement of the Slytherin team. "Leading this year's Slytherin team is keeper Rodolphus Lestrange! And here comes Avery, Black, Black, Crabbe, Goyle, and Rabastan!!" The Slytherins made noise to rival Gryffindor as their team flew onto the pitch by Madam Hooch. She gave a few instructions, then blew her whistle and released the balls.

"And the quaffle is caught easily by Cunningham!" Steven began his commentary. "Cunningham makes a nice pass to O'Malley, O'Malley to Potter, back to Cunningham-ooh, nice dodge of a bludger sent by Crabbe, Potter, O'Malley, Potter- come on, Potter- he shoots- Lestrange misses- POTTER SCORES!!!! TEN-ZERO GRYFFINDOR!!!"

The Gryffindor section of the stands went wild and James was congratulated by his teammates.

"Bellatrix Black has the quaffle now, she makes a nice pass to her cousin Regulus, to Avery, to Bellatrix, Avery, Regulus- ouch, that's going to leave a mark!" The crowd "oohed" all together when Regulus was hit in the back of the head with a bludger. "Regulus Black is hit with a bludger sent his way by his brother Sirius Black and drops the quaffle. O'Malley catches it and neatly passes to Potter. Potter is heading for the Slytherin hoops now- watch out for that bludger! Holy shit, that was close!"

"Jackson!" Professor McGonagall shouted warningly at him. She monitored the commentating and was not at all impressed with Steven's choice of words.

"Sorry, Professor, it just slipped out," he apologized quickly. "Anyway, Potter narrowly avoids getting his brains knocked out by a bludger sent by Goyle. Potter passes to Cunningham- Cunningham shoots- oh sorry, he was faked it and passed to Potter WHO PUTS IT IN AND SCORES FOR GRYFFINDOR!!! TWENTY-ZERO GRYFFINDOR!!!"

More ecstatic cheers exploded from the Gryffindor end. The fourth years a few rows down nearly fainted as James shot by.

"What's their problem?" I asked Drusa and Alice disgruntledly as I indicated the younger girls. "They're so ga-ga over James, it's insane!"

"Why do you care?" Drusa replied, her eyes never leaving the game.

"I don't," I said hurriedly. "I just find it incredibly immature and stupid, that's all."

"Uh-huh," Alice said, giving me a knowing look. "Are you sure that's all?" Her brown eyes seemed to bore into my green ones and I looked away quickly.

"Yes, I'm sure that's all," I replied, feeling my cheeks grow slightly warm under her gaze.

"Liar," she said matter-of-factly.

I looked up at her in surprise. "What?!?"

"You heard me," she said with a shrug. "I called you a liar. Those girls down there bother you because _you_ have the hots for James and they're making you jealous."

"What is up with this?!?" I exclaimed in exasperation. "First Tave, now you! Why do you guys think that I fancy James?"

"It's _only_ incredibly obvious," Alice replied. "You've got it bad, my dear Lily. Take that stupid fight for example. You completely overreacted because you're scared of what you're starting to feel for him. You decided that you'd distance yourself a bit. Unfortunately for you, Tave, Drusa, and I got in your way. We showed you how completely ridiculous you were being, and you had to give in."

I stared at her for a moment, not appreciating her brief psychological examination. "You're mental, Alice. I'll admit I overreacted, but I'm not starting to feel anything for James. Never have, never will."

She shrugged. "Suit yourself."

I turned back to the game in a huff and realized that Gryffindor had scored four more times, bringing the score to sixty-zero.

"Avery has the quaffle, he passes to Bellatrix who dodges a bludger- too bad it didn't hit her- just kidding, Professor! - pass back to Avery, to Regulus, Bellatrix, Regulus- he shoots- and AN INCREDIBLE SAVE BY OCTAVIA MELIFLUA!!! That girl is an amazingly talented player; she's already been signed as a starter on the Chudley Cannons for next season. She's got a great arse, too-"

I couldn't help but laugh as Remus tensed up when he heard Steven's comment about Tave. "Don't worry, Remus, Tave really likes you," I said. Remus turned a bit pink when I told him that.

"JACKSON, GET BACK TO THE GAME!!!" Professor McGonagall screeched, giving him her all-too-well-known glare. He hurriedly complied.

"Cunningham has the quaffle and makes a nice pass to O'Malley, O'Malley to Potter, back to O'Malley, and now Cunningham, he passes to Potter, and no surprise here! POTTER SCORES!!! SEVENTY-NIL GRYFFINDOR!!!"

By now it was apparent the Slytherin players were getting incredibly agitated. Rodolphus Lestrange was glaring murderously at James, Regulus looked as if he wanted to curse Sirius into next Thursday, and Bellatrix seemed ready to knock Tave off her broom.

"Bellatrix has the quaffle, she passes to Regulus, Regulus to Avery, Avery streaks down the field, narrowly avoiding a bludger from Johnson, he shoots- THAT WAS DELIBERATE!!!"

I gasped in horror as Bellatrix grabbed Crabbe's bat and threw it full force at Tave. Tave noticed it too late to get out of the way. It connected with the side of her head with a sickening thunk. She swayed slightly but grabbed onto her broom tightly to keep from falling.

Madam Hooch blew her whistle angrily and, after making sure Tave was okay, began yelling at Bellatrix.

"Damn that bitch!" Remus howled, watching Tave anxiously.

"She's fine, Remus," Alice said soothingly. Indeed, Tave seemed to have just shrugged off the assault

"Well, after that repulsive display of unsportsmanlike conduct by Bellatrix Black-"

"Jackson!"

"Sorry Professor, what I meant to say was that Bellatrix Black made an unprovoked attack upon the Gryffindor Keeper, and now Gryffindor has a penalty shot. Potter is lining up to take it, HE MAKES IT! SEVENTY-TEN GRYFFINDOR!"

I rolled my eyes as the fourth years screamed loudly. I felt Alice's eyes on me, but I didn't care. Let her think what she wanted. Just then James sped by and waved at us. I waved back, and the fourth years glared at me. I couldn't help but smirk; James had waved at me, _not_ them. I was brought back to the game quickly, though, by Steven's next announcement.

"Rabastan is off!!! Has he seen the snitch? Liddell is hot on his tail, he's inching closer, Rabastan reaches- HOLY SHIT, I DON'T BELIEVE IT!!! SIRIUS BLACK NAILS RABASTAN WITH A BLUDGER AND LIDDELL GETS THE SNITCH!!! GRYFFINDOR CREAMS SLYTHERIN: 220-10!!!!!!!!!"

Gryffindor went wild as our team formed a big pile in the air. Students began pouring onto the field, and I was pushed along with them.

"Tave!" I yelled as I neared her. "Tave!"

"Lily!" She caught sight of me and pushed her way through the crowd.

"Merlin, Bellatrix really got you good," I said, gently touching the giant bruise forming on the side of her head.

"Yeah, you're telling me," she winced. "She's such a bitch. But hey, at least we won."

"Yeah. You should go get yourself cleaned up. Remus was in a right state when you got hit. He'll want to make you feel all better," I said suggestively, wiggling my eyebrows.

"Oh shut up," Tave laughed. "Anyway, I'll see you in the common room in, oh, half an hour or so."

"Okay. See you." I turned around to head back up to the castle, but instead I ran right into James. Literally.

"Oh, sorry!" he said, offering me a hand. I had practically bounced off him and landed on my bum on the ground. I took his hand and he pulled me up.

"Don't worry about it," I laughed. "Great game today."

"Yeah it was, wasn't it?" he said with a smile. "Merlin, I love winning."

I laughed. "Did you see the look on Bellatrix's face when Liddell caught the snitch? It was priceless!"

"Yeah! Sirius did an excellent job beating today. If he hadn't hit Rabastan, we wouldn't have won."

"Did I hear someone say my name?" Sirius asked as he walked by, stopping to join our conversation.

"Yeah, James was just mentioning how well you did today," I said.

"But don't let it go to your head, Padfoot old boy," James laughed. "Your head is big enough as it is."

"I resent that," Sirius said, folding his arms across his chest and looking decidedly pouty. James rolled his eyes and playfully shoved him. Sirius looked affronted for a second, then shoved James back. The pair immediately began to wrestle and I shrugged helplessly, chalking it up to a "male bonding thing". I saw some sixth year Ravenclaws eyeing them appreciatedly and decided to make my leave.

The rest of the day was spent in a constant party in the Gryffindor common room. The Quidditch team made an entrance about half an hour after the game and only added to the wildness of the party.

"Do you think I should stop some of this?" I asked Drusa apprehensively as I surveyed the room. It was incredibly loud, and objects were flying around the room. A table had been set up with food and drinks, so food was strewn about the room.

"Nah," she replied, downing her glass of butterbeer. "They're just having fun."

I shrugged in defeat. There really wasn't anything I could do without James' help, and I didn't think he'd want to stop the party. He was in the middle of a large group of people, mainly females, obviously telling a very amusing story. I watched him for a while and found myself wondering what it would be like to be his girlfriend. I'd definitely be hated by most of the females at Hogwarts. But then again, I might just be the flavor of the week and be dumped soon after. He had a reputation for doing that. But he'd had a crush on me since 3rd year, and four years is a long time to fancy someone who doesn't fancy you back. What would it be like to date the infamous James Potter?

"Stop staring at James, Lily," Tave said in my ear.

I jumped, then blushed. "I wasn't staring," I said hastily.

"My arse!" she laughed. "You were staring at James for the past ten minutes, dear. I told you a few nights ago in detention that you fancied him. Just admit it, okay?"

"I don't fancy James!!!" I exclaimed frustratedly.

"You suck at lying," she shrugged. "Well I have to go find Remus. Talk to you later."

She left me feeling very disgruntled. I _didn't_ fancy James and that was all there was to it. Like I'd been telling myself for the past month, we were just friends.

I was distracted from my thoughts just then when I spotted Sirius handing out glasses of punch to some innocent-looking first years. He and James exchanged a look across the room, and I knew something was up. I watched for a few moments longer, then saw a few of the first years look a little tipsy. I had to do something, so I moved over to where they were.

"What is this?" I asked Sirius, taking a cup away from one of the tipsy first years.

"I'm just being the kind and helpful seventh year I'm supposed to be and assisting the first years," he replied innocently. "Do you honestly think I would do anything to these poor kids?"

"Yes," I replied instantly, inspecting the punch. It looked okay, but looks can be deceiving. I took a sip and instantly spit it back out again. "BLACK!!! YOU SPIKED IT WITH FIREWHISKY!!!" I confiscated the rest of the first years' cups and threw them away.

Sirius began to laugh hysterically. I fixed him with a death glare and grabbed my wand, ready to blast him into space, but James had sensed trouble and quickly intervened.

"Come on, now, Lily, there's no need to hex Sirius," he said, grabbing onto my wrist. His touch sent a warm feeling up my arm, but I ignored it.

"I can't believe you two made some first years drunk," I snarled, pulling my wrist away.

"Actually, you should believe it," Alice said dryly. She had also come over to put a stop to any hex throwing that might have occurred. "They're the Marauders."

I rolled my eyes. "You have a point. But still, they shouldn't go around giving firewhisky to first years!"

"Oh lay off it," Sirius said. "It's not hurting them. They'll be trying firewhisky in no time anyway. It's not exactly hard to get around here. Just think of it as an educational lesson for them. Now they know how much it sucks to be drunk, and they won't want to get drunk again any time soon. They're not even badly drunk, anyway."

I looked from him to the first years that were staggering around, and back to him. "I should really put you in detention for this," I said without much conviction. I could tell that once again I'd end up being the bad guy in this situation. "But I won't- this time. If you do it again, you'll be in detention for the rest of your life." I looked at the first years again and felt bad for them. "Instead of detention, though, I want you to help these kids to their dormitories so they can sleep it off."

"Sure thing," James replied, helping one who had fallen onto the floor up. He and Sirius began to escort the kids to their dormitories, and I sighed. Those Marauders got me every time.

A/N: Sorry about the longer wait than usual. My mom recently decided that I spend too much time on the computer, so now I can't go on every time I want to. And sometimes she'll come look over my shoulder to see what I'm doing. When she does that, I can't type this up because she thinks I'm way too obsessed with Harry Potter and would probably make me stop. So I've been typing this up off and on for the past few days. :rolls eyes: Parents, I'm tellin ya. But anyway, here it is. And once again, please review!! I just love getting reviews!

**taniita:** James can summon his wand without using his wand because I said so. lol Kidding, kidding. He's actually an incredibly powerful wizard and excels at wandless magic (eh, sounds good to me!). Ooh, freshie!!! I loved freshman year (which was only last year so I'm not so far removed...:-P). Lol, yeah, 4.2 is straight A's and then some honors classes (and I'm totally not trying to brag or anything). Oh man, I suck so bad at PE too. I have some great stories about my evil gym teacher, omg. But I'll spare you and anyone else reading this from my blab. :-D

**brokenPICTURE:** lol, Lily's starting to realize that she's totally head over heels for James, but she's totally in denial. She'll get over it pretty soon, though! I put these chappies up as soon as I can. Yeah, totally go for your HP fanfic idea. I'd read and review!!! I thought no one would r&r mine, but now I have something like 55 reviews!! :does a little happy dance:

**lilyandjamesAAF:** men's cologne get me every time, I swear. :-P

**Secretly Smiling: **aw, thanks so much!

**LupinLover99:** no prob-le-mo!!! Thanks for reviewing. You keep reviewing; I'll keep mentioning you! :-D

**otakuannie:** lol, you'll get your snogging soon. It's coming up in the next few chapters (I'm not exactly sure which one, but it'll be there! Really, I promise. ) And yeah, there'll be more, because I'm _pretty_ sure they had a kid. What was his name....Harvey? Harpy? Harold? Harry!!!! That's it! Harry Potter...sounds vaguely familiar...lol Lily's totally in love with James; she's just too dense to realize it. :- )


	11. Christmas Holiday

Disclaimer: None of the Harry Potter characters you recognize belong to me. J.K. Rowling owns them and she's filthy rich. I have a measly 42 cents left from my big mall excursion today (I got some really cute shirts from Old Navy!!!), and if you really wanted it I guess I could give it to you.

**Chapter 11: Christmas Holiday**

November turned to December and before I knew it, Christmas vacation was upon us. I wasn't exactly looking forward to going home, as Petunia would, of course, be there. But my parents wanted me home for Christmas, so I went.

"Lily!" my mother exclaimed as she saw me on the train platform.

"Hey, Mum," I replied, giving her a hug. "Where's Dad?"

"He's at home with Petunia and Vernon," she said, and I noted a slight note of apprehension in her voice.

"Vernon's not staying with us for Christmas, is he?" I asked desperately, suddenly dreading my stay at home even more.

"Yes, dear, he is," she admitted. "And there's something else you ought to know. Petunia and Vernon are going to be married this spring."

I stared at her for a moment, completely speechless. Petunia was going to marry that...that...that horrible man?!? "Did I hear you correctly?" I asked, finally finding my voice. "Petunia is marrying Vernon Dursley?"

"Yes, sweetheart, they'll be married in March." I could tell my mother thought I would completely go ballistic or something like that.

"Well...good for them," I croaked. This was _not_ the welcome home I had expected. I hated Vernon Dursley and he hated me. First he's spending Christmas with us, and then I find out he's going to be part of the family? It was going to be a long vacation indeed.

I tried to chat with Mum in the car ride home as if nothing had happened. I told her how I was doing in my classes and how life was in general.

"That's excellent, darling," she said when I told her I was the first in every class except Transfiguration. "Who's ahead of you in Transfiguration?"

"James Potter," I said without the slightest hint of loathing.

"James Potter...isn't he the one who's had a crush on you since your third year?" Mum asked interestedly.

"Yep, that's the one," I affirmed.

"The one you've hated just as long?" she prodded.

I rolled my eyes. "I don't hate James anymore. We're good friends, actually."

"Really?" she asked in disbelief. "Let's see, what was it you told me in your fifth year? Wasn't it something like, 'I'm going to hate Potter until the day I die'?"

"I lied," I replied with a shrug. "James grew up a lot last summer, and now he's actually a decent human being."

I knew Mum was going to say something else, but then we pulled up in our driveway. I took a deep breath before getting out of the car.

"Now please, please don't pick fights with your sister," she begged as she helped me with my trunk. "We don't want a scene in front of Vernon."

"_I_ don't pick the fights," I defended myself. "Petunia always says something degrading to me because I'm a witch. If she behaves, I'll behave."

Mum sighed but didn't say anything more. We entered the house and I was greeted with a big hug from my father.

"It's so good to have you home," he said, taking my trunk for me.

"Oh, it's okay, Dad," I said, pulling out my wand. "I'm 17 so I can legally perform magic outside of school, remember? _Locomotor trunk_!" My trunk floated up the stairs and my father beamed at me.

"That's wonderful," he replied, giving me another hug.

"Lily!!! Can't you at least pretend your normal for two seconds?"

"It's nice to see you, too, Petunia," I said sarcastically, turning to see my sister standing in the doorway of the living room.

"I won't have you doing your bloody magic tricks while Vernon's here," she stated flatly, eyeing my wand suspiciously. "_He_ thinks you're as much of a freak as I do."

"Petunia," Dad said warningly. "Just leave your sister alone."

Petunia shot me one of those looks that accidentally kill people before turning back to the living room. She sat next to Vernon, a big, beefy man with a repulsive moustache, and I thought I was going to be sick when he put an arm around her affectionately.

"I'll think I'll just go on up to my room," I said, and before my parents could protest, I bolted up the stairs.

I flopped down onto my bed with a sigh. This was going to be a nightmare. I opened my trunk and rummaged around for a quill, ink, and parchment. If I was going to hide in my room for the time being, I may as well write Tave a letter.

_Dear Tave,_

_I hope your first ten minutes of Christmas holiday are going much better than mine. One of the first things my mum told me when she picked me up was that Vernon (Petunia's horrible boyfriend, I've told you about him) is staying for Christmas. That was enough to put a damper on my mood. But that's not all! My mum then proceeds to tell me that Petunia and Vernon are engaged. Yes, engaged, as in they're getting married in March. Can you believe it? Vernon hates me just as much as Petunia does. At least they won't be wanting me to come around and visit from time to time. To think that Petunia's marrying someone like that! They deserve each other, that's all I can say. I hope this letter finds you well (as if I didn't see you an hour ago). Hopefully this holiday will go by soon!_

_Your bestest friend in the whole wide world,_

_Lily_

I tied the letter to Apollo's (my owl) leg and sent him off. I looked around my room for something else to do, but nothing came to me. I resigned myself to the fact that I'd have to go downstairs sometime, and it may as well be sooner rather than later. I descended the stairs slowly, dreading having to face my sister and her ugly boyfriend. No, her ugly fiancé. I entered the living room and the conversation halted for a moment.

"Hi," I said, not looking at Petunia or Vernon. I sat down on the couch next to my dad and he patted my knee comfortingly.

The conversation picked up right where it left off, and I didn't feel the need to jump in. They were discussing Vernon's work; he did something boring at a company that sold drills.

I was trying my best not to yawn an hour later when my owl tapped on the living room window. I got up immediately to go get him, but not without Petunia making a scene.

"LILY!" she shrieked as I let him in. "GET THAT FILTHY BIRD OUT OF HERE!!!"

"Oh shut up, Petunia," I said witheringly as I took Tave's reply off his leg. "He's just bringing me my mail. He's not hurting you, so shut your overly large trap before I hex your ears off." I didn't mean what I said about hexing her ears off, but it was funny to see the horrified look on her face.

"Lily, that's unnecessary," Mum cut in before Petunia could make a comeback.

"Sorry," I said without any conviction. "I'll leave to read my letter in peace." I went into the kitchen, trying to ignore Petunia's derogatory remarks about how "normal" people let the postman bring their mail. I opened my letter and began to read it.

_Dear Lily,_

_I would definitely have to say that my first ten minutes of Christmas holiday went much better than yours. You poor thing, having that ugly git staying at your house. I can't believe Petunia's marrying him. He sounds like an absolute pig. Can you imagine them shagging?!? Merlin, bad mental images!!! Well, anyway, I feel that I have to save you from that horrible place. Do you think you could come and stay at my house for the rest of the holiday? If your parents want you to stay for Christmas, I understand, but you can come anytime you want to. My dad said we could get your house temporarily connected to the Floo network if your parents will let you come. So what are you sitting there reading this for? Go ask!!! Hopefully I'll see you soon!_

_You bestest friend forever and ever,_

_Tave_

I ran back into the living room, completely ignoring the unwelcome stares from Petunia and Vernon. "Mum, Dad, can I go to Tave's for the rest of the holiday?"

Mum exchanged glances with Dad. "Well, darling, we'd really like it if you were here for Christmas..."

"No, we wouldn't," Petunia cut in. "Let her go to her freak friend's house. It'll get her out of our hair."

"See? If I leave, there isn't any way Petunia and I can fight," I wheedled. I really wanted to get away from Petunia.

My dad sighed. "If you really want to-," he said resignedly.

"Thank you!" I exclaimed excitedly and bolted up the stairs to write Tave my reply.

_Dear Tave,_

_My parents said yes!!! I can come as soon as you can get here (soon, please!!!). See you soon!_

_Your bestest friend,_

_Lily_

Tave was able to get my house connected to the Floo network the next day, and soon I found myself at her house.

"Thank you so much," I said when I arrived. "You saved me from a horrible two weeks."

"What are friends for?" she laughed. "Oh, keep your trunk packed and everything. We're leaving in a few minutes."

"Where are we going?" I asked, completely confused.

"To James' house, of course," she said, rolling her eyes.

"What?!?" I nearly dropped my trunk on my toes in surprise. "Why are we going to James' house?"

"Because Sirius is there and he's the only one in our family that we actually talk to, because my dad has been good friends with Mr. Potter for ages..." she was looking at me as if I should have known that. "Didn't I tell you that?"

"Um, no, you didn't," I replied, feeling slightly out of the loop.

"It's okay, isn't it?" she asked anxiously. "I'm sorry, I thought I told you. Remus is going to be there too, actually. You don't mind, do you?"

"Oh, no, it's fine," I assured her quickly. "I was just surprised, that's all."

And that's how I ended up at James Potter's house for Christmas holiday. I wasn't exactly sure if my parents would have let me go if they knew I would be spending my holiday with three teenage boys in a huge house that was easy to get lost in, but I wasn't about to tell them, either.

"Why hello, ladies," James said when we got to his house about an hour later. Actually, house is the wrong word. Mansion would be much more appropriate. My mouth literally fell open when he escorted us into the foyer.

"Holy mother of Merlin," I breathed, trying to take in everything at once. There was a beautiful spiral staircase that led to the second and third floors. "You're house is huge!!!"

"It's been in my family for centuries," he replied, seeming slightly embarrassed. "My ancestors were rather...extravagant."

"Oy, Prongs!" Sirius bellowed, standing on the staircase. "Oh, hello," he said, seeing us. "Are you just going to make them stand there, James? Why not give Lily the grand tour? I'll take Tave to find Remus. He's around here somewhere." Tave bounded up the stairs to join her cousin and I was left with James.

"Well, then, I'll at least show you to your room," he said, then started up the staircase. I followed him, turning my head every which way to try to see everything at once. "Don't hurt yourself," he said with a laugh.

I blushed slightly. "Sorry, it's just that you're house is the biggest I've ever seen in my life. It's gorgeous!"

"It gets old after awhile," he shrugged. "I'd really much rather live in a small house where you'd know if anyone else was home."

"Oh trust me, it's not that great," I said with a wry laugh. "Especially if you live with a bitch of a sister who thinks it's her personal duty to insult you at least ten times a day."

"I'd trade for that any day. But anyway, here's your room." James opened one of the many doors lining the hallway and my mouth fell open again. A king-sized bed was at one end of a very large room, and it looked incredibly soft. There was a door on the left that led to a bathroom, not unlike the one James and I shared at Hogwarts. My trunk was already unpacked and my clothes hung neatly in a walk-in closet.

"Wow," I said, taking it all in.

"You like it then?" James asked, watching me with an amused expression on his face.

"It's great!" I said with a smile.

"Tave's room is right next to yours, mine is just across the hall there, and Remus and Sirius have the rooms down from mine, in that order."

"Do all the doors in this hallway lead to bedrooms?" I asked, poking my head out the door and trying to count all the doors.

"Nope. There are five more bedrooms on this floor, then there are two studies, a library, four bathrooms, and a locker room," James said. "There are other rooms, too, but I don't remember what they are."

"Why do you have a locker room in your house?" I asked.

"That's where I keep my Quidditch stuff. There's a mini Quidditch pitch in the backyard," he replied.

"You must be loaded," I said, completely in awe. "You have a Quidditch pitch in your backyard. That's incredible."

"You want me to show it to you?" he asked. I nodded so he took my hand and led me down the hall and into a door on the left. I guessed it was the locker room, but only got a fleeting glimpse of it before my mouth fell open for what seemed like the umpteenth time. James had said he had a mini Quidditch pitch in his backyard, but I saw nothing mini about it. It looked exactly like the one at Hogwarts.

"I just can't believe this," I said. "I mean, I had no idea you were this rich. You've never said anything about it."

James looked at his shoes. "I make it a point not to mention it. Most people know my parents have a fortune down in Gringott's, but no one knows the extent of it. I don't think even my dad knows exactly how much is down there."

"Oh," I said, not sure what else to say. Just then it started to snow, and I realized how cold it was outside.

"We should probably go back inside," James said, but neither of us moved. I was too busy thinking how absolutely gorgeous he looked, his cheeks pink from the cold and snowflakes getting stuck in his untidy black hair. I had the sneaking suspicion he was too busy watching me, too.

I suddenly shook myself from my little trance. What was my problem? Why was I turning to Jell-o around him? This had to stop. "Yeah, it's cold out here," I said, and turned back to the door.

"Actually, do you think you can find your way by yourself?" James asked. "I kinda want to fly around for awhile, if you don't mind."

"Oh, sure. Go ahead, I think I'll manage by myself," I replied, secretly disappointed he wasn't coming with me. "I'll see you later, then?"

"Yeah." James grabbed his broom and took off, and I went back inside. But instead of going back to my room or finding the others, I sat by the window in the locker room, just watching him. Something was happening to me, and I couldn't help but like the feeling.

A/N: Okay, this isn't my favorite chapter, but I had to use it to set something else up. Can you guess it? I'll bet you can...but I'm not going to tell you. You'll just have to wait a few days until I post the next chappie. Ooh, I'm so evil (insert maniacal laugh). I _could_ just be completely anal and wait until I hit a hundred reviews, but that's, like, 40 away and I'd never get there. I couldn't be that mean (this next chappie should be really really good!! I'm so excited). But anyway, review, review, review, and I'll have the next chappie up as soon as I can!

**taniita:** yeah, Sirius and James are trouble. But that just makes them all the more attractive, right? ;-D Four hours a day is kind of a lot. But my mom was gone all day today so guess what I did? Yup, I spent forever writing this and typing it up. I have no idea how long it took me, but I'm sure if my dear mother knew, she wouldn't be happy. Ah, well, that's why I don't tell her things like that. :-D lol, I almost got a B in gym, but that's because my evil gym teacher was being stupid (loooong story about how I missed a zillion classes and it wasn't my fault...). I threatened to have my dad call him, and he changed my grade to an A. Really, he's a pansy. Okay, now I don't remember if I reviewed your fic (it's "Hate Everything About You", right?), but I definitely read it. It's great!

**Secretly Smiling:** thanks! yeah, I've been told that whole parents-watching-thing happens all the time. I'm not alone!!!!

**I LOVE HUGS: **Lily most certainly fancies James. I wish I could just go and smack her upside the head and say, "Just admit it, already!" But if I did that, the story would be so completely boring, not to mention weird if I just randomly walked in and did that. lol My parents say I'm waaaaaay too obsessed with Harry Potter (which I probably am, but don't tell anyone I admitted it). I actually got two of my friends (who thought Harry Potter was evil and 'a tool of the devil' and all that crap) to start reading it and now they're almost as obsessed as me! Talk about ironic. But anyway...yeah, I like your fic. Keep it going!

**otakuannie:** I thought James was a seeker for the longest time, but then I found out he's actually a chaser. J.K. Rowling said it herself. So I was like, who am I to argue with her? She's obviously the expert on the subject. (I know, imagine that!) They messed it up in the movie (stupid Hollywood people, I'm tellin ya!). I know, drunk eleven year olds...tehehe. Gah! I hated middle school with a passion. But anyhoo...yeah, my parents would just find it a little weird that I'm writing a story about Harry Potter's parents...oh well. What they don't know won't hurt them! (in this case, anyway)

**rOkstA:** I know!!!!! If I had James Potter hitting on me, I'd say yes in two seconds. Eh, not even two seconds. More like half a second, if even that. lol Thanks so much! And yes, there will be snogging soon!


	12. Christmas at the Potters'

Disclaimer: I don't feel like coming up with anything remotely witty at the moment, so I'm just going to say that Harry Potter and any recognizable characters aren't mine, they're J.K. Rowling's.

**Chapter 12: Christmas at the Potters'**

"There you are, Lily!"

I jumped at the sound of Tave's voice. "Oh, hi Tave, hi Remus," I said as the pair strolled into the locker room. "Where's Sirius?"

Tave shrugged. "I dunno. What are you doing, sitting at that window?" She peered out into the thickening snow. "Spying on Jamesie, are we?"

I blushed. "No, as a matter of fact I wasn't spying on him. He showed me the Quidditch pitch, then it started to snow so I came in. He said he just wanted to fly around for a while, and I decided to watch him."

"Is he upset or something?" Remus asked, his gray eyes clouding with concern.

"No- I mean, I don't think so. We didn't fight, if that's what you're asking. But why _do_ you ask?"

"It's just that James only flies around alone if he's upset or trying to sort some things out," Remus replied. "What exactly happened between you two before you came inside?"

I looked from him to Tave, not sure I really wanted to tell them that I thought James was insanely attractive. "We were just talking about his family's money, then we got quiet and just kinda looked at each other for a few moments. Then I got uncomfortable and came inside."

"I see," Remus said thoughtfully. Then a moment later, "You know, Lily, James really likes you."

I rolled my eyes. "You don't say," I said sarcastically.

"I don't think you understand what I'm saying," he replied, looking me straight in the eye. "This isn't some passing crush. James likes you _a lot_ more than any other girl he's met."

"Well that's saying something, considering he's 'met' every girl at Hogwarts fourth year and above," I said dryly. "He only gets to 'know' them for about a week before moving on to another girl."

"Do you know why he's never been able to stay with a girl longer than a week?" Tave asked suddenly. She continued before I could respond. "Because he's found one thing wrong with every single girl he's ever gone out with: they're not you."

I stared at her for a moment, not quite sure what to say. So I settled for my all-time favorite comeback in situations like these: "Whatever."

"Oh come on, Lily!" Tave cried in exasperation. "Stop acting like you don't care about him because I know you do!"

I glared at her. "I really don't see how this is any of your business," I said coldly. As soon as I said it I wanted to take those words back. She looked at me as if I had just slapped her. "Shit, I'm sorry, I didn't mean that."

"You better not have," she snarled. "Come on. You and me are going to talk this over _right now_. Excuse us, Remus." She practically dragged me out of the locker room, down the hallway, and into her bedroom. She slammed the door behind us, then turned to face me with her arms folded across her chest. "Explain yourself, Lily Evans."

"There's nothing to explain," I insisted.

"My arse," she retorted. "You've been acting funny for about a month now. Did something happen between you and James?"

"No," I said shortly. "We haven't fought for two months. We're getting along just fine."

"Then what's wrong?" she demanded. "I know it has something to do with James. I know you like him, Lily! Why can't you just admit it?"

Before I could stop myself I blurted out, "Because he's not the one for me, that's why!!!" I clapped my hands over my mouth instantly and shut my eyes. "Damn," I muttered, turning away from her. "I didn't mean to say that."

"What makes you say that?" she asked, her tone much softer than before. "What's wrong, Lil?"

I felt hot tears burn my eyes and fought them as hard as I could. "You're right, Tave. You've been right all along," I said softly. She didn't say anything, so I decided I might as well get everything that had been bothering me for the past few months off my chest. "I like James. I like him a lot. I've been trying to deny it since October, but I can't anymore. He's changed since last year, and I'm really attracted to him."

"So what's wrong with that?" she prodded gently. "It's okay to like him."

"No, it's not!" I contradicted. "Don't you see? I'm _Lily Evans_!!! I'm not supposed to fall for him, I've spent six years of my life detesting every breath he takes, the very ground he walks on! He's the Hogwarts bad boy! Besides, what if I'm just setting myself up for heartbreak anyway? Like I told you before, he's notorious for never staying with a girl for longer than a week. I'm just getting myself into a huge mess."

"Oh, Lily," Tave sighed, pulling me into a hug. "You're not setting yourself up for heartbreak. I told you before that James hasn't been able to date a girl longer than a week because they're just not you. He's head over heels for you, Lil, and he can't stand not being with you."

I looked at her disbelievingly. "Has he told you that?"

"Well, no," she admitted. "But I can tell. It's one of those intuition things, you know?"

I shook my head sadly, then wiped my tears on my sleeve. "We should get washed up for supper." I headed to her bathroom to wash my face.

Tave looked at me in surprise. "But what are you going to do about James?"

"Nothing," I said, splashing cold water on my face. "I'm not taking any chances. And you're not going to say anything to anyone, got it?"

"But Lily-"

"No one, Tave! Promise me."

She sighed. "Fine. I won't tell anyone."

00000

I met Mr. and Mrs. Potter that night for the first time. I thought they were a lovely couple. Mrs. Potter was just as motherly as one could be, but in a good way. It was obvious she loved her husband and son very much. I thought James looked exactly like his father; same warm hazel eyes, same heart-melting smile, same messy black hair. Mr. Potter was, in a word, charming.

"Welcome, Lily, dear," Mrs. Potter said, pulling me into a warm hug. "We've heard a lot about you.

I smiled. "All good, I hope?" I asked, glancing at James. He was running his hand through his hair nervously and, instead of thinking it incredibly irritating, I found it quite adorable.

"Of course it was," said Mr. Potter, stepping in to shake my hand. "You're a very beautiful young lady, if I may say so."

"Thank you," I said with a blush. "It's very kind of you to have me here."

"Oh, it's our pleasure," Mrs. Potter said. "We most certainly have the room!"

Dinner was a very enjoyable experience, except for the fact that Tave kept shooting pointed looks in my direction. I ignored her, however, because I had made up my mind. I wasn't going to let myself get hurt.

"That was excellent," Sirius said when we had finished. He patted his stomach. "Thanks, Mrs. Potter."

"Any time, dear," she said, smiling fondly at him. "You know you're always welcome here. And that goes for the rest of you, too."

I smiled a bit sadly at her remark. I thought that after that break, I wouldn't ever be going back to that house again if I could help it. I had no idea how wrong I was.

00000

"Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!" I was rudely awoken on Christmas morning by Tave pulling back the curtains surrounding the bed.

"This seems oddly familiar," I muttered as I checked the clock. "Oh, Merlin, why me?" I groaned, seeing it was only 5:48 am.

"Happy Christmas, Lily!"

I sat bolt upright at the sound of Sirius' voice. "Sirius! What the hell are you doing in here? This is my _bedroom_!!!"

"So what?" he asked, pulling the covers off me. "There are presents in the downstairs living room just begging to be opened!"

"You and Tave are the limit," I sighed, rolling myself out of bed. "Can't we sleep until a decent hour like, say, 10:00 before opening gifts?"

Tave looked at me in shock. "Are you mental?" she asked, putting her hands on her hips. "Who in the whole bloody world would want to do that?"

"Try everyone except you two," James said sleepily, poking his head in my room. Remus was standing next to him. All three boys were clad only in their boxers, which neither Tave nor I minded.

"Well what are we waiting for?" Sirius demanded, and he led the way down the spiral staircase and into the enormous living room.

Mr. and Mrs. Potter were already there, sitting next to a giant Christmas tree. Tave's father was sitting on the couch, sipping a cup of coffee.

"Mum, Dad, what are you doing here? You don't usually get up until seven or so," James said in surprise.

"I believe you should ask Sirius about setting our alarm clocks to 5:30," Mr. Potter said dryly. It was obvious, though, that he didn't mind in the least.

"Well let's get on with this!" Sirius exclaimed. He began rummaging through the presents and handing them out to their owners.

"Watch out for the mistletoe," Tave whispered, pointing to a clump that was floating aimlessly about the room. "It's bewitched so it'll float above you, showering you in fake snow, until you're kissed. And trust me, it _won't_ go away before then."

I thanked her for telling me and made it a point to avoid the mistletoe.

It took about an hour for all the presents to be unwrapped. I didn't have as many as the others because I had been a last-minute addition to the festivities. I didn't mind, though, as I hadn't planned on being at the Potters' and hadn't gotten them anything either.

"Um, Tave?" I asked as we helped vanish the wrapping paper that littered the floor. "Where's the closest lav?"

She grinned at me. "Down the hall, take a left, and it's the first door on your right."

"Thanks!" I amazingly found my way to the bathroom, but got hopelessly lost on the way back. I wandered around for a bit, trying doors at random, when I felt something falling on my head. I looked up and was met with a shower of fake snow. "Oh no!" I cried, trying to bat it away. One of the bewitched mistletoe had found me.

"Lily?"

I whirled around to face James. "Thank Merlin! I was so lost!"

He laughed. "We thought so. You've been gone quite a while."

"I'm so hopeless at directions," I sighed. The mistletoe dumped more confetti on me and I shook it out of my hair, annoyed.

"You know," James started hesitantly. "The only way to get rid of that is for someone to kiss you."

I looked at my toes. "Tave told me," I said after a moment's pause.

"Do you want me to-"

"If there's no other way-"

"It's just to help you-"

"It won't mean anything-"

James cut short our verbal volley by gently kissing my lips, and the mistletoe disappeared with a small "pop". I had barely begun to kiss back when he pulled away. I stared at him, trying to sort out what had just happened. He turned around quickly. "Let's get back to the others," he said in an oddly strangled voice.

I followed him without a word, feeling slightly out of breath. _Why in the world am I so giddy all of a sudden? You could hardly call that a kiss. It lasted less than two seconds! Get over it already!_ I told myself. We reached the others a few moments later and I tried to put what had just happened out of my mind.

00000

That night I was sitting on my bed, staring out the window, when I heard a soft knock on my door. "Come in," I called softly.

James opened the door and stood in the doorway for a moment before shutting it behind him. He walked over to my bed and perched apprehensively on the edge of it. "Hi," he said.

"Hi," I replied, feeling my heart start to beat faster. We sat in silence for a moment until he spoke again.

"I have something for you," he said, pulling out a small, well-wrapped gift. "I wanted to give it to you when we were alone."

I looked at it, my eyes wide. "James, I can't-"

"Just open it," he said. He handed it to me, so I began to unwrap it. A red velvet box was under the paper, and when I opened the box-

"Merlin, James!" A delicate silver necklace lay inside the box, and hanging on the necklace was a cursive "L". On each end of the "L" was a glittering emerald. "I-I can't accept this! I don't have anything for you!"

James looked up at me and met my eyes. "Yes, yes you do," he replied softly. "I want you to let me kiss you." I opened my mouth, ready to protest, when he spoke again. "Just this once, Lily. Today, with the mistletoe, you have no idea what that did to me. Please?"

Every ounce of my sensible being was screaming, "No!" But I found myself nodding and saying, "Okay."

The moment his lips touched mine I felt my breath catch. _No, I shouldn't be enjoying this_, I thought. But I was. I was enjoying it immensely. One of my hands found its way into his hair and began playing with it. I felt him tentatively touch my bottom lip with his tongue, and a moment later our tongues were battling. I sank back down onto my bed, pulling him with me. _No, Lily, stop. Stop kissing him. He's a womanizer, remember? You can't do this. This isn't right. Stop right now...no...no...NO!!!_

I pushed James off me and sat up, breathing hard. "No," I gasped. "No! I can't!"

"What? Lily-"

"I can't do this," I said, feeling tears build up in my eyes. "We can't."

"What?" James was also having difficulty breathing.

"We can't be together, James!" I put my head in my hands, trying to hide the tears that were threatening to spill out any second.

"Why not? Why can't we be together?" he demanded. "There's something going on with you, Lily. You're attracted to me, aren't you? I could tell when I kissed you. You're attracted to me! So why can't we be together?"

"We just can't, okay?" I felt the tears splash down my cheeks. "Please leave, James."

"Lily, I-"

"Go, James!"

He left without another word and I cried my heart out that night. Yes, I wanted him. I wanted him to love me. I wanted him to hold me in his arms at night. I wanted him to be the one to tell me everything would be okay when I was upset. But I couldn't let that happen. Why? Because I was Lily Evans. James Potter was a womanizer, a heartbreaker, a troublemaker. He was the opposite of everything I stood for. I would get over him soon enough, and move on to greener pastures. But the more I told that to myself, the worse I felt.

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A/N: Poor Lily! She's so confused. Don't worry, she'll sort herself out, and soon she'll be snogging James senseless. :-P And I guess I lied when I said I'd have this chappie up in a few days. It actually took me a lot less time to write than I thought it would (ooh, I hope that doesn't mean it sucks...). Oh, by the way, sorry I haven't been able to kinda separate the author's notes from the rest of the story, it's not letting me use any symbols or anything. Weird, huh? So anyway, please review! It means so much to me! And thanks to everyone who's reviewed so far!!! I love you guys!

**otakuannie:** yup, JK said he was a chaser. I was also told it was in the books, but I can't find it anywhere (maybe I'm just blind). lol, there was just a little teaser in there for ya, but there will be a _huge_ snogging session coming up, I think sometime in the chappie after next. Hang in there! Ah yes, the kids in middle school can always be....evil. :-D I know _exactly_ what you mean.

**taniita:** sure, no problem. lol, you probably don't update as much as me because you actually have a life. Me, on the other hand, I have no life. So I sit around and write fanfics. :-D Yeah, my gym teacher is weird. Really weird.

**I LOVE HUGS: **nope, I lied about that few days thing. Aren't you glad? lol I love HP so much, it's kinda sad. My mom was actually the one who first read me the books...now I'm sure she wishes she hadn't. lol

**Secretly Smiling:** thanks a bunch!

**rOkstA:** lol, so now she realizes she's head over heels, and then she decides she can't be with him. Honestly, what a fickle character! But between you and me (and anyone else reading this..lol), she'll snap to her senses **soon**. :-D

**milkywaypnay37:** thanks! And really really soon!

**PhiloNysh:** wow, thank you sooooooo much!!! :blushes profusely: On your favorites list? :falls over in a dead faint: Wow, all I can say is thank you so much! Wow....

**lilynjamesAAF:** nope, I didn't wait that long. Oh, that's okay about the review. Don't be sad, just make sure it doesn't happen again!!! lol, just kidding!!! thanks a bunch!


	13. Girls' Night In

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters you recognize, because J.K. Rowling does and now she's the richest woman in England. I wish I owned Daniel Radcliffe, but we can't have everything in life, now can we? Oh yeah, don't sue me because I have no money. If I dug in my couch I might find a few pennies, maybe a dime, or even a quarter if I'm lucky. But other than that, all I have is pocket lint. :sigh:

**Chapter 13: Girls' Night In**

I spent the rest of Christmas break trying to avoid James as much as possible. It wasn't easy, considering it was his house. Of course, seeing Tave and Remus constantly go at it didn't help much, either. I was glad when I got back to Hogwarts.

"I declare a girls' night in," said Drusa after she, Alice, Tave, and I had all greeted each other. "We haven't been spending much time together lately, mainly due to increasing amounts of homework. Throw in Christmas holiday, and there you go. I've missed you guys. So we're going to kick James out of the Heads' dormitories and stay up all night to catch up with each other."

"Sounds like a plan," Alice said, so that night I found myself lounging on a couch in the Heads' common room, downing butterbeer and Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans.

"So what's been going on in your happy little lives?" Tave asked as she closely examined a jellybean.

"Not anything worth mentioning," Drusa sighed. "I don't have a boyfriend to snog, I don't have any pressing family problems, and I'm not behind on homework. It's been boring."

"We should work on getting you a boyfriend to snog," Tave said thoughtfully.

"Tave, don't-"

Tave cut Drusa off before she could protest any further. "How about my dear cousin Sirius? He doesn't have a girlfriend at the moment, surprisingly. Actually, now that I think of it, he hasn't had one for the past month or so. Hmm. Imagine that."

"The day you get Sirius Black to want to snog me is the day pigs fly," Drusa replied dryly.

"Lucky for you, we have a little thing we like to call magic that makes pigs fly," Tave said triumphantly. "So that's settled then. I'll work on it. But let's put that aside for now. What's been going on in your life, Alice?"

Alice looked around at us shyly before showing us a gorgeous ring on her left hand. "I'm getting married," she said. "Frank proposed on Christmas."

The room was completely silent for a moment, then Tave, Drusa, and I all squealed excitedly at the same time.

"Alice, you're getting married!!! This is so exciting!" I exclaimed, rushing to give her a hug.

"Alice Longbottom...that's sounds really nice," Tave said with a smile.

"So when are you going to start having kids? How many kids are you going to have? What are you going to name them?" Drusa teased.

Alice smiled at her. "We're going to get procreating right away. We're going to have four kids, and we're going to name them Humphrey, Roberto, Ethel, and Bertha."

"Now, in all seriousness, do you know when you're going to get married?" I asked.

"Sometime in the late summer or early fall. August or September, I think," she replied, a slightly dreamy look in her eye.

"Good. You're wedding won't coincide with Lily's sister Petunia's then," Tave said.

"Wait, you're sister's getting married?" Alice asked, her jaw dropping.

"Yeah, to Vernon Dursley. I've told you about him," I said with a sigh.

"The fat ugly guy that hates you?" Drusa asked.

"That's the one," I affirmed.

"Sick. Can you imagine what their children would look like?" Tave asked, seeming a bit put off at the mere thought.

"Merlin, I can't even imagine them shagging," I said. The four of us thought for a moment, then shuddered simultaneously.

"Let's move on to happier thoughts," Drusa said, looking slightly sick to her stomach. "What's been going on with you and James, Lily?"

"That's not a happier thought," I said disgruntledly as I folded my arms across my chest.

"Okay, so what happened?" Alice demanded. "I thought you two were getting along just fine."

"They were," Tave piped up. "You know me and her were at James' house for Christmas holiday. While we were there, she finally came to her senses and realized she fancies James."

I threw a death glare at her. "You promised me you wouldn't tell anybody!" I said angrily.

She shrugged. "They'd find out sooner or later anyway. Besides, it's not like I'm telling this to James."

"So what's wrong with fancying James?" Drusa interrupted, cutting off the possibility of a huge fight between Tave and me.

"Everything," I said miserably. "I can't be with him."

"Why not?" Alice asked gently.

"Because he's James Potter," I said, once again feeling tears fill my eyes. My three friends looked at me blankly. I really had no idea how to explain to them what exactly I was feeling inside. "Look, I spent the past six years of my life hating him. I did everything in my power to stand up to him, to show him he wasn't as great as he thought he was. I wasn't supposed to fall for him! I would be betraying myself if I started dating him!" I struggled to hold in my tears, but I never was any good at it. They started falling freely. Damn those stupid tears.

"You poor thing," Alice said, sitting next to me on the couch and rubbing my arm comfortingly. "You've got it bad."

"Don't I know it," I muttered. "I keep telling myself to just forget about him. But I can't, not after he kissed me."

"He what?!?" Tave yelped, staring at me as if I had sprouted a second head.

"He kissed me," I said, taking a shuddering breath. "Twice."

"When?!?" Tave seemed completely floored at this fact.

"The first time one of those stupid mistletoe things found me when I got lost on my way back from the bathroom. You can hardly call that a kiss, but it still left me completely blown away. And then the second time..." I trailed off, remembering what had happened.

"What?" Alice prompted

"He gave me this." I was wearing the necklace he had given me, but it was hidden under my shirt. I pulled it out, and all three girls gasped.

"That's beautiful," Drusa breathed.

"I know. I told him I couldn't accept it because I didn't have anything for him, but he told me all he wanted was to kiss me. So I let him." More tears splashed down my face.

"Merlin, was it really that bad?" Tave asked breathlessly.

"Of course not!" I exclaimed, feeling worse and worse by the second. "It was bloody excellent! I loved it! But how can I forget about him when I can't stop thinking about what he can do to me with just a simple kiss? How can something so wrong feel so right?" I whispered miserably.

Alice studied me for a second before speaking. "How do you know it's wrong, then?" I was going to reply, but she didn't let me. "I think I know what the big problem is here. You're just scared."

I stared at her, not quite sure what to make of her declaration. "What do you mean, scared?"

"I mean exactly that. You're scared," she said easily. "You've just realized that you've completely fallen for James. Basically, your heart is in his hands. That in itself is scary enough. But when you throw in the fact that you hated him for six years, that makes it about ten times scarier. You fell for the enemy, so to speak. You're no longer Miss Perfect. Don't look at me like that, you know it's true. It also doesn't help that James has a bit of a 'love 'em and leave 'em' reputation. So now you're making excuses for why you can't be with him. The simple reason is that you're scared out of your mind."

I was completely floored. Alice had gotten it right once again when even I had no idea what was going on inside my head. That girl was something else. "You're right," I said, my voice trembling slightly. "I'm not scared, I'm downright terrified. I mean, what if he decides he doesn't like me after all? I've always had a handle of everything. I've always been in control of my life. Now I'm not, and it's just so...so...strange."

"I know," Alice said with a small smile. "That's how I felt when I first realized I was in love with Frank. It's scary, knowing that one person can either make you the happiest you've been in your life or completely break you heart."

"Gee, thanks," I said sarcastically, wiping my eyes on my sleeve. "That really makes me feel confident about all this."

"Lily, do you honestly believe that James will just up and decide he doesn't like you anymore?" Drusa asked in disbelief. "Merlin, woman, he's _only_ fancied you since third year!"

"Yeah, a person doesn't fancy someone for four years and then just give up on them," Tave added. "Hasn't anything James done for you made you realize that? He kept on going after you, even when you shot him down every single time he asked you out. Doesn't that tell you something?"

"Yeah, it tells me I'm a frigid bitch," I replied, feeling even worse.

"I can't argue with that," Tave teased. "But in all seriousness, James is obviously head-over-heels for you. He's completely infatuated with you. I mean, he always was, but it escalated last year."

"And how do you know that?" I asked skeptically, but my tears were gradually subsiding.

"Because my cousin happens to be his best friend," she replied haughtily. "James tells Sirius all sorts of things. When those things apply to you, sometimes Sirius feels it his duty to tell me. When I feel the time is right, I tell you. It's a great system Sirius and I worked out. But anyway, my point is that Sirius said James really started to fall for you last year, in a different way than usual. He says James is in love with you."

I stared at her, trying to process what she had just said. It was giving me a headache, so I decided it was time for a subject change. I'd figure out what to do about James later. "Does Sirius tell you _everything_ the Marauders do?" I asked, hoping no one would notice the subject change.

"Hell no," Tave said with a dry laugh. "Those Marauders are incredibly secretive. They've got some good secrets up their sleeves, and I'd just love to find out what they are."

"Wouldn't we all?" Drusa replied.

"_I'd_ like to find out how they pull off all those pranks," Alice remarked thoughtfully. "I'd swear those boys know this castle better than Filch does."

"Of course they do," Tave said. "They can't be the biggest troublemakers in Hogwarts history if they don't know their way around the castle. I think they've even made a map of it. I've heard them talk about 'the map' when they're planning something, but I've never seen it."

"Interesting," Drusa said. "Very interesting. I don't suppose we'll ever find out for sure how they do it all."

"You know, even though they're incredible troublemakers, you have to give the props for being so clever," Alice said with a small smile. "All their pranks are hilarious and they pull them off so well."

"They're only hilarious if you're not on the receiving end," I replied dryly.

"Oh, we'll laugh about them when we're old enough to look back fondly on our Hogwarts days," Tave said, seeming almost nostalgic about it.

"I can't believe our Hogwarts days are almost over," Drusa said with a sigh. "We're half-way through our seventh year. Merlin, I feel old."

"Me, too," I agreed. "We're adults now. We just have our N.E.W.T.s, really, and then we're on our own."

"Leave it to Lily to bring up our N.E.W.T.s," Tave groaned. "Those are five months away!"

"And they're also the most important tests you'll ever take," I said, looking at her pointedly.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," she replied, rolling her eyes. "You've only told me about a bazillion times."

"Let's not talk about the N.E.W.T.s," Drusa intervened. "Let's keep talking about the Marauders. I always find them fascinating."

"You only find Sirius fascinating," Tave said wickedly. Drusa threw her an incredibly childish look. "I'm going to get you two together if it's the last thing I do."

"How bout we don't talk about anything," I said as I glanced at the clock. " It's two o'clock. We've caught up quite a bit. We _do_ have classes tomorrow, just so you know."

"Actually, we have classes _today_," Tave said with an impish grin. "It's two in the morning."

I answered her by throwing my pillow at her.

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A/N: I know it's a bit shorter than usual, but I felt that was a good place to end for the time being. Don't worry, I'll make up for it with the next chappie...(ooh, that leaves you hanging, doesn't it? :cue evil laughter:) So now what are you going to do? That's right, review, review, review!!! (hey, that rhymes!)

**taniita:** yeah, I think everyone's just kinda confused at the moment. Or, well, were. But everything works out in the end!!! (except for the fact that Voldie-pants decides to kill them...but we won't talk about that now :sob: That's true, because as soon as school starts up again it'll be hard for me to go as fast with this. But I'll do my best! :-D Ah, well, everyone writes at their own speed. And as long as it's good, who cares? lol

**otakannie:** :picks herself up off the floor from tacklehug: wow, I'm glad you're so appreciative of the itty bitty snogging there was in the last chappie!!! And yes, there's much more where that came from. :-D I couldn't find that nice little passage. I looked and looked and looked, and I just couldn't find it. :shrugs: But I've read on several good HP websites that JK said James was a chaser. Go figure.

**Secretly Smiling:** thanks! Ah yes, poor Lily. She's getting there, though!

**I LOVE HUGS:** If I was Lily, I would have already snogged James senseless and then some! I don't know _what_ her stupid problem is. lol, and I'm talking about these characters as if they were real...:sigh: Ah, yes, writer's block sucks so bad. I've suffered from it many times. Good luck, and can't wait for your next chappie!

**not-theonly-dreamer037:** thank you so much!

**rOkstA:** I KNOW!!!!!!!!! She just doesn't know what she has. :sigh: I wish I had a James, too. Ah, well, I'm only 15 so there's time! (that's what I keep telling myself, anyway...lol)

**PhiloNysh:** wow, thanks a million times over!!! It's really funny, because at school I suck so bad at creative writing, but this comes so easily for me. Maybe it's because I actually enjoy writing this...lol

**LupinLover99:** lol, no problem. I love getting your reviews!

**Lady Ly:** actually, James Potter is not a seeker. He's a chaser. I've read several reports online that J.K. Rowling herself said he is, and I've also read the transcript of an interview in which she says that. So I have it on good authority that he's a chaser, not a seeker. In the first movie, they changed it and said James was a seeker. That had me confused for a while, but if JK said he was a chaser, then he was a chaser! What she says is law. But thanks for asking me about it!


	14. The Marauders' Secret

Disclaimer: The characters you recognize aren't mine, they're J.K. Rowling's. She's a freaking genius and I would rather die than take any credit for her characters (how's that for a disclaimer? lol)

And now...the chapter you've all been waiting for!!! (I think...)

**Chapter 14: The Marauders' Secret**

I found it extremely refreshing to get back into the swing of things at school. I really had no idea how I was going to let James know that I had decided to give him a try. I kept putting it off and putting it off until Tave finally declared that if I wouldn't tell him, she would.

"But you can't do that!" I exclaimed in panic when she told me. "_I_ have to do it, and I'll decide when!"

"Merlin and Agrippa, Lily! I'm getting real tired of you mooning around because you're too damn scared to tell James how you feel," she snapped angrily. "You already know he's madly in love with you, so there's no fear of rejection. I don't see what the problem is! Just make us all happy and get the bloody thing over with already!"

I looked at her in shock. "What's your problem?" I demanded, annoyed at her sudden outburst. "There's no need for you to get all upset over it!"

She sighed. "You're right, I'm sorry. I'm just so worried for Remus, that's all," she said, looking at her shoes. "Tonight's a full moon."

"Oh," I said, completely understanding. "You know he'll be okay. He's been doing this since he was, what, five?"

"Four," she said miserably. "But that still doesn't make it any easier. He's told me how painful and difficult it is, and I just wish there was something I could do."

"I know," I said, rubbing her back comfortingly. "But really, we both know he'll be fine. Besides, you can go visit him in the Hospital Wing tomorrow and make him feel _all_ better." I winked as I said the last part.

"With Madam Pomfrey there? Are you out of your mind?" Tave asked, though she seemed to cheer up a bit.

"There _is_ such a thing as the silencing charm," I said, rolling my eyes. "You know, in case a little snogging session just doesn't seem to do the trick."

Tave looked at me incredulously. "I can't believe you just suggested that," she said, shaking her head. "Lily Evans just gave me some tips on not getting caught in case I felt like shagging my boyfriend in the Hospital Wing. Some Head Girl you are."

I shrugged. "I may be Head Girl, but I'm also a teenager. But just the same, please don't get caught. It wouldn't look good for you _or_ me. Dumbledore would know that I had something to do with it."

"How would Dumbledore know that you practically told me to shag my boyfriend in the Hospital Wing?" she asked quizzically.

"How should I know? Dumbledore just knows everything. It's his job."

Tave just shrugged grinned wickedly at me.

00000

I made my rounds that night and was surprised that I didn't run into James once. Once we had gotten back to Hogwarts, we treated each other as if "the incident" (as I called it) had never occurred. We would occasionally bump into each other, and I didn't mind the short chats we would have. I didn't see James, though, and I once again had the feeling that he and his friends were up to something, something that had to do with Remus being a werewolf.

I did, however, run into Snape as I made a quick pass through the Entrance Hall.

"Mudblood," he spat when I saw him.

"Why are you out of bed and where have you been, Severus?" I asked wearily. I was much too tired to deal with him.

"I think the question is, rather, where has Potter been?" he shot back.

"He has permission to be up this late, but unfortunately for you, you don't. So it's ten points from Slytherin and a detention."

Snape's lip curled into a sneer. "He has permission to be up, Mudblood, but not out on the grounds."

"This isn't a discussion about James. This is a discussion about you being out of bed past curfew," I retorted heatedly.

"Ooh, touchy, about Potter, are we, Mudblood?" he asked silkily. "Are you his new whore-of-the-week?"

"That will be forty more points from Slytherin," I snarled. "Ten for each time you referred to me as a Mudblood, ten for calling me a whore, and ten for disrespecting James. I'm sure your housemates will _love_ to find out you just lost them fifty points, so get back to your dormitory before I round it up to one hundred and give you detention for a week."

For a moment Snape looked as if he was going to make a retort, but instead he left in a whirl of robes. I let out an exasperated sigh. So much for being nice to him.

But what he had said bothered me. James was out on the grounds? Why? Oh well, Snape probably wasn't even telling the truth. But then again, why would he lie about such a thing? It was true that I hadn't seen James in the castle all night, but the castle was enormous and we could have easily missed each other. Well, there was only one thing I could do. I decided that I would sleep on a couch in the common room and find out where he'd been when he came in.

00000

I woke up abruptly at five o'clock the next morning when James stumbled through the portrait hole. I gasped when I saw him; he looked terrible. He was disheveled and looked extremely exhausted.

"James!" I exclaimed when I saw him.

He looked at me in surprise. "Lily! Why aren't you in bed?"

"Because I want to know where you were last night," I said determinedly, folding my arms over my chest. "I heard you were out on the grounds."

James groaned. "Who told you that?" he asked, trying to move past me towards his dormitory.

"I ran into Snape last night," I said, stepping in front of him to block his way. "Were you out on the grounds?"

James looked at me for a moment, and I could tell he was seriously debating his answer. "Yes, I was, but I can't tell you why." He moved around me and went into his dormitory, closing the door firmly behind him.

I wasn't going to give up that easily. "James, please," I said gently through his door. "You look terrible. Please tell me where you were."

"Don't worry about me," came his muffled voice. "I'm fine."

"How can I not worry when you come- no, stumble- in at five o'clock in the morning?" I asked exasperatedly. "And looking like shit, too."

"Really, Lily, I'm fine. Go to bed," James said, then I heard him suck in his breath sharply and curse.

That was it. I had had enough. I opened his door without qualms. "What's wro- holy mother of Merlin," I breathed when I saw him. He had his back to me and his shirt was off, and three long, deep gashes were running diagonal across his back. They were dripping with blood.

He sighed when he saw I'd entered

"James Potter, you're going straight to the Hospital Wing!" I exclaimed as I neared him. Damn, those cuts were _deep_.

"No!" he exclaimed vehemently.

"Why? How did this happen?" I gently touched one and he flinched.

"Never you mind. But you're not to say anything to _anyone_, okay? Not Tave, not Alice, no one. Got it?" He turned to look me straight in the eye. I met his gaze unwaveringly.

"Only if you tell me how this happened."

"Sod it, Lily!" he yelled angrily. "Don't you get it? I _can't_ tell you!"

"Why not?" I yelled back. "We're friends, aren't we?"

"Yes, but- it's just- dammit!" James was at a loss for words. "It's not my secret to tell, okay?"

I remembered Sirius had said that back in September when he was trying to get out of detention. "What the bloody hell are you and Sirius so goddamn secretive about?" I demanded.

"You'll only worry about it if I tell you," James said adamantly. "Besides, it's none of your bloody business."

"It is too my bloody business!" I contradicted angrily. "We're friends, James, or at least I thought we were. And when you come in here, looking like you were attacked by a freaking hippogriff, you damn well better have a reason."

"I do have a reason, just not one I can share with you!"

"AUGH!!!!!" I screamed in frustration. "WHY?"

"I'VE ALREADY TOLD YOU!!! IT'S NOT MY SECRET TO TELL!!!" James bellowed.

"And why not?" I challenged.

"Because it doesn't involve just me, and if the wrong people found out about it we'd be chucked into Azkaban!"

I stared at him in shock. "Azkaban?" I whispered. What had James gotten himself into?

"Damn. I shouldn't have told you that." He turned away from me, obviously pissed at himself, and I got another good look at his back. I felt hot tears burn my eyes.

"James, please," I begged, my voice shaking slightly. "If it's illegal-"

"Don't worry!" he exclaimed in exasperation.

"But how can I not? Those scratches are terrible."

"Just don't, okay?" He spoke so emotionlessly that I felt hopeless. I gave up.

"Fine. Sorry I care." I fled out of the room as an angry sob rose in my throat. I slammed the door to my dormitory and flung myself onto my bed. I screamed angrily into my pillow. Damn him! He could be so stubborn.

I laid on my bed fuming until I head a soft knock on my door.

"Lily?"

I didn't answer.

"Lily, I'm really sorry."

When I remained silent he opened my door.

"Get out of my room, Potter," I snarled. "Once again, I ask myself what the bloody hell I was thinking when I asked to be your friend." I saw the look of hurt on his face, but instead of feeling triumphant, I felt incredibly guilty.

"I deserved that," James mumbled, looking at his toes. It was then I realized he was just in his boxers. I willed myself not to look at him; I was supposed to be mad at him.

"No, you didn't," I said quietly, still averting my eyes. "That was uncalled for on my part. I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it. Listen, Lily, I'm going to tell you what happened tonight." James came and sat on the edge of my bed.

"The truth?" I asked, sitting up to look him straight in the eye.

"Yes." His hazel eyes met mine and I knew he really was going to tell me the truth.

"Okay. Spill."

James took a deep breath, then launched into his explanation. "You know Remus is a werewolf. He's been one since he was a really little kid. It's extremely painful to turn into a werewolf, so Sirius, Peter, and I go with him."

"James!" I interrupted, my eyes wide with horror. "Remus is a full grown werewolf! He could bite you or even kill you!"

"No he couldn't." James stood up and began to pace. It was then I noticed all the faint scars he had on him- on his chest, arms, and legs. He had several new cuts as well besides those on his back.

"Merlin and Agrippa," I breathed, getting up and stopping his pacing. I traced one of the scars on his chest with my finger. "How long have you been doing this?"

"Since fifth year."

I bit my lip. "And how have you not been killed?"

"Because werewolf bites don't affect animals. I'm an Animagus."

Whatever I had been expecting was _not_ that. "You're an Animagus?!? But that's- that's _extremely _advanced magic!"

"I know. Sirius, Peter, and I worked on it for the better part of three years. Secretly, of course. We're unregistered, so if anyone finds out we could easily be sent to Azkaban. But we had to do _something_ to help Remus. We couldn't just let your best mate suffer like that. We go with him, see? To the Shrieking Shack. Remember when the Whomping Willow was planted? It's planted over a secret tunnel to the Shack. Peter transforms into a rat and can slip under the branches. There's a knot on the tree that he presses to stop the branches, and we all go. Sirius turns into a big black dog. I become a stag. We're big animals so we can keep Remus in check. He can't severely hurt us; we're as big as he is. And, like I said before, if he bites us, it won't affect us. We make it easier for him to transform. He stays more sane around us and it's less painful for him." James finished his narrative and for a few moments I couldn't speak.

"You do all that for Remus?" I finally choked out, completely floored.

"Of course. He's one of my best mates." James answered as though it was something anyone would do, and my anger dissolved in an instant.

"Come here," I said gently, taking his hand in mine and pulling him towards out bathroom. "I'll clean you up." I made him lay on his stomach on the floor next to the bathtub, which I filled with water. I then proceeded to wash his wounds as best I knew how. "These are really deep," I said, gently dabbing at them.

"Remus had a really rough night," James said simply as he tried not to flinch.

I turned over what James had explained to me in my mind, and the more I thought about it, the more respect I had for him. He was willing to endure physical pain for his friend. He was risking time in Azkaban because he had become an Animagus, just for Remus. He had spent three years of his life learning to become that Animagus, and he also gave up every night of a full moon. I couldn't believe I had ever thought him a selfish prat.

I finished washing his wounds and bandaging him up, then eyed my handiwork. "Well, Madam Pomfrey could have you fixed up in a heartbeat, but I guess this will have to do," I said, giving him a hand up.

"It's great," James replied. "Better than I could have done. It feels loads better."

I gave him a small smile, which he returned. "I think I owe you an apology," I said after a short pause.

"For what?" he asked, a confused frown appearing on his forehead.

"For everything," I said softly. "For Christmas, especially."

"No, don't-"

"Yes, James, let me do this." I took a deep breath. It was now or never. "To tell you the truth, I've been absolutely miserable since Christmas. I realized something then, and I've been miserable ever since. And I have no idea how to say this."

James looked at me, apprehension filling his face. "Are you trying to tell me what I think you're trying to tell me?" he asked, looking slightly disbelieving.

I decided I might as well just say it. "If you think I'm trying to tell you that I fancy you, then yes, I am." I held my breath as I looked up into his face timidly. I was met by a slow smile spreading itself across his face.

"Are you serious?" he asked as his smile grew wider and wider.

I nodded shyly, feeling a smile creep onto my face as well.

"I just have one question to ask you," he said seriously.

"What?"

"What took you so bloody long?"

He swept me into his arms and I was the happiest I had ever been in my life. I wondered myself what had taken me so bloody long. All thoughts flew out of my mind, though, when he kissed me. There was something that made that kiss different from all the others I had ever received in my life. It wasn't driven by common teenage lust; it was driven by love. Pure and simple love. And I knew, right then and there, that this was where I belonged. I belonged with James.

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A/N: :wipes tears from eyes: I'm so happy that they're finally together!!!!! And Lily _finally_ got over her bout of stupidity and did something about the fact that she was crazy about James!!! :sigh: My little Lily is all grown up. lol, I'm hopeless, I know. So now that you've all been moved to tears (lol), what are you going to do? That's right, you're going to click on that great little bluish-purple button in the bottom left-hand corner of your screen and review! I don't care if it's one word or a zillion words, just let me know what you think! Thanks!

**I LOVE HUGS: **thanks a million bajillion! hmm, truth or dare...that does sound interesting...maybe I'll use that sometime, you never know! Isn't getting reviews just so much fun? It's really addictive, too...lol

**Secretly Smiling:** I know, it's so true. Thanks so much for your reviews!

**taniita:** I've been modeling Alice after one of my own friends. When I'm totally irrational and upset and whatnot, Melissa can always calm me down and make me think before I do something stupid. She's got so much insight; I'm totally in awe of her. Don't you just love friends like that?

**PhiloNysh:** yeah, I would definitely agree that my creative writing teachers are completely off their rockers. All my teachers are nuts :shrugs: But what can I do, ya know? I'm so flattered you like my writing, because I've been told for so long that it sucks. Thanks a ton! Oh yeah, and I hope this chapter helps make up for the last one (I know it was pretty short).

**otakuannie: **lol. Yeah, in CoS they messed it up. That's what made me originally think that James was a seeker. Crazy movie people, I'm tellin ya. And yes, transition chapters are evil. I find them decidedly hard to write and I just don't like them. :sigh: And yet life goes on...lol...and thanks so much for all your reviews. They mean the world to me!

**DanielGilmore:** thanks for reading and reviewing my story! I'm totally in love with yours (if you couldn't tell...lol). Ah yes, as I always say, one can never have enough HP. :-D


	15. The Astronomy Tower Revisited

Disclaimer: If I owned any of the characters you recognize, my name would be J.K. Rowling. I would also be a multi-millionaire. My name, however, is Beth, and I'm not a multi-millionaire. Therefore, I don't own any of the characters you recognize.

**Chapter 15: The Astronomy Tower Revisited**

The next morning James and I arrived at breakfast late, mainly due to the fact that we kept distracting each other while we were getting dressed. He entwined his fingers entwined with mine as we neared the Great Hall, and as soon as we entered a shocked silence fell over the entire Hall. Then, a split second later, deafening cheers erupted from the Gryffindor table. I felt my cheeks grow hot as we walked towards our table, but James had a huge grin on his face and pulled me closer to him.

"Finally!" Alice cried excitedly over the noise, getting up to envelop me in a bear hug. "We were beginning to think you two would _never _get together!"

"Amen to that!" Drusa added, also giving me a hug.

"So you finally got the girl then, eh?" Sirius asked James, clapping him on the back.

"Yeah," James replied, and I almost melted at the look of complete adoration he gave me. "I got her."

I noticed that Tave and Remus were conspicuously absent, then realized she was most likely in the Hospital Wing with him.

James and I sat down together at the Gryffindor table amid several "It's about time"'s and "I thought I'd never see the day"'s.

"I didn't realize everyone was pulling for us to get together," I mused as I buttered a piece of toast.

"Well, James _has _been rather public about his affection for you in the last four years or so," Alice remarked with a slight smile. "It's only natural for everyone to want you to finally give in."

"I wouldn't say _everyone_ was pulling for you two to get together," Sirius said, indicating a group of girls sitting just down the table from us. I recognized them as the fourth years that had been swooning over James at the Quidditch match back in November. They looked positively furious that I had taken the object of their affections off the market. I moved closer to James and sent them my famous death glare. One of them rolled her eyes and another sneered at me. James, completely oblivious to our little exchange, put an arm around me and kissed my forehead absently. I smiled triumphantly at them, and they grudgingly returned to their breakfasts. He was _my_ territory now.

Alice and Drusa had watched the entire episode take place and rolled their eyes at me. I knew it was childish, but still. I planned to let every girl in school know that James was now officially off-limits.

I glanced around the Great Hall as I ate breakfast and quickly realized that I was now apparently the most hated girl in the entire school. Those fourth years weren't the only girls who were less than thrilled with me being James Potter's girlfriend.

I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw Tave and Remus enter the Great Hall. Tave waved cheekily at me and I rolled my eyes.

"Hello, everyone," Remus said with a grin as he began helping himself to some bacon.

"Somebody's happier than usual this morning," James remarked.

"It's just a fine day today," Tave said as she sat down next to Remus. She looked from me to James, then back again. "So you and James are finally together, then?"

Remus looked up from his plate as I nodded. "Thank Merlin," he said. "I was beginning to think that you'd never come to your senses and admit you liked James."

I opened my mouth to make a retort, but Drusa didn't let me.

"You'll have to watch your back for awhile," she said as she looked around the Hall. "One of Hogwarts' most eligible bachelors has snagged the girl he's been after for ages. That won't sit too well with the rest of the female population."

"Not to mention the fact that two-thirds of the infamous and lusted-after Marauders are spoken for," Tave added with a satisfied smile.

"No, only half of the Marauders are spoken for," Sirius corrected. "Unless Peter's got himself a girl, which I highly doubt. But even if he has, that would be three-fourths, not two-thirds."

"Whatever," Tave replied, rolling her eyes. "So tell me, my dear cousin, why you're not spoken for. You almost always have a girl hanging on you, and for the past month or so you haven't. Don't tell me you've decided to give up your notorious reputation of habitual womanizing."

Sirius studied her for a moment before responding. "I've come to a point in my life where a different girl every night just doesn't cut it," he said with a shrug.

"So you want a long term girlfriend?" Tave asked interestedly. "Not just a girl to use for a good shag. A girl you actually like as a person?" I knew exactly where she was heading with this.

"Is that a crime?" Sirius asked defensively.

"No, no, I just find it interesting, is all," Tave replied vaguely.

Just then the warning bell sounded for class. "Potions," I groaned, slowly getting up. I was _not_ looking forward to that class.

"We could skive," James suggested hopefully as we all headed towards the dungeons. "I can think of something I'd much rather be doing."

"Don't want to hear it," Tave said instantly, putting her hands over her ears. "We all know you really meant that you could think of some_one_ you'd much rather be doing."

"Tave!" I exclaimed indignantly, feeling a blush creep up my cheeks.

"Honestly, Tave, it's not like you and Remus haven't done anything," James retorted.

"Yeah, but we don't let everyone else know about it," she replied airily. "For example, when Remus and I came in to breakfast, you commented how Remus seemed happier than usual. We could have answered that we had just spent a good hour shagging-"

"Tave!" This time Remus interrupted her as he blushed. He and I exchanged a helpless glance.

"-but we didn't," she finished firmly.

"And you just told us that you did," James replied triumphantly. "Besides, all I said was that I could think of something I'd much rather be doing. That doesn't necessarily entail a hormonal rendezvous."

Tave and James argued the entire way to class, so I was incredibly relieved when their conversation had to end due to the seating arrangement.

"Today we will be beginning a unit on N.E.W.T. level poisons," Professor Yeva said when the final bell rang. "We will be brewing some of the most deadly poisons on the face of the earth, so it would do you well to pay attention and follow directions very carefully."

"So Potter's found himself a new whore," Snape whispered as the professor turned her back to write on the board.

I placed a restraining hand on Tave's arm when she opened her mouth to reply. He wanted to make us mad, and if we ignored him, he would eventually leave us alone.

Or so I thought. Snape kept muttering things under his breath to us the entire lesson, and I found myself fantasizing about slipping him some of the potion we would be brewing. Or, better yet, drowning him in his cauldron.

"Do you know how much I despise Snape?" I growled to Tave after class let out.

"Not near as much as I do," she replied savagely as she threw her books into her bag with incredible force. "I really wish I could curse him all the way to another planet and leave him there to die."

"And who are you wishing such violent thoughts upon?" Remus asked as he and James waited for us to pack up.

"Snape," we answered together and started up the stairs.

"But, Lily, didn't you once tell me to be nice to him?" James asked hesitantly, looking as though he thought I was going to start yelling at him.

"There's a difference between wishing violence upon someone and actually doing something violent to them," I said without much conviction. "Merlin, I can't stand him!"

James slipped an arm around my waist. "Just forget about him. He's a git and isn't even worth getting worked up over," he said soothingly.

"That goes for you, too," Remus told Tave, taking her hand in his. "Snape most certainly is _not_ worth getting all worked up about."

"Besides, we can take care of him for you," James added with a mischievous twinkle in his eye.

"James," I said warningly, giving him a stern look. "As much as I dislike him, I don't want to hexing him."

"I'm just kidding," he laughed, placing a light kiss on my lips. "Come on, now, we don't want to be late for Charms, do we?"

0.0.0.0.

I found myself absolutely loving to walk down the hallways between classes while holding James' hand. I loved the little things he did to show he cared, even if it was just an encouraging smile or a swift kiss. He made me feel so complete that I hated to be away from him for an extended period of time. I could tell he felt the exact same way, and before long we were rarely seen apart. We even began doing our rounds together on a regular basis.

One night about a week later James and I decided to check out the Astronomy Tower. If anyone were up there, our students-caught-snogging-in-the-Astronomy-Tower total would be brought up to an even hundred.

"There's definitely someone up there," James said as we began to ascend the stairs.

"This will bring our total up to one hundred, though," I said with a wry laugh. "One hundred students caught snogging in the tower after curfew in four months. That's insane."

James just grinned and shook his head in amusement. We reached the landing and were completely surprised by whom we were met by.

"Tave?! Remus?!" I exclaimed incredulously.

The couple, which had been in the middle of a heated kiss, jumped apart as soon as I spoke.

"Um, hi Lily, James," Tave said breathlessly, smoothing her hair and adjusting her blouse that Remus' hand had been creeping up. "Why are you up here?"

"We're doing our rounds," I said amusedly. "You two are students numbers ninety-nine and one hundred we've caught snogging up here."

"Really?" asked Remus interestedly. "Well how about that. I guess that makes us special."

"Damn straight," James laughed. "Usually when we catch students up here we deduct House points and assign detentions, but I guess we can make an exception this time."

"I don't know," I teased. "I think they should do double detention."

"How bout we strike you a deal," Tave said with a grin. "We'll leave the tower and go find somewhere else to snog, and we'll try not to let you find us."

"Sounds good to me," James shrugged. "And just so you know, Remus, I've already checked the Room of Requirement and have no intention of going back to check again."

"Okay," Remus grinned. "We'll see you two later, then."

He and Tave left, leaving James and me alone in the tower.

"Do you remember the last time we were up here together?" James asked once he was sure they were gone.

"Yeah," I said, suddenly shy. "You told me I was beautiful."

"And you told me that you had nothing to offer me other than friendship," he said with a small smile.

"I guess I lied," I said softly, looking up into his hazel eyes.

"I didn't," he replied, running his thumb along my jaw. "I still think you're the most beautiful girl I've ever seen."

I was glad it was fairly dark in the tower because I blushed profusely at his comment. I looked away, but he tilted my chin up to look at him again.

"How about we become students numbers one hundred one and one hundred two to snog in the Astronomy Tower?" he asked, grinning mischievously at me.

"That sounds like a lovely idea," I replied, grinning back.

Our lips met as James swept me into his arms and carried me to the couch in the back of the room. He laid me down on it and broke our kiss for a moment to look into my eyes.

"I never thought in a million years I'd be snogging Lily Evans in the Astronomy Tower," he said, moving a stray piece of hair off my face.

"I never thought in a million years that I'd be snogging _anybody_ in the Astronomy Tower, much less James Potter," I replied impishly. He answered me by capturing my mouth with his. A moment later he began trailing kisses down my neck. He found that one spot where the shoulder meets the neck and I gasped as he sucked on it.

"You like that, don't you?" he asked, looking up at me wickedly. I brought his face back up to mine.

"More than you know," I said seductively as I kissed him again.

"Ahem."

James practically jumped off me and I slid onto the floor in surprise when we heard someone clear their throat not two feet away from us.

"P-P-Professor!" James exclaimed, his voice slightly higher than usual.

"W-What brings you up here?" I asked, looking up at him timidly.

Professor Dumbledore looked at us amusedly through his half-moon spectacles. "I dare say I fancied a bit of a walk this evening," he replied with a small smile. "I was just passing the staircase to the Tower and decided a little star-gazing was just the thing I needed."

I blushed. "Well, you see, Professor, James and I-"

"It's quite all right, Miss Evans," Dumbledore cut me off. "I haven't seen a thing and therefore need no explanation. As far as I'm concerned, you two are merely doing your rounds."

James and I exchanged a confused glance.

"Right you are, Professor," James said, apparently catching on. "We were doing our rounds. We didn't find anybody up here and will now return to our dormitories since we've finished our rounds."

"That sounds like an excellent idea, Mr. Potter," Dumbledore replied. James took my hand and turned to go, but Dumbledore had one last thing to say. "I think you will find, Mr. Potter, that the particular shade of lipstick you're wearing looks very good on you. Goodnight."

"What was that all about?" I asked in bewilderment when James and I had returned to our dormitories. "Has Dumbledore gone off his rocker?"

"He's always been off his rocker," James replied, pulling me onto his bed. "I think he was telling us, in his own Dumbledore-ish way, that he's glad we're finally together."

"Oh," I said as I laid my head on his chest. "Why couldn't he have just told us that?"

I heard James' laugh rumble in his chest. "Because then he just wouldn't be Dumbledore."

"Oh. Well, just for the record, I'm glad we're finally together, too," I said as I waved my wand to turn out the lights.

"Me too, Lily. Me too."

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A/N: AUGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE YOU GUYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I GOT 22 REVIEWS FOR MY LAST CHAPTER!!!!!!!!!!!! I'M OVER 100!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :falls onto floor in dead faint: Wow, I can only say thank you so much!!!!!! I've been in this ultra-happy state all day and it's all because of you guys!!! I can't thank you guys enough. Please, keep those reviews coming! Like I said before, I don't care if they're one word or a bazillion words, I absolutely love them!!!

**I LOVE HUGS:** wow, thanks for the review! I'm so glad you're going to keep reading my fic, and please keep reviewing! I know, it's so depressing that school's almost here (I don't start until the 8th, though, so I'm pretty lucky cuz most of my friends are starting today).

**Nour:** thanks!

**otakuannie:** ah, my ever-faithful reviewer! I'm so happy you enjoy all my chapters (even those beasts of transition ones...:gah:) and yes, it's true that Hollywood messes everything up. lol

**rOk-stA:** thanks so much! I know, what the bloody hell _did_ take her so long? sigh I guess we'll never know, hey? lol

**Blad3:** hey thanks, I'm a total romantic sap too. :-D Mine is the best you've read? :blushes profusely: wow, thanks!

**Hannah:** thank you so much! I update as soon as I can!

**melissa: **lol, don't worry about it. I'm glad there are people who read it and don't review (even though I want them to review!) because they at least read it, you know? And yes, chapter 14 will always be my favorite chappie. :-D

**Secretly Smiling:** I was very impressed by your victory dance and song combination. lol And you know what, I love that "blurple" thing! tehehe, I'll probably use that sometime. That's really funny. (and no worries about the "gibberish-y nonsense", as you put it. I don't mind in the least)

**Lola Bunni:** yes, there are going to be many many many more chapters. :-D

**Lady Ly:** no prob-le-mo. I'm by far no HP expert, but I try to learn all I can because I love it so much. ;-)

**DanielGilmore:** lol, it's fine. James and Lily are most definitely awesome. :-D And I absolutely love your story.

**taniita:** another of my most faithful reviewers!! Thanks so much. I know, poor James. Oh well, he had Lily to fix him up. ;-)

**draco-rox-my-sox:** hey thanks! Yes, by all means continue reading and, of course, reviewing!

**LupinLover99:** of course! You're reviews mean so much to me!

**Alfalfa:** yeah, I didn't really think of that. But I guess James is just an uber-powerful wizard and excels at wandless magic...lol. idk, I might change that later but probably not. Thanks for pointing that out, though, and keep reading (and reviewing)!

**IdUnNoXx:** thank you very much! Of course I'll keep going!

**not-theonly-dreamer037:** you're favorite story on fanfic? :drops on floor in dead faint after blushing profusely: wow, I'm incredibly honored!

**me myself 1:** holy bean burrito, thanks so much!!! wow, what a compliment...you really think I could be an author someday? I'm flattered!

**magicmilkypnay37:** hey, that's a really great idea! I never have any idea what I should have the Marauders do because I'm not much of a prankster myself. You might find me using that sometime (of course I'll give you credit for the idea b/c I'm much too dense to think of it myself...lol)...thanks so much for the idea and the review!

**lilynjamesAAF:** lol, amen to that!


	16. Learning To Be A Marauder

Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. I'm not J.K. Rowling, so Harry Potter doesn't belong to me. :-)

Extra little disclaimer: The idea for the Marauders' prank here wasn't my idea, it was **milkywaypnay37**'s. I tweaked it just a tad, but I'm really not smart enough to think of something like that. Anyhoo, enough from me, on with the story.

**Chapter 16: Learning To Be A Marauder**

Tave, Remus, James, Sirius, Drusa, and I were sitting in the Heads' common room late Saturday night doing incredibly difficult Charms essay. Alice was home for the weekend to start planning her wedding and Peter was in detention. I was having great fun doing the essay, as Charms was my favorite subject. Everyone else, on the other hand, was complaining immensely.

"This is bloody stupid!" James finally exclaimed, throwing his quill down in frustration. "I don't give a rat's ass how to do a protean charm, much less write about how it's used in everyday life."

I found his choice of words amusing, considering Peter was, you could say, a rat. I didn't think it wise to say anything, so instead I gave James a gentle kiss. "Don't worry about it," I said soothingly, leaning my head against his shoulder. "If worse comes to worse you can copy my essay."

"Ugh, could you two stop being so lovey-dovey?" Sirius asked, a disgusted look on his face. "It's making me feel sick."

"I think somebody's jealous," Tave said, studying her cousin with narrowed eyes.

"What?" Sirius demanded. "Me, jealous?"

"Yes, you, jealous," Tave replied matter-of-factly. "Remus and James both have girlfriends to snog whenever their little hearts desire. You, on the other hand, don't. Like I've been telling you, you need to get yourself a girl."

Sirius rolled his eyes. "And like _I've_ been telling _you_, it's not that easy. I have a bit of a..._reputation_, so you might say, of a womanizer. I don't think I could find a girl who would want to be with me for more than one night."

"Oh, you'd be surprised," Tave replied vaguely, looking over her essay. "I happen to know of someone who would just love to fill that position."

Drusa's eyes went wide at Tave's comment. She was shooting daggers at Tave, but Tave didn't seem to notice.

"Really? Who?" Sirius asked skeptically.

"Do you honestly think I would just tell you?" Tave replied, rolling her eyes. "That takes all the fun out of it! Nope, I think you're going to have to figure it out for yourself."

Sirius glared at her, then returned to his essay in defeat.

"I've had enough of this damn essay," Remus declared suddenly, putting down his parchment and quill. "I think it's time to prank the Slytherins."

I looked at him in shock. "Remus!" I exclaimed, ready to tell him off.

"He's right," Sirius agreed before I could continue, and he also put down his essay. "We've been extremely good as of late. It's time to break that good streak."

"No, it's not," I said firmly, looking at James for help. "James?"

"Sorry, Lily," he said with a shrug. "They're right. We have the perfect prank, too. I can't pass up this excellent opportunity."

"Can I come, too?" Tave asked excitedly. I looked at her in disbelief.

"Of course," Remus replied. "Drusa and Lily, you're welcome to come along, too."

"I'm in," Drusa said immediately. Everyone turned and looked at me expectantly.

"We can't," I objected. "We'll get caught by Filch, I know we will!"

"No we won't," Sirius said with his bark-like laugh. "You're talking to the masters of mischief here. We've got a few tricks up our sleeves that prevent us from getting caught."

"Come on, Lils, it'll be fun," James wheedled when I still looked dubious. "Five against one."

I sighed. "Fine, but it's against my better judgment," I said grudgingly. "But if we get caught-"

"We won't get caught!" Sirius exclaimed in exasperation. "We'll have the Map for Merlin's sake!"

"I knew you guys had a map of the school!" Tave exclaimed triumphantly.

"Well aren't you a smarty-pants," Sirius said, rolling his eyes. "James, I believe you have the Map."

"That I do," James said, going into his dormitory. He returned with an old piece of parchment and laid it on the table with a great deal of flourish.

"Now before we reveal one of the many secrets to our success, you three ladies must swear to never tell a soul about this Map," Sirius said.

"That looks like a bit of old parchment, not a map," Drusa said skeptically.

"Things are not always as they appear," James said sagely, causing me to roll my eyes. "Do you ladies promise not to tell a single soul?"

"We promise, we promise," Tave said impatiently. "Show us the Map already!"

"Remus, will you do the honors?" James asked, and Remus nodded.

"I would love to," he replied, then touched his wand to the parchment. "_I solemnly swear that I am up to no good_."

Instantly thin ink lines spread out on the parchment from where Remus' wand touched. Words appeared on the top of the page:

_Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs_

_Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief-Makers_

_are proud to present_

**The Marauder's Map**

"I don't believe this," I breathed as the map continued to reveal itself. It showed every detail of the castle and grounds, including several passages I had never seen before. Tiny dots moved around on the map, each labeled with a name.

"That's bloody brilliant!" Drusa exclaimed, bending over the parchment to see it better. "Oh, look, there's us!"

"Did you guys make this?" Tave asked in disbelief, looking up wide-eyed at the boys.

"It was James' idea," Sirius said, nodding towards James.

"But Remus had the stroke of genius to add the people on here," James said modestly. "That's how we know if anyone's around."

"So Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs are you guys?" Drusa asked interestedly.

"Remus is Moony, Peter is Wormtail, Sirius is Padfoot, and I'm Prongs," James said with a shrug. "Just nicknames we came up with."

I caught his eye and realization dawned on me. They were all named after their Animagus form except for Remus, of course, who was named for his "affliction".

"Well then, we'll just have to make a stop at Gryffindor tower to get our supplies, then we can proceed to the Slytherin dormitories," Sirius said, heading toward the portrait hole.

"I still don't think this is a good idea," I said uneasily as everyone else got up to follow him.

"No worries, Lily, we do this all the time," James said with a reassuring smile as he took my hand in his.

Ten minutes later, after a stop at Gryffindor Tower, we were on our way to the Slytherin dungeons.

"What _is_ this stuff?" I asked, examining a bright pink can that Sirius had handed to me. It looked like a normal can of shaving cream, except for the fact that it was pink.

"One of Zonko's newest products," he replied with a wink. "It's called Colored Pranking Cream, available in six different colors. Guaranteed to leave a stain that won't disappear for a week."

"And what, exactly, are we going to be doing with it?" Drusa asked.

"Here's what you're going to do," Remus explained. "You're going to squirt some onto the Slytherin seventh years hands, then tickle their faces. They'll unconsciously move their hands to their faces and smear the Pranking Cream all over themselves. Their faces will be stained with the color of the Pranking Cream for the next week."

Tave, Drusa, and I looked at each other for a moment.

"And what happens if they wake up?" Tave asked, voicing the exact thought Drusa and I had.

"They won't," Sirius shrugged. "And while we're at it, we could steal all their underwear and hang it in the Great Hall."

"Excellent," James laughed. We arrived at the Slytherin dungeons and James said the password.

"Okay, girls, you go up to the girls' dormitories and we'll go to the boys'," Remus instructed. The boys disappeared up the stairs, leaving Tave, Drusa, and I in the common room.

"Well, here goes," Tave shrugged, and she led the way up the girls' staircase.

We quietly opened the door to the seventh years' dorms. Five beds lined the walls, and clothes were strewn about the floor.

"Ugh, they live like pigs!" Drusa whispered in disgust, stepping over a discarded skirt.

"Tell me about it," I whispered back as Tave opened the hangings on one of the beds.

"Bellatrix," she sneered. "Oh, this is going to be fun." She squirted an enormous amount of orange cream onto Bellatrix's hand, then, pointing her wand at her face, muttered a tickling charm. Instantly Bellatrix's hand flew to her face, spreading the orange cream all over herself.

The three of us burst into a fit of the silent giggles.

"Orange is definitely her color," Drusa gasped. "Merlin, I can't wait to see the look her face tomorrow!!!"

We painted the other Slytherin girls' faces, ranging in color from bright blue to neon yellow. We stood back when we had finished, admiring our handiwork.

"We're good," I said, feeling oddly satisfied.

"Let's freeze their bras, too," Tave said, sending a freezing charm at a bra sitting on the floor. We froze all the bras we could find, then, deciding we were done, headed back to their common room.

We waited a few minutes for the boys to return. James, Sirius, and Remus had armfuls of the Slytherins' underwear, ranging from tighty-whities to boxers.

"This is really disgusting," Sirius said as they descended the stairs. "I swear they never do laundry."

"We should check the Map before we go," Remus said. "It's in my back pocket."

"I'll get it," Tave said as she retrieved the Map.

"Great excuse to molest your boyfriend," Sirius muttered under his breath.

Tave shot him a withering look. "Would you just get over yourself, get a girlfriend, and leave the rest of us alone?" she asked exasperatedly, then looked at the Map. "Filch is on the fourth floor and Mrs. Norris is on the sixth. We should be okay."

The six of us went to the Great Hall and the boys began to levitate and place the underwear in the air around the room. Then, in big shining letters, Sirius wrote out "From the Slytherin Seventh Years with Love" in the air.

"This'll be great," Remus said when they had finished. We went back to the Heads' common room and I practically collapsed on the couch in relief.

"I was sure we were going to get caught," I sighed as Tave and Drusa sat down on either side of me.

"Lily, you're such a pansy," Tave replied. "We weren't anywhere near getting caught."

"I can't believe I just did that," I said, shaking my head in disbelief. "I just pranked the Slytherins!"

"Congratulations, Lily," Remus said with a laugh. "You have now officially broken a major school rule."

"You guys are a bad influence on me," I replied accusingly. "So far this year I've gotten a detention, I got caught snogging James in the Astronomy Tower, and I just snuck into the Slytherin dormitories and dyed their faces. I also just stood by and watched while you three put the Slytherins' underwear in the Great Hall. I've been corrupted!"

"And the amazing thing is that, despite everything you just mentioned, you still love us," James said, throwing me his adorable smile.

"I love _you_, but I'm not so sure about those two gits," I replied, indicating Remus and Sirius.

"Hey, don't you go calling my boyfriend a git," Tave laughed. "Only I get to call him that."

"Thanks so much, Tave," Remus said sarcastically.

"Any time," Tave replied sweetly.

Just then Drusa gave an enormous yawn. "Merlin, I just realized how tired I am," she said apologetically.

"Holy kneazles, it's one fifteen already," I said when I glanced at the clock. "You guys can stay here tonight if you want. I'll sleep in James' bed with him, so someone can sleep in my bed."

"You guys sleep in the same bed?" Sirius asked incredulously.

"I get lonely at night," I said, winking at him.

He covered his head with a pillow. "I'm _not_ staying here if you two are going to shag all night," came his muffled voice.

James hit Sirius with another pillow. "Who said anything about shagging all night?" he asked. "All Lily said was that she was going to sleep in my bed."

"And if we _were_ going to shag, we'd at least have the decency to put up a silencing charm," I said jokingly as I rolled my eyes.

"That's enough information!" Sirius yelped. "I really don't want to know!"

"You're no fun, Sirius," Tave said, jumping into the conversation. "Are you sure you don't want to know about how it went in the Hospital Wing with me and Remus?"

"Ugh, I'd have to agree with Sirius on that one," Drusa said, looking a bit embarrassed. "That's really quite enough information that I really don't want to know."

"Thank you!" Sirius exclaimed, throwing her a grateful look.

"We're just kidding," Tave laughed. "Honestly, it's not like neither of you haven't had any...intimate...moments."

"That doesn't mean we want to hear about yours," Drusa replied matter-of-factly.

"Yeah, what she said," Sirius agreed.

"Well, anyway, I'm going to bed now. Remus and Tave, you two can sleep in my bed as long as you behave yourselves. Are you coming, James?" I got up and started walking towards his dorm.

"Yeah, I'm coming. Night, all." James followed me into his dorm and shut the door behind him.

"We have the weirdest friends," I laughed as I jumped into his bed.

"Amen to that," he replied, joining me on the bed.

"Do you know how beautiful you are?" he asked as I crawled into his arms.

"No, you'll have to tell me," I replied impishly, grinning mischievously at him.

"Have it your way," he shrugged, then leaned in to kiss me.

"Mmm, I like my way," I said, pulling away slightly to speak.

"Me too," he said before reclaiming my lips. His tongue brushed against my bottom lip and I let him in. His hand began creeping up my blouse, and a moment later he was unbuttoning it.

"We can't, Sirius will kill us," I protested half-heartedly as he began trailing kisses down my neck.

"He doesn't have to know," James murmured against my neck. "Do the silencing charm."

"Why can't you do it?" I pouted as I began to unbutton his shirt.

"Because you're so much better at Charms than I am," he replied, moving to relieve me of my skirt.

I grabbed my wand off the nightstand and performed the silencing charm and, while I was at it, the locking charm.

"Didn't we tell Sirius we weren't going to shag?" I asked after I returned my wand to the nightstand.

"I don't think so, but who cares?" James asked in reply. "Just shut up and enjoy it."

I laughed and had to admit he had a point, in both respects. Who really did care if we told Sirius we wouldn't shag? It wasn't his business. And hell, was I going to enjoy it.

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A/N: I know most of this chapter seemed kinda pointless, but it was rather important (at least in my opinion). It shows how Lily is loosening up towards the Marauders and whatnot. And then the last bit of shagging, well, I couldn't resist. ;-P Anyhoo, on a personal note, I'm going to be in Minnesota on Saturday (ooh, that's today, considering it's 12:54 am...lol) and Sunday, so there won't be any updates either of those days. My family's taking my sister up to college so I'll be trapped in a mini-van 5 hours both ways with my incredibly dysfunctional family (dysfunctional in a good way, of course...lol). Good excuse to get some writing done, though. :-D

**otakuannie:** I wasn't really thinking of it that way, but if you want them to have, then sure. And I guess with this scene, it's as if they've shagged before, so sure. :shrugs: Sounds good to me. :- ) I was playing with the idea of Severus having a thing for Lily, but I wasn't sure. Do you think I should? If I do, you'll have to let him out of that closet you locked him into. lol I love Severus too. I used to absolutely hate him, then I changed my mind. :-D And yeah, that's an incredibly interesting anagram. Hmm.....

**lilynjamesAAF:** I know, Dumbledore rocks my socks. :-D

**Blad3:** lol, thanks. And thanks!

**milkywaypnay37:** lol, I guess I do faint a lot don't I? Dumbledore is so cool!!!

**Suichi66:** thanks!

**kj-11913:** thanks!

**taniita:** I just might be suggesting something...lol ;-)

**me myself 1:** lol, thanks so much!

**Secretly Smiling:** Dumbledore just wouldn't be Dumbledore if he wasn't off his rocker, ya know? I'm a total sap when it comes to that stuff to, so don't worry. lol

**I LOVE HUGS: **lol, thanks a bundle for letting me know and whatnot! (and a review on top of that! how special is that?)

**PRoudToBEaNERD:** wow, thanks so much! I'm so glad mine doesn't seem shallow and cheesy. :-D And as for a plot, well, it'll be developed pretty soon. Once James and Lily get out of school, they have the big scary world to face (which includes Voldemort...). I fully intend to keep this going up until their deaths (:sob:). So by all means, please continue reading and reviewing!

**jake-the-dragon-eater:** yeah, I'm planning on that sometime soon. I totally agree, it makes it ever so much more interesting.


	17. Valentine's Day

Disclaimer: Same as all the other chappies, I don't own any of the recognizable characters because that honor goes to J.K. Rowling. I don't have any money so suing me would be a completely wasted effort.

**Chapter 17: Valentine's Day**

The prank, needless to say, was a complete success. It was oddly satisfying to see all the Slytherin seventh years come into breakfast with different brightly colored faces. It was even more satisfying to see all the Slytherin seventh year boys running around, trying to gather up their underwear amid laughter from all the other houses.

"We really outdid ourselves on this one, kids," Sirius said, grinning amusedly as Rodolphus Lestrange ran by with an armful of his underwear.

"So how does it feel to be a rule-breaker, Lily?" James asked.

"It's feels great," I admitted. "But you'll never get me to do it again!"

"Why not? We weren't caught," Tave said as she looked around the table for something. "Remus, would you pass the orange juice, please?"

He passed her the orange juice and I suddenly looked up at the staff table. My eyes met Dumbledore's and he smiled benignly. I thought I detected a shadow of a twinkle in his eye just before he returned to his breakfast.

"We weren't caught, but I think Dumbledore knows it was us," I said, also returning to my breakfast.

"It's not a problem if he does," James shrugged. "It was definitely worth a detention."

"I wouldn't be surprised if he knew, actually," Drusa said, salting her scrambled eggs. "He knows just about everything."

"Yeah," I agreed, glancing up at the staff table again. "Dumbledore knows just about everything."

0.0.0.0.0.

"Our next Hogsmeade visit is tomorrow," Tave said to Alice and me several weeks later as we sat in front of the Gryffindor fire, tackling massive amounts of homework.

"Yes," I said absently, chewing the end of my quill and frowning down at my Defense Against the Dark Arts homework. "I have this feeling that I've left out something important on how to deflect an Unforgivable Curse."

"Did you put in the bit about why a simple shield charm won't work?" Alice asked, holding her hand out for my essay.

"Do you two realize what day tomorrow is?" Tave asked impatiently, looking from me to Alice and back again.

"Saturday," Alice replied as she looked over my essay.

Tave stared at us in disbelief. "You honestly don't know that tomorrow is Valentine's Day?!"

"Of course we know," I said, rolling my eyes.

"And you're not excited?" she demanded skeptically.

"Sure we are, we're just a bit preoccupied with this beast of a Defense Against the Dark Arts essay," Alice replied. "It looks good, Lily. I don't think you left anything out."

I took back my essay and read it over again. "Just so you know, Tave, this essay is due on Monday."

"I know that, I'll do it on Sunday," she shrugged. "_I'm_ too preoccupied with spending tomorrow with Remus."

"You know, you've never been this crazy over a guy before," I observed, studying her intently.

"Remus is different than any guy I've ever been with before," she replied. "You're pretty nuts yourself over James. And as for you, Alice, we know you're crazy for Frank because you're marrying him."

"She's got a point," Alice laughed. "We're all pretty serious about our boyfriends."

"Yeah, yeah," I admitted grudgingly.

"So what are you kids doing for Valentine's Day?" Tave asked, stretching herself out across the couch she had been sitting on.

"Frank and I are just going to relax and spend a day together not studying or planning our wedding," Alice replied.

"That sounds nice," I said. "You two have really been busy with school for you and Auror training for him and your wedding on top of that."

"Tell me about it," she said dryly. "What about you, Tave?"

"Remus and I are going to wander around Hogsmeade for awhile, and then he said something about eating dinner somewhere. He was really secretive about it, though, so I guess he's got something good planned."

"James was secretive, too," I said thoughtfully. "We're not going anywhere. He told me we were staying in the castle but I should dress up. I have no idea what we're going to do."

"I could take a guess," Tave winked. "I'll bet it involves-"

"Don't even start," I warned, glancing around the common room. "There are first years in here that don't need to be subjected to your raging teenage hormones. Hell, _I_ don't need to be subjected to your raging teenage hormones."

"Me either," Alice added.

"You don't even know what I was going to say!" she protested. "How do you know I wasn't going to say 'a nice, romantic dinner'?"

"Because we know you too well," I replied matter-of-factly. "But anyway, change of subject now. Has Sirius figured out that Drusa has quite a thing for him yet?"

"I finally just up and told him yesterday," Tave said as she rolled her eyes. "I swear to Merlin, men are so _clueless_ when it comes to subtlety!"

"So is he going to as her out?" Alice prodded impatiently.

As if on cue, Drusa burst through the portrait hole, her face alight with excitement. "You'll never guess what just happened!" she exclaimed, plopping down in a chair next to Alice. She continued on immediately before any of us could say anything. "Sirius just asked me to go to Hogsmeade with him tomorrow!"

"It's about time," Tave snorted, looking at her watch. "Considering it will officially be Valentine's Day in four hours..."

"That's great, Drusa," I said, giving her a warm smile.

"How ironic is this?" Alice asked as she was hit with a sudden thought. "You three are dating the Marauders. If I had told you a year ago that you'd each be dating a member of the Marauders, you wouldn't have believed me."

"Lily would have blasted you into next Tuesday if you had even hinted that she date James," Tave laughed. "Now she's completely head-over-heels for him."

"I know," I said ruefully. "I really hated him, didn't I? Poor guy. Who would have guessed I'd end up dating him?"

"Me," Tave said instantly.

"Me too," Alice added.

"Me three," Drusa said. "We all knew you two would get together. Fate has its ways."

0.0.0.0.0.

The next night I met James by the portrait of Igor the Ignorant at seven. I had been wondering all day what he had planned and was excited to finally find out.

"You'll just have to wait five more minutes for us to get there because I'm not telling you," he said when I asked.

"You won't even tell me where we're going?" I asked disappointedly.

"Merlin, Lils, it'll take us five minutes to get there," he laughed. "Come on." He took my hand and led me to the seventh floor. We stopped abruptly in the middle of the hallway and I looked at him questioningly as he began to pace back and forth.

"James, what are you-" I stopped in mid-sentence when a shiny door appeared in the wall.

"Welcome to the Room of Requirement," he said, bowing slightly. He opened the door and ushered me in. A table in the middle of a beautiful room was set for two with only candles lighting it. Roses petals were strewn about the room and table. There was a fire in the fireplace on the left and a door leading outside on the right that completed the romantic atmosphere.

"Oh my God," I breathed, stopping dead in the middle of the room.

"That's either very good or very bad," James laughed. "You only use that Muggle expression when you're either really happy or really upset."

I blushed slightly. "It's very good in this case," I said with a smile.

"I thought it might be," he replied, pulling out my chair for me.

"So what, exactly, is this room?" I asked as I sat down. "I've never seen that door appear before."

"This room can be anything you want it to be," he said, taking the seat across from me. "You have to walk back and forth in front of it three times while concentrating hard on what you want it to be. Then the door handle appears and you have yourself the room."

"And do I even want to know how you found out about it?" I asked, arching an eyebrow amusedly.

"Nah, probably not," he said, his adorable smile playing across his lips. "It makes an excellent broom cupboard to hide from Filch in, though."

I rolled my eyes. "I'm sure it does," I said, not able to prevent myself from smiling back at him.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you. These plates will provide you with anything you want to eat. You just tell it what you want and it'll appear there," he said. "It takes away the necessity of a third person here to wait on us."

I was impressed with his thoughtfulness. I was also impressed with the scintillating conversation we had while we ate. I was finding it increasingly easy to talk to James; he really was very smart.

When we had finished eating, James ushered me to the couch in front of the fire. I snuggled up against him and he wrapped his strong arms around me.

"I still can't get over the fact that I'm dating James Potter," I said as I gazed into the fire.

His laugh rumbled in his chest. "Yeah, I can't get over it, either. I never thought you'd ever go out with me."

"Join the club," I laughed. "If you had told me a year ago that I'd be sitting here right now, I would have told you to go jump in the lake."

"I believe you once said that you'd rather go out with the giant squid than me," he replied.

"Fifth year." I smiled at the memory. "It turns out that the squid wasn't such a hot date, so I figured I may as well give you a shot."

"Oh, thanks a lot," he said sarcastically.

"I'm kidding," I said playfully, laying a light kiss on his cheek. "You're the best. Thanks for a great night."

"Don't thank me yet. You're great night has only begun."

0.0.0.0.0.

As the weeks passed I seemed to be the only one who was feeling the pressure of N.E.W.T.s. Our teachers began to make subtle remarks about what would be on them, so I took that as my cue to start studying. I began to spend hours in the library reviewing everything I had learned in my years at Hogwarts. And when I say everything, I mean _everything_.

"Merlin and Agrippa, Lily!" Tave finally exclaimed done day after classes as I began heading for the library. "It's only March for crying out loud! You have _three whole months_ before exams!"

"Those exams are the most important tests of our lives!" I exclaimed indignantly. "They determine what careers we can and cannot have! I, for one, don't want to be stuck washing dishes somewhere for the rest of my life."

"You're a bloody genius!" Tave shot back. "You're going to get all your N.E.W.T.s even if you don't spend a minute studying."

"Don't be stupid," I replied. "I only have three months to study. I should have begun ages ago! I have _seven years_ worth of material to review. I'm going to the library now, and it would do you good to come with me."

"Have you gone bloody mental?" she asked, staring at me in disbelief. "Me, in the library, three months before exams? Never! You'll only find me in there a week before the tests at the most."

That was the way it was with all my friends. They couldn't see why on earth I needed three months to study and absolutely refused to come with me. Alice said she was too busy with her wedding, and Drusa was too preoccupied with the fact that her and Sirius were finally dating. Remus was just as point-blank as Tave was, and I couldn't even persuade James to come study with me. His excuse? He said I wasn't any fun when I studied.

So that's how I found myself sitting alone in the library one evening, surrounded by heavy textbooks I thought might be useful in my review.

"Studying for exams already, Mudblood?"

I jumped when I heard Snape's silky voice in my ear. He snickered and I turned to face him.

"Yes, as a matter of fact I am," I replied testily.

"Without any of your friends around?" he asked, arching a greasy eyebrow and looking around in mock surprise. "I find it hard to believe that your git of a boyfriend isn't following you around like a lost puppy as he usually does. Did something go wrong in your bloody perfect little fairy tale?"

I was completely confused by his last question, but I covered it by glaring at him. "James and I are doing just fine, thank you very much. If you've come here just to insult me, you can get your ass out of here because I don't want to hear it."

"And what are you going to do if I don't?" he sneered. "You don't have any friends here to outnumber me. I could stay here and study with you all bloody night and there's nothing you can do about it."

"I can complain to Madam Pince," I said, rolling my eyes.

"Do you really think she'll throw me out because I'm studying?" he asked leaning forward slightly so his hooked nose was inches from my face. I backed up quickly; one never wanted to be that close to him.

"Then I'll take points and assign a detention because you're pissing me off," I hissed through clenched teeth. I had had quite enough of his odd behavior and I most certainly didn't want him studying with me. "Now leave me alone!" I all but yelled my last sentence, and Madam Pince swooped down on me like a vulture.

"Miss Evans! I will not have you shouting in the library! Other students are trying to study! Out! Now! OUT!"

I shot a death glare at a gleeful-looking Snape. Perfect, just perfect. He had gotten me kicked out of the library. I packed up my books in a fury, and he stood there and watched me like I was a slightly amusing television show.

"Don't look at me like that," I seethed as I hoisted my bookbag onto my shoulder.

"Or what?" he sneered. "Will you sic darling Potter on me?"

"I just might," I snarled, then before he could say anything more, I turned on my heel and strode away.

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A/N: Hmm....so what's going on with Snape? :cue mysterious music: Anyway...omg, I'm **_sooooooo_** incredibly sorry that it took me so long to update!!!! You would not believe the weekend/week I've had! So it all started last Saturday when I went up to Minnesota to drop my sister off at college (the trip went well, thanks to everyone who asked). I got back late Sunday night and everything was just fine and dandy. Then on Monday, the unthinkable happened: I got the _worst_ case of writer's block imaginable. I mean, this was huge. It lasted all the way through Tuesday afternoon when I got a lightening bolt of inspiration. But then last night, when I was all ready to type it up, my dad was on the computer and wouldn't let me on. And then, to top it off, today was my first day of school. I have an incredibly difficult course load this year (4 honors classes...omg) but I will definitely try my best to update as often as possible. :-D So once again, thousands of apologies on my part. But thank you so much to everyone who reviewed!!!!! I got 15 reviews for last chappie!!!! :does happy dance: Keep them coming, please!!!! I love you all!!!

**rOkstA:** thanks! Of course she's going to hang on to him, he's too good a catch to let slip away!

**kj-11913:** thank you so much!

**milkywaypnay37: **lol, I really liked your idea and so did everyone else. I'm going to expand more on Sirius and Drusa a little later. Thanks a bunch!

**susan:** hey thanks. I kinda broke that "updating a lot" streak. :looks away guiltily: but I'm doing my best. And yes, I guess they've shagged before.

**LupinLover99:** lol, thanks for your reviews! I'm glad you enjoy my story so much. I most definitely will read your fanfics the moment I find time (what with school and everything...sigh). But I promise you I will!!!

**Secretly Smiling:** thanks so much. I'm going to expand more on the Drusa/Sirius thing a little later, because, as you can see, Lily's been a little preoccupied with herself and her studying. She's going to realize that school isn't everything.

**I LOVE HUGS:** lol, thanks so much!

**otakuannie:** yeah, I'd have to say that anagram was intentional. I think Snape had a thing for Lily, but Lily had a thing for James. I think the fact that Harry is _James'_ and Lily's son really bothers Snape. Poor guy. And thanks so much for letting me use him for a few chappies. I promise, I'll return him to his closet when I'm done. ;-P

**moonlizard: **lol, thanks! I know, I love those serious/Sirius jokes. :sigh: I have such a wacked sense of humor. :-P

**taniita:** lol. I'm glad you liked the prank, I thought it was pretty funny too. ;-) And as for Lily's innocence, well...:shrugs: ;-P

**James' Girl Lily:** hey thanks, and keep reading and reviewing! :waves back:

**lilynjamesAAF:** lol, that line just came to me as I was typing it up and I was like, sure, why not. I'm always saying "Holy..." whatever comes to mind. :-D Thanks so much!

**MooningOverMoony:** thank you very much! I'll make sure to check that other one out!

**Nat:** um...ok? It's nice that you think that, but I obviously disagree. And since I'm the author of this story... :shrugs: They're the equivalent of high school seniors, and that's what goes on in high school. _Especially_ when there are no parents around. But okay, think what you will.


	18. Home Again

Disclaimer: Yadda yadda yadda, same old, same old. I don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters you recognize because J.K. Rowling does. Suing me would be pointless because I have no money worth mentioning.

Extra little disclaimer thingy: I've had a few people comment on the shagging-before-marriage thing, so I just wanted to respond to everyone in general. I'm not an advocator of sex before marriage. On the contrary, I've actually made a commitment _not _to have sex before I'm married. This, however, is a personal belief and a lot of people don't necessarily think it's wrong if you want to go out and shag someone before you're married. The main characters in this story are the equivalent of high school seniors living in the 1970's, and we all know how the 70's were...:wink wink:. So I guess my point is that if you don't like them shagging, deal with it. Pretend they didn't or something, but don't go telling me to change my story just because you're offended. I rated it PG-13 for a reason, you know. And now that that's out of the way, on with the story.

**Chapter 18: Home Again**

"That's kind of weird," Tave said when I told her and my other friends about the Snape incident the next day. "Doesn't he usually avoid you at all costs with the sole exception of Potions class? You know, with his whole pureblood shit and the fact that you're a Muggle-born."

"Yeah, it _is_ weird, come to think of it," I said, frowning slightly. I propped myself up on my elbow on my bed so I could see my friends better. The four of us were in my dormitory having some good old-fashioned girl talk. They had finally convinced me to take a break from studying, and I was glad they did. I had missed quite a bit while I was practically living in the library.

"I'll bet he's got a crush on you," Drusa snickered from her spot on the floor.

"Oh Merlin," I replied, not wanting to think about that possibility. "You think _Snape_ has a crush on _me_? Like Tave said, I'm a Muggle-born, he's a pureblood. He's supposed to hate me."

"Which just makes you all the more enticing," Alice jumped in. "You're his forbidden love, not to mention that you're dating his archenemy. He _can't_ fancy you, therefore you're all the more tempting."

"I swear, you should be a psychiatrist or something," I said, rolling my eyes. "You always come up with reasons why people do things and what they mean by them. It's scary."

"What's a psychiatrist?" she asked curiously.

"Never mind, it's a Muggle thing," I said, not exactly sure how to explain it to her. "But still, I don't like the idea of Snape fancying me."

"But James makes up for it, doesn't he?" Tave laughed. "He's one of the most lusted-after guys to ever roam the halls of Hogwarts. That should tip the scales a little."

"I still can't believe you three managed to snag the Marauders," Alice said, shaking her head. "Tave, you've held on to Remus for five months now, and Lily's had James for two months. And Drusa - I can't believe you've gotten Sirius to stay with you for a month."

"He's different than he used to be," Drusa replied huffily. "He's not interested in a one-night stand."

"Woah, calm down there," Tave interjected. "Alice didn't mean anything by it."

"Sorry, I just really like him and I'm sick of people asking when we're going to break up," she sighed.

"They'll stop soon enough," I said comfortingly. "Tave and I were asked that for awhile, too, but when people realized that we weren't just the standard one-week fling they left us alone. The Marauders sure have a reputation, if you know what I mean."

"Yeah, we know what you mean," Alice, Tave, and Drusa said together, then all four of us burst out laughing.

"Actually, when you think about it, it's very ego-boosting to be dating one of them," Drusa said when we had finished our bout of giggles. "They've made the rounds with many of the other girls, and they didn't like any of them enough to get into a long-term relationship."

"I wouldn't call our relationships long-term quite yet," I said. "We're still counting by months."

"But then again, those boys are used to counting by days," Alice laughed. "For them, even getting to a month is long-term."

Once again the four of us burst out laughing. "We're so mean to them," I said, shaking my head in amusement.

"I'm sure they deserve it some way or another," Tave grinned. "Just out of curiosity, Lily, how long were your sister and her boyfriend together before they decided to get married?"

"I think somewhere around two years," I said, trying to remember when Petunia had first brought Vernon home, "but I'm really not sure. I don't remember exactly when I found out they were dating, and I was only told they were getting married when I got home over Christmas break. They could have been engaged since September for all I know and care."

"They're getting married this month, right?" Tave asked.

"Yeah. I'm going home on Wednesday to help get everything ready for the wedding on Saturday," I sighed. "My mum thinks that my magic will be helpful. I'm sure it will be, I'm just not looking forward to spending two extra days with Petunia and other various members of my family that I don't know well. My extended family is going to be coming in and out of the house all weekend, apparently. It's going to be a _looooong _four days."

"I'd come with you, but I can't afford to get behind in my classes," Tave said apologetically. "Missing three days of classes would kill me."

"Me, too," Drusa sighed.

"Me, three," Alice said. "Sorry, Lily, we're just not as good at school as you are. We have to actually be in class in order to understand the material."

"Don't worry about it," I shrugged.

We were silent for a moment, then: "Hey, you could ask James to go with you!" Tave said suddenly.

"James?" I asked, frowning slightly.

"Yeah! He's just as bloody brilliant as you are. It's also a good excuse for him to meet your parents," she said.

I thought for a moment before replying. "Well, I suppose it would be okay. That is, if he'd be willing to go with me."

"Of course he'd be willing to go with you," Drusa said, rolling her eyes. "He gets out of school and he gets to spend that time with you."

So I asked James, and Drusa was right. He was more than willing to leave school and come to my house. We checked with Dumbledore, who said it was fine, and that Wednesday morning we were on our way to Hogsmeade. I had told my mother that I could just apparate home from there.

"Here's my address," I said, handing James a slip of paper once we were inside the little village. "If you can, try to apparate into my bedroom. Petunia will go completely berserk if you suddenly appear in the living room and she's watching television."

"You have a television?" James asked eagerly. "I've heard about those. It's a little box with people in it, right?"

"Something like that," I said, grinning. James had never been inside a Muggle house before, so this was going to be an interesting few days.

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The two of us apparated into my bedroom with no problems at all. James was immediately drawn to the light switch on the wall and kept turning the light on and off.

"I hate to break it to you, but no matter how many times you flip the switch, the light will turn on and off the exact same way," I said smartly as I watched him.

He grinned sheepishly at me. "I think eclectic lights are fascinating," he said defensively, but he stopped flipping the switch.

"_Electric_ lights, " I corrected, a smile tugging at my lips. "Come on, I think my mum is downstairs. We should go tell her we're here." We traipsed down the stairs and into the kitchen where we found all three members of my immediate family eating breakfast.

"Lily, darling, you're home!" my mum exclaimed when she saw us come through the doorway. She got up to hug me and Petunia shot me a look that seemed to dare me to come within five feet of her.

"Hello, Mum," I said, then indicated towards James, who was standing behind me. "This is my boyfriend James, the one I owled you about."

"Oh! Hello, James," she said, smiling warmly at him.

"Hello," he replied. "It's nice to meet you."

"And that's my dad, and this is Petunia," I said, faltering slightly when I saw the look on Petunia's face.

My dad greeted James much like my mother had, but Petunia just glared icily at him. "Are you one of _her_ people?" she asked menacingly, staring at him hard.

"Petunia!" my mum said warningly. "Be polite!"

James met Petunia's gaze unwaveringly. "If by 'one of _her_ people' you mean a wizard, then yes. I'm a wizard."

A disgusted noise issued from Petunia's lips. "Well at least _I've_ found someone respectable," she muttered.

"Petunia, that's enough!" my father said firmly. "Honestly, I don't understand why you can't accept your sister for who she is! You're a grown woman and it's just sickening the way you still pick fights with her!"

Petunia looked like she was going to make a harsh retort, but then thought better of it. Instead she got up from the table in a huff and went upstairs.

"We're so sorry," my mum said apologetically to James. "Petunia has never really understood magic, and I think she covers up her confusion by hating anything associated with it, including people."

"Don't take it personally," I added. "She hates all magical people, not just you."

"It's fine," James said with a shrug. "There are wizards who hate Muggles, too, so I guess it all balances out."

I smiled at him, glad he understood and wasn't offended by my sister's rude behavior.

"Do you two want anything to eat?" my mum asked, moving towards the stove. "I can make some more eggs, if you'd like."

"We're fine, we ate before we came," I said.

"Well in that case, do you think you could help me with the dishes, Lily?" she asked as she began to clear off the table.

"Sure," I said, turning to help her.

"Do you want me to help?" James offered.

"No, it's okay. Actually, Dad, James has never been in a Muggle house before. Do you want to take him out to the garage to look at the car?" I suggested. My dad was a car enthusiast, so to speak, and I knew he would love showing James how they worked.

"You have a car?" James asked excitedly. "I've never seen one before."

"You've definitely come to the right place!" my dad said, getting up from the table. "You'll be a car expert when I'm done with you!"

The two of them left and I was left with my mum in the kitchen.

"He seems like a nice guy," she said, looking at me intently.

"Yes, he is," I agreed. "Here, Mum, I can do it." I pulled out my wand and sent the dishes into the sink where they began to wash themselves.

"Isn't he the one who used to aggravate you to no end?" she asked.

I sighed. This had the makings of a long, drawn-out explanation. "Yes," I said, sitting down in one of the chairs. "I used to completely loathe James Potter."

"So what made you change your mind?" she asked, leaning against the counter and folding her arms.

"He changed, Mum," I said with a shrug. "I don't really know how to explain it. I guess you could say that I realized he's not a stupid thirteen-year-old boy without a care in the world."

My mum studied me for a moment. "So you really like him, then?"

"Yeah, I do," I replied, a small smile appearing on my face.

We were silent again and the only sound was the clanking of the dishes in the sink. "Lily, you may not appreciate me asking this," she began, then stopped.

"What?" I asked, thought I was fairly sure I knew what she was going to ask.

"Well, I'm your mother, and I also know you're nearly an adult and can make your own decisions. But I need to ask you this: are you and James sleeping together?"

I looked into her inquisitive eyes and hesitated a moment too long.

"Lily," came her disapproving tone.

"Don't start, Mum," I sighed, getting up from my spot on the chair. "You said yourself that I can make my own decisions, and I've made that decision already."

"I realize that, but you're only seventeen!" she replied. "Petunia hasn't slept with Vernon and she's four years older than you are. That's not to mention that they've been dating for two years. How long have you and James been dating?"

"Two months," I said hotly, not appreciating the fact that I had just been compared to my sister. My mum's eyes widened and she opened her mouth to protest, but I didn't let her. "I know it's not that long, Mum, but things are different in the wizarding world!"

"So it's acceptable to sleep with your boyfriend after only dating him for two months there, is it?" she demanded.

"I'm an adult in the wizarding world. It's not that uncommon for witches and wizards to get married soon after getting out of school," I explained.

"I still don't see how that makes your behavior appropriate," she said tersely. "Your sister-"

"I'm not Petunia, okay?" I said loudly, waving my wand angrily to send the dishes back to their places in the cupboards. "James and I sleep together. Get over it! Has it ever occurred to you that I just might sleep with him because I'm in love with him?" I hadn't meant to say that; it had just slipped out. Sure, my friends and I threw around the word "love" every now and then, but we didn't mean anything serious by it. There was a big difference between fancying someone and actually falling in love with them. I clapped my hand over my mouth, scared of what I had just admitted.

My mother's eyes grew wide. "Are you telling me that after dating James for two months, you're already in love with him?"

I glanced out the window towards the garage. I could see James bending over the engine of the car, my father pointing something out to him. "Yes," I said, suddenly completely calm. "I'm in love with James Potter."

My mum came over to me and put an arm around me. "Do you know if he feels the same way about you?"

I shook my head. "I don't know for sure. My friends say so, but he's never told me so. And, come to think of it, I've never told him, either."

"I think he deserves to know how you feel," my mum said, rubbing my arm affectionately. "For the record, I like him. I only met him for two minutes, but he seems very nice. He has an aura of confidence, but not so much so that he seems cocky. I'm not saying that I approve of you sleeping with him, mind you. And just so you know, your father and I won't stand for it while you're in this house."

"I know, Mum," I said, feeling my cheeks grow red. "We wouldn't, not while you're here."

"Good." She moved away from me and looked out the window. "I suppose you'd better go out there and see that your father doesn't bore the poor boy to tears. You know how he is once he gets going about his beloved cars."

I smiled at my mum before I left the kitchen. So she liked James. That was a good sign. But then again, she also liked Vernon. Maybe liked was too strong a word for that scenario..._tolerated_ was more like it. In any case, one parent down, one to go.

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A/N: Alrighty, here's chappie number 18!!! :cue applause: Everything's all fine and dandy in James/Lily land...or is it? Hmmm, you'll just have to wait and see, won't you? lol I'm so cruel. And Snape will be making more appearances once they get back to Hogwarts, so don't forget about him. Oooh, now we're getting to the good stuff! It's so frustrating when I know exactly where I want to go but have immense trouble actually getting there. :sigh: So anyway, you guys are the best in terms of reviews!!!! Please, keep them coming! I feel all warm and fuzzy inside when I check my email and I have something like ten messages waiting for me and they all say "review alert". So keep reviewing!

**milkywaypnay37:** lol, that's another really good idea! I probably will work that in somehow...:thinks really hard: Thanks so much for reading and reviewing!

**otakuannie:** lol Poor Harry, it's not his fault James is his father (but _I'm_ sure glad he is, even though I've recently developed a thing for Snape...). You can have Snape for the next chapter (or maybe two) because now that Lily's home, he's obviously nowhere around. Happy (insert age here) birthday several days late!!! Hope you had an awesome day!

**kj-11913:** sure, thanks so much!

**Secretly Smiling:** thanks! I know, I love James so much!!! It's such a bummer he's fictional/dead/taken, as you so wonderfully put it. And the same goes for Sirius too, actually. I keep repeating to myself over and over "Sirius is not dead, Sirius is not dead..." because I'm in that much of denial. ;-)

**moonlizard:** lol, thanks! I'm glad somebody does!

**irgova:** thank you!

**I LOVE HUGS: **lol, it's fine. It's been taking me awhile to update, so you're entitled to as many days of lateness as you feel like. :-D Hmmm...guess you'll just have to wait and see about Snape, huh? School's been going okay for me, hope it's going well for you, too!

**taniita:** thanks! I was actually in Canada (Alberta and British Columbia) at the end of July and early August, and I think I watched an episode of Canadian Idol. I'm not sure though, it was a whole month ago and my brain was completely fried this summer. :-D But I think I did, and if I remember correctly they were pretty good. I've never really gotten into American Idol, so I can't really compare the two. shrugs lol, thanks, and I hope you do well in your classes as well. (and, of course, don't get too much hw)

**little-angel123452000:** wow, you spent four hours reading my story? :sniff sniff: thank you so much!!! That's totally incredible!!! Please keep reading and reviewing!

**Niniel204:** I'm doing pretty good thanks, how are you? And thanks so much! (you just might be on to something with that idea about Snape...)

**crazygonutsstudent:** lol, me too. I'm totally obsessed with JL fics (which just might be why I'm writing one...lol).

**MiaFia:** thank you so much!!


	19. Claiming My Territory

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters you recognize, because J.K. Rowling does and now she's the richest woman in England. I wish I owned Daniel Radcliffe, but we can't have everything in life, now can we? Oh yeah, don't sue me because I have no money. If I dug in my couch I might find a few pennies, maybe a dime, or even a quarter if I was lucky. But other than that, all I have is pocket lint. :sigh:

**Chapter 19: Claiming My Territory**

Thursday was an incredibly busy day. My mother had a seemingly endless list of things that had to be done before Friday. Even with James' and my magic, it got tedious and monotonous.

"We're not done yet?" I asked in disbelief when my mother came up to me and opened her mouth to tell me to do something else. "The lawn is mowed, every room has been dusted from top to bottom, the glass has been cleaned, the carpets have been vacuumed, and all the dishes are spotless! What else is there to do?"

My very harried-looking mother gave me a stern look that I knew all too well. "We have plenty of cooking to do," she said tersely.

"But what about the catering service? What did you hire them for?" I demanded crossly.

"They're for the wedding! We're going to have relatives come in and out of the house all day tomorrow and we have to have _something_ to feed them!! Saturday is Petunia's special day, and I want everything to be absolutely perfect. All I ask is that you do what I tell you to without complaining. Is that so hard?" she snapped. She didn't give me any time to answer her before she whirled away up the stairs.

"This may be the wrong time to say this, but when she gave you that irritated look I was strongly reminded of the look you give me when you're trying to study," James said once she had disappeared up the stairs.

I glared at him.

"Exactly!" he exclaimed, and I was strongly tempted to slap him.

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After a full day of cooking and cleaning, my mother was finally satisfied. She deemed the house fit for relatives to stop by.

And stop by they did, starting early Friday morning. I was abruptly woken up by the doorbell at six o'clock, and a moment later Petunia stuck her head in my room.

"Get up," she snapped. "Granny and Granddad are here. You and your boyfriend had better not let your bloody..._ abnormality_... show while any of our relatives are here."

"Granny and Granddad know I'm a witch," I said scathingly, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. "They think it's bloody brilliant."

"Vernon's family doesn't know a thing about it, and it sure as hell better stay that way," she growled before slamming my door shut.

I groaned as I rolled out of bed. Leave it to Petunia to get me in a bad mood. I made to open my closet door, then decided against it. I was just too damn lazy to get dressed right then. Instead I crossed over to my door and opened it, nearly running into James as I tried to exit my room.

"Good morning," he said, giving me a warm smile.

Immediately my bad mood dissipated. "Good morning," I replied, fully appreciating the fact that he had no shirt on. "It's just my grandparents, so we can go down to breakfast without getting dressed yet."

James shrugged. "Okay, fine by me. But I was just wondering, what was that dinging that I heard just a moment ago?"

I grinned. "The doorbell. I'll explain it to you some other time. But what I should explain to you before we go downstairs is that my grandparents know about me being a witch. It's okay to be all wizard-y around them. But Vernon's family doesn't know about it, so try not to do anything tomorrow that would make them suspicious, okay?"

"Don't worry, I've got it all under control," he said confidently.

"That _is_ what worries me," I teased, quickly bounding down the stairs. James followed me into the kitchen and nearly ran into me when I stopped dead just a few feet inside doorway.

"Lily!" I was instantly enveloped in a hug from my grandfather. "It's so good to see you again, darling!"

"Yes, it's good to see you too!" I said, returning his hug. I was passed from him to my grandmother, and then I stopped in front of the third visitor. "Katie," I said, trying to sound pleased. "It's been a while."

"Yes, it has," she replied smoothly, a false smile plastered onto her face. "I see you've grown up a bit."

Katie Evans was my cousin. She was the only cousin I had that was roughly my own age; she was only a year older than I was. All our other cousins were either several years older or several years younger. That being the case, we became very good friends. She knew about Hogwarts and that I could do magic. Of course she would, we weren't good friends, we were best friends. That is, until one fateful summer when I was thirteen. And what happened on that fateful day? Katie began high school. Suddenly she didn't have time for her "little" cousin anymore. She was too busy with her "real friends" and hanging around with boys. There's no denying she was a beautiful girl; she was tall, slender, and blonde. At that point in my life I was rather awkward looking; I was much shorter than her, flatter than her, and my hair was rather orangey. Oddly enough, that was the summer before third year. The year James decided he had a crush on me. But anyway, the point is that Katie had decided I was a dork, a nerd, or whatever you'd like to call it. We'd never really gotten along since and hadn't seen each other for a good three years. Not that I'd minded. That time had done me good; I wasn't as awkward anymore. I had grown a bit (though I was still a good deal shorter than her), my hair had turned to a lovely shade of auburn, and I had some nice curves. Hell, I also had a great boyfriend.

Then I noticed the way she was looking at my "great boyfriend"...who had no shirt on.

"And who's this?" she asked interestedly, stepping around me to offer James' her hand. "I'm Katie Evans, Lily's cousin."

"Hi," he replied, shaking her hand politely. "I'm James Potter, Lily's boyfriend."

I smirked when she looked back at me in disbelief. "Yes, James is my boyfriend, Katie. And actually, James, I think it would be best if we went and got dressed." I quickly pulled him out of the kitchen and up to my bedroom.

"Your cousin seems nice," he said when I had shut the door firmly.

I stared at him in disbelief. "_Nice_? The words 'Katie' and 'nice' don't belong in the same sentence," I said, folding my arms across my chest.

"Well, she was nice to me," he shrugged.

"Of course she was nice to you!" I exclaimed exasperatedly. "Here's a newsflash: you're a very good-looking male. You're also _my_ boyfriend. Katie and I haven't gotten along very well at all for the past four years, so naturally she's going to want to steal you away from me."

James looked at me for a moment with a slight frown on his face. "Right," he said, clearly not following me. "Steal me away from you?"

I rolled my eyes in exasperation and muttered "men" under my breath. "Look, James, Katie obviously finds you extremely attractive. From what I've heard, she's used to getting what she wants, and that includes guys. I have a sneaking suspicion that she's going to try everything in her power to add you to her... résumé...so to speak."

James continued to look at me in a quizzical fashion. "So you're saying that Katie is going to try and seduce me?" he asked.

"Yes, basically," I answered, glad I was getting through to him. "I want you to stay away from her."

"What, don't you trust me?" he asked, his eyes twinkling.

I rolled my eyes. "Of course I trust you. It's _her_ I don't trust. Now go to your bedroom and get dressed. We should be back downstairs by now."

James jokingly saluted me and went into the guest bedroom where he was staying down the hall.

I felt very uneasy about James being around Katie. I had told him the truth; I trusted him. Katie, on the other hand, could be very persuasive. Simply put, she had assets I just didn't have. Was that why I was so worried? Did I feel threatened by my cousin? No, that couldn't be it. Could it?

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Relatives came and went all day, and I was relieved when they all, including Katie, left for the day. She had _definitely_ been trying to get James' attention off of me and onto her. Little things like leaning over so that her low-cut shirt revealed just about everything irked me to no end. Of course, it didn't help that I had noticed James looking, either.

"Thank Merlin," I growled when my grandparents pulled out of the driveway with her in the back seat of their car.

"_Don't say that_," Petunia hissed from across the room. "Can't you try to be _normal_ for once?"

"Sod off, Petunia," I snapped. After a day of watching my cousin hit on my boyfriend, I wasn't in the mood for her snide remarks.

"Lily!" my father exclaimed admonishingly. "You know that your mother and I don't tolerate such language in this house."

"I don't care," I retorted childishly, feeling angry tears well up in my eyes. The day had been incredibly stressful, and I felt like I was about to snap in two. I ran out of the room and up the stairs, then slammed my door. I didn't care that I was seventeen years old; if I wanted to have a tantrum like a child, then I sure as hell was going to. I flung myself onto my bed, tears falling freely. As I buried my face in my pillow, the huge sobs I had been holding in escaped from me.

I heard a knock on the door and knew it was James. I didn't answer, hoping he'd go away. He was the last person I wanted to see at that moment. But he opened my door and entered my room.

"Is something bothering you?" he asked after a moment of listening to me try to muffle my sobs.

I glared up at him. "What was your first clue?" I asked nastily.

He pursed his lips but chose to ignore my remark. "What's wrong, Lily?"

"What's wrong?! What's wrong?!" I repeated, my voice getting slightly higher in pitch and volume. "You don't know what's wrong?"

"No, sorry," he said matter-of-factly as he sat down next to me on my bed. "You'll have to tell me."

I rolled my eyes. "I don't believe this. Maybe it just might have something to do with the way you acted around Katie today."

"What? What do you mean, the way I acted around Katie today?"

"Exactly that. You sure gave her a lot of attention once you saw down her shirt," I accused, my eyes narrowing.

"I did not-"

"Oh yes you did! Don't even try lying to me, James! I saw you looking- and four times, at that!"

James sighed. "Alright, I'll admit that I looked. But it's hard not to when she's not exactly covering herself up. I'm a guy, remember?"

My look told him that his excuse wasn't good enough.

"Lily, you need to trust me when I say that I don't like Katie. She seems cheap and easy, if you know what I mean. I like _you_. Hell, I've liked you since third year. Do you honestly think I would just throw what we have out the window because your cousin is hitting on me? I worked too bloody long to get you to be my girlfriend." James' hazel eyes met mine with complete sincerity.

"Do you mean that?" I didn't really need to ask because his eyes told me his answer.

"Of course I do. You're my girl and it's going to stay that way." He planted a light kiss on my lips and I felt much better. I was going to have to mark him out as my territory tomorrow and make sure Katie knew it.

0.0.0.0.0.

James and I sat near the back during the wedding. I knew Petunia didn't really want me there, and I was going to make my presence as unknown as possible. I had to admit, though, that the ceremony was very nice. Long, but nice.

I was glad when it was time for the reception. There was going to be food and dancing, and even though I didn't know too many people that well, I could make it be fun. But then I remembered Katie. She was going to be trying to get James to herself. Well, I just wasn't going to let that happen.

James and I sat at a table near the dance floor and watched Petunia and Vernon as they danced to the first song of the night. Actually, _tried_ to dance would be the appropriate wording.

"Is this as painful for you to watch as it is for me?" I whispered into James' ear, trying not to laugh as they went past us.

"Yes, but I would have to say that your sister is in the most pain out of all of us," he replied with a smirk. True enough, Petunia kept wincing as Vernon stepped on her feet time and time again. Finally the song was over, and then she and my father danced. My father was a much more graceful dancer than Vernon was. Their dance soon ended, and then more people entered the dance floor. "May I have this dance?" James asked, offering me his hand.

"Of course," I replied with a smile. "Let's show them how it's really done." I was surprised at how good of a dancer he was. I had never thought that he'd be into dancing.

"My parents occasionally throw formal dinner parties," he explained when I voiced my thoughts to him. "I, of course, had to make an appearance and my mother thought it fitting that I should at least be able to dance. So she taught me how."

"My dad taught me how," I said. "When I was little we would dance around the kitchen together, with me standing on his feet. Then when I got too big to stand on his feet he taught me how to dance properly."

"I take it he never taught your sister?" he asked, his hazel eyes twinkling merrily.

"No, she obviously wasn't interested," I replied amusedly.

We went back to our table when the song was done and immediately Katie made a beeline for James.

"Well hello again," she said to him when we had sat down, completely ignoring me.

"Hello," James replied.

"Hello, Katie," I cut in, making sure she knew I was sitting right there.

She, however, did not acknowledge me. She sat down on the other side of James and tried to strike up a conversation. "It's a lovely wedding," she said, her eyes traveling around the room. She leaned forward ever-so-slightly, which gave us both a good view down her dress.

"I think you should get a bigger dress next time, Katie, because you're falling out of it," I said, reaching forward to pull it up a bit and hide our view.

She threw a look of false gratitude in my direction. "Why thank you, Lily. It's so nice to know you care." A slow song started up and she turned back to James. "Oh, this is my favorite song! Won't you dance with me, James?" She stood up and held out her hand to him.

For a moment James looked like he was going to accept, and my heart felt like it was being ripped out, thrown on the floor, and promptly stomped on. James was _my _boyfriend and he was going to pass me up to dance with my whore of a cousin who had always been prettier than me. I turned away so neither of them could see the tears in my eyes. Fine. Katie won.

James' next words, however, made me look back at him in surprise. "Actually, I've reserved all the dances tonight for Lily," he said, taking my hand in his and pulling me up from my chair. "So in answer to your question, no. I won't dance with you because I'll either be too busy dancing with her or too busy snogging her to think about dancing with you."

The shocked look on Katie's face was priceless as he led me out onto the dance floor again.

"I can't believe you just told her that," I said as we began to dance, trying to suppress my giggles.

"Well it's true," he said defensively, but a wide grin was spreading itself across his face. "I'd much rather dance with you than her, and I hope you'll distract me later on so I won't even have to think about it."

I leaned my head against his shoulder with a contented sigh. "I just might have to do that."

"I'll hold you to it," he replied.

I didn't want to leave his arms when the song ended and a more lively tune began, but my father tapped him on the shoulder to politely cut in.

"I believe you're hogging my daughter," he said, his eyes twinkling at us. "Just one dance, please, and you can have her back."

James bowed out gallantly and I found myself twirling around with my dad.

"That James is a nice young man," my dad commented as I watched James retreat to the punch bowl.

"Yes," I agreed absently, still watching him.

"He's very bright, too. For not ever seeing a car before, he very quickly understood what I was telling him," he continued.

"I know. He could be at the top of all our classes if he tried a little harder. As it is he's second. Except for Transfiguration," I mused, realizing I had yet to get ahead of him.

My dad chuckled. "Your mother told me what you told her yesterday."

"Oh." I felt my cheeks grow hot.

"We agree that he's a good choice," he said, allowing a small smile. "It's not very often that a young man can make such a good impression in such little time."

I smiled back at him, feeling on top of the world. James had just shot down Katie, and my father approved of him. Life couldn't get any better than this.

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A/N: Okey-dokey, here it is! Sorry it took me a little longer than usual, but this past week was insane. It was only the first full week of school and already my teachers have established the fact that I should have no life outside of school. I had three tests last week...three! And now you all say, how can you have three tests when you've only been in school for six days? And I say, just ask my teachers. They'll always find a way....But anyway, thanks to everyone who reviewed!!! Warm fuzzies to all of you! (And even those who read and don't review) So please hit that nice little blurple button down there and tell me what you're thinking!

**milkywaypnay037:** thanks bunches and bunches!

**otakuannie:** lol, it's the same here. Every one of my birthdays, for as long as I can remember, my dad has always asked me how it feels to be that one year older. And every year, as long as I can remember, I tell him not much different than the year previously. But anyway...thanks! I'll need to borrow Severus again soon, if you don't mind. ;-) And I think that chappie was just as long as the others, but maybe not. I don't know.

**taniita:** thanks! yeah, that would be a bit of a drive for you, wouldn't it? I think I've been to Ontario, if Niagara Falls is in Ontario (I'm too lazy to get out my globe and actually look...) and if you can even really count that as being in Canada. It's about two seconds over the border. But I've been there, too. In case you cared...lol Homework shwomework. I'm supposed to be doing my history project right now, but am I? Psh, of course not! lol

**Feenix Child:** lol, thanks for reading and reviewing! And definitely keep it up, I just love getting reviews...

**kj-11913:** lol, thanks!

**Katmarajade:** whew, what a review! Thank you so much! Yes, I have a little soft spot for Petunia. She's really not all that bad, considering she took Harry in and all. And you got it exactly right, she's no Wormtail (that evil, evil, piece of nastiness!!!). Thanks again and please keep reviewing!!!

**Niniel2000:** thanks a bunch! Yeah, I'm trying my best to balance this fic and my homework. But ya know, if there's ever a major clash, I'd definitely choose the fic over homework! lol

**Secretly Smiling:** thanks! Taking a break from studying (or homework, in my case...:-D) is most definitely good for the soul.

**I LOVE HUGS:** they didn't get into too bad of a fight, and James made it up to Lily (What a great guy, hey?). It makes me so sad to make them fight, but it's bound to happen sooner or later. And I might just throw in a huge blow up, too, but I don't really want to. :sigh: But then again, it must be kept realistic and I don't know of a single relationship that hasn't had it's _extremely_ rocky moments. But anyhoo, I've rambled long enough. ;-)

**Lady Ly:** nope, I'm not getting off track. It _is_ an autobiography, and it's a little hard to make that exactly clear. It disrupts the flow of the story if I keep interrupting with tidbits of information and whatnot. Right now it's like Lily's just narrating her life. I have the last chapter already written (but not the rest of story, I just was dilly-dallying one day and decided I'd like to know exactly where I was going...I hope that made sense) and it kind of ties everything up. I'm sorry if that didn't make any sense, I'm just finding it hard to explain it and at the same time not give anything away. I think my last chapter is excellent (if I do say so myself). But it won't be posted for a loooooong time yet because I still have Lily and James in school. By my calculations, there's four more years of their lives before....:sob:...they're killed.

**deathtoalljellybabies:** First of all, I must comment on your incredibly interesting name. lol I find it...incredibly interesting. :-D Anyhoo...you read all 18 chappies in one sitting?!? Your poor bum!!! lol Thank you so much, that's incredibly flattering! I do hope you regain the feeling from your waist to your knees, but if not you can feel free to sit there and wait in anticipation for me to post my chappies....lol.

**LupinLover99:** lol, sure, no prob-le-mo. I know exactly how school is...since school started I've only been able to update about once a week, as opposed to once every two days or so. Lol, I really had no life, did I? Ah, well, now that school's in session I find I have about a million things I'd rather be doing, and writing this fic is at the top of my list. ;-)


	20. Snape Knows

Disclaimer: I own nothing! Not Harry Potter or any recognizable characters, not the computer I'm typing this on, not even the chair I'm sitting in! I _do_, however, own a few characters that have never appeared in the books, and I own the clothes I'm wearing right now. That's about it, so I'd love to see you try taking them away from me! lol

**Chapter 20: Snape Knows...**

"So how was your sister's wedding?" Tave asked the next night when I had returned. She, Drusa, Alice, and I were lounging in the Heads' common room and the Marauders were off making mischief somewhere. My three friends were trying to help me with my enormous pile of make-up homework I had stacked up, but we kept getting distracted.

"The wedding itself was nice," I said absently, staring blankly at my Transfiguration essay. "Being home, on the other hand..." my voice trailed off as my thoughts became immersed in my essay.

Tave snapped her fingers in front of my face. "Okay, Lily, come back to us! You can't just leave us hanging like that."

I groaned. "I'm trying to finish this essay! I was out of school for three days and I have a pile of bloody homework the size of the entire European continent!"

"You know we won't leave you alone until you tell us every detail," Alice said with a mischievous smile. "It's no use for you to try to do your homework."

I sighed, knowing she had a fair point. I shut the books on my lap with a snap and set them on the floor with a loud 'thump'. "Alright, fine."

"Excellent!" Tave exclaimed, settling herself on the floor in front of me. "Do tell why being home wasn't so nice."

"Well, you know that Petunia never misses a chance to insult me, but when I introduced James to my mum and dad, she asks him if he's one of 'my people', and he responds that yes, he's a wizard. And then she says 'well, at least I've found someone respectable'."

"The cow!" Drusa interjected contemptuously.

"She was _nothing_ compared to my cousin," I said menacingly. "My darling cousin Katie spent the entire weekend hitting on James."

"Wait, isn't she the cousin you had the falling out with in third year?" Tave asked.

"Yeah," I answered. "And she spent the whole time hitting on _my_ boyfriend."

My three friends made disapproving noises as I proceeded to tell them the details on Katie's actions. It was practically an unwritten rule between the four of us that hitting on each other's boyfriends was an absolute no-no.

"I'm glad James set her straight," Alice said when I had finished my lengthy narrative. "She seems like an absolute tramp."

"Oh, she is," I assured her darkly. "I could go on for hours about her, but I'll spare you. I really should get back to my Transfiguration essay."

"That's all you're going to tell us?" Tave demanded crossly. "Aren't you going to at least tell us if your parents liked James or not?"

"_Of course_ they liked him. Who wouldn't?" I asked, rolling my eyes.

"If my memory serves me correctly, you yourself didn't like him until fairly recently," Alice observed benignly.

I shrugged and smiled guiltily. "Things can change," I replied airily. "People fall in love with their worst enemies every day, you know."

Once again, I didn't realize what I had said until Drusa jumped on it. "You're in love with James?" she asked, her eyes wide.

"No, Drusa, she's dating him because she hates his guts," Tave replied sarcastically.

Drusa threw a pillow in her direction and it hit her square in the face, impressing me with her accuracy. "I mean _love_ love, you damn crackhead," she said witheringly, "not _like_ love."

"_Love _love, not _like_ love," Tave repeated vaguely, trying to figure it out. "Does anyone else have a clue as to what she's talking about?"

"There's a difference between fancying someone and actually falling in love with them," Alice explained helpfully.

"Exactly," I sighed. "This weekend I was arguing with my mum about sleeping with James, and I just sort of slipped by saying that I'm in love with him. But then, when she asked me about it, I realized that I really am in love with him."

"Awwwwww!!!" Alice squealed, pulling me into a hug. "That's so sweet!"

"Have you told him?" Tave asked.

"No," I sighed. "I don't know if he feels the same way. I mean, we've only been dating for two months. Maybe I'm just totally off the wall and out of the loop."

"Are you bloody insane?" she replied, an incredulous look on her face. "Of course James is in love with you! How many times do we have to tell you? He's fancied you since third year. We are now seventh years. That's four years, if you're having trouble counting. I don't think he would pursue you through four years of brutally getting shot down if he wasn't madly in love with you."

I stared at her, and Alice and Drusa nodded in agreement. "That may be true, but-"

"There's no buts about it," Drusa said matter-of-factly. "You're going to have to tell him that you're in love with him."

"But let's say that he doesn't feel the same way!" I insisted, the thought making me feel slightly heartsick. "It would be awkward, embarrassing, not to mention it might scare him off-"

"Those are chances you have to be willing to take," Alice said softly. "I know it's terrifying to think about the possibility he doesn't feel so strongly about you, but what if he does? What if you go through life, never letting him know how you feel? You'd lose him in the end. It would be far better to let him know just in case he's just as much in love with you as you are with him."

That night I contemplated what she had said. I realized she had a compelling point as I weighed my options. I could tell him and at least have a chance of him reciprocating my feelings, or I could forget about it and never know if we were meant to be. The more I thought about it, the more certain I was that I had to tell him. But how?

0.0.0.0.0.

A few days later I found myself squinting through a haze of pink smoke to read the instructions on the blackboard in Professor Yeva's dungeon. We were brewing an incredibly difficult potion to which she had given us explicit directions.

"The Amourus Desirious Potion is one of the most difficult known to wizardkind," she had said tersely at the beginning of class. "It is so difficult because everything you do to it _must_ be precise. Even the slightest inaccuracy may bring disastrous results. I feel, however, that since this is N.E.W.T. level potions, you should all have the ability to complete this task without an undesirable incident occurring. Do not disappoint me."

So Tave and I read and reread each line of the instructions on the blackboard before doing what it said. It became increasingly difficult, however, as the pink smoke became thicker.

"Ah, I can't read the sixth line," I said as I strained to see through the ever-thickening pink haze. "After the bit about stirring it three and a quarter times counter-clockwise, then what?"

"I'm not sure," Tave replied, also peering at the board. "Then...stir...no, turn...damn, I have no idea."

"It says 'then turn down the flames and simmer for four minutes'."

Tave and I both turned in out seats to stare perplexedly at Snape.

"Why are you helping us?" I asked after a moment, a bewildered frown on my face. "I mean, not to be rude or anything, but I was under the impression that you loved watching us struggle."

Snape's black eyes glittered as he surveyed me, and something was in them that I couldn't quite pinpoint. "You heard the professor," he snarled. "The slightest inaccuracy can cause disastrous results. I, for one, would hate to have your cauldron explode and, consequently, be showered with essence of Mudblood." His lip curled into a sneer and I rolled my eyes in disgust before returning to my potion.

"And there I was, thinking he might be trying to be nice for a change," I muttered to Tave, causing her to snort in cynical amusement.

"Your potions should now be an shimmering pink," Professor Yeva said as she strode around the room, glancing into our cauldrons.

Tave and I high-fived. Ours was a beautiful iridescent pink. We continued to toil over it, and I suddenly realized how incredibly hot it was in the dungeon. I loosened my Gryffindor tie and unbuttoned the top two buttons of my blouse. I glanced around and noticed that several of my classmates had done the same thing. James threw me an appreciative glance from across the dungeon, and I grinned impishly in return.

"Quit the flirting, we have a potion to brew," Tave said, rolling her eyes. "I swear to Merlin, you and James get so hyped up on hormones."

"As if you don't?" I replied as I emptied a vial of powdered dragon scales into our cauldron. "I've seen you and Remus go at it. I seem to remember an instance not too long ago that occurred in the Hospital Wing-"

"_That_ was several months ago," she said airily. "Besides, at least we don't shag in the Heads' dormitories while our friends are sleeping in the common room."

"I never said we did," I replied huffily.

"Oh _please_, Lily, I know you did. In fact-"

"I really don't want to hear about all the fun times you two have with your worthless bastards that you call boyfriends," Snape cut in icily. "You're making me sick, and it wouldn't do for me to get sick in my cauldron, now would it?"

"Somebody's jealous," Tave observed mildly. "How about you just stop eavesdropping on our conversation and go back to your own potion?"

Before Snape could reply, Professor Yeva swooped down on our potion to inspect it.

"Very good, girls," she said, looking at it closely. "Most excellent, I'm very impressed."

The bell rang right then and James and Sirius waited for us while we packed up our bookbags.

"Was Snivellus bothering you two again?" Sirius asked disgustedly, looking over his shoulder to see if he was within earshot.

"What was your first clue?" Tave asked sarcastically as she led the way out of the dungeons. "We have yet to attend a potions class where he hasn't made some snide remark or another."

"I'll make him sorry," Sirius snarled. "The filthy little-"

"Don't finish that sentence," I sighed. "He's just unhappy, is all. He doesn't really have any friends and I feel a little sorry for him."

Tave, Sirius, and James all stopped dead in their tracks to stare at me in wide-eyed disbelief.

"You feel sorry for _Snape_?!?" James asked, seeming almost accusatory in his tone.

"Yes, why shouldn't I?" I demanded huffily.

"Because he's...he's...Snape!" he replied. "Shit to Merlin, you keep going back and forth between liking him and hating him! I happen to like it when you hate him!"

"You're being unfair," I said calmly. "I've realized that he's just incredibly unhappy. If you didn't have any friends and were constantly being made fun of, you'd be more that a little bitter, too."

James opened his mouth to make a retort, then stopped. "You have a fair point," he conceded, "but you're not ever going to get _my_ sympathy for him."

I shrugged. "I didn't ask for it."

"Come on, let's get a move on. We don't want to be late for our next class," Tave said pointedly. The four of us proceeded on to our next class, Snape completely out of our minds. All but one, that is.

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"I'm sorry, Lily, but tonight's the full moon..." James voice trailed off as I looked disappointedly into the dying embers of our common room fire.

"Right, I forgot," I sighed unhappily. "It's okay, Remus needs you. I understand." All day I had been looking forward to doing rounds with James. Actually, I had been looking forward to snogging him in the Astronomy Tower. I had completely forgotten that it was the full moon and he would be in the Shrieking Shack.

"I'm really sorry. Can I make it up to you tomorrow night?" he asked, pulling me into a hug and resting his chin on my head.

"Sure," I said resignedly. "I'll go do our rounds, then. See you tomorrow." I moved away from him, but he grabbed my hand to prevent me from going any further.

"Why don't you take the Marauder's Map?" he asked. "I'd feel much better if you did. I don't like the idea of you going around the castle in the dark all by yourself."

His protectiveness made me smile, as well as the complete irony of the situation. "Won't you need it?" I asked.

"No. We've done this a million times, and I have my invisibility cloak. You take the Map."

"Alright. I'll take the Map." I retrieved the Map from his trunk in his dormitory, then paused on my way out of the portrait hole. "Please be careful, James," I said gently.

"Of course," he said, a small smile lighting his face. "You be careful too, okay? I don't want anybody jumping out from the shadows and cursing you or anything."

"Way to make a girl feel safe," I teased.

"I just want you to be careful," he replied as he gave me a light kiss.

"Right. Well, I'll be off then. See you in the morning." I exited the portrait hole and began my rounds. I muttered, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good" to the Map, and immediately it revealed itself. I scanned it, noting that there wasn't anybody out of bed. For a moment I thought of skiving off duty, but then two miniscule dots in the corner of the Map caught my eye. They read "Remus Lupin" and "Madam Pomfrey". I watched as they neared the Whomping Willow, then as Remus ran along the secret passageway towards the Shrieking Shack. I thought I may as well watch what happened, so I wandered aimlessly around as I watched the Map. James was still sitting in the Heads' common room. I remembered he had once told me that they waited at least a half an hour before following Remus to reduce the chance of getting caught.

Once again a miniscule red dot moved in the same corner and caught my eye. It also was going towards the Whomping Willow. Was Sirius or Peter going early? I looked closer and my stomach felt sick as soon as I realized who it was. Severus Snape was moving steadily towards the Whomping Willow. I watched as he stopped a good distance away, then began circling it. He was apparently looking for something.

_Oh Merlin, the knot_, I thought as he continued to circle the tree. _Shit, he knows about Remus!_ My mind flashed to the thought of Snape entering the tunnel and winding up at the Shrieking Shack- met by a full-grown werewolf. I couldn't let that happen. _James_, I thought desperately. _I have to tell James._ I quickly scanned the Map and saw he was just leaving the common room.

As soon as I located him I bolted down the hallway as fast as I could. I had wandered quite a ways away from the common room. I glanced at the Map as I ran. Damn, he looked like he was prodding the knot. I had thought I was running as fast as I could, but I was wrong. I felt myself go faster that I had ever gone before. Finally I was near our corridor.

"James!!! James!!!" I cried as soon as I was within hearing distance.

James turned around and a look of confusion crossed his face when he saw me coming. "Lily? What's wrong?"

"It's Snape," I gasped, completely out of breath from my run. "He's...he's...he knows!"

"He knows what?"

"He knows...about Remus! He's going...to...the...shack!" I thrust the Map in front of his face, pointing to the secret passageway.

"Oh shit," he said with one glance at the Map. "Go get Dumbledore! I'll go after Snape." James was gone in a whirl of robes, and I ran off in the opposite direction, intent on finding the headmaster. I only hoped we wouldn't be too late.

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A/N: Completely obvious cliffie, I know. But I had to stop it here because otherwise it would be way incredibly long. So yeah. And man, I'm so sorry about the wait! This little thing called life got in the way this past week, what with school and homework and all the other little things thrown my way. And to top it off...writer's block. :bangs head on wall in frustration: I seriously sat at my computer and just stared at it for an hour yesterday. But it's all good now. So please please please please please review!!! You guys are the best, have I told you that? lol But still click on that happy little button down there and let me know what you think! A simple "thumbs up" or "thumbs down" will suffice!

**Niniel204:** thanks so much! I totally agree with you that it shows James' devotion to Lily. Awww, he's such a great guy!

**taniita:** kudos for finishing some homework before reviewing! I'm supposed to be writing an English essay....but I'm not. lol, I never do my homework when I'm supposed to and end up staying up really late to finish it. :sigh: But I love to write my fic and hate to do homework, so which one will always win? Ooh, that's a toughie, I know. lol, Niagara Falls...once was enough for me. ;-)

**Charmergirl07:** I would love to write in the classes I don't pay attention to, but in those classes I have front row seats. :folds arms over chest digruntledly: I seem to have a bit of a reputation for troublemaking with my teachers...well, not exactly troublemaking, but of not paying attention. :winks: But I've been writing in study hall, so it all works out.

**Secretly Smiling:** lol, you crack me up. James is awesome. Katie...isn't. She's actually based on someone I know...and I would just love to smack her!!!!

**otakuannie:** :gasp: British teachers!?! :faints: That accent is dead sexy, I wish I lived in England. I wish I had a British teacher...I'm so envious (one of my teachers is actually quite a hottie...but he just got married...:sigh: ). And don't worry, Severus will be returned no worse for the wear. He actually may want to stay with you once I'm through with him...:winks:

**PhiloNysh:** yeah, I don't know if James really would have said that, but I felt Katie needed to be put in her place. And of course Lily couldn't do it, so...:shrugs: it's all good. Ooh, thanks.

**milkywaypnay37:** lol, thanks!

**not-theonly-dreamer037: **I know, I love James to death. I'm sure there are guys like James out there, we just haven't had the fortune of them crossing our paths...:sigh: One can only hope, hey?

**Lynn:** hey thanks! Band geeks rock ( I wish I was in band, but I don't play any band instruments)! And omg, I know how biology is (I took it last year) and my teacher was always giving us stupid drawing and coloring assignments and stuff. :gags: I haven't really had time to read any other fanfics at the moment, but if I do come across a good one I'll let you know. And you may be on to something with the Snape/Lily thing...

**Lady Ly:** sure, no problem. I really appreciate that you're keeping me on my toes, though. It's good to know what's going through your mind as you read.

**nicole: **wow, thank you so much! Keep reading and reviewing, please!!!

**greendragoneye:** thank you very much! Contrary to popular belief, James was actually a chaser. J.K. Rowling said so herself in an interview. They messed it up in the movie, and in the books I think she said it was just to show his cockiness and whatever. He was an amazing Quidditch player, no matter what position he played. Maybe he played both. :shrugs:


	21. Those Three Little Words

Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter and any other related characters you recognize. She's rich, British, lives in England, and is somewhere in her late 30's (I think). I, on the other hand, am not remotely rich. I happen to be from the United States and I live in Wisconsin. I'm only15 years old. My name also happens to be Beth, not J.K. Rowling. Why am I pointing all this out? Because if J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter, that would mean that I...don't. I make no money for writing this. I do it because it's fun. Soooooooo.....to make a long disclaimer short, don't sue me.

**Chapter 21: Those Three Little Words**

I sped down the corridors while shoving the Marauder's Map into my robes and a minute later was in front of the entrance to Dumbledore's office. I stood in front of the gargoyle, trying to catch my breath, when I realized I had not the slightest clue as to what the password was. I stared at the stone gargoyle in despair.

"Please open up!" I begged. It didn't move. "I don't know the damn password, but I need to speak with Dumbledore! It's urgent! Please open up!" I suddenly thought about how utterly absurd it was to be pleading with an inanimate object. It couldn't hear me; it was enchanted to move at the sound of the password but had no brain of its own.

I turned away, trying desperately to think of what else to do, when I heard the gargoyle move aside. I whirled around to face Dumbledore descending the spiral staircase.

"Good evening, Miss Evans," he said calmly, his gentle blue eyes flicking over my disheveled appearance. "Is something the matter?"

"Snape knows about Remus," I said, feeling slightly better. Dumbledore was here now. Everything would be okay.

Dumbledore gazed at me questioningly. "He knows about Remus, you say?" he asked. This apparently did not seem to him a reason to be alarmed.

"Yes...well...I don't know," I said. I knew I sounded completely ridiculous, so I tried to gather my thoughts before continuing. "I was doing my rounds when I looked at the- I mean, I looked out a window, and I saw him going towards the Whomping Willow. He circled it for a few moments, and then he disappeared under the branches. I can only assume he knows about the secret passageway and that it somehow has to do with Remus. I don't think he would go after a full-grown werewolf."

Dumbledore's demeanor instantly changed. "And how long ago was this?" he asked, a note of urgency in his voice.

"About ten minutes ago. I told James about five minutes ago, and he went after him."

"He went after him?"

I nodded in assent and without a word Dumbledore began striding towards the Entrance Hall. Even in my worry I was amazed by how fast he moved for someone so old. It was only a matter of minutes before we reached the Entrance Hall, and a few moments after that we were met by Sirius and Peter at the Whomping Willow.

"Are Mr. Potter and Mr. Snape down there?" Dumbledore asked them as soon as we had reached them.

"Yeah," Sirius replied, looking like he was about to be sick. "Snape went down to see where Remus goes every full moon, and James is going after him."

I had never seen Dumbledore look so worried in my life. I almost told him right then and there about Sirius, James, and Peter being Animagi to ease his worry a little, but I knew they would never forgive me. I couldn't betray my friends' trust like that, for that's what they were. My friends.

"There's nothing we can do until they return," Dumbledore said gravely, looking at each of us in turn. "Both of them are gifted wizards. I have no doubt that they _will_ return."

I stared at him in complete horror. I hadn't once thought that they could die. Get hurt, yes, be turned into a werewolf, yes, but not die. I began pacing around a small patch of grass. For the first time since we had started dating, I thought of what life would be like if I lost James. I was staring down a big chance that he would be killed that night, either by Snape or Remus, and at the thought I felt hot tears sting my eyes. What if he lost his life trying to save that of his enemy? He would die without ever knowing how much I cared, without ever knowing how much I was in love with him. I swore right then and there that if he returned- no, _when_ he returned- I would make sure he knew.

The minutes passed, and it seemed an eternity before we heard the sounds of someone trying to climb out of the tunnel. Snape appeared in a disheveled heap a moment later.

"Where's James?" I demanded anxiously as soon as I saw him. "Is he there? Is he okay?"

Snape looked up at me from his spot on the ground, and once again there was something in his eyes I couldn't quite decipher. "Your precious man-whore is coming," he sneered, obviously not realizing Dumbledore was standing three feet away from him.

His comment was completely ignored, however, as the dark, tousled head I loved so much appeared from out of the ground. "James!" I exclaimed, relief coursing through my veins. "You're alright!"

James heaved himself from the tunnel entrance and I immediately ran into his arms, my tears rolling down my cheeks. He winced slightly but held me close as I cried.

Dumbledore surveyed the scene before him through his half-moon spectacles. "Mr. Potter, Mr. Snape, and Miss Evans, I will need to see you three in my office. Mr. Black and Mr. Pettigrew, I would advise you to return to your dormitories at once. Speak of this to no one." He began to walk towards the castle.

I wiped my eyes then separated myself from James for a moment to offer Snape a hand up. He looked at my hand, then up at me.

"I don't need your help, Mudblood," he snapped, getting himself up.

"Shut your bloody face," James snarled, stepping towards him menacingly. "If it wasn't for her, you'd be lying dead on the Shrieking Shack floor."

Snape faltered slightly as he started to follow Professor Dumbledore, then continued on. James and I followed, with me hanging onto James' hand as if I would never let it go again.

The walk to Dumbledore's office was a very silent one. Nobody said a word until we were all settled in comfortable chairs in front of his desk. The occupants of the paintings that were hung all around the room were snoring gently, but I wasn't fooled. I knew they were listening.

"Mr. Snape," Dumbledore began, leaning back in his chair and staring at him with his gently probing eyes. "I wish that you would enlighten me as to how you came to know about the secret passageway beneath the Whomping Willow."

Snape shifted uncomfortably in his chair under Dumbledore's direct gaze. "I've seen Madam Pomfrey take Remus Lupin under there many times," he replied, not quite meeting the headmaster's eyes.

"Really." Dumbledore's reply was a statement, not a question.

"I was curious as to where he went," Snape continued. "I thought that it might be something illegal, so tonight I followed him."

James made a derisive noise. I put a restraining hand on his arm to stop him from saying anything he would regret.

"Miss Evans, you say that you were looking out a window and happened to see Mr. Snape disappear under the branches?"

"Yes," I replied. I couldn't bring myself to look him in the eye, as it was technically a lie. But I couldn't tell him about the Marauder's Map for the same reason I couldn't tell him about James, Sirius, and Peter being Animagi. "I knew about the Whomping Willow because Remus told me in our third year. I knew that if Severus found Remus, he would most likely be killed."

"So you alerted Mr. Potter?"

"Yes."

"And why, might I ask, did you alert Mr. Potter and not a member of the staff?" he asked gently. I looked up and saw genuine curiosity in the old man's eyes.

I hesitated a moment before replying. "Because he knows about Remus. He knows what a danger it is to come across a full-grown werewolf."

"But so does every other teacher in the castle."

I shrugged, hoping I seemed offhand. "I guess he was the first person that popped into my mind. I knew he would go after Severus."

Dumbledore turned his next question to James, and I was incredibly relieved. "So you, Mr. Potter, went immediately to the Whomping Willow?"

"Yes," James replied. "Lily's right; I _do_ know what a danger it is to cross paths with a full-grown werewolf."

"Did it ever occur to you that in going after Mr. Snape, you would also be laying your own life on the line?" Dumbledore leaned forward and rested his elbows on his desk.

"Yes, it did," James replied quietly, "but I couldn't just let him walk blindly into the Shrieking Shack, not knowing what he would meet there."

Dumbledore nodded slowly, returning to his original position in his chair. "I see," he said thoughtfully. "Mr. Snape, you will not tell anyone of the events of this night. You will not tell anyone that Mr. Lupin is a werewolf. If you do, there will be most grievous consequences. Is that understood?"

Snape nodded mutely, but his eyes flashed angrily.

"Very well. You are free to return to your dormitory."

He exited the headmaster's office, and Dumbledore turned again to James and me.

"It is a very honorable thing that you two did tonight," he said gravely. "I realize that Mr. Snape does not get along well with you or any of your friends. It would have been very easy to let him go and meet a rather gruesome and untimely death, but you did not allow that to happen. Instead you, Miss Evans, alerted Mr. Potter because you knew he would do something about it. And you, Mr. Potter, risked your life to save Mr. Snape's. Not very many people would do that, I'm sad to say. But I am very proud of both of you. You did what was right. I feel that it would be appropriate to give you two a special service to the school award. But for the time being, I believe it would be best for you to return to your dormitories."

James and I got up to leave wordlessly, and as we exited his office I chanced a look back at Dumbledore. He was leaning back in his chair with his eyes closed, and it suddenly struck me how old he was. One never thought about it because he was such a powerful presence, but that night I realized how old he really was.

James and I walked back to our dormitories in silence, just happy to be back in each other's company. We clambered through the portrait hole and he plopped himself down on the couch. I sat down next to him and leaned my head on his shoulder.

"Did you really know that you were risking your life?" I asked after a moment.

"Yeah, I did," he replied instantly. "I had to go after him, though. Sirius was the one who told him about the knot."

I sat up in surprise. "Sirius _what_?!?" I demanded, completely floored.

"He told Snape about the knot," James replied quietly. "Sirius was sick of him sneaking around, trying to find something to get us expelled with. He didn't mean for him to actually go after Remus, though."

"That doesn't matter! He could have-"

"Lily, it's in the past. There's no use getting all worked up over it. Sirius knows it was wrong and is sure as hell lucky that Snape wasn't killed," James said, gently pulling me back to him. "And I'm sure as hell lucky _I_ wasn't killed."

"Don't I know it," I said with a wry laugh, but I felt tears in my eyes again. Damn being a girl and crying all the time. "I was so scared when you were down there. I thought I might never see you again."

"I was scared when I was down there, too," he said, turning to meet my eyes. "I wasn't scared of actually dying; I was scared that I would die without ever telling you how I feel about you."

I caught my breath. He couldn't be telling me what I thought he was telling me, could he?

"I'm in love with you, Lily."

For a moment I couldn't believe what I had heard. "You...you're...you...what?"

"I love you."

My tears spilled over as his words sank in. "You love me?" I asked, almost disbelievingly.

"Yeah, I do," James replied. "A lot, actually. I understand if you don't feel the same way, but I just thought you should-"

I silenced him with a firm kiss. "I love you, too," I said shyly when I had pulled away. "I've been meaning to tell you since when we were at my house, but I didn't know how."

"Well it's not all that difficult," James said, a sly grin on his face. "You just say, 'James, I love you'. See? That's pretty damn easy."

I rolled my eyes. "No, really. I realized that if you had died tonight, you would have died without me ever telling you that I love you. And I do love you."

James pulled me onto his lap. "You've just made me the happiest man in the world," he murmured, gently kissing my temple.

"Then I guess it would only be fitting for me to be the happiest woman in the world," I replied, turning so that his next kiss would land on my lips.

Instantly the kiss deepened and before I knew it, I was on my back on the sofa. James' hand began creeping up my blouse and I grabbed his wrist in surprise.

"James, we can't, not in here!" I protested as he moved his kisses to my neck.

"Why not?" he asked, continuing down to find that shoulder/neck spot I loved so much.

"Because it's the common room," I gasped as he found the spot. "Anyone could just walk in..."

"No they couldn't," James replied, pulling out his wand and sending a locking charm at the portrait hole. "Please, Lily?" He gave me adorable puppy-dog eyes and I felt my resolve give way.

"Just this once," I said firmly. "But after this, it's either bedroom or none at all."

James looked as if Christmas had come early. "I love you," he murmured as he returned to my neck.

"I love you, too," I replied, and I knew right then that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him.

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A/N: A little shorter, I know, but forgive me. The little plot bunny is hopping around inside my head and I think I have something good up my sleeve. And I was so happy that I got this done in 4 days so I could upload it, but fanfiction had other ideas. :sigh: Something like the document manager was screwed up. But they fixed it, so I'm happy. Thanks to all my ever-so-faithful reviewers, as always! You guys rock my socks! It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside when I check my email and have lots of little review notices. And you know you want to make me feel even warmer and fuzzier, right? lol Come on, you know you want to! Click that happy little button down there and drop me a line! (or even a single word, I'm not fussy) It would be totally awesome if I made it over 200 reviews...hint hint...that's only 20 more....so tell me what you're thinking!

**taniita:** thanks! Gah, homework!!! I hate it with a fervent passion. I would banish it to the innermost depths of hell if I could...but I can't. :sigh:

**otakuannie:** hooray for thumbs up! Ooh, I so want to live in England and stalk Prince William...lol. Or Daniel Radcliffe, I'm not fussy...I know, it's totally the accent. It makes me want to keel over in a dead faint every time I hear it. I _think_ you can have Snape back for the time being, but maybe not. :shrugs: It depends on if he wants to make an appearance in the next chapter or not.

**milkywaypnay37:** Yes, James did have to save Snape. I've actually developed a slight crush on dear old Snapeykins, the poor guy. (not poor becauseI have a crush on him, just poor as in, I pity him...o my...lol)

**Katamarajade: **wow, thank you so much! I love getting your reviews. Please keep letting me know what you like and dislike and whatnot. I really appreciate it.

**fille-chica143:** How bout she tells him this chappie? :-P

**Secretly Smiling:** wow, I'm totally not a hat person either. :winks: Ooh, I'd love to be let out early on Mondays....but I also love my study halls. On Tuesdays and Thursdays I have two study halls....so I get a lot done then! Hooray for study halls, I guess. But I'd still like to be let out early.

**Charmergirl07:** Yes, stuck in front...try in Chemistry, Spanish, History, and Pre-Calculus. :sigh: That's what I get for passing notes and flirting with the hot guys...

**Laney-Wood:** lol, I'll bet you never guessed! Thanks so much for the review!

**PhiloNysh:** thank you! Lots of ideas are floating around in this head of mine....

**Lady Ly:** lol, I know, I'm just too evil. :winks then rolls eyes: Thank you so much for reading and reviewing and everything!


	22. The Order of the Phoenix

Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter and any other related characters you recognize. She's rich, British, lives in England, and is somewhere in her late 30's (I think). I, on the other hand, am not remotely rich. I happen to be from the United States and I live in Wisconsin. I'm only15 years old. My name also happens to be Beth, not J.K. Rowling. Why am I pointing all this out? Because if J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter, that would mean that I...don't. I make no money for writing this. I do it because it's fun. Soooooooo.....to make a long disclaimer short, don't sue me.

**Chapter 22: The Order of the Phoenix**

Dumbledore had forbidden neither James nor me to tell our friends of what had happened that night, and we felt Remus had a right to know. As soon as Remus knew, Tave knew, then Alice, and it naturally got back to Drusa.

I had forgotten that she didn't know about Remus being a werewolf. She actually took that news rather well. What she _didn't_ take well was the fact that Sirius had almost killed Snape. It was rather amusing to see her yell at him. I had never seen Sirius so scared of anyone or anything as he was of her.

"WHAT THE BLOODY HELL WERE YOU THINKING?!?!?" she bellowed. Luckily we were in the Heads' common room so no one else was around to hear her. "YOU NEARLY KILLED HIM!!!"

"I didn't mean-" Sirius tried to explain, looking quite terrified. He sank down into the couch as if trying to get away from her. There's no doubt in my mind that if it were not for being confined in the same room with her, he would have run as fast as he could in the opposite direction.

"I DON'T GIVE A DAMN WHAT YOU MEANT!!!" she interrupted at the top of her lungs. "THAT WAS BLOODY STUPID OF YOU!!!"

"Drusa, calm down," I said, feeling sorry for Sirius and feeling it was time to step in. "It's done, no one got hurt..."

"It's the attitude behind the fact that I don't like," she snarled. At least she wasn't yelling anymore. "Sirius Black, you listen to me good. You're going to go apologize to Snape right this second."

"Apologize?!?" Sirius yelped, seeming to gain confidence now that Drusa had calmed down ever so slightly. "Apologize to that ugly git?"

"Yes," she snapped menacingly. "You apologize to him or we're _through_. I have no desire to be with someone who treats other people like that."

I never saw him do it, but apparently Sirius apologized to Snape because Drusa didn't dump him. She came very close, but she didn't.

During the next few days I constantly had a sense of uneasiness. I was sure that Snape would..._accidentally_...let slip about his near accident with a werewolf, or that someone would have seen the commotion at the Whomping Willow and begin to nose about. Remus was also certain that the whole school would soon know of his predicament. After a few days, however, it became apparent that this bit of information was still highly confidential. We were amazed and relieved, because one could never keep a secret at Hogwarts. What was secret one day was common knowledge the next. Remus' secret, however, was the only exception. I felt it was the best-kept secret in Hogwarts history.

Our worries for Remus and the excitement the close call had caused us were driven from out minds one morning as James and I entered the Great Hall for breakfast. The urgent whispers were only too familiar, and I began to feel sick before knowing what exactly had occurred.

"Not again," I murmured faintly as we sat down at our table. In the tumultuous events of the past few months I had completely forgotten about what went on outside the walls of Hogwarts and in other people's lives.

"Shit," James muttered, picking up a discarded _Daily Prophet_ that was lying on the table.

I looked over his shoulder and let out a strangled "oh" when I saw the headline.

**'You-Know-Who Murders Ministry Workers'**

"I don't even want to read it," I said, turning away. "I'm sick of all this killing that You-Know-Who does."

James didn't reply because he was scanning the article. "This is insane," he said finally, setting down the paper once he had finished reading it. "It's bloody insane."

I leaned my head against his shoulder. "I wish there was something we could do," I sighed. "I hate just sitting here at Hogwarts and not being able to do anything to help fight him."

"I know what you mean," he replied. "Having to read about the attacks in the newspaper is frustrating. There's nothing we can do about it."

"Maybe once we graduate," I said. "What is it, two months now?"

"You should know. You spend all your extra time studying for the damn N.E.W.T.s," he replied with a dry laugh.

"You should be, too," I said, glad for a subject change. "They're-"

"The most important tests I'll take in my wizarding career," he droned. "I know, Lily, you've only told me a million times."

I was going to make a smart reply but the warning bell sounded for classes. We got up to leave the Great Hall but were stopped by Professor McGonagall.

"Mr. Potter, Miss Evans, the headmaster would like a word with you," she said, her mouth pursed in one of the thinnest lines I had ever seen it in. "Please follow me. You will be excused from your classes for the day."

James and I exchanged confused glances as we followed her to Professor Dumbledore's office. She escorted us up the spiral staircase and straight into his office without knocking.

"Thank you, Minerva," he said, inclining his head towards her. "That is all, for the moment."

She replied with a curt nod and swept out of the room, apparently very disapproving of something.

"Please have a seat," Dumbledore said, indicating two chairs in front of his desk. He sat down on the other side of his desk and surveyed us for a moment before speaking again. "What I am about to tell you is of utmost secrecy. I cannot stress how important it is that you speak of it to no one- not even your friends. Is that understood?"

James and I nodded in unison.

"Good." He stood up and began to pace back and forth. "I usually wait until students graduate before approaching them with this opportunity, but the integrity and bravery you both demonstrated last week convinced me that you are ready. Yes, you are ready." He said the last part more to himself, nodding as he spoke. He lapsed into silence, and once again James and I exchanged confused looks. I wondered vaguely if Dumbledore had been drinking too much firewhisky, but then I remembered he was always slightly nutty.

"I'm sorry, Professor, but we're ready for what?" James asked when he had been silent for several minutes.

Dumbledore glanced up at us, snapping out of his reverie. "Ah yes. You both are aware of the terrible things that Voldemort has been doing for the past eight years," he began, causing me to flinch at the sound of Voldemort's name. "There is a group of witches and wizards who have been working against him for almost as long. They call themselves the Order of the Phoenix."

"And you want us to join?" I asked, quickly putting together what he had said and anticipating what was to come.

He gave a small smile. "Yes, Miss Evans, that is the ultimate goal. But I would never dream of asking anyone to join the Order, especially someone as young as yourself, without them knowing the extreme danger that comes with it." His kind blue eyes went from me to James and back again. "As a member of the Order of the Phoenix, you would be on the front lines of battle, both figuratively and literally."

"You mean we would be fighting against Death Eaters and Voldemort himself?" James asked, a small frown furrowing his brow. I flinched again at Voldemort's name.

"Yes," Dumbledore replied quietly. "Voldemort and his followers are not above the use of the Unforgivable Curses. In a battle they are merciless; they will do everything in their power to kill you. And if you don't mind, Miss Evans, I would appreciate it if you wouldn't react like that when you hear Voldemort's name."

I looked up at him guiltily after my fourth involuntary shudder. "I'm sorry, Professor, but I can't help it."

"I think you can," he said, a small twinkle surfacing in his eyes. "Why do you think you react like that every time you hear his name?"

"Well," I said, biting my lip and thinking, "I suppose it's because I'm just so afraid of him." I didn't dare look him in the eye. I felt certain that right then and there he would kick me out of his office, saying the Order of the Phoenix didn't need someone who was scared of Lord Voldemort.

"That's understandable," he replied, "but it's no excuse not to use his name. Fear in a name only increases fear in the thing itself."

I looked up, scarcely able to believe he wasn't rescinding his invitation. "Very true," I conceded. "I suppose I could try to use V-V-_Voldemort's_ name."

Dumbledore beamed at me. "Good girl. But anyway, back to what I was saying before. Working for the Order is extremely dangerous. I'm going to give you time to think it over. During that time you must not speak of it to anyone. You may discuss it in the confines of your dormitories with each other, but I cannot stress enough the importance of your absolute silence."

"Will we still train as Aurors?" James asked suddenly.

"By all means. The more Aurors we have, the better. As you may know the Ministry has...tried to maintain peace rather than go after Voldemort," Dumbledore said delicately. "I, however, feel that the best way to win this war is to stay on the offensive rather than the defensive."

I gave a small nod. I had never actually thought of it in terms of a war, but Dumbledore was right. It was, in fact, a war we were waging.

"What if we decide not to join?" I asked. I secretly hoped nothing bad would happen to us if we came to that conclusion.

"Just a small memory modification," he replied, seeming to know exactly what I was thinking. "We can't have people who know about the Order just running all over Britain. Someone might accidentally let it slip."

It made sense to me.

"If there are no more questions, you two are free to go," he said after a moment of silence. "There is no hurry for an answer; you may take as much time as you need. This is not a decision to be taken lightly. I want you to carefully consider your options before coming to a conclusion. I have taken the liberty of excusing you both from your classes today, figuring you would not be able to function properly with a decision as heavy as this one upon your minds."

James and I left his office in complete silence but holding each other's hand. We were both deeply considering what Dumbledore had just proposed. I knew it was going to be a very difficult decision.

We returned to our common room and sat together on the couch. I laid my head on his lap and he began to stroke my hair absently. We were both very deep in thought.

"So what do you think about the Order of the Phoenix?" I asked quietly after quite a long period of time.

James didn't answer, so I turned so I could look at him. His face was impassive, but his eyes were clouded with concern. "I don't know," he said finally, looking down at me.

"What do you mean?" I prodded gently. Something was bothering him, and I wanted to know what it was.

James sighed. "It's a good idea and seems like a well-formed organization. I want to join and finally be doing something to stop Voldemort."

I smiled. "That makes two of us. So what's the problem? We'll be able to fight side by side."

"That _is_ the problem." He ran a hand through his unruly hair, a habit that I now found unbelievably endearing rather than irritating. "I don't want you to join the Order of the Phoenix."

"What?" I sat up in indignation. "What do you mean? Why not?"

"Because I don't want you to get hurt."

I stared at him in complete confusion. "James, you could get hurt as well. That's a chance we have to be willing to take."

"No, you don't understand." He stood up and once more his hand flew to his hair. "I love you, Lily. If you join the Order, there's a big chance you could get killed. I don't want that to happen."

"But the same goes for you!" I cried in exasperation. "You could get killed too! I don't want you to get killed either."

"No, that's different," he said, seeming frustrated that he couldn't get his point across. "You'd be another person I'd have to worry about. I worry enough about my parents as it is with my dad being an Auror and everything. They live every day, not knowing if they'll be able to see the next day."

"I worry about my parents, too," I replied, also feeling frustrated. "You know how I feel. They don't understand what's going on in the wizarding world. They can't understand it-"

"But they're not out flirting with death in order to save others." James folded his arms across his chest determinedly, a stubborn glint in his eye.

I stood up quickly. "Are you saying that my worries aren't as important as yours?" I asked, my voice deathly low.

"Maybe I am," he replied, sticking his chin out defiantly.

I stepped back and felt as if I had been slapped. That statement was way out of line. "How the hell do you get off saying that?" I demanded, fighting back tears of anger.

"Look, I don't want to lose you," he said gently, realizing he had just crossed the line. "I could lose my parents at any given time, and I don't want to think about that with you. I want you to be safe."

"And how do you think I feel?" I demanded angrily. "I don't want to have to worry about you, either."

"Dammit, Lily!" he exclaimed loudly. "That's different!"

"I don't see how so!" I said, feeling my redheaded temper rising. "I'm not going to sit around, letting other people fight You-Know, I mean Voldemort!!! _Especially_ not you! If you join, I join, and there's nothing you can do about it!"

"Well maybe I won't join!!" he retorted.

"I will anyway!!!" I shot back. "I'm of age! I'm a big girl and I can make my own decisions! I'm going to join whether you like it or not!" I brushed past him angrily on my way to my room, feeling quite satisfied by the shocked expression on his face. Who was he to tell me what I could and couldn't do?

I shut my door much harder than I had intended and flopped down on my bed. I was surprised when James did not come after me. In my indignation and anger, however, I knew this fight was going to take quite awhile to solve.

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A/N: So all is not well in James/Lily land! :hop hop hop: That's the little plot bunny jumping around. You can blame him for the little lover's spat going on in this chapter (and I suppose you could blame me too, since I succumbed to the plot bunny's wishes). It would make me ever so happy if you clicked that nice little button down there and left me a review. I only need 10 more to make it to 200, and I know you guys can do it! I'm really not fussy when it comes to reviews. You can just say thumbs up, thumbs down, yay, nay, or whatever comes to mind. So pleeeeeease?!? :puppy eyes: It would be a great...just-over-a-month-until-my-sixteenth-birthday present...(for lack of any other special occasion besides Columbus Day). :-P You know you want to!

**Secretly Smiling:** Boys are a mystery to every woman, I think. I don't understand them and I don't think I ever will. :shrugs: But I think that makes them all the more lovable.

**Charmergirl07:** You better believe it. I _would_ pretend to pay attention, but the chemistry teacher is my friend's dad. It really wouldn't be wise to not pay attention in his class, because then he might see me as a bad influence to my friend (me, a bad influence?!? never!! lol).

**taniita:** lol, Snapey-pants is really very lucky. Ah, homework. At this very moment I'm supposed to be writing a short story for English class. I've been procrastinating, though, because my English teacher doesn't like me very much and says I can't write for beans. That's true about subjects I don't care about, such as what we're supposed to write our short stories about. :sigh: At least I'm appreciated on fanfiction. lol

**otakuannie: **I was actually thinking of something along those lines concerning Lily and Snape. And if you give me candy...hell yeah!!!! I'll try to fit it in sometime in the next few chapters, but you never know. Sometimes something totally brilliant hits me, but I'm not feeling it right now. Of course, that idea is definitely brilliant, so I'm sure it will work its way in.

**Laney-Wood:** I'm working on it! And thanks!

**milkywaypnay37:** Hmmm, I probably should have delved into Sirius' mind a little more. Dangit. Ah, well...:shrugs: I could try to squeeze it in somewhere, but idk if that'll happen. Aw, dang, that would be a really cool angle. :bangs head on wall: I'll have to brainstorm or something...

**Sasinak:** Thanks!

**PruePotter:** Thank you so much! :blushes profusely:

**Lady Ly:** hooray for signed reviews!!!!! Nice dance routine, by the way.

**Katmarajade: **Yes!!!!!! I totally agree with you that whatever happened down there could only be written by JK...:bows low in complete awe of her great writing skills and freaking genius: I've also read some very...unsatisfying...accounts and thought I'd just leave it alone. Thank you so much!! It is my first attempt at any kind of fic and I'm so glad you like it. And I'm _almost _16....well, if you can call over a month "almost". I swear, I'm as bad as little kids when it comes to telling people how old I am. lol Ah, good ol' Wisconsin. Home sweet home. I would love to be out of the country for extended periods of time, but it would make it rather difficult to update my fic. So I guess I have to be happy here for the time being. Oh yes, I'm also very glad that you liked the "I love you" scene. People can go overboard sometimes, and I tried my best to refrain from that. So to sum all this up...thanks!!!!


	23. Just Too Stubborn

Disclaimer: None of the characters that you recognize from the Harry Potter series belong to me. I wish James Potter was mine, but he's fictional and belongs to J.K. Rowling. I also wish Daniel Radcliffe (or Rupert Grint, I'm really not fussy) was mine, but he's English and doesn't know I exist. Hence, I will not be owning either of them any time in the near future (or, for that matter, in any future timeframe).

**Chapter 23: Just Too Stubborn**

That night we did our rounds separately for the first time in months. As much as I tried to deny it, I felt incredibly lonely the entire time. There was no way around it; I missed James. But I wasn't going to go back and beg forgiveness. I made up my mind that he would have to come to me. He was the one that was out of line.

In the meantime, James and I were noticeably cooler towards each other.

"Did you and James have a fight?" Tave asked when I joined her, Drusa, and Alice in the Gryffindor common room the next night to do homework.

"Yes," I said shortly, not really wanting to discuss it.

"About what?" Tave was never one for subtle hints.

"I can't say." I pulled my Transfiguration book out of my bag and opened it to the chapter we were working on.

"Oh really? I'll bet-"

"Tave, I don't think Lily wants to talk about it right now," Alice cut in gently. I silently thanked Merlin for friends like her.

"Of course she doesn't. It really bites when you fight with your boyfriend," Drusa sighed.

"Why, have you and Sirius fought recently?" I asked, glad to remove myself from the topic of conversation.

"Not since...the incident involving Remus," she said, glancing around to make sure that no one was listening. "That was more me getting mad than anything else, but I don't think Sirius has quite forgiven me for making him apologize to Snape."

"I'm glad you did," Tave said. "You're the only person he'll listen to, and he was completely out of line in doing that."

"It's an epidemic," I muttered under my breath. Unfortunately, Tave heard me.

"Lily, you're going to spill this second because I'm not going to sit here and listen to you bemoan the fact that you and James are fighting," she said sternly. "It's bloody annoying when you mope around and you won't tell us why."

"I've told you why," I said, trying to find my way out of this one. "James and I had a fight, and it sucks to be mad at someone you're in love with. The damned conflicting emotions are driving me bloody insane! I want nothing more to be around him, but I can't stand him at the exact same time!!!" I banged my head down in frustration onto my Transfiguration book.

"A little background information would be helpful," Drusa pointed out. "We can't give you our, er, words of wisdom if we have no idea what's going on."

I rolled my eyes at the "words of wisdom" part, but my brain was frantically fishing around for an explanation. "Fine. James doesn't want me to become an Auror." I hated lying to my friends, but it was as close to the truth as I could get.

"He what?" my three friends asked simultaneously in disbelief.

"Yeah. He thinks it's too dangerous for me, but perfectly safe for him," I sighed. "Needless to say, that didn't go over too well with me."

"Of course it wouldn't. That's completely unfair," Alice said.

"Tell me about it," I replied. "Then he goes on about how he has his parents to worry about and doesn't want to have to worry about me."

"But that's so sweet!" Tave exclaimed.

"Maybe so, but not when he tells me I don't have to worry about my parents as near as much he worries about his," I said dryly. "That didn't go over so well, either."

"I highly doubt he meant that how it sounded," Alice said, being her ever-so-observant self. "He was probably just saying that in the heat of the moment. He obviously just really doesn't want you to become an Auror, and he was trying to get you to see it his way."

"Well all he did was get me really pissed off," I replied, rolling my eyes, "and now we're not exactly speaking to each other."

"I don't think we can really help you with this one," Drusa said thoughtfully. "This is something you and James will have to work out on your own."

"He should be the one to apologize," I said indignantly. "_He_ was the one who offended _me_. It's his fault we're in this stupid fight."

"It takes two to fight," Alice said amusedly. "You're right about the fact that he should apologize to you for that statement, but I don't think that he has anything else to apologize for."

"What?!? It's his bloody fau-"

Alice didn't let me finish my sentence. "Like I just said, it takes two to fight. James was merely expressing his concern for you. I think you need to remember, Lily, that he loves you. He's worried about what could happen to you if you got in the way of a Death Eater. Frank has told me about what Death Eaters are capable of, and James most certainly has reason to be afraid for you."

"So you don't think I should become an Auror, either?" I asked, bristling.

"I didn't say that. I'm going to be an Auror too, remember? What I _am_ saying is that you need to take into account the fact that James is head over heels for you. He just wants you to be safe," Alice said matter-of-factly.

"You two should really talk this out," Drusa added. "That's the only way you'll solve anything."

0.0.0.0.0.

Two days later, James and I still weren't talking. I was battling with myself over whether I should join the Order of the Phoenix or not. I really did want to join, but I wasn't sure if it was worth fighting with James over it.

Tave finally prompted me into talking to him when I found her and Remus in the back library together. They had been conspicuously absent from classes that day, and I wondered whether Dumbledore had talked to them, too.

"There you guys are," I said as I approached their table, mildly surprised that they weren't taking advantage of their out-of-the-way corner and trying to molest each other. They were huddled together and were talking in low voices, and they looked up in surprise when they heard my voice.

"You dirty, rotten, stinking liar," Tave said mildly and somewhat sarcastically, motioning for me to join them. "I can't believe you blatantly lied to me."

"About what?" I asked, settling myself in a chair.

"We figured out what you and James are fighting about," Remus replied. "Dumbledore talked to us today, and told us he talked to you a few days ago. He said you have yet to give him an answer, so we put two and two together and made four."

"Oh, that's what you're talking about," I sighed. "I take it Dumbledore told you two everything he told James and me?"

"About..." Tave looked around and dropped her voice, "...the Order of the Phoenix? I would assume so. He said we could talk to you about it if we needed help in our decision making."

I nodded. "It's a difficult decision, I know. At first you think it's a definite yes, but then you take into consideration everything that could happen to you and the price you could pay."

"So James doesn't want you to join, right?" Remus asked.

"Right." I folded my arms across my chest and tilted my chair back. "He thinks it's too dangerous for me and doesn't want to have to worry about me."

"Have you two talked about it yet?" Tave asked, narrowing her eyes accusingly. "I mean, have you two talked about in it a civilized manner?"

"No," I admitted guiltily. "I've actually been having second thoughts about joining, but I don't want to back down since I made such a big stink about it."

"Why don't you want to join?" Remus asked. "It's not because of James, is it?"

"Yeah, it is," I replied. "It's not worth fighting over with him. I miss him, and if the only way we can be reconciled to each other is if I give in, then fine."

"James will give in to you, you know," he said absently. "He feels the exact same way. I swear to Merlin, this would be so much easier if you two would just talk."

"Like me, Alice, and Drusa told you to two days ago," Tave said, rolling her eyes. "Go find him right now, sit him down, and tell him you're going to talk about the Order in a civilized conversation."

I sighed. "Fine. I'll go talk to James."

0.0.0.0.0.

I found him sitting in front of the fire in the Heads' common room, scanning his Defense Against the Dark Arts notes. He looked up when I came in, only to return to his notes upon seeing me.

"James, we need to discuss this thing about the Order," I said, sitting down right next to him on the couch. "I'm sick of not being able to talk to you."

"That makes two of us," he replied, carefully folding his parchment and sticking it in the bag at his feet. "Let's talk." He folded his arms across his chest and looked at me expectantly.

I rolled my eyes in disgust. "Don't make this any harder than it has to be," I said, already struggling to keep patience. "Can we please discuss this like the adults that we are?"

"What? I didn't say anything!" he protested.

"Just stop," I snapped. I tried to gather myself before continuing on. "Look, we're obviously of differing opinions concerning whether or not I should join the Order of the Phoenix."

"Obviously," he agreed.

"I would really like to join," I said tentatively.

"And I don't want you to," he replied, just as I had expected.

"Could you please explain exactly why you don't want me to?" I asked, being overly polite.

"I told you the last time we, er, talked," he said, rather impatiently. "If you join the Order, I'm going to worry that Voldemort will kill you. I worry enough as it is about my parents. I don't want to worry about you. I want you to be safe and sound."

"But at the same time you're willing to go out and risk your own life?" I asked, thoroughly confused with his logic. "I don't want to have to worry about you, either!"

"That's different!"

"I'm sorry, but I don't see how!" I felt my temper flare and I fought to keep it in check.

"Lily, please listen to me." I could see that James was also having trouble in maintaining control of his temper. "If you join the Order, everyone I love and live for will be in harm's way."

"What about Remus, Sirius, and Peter?" I demanded. "Just so you know, Dumbledore talked to Remus and Tave today. They're in the library right now trying to decide what they're going to do."

"Good for them," he shrugged.

"I don't believe you!" I exclaimed in frustration. "You don't give a damn whether Remus joins, but you throw a fit and object when I want to?!?"

"That's different!!!"

"WOULD YOU STOP SAYING THAT?!?" I yelled, finally running out of patience and losing control.

"WELL IT _IS_ DIFFERENT!" he returned, also yelling. "Remus is one of my best mates and you're my girlfriend!!! You can't exactly compare you two because it's not the same thing! I love you in a much deeper and more intricate way that I love him! It's a different kind of love! He's like a bloody brother to me!"

I stood in front of him, fuming. I knew he was right in that respect; that _was_ different. But me, being the stubborn, pigheaded person that I was, most certainly did _not_ want to admit to him that he was right.

"But don't you care about me?" I asked, using the lowest trick in the book. "Don't you care about making me happy?"

"Don't even try pulling that," he retorted. "You know that I care about you, but just up and letting you join the Order of the Phoenix wouldn't show it."

"Why not?" I shot back, incensed that he called me out on that one. "I want to fight, James! I'm not going to be content to just sit at home, twiddling my thumbs, while other people are out risking their lives for my safety, especially you!"

"I understand th-"

"I don't think you do! You logic makes no sense to me! I want to join the Order of the Phoenix, but I don't want to fight with you about it!" I folded my arms across my chest, once more trying to gain control of my temper.

"I don't want to fight with you, either," he snapped, "but I also don't want you to join the Order. It looks like we're going to have to somehow find a compromise, but, quite frankly, I don't know if there is one."

I opened my mouth to make a retort, but I realized that I had nothing more to say. I was too upset to think straight and form another argument, so instead I turned on my heel and exited the common room, angrily slamming the portrait behind me.

I ignored Igor the Ignorant's indignant cries as I stormed down the corridor towards the library. I made a beeline for Tave's and Remus' corner, ready to give them an earful. Unfortunately, Tave spotted me and headed me off.

"Before you do anything rash, I'd like to remind you that we're in the library and don't want to get kicked out," she said quickly, seeing the look on my face.

"You have no idea how lucky you are," I snarled, flopping down into the same chair I had occupied ten minutes previously.

"So I take it your little chat with James didn't go so well," Remus said, earning a death glare from me.

"Way to go, Captain Obvious," I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm. "James will give in to me, my arse!"

"What happened to _you_ giving into _him_?" Tave asked, looking highly amused. "If I recall correctly, just a few minutes ago you were going on about how the Order wasn't worth fighting with James. Have you suddenly changed your mind?"

I shot a nasty look in her direction. "He's a obstinate git, and I'm not going to let him tell me what to do."

She rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Merlin and Agrippa, Lily! You and James are both so bloody proud that you can't even work something like this out!!! This doesn't have to be such a big issue, but you two are too stubborn for your own good."

"They're a perfect match, though, don't you think?" Remus asked her before I could defend myself. "They're both incredibly stubborn and too damn proud to give in to each other. It's great."

I stood up in a huff. "I'm going to leave if you're just going to make fun of this," I snarled. "I don't want to hear it."

I stalked out of the library, but not before I heard Tave reply, "I know. They deserve each other. This is going to be so much fun to watch."

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A/N: Sorry it took longer than usual for me to update (insert my zillion excuses here). I had it ready on Monday, but then I read it over and thought "this is crap", so I rewrote it. So here ya go. I'll do my best to get the next chappie up sooner, but I can make no promises due to my unpredictable schedule. However, I do have today and tomorrow off of school (yes!!! :does little happy dance:) so we'll see how it goes. Ummm, you guys know what to do....something along the lines of clicking that great little button down there and dropping me a line....:winks: Please let me know what's going on in your head as you read! Oh yes, and an extra thank you to everyone, because I'm over 200 reviews!!!!! :parties: You guys rock my socks.

**milkywaypnay37: **it's definitely sad when James and Lily fight, but it's actually really fun (and hard) to write. But don't worry, I hate it when people drag out their fights in these fics so they're going to resolve it soon.

**Katmarajade: **thanks so much! It _is_ hard to write the fights. It took me quite awhile to be satisfied with this chapter because it deals with their fight, Lily wanting to resolve it, but then they fight again, and she has to react to that. Yeesh. I write myself into complicated little holes sometimes and sometimes it seems they're almost unavoidable. Ah, the joys of writing...lol. I think I actually side more with James too. That also makes it hard, since Lily is the main character and I'm writing from inside her head. I'm doing my best, though. I'm so glad you liked that I didn't show Sirius apologizing. I wasn't sure about even putting the reference in, but decided it had to stay. I didn't want to go into it because some things are best left untouched, and that was definitely one of them. I have an ending to the fight in mind, but I'm not sure about it yet. I've had several suggestions from others in what they want to see, but making it seem realistic would be the problem. I can tell I'm going to be wasting several trees with writing and rewriting for this upcoming chapter. And I hope this last chapter was a bit longer, it's kind of hard for me to tell. I usually write about seven pages on Word, but depending on how much dialogue there is, it can be longer or shorter.

**otakuannie:** I'll try to work Snape in the next chappie...:winks: Um, wouldn't Lily's maiden name be Evans? And that's kind of what I was thinking along the lines of Snape/Lily, so we'll see if I can get it to work out. :eats candy as fast as she can, then doubles over with a terrible stomachache: That's what I get for eating all that candy...and with Halloween coming up...lol

**Laney-Wood: **lol, thanks. Happy Columbus Day (over a week late) to you too. :-P I totally agree that it was getting much too happy in James/Lily land and everything was going too well, which is why I made them fight. And you did help boost me to 200! Thanks!

**allie: **thanks!

**Secretly Smiling: **yay for you for reviewing! lol

**AnGeL-GiRl-XxX: **thanks for reading and reviewing!

**PruePotter: **:drops on floor in dead faint: That's the highest compliment I've ever gotten!!!! Like J.K. herself?!?... omg thank you so much!!!

**taniita:** thanks! Glad you like it. Ooh, hooray for procrastination! I had to write a six-page short story for English and I did it all the night before. I'm such a terrible procrastinator, but like I always say, I'll procrastinate tomorrow. ;-P

**Crazayladay:** ok, ok, don't get your whip out! lol I'm so glad you like it. Please keep reading and reviewing for me!

**LoonyLupin2010:** Thanks so much! Yeah, I know I haven't had much in the way of Remus and Sirius for the time being, but they'll come in more once everyone gets out of Hogwarts, joins the Order, and whatnot. It's hard to keep them in when I'm going from Lily's POV. I'll do my best to add them in some more.

**Lily and Prongs: **thanks!


	24. Making Up

Disclaimer: No person, place, or thing in the Harry Potter series belongs to me. That includes any characters you recognize. I make no money for writing this; I just find it an amusing pastime. The only money I make is when I babysit, and that's right around minimum wage. Considering I have measly pocket change at the moment (I just went on another shopping spree...I'm so bad, I need to save my money...lol), it would be utterly and completely pointless to sue me if you could, considering I'm under 18. So please don't even try.

A/N: I've just added a teeny little bit towards the end because I realized I didn't explain something right. It's nothing too important (it's about two sentences, I think), but I felt I needed to explain just a tad more.

**Chapter 24: Making Up**

It soon became apparent to me that more than just my friends had noticed that James and I were fighting. In fact, a majority of the female population was aware, and taking advantage of, that very fact. My insides churned with jealousy every time I saw a semi-decent looking girl flirt with James. It was only a very small satisfaction to me when Alice pointed out that he never reciprocated. I was glad he knew that even though we weren't getting alone so well at the moment, we were _far_ from actually breaking up.

Unfortunately for me, few other girls realized that, so I was in a constant bad mood. They were flirting left and right with him, and there wasn't much I could do about it. Occasionally I would yell at take away House points from girls who I felt were getting too forward and pushy. I made sure, in no uncertain terms, that they knew he was still very much _my_ boyfriend. That, however, did nothing to deter them, which just succeeded in irritating me even further. Alice had also very wisely pointed out that since he wasn't returning their favors, there wasn't any danger of anything happening. In essence, it was harmless flirting. I knew she was right, so I had to sit back and watch it disgruntledly.

I didn't realize just how many people were aware of the fight until Snape said something to me in Potions.

"I heard that your perfect little man whore is no longer...yours," he sneered maliciously from behind me.

"And who told you that?" I asked disinterestedly, ignoring the snide remark about James. I had long ago given up trying to get Snape to stop insulting James.

"It's a rumor that's been flying around for the past three days. So it's true then?"

I didn't miss the glee in his voice. "Hardly," I replied testily. "Sorry to burst your bubble, but James and I aren't even close to breaking up. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a potion to brew."

"Then where did those rumors come from, I wonder?" he said disbelievingly. "Most rumors have a basis in fact, so something must be going wrong in your little paradise."

"I don't see how my love life is any of your business," I snapped, "so I'd appreciate it if you'd shut your face and leave me alone."

"Mm, a bit touchy today," he said silkily. "I'd warrant there _is_ some truth to those rumors."

I had to bite my tongue and take a deep breath in order to avoid making a nasty remark and retaliating violently, much as Tave had done at the beginning of the year. I could tell she knew exactly what I was thinking when she smirked at me.

"That's right, Lily, deep breaths," she teased. It was all I could do not to reach out and slap her upside the head.

0.0.0.0.0.

That night Tave dragged me from the library into the Heads' common room, much to my protest. Dumbledore had also talked to Sirius and Drusa about the Order, and Tave felt it fitting that all six of us discuss the pros and cons before reaching any final decisions.

"I don't see why everyone has to discuss this," I said unhappily as she pulled me along the corridor. "It's a personal decision. I don't think Dumbledore wants anyone to join just because their friends are."

"You're right about it being a personal decision," she replied, "but it's also a huge one. This isn't something we can all just jump up and agree to. We're talking about our very lives here, and I want to hear what everyone else has to say before I make that decision."

She had a fair point and I had nothing to say in reply, but I was saved the trouble of thinking one up because we had reached the portrait of Igor the Ignorant. We entered the common room and found we were the last to arrive. Remus, James, Sirius, and Drusa had already made themselves comfortable in the chairs around the fire.

"Finally," Sirius muttered teasingly, throwing a mischievous glance in our direction. "It took you two long enough to get here."

"Well, considering I had to drag Lily all the way down here, I'd say we made good time," Tave retorted, settling herself down next to Remus.

I threw her a nasty look and sat down as far away from James as possible. Drusa noticed this and raised an eyebrow at me, but I shook my head slightly. I wasn't going to move.

"Since we're all here, let's get down to business," Remus began. Everyone was oblivious to Drusa's and my little exchange. "We need to discuss the Order of the Phoenix."

We were all silent for a moment, then Drusa spoke. "So what do you guys think about it?"

"I think it's a good organization," I offered when no one else spoke.

"But dangerous," Remus added.

"Right. We would be putting out lives on the line if we joined," I agreed.

"But at the same time, we would be saving the lives of others," Tave said. "Usually when You-Know-Who is stopped, someone's life is spared."

"True, but it's more than just our lives at stake," James put in. "It's our families and friends, too."

"What do you mean?" Sirius asked.

"If Voldemort finds out that someone works for the Order, I doubt he'll stop at just killing that one person. I would guess that he targets their family and friends, too. He's just that evil," he explained. I could feel his eyes on me as he spoke.

"But isn't that just an incentive to be careful?" Drusa countered. "By that logic, none of us should join."

"I didn't say no one should join, I just said that it's more than just you in jeopardy. That's something to think about," James replied.

"Sometimes that's just a risk you have to be willing to take," I replied softly, not quite meeting his eyes when I spoke.

"I think it all comes down to one thing," Tave said slowly as the thought dawned on her. "The Order of the Phoenix is made up of people who are willing to give up their own lives in order to save the lives of others. If you're willing to do that, then by all means join. But if not, then don't."

"That's assuming you'll get killed," Remus said, a wry smile on his face. "I won't deny that there's a good chance of that, but there's also a chance that we'll all live."

"This is a really heavy decision," Sirius sighed. "I wouldn't give a damn if Voldemort took out my entire family-"

"Hey!" Tave cried indignantly.

"Except for you and your dad, you know that," he amended. "Anyway, they're all a big load of dragon shit and deserve to be killed. But putting _myself_ in harm's way, well..."

"That's another story," Drusa finished for him. "You know it's the right thing to do, but you don't want to die. We're all too young to die."

"Exactly," Sirius said.

"I know I've had more time to think about this than you, but I feel it's worth it," I said. "I'm going to join." I glanced at James as I spoke, but his face was impassive.

"Me, too," Remus said.

"And me," Tave affirmed.

"I'm in," James said, meeting my eyes in almost a defiant manner.

"I guess I'll join," Sirius said thoughtfully.

All five of us looked at Drusa expectantly.

"I'm not sure..." she said apprehensively.

"You don't have to join if you don't want to," Tave said gently. "Don't let our decisions interfere with yours."

"Well, I want to, but I really don't know how much of a help I'd be," she replied doubtfully.

"Drusa, Dumbledore wouldn't have asked you if he didn't think you'd have a significant contribution to the Order," I pointed out. "He knows these kinds of things. I don't know what he told you, but he told James and me that he usually waits until students are out of school before asking them to join. He obviously sees something in us or he wouldn't have asked."

"I suppose you're right," she said. "Then I'm in, too."

"Great!" Tave exclaimed, jumping up. "Let's go tell Dumbledore then!"

The rest of us got up a little less exuberantly and followed her out of the common room and up to Dumbledore's office. Not surprisingly, he seemed to know we were coming as the gargoyle had already moved and the spiral staircase was visible. The six of us traipsed up the steps and James knocked on the office door.

"Come in," Dumbledore called, and we filed into his office. His gaze traveled along the line, and he waited for someone to speak.

"We're here to tell you our answers about the Order of the Phoenix," Tave said hesitantly when no one else spoke.

"I presumed as much," Dumbledore replied benignly. "I'm glad to see that the decision was not taken lightly."

"We've all decided the same thing," Tave continued. The rest of us nodded in agreement. "We want to join."

Dumbledore surveyed us thoughtfully. "Very good," he said after a moment. "Once again, I must impress the importance of not speaking of this to anyone upon you. You six are the only ones I have approached with this matter as I feel you possess certain...qualities...that are necessary for joining the Order. Though they may not be evident at all times-" his eyes flicked amusedly to James, Sirius, and Remus, "-I know that they are there. Just so you know, you won't be able to come to any meetings until you have graduated from school. I will contact you when the time arrives. I do believe that is all, unless there are any questions."

No one spoke, so he nodded his head in dismissal. As we began to file out of his office, he had one last thing to say. "I do hope you realize what an incredibly brave thing you've just done. I'm very proud of you."

0.0.0.0.0.

Our friends found their way back to the Gryffindor common room, and James and I returned to the Heads' common room for a brief moment before going on our rounds. I could tell that he was still very bothered by the fact that I had joined the Order.

"James-" I said gently when he had flopped down on the couch in front of the fire.

"Don't, Lily," he replied tersely. "I'm not in the mood to debate over this _again_. You obviously did what you wanted and I hope you're happy."

I stared at him for a moment, trying to think of something to say that wouldn't start another row. I couldn't come up with anything except, "Well, we should do rounds, then."

"Go ahead. I'll do my half in a bit."

I left the common room with a heavy feeling in my stomach. This fighting with James was really starting to get to me. I sighed as I traveled down the dark corridor. I hated to admit it, but Tave and Remus were right; James and I _were_ too damn stubborn and proud for our own good.

I meandered my way around the castle, not particularly paying attention to where I was going. I was incredibly surprised, therefore, when I almost ran right smack dab into Snape near the Entrance Hall.

"Watch where you're going, Mudblood," he snapped. "I don't want you to touch my robes and make them filthy."

I glared at him. "How about you watch your mouth?" I shot back. "That'll be twenty points from Slytherin."

A small, slightly unsettling smile crept across his face. "You do realize that you're all alone with me in this corridor, don't you?"

I stared at him for a moment. "Why?" I asked suspiciously.

His smile only got wider. "I never got a chance to...thank you for saving my life," he replied. I noticed a maniacal glint in his eye that I really didn't like.

"That's unnecessary," I said, not sure what else to say. "What you should do is return to your dormitory at once before I ask you what the hell you were doing out on the grounds this late at night. Quite frankly, I find that suspicious since you don't have any werewolf friends and tonight isn't a full moon. And don't look so surprised; of course I know you were out on the grounds. You have wet mud on your shoes."

Snape looked down at his shoes for a moment as though contemplating them, then before I knew it he had knocked my wand out of my hand and pinned me against the wall, his hand at my throat.

Pure terror filled me as I looked into his eyes, which were inches from my own. I tried to free myself from his grasp, but he was much stronger than I had thought. I was stuck fast, and my wand was lying some ten feet away from me.

"You're too smart for your own good," he snarled. I could smell his rancid breath, and it made me feel sick. "That could get you into trouble one day. It would do you well to mind your own business."

I could do nothing but stare at him, feeling myself begin to panic. There was no one around; James wouldn't come this way because it was on my half of the castle, not even to talk to me, as he would have no reason to, considering the fight we were in.

Snape continued to look at me with pure contempt, but then something changed. "I think I really _do_ owe you a thanks for saving my life," he said, seeming almost thoughtful about it. "You know, you're rather pretty for a Mudblood."

My mind began frantically fishing around for some way to escape. I tried to free myself again, but I was unsuccessful.

"You're not going anywhere," he growled. "I've spent too long watching you make that son of a bitch happy. He doesn't really love you, you know. He'll dump you just like every other girl he's been with. He's using you-"

"No, he's not," I said, finally finding my voice.

"Oh isn't he?" he asked silkily. "Well, when he dumps you, don't say I didn't warn you."

I glared at him, my fear turning to rage. "James loves me," I snarled, "and I love him. We're happy together, in case you hadn't noticed."

"Potter isn't making you happy right now, is he?" he challenged. "Maybe it's time you find someone else to make you happy."

"Who, you?" I asked disgustedly. "Sorry, but I'm not interested. A little disagreement doesn't make me think any less of James, nor him of me. He loves me."

"And why the hell would you believe something like that?" he asked maliciously.

"Maybe she would believe something like that because it's true."

I looked over Snape's shoulder and felt tears of relief in my eyes. James was standing about three feet behind him with his wand out, looking positively furious.

Snape blanched when he heard James' voice. I smiled smugly at him.

"I would appreciate it if you took your hands off my girlfriend," James snarled. Snape slowly released me, and I sank to the floor, as my legs were unable to hold me up. "Now get away from her."

Snape backed away from me, then whirled around with his wand out.

James sent a spell in his direction as he turned, catching him square in the chest and hurling him towards the wall. Snape hit it with a loud "thud".

"Don't even try to duel with me because you're going to lose," James snapped, his wand still trained on him. "You're outnumbered anyway, two to one."

"You'd want the help of a Mudblood?" Snape spat, and instantly knew he'd said the wrong thing in front of the wrong person.

"James, no!" I cried, but it was too late. He had lunged at Snape, fists flying. I could only watch in horror as James proceeded to beat the crap out of him. Snape tried to fight back, but it was no use. James was much bigger and stronger than him. "James, stop! Stop it right now!" I demanded a moment later when I saw blood running down Snape's face.

James glanced at me, then picked him up off the floor and slammed him against the wall. His nose was gushing blood and both eyes were blackened, as opposed to James' minorly cut lip. "Don't you _ever_ insult Lily in front of me again," he seethed, pinning Snape in the position that Snape had pinned me only moments before. "She's saved your sorry little ass twice now; once from Remus and once from me. But I swear to Merlin and Agrippa that if I ever see you within five feet of her again, even she won't be able to stop me from committing murder. Is that understood?"

Snape tried to reply with a defiant stare, but he was obviously in a lot of pain. James shook his head in disgust, then let him go. He easily picked me up from the floor and began carrying me towards our dormitories.

"What made you come here?" I asked, relaxing in his strong arms.

"The Marauder's Map," he replied simply. "I always watch you when you do your rounds alone just in case something like this happens."

I looked over his shoulder at Snape, who was glaring at us in pure hatred as we went down the corridor. "We should take him to the Hospital Wing," I said softly, feeling pity for the boy.

"No, we shouldn't," James replied tersely. "He can get himself there if he needs it."

"You really shouldn't have done that," I said, burying my face in his shoulder. "You really shouldn't have."

"The bastard deserved it," he replied. "He's been asking for an ass-whipping since he came here. I'm not just going to sit back and let him...do whatever he was going to do to you."

I sighed. "That still doesn't make it right. Dumbledore is going to find out if he doesn't already know. Didn't he ask us to join the Order of the Phoenix because we saved Snape's life?"

"This situation is rather different. He attacked you, Lily. Do you honestly expect me to just sit back and twiddle my thumbs about it?"

"Well...no," I admitted. "You're right. If someone attacked you, I would be pretty upset, too. I don't know if I would go on to punch their lights out, but I would be upset just the same. Come to think of it, I would be more than upset. Maybe I would punch their lights out."

That drew a slight laugh out of James as we arrived at our common room. He set me down on the couch, and a sudden thought hit me as he sat down next to me.

"That's how I feel about the Order of the Phoenix," I said.

"You want to punch its lights out?" he asked, clearly not following my random statement.

"When you asked if I expected you to just sit back and twiddle your thumbs. I said no. That's how I feel about the Order. I can't just sit back and twiddle my thumbs while people are out there being attacked. Do you get it now?" I asked hopefully.

James thought a moment. "I suppose I do. But you know how you said you would be pretty upset if someone attacked me? That's exactly how I feel about you. I don't want you to get hurt. It's a big risk that we're taking because we're putting our lives on the line. If I lost you..." he trailed off and I moved closer so I could run my fingers through his hair.

"Yeah, I understand your point, too." I bit my lip, knowing what I had to say next and not wanting to say it. I took a deep breath. "I'm sorry for not listening to you. I guess I was too focused on me to think about you."

"I'm sorry, too," he said. A small smile crept across my face when I realized apologizing was just as hard for him as it was for me. "I wasn't considering how you felt about it. I'm still not thrilled about you being in the Order, but I understand why you joined."

"Tave and Remus were right," I mused, more to myself than anything.

"What?"

"Oh. They said that we were both too proud and stubborn for our own good, and that we deserve each other. They're right, you know. We are both too proud and stubborn for our own good."

James smiled at me, and I felt my stomach flip-flop. "Yeah, we are, aren't we? I guess we'll just have to work on bringing each other down a few notches. In a nice way, of course."

I laughed. "Of course."

He pulled me onto his lap and kissed me for the first time in days. As I deepened the kiss, I wondered how I ever got through those days. I figured it had to be my pride...which, if that would be the punishment, I definitely had to fix.

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A/N: Wow, I'm soooooooo sorry for taking so long to update! :hangs head guiltily: I actually had it all ready to go yesterday, and then fanfiction wouldn't let me upload it. And I'm also sorry if this chapter just isn't up to par. I struggled with it immensely, and just figured I had to put it up because I, being the bad author that I am, haven't updated in over a week. I decided to leave it as long as it was because I made you guys wait so long. A thousand million bajillion apologies on my part. It really sucks to get sick and miss school, because there's so much homework to make up. I'm supposed to be working on three projects right now, but I'm procrastinating (surprise, surprise...). Even if you think this chapter is complete crap (I would agree with you), please let me know what you think. I really appreciate it and it helps me so much in the writing process to know what you like and don't like. And even if you just decide to drop me a little note to let me know you're reading it...I would love you forever. ;-)

**Crazayladay: **lol, thanks. Men can be such pig-headed idiots sometimes...and yet I love them anyway. :shrugs: Ooh, Harry's good too...:winks: Good choice.

**Secretly Smiling:** yeah, they're definitely good at that civilized conversation, all right. And no worries about the review or the obsessive and neuroticness. I don't mind in the least. You actually make me feel...not alone. :winks: And I find you incredibly amusing.

**PruePotter:** lol, thanks. And I'm glad you only kinda hate me. ;-P

**otakuannie: **I'm definitely out of shape with the candy-eating thing, which is surprising because I love candy. I don't get it that often, see. But since tomorrow is Halloween...I've been training myself and splurging a little. And ya know, sometimes I think life would be so much easier if I just forwent men. But I'm _very_ straight, and I just can't give up those darn men. They're too lovable...sometimes.

**allie:** of course!

**milkywaypnay37: **lol, I know. Lily's _exactly_ like me in that aspect; I'm too damn stubborn for my own good. But what can a girl do? lol

**not-theonly-dreamer037:** Thanks! I'm glad you liked it, I had some trouble writing it. It's difficult to write fights when you're only seeing it from one person's perspective. I try not to make it too biased or anything.

**StaringStars:** lol...you're right, life can't be all bubbles and cupcakes (I got such a kick out of that). And shnazzy...excellent word. Me likey.

**Katmarajade: **lol, no that it took me something like ten days to update again...:sighs: And I can't blame it on my internet access...it's all me. Yeah, I hate it when fics have fights that go on for ages, because it just makes me want to scream "Get over it already!!!!" I hope mine didn't urge you to scream and throw things at your computer screen in frustration. Like I said in the above author's note, it took me forever to write this chapter and I felt I had to get it up. It's not the best, I know, so go easy on me in your next review (whenever that may be). And no worries...I won't be offended in any way, shape, or form. Not having computer access would be a bit of a problem. I'll do my best to have several chappies for you in the next month.


	25. Leaving Hogwarts

Disclaimer: My name is Beth and I'm a 15-year-old girl who lives in Wisconsin and earns thirty-four dollars per week babysitting. J.K. Rowling's name is Jo and she's in her 30's and makes millions by writing the Harry Potter series while living in England. The only similarities between us are that we're both females, we both like to write about Harry Potter (or the related characters, in my case), and we're both British (okay, so she's all British and I'm only part British because my grandma's all British, but still...). The similarities end there. I don't make a single penny by writing this because the idea doesn't really belong to me. I own the plot and a few characters, but that's it.

**Chapter 25: Leaving Hogwarts**

Once it became clear that James and I were no longer fighting, the general hubbub over him subsided. There were a few girls who weren't as easily deterred, but a few well-aimed hexes sent in their direction were enough to convince them that he was once again off limits.

"I think I've been a bad influence on you," he observed mildly when I sent a fifth year to the Hospital Wing with turnips sprouting out of her ears.

"I don't appreciate it when other girls flirt with _my_ boyfriend, especially when it's obvious we're very much together," I defended myself.

James just grinned and rolled his eyes.

0.0.0.0.0.

The next couple months passed without too much incident. James led Gryffindor to a Quidditch Cup victory, with Tave playing the best game she had ever played in her six years on the Gryffindor team. She and James both felt it was a good end to their Hogwarts careers. The Marauders pulled a few pranks here and there, but that was to be expected. As N.E.W.T.s drew closer, however, it became a common occurrence to see groups of seventh years studying feverishly in the library. And when even Sirius and Tave were seen poring over their Potions notes, it was officially crunch time.

"I'm never going to know all this," Tave whined four days before exams when all eight of us were cramming in the library.

"I don't see what _you're_ complaining about," Drusa said testily. "You only have to take three N.E.W.T.s that aren't even important. You already have a career in line for you, and that career doesn't depend on your academic achievements."

"Yeah. Some of us are taking six N.E.W.T.s that we have to pass or we won't be able to become Aurors," James put in.

"And some of us are trying to study for those N.E.W.T.s so we can pass them and therefore become Aurors," Sirius snapped. "Unfortunately, it doesn't seem that the rest of us are able to stay on task."

"Touch-_y_," Tave said, making a face at her cousin. He replied by throwing his quill at her.

"You do realize that if you had begun studying with my in February, you wouldn't be in this dilemma," I said smugly.

"Four months is a little obsessive," Alice commented dryly. She didn't give me a chance to respond before she picked up her Charms notes and began quizzing the group.

The following nights were spent in much the same manner. We would study in the library from the end of classes until ten, then everyone else would return to Gryffindor Tower while James and I did our rounds.

The first day of testing dawned bright and as soon as I woke up, I felt nervous.

"Just relax," Tave said, rolling her eyes at me when I could hardly eat any breakfast. "You're a freaking genius and have absolutely nothing to worry about. Remember O.W.L.s? You only got an 'outstanding' on every single one you took."

"But this is entirely different," I said, bouncing my leg up and down in nervousness. "These are so important-"

"Enough with the importance already!" Sirius exclaimed, putting his hands over his ears. "You've told us all a million times and it's drilled into our heads!"

"Worrying about it isn't going to help anything," James said soothingly. "You'll do fine."

I sighed, knowing they were all right. I _would_ do fine...but there was always that small chance...

Somehow I got through the next three days without suffering any major mental breakdown. I felt I did reasonably well on all my exams, especially Charms. None of my friends wanted to discuss the exams, however, so I had to be content with other pastimes.

As soon as our last exam let out, James and I were found strolling along the edge of the lake holding hands, just glad to be in each other's company. The Giant Squid was basking in the warm June sunshine, and I gazed at it fondly.

"You know, I'm really going to miss it here," I sighed, moving my gaze across the grounds. Students were lounging around in groups, taking advantage of the sun and the fact that exams were officially over. "I've spent the past seven years of my life here. I have so many memories, both good and bad."

"I remember the first day I say you," James said reminiscently. "It was September 1, 1971, on Platform 9 3/4. I thought you were beautiful, even though I was only eleven and still thought girls had cooties."

"I thought cooties were a Muggle thing," I laughed.

"Nope. Muggles got the whole idea from wizards," he replied matter-of-factly. "It's a long story. But anyway, my point is that I thought you were gorgeous."

I grinned. "You sure had a funny way of showing it, what with the frog spawn, the tarantula-"

"I just wanted you to notice me," he defended himself.

"Oh, great way to get attention," I teased. "You succeeded in getting me to hate you for the next six years."

"Yeah, that was a minor setback," he replied, running a hand through his hair.

"I used to hate it when you did that," I said fondly.

"Did what?"

"Run your hand through your hair like you did just now. I couldn't stand that. Remember in fifth year when I yelled at you for picking on Snape?"

"How could I forget? You're right; you threw something in there about me messing up my hair all the time. I was completely lost when you said that because I had no idea what you were talking about. I didn't even know I did that; it was completely unconscious. It still is, actually. It doesn't bother you now, does it?" he asked somewhat anxiously.

I pulled him towards me and kissed him gently on the lips. "It doesn't bother me at all," I said. "I actually find it rather cute, to tell you the truth."

James grinned at me. "I knew you'd fall for my Potter charm eventually," he joked.

I smacked him playfully on the arm. "Potter charm, my arse! I must have been smoking something powerful the night I told you I fancied you."

"Hey!" he cried indignantly.

"I'm kidding! But in all seriousness, I never would have thought in a hundred years that I would ever date James Potter. But I'm very glad I did, because I then proceeded to fall in love with him."

He looked at me as if I had just given him the best present in the world. "Do you know how good it feels to hear you say that?" he asked.

"No, I think you'll have to tell me," I replied impishly.

"Have it your way," he shrugged, then leaned down to kiss me. It was a slow kiss, like the kind often seen at the end of a Muggle movie, but it said everything. "That's how good it feels," he murmured once he had pulled away.

"Wow," I breathed, completely blown away by the kiss I had just received. "I don't know if I got that. I think you need to tell me again."

He willingly complied until Sirius felt the need to intervene.

"Oy, lovebirds!" he called from across the lake. "Get a room, will you? There are young, innocent, impressionable children out here, including myself, that just don't need to see that!"

"If you're innocent, then I'm the Minister of Magic!" I called back. "I've seen you and Drusa go at it!"

"Lily!" Drusa exclaimed. I hadn't noticed she was sitting right next to Sirius.

"Sorry!" I said with a smirk. "It's true, you know!"

"This conversation would be much easier if you two were on the same side of the lake," James said, shaking his head in amusement. "And that's not to mention that everyone on the grounds can hear you right now."

We joined Drusa and Sirius on the other side of the lake and engaged in friendly banter all the way back up to the castle. We found Tave, Remus, Alice, and Peter and we all crashed in the Head's common room.

"Oh, how sad," Tave said once we were there. "We only have a few more nights in here and then we're officially Hogwarts graduates."

"We? Who said anything about we?" I laughed. "This is James' and my dormitory, not yours."

"Well it's as good as mine," she shrugged. "I'll bet I spent about half the year sleeping out here on this couch. I'm going to miss it."

"I'm going to miss my bed," Drusa sighed. "It was my bed for seven years, and next year some little first year is probably going to drool all over it."

"The halls of Hogwarts are never going to be the same," Sirius lamented. "The Marauders will have graduated and there will never be anyone to fill our shoes."

"My, aren't we high and mighty? You don't think anyone will ever be as much trouble as you?" Alice laughed.

"Nah. I heard McGonagall in the teacher's lounge yesterday. She seemed rather sad that we would be graduating. She was telling Professor Sprout about how she was going to miss us being in detention every other night," Remus said with a sad smile.

"We still have one last prank to pull, though," James said, making the rest of the Marauders feel slightly less melancholy than they had been the previous moment.

"I'm not even going to try to tell you not to do it," I said. "I know that no matter what I say, you're going to do it. But you know what? I'm glad you're going to pull one last prank. The Marauders need to go out with a bang."

"We will- literally," Sirius said excitedly. "We've been stocking up on Dr. Fillibuster's Firecrackers all year. There's a huge stash in my trunk and under my bed. We're going to set them all off tomorrow."

"We're also going to magick the bathroom signs to switch around once a person's gone inside," Remus said. "No one will know which ones are men's and women's anymore."

I rolled my eyes. "You guys are something else," I sighed. "You're right, Sirius, the halls of Hogwarts will never be the same. Aw, I'm going to cry." I sniffled a little as the tears filled my eyes. James put an arm around me and pulled me closer to him.

"Let's talk about how fun it will be to be out on our own," Tave said, and I was surprised to hear her voice shake slightly. Upon closer inspection I saw that she, too, was a bit misty-eyed. "I can't wait to move into a flat with Lily and Drusa. We're going to have a blast."

"And I can't wait for Alice's wedding," Drusa added, also holding back tears. "Only two more months."

"Yeah. I'm going to be Alice Longbottom in two months," Alice said, a small smile on her face. She was the only one of the girls without tears in her eyes. Apparently she noticed this as her next words were, "I'd be sad about leaving Hogwarts too except for the fact that I'm marrying Frank."

"No one blames you for not being sad," I said. "You have every right in the world to be as happy as a kneazle."

"We all should be as happy as kneazles," Tave said resolutely. "I'm going to play for the Chudley Cannons, Drusa is going to be the best Healer St. Mungo's has ever seen, Alice is marrying the man of her dreams, and the rest of you are going to be Aurors and kick You-Know-Who's ass."

We spent the rest of the night trying to cheer each other up, but we were all thinking the same thing. Our Hogwarts days were over, and we would miss them terribly. Sure, it would be exciting to be adults, living on our own, and being responsible for ourselves, but, looking back, I don't think any of us were quite ready to grow up. We would be forced to soon enough.

0.0.0.0.0.

True to their word, the Marauders ended the year by pulling the best prank (or rather, pranks) in the history of Hogwarts. The entire day was chaotic; multitudes of firecrackers were streaming through the hallways and making loud noises, chalk bags had been bewitched to follow around random teachers and hit them at any given moment, and all the bathroom signs had been switched around. No one really cared, as it was the last tribute to the Marauders. Even Professor McGonagall was seen chuckling when a chalk bag caught her squarely in the face.

The graduation ceremony went without a hitch. I managed to make it through my Head Girl speech without bursting into tears, though I did get rather fogged up when James referred to his and my relationship in his Head Boy speech (it was about perseverance or something like that, I don't remember exactly.). Then finally, after long last, I was officially a Hogwarts graduate.

Students, parents, and teachers mingled after the ceremony, and it was clear that the Marauders would most certainly be missed. All of the teachers seemed rather sad that they were no longer students and all said they would miss the boys in detention. Professor McGonagall pulled all four of them into a gruff hug while telling them to behave, and I was certain I saw tears in the corners of her eyes.

"We're so proud of you," my mum said to me when I met her and my father. They both gave me a hug. "Congratulations, darling."

"Thanks," I replied, feeling myself tear up for the umpteenth time that day. "I can hardly believe that I'm on my own now."

"You're sure you don't want to stay and live with us?" my dad joked. "Your sister won't be there, you know. You can have us all to yourself."

I smiled at him. "No thanks, Dad. I'll need to live in the wizarding world so I can train to be an Auror. I told you about that, I know I did."

Our conversation was interrupted by the Marauders plus Tave, Drusa, and Alice. We all posed for several photographs, and before I knew it, it was time for us to go. We had all made arrangements to stay at James' house for the time being (except for Alice, who would be going home), seeing as he had more than enough room to accommodate us all. We would be staying there until other arrangements could be made concerning places to live. I said goodbye to my mum and dad with the promise that I would be home soon to get my things. I hurriedly reassured my mother that I wasn't technically moving out yet when I saw she was on the verge of dissolving into sobs.

With that, we went to Hogsmeade and apparated to James' house. We stayed up all night reminiscing about all the good times (and even some not-so-good times) we had at Hogwarts. At the end of the night we all eventually agreed on one thing; as fun as it was, it was time to move on.

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A/N: Okay, here you guys go. Sorry if it seems rather abrupt, but I realized that this is chapter _25_ and they're just graduating. By my calculations, James and Lily have just over 3 years left (:sob:). I don't want this to be ultra-uber-long, so I might have to split it into two fics. Maybe not, I don't know. I haven't planned that far ahead yet. But anyway...I'm doing my best to update as soon as I can, but it's getting increasingly difficult what with school and now cheerleading practice just starting up. If there ever is a prolonged absence (when I say prolonged I mean as in, 2 weeks or more), I'm sorry. I try to update once every week or so, but it's tough! But in the meantime, I would absolutely _love_ it if you clicked that happy little blurple button down there and left me a little note! I would be thrilled if you just said, "hey, what's up, I'm reading your fic and I (a. like it) or (b. dislike it)". That would totally make my day. And I know you want to make my day, right?!? lol

**taniita: **thanks a bunch! lol, I sure hope everyone's happy they get to read it whenever I can put it up. But I try to keep them coming steadily, because I absolutely hate it when I find I fic I like and then the author doesn't update. It just bugs me. So I try to not be like that. ;-)

**Secretly Smiling: **lol, I'm glad you get into it even though it's fictional...maybe we can strangle Snape together, hey? Sometimes I like him and sometimes I just can't stand him. Oh, and I hope you feel better. I'm glad I could cheer you up. When in need of cheering up, just call on me (I _am_ a cheerleader...which has absolutely nothing to do with the ability of cheering people up...). I'm so glad you read and review, keep it up!

**Crazayladay: **lol, thank you. And sort of understanding is better than not understanding at all, hey?

**milkywaypnay37: **well, it was up asap, but it's rather sad that "as soon as possible" is eight days later...:sigh:

**allie: **I don't know if "prickheaded" is a word, but it is now! Thanks for reviewing!

**PruePotter: **I know, I know. I'm having trouble in the updating department, but I try, I really do. Just bear with me, and _please_ keep reading and reviewing. ;-)

**rOk-stA: **hey, I haven't heard from you in awhile! Glad you're still reading (and reviewing, of course!). I liked James beating Snape up, too. It was rather fun to write, actually. ;-)

**otakuannie: **:sigh: You know, sometimes I wonder how lesbians can actually be lesbians. Honestly, they don't know what they're missing. :winks: Thank you, I know the Snape/Lily dealie was overdue but I finally got it to you. Hooray for candy, I've built up my candy tolerance and am now doing quite well in the candy consuming area. ;-P

**Smay: **thank you!

**Laney-Wood: **lol, he can be sometimes (or most of the time...). And thanks!

**StaringStars: **yeah, me too.

**edemmalily: **Thank you so much!


	26. Once Defied

Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing (except the clothes I'm wearing). The word "nothing" includes any characters you recognize from the Harry Potter series. I would never in a million years pretend I owned any of them, because that honor goes to Ms. J.K. Rowling. She's a freaking genius and I can only wish I was her.

**Chapter 26: Once Defied**

"What was wrong with that one?"

"I just didn't like it!"

Drusa and I exchanged exasperated looks. This was the fourth flat that Tave had vetoed in three days, and by now it was getting old. It was hard enough to find a three-bedroom flat that had an affordable rent, and she had to go and make it even harder by not liking any of them.

"Look, Tave," Drusa said, "Lily and I don't want to live at the Potters' for the rest of the summer."

"We can't impose on them that long," I added. "If you hadn't noticed, there are _seven_ of us living there at the moment."

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Tave sighed. "We're bound to find one that I like eventually. But in the meantime, let's go back to the Potters'. I'm tired of flat-hunting."

We returned to the Potters', and when we arrived Mrs. Potter couldn't help but smile at Drusa's and my discouraged faces.

"Cheer up, girls," she said with a sympathetic laugh. "I'm sure you'll find a flat that all three of you can agree upon soon enough."

"There's no rush, you know," James added, throwing me his adorable smile. "I have no problem with you staying as long as you need to."

"Of course you don't, James," Sirius said with a devilish smile on his face. "As long as Lily's staying in the room across the hall from yours, you can snog her any time you want."

I could feel myself blush profusely as James just grinned in assent. James' mother was standing right there. I timidly looked at her, and her eyes twinkled kindly at me.

"I don't blame you, my dear," she said to me, glancing sideways at her son. "There's something about those Potter men. They're very...snoggable."

"Mum!" James exclaimed, putting his hands over his ears. "Spare us! We don't want to hear about you and Dad snogging!"

"Just remember, James, that if your father and I had never snogged, you would never have been born," Mrs. Potter replied, clearly amused by her son's reactions.

"Mum, that's even worse!" he yelped. "I'm leaving right now before I become even more traumatized!"

I followed him all the way to this bedroom, trying hard to suppress my giggles. "Oh, James," I laughed when he flopped down onto his bed and jammed a pillow over his face. "You're overreacting."

"Mphurphnazavafaboo," he said. At least, that's what I heard.

I crossed over to his bed and pulled the pillow off his head. "What?"

"I said that you're not the one who's been scarred by mental images of your parents shagging," he bemoaned.

"Well your mother obviously still find your father very attractive, and I think that's cute," I said, twisting a lock of James' hair around my fingers.

"I like to think of my parents strictly as asexual beings, thanks," he replied with a grimace.

"_I'm _glad they're not, otherwise you wouldn't be alive," I said as I laid down next to him with my head on his chest.

His laugh rumbled in his chest. "But you still have to admit, it's rather traumatic to think about your parents..."

I thought a moment, and then shivered. "You're right; it _is_ rather traumatic."

We lapsed into silence, and I felt myself grow drowsy as I listened to James' breathing and steady heartbeat. I was nearly asleep when he spoke.

"I'm really going to miss you when you move into a flat with Drusa and Tave."

I raised my head to meet his eyes. "But it's not like you'll never see me," I said. "Knowing you, you'll be apparating over all the time, as will Sirius and Remus, come to think of it. I'm sure I'll be coming here quite often, too."

"I know that, but I'm still going to miss you. Do you realize that once you move, it will be the first time in about six months that we haven't either slept in the same bed or at least within sixty feet of each other?" He reached a hand up and gently traced my jaw line. "I'm really going to miss that."

"Oh," I said softly. I hadn't even thought of that, but I knew he was right. It would be lonely at night. "Well, I think we'll get through it alright. I can't stay here, James, you know I can't."

"Yeah," he admitted. "That still won't make it easy."

I smiled as I returned my head to his chest. "I know. But let's worry about that when the time comes."

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As it turned out, the time never came. The events of that summer were rather tumultuous and unplanned, but everything worked out in the end.

It began with Auror training. Actually, I shouldn't say that. I should say that it began with the Order of the Phoenix. We went to our first meeting in late June, and it was then that we realized what exactly we were fighting against. We would be expected to fight, but not yet. Dumbledore wanted us to focus on our career training for awhile, which meant Auror training for James, Sirius, Alice (who had actually joined just before any of us, seeing as her fiancé was a member), and me, and Healer training for Drusa. Remus couldn't train as anything seeing as he was a werewolf and Tave would practice with the Chudley Cannons as normal, and Peter had yet to join the Order.

Training to be an Auror was just as difficult as I had thought, if not even more so. After undergoing several character and aptitude test, we then underwent intense physical training. We spent hours a day learning how to dodge spells and duel in life threatening situations. We were taught how to conceal and disguise ourselves and how to properly track someone. All this was just in the first month.

We continued to attend Order meetings where we learned what Lord Voldemort was up to. I had no idea how they knew what he was doing until I realized that they must have spies within the Death Eater ranks. That was the first time I wondered if everyone in the Order was truly loyal to Dumbledore, who was obviously our leader.

It was one evening in mid-July when everything changed dramatically. I had just returned exhausted to the Potters' house after a long day of Auror training and was looking forward to relaxing with my friends. That was not to be, however, because we were all summoned to the Order headquarters just as we were settling down in the main living room.

Then seven of us immediately went to headquarters, where we were met by a flurry of activity. Dumbledore saw us and motioned us into a room with several other witches and wizards.

"What's going on?" James asked when no one offered us an explanation as to why we had been summoned.

Dumbledore looked over his half-moon spectacles at us. "We've just received word of a small-scale attack planned for tonight on some Muggles in Birmingham. Three Death Eaters have been sent to torture them, and we're not going to allow that to happen. I know you are new members to the Order, but I felt this is something you are quite capable of handling. I am only going to send three of you for the time being, along with Frank Longbottom, as that should be quite sufficient. The rest of you will stay here and watch what goes on. If needed, we will send you in to help."

Dumbledore singled out James, Alice, and me to accompany Frank. Frank, having been in the Order for just over a year, knew exactly what was going on and what we were expected to do. He gave us the location of the planned attack, and we apparated there.

I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I arrived outside a small house in a fairly rural area. Not too far from the house was a small cemetery. It was quiet and dark and, I thought, rather peaceful.

"Are you sure we're in the right place?" I muttered to Frank, who had apparated beside me. "Nothing's going on."

"Yeah, I'm sure," he replied grimly. "There will be plenty going on soon enough. Just you wait."

I didn't know if I was supposed to be excited or scared at his comment. Frank sent Alice to check on the people in the house, posing as a policewoman checking up on some disturbance reports. She returned saying they were doing just fine and didn't seem to suspect a thing. And then we waited.

I had always considered myself a patient person, but I definitely wasn't feeling patient that night. I was antsy; it was probably a mixture of fear and excitement and just plain adrenaline flowing through my blood. I would soon be facing Death Eaters. Not many, mind you, but the thought was electrifying. Throw in the anticipation of having to wait for them to arrive, and there you have it.

I don't know how long we waited, it could have been anywhere from two to five hours. I was beginning to think we were wasting our time when I heard it: the unmistakable sound of an apparation pop from the direction of the cemetery.

I felt James, who had been standing close to me, tense. The four of us were suddenly very alert. I strained my eyes to see in the darkness, but I couldn't make out anything. Then I heard another apparation pop, and another. There were three of whomever it was coming.

"Death Eaters," Frank muttered to us.

"How do you know?" asked Alice.

"Because if it was anyone in the Order, they would have apparated by us," he answered matter-of-factly.

"What?" Alice was apparently confused by this tidbit of information. "Why couldn't they apparate in the cemetery? It's easy to do, you know."

"I can't explain it to you now. Just trust me," Frank replied.

While the two were conversing, I could have sworn I heard more several more apparation pops. James and I exchanged worried glances. He had heard them too.

"Frank, I think there are more Death Eaters than we originally accounted for," James whispered.

"What? Why?"

"Umm...look." James pointed towards the cemetery where several dark outlines were beginning to take shape. They were moving closer to us, and there were at least ten of them.

"Shit," Frank said, setting his jaw.

"What are we going to do?" I asked, feeling more fear than excitement now that we were outnumbered at least two to one.

"We're going to have to fight them," he replied quietly. "We can't let them torture the Muggles. I'll bet with this many of them, they're going to kill them and maybe some others. Tonight might be a killing spree for them."

"And how, exactly, are we going to fight ten Death Eaters when there are four of us?" I asked.

Frank looked at me and I was surprised to see a grin on his face. "We can take those bastards out," he said firmly. "On three we're all going to attack. Ready? One...two...three!!!"

The four of us sent spells towards the dark shapes and were gratified to hear several yelps.

"Who's there?"

"Who did that?"

Immediately curses were thrown right back at us. Luckily, we were expecting that and were able to dodge out of the way.

"It's every man for himself now," Frank said. "Run towards the cemetery and hit them with everything you've got!!"

The next several minutes passed in a blur for me. Somehow I managed to get myself to the graveyard, dodging spells by ducking behind headstones. I had never had an adrenaline rush like I experienced that night. I loved fighting for my life.

"Lily, get down!!!"

I flattened myself to the ground when I heard James' voice. A red jet of light flew above me a split second later, narrowly missing my head. I rolled over and sent a spell right back but apparently missed. I got up and looked around; it was dark, but the light from the spells gave bursts of illumination. There was Frank behind a huge headstone, and James wasn't too far from him. But where was Alice?

I didn't dwell on the question long, however, as my gaze rested on a Death Eater about ten feet in front of me. I almost laughed out loud when I hit him with the Jelly-Legs Jinx. Hey, it was the first thing that popped into my mind. My mirth was cut short when a stream of purple light glanced off my arm, leaving a deep, angry cut. I felt the blood begin trickling down my arm, but there was nothing I could do about it.

I turned just in time to see a jet of light coming at me. I dived out of the way and it hit a headstone, blasting it into several pieces. I crawled along the ground for a bit, all sorts of spells flying around above me. The cold mud barely registered as I slid through it, throwing hexes at the Death Eaters.

Several feet in front of me I saw Alice, also sliding through the mud. Good, at least she was all right and able to defend herself. My preoccupation with finding her, however, did not do me well. A moment later I found myself being pulled off the ground by my hair. Damn, did that hurt!

I glared at the Death Eater when he jammed his wand at my throat, but I had something up my sleeve that he most certainly did not expect. I brought my knee up sharply, catching him right where it hurts men the most. He instantly let go of me and slumped over in pain, giving me time to run. I wasn't Muggleborn for nothing.

I continued fighting for several minutes after that. It was a little odd fighting against someone whose identity you didn't know; all the Death Eaters had hoods on that hid their faces. They all seemed one and the same to me in the dark cemetery. That is, until someone else showed up unexpectedly.

Nobody heard an apparation pop in the heat of the battle. He was just all of a sudden there. I didn't even realize he was there until I felt myself soaring through the air and landing on the ground with a "thud" next to Frank and Alice. James followed soon after.

I scrambled to my feet, then stopped dead. I was gazing into the scariest, most snakelike eyes I had ever seen in my life. They belonged to none other than...

_Voldemort._

I felt my heart pounding in my chest. A fear I had never felt before rose in me as I faced Voldemort and his Death Eaters, all of which had regrouped around him. I instinctively grabbed the back of James' robes and he moved in front of me slightly. I glanced at Frank and Alice and could tell the exact same thought was running through their heads as was mine: we were staring down death. There were four of us and eleven of them, including Voldemort. There was no way we would ever make it out of this alive unless other Order members came to our rescue...and fast.

Voldemort's red eyes flicked from me to James and a sick, twisted smile spread across his gruesome features. "Are you trying to protect the Mudblood, Potter?" he sneered in a high, cold, cruel voice. I vaguely wondered how he knew I was a Muggleborn and James was a Potter, but the thought instantly left my head as the Death Eaters around him snickered in morbid amusement. "How very touching. Too bad she's not worth it."

James shifted in front of me. He clenched his fist tightly around his wand at his side, and he glared at Voldemort with such hatred as I had never seen from him before.

I tightened my grip on the back of his robes. "Don't do anything rash," I murmured in his ear. "He's just trying to get you to do something stupid. _Don't_ lash out or we're all dead."

James didn't give any indication that he heard me, but at least he didn't do anything stupid. He just stood there as Voldemort continued to taunt us, and I was very proud of him. This would never have happened a year ago.

"-should be fun." I tuned back in to what Voldemort was saying. "We outnumber you by nearly three to one...it would be over too quickly for my liking. But once you four are out of the way we'll be able to move on to the Muggles. Well, I may just be forced to torture you all before I kill you."

I felt myself begin to panic, and it was all I could do to keep myself under control. Dumbledore had said that everyone else was going to stay to watch what went on and, if needed, be sent to help. We were obviously in dire need of help...and then a thought hit me. How on earth would they be able to watch us? My heart sank when I realized that help just might not be coming after all. We were doomed.

"We'll start with the Mudblood..." Voldemort flicked his wrist and it felt like invisible ropes were pulling me towards him. I saw Frank give James a warning look when James made a move to pull me back.

I glared at Voldemort and his Death Eaters when I had come to a halt about five feet in front of them. I hoped my fear didn't show in my eyes. I knew there was nothing the others could do; any sudden moments would insure death. We were hopelessly outnumbered. I prayed with all fervor that the Order was watching and would send members soon.

"_Crucio_!"

All thoughts left my mind as the Unforgivable Curse hit me, sending the most excruciating pain I had ever experienced coursing through my body. It was pure agony...every inch of my being felt like it was on fire.

Then, as sudden as it had hit, the intense pain vanished. I felt the ground beneath my head and realized my eyes were closed. I also realized I was breathing as if I had just run twenty miles in a sprint. I slowly opened my eyes, wincing slightly as I did so. Even though the majority of the pain was gone, it still hurt to move.

"Did you like that, Mudblood?" the high, cruel voice asked. I couldn't answer, which only seemed to piss him off. "Answer me when I speak to you!" he demanded, but I still couldn't say anything. "Have it your way. _Crucio_!"

Instantly the pain returned, and this time I was vaguely aware of someone screaming in agony. I half wondered if it was me, but my body was in too much pain for me to focus on anything but that. It was torture, pure and simple torture in its worst form. There's no other word for it. Never in my life had I felt as much pain as that. Yes...yes, that was me screaming. So much pain...so much pain...make it stop...

And then it did. I knew I was crying...sobbing, actually. I tried to open my eyes, but there was a light that was much too blinding. I shut them again, and I felt myself being picked up.

"Lily? Lily? Are you okay?"

Someone was speaking to me, but I couldn't respond. My whole body ached. It even hurt to breathe.

"Lily, can you hear me?"

I tried to open my eyes again, and the bright light was gone. I was looking up into James' face. He looked so worried and sad, and I had this feeling that I had to help him. But I couldn't...I hurt too much. I closed my eyes again and descended into a sweet darkness.

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A/N: No, she's not dead, sillies! She hasn't had Harry yet. :shakes head: That would be just stupid of me to kill her now because then there would be no Harry Potter and, consequently, no Harry Potter books. :gasps of the sheer horror of the thought: But anyway...wow, I can't believe this is chappie 26! I thought that when I posted my first chapter, people would be like, man you suck. But they weren't, and now I've finished 26 chapters!! :does little happy dance: And it's all thanks to my wonderful reviewers. And you know, it would be so wonderful if everyone reviewed this chapter, because my birthday is on Saturday (November 20th) and it would make me the happiest girl alive to get lots and lots of reviews. So go click on the nice little button down there and let me know what's going on inside your head!

**milkywaypnay37:** thanks! I think things might be a little more fast-paced from now on, considering it took me 25 chapters to get them to graduate! lol

**PruePotter:** awww!!!! :hands over a Kleenex: Here you go! (you can keep the Kleenex, by the way)

**otakuannie: **hey, there's nothing wrong with being a cheerleader! :sticks out tongue: Yeah, I'm just going to let it do its own thing, I think. The story really writes itself, and it's not happy when I try to do things it doesn't like to it. Hooray for candy for me!!! (but I do hope you feel better, if you don't already, because it sucks to be sick and vomity)

**Crazayladay: **lol, well I said you could say that... and thanks! Yeah, I was surprised when I counted the other day. I was like, 3 years? That much? Wow, it seems like they should be up and dieing pretty soon...and then I felt like a mean and cruel author. :shrugs: Ah, well, what can ya do?

**Secretly Smiling: **I haven't had any graduations yet (unless you count my 8th grade graduation, which was a _complete_ waste of my time), but I know I'm going to be so sad when I go to college. I have some really good friends at my school (it's a small private school), and it'll be weird to not see them every day. :sigh: But that's what happens when we grow up...

**allie: **thanks! I most definitely think you should write to Miriam-Webster and ask them to put prickheaded in the dictionary. They put muggle in the dictionary, so why not?

**PotterBananas: **How cool! I'm glad you randomly stumbled across my story, and I'm even gladder that you really like it. I've decided to make it all one big long story after all. Right now it's looking like maybe 40 chapters or so, but maybe more. :shrugs: I know it'll all work out eventually.

**Tweetytiff: **Hooray for another Lily/James shipper! I've been obsessed with them (which is why I decided to write one myself). Thank you very much! And yes...unfortunately school must come first...otherwise my parents would have a cow...lol

**taniita: **lol, no worries. I'm just anal retentive like that and freak out if I haven't updated recently. Actually, I don't freak out, I just feel rather guilty. But anyway...thanks! I most certainly hope you don't have too much hw to read this chapter, because that would just suck.

**Ancient's Daughter: **thanks!

**Laney-Wood: **lol, thanks! I haven't graduated high school yet, but I know it's going to be tough for me to move on. :sniff: But at the same time, I can't wait to be out and on my own in the real world. And, what's really funny, the thing I think I'm going to miss the most about high school is the drama. Oh, the drama. :giggles:

**Angry Girl: **Thank you! Of course I'm going to do everything that happens before they die! (and especially Harry!) It would just be...incomplete with out all that goodness!

**rOk-stA: **lol, no worries. It's fine about not reviewing and whatnot. How bummer is that! Well, I completely understand and there are no hard feelings (like it would matter...because we converse through the internet...lol). So review whenever you can, and I'll update whenever I can!


	27. The Love of My Life

Disclaimer: Any of the characters you recognize don't belong to me. I'm just borrowing them from J. K. Rowling so I can write this fun little story that popped into my head one day. Ms. Rowling came up with them to write a fun little story we like to call Harry Potter. Henceforth, she owns them. I'm only 16 and I have no money (except the money I just got for my birthday, which I would really like to keep) so please don't sue me.

**Chapter 27: The Love of My Life**

"She looks better today, don't you think?"

"Yeah, she looks a lot better. Do you think she can hear us?"

"Dunno. Drusa might know, we'll have to ask her when she gets back."

I heard the voices talking above me, first very faintly, then louder. I tried to open my eyes, but my eyelids felt too heavy. It was too much effort. Maybe I could speak…

"Of course I can hear you." It came out as a raspy, barely audible whisper, but at least it was something.

"Did she just say something?"

"I didn't hear anything."

"Yes, I did just say something." Again, my voice was hardly audible, but this time everyone was listening.

"Merlin, she's awake! Quick, go get Drusa and Alice!"

I heard the scurrying of feet and tried once more to force my eyelids open. This time I was successful, and my eyes were greeted with an attack of bright light against painfully white walls. I realized I was lying down on a bed, and there were several people sitting in chairs around me.

"Wha- where am I?" I tried to sit up but immediately stopped my efforts as a sharp pain shot down my arms.

"You're at St. Mungo's." Tave appeared in my line of vision. "Come on, James, let's help her up."

James also appeared above me and I was struck by how haggard he looked.

"How long have I been here?" I asked as they sat me up and piled pillows behind me.

"Two days," said Sirius from the foot of my bed. "We thought you were a goner for sure."

"Maybe _you_ did," Tave replied haughtily, "but _I_ knew a little thing like the Cruciatus Curse wasn't going to get the best of our Lily."

"So that's why you were in hysterical tears the first night," Sirius muttered while rolling his eyes.

I felt a shadow of a smile cross my face as she answered by sticking her tongue out at him. "So tell me what happened," I said, my voice getting stronger.

"Well, what's the last thing you remember?" Sirius asked, leaning back in his chair and folding his arms across his chest. I got the impression that I was in for a long explanation from the way he had settled himself.

I frowned slightly, trying to remember. "Well, Voldemort used the Cruciatus on me, and I fell on the ground, and then he used it again, and then all of a sudden the pain stopped. I remember a bright light, and then I saw James. That's all I remember."

"You missed the best bloody part of the battle," Tave said, an impish grin on her face. "Dumbledore showed up. He brought the rest of us with him, and some other Aurors as well. He was so mad, you should have seen him!"

"We all apparated to the graveyard, and when Dumbledore arrived Voldemort looked like he was about to scream like a little girl," Sirius chuckled. "The bright light you saw was Dumbledore. He saw you lying on the ground being crucio-ed, and he just started… glowing, almost. I was pretty scared myself, to tell you the truth. I don't know why he did that."

"You have to be an extremely powerful wizard to glow like that," James said quietly, speaking for the first time since I had woken up. "It happens when the wizard feels intense emotion, such as anger. It's sort of a summoning of magic. I don't know how to explain exactly what it is and how it works, but with Dumbledore, it's a very good thing."

"After Dumbledore did his little glowey thing, he started talking to Voldemort. He said something like, 'you've gone much too far, Tom'. Voldemort just kinda looked at him, and then they started dueling," Tave continued with the narrative. "It was bloody brilliant! All of us, including the Death Eaters, just stood there and watched. They were talking to each other the whole time, and they hardly even used their wands!"

"You should have seen it when Dumbledore blew Voldemort off his feet," Sirius jumped in. "He just barely nicked him with a spell, but it sent him soaring through the air. Once that happened, all the Death Eaters started apparating away."

"The little pansies, I'm telling you," Tave said discontentedly. "They knew that Dumbledore would kick their sorry little arses so they ran."

"We hit them with some nice hexes on their way out, though," Sirius said with an amused grin. "Remus did an excellent job with a Bat-Bogey Hex, and Drusa got one with that jinx that makes your legs tap dance really fast."

Just then Remus, Drusa, and Alice entered the room. Alice and Drusa gave small squeals before rushing to hug me. I warned them to be gentle just in time; I was still aching all over.

"Oh, Lily," Alice said, tears welling in her eyes. "I'm so sorry. It was so scary to see you lying on the ground like that when Voldemort was cursing you. It looked like it was incredibly painful."

"That would be an understatement," I said with a wry smile. "Try the most painful thing on earth, and you're somewhere in the ballpark."

"Ballpark?" Alice asked, wiping her eyes on her sleeve.

"Never mind, it's a Muggle thing," I said dismissively. "I'm alright now, just a little sore."

Right as those words left my mouth, a short, motherly looking Healer entered the room.

"Why did no one inform the appropriate authorities that Miss Evans had awoken?" she demanded in scandalized tones, pushing her way through my friends to get to my bed. "She needs immediate medical attention! She should not be conversing with so many people at once! You will exhaust her! Out! All of you! OUT!!!"

My friends, slightly taken aback at the forcefulness of the small witch, meekly stood up to leave. They said their goodbyes, with promises to be back as soon as the Healer would allow.

"Which shan't be for quite awhile yet," she muttered huffily. "Merlin, her body has been under extreme duress…"

"Ma'am, can James please stay here?" I asked, catching his eye.

"Why?" she asked as she eyed him suspiciously.

"Because he's my boyfriend, and I would really feel much better if he did," I replied.

The Healer hesitated a moment. "Well, I suppose he might be able to," she said reluctantly, "but he mustn't get in the way."

"I won't," James said, sitting back down.

"Thank you," I added, reaching for his hand despite the pain that was quickly building in my arm.

"All right, my dear, we must first get you some of this potion," she murmured, becoming much kinder once it was just James and me in the room. She pulled several bottles out of a pocket in her Healer robes and set them on the table beside my bed. She measured out a dose of a smoking potion, and I hesitated when she tried to give it to me. "Drink it up, my dear. It will help with the pain."

I nearly gagged on the foul tasting potion, but immediately a cooling sensation made its way down my body. I took four more potions, each one worse tasting than the previous, but I was feeling much better by the end of the ordeal. The Healer kept muttering things under her breath as she tended to me, and I detected a shadow of a smile on James' face when our eyes met.

"Now you just lay back and rest for awhile," she commanded when she had fussed over me enough. "It's a wonder you're doing as well as you are. The Cruciatus Curse is not something to be taken lightly, especially when it's applied by You-Know-Who himself." She then turned to James. "You'd better not keep her awake if she seems to be falling asleep," she said sternly. "I want you to summon me _immediately_ if she needs anything or if her condition changes. Is that understood?"

James nodded his assent and we watched in slight amusement as the Healer left the room. "A bit domineering, isn't she?" he asked mildly as soon as she was out of earshot.

"I suppose she has to be, what with pushy visitors and whatnot," I commented. "Drusa will be perfect for that role."

We fell silent, and I studied James as he began playing with my fingers. There were dark circles under his eyes and his hair stuck out more than usual. It didn't look like he had shaved in the past two days, either. "James, are you alright?" I asked finally.

"I'm fine," he answered, much too quickly for my liking.

"No you're not," I contradicted calmly. "How much have you slept since I was brought here?"

"Oh, I don't know, maybe three or four hours at the most," he replied, trying to sound offhand.

"James, darling, you really should get some sleep. Why don't you go home?"

"No. I want to stay here with you," he replied firmly.

"I'm fine, really I am. You don't need to-" I began.

"Give it up, Lily, I'm staying right here!" he interrupted. "The past two days have been pure agony for me, and I'm not leaving you any time soon."

I stared at him for a moment, trying to think of something to say. "Was it really that bad?" was all I could come up with.

"Yes," he replied gruffly, letting go of my hand and standing up. He began to pace back and forth and I knew he was about to tell me what was on his mind. "I sat in that chair for two days, not knowing if you were going to wake up or not. I don't know if you realize just how much I love you, Lily. The thought of you dying…" he trailed off, running both hands through his hair and making it stick out even more, if that was possible. "…I don't know what I'd do if you died. This is exactly why I didn't want you to join the Order."

"It could just as easily have been you that Voldemort decided to torture," I said gently. "If not me, it would have been someone else."

"But it _was_ you," he shot back harshly. My eyes widened in shock at his tone, and immediately he apologized. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to sound so angry. I'm just…it's been stressful. You have to understand that."

"I do understand that," I replied. I scooted over on the bed and patted the spot beside me. "Come here."

James hesitated. "I don't think the Healer would like that-"

"I don't give a damn what the Healer would like. I want you to hold me," I said matter-of-factly. "Now get yourself over here."

He climbed into my bed and put his arms around me. I leaned my back against his chest and closed my eyes.

"I love you," I murmured, entwining my fingers in his. "Don't ever doubt that. I really, really love you."

"I love you back," he whispered into my ear. He gently turned me onto my back and kissed my lips. "Merlin, I missed you. Promise me you won't ever do that to me again."

I gave a small smile. "I would promise you if I could, but you know I can't. How about I try my best to avoid the Cruciatus Curse?"

"How about you try your best to avoid any curse?" he answered.

"Deal," I said, kissing him again. He pulled me back into his arms and we soon fell asleep there together.

0.0.0.0.0.

I was released from St. Mungo's two days afterward, and I was quite happy to be out. Having to take five different types of foul-tasting potion twice a day for two days was quite enough for me. Dumbledore was wonderful in granting me as much time off from the Order as I wished, and, at my request, did the same for James. He apologized profusely for sending the four of us into a situation like that, and we all were quick to assure him that it wasn't his fault. Besides, if it wasn't for him, it was quite possible that James, Alice, Frank, and I would all be decidedly deceased.

I decided that I wanted about a week off, and I spent most of that time recuperating at the Potters' house. Mrs. Potter was an absolute angel in getting me everything I needed, and when you threw James into the mix, I hardly needed to lift a finger.

It was one afternoon near the end of my weeklong break that Mrs. Potter sent James out on an errand so she could come talk to me alone. It wasn't an easy task; James didn't want to leave my side.

"James, darling, I promise you that nothing will happen to me while you're gone," I said amusedly when he said he didn't want to leave me.

"I don't think anything's going to happen to you," he defended himself. "I just want to be here in case you need anything."

"James, really," Mrs. Potter jumped in. "If Lily needs anything, I will be more than happy to get it for her."

"It's not like I need anyone to get me things anyway," I added. "I'm doing quite alright. I hardly hurt at all."

"If you don't need me to wait on you and keep you happy, then why do you keep me around?" he pouted.

I grinned. "I like to keep you around because you're cute. Now mind your mother like the good son that you are and go run her errands for her."

James rolled his eyes, but relented. Once she was sure he was gone, Mrs. Potter sat at the foot of my bed and looked out the big window.

"James really loves you, you know," she said, more to herself than to me. "I can see it in his eyes when he looks at you."

"I know he does," I said, remembering his words at St. Mungo's…_ I don't know if you realize just how much I love you, Lily…_

Mrs. Potter turned to look at me, and I saw her eyes were moist with unshed tears. "It's difficult for a mother to realize she's been replaced as the only woman in her son's life. But I can't think of any other girl I would be more honored to have replace me as you, Lily."

I felt myself blush profusely. "Thank you," I said softly, not quite sure what else to say.

"You may think I'm prying, and you can feel free to tell me to mind my own business, but I was wondering something," she began. I prayed it had nothing to do with James and me shagging. "I don't want to scare you off, my dear, but have you and James discussed marriage at all?"

My eyes widened in surprise. "No, we haven't," I answered. "Er, should we have?"

"Oh, not necessarily," she replied. "I just didn't know if you realized that witches and wizards tend to marry much younger than Muggles do."

"Yes, I knew that, I just never really thought about it," I mused.

"Don't let me scare you off," she repeated. "I just wanted to make sure you knew how James felt about you."

I smiled gently. "It's funny, actually, the whole thing with James and me. I couldn't stand him for our first six years at Hogwarts, and then everything changed in seventh year. He wasn't as conceited as he was, if you don't mind me saying so. I fell hard for him, even though in our fifth year I had declared I would rather go out with the giant squid than with him."

"Oh my," Mrs. Potter said with a laugh. "I remember him going off about something like that. I found the whole situation rather amusing."

"Yes, I suppose you would have," I replied somewhat sheepishly. "I never did get that date with the squid, but that doesn't matter. I don't think it could have kept up with the lengths James went for me."

"So you love him, then?" she asked, seeming almost scared of my answer.

"Yes," I answered immediately.

"And, given the chance, would you spend the rest of your life with him?"

I studied Mrs. Potter's face for a moment before answering. "Your son is the love of my life," I said calmly. "We've only been dating for six months, but I know, without a doubt, that the answer is yes."

A small tear fell down her cheek when she blinked. "That's all I wanted to know, my dear," she said, another tear making its way down her face. "You should rest now so you can make a complete recovery."

She left my room and I drew the curtains around my bed. I turned the conversation over in my head and knew that I had answered in complete truth. Of course I would marry James. He was the love of my life.

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A/N: Ooh, a little foreshadowing, hey? My English teacher would be proud. lol Anyway, soooooo incredibly sorry for the long wait. My schedule has been so hectic that I've literally had no time to write. Between school, babysitting, homework, cheerleading, doing makeup on the school play, and Thanksgiving, I was swamped. We had Thanksgiving at my house this year, which meant lots and lots of cooking, cleaning, and dish washing. :gags: But it was fun to see all my relatives. On a quick side note, my 16th birthday was awesome, thanks to everyone who wished me a happy day! It was most definitely a happy day. But anyway, I had this chapter all typed and everything, ready to go, and then fanfiction wouldn't let me log on. Gah!!!!!! But everything's okay now. So once again, sorry for the long wait. I'll try to get the next one up sooner!

**nebulia: **Thanks! Yes, there will be a twice and thrice defied as well. I'm not quite sure how long the story is going to last, but I'm definitely doing it until James' and Lily's deaths. I have no idea how many chapters that will be, but it will be more than ten more, at least! I have some future chapters written, and there's a lot that has to happen. And I usually update fast, just not this time. :hangs head guiltily:

**LupinLover922:** Why thank you! I had an awesome birthday and got lots of junk (or maybe not so much junk, considering my parents got me a personal dvd player…).

**taniita: **"Snoggable" was definitely a spur-of-the-moment thing, but I thought it worked well. Hurray for made up words! And hurray for finishing homework before going online! :whistles innocently and looks around: I _never_ go online before I finish my homework…(as my English homework sits right next to me, waiting to be looked at). Anyhoo, I turned sweet 16! I'm taking my driver's test on December 22nd, so we'll have to see how that goes…

**greendragoneye:** Woah, rock on for birthday buddies! A guy in my grade at school's birthday is the 20th too, and we figured out that he's 2 minutes older than me. Weird, hey? Happy belated birthday to you and your mom!

**milkywaypnay37:** thank you! I just love the word "snoggable". I used it the other day while talking to my friends, and they just looked at me like I was crazy. At least someone appreciates my sense of humor…lol.

**Smay:** thanks!

**otakuannie: **Ugh, it would be _horrible_ to live with your boyfriend's parents! It would be all weird when you got lovey-dovey and the parents are right there, and yeah. :shivers: But I figured, with a house as big as James', it wouldn't be so bad. (and I'm talking about this as if it were real…:shakes head sadly:) I know, I'm so mean with the cliffie. But I had to! :giggles:

**Crazayladay:** Woohoo! You go girl! (I'm assuming you're a girl, seeing as your penname is crazay_laday_…) Ooh, Voldie touches Harry and he'll wish he'd never been born…seeing as I'm going to marry Harry (hey, that rhymes!). Actually, considering Harry is fictional, I'll settle for Daniel Radcliffe, the hottie…but anyway, I think your mental stability is just fine! It's just as good as mine…on second thought, maybe you should get it checked out…lol

**Stephanie: **At first when I read your review I was like, "Hmm, you may be on to something" but then I reread Sorcerer's Stone. Clearly, on the back of Quirrel's head, Voldemort had snakelike features. In CoS, we see him as a seventh year Hogwarts student. He wouldn't have been all snakey at Hogwarts, just after when he decided to be evil. And I don't think the incantation thingy made him use his father's dead, decayed body. It was just an incantation. If we follow that respect, that would mean good ol' Voldie has Harry's blood, Wormtail's hand, and his father's body. :thinks a moment: I don't think that works. But you're entitled to your own opinions as I'm entitled to mine. And, seeing as I'm the almighty author of this fic, I get to choose how Voldemort's like. If you don't like it, I'm sorry, but I'm not going to change it.

**Niniel204:** Hi, I'm awesome, thanks for asking. How are you? Thank you so much!

**lilyandjamesrox:** thanks! What would a J/L fic be without fluffiness? Ooh, a signed review! Rock on! And sadly yes, I must make them die…:sobs:

**Secretly Smiling:** Ah, junior high…:gags: I'm so glad I'm out of there. It was one big…I don't know what, but something not so nice. I hated it. But anyway, yes, I understand what you're saying about your school. Oh, I'm so glad your modem is all better. I hate it when my computer fries and then I'm stuck with absolutely nothing. :sighs: And thank you!

**PruePotter:** Ooh, that would be really funny if Lily just reached out and smacked Voldemort. He probably _was_ a picked-on nerd with chicken legs…:giggles: YES!!!!!! Someone who agrees that cheerleading is a sport! :does little happy dance: Ooh, I definitely say shopping is a sport. I mean, fighting the crowds and racing to get the last whatever that's on the shelf is tough! lol Oh, happy belated birthday! My birthday will never be on Thanksgiving. The closest it'll get is when Thanksgiving's on the 22nd. Ooh, quick funny story, when I was little, I always thought when we celebrated Thanksgiving it was actually a birthday celebration for me! I was such a cute kid, I wonder what happened…lol

**Banana Princess:** Yay! I'm added to your author alert list! :does little celebration dance: Thanks so much!


	28. Yes

Disclaimer: Same old, same old. Harry Potter doesn't belong to me, it belongs to J.K. Rowling (bows in awe). I'm only using her characters (and a few of my own) to create this fun little story. Don't sue me, please, because I have no money. Well, yes I do, but it's all going to be spent on Christmas presents.

**Chapter 28: Yes **

I went back to the Order a few days later with my health completely restored. Not much had happened since the last run-in with Voldemort, and I secretly hoped nothing much would happen any time soon. I didn't want to spend any more time in St. Mungo's.

Life returned to normal for three whole days, and then another event occurred that would change my life forever. I should have seen it coming, what with recent events and all. But I didn't, and I'm actually quite glad of that.

It started out as a fairly ordinary evening. James, Sirius, Remus, Peter, Tave, Drusa, and I were lounging in the downstairs living room of the Potters' home, relaxing after a long day of training in our respective careers. Peter had just joined the Order, as he had overheard that I was in St. Mungo's because of being hit with the Cruciatus Curse. We had a hard time explaining how, exactly, I had gotten hit with it and consequently had to spend five days in St. Mungo's, and eventually had to tell him the truth. Even though Peter was a few rocks short of a load (if you catch my drift), he wasn't so much so that he didn't realize getting hit with the Cruciatus Curse was most definitely out of the ordinary, even for Auror-trainees.

But anyway, the seven of us were sitting in the downstairs living room when Alice and Frank apparated right in the middle of the room with a loud "pop".

"Why hello," Alice said cheerily, clearly amused by the startled expressions on our faces. "Sorry to just _pop_ in so suddenly."

We all groaned at her terrible pun.

"Alice and I were just going to go out to dinner when we decided to ask all of you if you wanted to come along," Frank said, ignoring his fiancé's horrible attempt at humor. "Any takers?"

"That sounds great," Tave said, getting up from her spot on the couch next to Remus.

"I guess that means I'll have to go in order to pay for you," Remus sighed, following her up.

"You've got that right," she winked.

"How did you train him so well?" Drusa teased. "I pay for Sirius more often than he pays for me when we go out."

"I resent that!" Sirius piped up. "It's _at least_ fifty-fifty, if not more so on my part!"

"Right," Drusa laughed, rolling her eyes.

"Drusa, my dear friend, there are many ways to get your boyfriend to give you what you want," Tave grinned, putting an arm around her shoulders. "There are certain, er…_incentives_, so to speak, that can easily be withheld."

"You wouldn't!" Sirius exclaimed strickenly to Drusa.

"I just might," she replied airily.

"As scintillating as this conversation is, I think we should probably get ready to go," I cut in, not really wanting it to go any further.

"Good idea," Alice added. "We're going to a fairly nice restaurant, Wand something or other, I don't remember the exact name. You all need to spiff up a bit, but hurry. We have reservations at six-thirty and it's six-fifteen right now."

"You have reservations for all of us?" I asked as she pulled me off the couch.

"We knew all of you would want to come along, so we reserved a table for nine," Frank answered me. "We're good, aren't we?"

"That's debatable," Tave replied snidely as we filed out of the living room.

There was no time for anyone to answer her because Alice began shoving us towards the stairs. We took her hint and separated into our respective rooms. Amazingly, ten minutes later we were all ready to go. Granted, Drusa was whining about her hair and I couldn't figure out which shade of eye shadow went best with my dark blue robes, but we were ready nonetheless.

Frank showed us all the address of the restaurant, and moments later we had all apparated there. We were seated almost immediately and began one of the most enjoyable evenings I had experienced in a long time.

Dinner was a lovely occasion. None of us discussed the Order (we were out in public anyway) or our work; we wanted a night free from the pressures of life. I found it wonderfully relaxing to not have to think about Auror training or where Voldemort might strike next.

"Well wasn't this a jolly old time," Sirius said, leaning back in his chair when we had finished our meals. "I don't think I've been so carefree since the last few days before Hogwarts graduation."

"Too bad we all have to go back to everything tomorrow," Tave sighed.

"What are you complaining about?" James demanded. "All you do is play Quidditch- and you get paid for it!"

"Hey, it's not easy!" she defended herself. "Professional Quidditch is much more challenging than when we played at Hogwarts!"

"Somehow I still can't seem to find any sympathy for you," James replied.

"Well, I think that about wraps everything up," Remus jumped in, cutting off Tave's attempted reply.

"Are we all ready to go?" Frank asked.

"There's one more thing I have to do, actually," James answered, rummaging through his coat pocket for something. We waited patiently while he dug around, and finally he pulled out a small, black, velvet box. "Ah, I found it."

"What's that?" I asked curiously.

He turned to me, and I thought I detected a hint of nervousness around him. But why on earth would he be nervous around me? At his next words, however, I began to get inkling as to why he was so nervous.

"Lily," he began, "you know that I love you, right?"

"Yes, of course I know that," I answered, getting a funny feeling in my stomach. This couldn't be leading to where I thought it was leading…

"I've always loved you. I always have and I always will. I know we haven't been dating that long, but I have a question for you."

It seemed as though time slowed to a near halt as James dropped to one knee and opened the tiny box. It faintly registered to me that someone- maybe Tave- gasped, and it was with good reason. Inside laid a gorgeous diamond engagement ring. Right then I knew _exactly_ where this was going, and I immediately felt tears well up in my eyes.

"Will you marry me?"

Even though I knew what he was going to ask me, it still took a moment to register what he had said. The realization soon hit me, however, that James Potter was asking me to marry him.

My eyes met James' gorgeous hazel ones that I so often got lost in, and I vaguely recalled the conversation I had had with Mrs. Potter only three days before. James was looking at me with so much love that I remembered why, exactly, I had told her I would marry him. He was the love of my life.

"Yes," I said shakily, feeling a tear escape. "Yes, I will marry you."

James slipped the ring onto my finger amid loud cheers from our friends, a huge grin on his face. He stood up, pulling me up from my chair as he did so.

"Well what are you waiting for? Kiss her already!" someone demanded. It was then that I noticed the entire restaurant had been watching our exchange.

I felt myself blush as James willingly complied and left me breathless a few moments later. Sirius and Remus, being the great friends that they are, catcalled the entire time. With one look, however, I silenced them.

"Oh, Lily!!!" Tave, Drusa, and Alice rushed me a second later, all demanding to see my ring.

After several moments of "ooh"ing and "aah"ing, Sirius finally found the need to interrupt. "You four do realize that we're still in the middle of the restaurant and it would be much easier if we could just apparate home. The ring will still be on her finger when we get there."

"I hate to admit it, but he's right," Tave sighed. "We should get back to the Potters' house. We've been here what, two hours?"

"Frank and Alice, you're welcome to come, too," James offered.

"We'd love to," Alice said before Frank could say anything. "Us girls need to get right to planning the wedding!"

I was slightly alarmed by the thought of having to plan my own wedding. Planning someone else's (such as Alice's) wasn't so bad, but the thought of me actually getting married began to hit home as we began to leave the restaurant. It wasn't that I was having second thoughts. On the contrary, I was really excited. But I couldn't think about the wedding yet; I had to take things one step at a time. Just being engaged was overwhelming enough for the moment.

We all apparated back to James' house, where the Potters were told our exciting news. Then _I_ was told that the whole thing had been set up.

"What?!" I asked, slightly confused.

"James had been planning this for quite awhile," Alice said, grinning mischievously. "Frank and I really weren't just going to go out to dinner. We pretended to, so you wouldn't suspect anything if James suddenly decided to go out."

"Why do you think we all jumped up and agreed?" Tave asked, rolling her eyes. "Honestly, Lily, I thought you were going to catch on right then and there when we all agreed to go. After a long day at work, all I really wanted to do was lounge around on the couch."

"And I thank you from the bottom of my heart that you decided to come along," James said dryly.

"So the whole thing was scripted?" I asked, shaking my head slightly. I couldn't believe they had pulled one over on me. When Tave described it like that, I had a hard time seeing how I didn't realize something was up.

"Not entirely," Remus said. "The lovely little conversation between Tave and Drusa wasn't, nor was Alice's terrible pun."

"I resent that!" Alice exclaimed in fake indignation. "I thought it was rather clever."

We joked back and forth for another hour until Frank finally told Alice that he should get her home. They parted with Alice promising to help me look at wedding dresses, and then everyone else decided it was about time for bed.

I sat in my room alone on my bed once I had my pajamas on. I stared at the ring on my finger, not quite able to believe that I was going to get married. The diamonds glittered beautifully in the dim light. I kept thinking the same sentence over and over in my head: _I am going to get married to James Potter. _

A knock on my door interrupted my single thought. Not surprisingly, it was James.

"Hey you," I said with a smile, patting the spot next to me on my bed. He joined me, pulling me onto his lap as he did so. "Guess what?"

"What?" he asked, his warm breath tickling my ear.

"We're getting married," I answered, feeling as giddy as a schoolgirl.

His laugh rumbled in his chest. "Yeah, we are," he replied, gently kissing my forehead. He took my left hand in his and began playing with my ring. "I still can't believe you said yes."

I grinned. "I still can't believe you asked," I said. Then a sudden thought hit me. "James, how am I going to tell my parents about this?"

He looked at me quizzically. "Well, I would assume that you'd say something like, 'Mum and Dad, I'm getting married.' It's really not that difficult."

"I don't think that would fly too well," I said, suddenly feeling very nervous. "We've only been dating for six months. I don't think they'd understand that I want to marry you right now."

"I think they would," he said.

"What? How would you know?"

"Because I already talked to your dad."

I stared at James in disbelief. "You already talked to my dad? When?"

"About a month ago, when I asked him if I could ask you to marry me," he answered, seeming offhand about it. "He said I could, so he's obviously not against us getting married."

"You asked him if you could marry me?" A small smile crept across my face at his words. He respected my father enough to actually ask permission to marry me.

"Yeah. I figured he just might want a say in something as important as his daughter's marriage."

My smile turned into an all-out grin, and I planted a good-sized kiss on his lips.

"What was that for?" he asked, not able to stop himself from smiling as well.

"For being you," I answered. "I love you, James."

"I love you too, Lily."

0.0.0.0.0.

Even though James had gotten my father's ok, I was still nervous about actually going home and telling my parents that I had accepted his proposal. I put it off until Saturday, when James practically forced me to go home and tell them. He offered to come along, but I felt this was something I should tell them myself. Maybe he could come home with my in a few days.

I thought it best to just go home unexpectedly, so I did. I apparated into my bedroom, just to be on the safe side. Merlin forbid I randomly appear in the living room when they're entertaining company. I arrived in my bedroom, and I felt a twang of sadness when I looked around. It really wasn't _my_ bedroom anymore. Most of my stuff was at the Potters' house and would be moved to James' and my home once we got married. Come to think of it, it was actually my parents' home, not mine. I didn't really live there anymore.

Feeling somewhat depressed, I opened the door and went in search of either of my parents, preferably both.

"Mum?" I called. "Dad?"

"Lily?" I heard from the direction of the living room. I quickly descended the stairs and almost ran right smack dab into my mum.

"Hi!" I said brightly, pulling her into a hug.

"My goodness, you gave me a fright!" she exclaimed, hugging me back. "I didn't know you were going to drop by."

"I didn't decide to until just a few minutes ago," I replied, not mentioning the fact that James had basically forced me to go. "I have some news to tell you."

She surveyed me for a moment, then nodded. "Come on into the living room, dear. Petunia and Vernon are visiting today."

"Oh," I said disappointedly. I knew Petunia was going to be her bitchy self and say something snide about James or me.

Nevertheless, I followed my mother into the living room where I was greeted warmly by my father. Petunia, on the other hand, looked at me as if I was a bug she had squashed with her shoe.

"Why Lily, darling, to what do we owe the honor of your visit?" my dad asked, kissing me on the cheek.

"I have something I wanted to, er, tell you," I said, shifting uncomfortably under my sister's piercing gaze.

"Oh, Lily, do sit down," my mum said. "Don't be so polite."

I smiled weakly as I quickly obeyed her. She was still my mum, even if I was eighteen and fully responsible for myself in the wizarding world.

"So what's so important that you had to come and tell us personally?" Dad asked gently, giving me an encouraging smile. He knew Petunia was making me uncomfortable, and I had the sneaking suspicion he knew exactly why I was there.

"Well, I just wanted to let you all know…" I began, then faltered. It was a bit awkward to just out and say it. Oh, hell, I may as well just do it. "James and I are getting married," I finished, nervously twisting my ring around my finger.

The reactions between everyone in the room couldn't have been more different. My dad just nodded, not showing much emotion. My sister started going off in an angry tirade about how I was too young to get married. I was thoroughly alarmed, though, when my mum burst into tears.

"Mum, are you okay?" I asked nervously. I awkwardly patted her on the back. "Er, Mum?"

"I'm fine, darling," she said, wiping her eyes on a handkerchief my father provided for her. "I just don't think I'm ready for you to grow up quite yet. Are you sure you're ready to get married?"

"We've already discussed this, love," my father cut in gently. "When James talked to me, we decided that Lily was old enough to make this decision."

"Of course I'm ready, Mum," I added. "I love James."

"You've been dating him for six months. Are you sure this is wise?"

"That ignorant piece of trash probably got her pregnant," Petunia sniffed maliciously. "I'll bet that's why they're getting married."

My parents settled for a shocked "Petunia!", but not me. In a flash my wand was out and trained on my sister.

"Don't you _ever_ talk about James or me like that again," I snarled, absolutely loving the terrified look she gave me. "I can't guarantee your safety if you do."

"Lily, put it away," my father said warningly.

I put it back in my pocket, giving Petunia my glare-of-death as I did so.

"Come on, Lily, let's do the dishes," my mum said, interrupting the staring contest between my sister and me. I knew whenever she wanted to talk to me one-on-one, she'd make me help her with the dishes. I opted to pick up the cups and saucers that were on the table with my hands rather than using my wand, if only to avoid another fight with my sister.

I followed my mum into the kitchen, set the dishes in the sink, and began filling it with hot water. My mum sat down at the table and watched me.

"Don't get upset at me, but I really must ask-" she began.

"No, I'm not pregnant," I said shortly, and I began to wash the dishes.

My mother's silence assured me that that had been what she'd wanted to ask. I made a derisive noise, and then all that could be heard was the gentle 'clink' of the dishes.

"Lily, I understand that you love James, but are you sure you should be getting married right now?" she asked finally. "You're only eighteen and you've only dated him for six months. That's rather quick."

I turned to look at her. "Look Mum, I know all that. To Muggles it seems rather fast, but it's really not in the wizarding world. Especially not with the war going on."

"What war?" she asked loudly, on her feet in an instant. "Is there a war going on in your world? Are you in danger?"

I sighed. "I've explained Voldemort to you before. He's the Dark wizard that's been killing people for the past nine years or so."

"So what's so pressing about it that you have to get married?" she demanded.

"Because we're both fighting against him. There's no guarantee that we'll be alive in a few years. We're in love, Mum. Getting married is the right thing to do. We may never have another chance." It was the first time I had ever voiced the thought that had been swimming around inside me ever since I accepted James' proposal. Well, now that I think of it, the thought had been there since I had woken up in St. Mungo's about three weeks previously. James and I were loving each other in the midst of a war, and there was no telling what tomorrow would bring.

My mother surveyed me for a moment. "What, exactly, have you gotten yourself into?" she asked, rather pale in the face.

Right at that moment my father chose to step into the kitchen. I knew he had probably been listening to the whole conversation. "She's an adult, love," he said to my mum. "Lily's a very smart one, at that. She knows what's right for her. Let her follow her heart."

I threw him a look of gratitude. "I'm being careful, Mum," I said. "I _know_ I'm young, but I also know that I want to spend the rest of my life with James."

"She can make her own decisions," my dad added. "We've discussed this already, and there's really nothing more to discuss. Lily is going to marry that Potter boy. He's a responsible young man, and I wouldn't have anyone else taking care of her."

I knew it was final and discussion was over with the way he spoke. He was right; I _could_ make my own decisions. I may have only been eighteen years old, but I knew I was madly in love with James. He was the man for me, and I was going to marry him.

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A/N: Wow, I am _so_ sorry for taking so long with this! It was all written and everything, but I literally had no time to type it up. And I mean literally. I was home for a grand total of six hours this past weekend, no joke. Six hours, that's it. I finally got some time to sit down and type, and I decided to make this a tad bit longer for you guys. I'm going to do my very best to have the next chapter up sooner, and I think I might be able to do it. The 17th is my last day of school before two weeks of Christmas vacation!!!!! (:does little happy dance:) So anyway, I'm going to be furiously writing and typing my little heart out. And oh yes, I'm very sorry if this chapter seems rather abrupt. It's one of those beastly transition chapters. The next chapter may seem a bit abrupt, too. But after that it will get better, I promise. And once again, I'm soooo incredibly sorry for the long wait!!!!

**Secretly Smiling: **well I certainly hope you're feeling better (I would hope so, it's been over 2 weeks…:looks around guiltily:)

**AngelOfLily:** wow, thank you so much! I hope you keep reading!

**milkywaypnay37: **lol, I couldn't resist having Dumbledore pull out the old can of whoop-ass. He rocks my socks.

**Kim: **thanks!

**Niniel204:** Life is pretty good, thanks, how's yours? And thank you so much. Lily and James are my favorite couple, too.

**Crazayladay: **sorry, I called Harry!!!!! :pouts: Well fine, you can have him if I can have Daniel Radcliffe.

**PruePotter: **yes, I suppose you're right. Well, I'm sure my English teacher would give me props for it anyway, considering she doesn't think I'm a very good writer. Of course she wouldn't, she makes me write about stupid things I don't care about. :sighs: Ah, well…

**otakuannie: **thank you! Yeah, me too. Yeesh…

**Looony Moony: **:gasp: How dare you read and not review! lol, jk. I'm so glad you decided to review, though. Thank you very much!

**Katmarajade: **Thank you! It is rather sad that Mrs. Potter will have to die. I haven't quite decided when and how I want to kill her off yet, but I'm sure it will come to me. Yes, the story is just getting started. I have so many people to kill off, it may become rather angsty and depressing. I'll try to keep it away from getting too much so, though, because too much is just…upsetting.

**Banana Princess: **Ooh, I hate Remus/Sirius too. :gags: It's so disgusting. And I shan't tell a soul. :winks: I've already written the last chapter of this story, and it was really sad to write.

**nebulia: **Why thank you! And yes, you may most definitely have the nurse. I do believe I'm through with her, so go right ahead. You have my blessing.

**Stephanie: **No, being evil wouldn't make you all snakey, but Voldemort is the heir of Salazar Slytherin, so perhaps that has something to do with it. :shrugs: I really don't know, but I feel the snakieness just adds to the fear factor. Unfortunately, this isn't an AU. James and Lily will, indeed, die. :sobs:

**not-theonly-dreamer037: **lol, thanks! I do hope you enjoyed this chapter, even though it was rather abrupt.

**taniita: **thanks! And no problem, it's been taking me forever to update. I actually finished my homework for the first time since I've started this fic. :giggles:

**Smay: **thanks!

**Katelin: **thanks!

**Laney-Wood: **thanks!


	29. Becoming Mrs Potter

Disclaimer: I wish I owned the Harry Potter series and any characters you recognize, because then I would be a millionaire living in England. Unfortunately for me, J.K. Rowling owns the Harry Potter series and any characters you recognize, so therefore she's a millionaire living in England. I live in Wisconsin, U.S.A, and I'm _far_ from being a millionaire. Please don't sue me, because every penny I earn brings me closer to being the English millionaire I wish I was (okay, so I'm not technically English, but I can wish, can't I?).

_Observation of the day: _While reading the reviews of my last chapter, I noticed something rather amusing. Here in the United States, we always say "Merry Christmas". But just about everywhere else, it's "Happy Christmas". Why? I think everywhere else got it right. We crazy Americans say happy everything else, such as birthday, New Year, anniversary, Fourth of July, etc. So why "merry" Christmas? :shrugs: It's just one of life's little mysteries, I guess. Well, anyway, on with the story.

**Chapter 29: Becoming Mrs. Potter**

The rest of my summer was spent splitting time between the Order, Auror training, and planning my wedding. James and I had decided we wanted to get married fairly soon, so we settled on a date in early November. November 6th, to be exact.

In August we attended Frank and Alice's wedding, which was the first magical wedding I had ever been to. To my surprise, it was hardly different than a Muggle wedding. They exchanged vows and rings, and it was all sealed with a kiss. Needless to say, I found it much more enjoyable than my sister's wedding. I even found myself misting up as Frank and Alice declared their undying love for each other.

Other than that, nothing too exciting happened for the rest of the summer in the Order or Auror training. Dumbledore became more frequently absent from the Order due to Hogwarts starting again on September 1st. It felt odd, not being at Hogwarts, but I knew I'd soon get used to it.

It wasn't until one day in mid-October, while planning the wedding with my friends, that a sudden thought occurred to me. I was sitting on the floor of my bedroom in the Potters' home with Tave, Alice, and Drusa, and we were paging through a flower catalogue. It was when I flipped to the white roses that, for some reason, the thought popped into my head.

"I wonder where James and I are going to live after we get married," I mused, more to myself than to anyone in the room.

"What?" Tave looked at me in surprise. "You mean you don't know where you're going to live?"

"Well, no," I admitted. "I suppose I've always just assumed we'd live in a house or a flat somewhere, but I've never actually talked to James about it."

Drusa giggled. "I bet you'll live right here with his parents on the floor below."

I threw a pillow at her. "That's not funny," I growled.

"Why don't you just ask James?" Alice said, quickly summoning the pillow so it wouldn't be lobbed right back in my direction.

"I should," I said thoughtfully. "As much as I love the Potters, I really don't want to live in their house much longer. I wonder where James is."

"You go look for him while we decide on your bouquet without you," Tave said, grinning mischievously.

I raised an eyebrow. "Do you honestly think I trust you? You can look, but you sure as hell better not order anything while I'm gone." With one last warning look, I left to go find my fiancé.

I smiled to myself as I left the room, thinking of James as my fiancé. After three months of being engaged, I was still having a hard time believing I was getting married. To James Potter, no less. My mother still felt I was rather young to be getting married, but at least she wasn't so much opposed to it that she wouldn't help me plan my wedding. On the contrary, she wanted me to consult her before I set anything in stone.

I became immersed in my thoughts as I wandered the hallways, completely forgetting what I had set out to do. It wasn't until I almost literally ran into Sirius Black on the first floor that I remembered.

"It would do you well to watch where you're going," he said with a smirk, catching me before I ran into him.

I looked up at him, startled. "Oh! I'm sorry," I apologized. "I just became lost in my thoughts. Do you happen to know where James is? I need to discuss something with him."

"He was out on the Quidditch pitch with Remus the last I saw him," Sirius answered. "I was out there myself, but I got hungry. I'm heading to the kitchen to get something to eat."

I rolled my eyes. "Why am I not surprised," I said amusedly. "I swear, all you boys do is eat. Well, anyway, I really must go talk to James. See you later."

Sirius grinned. "How did a guy like James land a girl like you?" he asked in fake bewilderment. "I still can't believe you two are getting married in less than a month."

"Join the club," I laughed. "I never thought I'd _date_ him, much less marry him."

"I never thought I'd ever have a civil conversation with you," he added. "But here we are, standing in James' house, chatting like old mates."

"That's Fate for you," I said with a wry smile.

"Yeah. It sure throws you for some huge loops sometimes. Well, you should go find your honey-bunny-boo. I'm going to go find my sandwich." Sirius passed me, giving me a friendly pat on the head as he went. He was right; Fate sure threw you for some huge loops sometime.

I went back upstairs, through the locker room, and out onto the Quidditch pitch. The October air was quite brisk, and as I watched James and Remus race each other down the length of the pitch, I remembered the first time I had ever been out here with James. It was the day I had realized I fancied him, almost a full year ago. My, how time flew.

I waved at the boys as they passed me, causing Remus to gain a full broom-length on James. A few moments later he had won. James, of course, blamed it all on me.

"I can't help it that my incredibly sexy girlfriend is distracting," he complained as they landed by me.

"That would be incredibly sexy _fiancé_," Remus corrected with a teasing grin.

"Don't let Tave hear you say that I'm incredibly sexy," I teased, putting my arms around James' neck. "She just might beat both you _and_ me up for that."

He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. "I might just have to tell her that. I wouldn't mind having her beat me up. What she'll do to make up for it is well worth it. In fact, I think I'm going to go find her right now."

James and I laughed. "She's in my bedroom with Alice and Drusa," I said helpfully as he headed towards the locker room. He waved his thanks and went inside.

"So," James said, turning to me. "I thought you were busy trying to decide what flowers you wanted for our wedding. What's so important that you have to take a break from such a task that you would come and talk to me?"

I grinned, standing on my tiptoes to kiss him. "Why do I have to have a reason to talk to the man I love?" I asked.

"Because I know you," he answered dryly, putting his harms around my waist and pulling me closer to him. "Once you get involved in something, it takes a bloody lot to pull you away."

"Touché," I said reproachfully, pulling back a bit to give him an incredibly pouty look. Then I spoke with a very aloof attitude. "Perhaps you don't want to talk to me at all, then? I see how it is."

"You're dead on. I don't want to talk to you. I suppose this whole engagement thing is a big mistake," he replied smoothly. I could tell he was fighting to keep a straight face.

"You're right," I answered, also fighting gallantly against a huge smile that threatened to break through. "It's best we call it off. I'll _not_ be seeing you around." I turned and broke contact with him, but a split second later he had grabbed my wrist and spun me right back to him. He had finally broken his façade, and one look at his gorgeous smile was enough to make me weak in the knees.

"Oh no you don't," he murmured in my ear. "Don't think you can get rid of me so easily. I've fancied you for almost five years, and now that I've got you, there's no turning back."

"Oh really?" I asked demurely, snuggling up to him against a cold wind. For a moment I was glad I hadn't brought a jacket simply for an excuse to get close to him. Then I almost rolled my eyes at such a schoolgirl thought. I was going to _marry_ him; I didn't need a reason to get close to him. I could get as close to him as I damn well wanted to. The thought made me laugh.

"What's so funny?" he asked.

I explained my thought to him, which made him laugh. "But you know, James, I actually did have a reason to come talk to you."

"I knew it! Well, what would you like to talk about?"

"I was just wondering, where are we going to live after we get married?" I tilted my head up so that my chin rested on his chest.

He looked down at me and smiled slightly. "Don't you worry about that. I have everything worked out."

"That _is_ what worries me," I sighed, giving him a playful look. "So you do have somewhere for us to go? We won't be living here anymore?"

"Merlin, no!" he replied, somewhat strongly. He shivered slightly. "I'm not living with my parents after I'm married. That would just be…weird. No, I have somewhere for us to go. I'm not going to tell you, though, because it's going to be a surprise."

"Hmm. I like surprises," I murmured, suddenly feeling very lazy. "Let's go inside, James. Tave, Drusa, and Alice were threatening to pick out my bouquet for me without my approval, and I should probably get back in there before they actually go through with their threat."

One might wonder why, exactly, I let the subject of our housing drop. A year ago I probably would have persisted the matter. Actually, I _know_ I would have persisted the matter. But I had grown up in a year's time. To put it quite simply, I trusted James. It's funny, what a little love can do to a relationship. James said he had a place for us to live, and I trusted him. It was that simple.

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I woke up early on November 6th with what Alice dubbed "the-day-of-the-wedding-bride-jitters". It was about five o'clock in the morning, and I could be found pacing my bedroom, nervously twisting my engagement ring around my finger (it was an unconscious nervous habit I had developed, much like James' ruffling of his hair). I began wondering if my mother had been right when she said I was too young to get married. Again, I wouldn't say that I was having second thoughts. Yes, I wanted to marry James. I knew he was the one I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. But I was only eighteen…

At that moment there was a knock on my door, and a moment later Alice entered.

"Hi. I hope you don't mind that I decided to drop by," she said, closing the door gently behind her.

"Of course not! But, Alice, how did you know I would be awake?" I shook my head at my friend's incredibly intuitive nature.

"Because I was a bride three months ago, and I know exactly what you're thinking," she replied simply. "I woke up at about three in the morning on the day of Frank's and my wedding. How long have you been awake?"

I glanced at the clock on my side table. It read 5:30. "Only about forty-five minutes," I answered. I sat down on my bed and motioned for her to join me. "So I suppose you've come to counsel me?"

"You better believe it," she laughed. "So tell me what's going on inside your head right now."

I sighed. "I love James with all my heart, Alice, I really do. I want to marry him, but is getting married right now the right thing to do? We're only eighteen years old and-"

"Lily, darling," she interrupted. "You just answered your own question."

I stared at her. "What?"

"You said you love him with all your heart and you want to marry him. Why wouldn't marrying him right now be the right thing to do? So what if you're only eighteen? So am I."

I hated the way she made everything seem so clear. "Yes, but what if James isn't the one for me? I'm eighteen years old, and marriage is permanent!"

"I think you're just looking for arguments," Alice said dryly, "and you know that one is complete crap. You and James are head over heels in love with each other. I've seen the way you two look at each other. You know he's the one for you."

I sighed. "You're right, as always. I think I'm just scared."

"And that's perfectly normal," Alice assured me with a warm smile. "I was scared out of my mind the morning of my wedding, but I went through with it. And you know what? That was the best decision of my life. You'll be completely miserable if you don't marry James today. Sure, you could wait a few years, but you know as well as I do that there's no guarantee any of us will be alive then."

I let a big breath out. "I really hate the way you always hit things right on the head," I said wryly.

"What are friends for?" she laughed. "So you're definitely going to get married today?"

I smiled. "Yeah, I am. Just think, Alice, at this time tomorrow I'm going to be Mrs. Potter."

"Forget about tomorrow, you're going to be Mrs. Potter in about six and a half hours," she replied, giving me a hug. "This is so exciting!"

I agreed wholeheartedly.

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The whole morning was one big whirlwind of activity. James and I had decided to go the safe route and have a completely Muggle wedding, considering most of my relatives attending had no idea of magic. We didn't really want to have to have the Ministry of Magic come and apply mass memory charms. There would, of course, be magical photographers, but no one would know the difference.

We were getting married in a church not too far away from my parents' home. As soon as I arrived, I was shunted into a room close to the sanctuary. Tave, Alice, Drusa, and my mother were also crammed in there to help me get into my dress. Luckily, they had all gotten ready before arriving. It wasn't a small room, but with five women in it, it was a rather right fit. I thanked Merlin that I hadn't decided on a huge dress. There definitely wouldn't have been enough room for us all to fit.

Getting into the dress was still quite an operation in the limited space that we had. It was strapless and there was a zipper in the back, so one would think that it wouldn't be that difficult. With six women crammed into the room, however, and with four of them already dressed very nicely, it was much harder than it should have been. But in the end we were successful, and that's all that matters.

Having my hair done was another issue, but this one was easily solved. With Drusa and Alice's hair expertise and a little magic, my hair was soon twisted and curled very beautifully. Drusa had the stroke of genius to twist some small white flowers (which I was certain were baby's breath) into my hair. My mother then added a veil that hung from my hair down my back. I hadn't originally even wanted a veil, but she had talked me into it. I still absolutely refused to have it over my face, but I had to admit that it looked very nice hanging down my back.

A little makeup was applied, and finally we all stepped back to admire our handiwork. Without meaning to be conceited, I have to say that I was beautiful. I knew I was going to knock James dead.

"Wow, Lily," Tave breathed. "Wow."

My mother's eyes were definitely moist as she spoke with a shaky voice. "You're absolutely gorgeous, darling."

Silence filled the room, and we all jumped at the knock on the door.

"The ceremony's starting in a few minutes," came Sirius' voice from the other side. "We need all the ladies besides Lily to get ready to walk down the aisle."

"We're coming," Alice called back, then gave me a hug. "We'll see you in the sanctuary, then, Lily."

With encouraging smiles, my friends left the room. My mother stayed behind for a moment.

"I just wanted to let you know that I'm not upset that you're getting married," she said finally. "James is a very nice young man. I think I was originally upset because I've lost both of my daughters this year. It was hard enough letting Petunia get married, but I thought I'd have you for a few more years, at least."

"Oh, Mum," I said, pulling her into a hug. I felt my eyes tear up, but I willed myself not to cry. It would ruin my makeup. "You haven't lost Petunia and me, you know. Just because I'm getting married doesn't mean I'm not going to see you anymore. I still love you."

My mum pulled away and wiped her eyes. "Yes, darling, I know that. I love you very much, and I want the very best for you. It's just incredibly hard for a mother to realize that her children have grown up. It seems like only yesterday I was holding your hand and helping you to walk or making you eat your vegetables. And now look at you. You're a gorgeous young woman getting married to the man that has stolen your heart."

A tear rolled down my cheek and I quickly wiped it away. "Don't worry about it, Mum. I know you just want to watch out for me."

Another knock sounded at the door, and this time it was my father telling my mother that she needed to be escorted down the aisle to her seat. She quickly dabbed at her eyes, and then left the room. My father entered and immediately gave me a hug.

"You're very beautiful, Lily," he said in an oddly strangled voice.

"Thank you," I said, still struggling not to cry. "I'm getting married, Dad."

He smiled at me, and I could have sworn I saw a tear in the corner of his eye. "Yes you are," he answered. "Do you think you're ready to go down that aisle and meet James?"

I wiped my eyes and straightened my dress. "Yes," I said decidedly. "Let's go."

My dad and I walked out of the room and got in the back of the line of the remaining wedding party still waiting to go in. Alice gave me a thumbs up and I smiled at her. Soon enough everyone else was inside and lined up near the front of the church. I took a deep breath as "The Wedding March" started up.

Everyone turned to look at me and stood up as my father began to escort me down the aisle. My heart began to beat madly as I surveyed the crowd. There were so many people…

I looked up the aisle and saw James. We locked eyes and he smiled encouragingly at me. I smiled back, and I suddenly knew that this was exactly what I was supposed to be doing.

We only broke eye contact when my father and I had reached James and the preacher asked, "Who gives this woman to be joined with this man by holy matrimony?"

"Her mother and I do," my father answered. He kissed my cheek, then removed my hand from his arm and placed it on James'. He sat down next to my mother, who was dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief, and then James and I moved up closer to the preacher. I snuck a look at Mrs. Potter and she, too, was dabbing her eyes.

The ceremony commenced, and the whole time I couldn't believe what I was doing. I was marrying James Potter. After this, there was no going back.

The preacher asked Sirius for the wedding rings. He handed James' to me and mine to James.

"Do you, James Potter, take Lily Evans to be your lawfully wedded wife, to honor and cherish for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, till death do you part?" the preacher asked.

James looked me straight in the eye. "I do," he answered. I slid the ring onto the fourth finger of his left hand.

"And do you, Lily Evans, take James Potter to be your lawfully wedded husband, to honor and cherish for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, till death do you part?" asked the preacher.

"I do," I answered, not breaking eye contact with James. He slipped my ring onto my fourth finger.

"Then by the power vested in me by God and the great country of England, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Cheers erupted and cameras flashed as James kissed me, and out of nowhere two white doves appeared. They soared through the sanctuary, and I gazed accusingly at Sirius. He shrugged innocently, but I saw him tuck his wand back into his pocket.

"May I present to you for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. James Potter."

The cheers grew even louder as James and I made our way out of the sanctuary. By this time both James' mother and my mother were sobbing full force into their handkerchiefs. James and I got into a limo that was going to take us to a nearby restaurant for the reception.

"Wow," I murmured, leaning against him as the limo took off. "Oh dear God, I can't believe I'm married!"

James grinned. "You are indeed married, Mrs. Potter."

I smiled back at him. "Lily Potter…I like it. I like James and Lily Potter even more."

"Good thing, too, because you're stuck being Lily Potter for the rest of your life," he said smartly.

"You know, I would smack you but I really don't have the energy to," I sighed. "But that's okay. I can wait. I have the rest of my life to spend with you."

"Damn straight," he replied, putting an arm around me. He then kissed me soundly on the lips. "I love you, Lily Potter," he said.

"I love you too, James Potter," I answered.

We finished our ride in silence, just reveling in the fact that we were now married. It's a big step, from dating to marriage. With dating there's always the slight doubt of being together tomorrow, but with marriage, there's the feeling of it being permanent. As I looked at him, so handsome in his tux, I knew our marriage would be permanent. We would be together forever.

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A/N: :sniff sniff: Aw, now they're married! Once again, I'm sorry if it seems rather abrupt, but I need to get things moving along here. I wanted to get this chapter up before Christmas, too. So Merry Christmas to everyone! I hope you all have an awesome Christmas, eat tons of food, and get lots of junk. And, while I'm at it, I'll wish everyone a Happy New Year, too. I hope 2005 will bring you guys great times and happy memories. Okay, I'm done being sappy now. :giggles: One uber-happy thing I just have to share before I quit this little note: on Wednesday, December 22, I got my driver's license! I've been putt-putting around in my little blue Neon since then, and it's so much fun! :parties: Thanks for bearing with me as I shared that tid-bit of information. :- )

**Angry Girl: **Thank you! I know, it's going to be terribly sad. But unfortunately, it has to be done.

**taniita: **lol I'm _so_ glad it's Christmas break. I really needed a break from school. But of course, my English teacher (gah! die!) decided to assign a book report over break, so now I have to read Pride and Prejudice. :rolls eyes: I just don't know what part of "break" she doesn't understand. :sighs: Ah, well, I have a week and a half…

**Smay: **thank you! I will definitely try to read that story, and Merry Christmas to you.

**James and Lily 4eva: **thank you!

**hazardous: **She most certainly fell hard for him. It's funny how things sometimes work like that (in real life, I mean, not just fiction. :winks:). Very true, I wish we could all have such happy endings (minus the dying, of course). Oh, totally random comment, but when I saw your name I immediately thought of "Toxic" by Britany Spears. Sad, I know, but true.

**PruePotter: **lol, I'm sure you're an excellent writer. A lot of people just need a little push in the right direction, and to write about things they care about. I, for one, suck and writing poems. I'm just not a poem-y person. I suck at writing short stories about little girls in WWII era, because I couldn't care less. I feel that I do well with this story, though, because I love Harry Potter, and J/L is my favorite ship. And no worries about not having a point; half the time I don't either. :-)

**milkywaypnay37: **lol, that Alice! You could pretend to be Tave and then be maid of honor (I didn't put that in this chappie but I think it'll show up in the next). And thanks!

**just-kim: **nope, I don't believe you have reviewed. And thank you for doing so! I'm very glad that you like it!

**nebulia: **No problem, my pleasure.

**Secretly Smiling: **Yes, 9 days off is definitely better than none at all. Most public schools around here went through Wednesday. Ah, the joys of private school…lol. And thank you very much!

**AnGeL-GiRl-XxX:** thank you! You have a good Christmas as well!

**Banana Princess: **well thank you very much. I used to have chapters written before I typed them up, but I fell behind (around a month into it) and here I am. I've actually now found that I write better while on the computer. It's really weird. I think I have 2 other chapters written (besides the last one) but I don't know exactly what numbers they'll be. I know where in the timeline they lie, but it depends on when I get there. Last chapters are definitely a doozy to write, especially for L/J because it's already really sad. :sighs: Ah, even the best of us neglect our stories from time to time. :looks around and whistles innocently:

**HulaHomer: **wow, I'm flattered! I'm very glad you like the story. Keep reading and reviewing, please!

**Crazayladay: **Darn. You definitely have a point about Harry being fictional. :mutters curse words under her breath: My mom would _flip_ _out_ if I got married at 18 to a guy I'd been dating for 6 months. Actually, she'd flip if I got married at 18 period. But with my track record with boyfriends, she has nothing to worry about. :sighs:

**LillyEvans13:** thank you! I'll definitely try to get to yours. I've been so busy lately I've hardly had time to read fanfictions. :sighs: But I will try!

**Niniel204: **My life is wonderful! (see end of a/n…lol) I know, James is such a sweetie. I want to get married to a man just like him. Merry Christmas to you too!

**miriel216:** My school weights honors classes and AP classes differently. Regular classes are out of 4.0, honors are out of 4.5, and AP are out of 5.0. So if I take 3 honors classes, the highest GPA I can get is 4.2. This year, however, I'm in 4 honors classes, so my highest possible GPA is 4.3. It's rather confusing. :shrugs:

**Looony Moony: **lol, I most certainly forgive you. Don't punish yourself too badly, please! I know, Petunia can be quite a bitch. But deep down inside, I don't think she's that bad. Ah, I'm so glad you love James even more. He's my favorite. I also love Sirius. Remus rocks my socks too. Actually, I just love the Marauders (minus Peter, of course). You review was actually quite entertaining, in case you were wondering. Merry Christmas!

**Katmarajade: **:bows low: It's a pleasure to be of comedic service. I would _love_ and engagement ring, but seeing as I'm only 16, I think I can wait a bit longer. But I definitely want a guy as awesome as Jamesie. And thank you very much. Transition chapters are beasts, to say the least. I must admit I get rather frustrated sometimes and am extremely tempted to throw large objects at my computer or chuck my pen across the room (depending on my mode of writing). I have yet to give into those temptations. :sigh: I was going to mention Vernon, and then I forgot to. lol, you described him perfectly! And thank you very much for the recommendation. It's a very good idea and a good way to keep the story realistic. Ah, I'm glad I won't be able to butcher it that bad. I have also seen some good attempts and would really like to stay out of that category. :shivers: I always love to get your reviews. I look forward to them because they have such substance. They're not just "hey, great story, update" (which I don't mind getting). I must admit, I'm also rather frightened of them sometimes. With such a good reviewer, there's the terror of a chapter being ripped to shreds. I know I've had ripped-to-shreds-worthy chapters. :looks around innocently: But anyway, after this rather long, drawn-out reply, I'll conclude it by wishing you a very Merry Christmas.


	30. Being Married

Disclaimer: I can guarantee you that J.K. Rowling's New Year's resolution is not to let poor 16-year-old American girls take credit for her work of pure genius we like to call Harry Potter. Henceforth, I'll let everyone know that none of the characters you recognize belong to me. They do, in fact, belong to Ms. Rowling.

**Chapter 30: Being Married**

James and I were whisked away first thing when we arrived at the restaurant for pictures of the wedding party. It seemed that the photographers couldn't get enough. First there were pictures of my bridesmaids and me, then of Tave (my maid of honor) and me, then of the groomsmen (Sirius, Remus, and Peter, of course). Then there were pictures of James and the various attendants, and then there were pictures of all eight of us. Then there were pictures with our mothers, then with our fathers, then with all six of us. Then there were pictures with all twelve, and finally there were pictures of just James and me.

"Finally," I murmured when the photographers had deemed they had enough pictures for the time being.

"Amen," James replied with a laugh. "I think I'm going to see little boxes of color floating in front of my eyes for the rest of my life."

We went to join the rest of the reception, and Sirius, of course, had to make it a big production. He was fascinated with the microphones and used them whenever he could.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to present Mr. and Mrs. James Potter to you…again," he said when we arrived. Cheers erupted once more, and soon James and I were making the rounds from table to table, saying hello and thanking everyone for coming.

I hadn't realized just how many people had actually attended until I tried talking to them all. Half of them I didn't even know; they were either distant relatives of mine or they somehow knew the Potter family (which, I had to keep reminding myself, I was now part of).

After about half an hour of mingling, James and I were called upon, by Sirius, of course, to open the dance floor. We obliged, and I was rather nervous having to dance with everyone watching.

"Just relax, babe, and pretend this is your sister's wedding," he whispered into my ear when I told him.

I grinned. "I would do that, except for the fact that then we wouldn't be married," I answered.

"Mmm, good point," he said. "Then I'll just settle for, 'you're an awesome dancer so you shouldn't be nervous'."

"Thanks, darling, you're the best," I laughed, rolling my eyes.

We finished dancing to the song, then others got up and began to dance. Once again James and I were called upon to mingle, and it was then that I chanced upon my sister. It was an awkward silence as we stood before each other, and I finally broke it.

"Thank you for coming to my wedding," I said, studying the hem of my dress somewhat in embarrassment. I wasn't sure what her reaction was going to be, and I prayed it wasn't going to be nasty. "Even though we haven't been on the best terms, it still means a lot to me."

I braced myself for a harsh reply, but to my surprise it didn't come. I looked up at my older sister, and there was something in her expression that I couldn't read.

"You came to my wedding, and I felt I had to be at yours," she said finally. "We _are_ sisters, after all."

"Yeah, we are," I said, smiling a little. "It's pretty funny how we're so different even though we came from the same two people."

I thought I detected a trace of a smile on Petunia's face. "Yes, it is." There was silence for a moment, then, "Well, Vernon and I need to get home. I hope you and James will have a good marriage."

That was one of the nicest things she had said to me since I had been sent to Hogwarts. "Thanks, Petunia. Same for you and Vernon. I'm glad yours has been good so far."

As my sister walked away from me, I wondered what had come over us. We usually couldn't be in the same room without practically killing each other. But what she had said really rang true: we _were_ sisters, after all.

I had to put the conversation with my sister out of my head a moment later. I was at a wedding, and I happened to be the bride. I had to thank more people for coming, and while I was making my rounds I saw Drusa sitting alone at a table and pouting.

"Why so pouty, Drusa?" I asked, pulling up a chair next to her.

She glared at me with her dark eyes. "Sirius is dancing with some…some bloody…_blonde_," she said with an incredible amount of disgust in her face and voice.

"A blonde? What do you have against…_oh_…" my voice trailed off as I spotted Sirius and the blonde girl on the dance floor. It was my cousin Katie that he was dancing with.

"Exactly," Drusa snapped, angrily folding her arms across her chest. "We were having a lovely conversation, and then she shows up and asks him to dance. With no qualms whatsoever he gets up and goes to dance with her. He doesn't even ask if it's alright with me if he dances with her!"

"That's my cousin Katie," I sighed. "Remember, I told you about her in March when I got back from my sister's wedding. She hit on James all weekend."

"That whore," she muttered. "I don't know what makes Sirius think he can ditch me and go dance with her. Sure, she's pretty, but I'm his _girlfriend_ for Merlin's sake." We watched them for a few moments more, and Drusa kept making derisive noises every time she saw Katie throw her head back and laugh…which was rather often.

"Don't worry about it," I reassured her. "It's nothing personal, I'm sure."

"Yeah," she replied sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "It's not personal except for the fact that she's tall, blonde, and has huge-" She cut herself off because at that moment, Sirius and Katie returned to the table. Drusa regarded them coldly.

"Well hello there," Katie said in a sickly sweet voice to her and me. "This is such a lovely wedding, Lily. I can't believe you're actually marrying that James Potter!"

"Yes, I did indeed marry that James Potter," I replied, trying to sound just as sweet. "Oh, Katie, this is my friend Drusa. She's Sirius' girlfriend."

"Oh how nice," she answered indifferently, sweeping an appraising look over my friend. "He's an excellent dancer, doll. You should really get out there with him before some other girl takes him away!"

Drusa offered a tight smile as Katie turned away in search of another man to dance with. I saw her eyes light up as she regarded Remus, and I had to stifle a giggle as she made her way across the room to him. He was standing right next to Tave, and if I knew Tave, she wasn't going to let Katie get within five feet of him.

I returned my attention to the couple before me. Drusa had stood up, and even I was a tad bit frightened by the angry look on her face.

Sirius regarded her apprehensively. "Am I in trouble?" he asked meekly, not quite meeting her eyes.

"You better believe it," she replied shortly, giving him a cold, hard stare.

"But why? All I did was dance with her!" he protested. "What's wrong with that?"

I could tell Drusa's patience was quickly running out by the way she arched her eyebrow and began to tap her foot.

"One, it would be nice if you'd ask me before you dance with some other girl. I _am_ your girlfriend, in case you had forgotten. Two, it would be nice if you would finish the conversation we were in the middle of before getting up to dance with another girl," she began, getting close to him so she could look him in the eye. "Three, that girl is-"

I thought this would be a good time to make my exit. I didn't want to get caught between the two, and it is never a good idea to get in the middle when two friends are fighting…especially if those two friends happen to be dating each other.

I moved away and began scanning the room for James. I couldn't find him, so I settled my gaze on my father.

"Hi, Dad," I said as I approached him.

He smiled at me. "Hello, my beautiful Lily. Would you care to dance?"

"I would love to," I replied, and he swept me out onto the dance floor.

"So what does being married feel like?" he asked as he twirled me around.

"I don't think it's quite sunk in yet," I answered, finally catching sight of James. "I'm sure it will be quite a bit different once my brain figures out that I'm married."

My dad laughed. "I'm sure it will be."

"What is it like, now that both of your daughters are married?" I asked, switching the subject off of me.

He thought a moment before speaking. "It's actually quite a bit easier to take in than I thought it would be, and I think that's partially because of the fine young men you and your sister have chosen."

I made a face at his words. "You honestly think Vernon is a 'fine young man'?"

"Now Lily," he said reproachfully, "Vernon is a good man because he loves your sister, he has a respectable job, and he can provide for her. I know he will be able to continue providing for her in the future. He takes good care of her. You can't write a person off simply because he doesn't like you."

I sighed. "You're right, of course. When you put it in those terms, I suppose Vernon isn't all that bad," I conceded. "But God knows he and Petunia deserve each other."

My father shook his head, but chose not to pursue that topic. "James is also a very nice young man. He also loves you, is able to provide for you, and will take good care of you. I have no doubts that you will be very happy with him. He's a good man, Lily."

I smiled. "He's also charming, funny, handsome, kind…I love him, Dad."

"I know," he replied, and then a moment later he drew a sharp breath and frowned deeply.

"Dad? What's wrong?" I asked, stopping in mid-waltz. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, yes, I'm fine," he answered vaguely, pressing a hand to his forehead. "Just a headache, that's all."

"Why don't you go sit down," I said, beginning to lead him off the dance floor.

"No, I'm alright, Lily, I-"

"You're sitting down right now," I said firmly, and I drew out a chair for him. My mother saw us and headed for us immediately.

"Is something the matter?" she asked anxiously, kneeling down in front of my father. "Are you alright, love?"

"I'm just fine," he answered, seeming a bit irritated. "It's just another one of those damned headaches I've been getting lately."

My mum looked as if she was going to comment on his choice of words, but then thought better of it. She settled on, "I think it's best that you sit down for awhile."

James came and interrupted the pending argument between my parents. "There you are, Lily," he said, taking my hand in his. "I've been looking all over for you."

"I wouldn't think I'm that hard to find," I answered as he led me out onto the dance floor. "I'm the one in the white dress."

"And looking gorgeous, at that," he said. "I don't think I've told you yet just how beautiful you look right now."

I felt myself blush at his words. "Really, James, it's-"

"Don't say a bloody word," he interrupted. "I'm dead serious. You're beautiful everyday but today…wow."

I smiled, reveling in the fact that he always found a way to make me feel special. "I love you," I said, gently kissing him.

"I love you right back," he replied. "I always have and I always will."

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That night we left on our honeymoon. We literally went back to the Potters' house (James wasn't going to let me see our place of living until we returned), packed our suitcases, and went to the airport. Yes, the airport.

We had decided to fly to the United States. Florida, to be more exact. And, if you want to get even more exact, Miami. I absolutely loved the beaches and the sun and just about everything else about it. James loved going in the airplane (he had never even seen one before) along with everything else. There was, of course, the added bonus of it being just him and me, no one else. We went according to our own agenda. In short, it was lovely.

The week seemed to fly by, and I was more than a little disappointed that we had to actually return home. James was able to get me excited, however, when he reminded me that we would be returning to our _own_home, not his parents'. The home I had yet to see.

We arrived in London around suppertime, but I had no thoughts of food. I wanted to see my home.

"Lily, we _have_ to get food," James whined. "I'm going to _die_ if we don't!"

I rolled my eyes. "Oh, don't be so melodramatic," I said. "You'll live without food for another hour."

It wasn't until he gave me the most adorable puppy-dog eyes that I had to give in. Damn him for being so sexy.

Once we had finished eating, James and I found a quiet place from where we could disapparate. He handed me a slip of paper with an address on it.

"That's it," he said, a small smile on his face. "I'll meet you there."

He disapparated, and I followed two seconds later. I appeared in front of a small house in a tiny neighborhood. I knew we weren't too far outside of London. I took in the scene before me and I had to smile. It was perfect; there was even a small garden out front.

"I love it," I said immediately. "I absolutely love it."

"But you haven't even seen the inside," James laughed, pulling out a key from his pocket. "Come on."

We stopped in front of the front door and he unlocked the door. I made to enter, but he held me back.

"I don't think so, love," he said, and before I could protest he promptly picked me up and carried me into the house. "There you are. Now feel free to investigate. I'll get your luggage."

I gave him a quick kiss before excitedly running around the house. It was small, but not too small. It was just perfect for the two of us, and maybe even one more someday. The ground floor had a kitchen, a living room, a dining room, and a bathroom. The upstairs had a master bedroom, a guest bedroom, and another bathroom. I could hardly contain my happiness as I descended the stairs and saw him bringing in our suitcases.

"You're the best," I said, throwing my arms around him. "Have I told you just how much I love you?"

"I take it you like it, then?" he asked with a grin.

"Decidedly," I answered.

"Good. In case you didn't notice, most of our things are already in here. Our mums sort of moved us in while we were in Florida. They told me they'd leave anything they didn't know what to do with in boxes in the living room," he said.

I peered into the living room and saw two boxes I hadn't noticed before. There wasn't much in them; it was mostly pictures which I immediately decided should line the wall of the staircase. With a little magic they were up in no time.

"Excellent," I said, standing back to admire them. There was the picture of our friends and us at the Hogwarts graduation, some random pictures that I had no idea where they came from, and even some of our wedding pictures had already been developed and framed. "This is our home, James!" I exclaimed, moving close to him.

He put his arms around my waist. "Yes it is, love. It's you and me now."

I smiled up at him but didn't respond. I was too busy reveling in the fact that James Potter was my husband. Funny that if, just a year ago, someone had told me I was going to marry James Potter, I would have been quite convinced their brains had been addled. Yet I had fallen in love with him and consequently married him. And, as he picked me up and carried me up the stairs to our bedroom, I couldn't help but think it was going to be one _great_ marriage.

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A/N: Sorry it's a bit shorter, but it seems that my creative juices have taken a vacation. :bangs head on wall: This is yet another horrid transition chapter. They suck, they really do. However bored and disappointed you may have been while reading this, there are a few important things that point to future chapters (but I'm not going to tell you what they are. You'll just have to wait…:cue evil laugh:). If you can't tell from my previous statement, I am most assuredly not done with this fic. I'm going to go all the way until James' and Lily's deaths, so sit tight. There are many more chapters yet to come. I'm not sure how many there will be total, but right now it looks to be around 50. Maybe more, I'm really not sure. But anyway, you all know I love getting reviews (no matter how crappy my chapters are), so click that nice little button down there and drop me a line!

**PruePotter: **lol, that is rather ironic. But then again, I almost got mine taken away (by my parents, not the police, although the police were involved…:looks around innocently:). Have an awesome new year yourself! And yes, we Americans are most definitely weird like that.

**Secretly Smiling: **Weddings always make me happy and teary-eyed. Thanks! It is sad; I thought that when I wrote it. I think there's just under 3 years left for them to live…:sniff sniff:

**milkywaypnay37: **lol. It's so exciting that they're married, this is the best!

**nebulia: **thanks! It's so much fun being able to drive around on my own agenda. I don't have to wait for my mom anymore. I can just go…it's awesome. lol, I'm sure the time will fly by!

**Banana Princess: **I try not to, I really do, but sometimes I just look at it and go, "eh!". But that's only when I have trouble writing. Darn that stupid writer's block!!!! I think we all need a guy like James. He's perfect. :sighs:

**newra: **thanks!

**SugarMama: **thank you! Glad you like it!

**Niniel204: **I'm doing wonderful, how are you? Thank you very much! I love Lily and James too, they're my favorite.

**mello80: **thanks so much! I know, it's really going to suck when they die. I don't think I'm going to do an alternative ending, just cuz I really wouldn't know what to do. :shrugs: But that's an interesting idea. I might think about it… And I'm definitely in denial about James and Lily's death, and especially about Sirius'. :wipes tear: I just repeat to myself over and over, "he's not dead, he's not dead, he's not dead…"

**vickiicky: **thanks!

**scary miss mary: **thanks!

**Laney-Wood: **lol, sure. I tried not to, because I've read some fics and it's like, just get it over with! But thank you very much.

**kisstheunicorn: **Oh thanks!

**Looony Moony: **lol, what an interesting review. It was so random that it made me giggle. Thanks for that. I feel very special that Dobby and the houselves decided to sing for me, and I would like to with them a very Harry (yet late) Christmas as well. lol

**LupinLover922: **thanks! Nice choice of word of the season. I happen to use "awesome" quite frequently myself.

**Katmarajade: **lol, well I'm very glad of that. Ah, yes, that pre-wedding scene was a beast to deal with, and you hit the nail on the head. I've obviously never been married and have not the foggiest idea what it feels like to be in Lily's position. Oh, I'm going to have so much fun with them being married! You're right; it's the first time they've _really_ lived together, and hilarity will ensue! (along with the sweetness and joy of being young and in love) I've been scribbling away in my "Fanfiction Notebook", as I have so dubbed it, and I've just had to giggle at some of my situations. I do so hope everyone will enjoy them.

**Angry Girl: **lol, Harry won't be around for a while yet, but I'm getting there. This is going to be fun!

**taniita: **Thank you, I'm so glad it didn't seem abrupt. Grr, I hate it when teachers are all like, "don't worry about it", but then you have to. They just don't seem to get it. :sigh: Well, I'll be done with high school…:counts on fingers:…two and a half years from now, so that's always a plus. But then again, there's always college to look forward to. Does it ever end?!?! As for Pride and Prejudice, it's okay. At first it's really slow and boring, but once you get into it, it's not that bad.

**Kaylee-Angel: **Wow, you read all 29 chapters in one sitting?!? :falls over in dead faint: Thank you so much!!!! I'm incredibly flattered that you were willing to give up the feeling from the waist down in order to read my fic. I do so hope you regain the feeling soon. ) As for the reviews…:shrugs: I'm not picky. I take what I get, and I feel honored that people actually take time out of their day to read it and then tell me what they think. Hehehe, I liked the pun. It took me a second to get (no worries, though, I can be pretty slow sometimes), but I thought it was funny. And as to being British, I think it would be the coolest to live anywhere in Britain. Hot boys, hot accents…what more could a girl want? :giggles: Really, the good ol' US of A is highly overrated. Fun, but overrated. I'd switch with you any day! (being Welsh would rock my socks…isn't Sean Connery Welsh? total random question, btw)

**neurotica5684: **Thank you so much! I'm glad you like it!

**Angel911: **lol, me too.

**fille-chica143:** no way! I'm continuing until their deaths…:sobs:


	31. Learning to Live

Disclaimer: The characters you recognize aren't mine, they're J.K. Rowling's. All I own is the plot (and even that's a bit sketchy sometimes). Other than that (and a few select characters), I own nothing. Happy?

**Chapter 31: Learning to Live**

Beginning a life with James definitely had its ups and downs. Even though we had sort of been living together since the beginning of seventh year, it was much different once we were actually married. We began to occupy the exact same living space, and therefore our clashing habits soon reared their ugly little heads. A small-scale example would be the toothpaste tube clash. I always squeezed my toothpaste out from the bottom, keeping it as neat as possible. James, on the other hand, couldn't care less about the appearance of the tube. He always squeezed from the middle, and that irritated me to no end. Needless to say, this brought about many small disputes that usually went something like this:

"James!" I would call from the bathroom as we were getting ready for Auror training.

"What, Lily?" he would call back from our bedroom.

"You messed up the toothpaste again!" I would then stalk into our bedroom, holding the offensive object up for him to see. It would be crunched in the middle, and usually there would be semi-dried toothpaste hanging out from the end as well, if only to add insult to injury.

He would stare at me for a moment, then roll his eyes. "Does it really matter?" he would ask. "It's _just_ a toothpaste tube. I can assure you that the sun _will_ rise tomorrow and the world _will_ go on."

I would then fold my arms, careful not to get toothpaste on myself, and raise an eyebrow. "It's just sloppy, is all. It doesn't take much effort to squeeze it from the bottom. You can still brush your teeth, and everything will be much neater."

"But no one is going to use our toothpaste, Lily. It's just you and me, and I really don't think it's that important."

I would throw my arms up in defeat and return to the bathroom, muttering the whole time about how sloppy my husband was and how the effort to be neat was important. Naturally, my tirade would have little to no effect on James and our dispute would be dropped, if only to resume the next morning.

I was willing to put up with these little annoyances simply because of the fact that I got to wake up next to James every morning. It was the best feeling in the world to wake up with his strong arms wrapped around me and to know that I was the only woman who would ever be privileged enough to be there. To hear him whisper "I love you" in my ear first thing in the morning made it all worth it.

There were times, however, that I knew exactly why the divorce rate was so high. This isn't saying that I ever wanted to divorce James; on the contrary, it made me upset just to think about that. And, when I did think about it, I would go find James make him hold me for a while. But it was only three weeks into our marriage when I realized that, if I didn't love him so incredibly much, it would be a blood bath.

It all started one night when I was out with Drusa, Tave, and Alice for a long-needed girls' night out. The four of us hadn't really been together as a group since my wedding, and we had finally decided that we needed a night out. Drusa and Tave had moved out from the Potters' house and into a flat in London, so the four of us met at a Muggle restaurant not far from their flat. I was a bit nervous to leave James home since he was having Sirius, Remus, and Peter over while I was gone, but I gave him strict instructions not to trash the house. An hour later my friends and I could be found discussing Drusa's love life. And when I say her love life, I mean Sirius.

"I'm still not talking to him."

I looked at Drusa in surprise. "What? Why?"

"He won't admit that he was wrong. He maintains what he did was perfectly fine-" Drusa crossed her arms over her chest, "-which it's not."

"Drusa, honestly! It's not as if he cheated on you!" Tave exclaimed. "All he did was dance with the girl. That doesn't mean he doesn't love you."

"I'm not upset about the fact that he danced with her," Drusa defended herself. "I'm upset about the fact that he didn't even have the bleeding decency to ask me if he could, and then he comes back and acts like I'm bloody mental for being upset at him."

"Well, it _was_ rather rude of him not to ask you," Alice conceded, "but you two really need to make up. Tave's right; he didn't cheat on you."

"So you're all on his side, are you?" she demanded, glaring at us.

"Not entirely," I replied. "We agree that it was wrong of him to just get up and dance with her, but not to the extent that you still won't talk to him."

She continued to glare at us.

"Do you want me to talk to him?" Tave offered in exasperation. "He's not going to listen to me, you know. I'm his cousin, but we're as bad as siblings."

"Because you're both so bloody stubborn," she muttered.

"Then I'll have James talk to him," I said. "He and James are best mates. I can't guarantee anything, though, Drusa."

She sighed. "I suppose it'd be alright. Maybe James can knock some sense into him."

Tave accompanied me home later that night because, she said, Remus was at my house. I had a sneaking suspicion she wanted to talk to her cousin about Drusa, but I allowed her to come anyway. We arrived at my house around one in the morning, and we weren't exactly prepared for the scene that greeted us.

"James, can I talk to you for a minute?" I asked, popping my head into the living room where the four men were seated. There were several empty bottles of firewhisky littering the floor, as well as many candy wrappers. Some things just didn't change.

James got up and walked towards me, teetering slightly as he moved. "Hello, Lily," he said, frowning as he tried to maintain his balance.

"Oh, Merlin," I sighed, watching him struggle. "You're drunk, James." I rushed forward to steady him as he gave a severe lurch.

"Damn straight," he muttered as he peered down at me through bleary eyes. "But the others are worse off than me."

I looked on the floor and sighed again. Peter was lying face down, obviously passed out. Remus and Sirius were both clutching empty firewhisky bottles and staring up at me.

"Hi, Lily," Sirius said, throwing a smile at me as he tried to get up. He was unsuccessful in his attempt, however, as he found himself on the floor a second later.

"Don't get up," I said, helping James onto the couch. I counted the empty bottles and was appalled at the nine on the floor plus the two Sirius and Remus were holding. "Exactly how much did you guys drink?" I demanded, folding my arms across my chest.

"I don't rightly know, but it was one _helluvalot_," Remus slurred.

I shook my head in disgust, knowing he was right. Back at school, the Marauders (except maybe Peter) had been known for being able to hold their drink, and one rarely ever saw them drunk. I couldn't remember seeing any of them more than a little tipsy. To see them _this_ sloshed was unheard of. They had to have drunk quite a bit to get them to this state.

"I don't believe this," Tave muttered. She was obviously thinking the exact same thing I was.

"Hello, love," Remus said, seeing his girlfriend for the first time. "Care to join us?"

"No," she said firmly, confiscating his and Sirius' bottles. She began picking up some of the bottles on the floor but paused to glare at her boyfriend. "Remus John Lupin, I cannot _believe_ how smashed you are!! All four of you are rip-roaring drunk, and poor Peter has passed out!"

"He never could hold much," Sirius murmured, contemplating his friend's limp form.

"None of you are going home tonight," I said sternly. "Merlin knows you'll splinch yourselves if you try to apparate."

"Good thinking, Lils," James said, lying down on the couch. "We'll all sleep here tonight."

Sirius and Remus agreed, and literally a moment later they were all asleep…or passed out. I couldn't tell, but figured it was the latter.

Tave and I exchanged disgusted looks, then began to clean up the living room.

"You can stay in the guest room if you want," I told her as we deposited chocolate frog wrappers into the kitchen garbage. "Those boys are going to get quite a tongue-lashing from me tomorrow."

"From you and me both. I'm completely disgusted with them," she affirmed, then a moment later, "Oh, hey! This card is of Agrippa! Remus still has his chocolate frog card collection, and he decided to see just how many of Agrippa he could get. He's up to a hundred and twenty-eight, I think. I'll give him this one."

I grinned at her and leaned against the counter. "You're hopeless, Tave," I laughed. "We're in here discussing how we're so disgusted and going to yell at them for getting so drunk, and then you go off about giving Remus a chocolate frog card."

She smiled back at me a bit sheepishly. "I don't think any less of him just because he got completely inebriated," she defended herself. "Am I annoyed at him? Yes. Do I still love him? Hell yeah."

"That's exactly how I feel. I think we just have to remember that boys will be boys, and the Marauders will be the Marauders," I said, peeking into the living room again. "Damn, they're out stone cold. Do you think we should make them a hangover potion?"

"As much as I would love not to, just to teach them a lesson, I really think we should," Tave sighed. "They're all going to have a hell of a hangover with how much they drank."

"Don't I know it." I shook my head in half-amusement, half-disgust. "Good thing the potion only takes about half an hour to brew. I have it memorized."

"That's what happens when you marry a Marauder," she laughed.

We made the potion and set it out on the counter in four cups for them when they woke up. Then, after one last slightly amused look into the living room, we climbed the stairs and went to bed.

-----

The next morning I was woken up by a pair of strong arms being wrapped around my waist and kisses being placed on my neck. I rolled over and saw James' hazel eyes staring worriedly at me. I noticed that they were quite clear and un-bloodshot.

"So you found the hangover potion, I take it?" I asked dryly, sitting up on the bed.

"Yeah. I'm the only one up so far. Thanks, Lily," James said, not quite meeting my eyes as he spoke. "I'm sorry you had to come home to that last night."

I sighed. "I wasn't the only one. Tave came home with me to get Remus, but she decided to stay over once she realized the state he was in."

"Oh," James said, looking quite abashed. "I'm really sorry. I swear it won't happen again."

"It had better not." I got out of bed and stretched. James continued to watch me, looking slightly relieved that I hadn't yelled at him. "Don't get comfortable. You and the other boys have quite a lecture coming."

"Yeah they do," came a voice from the hallway. Tave was leaning against the doorway with her arms folded. "It's nine o'clock, Lily. Time to get the others up and give them their potion."

James and I followed her downstairs. A glance into the living room showed Remus, Sirius, and Peter still out cold. We each retrieved a glass from the kitchen counter and started the task of reviving them.

Sirius was lying on the floor with his mouth hanging open slightly. I gently nudged him in the ribs with my foot, but he didn't move. I nudged him a little harder, this time getting a low moan as a reaction. I rolled my eyes, then nudged him even harder.

"I don't want to all-out kick you, Sirius, but I will if you don't look at me in the next two seconds," I said.

He opened one eye and peered up at me. "You don't need to yell," he muttered.

"I'm not yelling. Drink this hangover potion, it'll work wonders on your headache," I replied, handing him the cup. He took it from me, drank it, and immediately looked better.

"Thanks," he said a bit sheepishly as he handed back the cup.

"Don't mention it," I said sarcastically, turning to put the now-empty glass back in the kitchen. I took the ones Tave and James had given to Remus and Peter, who were both looking much better.

"So what do you boys have to say for yourselves?" Tave asked with a raised eyebrow once I had returned.

"Sorry," they all muttered, not looking at either of us.

"That was bloody stupid of you," I said, unable to hold back what was running through my head. "The amount you all drank last night was downright _disgusting_. I hope you know that you can die from drinking too much, and I hope you are all thoroughly ashamed of yourselves for getting so smashed. In my living room, no less! It was a complete mess when I got home, and Tave and I had to clean it up. We're not your maids, boys. You're all going to swear that this will _never ever_ happen again."

The four men looked at me sincerely and raised their right hands. "We swear that it will never ever happen again. If it does, may we all be hexed into next week then killed slowly and painfully," they chorused.

Despite the fact that we were trying to be strict, Tave and I couldn't help laughing.

"Cute, guys, did you come up with that all by yourselves?" she asked amusedly.

"Yeah we did, actually," Remus replied. "That's the Marauders' vow."

I rolled my eyes. "Lovely, really. Now I suppose I'm going to have to make you all breakfast after that terrible display last night?"

"You'd do that?" Sirius asked, surprised. "Wow, James, how did you ever land a girl like her?"

James threw a pillow at him as I left the room to make breakfast. Tave decided to help me, and fifteen minutes later we had breakfast on the table for them. James kissed me as I dished up the scrambled eggs, and I knew he was still worried that I was mad at him.

"Relax, love," I said. "All is forgiven."

He gave me another kiss, and immediately Sirius chimed in, "Hey, no snogging in the kitchen!"

"It's our kitchen, mate," James laughed. "We can do whatever the hell we want in here."

The stricken look on his face was priceless as he stared at us. "Maybe I should be leaving then," he said.

He didn't leave, however, and we all enjoyed a lovely breakfast together. The boys were kind enough to do the dishes for Tave and me, but everyone decided to go home soon after. I didn't mind; I wanted to talk to James alone anyway.

"So," I said, sitting on our bed, "how did you guys get that drunk in the first place?" We were in our bedroom because, since he hadn't ever changed out of the previous day's clothes, James had decided it would be a good idea to.

He shrugged as he searched through the closet for something else to wear. "I guess it started when Peter confessed that Filch confiscated the Marauder's Map on the day before graduation. We couldn't believe it! We worked so hard on that damn thing, and now it's sitting in Filch's office."

I rolled my eyes. "It's been six months, James, and you haven't missed it."

"But we worked so hard on it…" his voice trailed off and he sat down next to me. He looked at me sadly with his adorable hazel eyes.

I hated it when he did that- I always melted. I pushed back him back onto the bed and sprawled out next to him with my chin on his chest. "I'm just glad you didn't decide to get drunk in a bar somewhere. If you wouldn't have already splinched yourself, I would've had to search all over for you. And, once I had found you, I would've had no way to get you home," I said.

"We almost did, actually," James admitted. "But Sirius didn't want to take the chance of running into Drusa. We didn't know where you girls had gone."

"Oh no," I groaned, sitting up. "I forgot. I told Drusa I'd have you talk to Sirius about them and try to knock some sense into him."

"You volunteered to get us between them?" he demanded, also sitting up. "Merlin, Lily, what did you do that for?"

"I don't want them to fight," I defended myself. It's so bloody annoying to see them mope around, and I don't want Sirius to drown out his sorrows in firewhisky!"

James fell back on the bed and ran his hands through his hair. "But you still didn't need to do that," he muttered. "Now you've put us between a fighting couple. Perfect, Lily."

"Why don't you change your clothes," I said, abruptly changing the subject. He was right; it had been rather stupid of me to get us in the middle.

"Can't," he answered. "I don't have any clean clothes left."

"Oh," I said, feeling slightly abashed. I hadn't done laundry in quite awhile. I hated that chore and always put it off. I usually got around to it before either of us ran out of clean clothes, but apparently not this time. "I guess I forgot to do the laundry," I sighed.

"I'll help you," James said, helping me off the bed. "It's a Saturday; we've got all day."

"Yeah, we do," I answered, taking his hand as he led me down the stairs. "This has been an interesting three weeks."

"What do you mean by that?" he asked.

"It's different to live with you," I answered. "We both have to be rather forgiving of each other."

"It's a compromise, when you think about it," he said. "It'll take awhile to get the hang of it, I bet. We're just learning to live."

"Yeah," I echoed. "We're just learning to live."

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A/N: So here's the first update for 2005! I did really well with the time it took to write this. I hope that doesn't mean it's poorly written. I never really can tell, as it's my writing. :shrugs: I'm going to try to be better and update sooner than I have been, but I make no promises. School started up again :gags: so my schedule is once again completely full. I'll do my best. I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed (can you believe I'm up to 331 reviews? :falls over in dead faint:) because all your reviews mean so much to me! And now that you've taken the time to read this chapter, I'm sure you can take an extra 15 seconds and let me know what you think! Thanks!

**LillyEvans13:** thanks!

**Secretly Smiling: **I've never been to a bat or bar mitzvah, but I _have_ been to a wedding (not my own, of course…lol). I don't think I've ever had a special ceremony for me where I've had to walk around the whole time. Ah, I'm missing out, hey? And thank you very much. I really hate transition chapters, I really do.

**milkywaypnay37: **Yes indeed. I feel that Petunia and Lily have to be nice at some point, because Petunia decides to take in Harry. I'm going to build on that a bit in the future.

**nebulia: **lol, perhaps you did, I don't remember. But it _is_ rather exciting, isn't it? No worries, I'm crazy myself. I had a wonderful holiday season and I hope you did as well.

**Kaylee-Angel: **I want to marry someone like James, too. I think we all do…:sighs: I'm glad you regained feeling from the waist down. I was rather worried. :-P I averaged out my reviews and it's something like 11/chapter, which isn't too shabby. As long as people read, I'll write. And I will love you forever if you do spread the word. Seventeen to learn to drive? Wow. It varies from state to state in the U.S, but it's usually around 15 1/2 to learn to drive and 16 to get your license (which I now, officially, have…lol). I really wish we could switch, I think it'd be fun. Well, I was sorta close with Sean Connery. I like the Scottish, too. Kilts are definitely hot. :giggles:

**mello80: **yes, Lily is very lucky to have James. I wish I had James…:sighs:

**Angry Girl: **I love the rain! Sounds like Britain's the place for me. Hot guys, hot accents, and rain. What more could a girl ask for? lol I'm very glad you enjoyed the chapter.

**fille-chica143:** You hit the nail right on the head, darling. Very good.

**vickiicky: **thank you! It was a rather pleasant change, wasn't it? Tuna…:giggles:

**Stasya: **I'm glad you enjoy it! Keep reviewing, please!

**Banana Princess: **Lily most definitely is the luckiest girl alive. Sometimes I get jealous, and then I remember she's fictional. I'm one up on her in that area. :rolls eyes: I'm pathetic, I really am. And hold onto that last thought. You may just be on to something there.

**DreamStalker: **Wow, you stayed up just to read my fic? I'm incredibly flattered. And thank you very much for taking the time to send me a review. It's greatly appreciated.

**LupinLover922: **Thank you! I can sorta juggle. I'm very proud of myself for the three seconds I can keep the objects in the air without having to run after them. I made a lifelong goal: learn how to moonwalk. My _mother_ began moonwalking in the kitchen the other day (yes, as in Michael Jackson moonwalking) and I was like, no frickin way! So I figure if she can do it, I can do it. But it's much harder than I thought. Well, at least I have my whole life to master it!

**Looony Moony: **that's just fine with me. Any review is better than no review at all, or even an uninspired one. And thank you very much.

**Niniel204: **thanks!

**Pixi-kitty:** I read the first line of your review and was like, "oh no! my first flamer!" But then I read on and was like, "phew!" Thank you so so much! I'm terribly sorry for ruining the other fanfics for you…I really didn't mean to. lol I will do my best to update as soon as I can.


	32. The Beginning of Sadness

Disclaimer:

A/N: I would like to take a moment to thank **Banana Princess**, **Kaylee-Angel**, and **convicted-murderer** for reviewing my one-shot "Confessions of the Last Marauder". You three made my day. And now, to insert some blatant commercialism, if anyone else wants to check it out and review it, you would also make my day.

**Chapter 32: The Beginning of Sadness **

James and I lived together in wedded bliss for just over one month after our wedding. I was abruptly brought back to reality one night in mid-December. I was standing in my kitchen, attempting to make supper, when an owl tapped on the window over the sink. I hurried to let it in, hoping none of the neighbors saw. Our neighborhood was only partly magical; there were several Muggles living in the surrounding houses, and I wasn't sure which ones were Muggles and which ones weren't. I untied the paper that was bound to the owl's leg and it immediately took off. I opened the letter and knew immediately that it was from my mother.

_Dear Lily,_

_I hope this letter finds you well and happy with your husband, but I'm afraid I have bad news. It would be best for me to tell you face to face, so if you are able to come to our house tonight, please do. I think you may want to bring James. I'll be expecting you._

_Love,_

_Mum_

"What is that?" James asked when he saw me reading it. "Who's it from?"

"It's a note from my mum," I said, slightly puzzled by the contents of the note. I handed it to him to read with a frown on my face. What did she mean when she said she had bad news?

"Do you think we should go, then?" he asked, laying the piece of paper on the kitchen table.

I nodded. "I have no idea what she means by bad news," I mused. "I suppose I'll find out soon enough."

We immediately apparated to my parents' house and arrived in my old bedroom, which had been transformed into a study in lieu of my absence. We descended the stairs, and I led the way into the living room. Both my parents were sitting there, along with Petunia and Vernon. I couldn't read the expression on anyone's face.

"Hello," I said awkwardly as I walked into the room.

"Hello, darling," my mum said, getting up to greet us. "Hello, James. Please sit down, both of you."

We sat on the couch next to Petunia and Vernon, who both completely ignored our presence. I sighed inwardly; I had been hoping Petunia would be as nice as she had been at my wedding. No such luck.

"Well, then," my mum said, a small frown creasing her forehead. "I'm afraid that I have some very bad news for you, girls."

"Let me tell them," my father cut in. It was then that I noticed how incredibly old he looked. I was surprised; he was only in his early fifties. The lines in his face had deepened and his hair had become much whiter. I couldn't remember if he looked like that at my wedding or not.

"I don't know-" my mother began, but was instantly cut off.

"I'm going to tell them. Lily, do you remember at your wedding when I got that headache?" he began, then waited for me to answer.

"Yes," I replied slowly, not quite sure where this was going.

"My headaches have been getting worse, so I decided to go to the doctor to see what's the matter. He found something…" his voice trailed off, and he looked from Petunia to me and back again.

"Just tell us, Dad," Petunia said, using a concerned tone I hadn't heard from her in years.

"There's really no way to beat around the bush," he sighed. "Girls, I have a brain tumor. It's inoperable, and the doctor said that I have two months to live, tops."

I stared at my parents, not quite sure of what I heard. I tried to let the information sink in, and Petunia was just as shocked as I was. "Wha…I…" I struggled to find my voice. "Is this a joke? Because if it is, it's not funny!" I finally choked out.

Tears glistened in my mum's eyes. "I'm sorry, darling. This isn't a joke."

So my dad had a brain tumor…he was going to die soon… I was at a complete loss for a moment, not quite sure how to react. Then my confusion was quickly replaced with anger. "What do you mean, springing this sort of news on us like that?!" I demanded, standing up quickly. My voice began rising in volume. "You send me an owl saying you have bad news, and then you tell me Dad is _dying_?!? To say that's bad news is the biggest understatement of the century!!! Way to bloody prepare me for it!!!"

"Lily-" my mum began, ready to reprimand my language, but Petunia jumped in.

"Oh grow up, Lily," she snapped angrily, standing up to meet me. "Dad isn't going to live long, and all you can do is accuse Mum of not preparing you for it! Why don't you think of someone other than yourself for a change?"

My wand was out in an instant. "Don't you tell me what to do," I snarled, pointing it directly at her throat. "You're just as upset as I am, and now you're trying to make me out as the bloody bad guy!"

"Be reasonable!" she retorted, though looked slightly alarmed. "Get control of yourself and put that damn thing away!"

"Now see here, Lily," Vernon said, warily rising from the couch. I turned my wand onto him and he immediately shrank back. Had I not been so upset over my father's news, I would have found it quite amusing to see someone as large as Vernon trying to make himself as small as possible.

"Shut up," I growled through clenched teeth. "Take a step closer to me and I'll-"

"_Expelliarmus_!"

My wand shot out of my hand and James, who had joined those of us who were standing, caught it neatly. He cocked an eyebrow as he pocketed it. "I'm not going to let you do anything stupid," he said matter-of-factly. "You're not thinking straight right now."

I glared at him, feeling more anger rise up inside me. But one look into his concern-filled eyes was enough to turn my anger into complete and utter sadness.

"I'm sorry," I whispered to Petunia and Vernon, feeling tears fill my eyes. I don't think either heard me; they both were staring at James' wand in fright. "I'm so sorry."

A second later I found myself in James' arms, and it was then that I began to cry. I heard someone else begin to cry, and I realized that it was my mother. Petunia joined in a moment later.

"It's alright, Lily," my mum said gently through her tears. "I know this is difficult for you."

I began to cry even harder, but not just for myself. I was crying for my mum, too, because she was being so strong for Petunia and me. It was difficult for me, yes, but it had to be ten times more difficult for her. She and my father had been married for about thirty years, and she was going to lose him soon. I couldn't imagine losing James at that moment, but losing him thirty years down the road would be pure torture.

I moved away from James and, for the first time in about ten years, sat on my dad's lap. I felt like a small child as I buried my face in his neck and he began to stroke my hair.

"Don't worry, Little Flower," he murmured, using a nickname I hadn't heard in ages. Since Petunia and I were both named after flowers, and since I was the youngest, I had become "Little Flower" early on in my life. "Everything's going to be alright."

"How can you say that?" I asked miserably, not lifting my head from his shoulder.

"I just know it will be," was the only answer I got from him.

It wasn't until I looked up quite a few minutes later that I realized James and Vernon had tactfully left the room. Petunia was sitting next to our mum, and our mum was blowing her nose. There was an awkward silence, and then Petunia spoke.

"So…now what?" she asked, and the four of us each gave small laughs.

"Life goes on normally," answered my dad. "There's nothing else we can do except continue on with our daily lives. Girls, go get your husbands. I do believe they retreated into the kitchen."

I got up off of his lap, wiped my eyes, and went to find Vernon and James. They were, indeed, in the kitchen, and I entered into an uncomfortable silence.

"You can join us in the living room," I said after a moment's pause. Vernon quickly brushed past me, leaving me with James.

"I don't think he likes me very much," James mused, and I smiled weakly.

"He _should_ like you, considering you very well may have saved his life," I replied wryly.

James studied me for a moment. "I don't know what exactly is going on, just so you know," he said. "But I do know that whatever it is, it's is really bad."

I nodded slowly, willing myself not to cry again. "I'll explain it to you when we get home," I answered. "Just know for now that my dad is…dying."

"Oh, Lily," James said softly, pulling me close to him. I buried my face in his chest and just let him hold me for a while.

"I want to go home now," I said finally, pulling away slightly. "I don't think I can handle being in the same room as my father right now. Can we please go home?"

"Sure we can," he answered. "Do you want me to let them know that we're leaving?"

I nodded and James disappeared into the living room. He was back a moment later, and then we apparated home.

I instantly made a beeline for the couch and flopped down on it. He sat next to me and lifted my head onto his lap. He began to stroke my hair, and then he spoke. "Do you think you can explain to me what's going on?" he asked gently.

I took a deep, shuddering breath. "Yes," I said after a minute. "My dad has a brain tumor. A tumor is when the cells in a certain part of the body begin to divide uncontrollably. It forms a big lump in that part of the body, and, once it gets big enough, it can be deadly. In my dad's case, since it's on his brain, it will be."

James didn't say anything right away, and I wondered if he understood my rather complicated explanation.

"I see," he said finally. "And there's nothing the doctors can do about it?"

"No," I said, a tear running down my cheek. "They can't operate on his brain; it's too dangerous." A sudden thought struck me, and I immediately sat up. "Wait a minute! Can't he be taken to St. Mungo's and they magick his tumor away?"

He looked at me doubtfully. "I don't know," he said slowly. "I don't think Muggle diseases are curable by magic."

"Why wouldn't they be?" I demanded. "I'm sure they could remove it! I should ask Drusa; she's training to become a Healer."

"Don't get your hopes up, Lily," he said warningly, watching me as I got up from the couch. "I really don't think they can do anything about it."

I ignored him, however, and less than a second later I had apparated into Drusa's and Tave's flat. It was only the second time I had been there, and I was instantly struck by how messy it was. I should have figured; neither of them had been anything near neat when we had all lived in Gryffindor tower. And now, since I wasn't there to harp on them all the time, neither bothered to clean anything up.

"Who's- oh hi, Lily," said Drusa, appearing from the tiny kitchen. She was holding a large tub of chocolate ice cream and was eating it straight from the tub. "Are you okay? You look like you've been crying. Merlin, you didn't fight with James, did you?"

"No, we didn't fight," I assured her quickly. "It's just that I found out my dad is really sick."

"I'm so sorry to hear that," Drusa said, using her spoon to indicate that I could sit on the little couch. "What does he have?"

"A brain tumor," I said miserably, moving a sock that had been lying on the cushion. I sat down and Drusa joined me. "The doctors can't remove it, so he's probably going to die sometime in the next two months." I bit my lip to prevent myself from crying.

"Oh, Lily," Drusa said sympathetically. I was glad she had a Muggle father because I didn't have to explain anything to her.

"Listen, Drusa, I came here because I was wondering if my dad could be taken to St. Mungo's. Do you think they could use a spell to get rid of the tumor?" I asked hopefully.

The look on her face told me the answer instantly. "I'm sorry, but no," she said, staring into her ice cream bucket. "That would be much too dangerous. Muggle diseases don't usually react to magic, and when they do, the results aren't pretty."

"But why not?!" I exclaimed, refusing to believe her. "Isn't there even a chance? This is my dad we're talking about!" I felt myself begin to lose my composure and fought to keep it in check.

"I understand that, but there's nothing the Healers can do," she said, looking as if she was going to cry herself. "Your dad's a Muggle. He could easily be killed by one of those spells directed at his brain. I'm really sorry, Lily."

My tears finally gave way, and I stood up. "Well, thanks anyway," I said through my tears. "I have to get home now."

I apparated back into my living room. James hadn't moved from his spot on the couch, but he got up as soon as I arrived. I turned away from him, not wanting to admit that he had been right.

"Well?" he asked softly, turning me back towards him.

I shook my head slowly, not meeting his eyes. "There's nothing anyone can do," I murmured, leaning my forehead against his chest. I shut my eyes, and, for what seemed like the millionth time that day, I tried to fight the hot tears that were threatening to spill from behind my eyelids. But for the millionth time that day, I was quite unsuccessful. "I don't want my dad to die," I choked, impatiently brushing away my tears. "He…he…he can't! He's not that old!"

"I know, love," James said, burying his face in my hair. "I know."

"No you don't!" I exclaimed. "You don't know! You _can't_ know! _Your_ dad isn't dying!" I pushed myself away from him and quickly ascended the stairs, heading for our bedroom. Unfortunately for me, he didn't miss a beat and was right behind me.

"Lily, you need to stop that right now," he said sternly as I sat on the edge of our bed.

"Stop what?!?" I demanded, feeling completely misunderstood. Tears fell in torrents down my face. "You have no idea what I'm feeling right now!"

He leaned against the doorway and folded his arms. "No, I really don't know what you're feeling right now, but that's no reason for you to get upset at me like that. I'm your _husband_, Lily! I only want to help you!"

"You can't help me!" I snapped, turning away from him. Something inside me almost laughed at my childish behavior, but I really couldn't have cared less. I grabbed a pillow and held it as I laid down on the bed, drowning in my misery.

James sighed, and for a moment I thought he had left the room. I was wrong, however, as I felt his arms go around my waist and his hot breath against my ear as he murmured,

"I still love you."

Instantly I felt terrible for the way I had just treated him. True, I was having so many conflicting emotions that I had no idea what to do or how to react. But that still wasn't an excuse to be a complete bitch to him.

"I'm sorry," I muttered, trying to wipe away my tears. "I love you, too. I just…I just…he's going to die, James. I don't know what I can do."

"You can't do anything," he answered gently. "You're not all-powerful, Lily. There's nothing that anyone can do."

"I don't want him to die," I replied.

"I think you need to stop focusing on the fact that he's going to die and start focusing on the fact that he's still alive right now," he said simply.

I knew he had a point, but that didn't make anything any easier. I knew that the next few months to come were going to bring about a difficult start to our marriage.

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A/N: :sighs: I had to do it, I really did. Poor Lily; if I was on such a roller coaster of emotion, I think I would go jump off a cliff. So this is chappie 32, and I have a little heads-up for you guys regarding chappie 33. I happen to have semester finals next week (:gags:) so that means that I need to spend every night between now and then frantically trying to remember everything I've learned since the beginning of the school year (that would be September, which is bad news for me because I don't remember what I ate for breakfast this morning). Henceforth, I think it's safe to say that there will be no more updates until after the end of next week. I'm terribly sorry, but if I want to pass 10th grade, I feel it's completely necessary. Darn high school! But, since I'm going to have such a long time to write the next chapter, I'm going to do my very best to make it well-written. I think that's fair and I hope you do to.

**LillyEvans13:** thanks! I happen to think (most) drunk people are rather amusing, too.

**mello80: **ah, that does sometimes happen when we declare our love for fictional characters. :shrugs: But what can a girl do, you know?

**dragoneye: **the toothpaste incident is somewhat from my own life. I was at a camp one summer with my friend, and we were basically living together for 2 weeks. We decided to share some stuff so there wouldn't be 2 of everything. Henceforth, we were sharing toothpaste. I'm like Lily, my friend's like James. I would get _so_ irritated over the fact that he couldn't squeeze from the bottom of the tube, and later on I realized how ridiculous it was. So then I thought, if we were ever to get married, we would have such a big problem with that, and it found its way into the story. And as for Petunia, I don't think Dumbledore threatened her until book 5. In book 1 he left Harry on her doorstep with just a letter explaining the situation. As much as she and Lily loathed each other, I think every now and then the fact that they _are_ sisters got to them. I'm definitely working on my juggling, because I think it's a really neato trick.

**Aelotia: **thanks!

**nebulia: **thank you! Well, I thought the vow was funny, too. I laughed when it popped into my head…

**Stephanie: **I see all reviews that are sent to me, because they all are sent to my email address. It makes my day when I check my email and have a bunch of reviews waiting for me.

**milkywaypnay37:** thanks!

**Angry Girl: **thanks, and me too. Oh, wow, are British accents sexy!!! :falls over in dead faint: I'll bet you're really used to them, but I just can't get enough! lol

**James And Lily 4eva: **thank you! By my calculations, Lily will get pregnant in about 10 months. Not that I have this all planned out on a time line or anything…:looks around innocently:

**Pixi-kitty: **lol, I'm glad you just can't bring yourself to flame me. Unfortunately, my homework got in the way of my updating, so your review didn't do too much. Now, if your reviews could get in the way of my homework, _that_ would be definite power!!!! lol

**I-Confuse-Everyone: **thank you very much!

**rani singla: **yes, it's terribly sad, but Voldemort is a terribly evil man. And thank you.

**Banana Princess: **lol, I hope your mother doesn't think you're insane or anything. And thank you very much for the wonderfully positive review of "Confessions". It made my day.

**PruePotter: **I'm glad your mom got her computer fixed so you could review for me. :insert smiley here: I do so hope you get yours fixed soon. I really hate it when computers are down, because I'm completely computer-illiterate, so I just yell and throw things at it. Funny how that never seems to get it to work again…

**LupinLover922: **I'm very glad you're getting better at juggling. I'm a little better at moonwalking, but I think it's going to take me awhile to get it right. I'm not very coordinated when it comes down to it. :shrugs: Glad you liked the chapter.

**Looony Moony: **I would do your friends a favor and slap you upside the head, but I happen to think James is super-cute too, so I won't. And there's also the problem that I'm not 17 and I don't have my apparation license yet…lol. In answer to your question, they were married about a year and 9 months before Harry was born. So, basically, they're married about a year before Lily gets pregnant.

**animestar11: **Thank you. And you're very right about the Drusa/Sirius thing, which is why I'm trying to get them into the story more. It'll be a little easier for me later on, too, but I can't say why. I don't want to give anything away.

**Secretly Smiling: **Even if it's the 18,483,503 time you said it, I still love to hear it. So feel free to keep saying it! Ah, yes, drunk Marauders…:shakes head: they would be very hard to handle.

**potter is my life: **omg!!! :falls over in dead faint: Thanks so much!!! I can't believe you spent most of your day reading my fic. I'm flattered, I really am!!! Please keep reading and reviewing!

**kisstheunicorn: **no worries. I really don't care when I get reviews as long as I get them. :winks:

**astronomylover: **why thank you very much!


	33. Breaking Up and Coming Together

Disclaimer: Harry Potter isn't mine. Never has been, never will be. That should about cover it…

**Chapter 33: Breaking Up and Coming Together**

During the next few days I did my best to keep thoughts of my father's ailment out of my head. It hurt too much to think that I would soon no longer be able to talk to him ever again, so I just didn't think about it. I began to immerse myself in the Order, Auror training, and anything else possible. One of those things happened to be Drusa's and Sirius' relationship.

Drusa still maintained that Sirius was completely at fault in his actions, while Sirius still maintained that he did nothing wrong and that Drusa was being unfair. I felt they both had valid points, but I was running out of ideas for getting them each to admit that.

"If you could both give in and give up a little, everything would be fine!" I finally exclaimed in exasperation to Drusa one day shortly before Christmas.

"I'm not going to admit that he's right!" was the only response that I got.

James didn't get any further with Sirius, and he finally all but forced me to drop the whole thing.

"They have to work it out themselves, Lily," he said firmly. "This isn't something we can help them with. If they won't get back together, that's their problem."

So I had to be content to listen to Drusa complain and cry about Sirius when they officially broke up. It seemed a little drastic to me, but James was right. There wasn't much I could do about it.

-----

Christmas was a rather subdued event that year. I was a bit preoccupied with my father, and the fall-through with Sirius and Drusa put a bit of a damper on things as well.

Yet it wasn't all sadness and misfortune. James and I spent the first part of our first Christmas together at his parents' house with all of our friends (it was rather tense at times between Sirius and Drusa). The floating mistletoe was there again, and I had to smile when I remembered James' and my first kiss. An even better memory was our first _real_ kiss that had occurred later that night only a year previously. Funny how time flies.

I know for a fact that James purposely got caught by the mistletoe several times. I even caught him using a summoning charm when one found its way into the room. And yet, I didn't seem to have a problem with giving him a good snog every time he found himself in such a predicament.

When Remus and Sirius finally complained about James and me "snogging every two seconds", as they put it, Mrs. Potter just laughed.

"Oh, let them be," she said, smiling knowingly at me. "They're newlyweds, boys. They're young and in love. As far as I'm concerned, they can snog all they want. I can't say that I particularly blame Lily, anyway. There's just something about those Potter men."

James was quick to grab the couch pillows to cover his ears, which made us girls laugh quite a bit.

There really wasn't too much of a contrast between the Potters' house and my parents' house when James and I arrived later in the day. Petunia and Vernon were there, of course, and it was obvious they were trying very hard to be civil. I knew they were doing it for my dad's sake. I'm sure they had been struck, just as James and I had been, by how thin he looked compared to the few weeks previously when he had told us the bad news.

"Why the long faces?" he demanded when we arrived. "It's Christmas, for God's sake! Liven up a bit!"

So we tried. We joked quite a lot, but I think it was more to prevent any of us thinking that this would be my dad's last Christmas with us. Dad seemed to have accepted his ailment and had decided to make the best of what was left with his life. Despite his sickly appearance, he acted more lively than ever. I was particularly astonished after supper, however, when my dad began asking James about our life in the wizarding world and Petunia just sat there in silence.

"So what do you do, exactly?" Dad asked interestedly as my mum got up to get us all tea.

"I'm training to become an Auror," James answered somewhat carefully, glancing towards my sister and her husband.

"That's a Dark wizard catcher," I clarified quickly. "I'm training to become one, too. It's sort of like a police officer."

"That's very interesting," Dad said. "I never knew you'd be one to go into law enforcement, Lily."

"Well, it's a bit different than just law enforcement," I said, carefully weighing my words as my mum came back with the tea. "Aurors are specially trained to go after Dark wizards and to put them in wizard's prison. We're trained in dueling, because no Dark wizard is going to go to prison without a fight."

The look on my mum's face was enough to prompt me to move the conversation in another direction. I asked Vernon what he did for a living, and I was immediately bombarded with a boring monologue having something to do with drills.

The remainder of our time was spent hearing about Vernon's dreary line of work, and I was somewhat relieved when my dad became quite tired. James and I used it as a sign to leave, and we returned home shortly after.

-----

We rang in 1979 at our house with all our friends: Tave, Drusa, Remus, Sirius, Peter, and the Longbottoms, to be precise. Tave and I made sure the level of firewhisky consumed was minimal, especially for the Marauders. We didn't want a repeat of a previous event.

I had wondered whether we would be witness to any blowups between Drusa and Sirius, as the pair seemed very on-edge with each other. It came close a few times, but nothing major erupted. Yet I think that everyone knew it was only a matter of time. They were ticking bombs, just waiting to explode.

And exploded they did, barely a week after New Year's. James and I were just sitting down to dinner after a long day of Auror training when a knock sounded on the front door.

"Who on earth could that be?" I asked, getting up from the table to answer the door. "It's seven o'clock."

James followed me into the entryway and was right behind me as I opened the door. I stared in surprise at the sight that greeted me. There, standing on our front porch, was Drusa. Finding one of my best friends on the doorstep wasn't what was surprising- it was the state she was in that was shocking.

She was sobbing hysterically, which caused her mascara to run in streams down her face. Her hair was a mess, which I suspected was from the way she kept running her hands through it. She looked terribly disheveled, and I could only imagine what had happened to her.

"Drusa!" I exclaimed, finding my voice after a second. "Come inside! Dear God, what happened?"

"I-I-I-I'm s-s-s-sor-r-ry," she choked through her tears as I escorted her to the couch in the living room. "I-I-I d-didn't know w-w-where t-t-to g-go!"

"Shh," I said soothingly, slightly alarmed by her. I had never seen her so distraught in the eight years I had known her. "Just calm down. Then you can tell me what happened."

It took almost twenty minutes for her to calm down enough to string a few words together in an intelligible form. I looked helplessly at my husband for a sign of what to do, but he just shrugged in a somewhat terrified manner. Of course he wouldn't know what to do.

"Do you think you can explain why, exactly, you appeared on my front porch in hysterics?" I asked after she seemed calm enough.

"I'm sorry," she muttered, twisting one of the many tissues she had been provided with. "I really had no idea where to go." She paused, and I allowed her to gather herself. "It's Sirius."

Instantly James tensed. "Is something wrong with him?" he asked quickly.

Drusa let out a derisive laugh. "Oh no, he's doing just fine," she snarled. "I went over to his apartment a few minutes ago to see if we could talk some things out. But when I got there…" her voice trailed off and her eyes filled with tears again "…that bastard was shagging another bloody blonde!!!" she practically howled, burying her face in her hands. Her shoulders shook as she sobbed, and all I could do was rub her back sympathetically.

"Oh, Drusa, I-"

"Is he really over me that quickly?" she demanded, cutting me off. "We were together for ten months, and then a month after we break up he's off shagging other girls!"

"Dammit, Padfoot," I heard James mutter under his breath.

"I highly doubt that he's over you-" I tried but was interrupted again.

"Then why would he go shag some other girl?!?" she exclaimed, going back into hysterics. "You don't just shag someone for the fun of it!"

"Er…" James said, seeming thoroughly terrified of Drusa but wanting to help. "That's not exactly how Sirius sees things."

Drusa's head snapped up and she fixed a piercing gaze upon my husband. "Oh really?"

"He's always been a bit of a womanizer. He bounced from one girl to the next back at Hogwarts until he started dating you- don't interrupt me- and now he's lost you." James looked at us as if that explained everything.

"Well, that's nice, darling, but I really don't see how that helps the situation," I said gently.

"Of course it helps!" he cried indignantly. "He's feeling bad about it so he does the only thing he's ever done: he's gone and found another girl."

Drusa and I exchanged glances. "He's feeling bad about it so he goes and screws a random girl he picks up?" she asked cynically, rolling her eyes. "That's bloody stupid is what that is."

James opened his mouth to try to argue his point, but he never got the words out as, right at that moment, the main object of our conversation appeared in the middle of the living room.

"Uh-oh," I murmured, seeing the look on my friend's face as she gazed at Sirius. I felt a bit sorry for him; there really wasn't much going in his favor at the moment. Well, at least he was dressed. A bit messy, albeit, but dressed nonetheless.

"You bastard," Drusa snarled, getting up from the couch and walking out of the living room.

"Drusa," he groaned, following her into the kitchen, where James and I joined them moments later. "I'm sorry?"

"Don't talk to me," she said, turning her back to him. "I can't believe you."

"You can't believe that I shagged another girl after we broke up?" he demanded, folding his arms across his chest. Right then and there I knew there was going to be a huge argument in my house.

"No, I can't!"

"Merlin, woman! We broke up! We're not together anymore! Why should it matter if I want to shag someone?"

In a flash Drusa had whirled around. Anger flashed in her eyes. "So I'm not supposed to have feelings for you anymore?" she demanded, her voice rising in volume. "I'm just supposed to shrug it off when I find you screwing someone else? Right, Sirius, it doesn't matter to me at _all_!"

He just stared at her for a moment as though trying to comprehend what she had just said. She stared back for a moment and then let out an angry shriek, and before anyone knew what was happening, she had grabbed a glass from off the counter and hurled it at Sirius' head. He ducked just in time, and the glass shattered into a thousand pieces as it hit the wall.

"Drusa, that's enough!" I exclaimed loudly, summoning the plate that was now in her hand. "You're not going to throw my dishes at Sirius and completely wreck my kitchen! Would you grow up?!?" As I said those words, I felt a small twinge of guilt. This was sort of how I had acted at my parents house when I had heard the bad news.

She turned on me and for a moment she looked as if she was going to throw something at me. A second later, however, her anger dissolved. Tears flowed down her face as Sirius stared at her wide-eyed.

"You bastard," she whispered to him, wiping her eyes impatiently.

"Come on," I said, pulling her out of the room in hopes that another fight would not erupt. Sirius made to follow, but one look from me stopped him in his tracks. "Drusa and I are going upstairs," I told the boys. "We're going to talk, and if either of you interrupt us…" I let my voice trail off, but my message was clear.

I helped her up the stairs and into the guest bedroom, where she collapsed weakly onto the bed. "Just calm down," I said gently, handing her a box of tissues.

She took them from me and took deep, shuddering breaths. "I'm sorry about the glass, Lily," she said.

"Don't worry about it. I can mend it in a second," I answered just as a loud crash came from below us. "I'm guessing Sirius has decided to destroy my kitchen as well," I said wryly, going to the top of the stairs as loud voices floated up.

"-a bleeding idiot!" came Sirius' angry voice.

"There's no denying that, mate. And Lily's going to kill you if you smash that one, too," James replied calmly.

Sirius said something I couldn't hear.

"No, I have to side with the girls on this one. It was bloody stupid of you, Padfoot! She's obviously not over you! Shagging another girl is the wrong thing to do."

"I don't know why I did it. I miss her so much, Prongs. Maybe I just had to drown out my sorrows. It's pure hell not being able to be with her," Sirius said, sounding completely miserable.

"So why wouldn't you just make up in the first place?" James asked.

There was a brief silence in which I assumed Sirius was carefully considering his answer. "You know me," he answered finally. "I'm stubborn as hell and I can't admit when I'm wrong."

"Damn straight." I jumped when Drusa spoke; I hadn't noticed she was standing right next to me.

"You and me both," came James' voice, and wry laughter followed.

"I love her." It was almost inaudible when the laughter had subsided, but Drusa and I both heard it. "Merlin, I love her."

"He's never said that before," Drusa whispered, her red, puffy eyes now wide in disbelief.

"It's ironic how we realize these things only after our state of happiness is in jeopardy," James said, and I noted a hint of sardonic amusement in his words.

"Actually, it sucks. I'm such a jackass, mate. I've probably blown any chance of getting back together with her."

"I wouldn't be so sure."

I was surprised to hear Drusa's voice coming from the kitchen. In my preoccupation with the conversation, I had missed it when she crept down the stairs. I quickly descended them myself, not wanting to miss any of this exciting turn of events.

Sirius was staring at Drusa, who was standing in the doorway to the kitchen. "What?" he asked, not quite able to believe what he had just heard.

"You heard me," she answered moving into the kitchen. She stood in front of him with her arms crossed.

"So we're back together?" A hopeful light shone in his eyes.

"No," she answered tersely, and instantly the light faded. "It's going to be hard to get over the fact that I found you shagging another girl. If you want to get back together, we're going to have to start from the bottom and work our relationship up."

"Why do we-"

"Because I don't trust you." Her words sounded harsh, and complete silence followed. "I can't trust you, not for awhile yet. You're going to have to build it up again. If you're willing to, that is."

He nodded vigorously. "I'm really sorry, Drusa. I don't know what I was thinking-"

"Don't explain yourself to me now," she said firmly. "When I want to know, I'll ask."

There was silence again, then Sirius spoke. "So I guess I'll be going home now?"

Drusa just looked at him.

"I'll take that as a 'yes' then." He disapparated a moment later, and James, Drusa, and I were left standing in the kitchen.

"What the hell was that?" I asked, thoroughly confused by the events that had just taken place. "A second ago you were crying your bloody eyes out and now you and Sirius are friends again."

Drusa surveyed me for a moment before replying. "He said that he loved me," she replied finally. "I've loved him for awhile now, and I don't want to throw an opportunity like this away. If he really loves me, it will all be worth it. I suppose that's why I went to pieces when I found him…" The last part was spoken more as an afterthought than anything else.

James and I exchanged glances, then shrugged. "Alright," he said.

"Thanks for putting up with us," she grinned, pulling me into a hug. "Sorry to delay your supper. Oh, sorry about the cups, too." After muttering a couple of repairing spells and another thank you, she disapparated as well.

"Well that was an interesting evening," I said to James once we were alone.

"You can say that again," he said somewhat sarcastically.

We returned to our abandoned supper, which was now cold. It was warmed quickly and we spent the rest of the night rather uneventfully. Well, I shouldn't say that. Between my crazy friends and James, there was never a dull moment.

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A/N: Sorry it took a bit longer than I had anticipated. Between exams, cheerleading, piano, and the buttloads of homework I've been assigned, it's been crazy. Sorry about that, but there's really not much I can do about it. :sighs: Well, in any case, here's chapter 33 and I hope you enjoyed it. And now that you've taken the time to read it, I'm sure you can take the time to review it! Thanks!

**Pixi-kitty: **Yes, homework definitely sucks. I swear, my teachers are having contests to see who can give out the most homework, and there's also a competition to see who can give out the most pointless homework. It's a conspiracy, I know it is!

**dragoneye: **:shrugs: I really have no idea, but I kind of like having them be civil to each other on occasion. And thanks so much for reading "Confessions…"! I usually don't like writing like that either, but this just popped into my head and wouldn't go away. Hmm, that is weird. My school has seventh and eighth be middle school, but from ninth up is high school. Interesting.

**KTSweep08: **bummer, having to learn a whole semester in a week? Gah, I think I would die.

**LillyEvans13: **thank you! And yes, finals after Christmas break sucks because I have two whole weeks to forget everything! :bangs head on wall:

**mello80: **review alerts are quite scary at times. When I know I've written a crap chapter I just peek between my fingers. :smiles:

**Looony Moony: **no, I don't want to slap you. You're much too amusing. I would have to punish myself like a house elf if I did. And yes, James' parents and Lily's mom have to die too. Harry has no living relatives except for Petunia when James and Lily die. :sniff:

**Banana Princess: **ah, join the club. I think my parents (and my friends) have written me off as a hopeless case of insanity. :shrugs: It's an excuse, at least. And thank you so much. I'm glad you enjoy my work. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. (and your sarcasm about exams was duly noted)

**PruePotter: **Hooray for fixed computers! Oh, wow, that sucks. I think I would die if all my chapters got erased. Well, maybe I wouldn't die, but I'd be very sad for a very long time. Yes, I was getting rather sick of the Voldie killed my parents thingy, so I decided just a natural death would be better. :pats self on back:

**nebulia: **Nope, Voldie-pants will not be killing any of Lily's relatives.

**milkwaypnay37: **Unfortunately, there is no way to save Lily's dad. :sniffs:

**James and Lily 4eva: **Of course there's going to be some good romance! It's James and Lily! I didn't get any of their romance in this chappie because Sirius and Drusa just had to butt in. But more is coming, never fear.

**astronomylover: **I think we'd all like to have James as a boyfriend. I know I would. :sighs lustfully: And no worries about review length. I have no problem with it at all.

**vickiicky: **:hands over tissues: Well, my grandpa died from something similar to a brain tumor. Not exactly the same thing, but close. Maybe that's where I got the idea from, because it hit close to home. :shrugs:

**LupinLover922: **Yes, I have seen LOTR. I own all of them. I like them too, but they're rather long. I've decided that it's a necessity to use the bathroom before watching them, because otherwise I have to make a mad dash to the bathroom during the best parts. :giggles:

**Secretly Smiling: **lol, hooray for not studying. Right now I should be finishing my book report due tomorrow, but of course I'm not. This is ever so much more fun than describing Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice.

**Angry Girl: **yes, it's a bit difficult to notice accents when you've been living among them for so long. But trust me, most Americans think British accents are one of the sexiest things on earth. :faints: Me and my friends were just discussing Colin Firth the other day, along with Orlando Bloom, Hugh Grant, etc. We decided it's definitely the accents.

**AnGeL-GiRl-XxX:** We all love James. :sighs: And thanks. I did wonderfully on my exams.

**Smay: **how cool is that! I love Australia! (not that I've ever been there, but I would love to go one day) Where were you in the US? And thank you.

**kisstheunicorn: **Yes, we do have a tendency to do that. And unfortunately, James and Lily have one of the saddest stories of all (in my opinion). It's going to get rather angsty, too.

**Laney-Wood: **thanks!

**Lady Paine: **Nope, unfortunately there's nothing we can do. :sniffs:

**anonymous: **thanks!

**I-Confuse-Everyone:** thanks!


	34. It Was the Best of Times, It Was the Wor...

Disclaimer: None of the characters you recognize belong to me. They belong to the wonderful J.K. Rowling, and I just like to play with them a bit. I don't have any money either, unless you count the seven pennies I found while cleaning out my car yesterday. Maybe J.K. will sell me the rights to Harry Potter for seven cents…but if she won't, feel free to sue me for it. :shrugs: It's seven cents. Can't buy much with that.

A/N: I'm trying to fix the end punctuation problems with this chapter. For some reason it didn't show up before (and I hope it's showing up now). If it doesn't show up on a lot of the lines, I'm terribly sorry. The stupid proofreading thing isn't compatible with my browser, so it always looks weird to me. If that made any darn sense, good. If not, continue reading and forgive me for the missing end punctuation. Yes, it bothers me, too.

**Chapter 34: It Was the Best of Times, It Was the Worst of Times**

Drusa was as good as her word concerning Sirius building up her trust again. She was completely adamant that she would not take him back unless she could trust him. As the weeks passed, their relationship grew. Slowly, albeit, but it grew.

But while the relationship between them strengthened, my father only weakened. He was admitted to the hospital in the last week of January so they could take care of him and, maybe, prolong his life. But we knew he was fighting a losing battle, and he knew it too. The worst part was when he finally gave up.

It was on February 1, 1979 that my father passed away. His funeral was a few days later, and it was then that I realized just how hard his passing was for my mother. She maintained a strong façade and shed only a few tears, but there was a spark in her eye that was missing. She was only being strong for Petunia and me; something in her died along with my father.

It often happens that one never realizes just how much their parents love each other. My parents were never much for public displays of affection, but they had been married for almost thirty years. Being married myself, I knew what a great feat that was. I had only been married for three months and already knew that it took a lot of effort to make a marriage work. My heart broke for my mother when I realized this; she looked so lost without my dad by her side.

She insisted she would be all right and that she needed neither Petunia nor me to look after her. But I still worried about her; she now lived in that house all alone, and I knew she cried herself to sleep every night. I made a mental note to check on her often.

I came close to crying myself to sleep at night as well. I felt bad for James, because it was obvious he didn't really know what to do. He hadn't lost a parent, so he couldn't really empathize with me. None of my friends really could, either. In the wizarding world, I was alone in my sea of misery.

And that's partially what made me decide to stop wallowing in self-pity. I came to the realization that it wasn't doing anyone any good whatsoever, and it sure wouldn't bring my father back. He wasn't in any more pain, anyway. And so I began to cheer up.

It was one Friday morning about two weeks after my father's death that Tave popped by. And when I say "popped", I mean that in the most literal sense possible. I was walking down the stairs to join my husband the kitchen when she apparated right inside the front door.

"Dear Merlin" I exclaimed, jumping at the loud pop that accompanied her.

"Hey, Lils" She greeted me, then gave me a warm hug. "Sorry about apparating in uninvited. How are you doing"

"Better" I replied truthfully. "I'm doing a lot better."

"Excellent. Listen, I'm on my way to Quidditch practice, so I can only stay for a minute. But I wanted to invite you and James and everyone else to our match against Puddlemere United on next week Saturday. It's my week for the box seats, and I thought you might like to go."

I smiled. "You'd better believe I want to go! I haven't seen you play professionally yet."

"Yeah. Some best friend you are" she said, pretending to be deeply wounded.

"Terribly sorry, but I have a _real_ job" I retorted, not missing a beat. "No flying around on broomsticks for me."

"But I get paid better" she exclaimed triumphantly.

"Damn. You have me there" I sighed. "Well, I have a husband who supports me, too. And there are definite benefits to that…"

"Lily" Tave pretended to be shocked. "James really _has_ been a bad influence on you"

"No more on me than Remus has been on you" I answered sweetly.

"Too bad I have to go" she sighed, looking at her watch. "This conversation is by no means over."

"Excuses, excuses" I teased.

She stuck out her tongue before disapparating.

I shook my head in amusement after she left, then found my way into the kitchen. James was sitting at the kitchen table drinking his coffee and reading the Daily Prophet. The sunlight shone on his extra-tousled hair and danced across his glasses. I was very appreciative of the fact that he was just in his boxers and a tight white t-shirt. He didn't notice me leaning in the doorway, as he was so engrossed in the article he was reading.

I walked around behind him and snaked my arms around his shoulders. I dropped a kiss onto his neck. "You're so serious this morning" I murmured in his ear.

A small smile pulled at the corners of his lips as he folded the newspaper and set it on the table. "News is usually very serious, especially of late" he answered.

"Then don't read it." I ran my fingers through his hair and couldn't help but giggle as it stuck up even _more_. I hadn't thought that was possible.

"It's good to hear you laugh again" James said, pulling me onto his lap and kissing me soundly. "I've missed it."

I gave a bittersweet smile. "I miss my dad, but I also know he's not in any more pain. Thinking about it, I would rather give him up than keep him here in constant pain."

"That's my girl" he said with a proud smile.

"Besides, it's not like it helps to mope around" I added. "That's no fun for anyone, including me."

"Sounds like you've got this all sorted out" he said.

"Yeah. And…well…never mind." I was going to say something, but I wasn't sure what he would think of it.

"What" he asked. I shook my head, but he prompted me further. "Tell me."

"Well, I don't want you to think that I'm not affected by my dad's death"

"How could I think that? I'd never think that, not with the way you were crying for the first few days."

I gave an apologetic smile. "Sorry about that."

"Forget it. It's understandable. So what were you going to say" He raised his eyebrows slightly, anticipating my response.

"It's just that, my dad really wasn't that big a part of my life for the past eight years or so. I mean, sure, I went home every summer and Christmas holidays, but I was living away from home for most of that time. Right now it doesn't seem that much different with him gone. I mean, yes, I was upset and all, but now I've sort of gone back to my original state. It's not really indifference, but I'm not sure what it is. I can't help but wonder that if I had spent more time at home, I might feel his death more acutely. Merlin, I'm not making any sense." I couldn't bring myself to look at him as I spoke.

"Lily" he said softly. "Lily, look at me." He gently turned my face so that I looked him in the eye. "You make perfect sense to me."

"I do" I asked, not sure whether I liked that or not.

"You do" he answered firmly. "And I think it's perfectly understandable." He didn't elaborate any more, and he didn't need to. It was just one of those times when we understood each other perfectly without many words. Any outsider would have been completely lost, yet we knew exactly what the other was thinking. And that was part of what made me love him so much.

I nuzzled gently against his neck. "I love you" I sighed contentedly. "I love you a million bajillion."

"Well I love you a million bajillion quadrillion" he replied, his voice rumbling in his throat.

I pulled away slightly to look at him and grinned. "Oh I see how it is" I said playfully.

"Damn straight you do" he answered, pulling me into a kiss. His hand began to creep up my shirt, but I pulled it off a moment later.

"James! We have to be at the Ministry in" I looked at the clock above the stove "-forty-five minutes! We can't be late" I said firmly when he groaned in disappointment.

"Why not" he demanded, pouting slightly.

I got up off his lap and moved away. "If we show up late, we're not going to have a good excuse and everyone will know it's because we shagged."

James got up and began following me as I moved around the kitchen. "So what? We _are_ married, love. Married people, including us, shag all the time."

"Not just before they, or we, leave for work." I turned to leave the kitchen but he grabbed my wrist and pulled me to him.

"Let's just skip today" he murmured, dropping kisses down my neck.

"James…" I protested half-heartedly. I drew in a breath sharply as he found my favorite spot on my neck.

"That's what I thought" he smirked.

"We shouldn't miss today…they're testing to see if we're ready for the next level…" I felt my resolve weaken, just like my knees as my husband continued his assault on my neck.

"They won't get to us today. They always go in alphabetical order and we're 'P'. We'll go on Monday…maybe even Tuesday…besides, love, do you know what day today is."

"Friday" I answered impishly, knowing full well what he was talking about.

He pulled back and looked at me in reproach. "What's the date, darling"

"Friday, February 14th, 1979" I smiled sweetly.

"And today, my dear Lily, happens to be Valentine's Day" he said. "I, for one, don't want to spend my Valentine's Day sitting at the Ministry of Magic and doing nothing."

I knew he had a fair point, and by then, between his kisses and wheedling, my resolve completely crumbled as I looked into his adorable hazel eyes. "Fine" I relented.

"Do you want to just be late or do you want to skip" he asked, looking as gleeful as a small child being told school was canceled.

"We're skipping" I grinned. "Hell, if we're going to do this, we're going to do this right. But not in the kitchen" I added as a bit of an afterthought.

"Fine by me" James said, promptly picking me up and carrying me upstairs to our bedroom.

I was glad I had decided to stay home with him that day. It was about time we forgot about the world and just concentrated solely on each other for a while. And, I must admit, I enjoyed concentrating on James immensely.

-

"Flanagan to McHagan, McHagan to Greenwell, Greenwell shoots- WHAT A SAVE BY ROGERS! He throws it to Dirk, who speeds up the field- Dirk to Kilbourne, Kilbourne drops it- NO HE DOESN'T! That was a pass to Bradshaw! Bradshaw's all alone in front of the goalposts..."

"Oh come on, Tave, come on, Tave" I muttered, my eyes wide in excitement as I watched my best friend do what she did best.

"MELIFLUA SAVES IT"

"Yes" Cheers exploded around me. I was with James, Sirius, Drusa, Remus, Peter, and the Longbottoms at the Quidditch game we had been invited to. We were sitting in the team's box seats, which were by far the best seats in the stadium. It was a very enjoyable game; although the Chudley Cannons were not the greatest team in the league, Tave's excellent keeping was obviously helping them out quite a bit. They were actually having a winning season for the first time since 1972.

"She's bloody brilliant" Remus said proudly.

The game continued, with Tave making many more excellent saves. Despite her wonderful performance, however, Puddlemere United caught the snitch first and the Cannons lost by fifty points.

"You were superb" I congratulated her when she met us up in the box. "Pity the Cannons didn't win. It's really a shame to have such a talent like you on such a rubbish team."

"I'm used to losing" she shrugged. "Maybe one day I'll be traded to a better team, but I'm fine for now. At least it pays the bills."

"Yours _and_ mine" Drusa grinned. Tave paid for more than her fair share of the flat they lived in in London, considering Drusa was a poor Healer-in-training.

"Right." Tave rolled her eyes. "Amazing thing is that there's some left over."

"I say we all go out and celebrate the wonderful performance by my dear cousin" Sirius interjected. "I'll bet there's a Muggle pub around here somewhere."

"Drinks on you, Padfoot" James asked amusedly.

Sirius grinned. "You know me, mate. If drinks are on me, it's water for everyone."

"That's the best way to go anyway" I said mischievously. "I don't want any more drunk Marauders to deal with."

"Me, either" Tave agreed.

The four Marauders had the decency to look slightly abashed even though the event was almost three months previously.

"We promise we won't get drunk" Remus said, pulling Tave into his arms and kissing her forehead.

"Do we have the Marauders' vow" she asked.

"We swear that we won't get drunk. If we do, may we all be hexed into next week then killed slowly and painfully" the four chorused with their right hands raised.

That, naturally, got a good laugh out of the Longbottoms and Drusa. Tave and I just exchanged highly amused looks.

"Alright then, let's go" I said.

The nine of us did find a Muggle pub not too far from the stadium and had a great time. True to their word, the Marauders did not get drunk. Peter was a bit questionable, and that was after only one beer. But then again, he never could hold much, so we excused him. It was an all and all great time.

And after James and I had apparated home late that night, I was glad I had such wonderful friends.

-

A/N:bangs head on wall: I'm terribly sorry for both the brevity and the (mostly) unimportance of this chapter. I've been really frustrated lately with lack of events for this story. Throw in a beastly small amount of time to write, and you get nasty chapters such as this. It will definitely get better, I can promise you that, so just hang in there with me. Since I'll bet you're just as frustrated as I am, here's what you can look forward to (in the near future)…

An enemy resurfaces

A loved one dies

Something new begins

And I'm going to let you guess about those. I'm not going to tell you the answers, though, you'll just have to wait. :cue evil music: But nevertheless, I would love it if you'd review! I only need one more review to hit 400 (:does little happy dance:)! You guys are the best! Oh, and one more side note, the next chapter may take quite awhile to get up. My basement is being finished, so the computer will be temporarily moved upstairs. I don't know if I'm going to have internet access or not (but I'm pushing for it!) and it will be difficult to find privacy to type in. But I will certainly try my best, and I hope you will forgive any great span of time between this and the next chapter. And in the meantime, I can try to expedite the process if I get lots of reviews….

**KTSweep08: **Thanks. My exams went quite well, thanks for asking. Spelling is actually one of my very strong points. :shrugs: It always has been.

**Banana Princess: **Why thank you. I thought it was rather clever myself. :winces in pain as she pats herself on the back: That's what I get for complimenting myself…lol

**milkywaypnay37: **Thank you, and me too.

**Looony Moony: **Hi, I've been doing pretty well and not much new has been happening in my life. Yours? I had to giggle when you suggested something smash Vernon in the head. I would love to do that, and it may just one day find its way into the story. And you will just have to wait to see what happens to Tave and Drusa…cuz I'm not telling.

**Angry Girl: **thank you very much. How sad that you're used to the accents. They're quite enjoyable. :sighs lustfully:

**nebulia: **I quite agree with you about the Dursleys. They never were physically abusive to Harry, and I think part of that may just have to do that Petunia is, indeed, Lily's sister. Try as she might, there's just no getting past the fact that they are very closely related, and I think Petunia realizes that. Kudos for her. I'm actually rather on Sirius' side as well. You're right; it's just in his nature. And you made perfect sense.

**me-mwahaha:** thanks!

**mello80: **thanks. Sirius and Drusa definitely have a bit of an odd relationship, but they do what works.

**Secretly Smiling: **well thank you very much.

**xRazberryGurlx: **I'm so glad you like it! Writer's block's a bitch, but what can you do:sighs:

**Le Pipe: **Wow, I'm glad you hung in there and made it! I'm so glad I'm not alone in wanting a (fictional…sob) Marauder and talking about them like they're real.

**SiriusProtege: **lol, I know what you mean. Sometimes I find stories I like and they have 40 chapters and I'm like, holy crap. I feel all warm and fuzzy inside that you decided to read my little fic. Yes, that terrible writer's block… :cue dramatic music: It sucks, it really does. :sighs:

**Rock chic: **woah, you're like the millionth person who just found my fic and decided to read all thirty-frickin-three chapters! I salute every one of you. You're all my heroes. And thank you very much for the wonderful compliment about myself. It made me blush. :gasps: Norway? I think I would like Norwegian guys too…:drools:

**taniita: **No worries. And thanks so much. I just feel bad when I don't update, because I leave everyone hanging for so long. I'll try not to worry about it and crank out some quality chapters.

**Kool aid: **Thanks so much! I'm glad you liked it. I decided to throw the Drusa/Sirius thing in there to give it more variety, because I agree with you. It's kinda weird when Lily and her friends all date the Marauders. I think there might be more turmoil in their future, but we'll see. There will be more on Tave and Remus soon, but I'm not saying anything more so I don't give it away. I've got something good up my sleeve in regards to them…

**soccerchic: **Another one:bows low in homage: I don't think even I could read all 33 chapters in just a few days. I think I would get bored and give up. I'm glad you like it, and to be quite honest, I'm not sure how long I'm going to make it. A good length yet, I'm sure more than 50 chapters.

**LupinLover922: **No worries. I know what it's like to kill yourself at practice…like I did tonight at cheer practice. We have our state competition on Saturday, and even though we got first at regionals, our coaches are being evil. We have to perfect our routine because there will be better teams at state. :sighs: And unfortunately, I can't sleep in because of school tomorrow…:groans:

**Isabielle: **thanks. I thought it might be a nice touch, and apparently everyone likes it.

**vickiicky: **:gasps: I'm so sorry to hear that! My condolences go out to you and your family. I know what it's like to lose a family member…:sniffs:


	35. Twice Defied

Disclaimer: Harry Potter never has and never will belong to me. It always has and always will belong to J.K. Rowling. Please don't sue me; I'm kinda broke, considering it's about twenty dollars every time I fill up my gas tank… :sighs:

**Chapter 35: Twice Defied**

February turned to March, and the weather became warmer. Spring was in the air, and I found myself really enjoying the small garden in the front of the house. I had never really been one for gardening, and Herbology had never been my favorite course. But somehow, when the garden was my own and I could do what I pleased with it, it became much more enjoyable. It became a bright spot in my day whenever I chanced a look at it and saw tiny green shoots poking their way out of the almost-black earth.

"Isn't that the best?" I asked Tave one day when she and Remus were over for tea.

She cocked an eyebrow at me. "You need to get out more, Lils, if seeing little green stems poking out of the ground excites you that much." James and Remus joined her in a laugh.

"Oh ha ha," I said sarcastically. "You three have no appreciation for my hard work."

"We have appreciation for your hard work," she defended herself and the guys. "I just like giving you a hard time."

"Don't I know it," I said sarcastically.

I enjoyed engaging in banter such as that, because we were hurriedly summoned to the Order headquarters a few nights later, and it was then that we came to the sudden realization of just how precious life was. When we arrived, it was all business. We were very briefly clued in to what was happening.

"There has been an unexpected attack on a wizarding family not far from Brighton," Dumbledore said quickly. I had never seen the old man so serious. "We're not sure just how many Death Eaters are there, but it's quite a few. This is going to be an all-out battle. I'm going to the Ministry to round up the Aurors. The rest of you need to get there as soon as possible to prevent anything happening to the family."

There were of thirteen of us in total: James, me, Sirius, Remus, Tave, Drusa, Alice, Frank, Gideon and Fabian Prewett, Benjy Fenwick, Dorcas Meadows, and Marlene McKinnon. We were given the address to the house and apparated there. We appeared outside a very large, old house, and I briefly wondered just how many people lived there.

"Are we all here?" Marlene asked quietly, counting heads. "Good. Be as quiet as you can; we don't need to alert them of our presence until we attack."

All thirteen of us filed into the house, and not one of us made a sound. We could hear the tortured screams from someone, and my stomach gave a great lurch. I had forgotten the terror of facing Voldemort's followers. I grabbed James' hand and held on tightly. He squeezed my hand reassuringly, and I felt a little better. We were in this together.

We continued down the hallway, following the sounds of the screams. The closer we got, the more adrenaline was running through my system. By the time we reached the door to the living room, I was ready to go. On the count of three, we burst the door open and poured in.

We found numerous Death Eaters in the living room, torturing the house's poor occupants. I was taken slightly aback at the number of Death Eaters in the room; there had to be at least twenty.

The apparent leader turned to us in surprise when we burst through the door, and instantly hexes were flying everywhere. Tave was right behind me when the explosion of spells began, and we both quickly ducked out of the way of one coming straight for us.

"Shit to Merlin!" she exclaimed from her spot on the floor next to me. "Is this what all battles are like?"

I had forgotten that it was the first time she had ever really faced a Death Eater. The first time, when I had been hit with the Cruciatus curse, it had been more Dumbledore and Voldemort fighting. "I don't know," I replied grimly. "I've only ever been in one other. _Densaugeo_!" I sent the first spell that came to mind at an approaching Death Eater, and we had a right laugh when his teeth began to lengthen beneath his mask.

"Nice," Tave laughed.

We separated ways and began dueling one-on-one with the Death Eaters. Well, in some cases it was more like three-on-one. I was lucky enough to not be in a situation such as that, as I had my hands full with just one. Whoever I was dueling was very good, and I only just barely hit him with a curse.

"_Furnunculus_!" I cried, and the spell hit his right shoulder. He howled in pain as boils began to break out over his entire body. I grinned, but I didn't get to enjoy my victory long as I found myself thrown off my feet and soaring backwards through the air. I hit a wall with a "thud" and the wind was knocked out of me. I let out a choking groan and took several breaths, trying to regain a rhythm, as a female Death Eater advanced on me. She threw a curse at me, which I was only barely able to dodge. I sent one right back, but she was just as agile as I.

"Nice try, Mudblood," she sneered, and I thought I vaguely recognized her voice. Who was she?

There was no time to deliberate the point as a hex came too close to my head for comfort. I sprang up from my spot on the wall and engaged in a fierce duel with her. Hexes, curses, and jinxes were thrown, and I used whichever came to mind first.

Out of nowhere a hex hit my attacker and she fell to the floor, some strange things with wings attacking her face. I found myself face to face with Gideon Prewett, who was laughing.

"What was that?" I yelled over the din.

"Bat Bogey Hex," he replied. "It's a specialty of mine."

So that's what the Bat Bogey Hex was. I grinned my thanks and we both moved on.

I continued fighting for what seemed like only a few minutes, but it must have been much longer. I began to notice that there seemed to be more and more Death Eaters. I quickly scanned the room, trying to find other Order members. There was Gideon and Fabian…Marlene was fighting someone…Tave was over there…where was James?

_Oh shit._

I spotted him lying on the floor, apparently bound with invisible ropes, along with Sirius, Remus, Alice, Drusa, Frank, Dorcas, and Benjy. And Dorcas was writhing on the floor in pain…

Before I knew what I was doing, I began sprinting across the room, throwing whatever spell came to mind at the Death Eaters surrounding the group. I took several by surprise, including the one torturing Dorcas.

"_Tarantallegra_! _Silencio_!_ Impedimentia_!_ Expelliarmus_!_ Petrificus Totalus_!" I bellowed.

"_Stupefy_!_ Rictusempra_!_ Diffindo_!"

I grinned when Tave came running up beside me. Together we continued our assault, occasionally dodging spells sent back at us. Suddenly I realized the distance between the Death Eaters and us was quickly dwindling. I hadn't exactly thought so far into the future to decide what to do when I arrived, but the same thought struck Tave and I.

We recklessly entered the circle of Death Eaters and began punching and kicking whoever was within reach. Being Muggleborn definitely had its advantages, and for once I was thankful Petunia and I didn't get along very well. I was well versed in the areas of the body that hurt the most when hit, and my aim was true.

Very soon, however, Tave and I realized that our assault really hadn't been that bright of an idea. There were about six Death Eaters to the two of us, and it took one spell to trap our arms and legs to our bodies.

"Damn!" Tave exclaimed as we were added to the group of Order members on the floor. "Now what?"

"Nice try," Alice said sympathetically. Leave it to her to stay completely cool in a situation such as this.

"Get the others!" a Death Eater barked out. "No one here can do anything. Round up the others and we'll have some fun!"

Cold fear gripped my heart at those words. Their definition of fun most certainly did not match up with any of ours.

Marlene was hit with a spell from behind and came soaring towards our group. The only two left fighting were the Prewett brothers. I was impressed with their fighting skills; they could dodge spells like no one I had ever seen. This didn't sit well with the Death Eaters, however, and soon five of them were fighting Gideon and Fabian. Spells were fired rapidly back and forth for several minutes, but I knew it was only a matter of time before the brothers were captured. They were getting tired, and there were fifteen more Death Eaters that could jump in at any time.

"Get them, Dolohov!" howled the lead Death Eater impatiently. "There's bleeding two of them! Kill them if you must!"

My eyes grew wide as I heard his words. They wouldn't kill them…

"_Avada Kedavra_!" A jet of green light erupted from on of the Death Eater's wands, heading straight for Gideon. He saw it, but he couldn't move out of the way fast enough. It hit him straight on in the chest and he crumpled to the floor.

"No!" I let out a strangled scream, unable to believe it. Gideon Prewett had just been murdered, and I had witnessed the whole thing.

"_Avada Kedavra_!" A second jet of green light erupted from the Death Eater's wand, this time hitting Fabian. He instantly fell to the floor next to his brother.

To say I was shocked would be a huge understatement. I was completely horrified at what had just taken place. These people were ruthless. I knew they killed people, but reading about it in the newspaper and actually seeing it occur right in front of you are two very different things. I felt sick and began struggling to hold the contents of my stomach down.

I looked over at the Order members around me, and each one looked just as horrified as I was. They had killed Gideon and Fabian…

The Death Eaters turned their attention to the rest of us, and I began to wonder where Dumbledore was. He had said he was going to round up some Aurors. How long was that supposed to take?

"That was unfortunate," said the lead Death Eater, feigning sympathy. His comrades snickered at his words. "Unfortunate, yet necessary. Let's take a moment to remember their courageous fight." He bowed his head, then a second later lifted it. "Moment over. Now who shall we torture first?"

I glared at him, my blood beginning to boil at his mockery of the Prewetts. Anger coursed through me as I stared up at the Death Eaters.

"The Mudblood!" answered a female voice. I recognized it as the one I had dueled earlier. She was the one Gideon had hit with a Bat Bogey Hex…

"No," the leader negated. "We'll start with this one and work our way down the line." He indicated Benjy Fenwick, who was dragged forward with a flick of the leader's wand. Benjy gave him a defiant stare, and I shut my eyes. I knew what was coming next.

Sure enough, screams filled the air as the Cruciatus Curse was thrown at poor Benjy. I screwed my eyes up tight, willing myself not to cry. I knew _exactly_ what he was feeling, and I prayed Dumbledore would arrive soon.

"Did you like that?" the Death Eater asked with a sadistic laugh after he had lifted the curse. Benjy panted as he lay there, trying desperately to regain his breath. He shook his head slightly, and a pained expression crossed his face as he did. He immediately was sent soaring back to the rest of us and landed hard on the ground. Simultaneously, the next person in line was brought forward. My stomach lurched when I saw that it was Tave.

"NO!" Remus exclaimed, beginning to fight against his invisible bonds.

"Remus, don't," James said, sounding incredibly calm. Had I not known him so well, I would have thought he wasn't perturbed in the least by recent events. "You'll only make it worse."

I felt a glimmer of pride in my husband. He was staying levelheaded, and for once he was more levelheaded than Remus was. James never ceased to amaze me.

The Death Eaters ignored the exchange between the two men, and a wand was raised, ready to perform the Unforgivable on my best friend. But a loud "bang" from behind the group interrupted, and I felt my heart leap. Dumbledore had arrived!

Behind him came several Aurors. The only ones I recognized were Mad-Eye Moody and James' father. I briefly wondered if Mr. Potter was in the Order, but I was distracted once I felt my invisible bonds release their hold on me.

I, along with the other Order members, jumped up and joined the fight. All hell broke loose as the battle was renewed. I was certain we would be able to round up all the Death Eaters and throw them into Azkaban.

This was not to be, however, as an unexpected person showed up several minutes after the battle began the second time. I didn't realize it until the Death Eater I was fighting began retreating. It joined its comrades behind a foreboding figure…

Voldemort.

"Damn party pooper," I heard Sirius mutter as we followed suit regrouped behind Dumbledore. "Of course he has to show up."

"Dumbledore," Voldemort hissed when he saw the older wizard.

"Tom," Dumbledore replied cordially, inclining his head slightly. "It was foolish of you to come tonight."

"One might say the same to you," he said. Out of nowhere a jet of red light appeared, heading straight for Dumbledore. I watched in horrified fascination as, just in time, a large shield appeared in front of him. The jet of light was absorbed by the shield before it disappeared.

"I have every right to be here. Your followers did the unthinkable tonight." The suppressed rage in Dumbledore's voice was just barely there. I knew he was just as upset as the rest of us, but he was able to mask it wonderfully.

Voldemort shrugged. "They got in their way," he replied. "They were Muggle-loving bastards, anyway. It serves them right, and if you're not careful, you'll end up the same way. Foolish old codger…"

As a unit, the Order of the Phoenix tensed. To hear the Prewett brothers and Dumbledore talked about like that was downright insulting. All of us would have liked nothing better than to throw every Unforgivable at Voldemort in quick succession.

"That's where you're wrong, Tom," Dumbledore replied benignly. With a barely perceptible flick of his wrist, a jet of blue light was sent hurtling at Voldemort.

Voldemort also conjured a shield just in time, and it reacted to the spell just like the one Dumbledore had used. "Is that all you've got, old man?" he taunted. Dumbledore made no reply, maintaining his calm composure. Voldemort set a jet of fire at him, but just before it reached Dumbledore, it turned into droplets of water that fell to the floor with a small splash. A small, almost condescending smile tugged at the corners of Dumbledore's lips.

Pure anger flashed across Voldemort's face, but it was soon turned to surprise as Dumbledore vanished.

I grabbed James' hand. Dumbledore wouldn't have left us, would he? He couldn't just leave us alone with Voldemort!

Of course he didn't. A few moments later he appeared right in the middle of the group of Death Eaters, which was standing behind Voldemort. As Voldemort turned around, Dumbledore sent a spell, hitting him square on. He howled in anger and pain as the sheer force of the spell knocked him clear off his feet.

"This isn't over," he snarled just before he disapparated. His Death Eaters followed suit, leaving us alone in the now-destroyed living room.

No one spoke for a moment until a voice was heard faintly from the corner: "How can we ever thank you?"

We instantly turned to find the house's owner crouched in the corner along with his wife and two children. In the heat of the battle we had forgotten about them, and apparently so had the Death Eaters. They had been huddling in an out-of-the-way corner since we had arrived.

"There's no need," Frank said wearily. "We can perform memory charms on you and your children, if you would like. If not, we'll be leaving."

The man and his wife requested that memory charms be put on their children, as the children were rather young to have witnessed such horrors. They denied any medical attention (although the owner had been tortured with "_Crucio_"), and we returned to the Order headquarters.

James and I went home that night in silence. We were both upset by the death of two of the Order members; it was rather unexpected, to say the least. I think that while we all knew we were putting our safety and our lives on the line, we had never actually expected any of us to be killed.

James held me a little closer as we fell asleep, and I didn't mind at all. It was times like these that I realized we were flirting with death. For a good reason, yes, but we were flirting with it all the same. Yet I just couldn't see either of us being killed like the Prewetts had been. We were nineteen years old. We were too young to die.

Weren't we?

A/N: I am so sorry for the really really really long wait:grovels at the feet of the readers: Don't be mad, my life has been upside-down for the past month. I've had a beast of a time trying to find time to type. My computer's in my bedroom for the time being, but that means my family is going in and out of my room all the time (namely my brother…grrr). I will do my very best to update sooner next time. I feel terrible for leaving you guys hanging for so long. And, in an effort to get this up sooner, I'm going to forego the review responses this time. Thank you to everyone who reviewed, you all make my day. Please keep reviewing, and I promise to respond next time! (And if you do want me to respond right away, just say so and make sure you put your email address where it says to and I'll email you.) I love you all!


	36. And So Life Goes On

Disclaimer: Any of the characters you recognize never have been and never will be mine. They belong to the ingenious J.K. Rowling, and I just like to play with them a little bit. Suing me would be rather pointless, seeing as I'm practically broke at the moment, but if you'd like to go ahead. Actually, don't, because it'd just be a huge headache for both of us. 

**Chapter 36: And So Life Goes On**

James and I attended the Prewett brothers' funeral with a majority of our fellow Order members. We sat in the back out of respect for the grieving family. It was a very nice service, although it was very sad. I felt a little bad because I realized I had been slightly distracted throughout most of the service, but it was James who pointed out that I was probably just trying to push the reality of what happened out of my mind. People deal with things like that differently.

But anyway, my distraction came by a family sitting up front because, I noticed, all of the children had flaming red hair. There were five of them, all boys from what I could tell. Two of them were seated on their parents lap, and the other three were sitting quietly in their chairs. I think the fact that the five boys were perfectly silent was part of what initially drew me to them, aside from their hair. I figured they had to be related to the Prewett brothers, as the oldest looked no older than seven.

I got my chance to meet them after the funeral. The two oldest were playing in the grass and their mother was having quite a time keeping them within her sight. I couldn't blame the poor boys; they had just sat still for over an hour.

"Bill! Charlie!" she called to them. "You need to stay where I can see you!"

Just then the two youngest (I assumed they were twins) began crying, and their mother's attention was quickly turned to them. She picked them both up and began looking for her husband.

"Arthur? Arthur!" He didn't seem to be anywhere in the near vicinity, so I thought I would offer a hand.

"Would you like me to hold one of your boys?" I asked as the babies' crying escalated.

A grateful look crossed her face. "Are you sure you don't mind, dear?"

"Of course not. You look as if you could use a bit of help," I answered.

She handed me one of the crying boys, and he stopped instantly to try and figure out who I was. And as soon as he stopped, his brother stopped.

The woman shook her head. "They're always like that," she said. "When one cries, the other one cries. When one stops, the other stops. It drives me near mental at times."

I smiled. "I'm sure it does. I'm Lily Potter, by the way."

"I'm Molly Weasley. That's George you're holding, and I've got his twin, Fred. They're eleven months old. Percy's sitting under the tree over there and he's three. Bill and Charlie are in the grass. They're seven and six, respectively." She pointed each of them out to me as she spoke.

"That's quite a bunch!" I exclaimed.

"Yes, they certainly keep my hands full," Molly replied. "But they're good boys."

"I was impressed that they remained so quiet inside," I said, a bit hesitantly as I wasn't sure of their relation to the Prewetts. "I've never seen five boys sit still for an hour."

A sad smile crossed Molly's face. "They understood that it wasn't a time to cause trouble for Arthur and me. Gideon and Fabian were my brothers."

"I'm so sorry," I said softly.

She gave a small shrug, and I got the distinct impression that she was trying very hard to seem nonchalant. "How did you know them?" she asked.

"I, erm, worked with them," I said carefully, not sure how much she knew about her brothers' work with the Order.

She opened her mouth to speak but wasn't given time to question me further as, right at that moment, her husband appeared beside her. We were introduced, and I handed over his son. A moment later James joined us, and I was still amazed that I got butterflies in my stomach when I introduced him as my husband. After four months I still wasn't used to it.

The four of us conversed for a short while, and then James and I decided to return home. We didn't want to impose any longer, and the Weasley boys were becoming rather restless.

James and I arrived home around four o'clock that afternoon. We were rather subdued upon our return, but we knew we were both thinking the same thing.

"This sucks," I sighed as I hung my coat in the front all closet. "All this dying and everything. It's everywhere." I took James' coat from him and hung it next to mine.

"I know," he said, rubbing my shoulders gently. He moved my hair out of the way and dropped a light kiss on my neck. "That's why we're fighting Voldemort, Lils, so he can't kill anyone anymore."

He moved into the kitchen and began searching the cupboards for something. He pulled down two teacups and continued his search.

"What are you looking for, love?" I asked after a few moments of watching him.

"The teapot," he answered. "I don't see it. Where did you put it?"

A small smirk tugged at my lips as I crossed the kitchen floor. "I don't believe it," I said in a slightly teasing manner. "James Potter is going to make tea? When was the last time he ever did anything besides eat in my kitchen?"

"I've done dishes loads of times!" he protested.

"Then how can you not know where the teapot is? You must have put it away the last time you did the dishes." I tried to look severe, but I failed miserably. I couldn't help but smile as he put on his wounded-puppy-dog expression.

"You must have moved it," he replied, his adorable hazel eyes looking as sad as possible.

"Mmm, I must have." I bent down to open a cupboard beneath the counter and located the teapot in less than two seconds. I straightened up and handed it to James.

"What was it doing down there?" he demanded, going over to the sink to fill it with water.

"James, that's where it's always been," I said condescendingly.

"No, it hasn't!"

I wrapped my arms around his waist and set my chin on his back. "Darling. Sweetheart. Love of my life. I put it there when we moved in, and that's been its home ever since."

He turned to face me and our eyes met. He opened his mouth to say something, but then he shut it again. I gave him a triumphant smile.

"Fine, you win," he conceded, "but I'm actually not quite sure what our argument was about in the first place."

"Me either, so I only want to win if I get you for a prize," I answered with a wink.

"I think I can arrange that." He kissed me gently. "But first, I must make tea."

"I'm surprised you know how to," I mused as he set the teapot on the stove. "And the Muggle way too, I'm impressed!"

"Bet you didn't know I could be so handy in the kitchen, did you?" he replied proudly. "The tea will be ready in no time."

I hesitated a moment, because I really hated to point out his error. I really, really did. He seemed so happy that he could make tea the Muggle way. Yet I couldn't help but giggle slightly as I told him what was wrong.

"Er, James, you might want to turn on the stove," I said as he began to walk away.

"What?" He stopped midstride to give me a questioning look.

"The water will never boil if you don't turn on the stove." I felt terrible at his crestfallen face, so I made up for it by covering it with kisses. "I still love you," I offered as I reached behind him to turn the dial.

"At least someone does," he replied forlornly, not looking at me and managing to look terribly downcast.

"Oh, honestly!" I exclaimed while rolling my eyes. "Be a little more melodramatic, would you?"

He immediately looked up at me and grinned. "I could be, but I think that would be overkill." A small sigh escaped my lips as his strong arms found their way around my waist and drew me close to him. "But for the record, I love you, too."

And a side note, off the record: snogging James Potter in the kitchen is more than worth _any_ melodrama thrown my way.

xxxxx

It wasn't until several weeks later that we learned why Dumbledore had been rather late in arriving. He had gone to the Ministry to round up the Aurors in the Order, but he arrived to find hardly any Aurors there at all. Most of the ones on-duty (which was a substantial amount) had been sent off on a report of a long string of Muggle killings and many threats for more in Wales. A whopping grand total of four was left at the Ministry. None of them were in the Order, and that posed a bit of a problem. Dumbledore was faced with two choices: he could either bring those Aurors and try to contact the ones off-duty, or he could try his luck in locating the Order members in Wales. He decided on the former.

James' father had been one of those at the Ministry, and he was very helpful in contacting the off-duty Aurors that were Order members. Nevertheless, it took awhile for everyone to assemble. They came to our aide, and the rest is history.

Those not in the Order were given memory charms after the battle. We couldn't have them know of out secret organization whether they were Aurors or not. It was, simply, just too dangerous. Mr. Potter, just before receiving his memory charm, told James just how proud he was of him Although James just nodded and thanked him, I knew how much the comment meant to him. James idolized his father, and his approval was everything to him.

And so life went on.

It almost seemed cruel, really, that we got to live while others around us were dying, but there was nothing we could do about it.

The spring turned into summer, and both passed without very much incident in regards to Auror training and the Order. James and I both made the necessary advancements in Auror training, and we were engaged in a few skirmishes with some Death Eaters. Nothing too big happened, however, which I was rather glad of.

In our personal lives, however, there were a few events worth mentioning. One was that Drusa and Sirius were _finally_ officially back together. That happened somewhere in June, I think. It really was rather a relief to find them snogging each other senseless in our guest bedroom when they were invited over. It seemed things were getting back to normal, and that was a much-needed feeling.

Another event worth mentioning occurred in mid-July. James and I were sitting in our living room, having a lovely chat, when Tave apparated right into our front hallway.

"Lily?" she called. "Are you home?"

"Yeah, I'm in here," I replied from my spot on the couch. She bounded into the living room excitedly, her eyes bright.

"Oh, hello, James. Sorry for just coming over without asking, but I just had to tell you two!" she exclaimed, coming to stand in front of James and me. She began bouncing on the tips of her toes, and I had to laugh. She looked like a little schoolgirl excited about something.

"Tell us what?" I demanded when she didn't continue. "You can't just-" I stopped short when a sparkle of light hit my eye. It was coming from a ring on her left hand…on the fourth finger of her left hand…"Ohmigod!" I exclaimed in one breath, jumping up from the couch. I grabbed her hand and a huge smile broke out over her face. "Are you…?"

She nodded. "Remus proposed to me last night! We're getting married, Lily!"

I let out an excited squeal as I hugged her. "Tave! You're getting married! I can hardly believe it!"

"So he finally asked, did he?" James said with an amused smile. "He's been carrying around that ring for weeks."

"And you didn't tell me?" I demanded. "James!"

"I'm not going to tell you something like that!" he protested. "You women talk about everything! You would have let it slip somehow, I know you would have!"

I knew he was right, but of course I wouldn't admit it. I just gave him The Look and turned back to Tave. "Well, what are you waiting for? We have to start planning!"

"I haven't told Drusa or Alice yet," she said. "But I'll go do that right now, and then we can."

"Of course! Go now! Invite them over here, and then we'll plan away!" I said, and with an excited nod, Tave disapparated.

I immediately heard a groan from behind me. I turned and raised an eyebrow at my husband, who was staring at me with a frantic look on his face.

"What?" I asked, completely clueless as to why he was giving me such a look.

"Four giggling girls? Here, while I'm here?" He looked more than terrified at the prospect.

"Oh, you poor thing," I said sarcastically, folding my arms across my chest. "Somehow I don't think you would have minded just over a year ago when we were back at Hogwarts."

"That was different! I'm a married man now," he replied. "I'm serious, Lily! There's nothing more terrifying to a guy than being stuck in a group of girls excited over something!"

I sat delicately on his lap and grinned. "I'll bet you can conquer that fear."

"Oh? How so?"

I planted a chaste kiss on his lips, but the look I gave him was far from innocent. "You find a way, Mr. Potter, and I'll make it well worth your effort."

A wicked smile spread across his features at my words. "Perhaps I _will_ find a way, Mrs. Potter. I'll hold you to your end of the bargain."

"Deal."

xxxxx

True to his word, James did indeed survive the day with "four giggling girls". He stayed out of the way, mostly, but he was able to summon enough courage to offer us tea and lemonade.

"How ever did you train him so well?" Alice laughed. "Frank would have bolted right out of our house if the four of us were there."

"I believe it was Tave who once said that there are certain…_incentives_," I said delicately, but my meaning was picked up by all.

Our day was mostly filled by pointless chatter, as it had been awhile since we had all gotten together, but we did eventually decide on the color of the bridesmaids' dresses. They were going to be pale pink, even though Tave had never been one for pink.

"I'm not the one wearing the bloody dress," she shrugged when we asked. "All I really care about is my dress."

"Spoken like…yourself," I laughed. Tave was Tave, and that was that.

The girls left around nine o'clock that night, and James was waiting for me. He picked me up and began carrying me like a baby up the stairs to our bedroom.

"That was torture," he muttered as he began to plant kisses along my jaw line. "Terrible, that."

"And yet somehow you managed. I'm proud of you," I replied, rolling my eyes.

"You have to uphold your end of the bargain, darling," he reminded me. "You have to make it well worth my effort."

"With pleasure," I said with a grin, and I made a mental note to make bargains like that with James more often.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

A/N:wipes sweat off brow: Phew! This chapter was a beast to write, and even more of a beast to type up. Of course, to be completely honest, some of that had to do with my laziness. Yes, I will admit it. I have been terribly lazy when it comes to this story, and I apologize profusely to you guys. I've actually been writing several of the chapters that will be coming up later because, to me, they're much more interesting. So I can promise that later on the chapters will be coming faster! In the meantime, please hang in there. Please keep reviewing, because I absolutely love to get reviews! Thanks so much!

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**Secretly Smiling:** Yes, I do know. The third time is coming up, and eventually…:sobs: We won't talk about that right now.

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**Serenity84UK:** Why thank you! And a little side note…the UK rocks my socks.


	37. Warfare of Two Sorts

Disclaimer: I, unfortunately, have no claims whatsoever to any Harry Potter related characters. If I did, I would be a jazillionaire...which I'm not...

**Chapter 37: Warfare of Two Sorts**

The month of August was filled with the hubbub of planning Tave's wedding. I'll admit that we girls did get rather excited about the whole thing, but that may have been given a bit of a boost when the Daily Prophet reported on her engagement.

"Hey, look at that!" Alice exclaimed when we were once again assembled in my house at my kitchen table (but this time Sirius, Remus, and Frank came, too, so James was able to escape with them to another part of the house). She was in the Quidditch section and pointing to a headline that read, 'Chudley Cannons Star to be Married'. Underneath the headline was a picture of Tave and Remus laughing with each other.

"Hmm, I wonder where they got that picture?" Tave asked. "It's a good one. I like it."

"Read the article," I said to Alice as I paged through a flower catalogue. The catalogue just so happened to be the same one I had used for my wedding.

"'Octavia Meliflua, starting Keeper for the Chudley Cannons, has recently become engaged, according to a statement released by the team on Tuesday,'" Alice read. "'"Miss Meliflua is going to be married to Remus Lupin, her boyfriend of nearly two years," said Elias Standling, spokesman for the team. The pair met at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and began dating in their seventh year. No date has been set for the wedding as of yet.' And then it just goes on and talks about how great of a player Tave is and all her stats, but we don't want to read that," Alice finished, throwing a teasing look in Tave's direction.

"Of course we do!" Tave replied with a grin. "How many saves did I have last season? Four hundred something, wasn't it?"

"Oh, shut it," I replied. "We all know you're the best Keeper in the league. Hey, what about these flowers?"

Tave looked at the picture in the catalogue and shrugged. "Those are pretty."

"That's what you've said about all the flowers we've shown you!" Drusa exclaimed. "Honestly, woman, do you even care?"

"Not particularly," she answered honestly. "I don't care if I get married in the dungeons at Hogwarts, just so long as I get married. But I do want a pretty dress…" she added as an afterthought.

"Well, you're not getting married in the Hogwarts dungeons, so pick which flowers you think are the prettiest," Drusa said, rolling her eyes. "This doesn't have to be so difficult."

"Is Tave being difficult _again_?"

The four of us turned and saw Sirius standing in the doorway shaking his head. Behind him were James, Remus, and Frank, all looking somewhat amused.

"That's exactly why I will have nothing to do with planning the wedding," Remus sighed, making his way into the kitchen. The other men followed.

"Hey, I resent that," Tave pouted, sticking out her lower lip and causing Remus to go over and kiss it.

"Ewww, gross," Sirius said, making pretend gagging noises. "I really don't want to see that."

I rolled my eyes. "As if you and Drusa didn't scar me enough when I walked in on you two snogging in the guest bedroom a couple of weeks ago…"

"At least we were in a room by ourselves!" Sirius defended himself. "It was your fault for walking in."

"Yeah, well, I wouldn't exactly say you were in a room by yourselves. You left the door open," I shot back.

"A minor detail," he said self-righteously, causing me to roll my eyes.

"As much as I hate to, I have to agree with Lily on that one," Drusa said, giving her boyfriend a sympathetic look. "An open door isn't exactly privacy."

"Whose side are you on, anyway?" he replied disgruntledly, folding his arms across his chest in a pout.

"Oh, honestly," Drusa said, getting up and going to sit on his lap. "You know I'm always on your side. Lily just happened to beat you in this one, hands down. But I still love you." She then proceeded to kiss him, causing Remus to protest.

"Oy, Padfoot! If I can't kiss Tave in front of everybody, then you can't kiss Drusa in front of everybody," he said matter-of-factly. "It's only fair, you know."

Sirius thought a moment. "Well, I suppose I'll allow you to kiss Tave if that's the way it's going to be. Just make sure I'm not watching."

Needless to say, this sparked more arguments. I don't remember the rest of them; I just remember sharing a smile with James and thinking how our group of friends never really changed. Sirius always started little arguments about nothing in particular, and we all jumped in, ready to give our opinions. Little did we know that all of that would soon be just a bittersweet memory.

xxxxx

"James!"

"What?"

I marched into our bedroom, where James was pulling a shirt over his head. I folded my arms across my chest and surveyed him, raising an eyebrow as I did so.

"What did I do?" he asked, recognizing my stance as the one I did when he was in trouble.

"Why don't you go into the bathroom and tell me," I answered curtly. He sighed and complied, knowing we would be quite late to Auror training if he didn't. It was nearly ten months into our marriage, and we were still having disagreements about the little things. I had a sneaking suspicion we would be fighting over them until we were a hundred years old.

"I'm not quite sure what you're upset about," came his voice from down the hall.

I joined him in the bathroom. "Oh really? Then you don't see the water all over the floor from your shower, nor the toothpaste spattered on the mirror from you brushing your teeth, nor the toothpaste tube sitting on the counter, squeezed in the middle?"

He rolled his eyes. "Yes, I see it. I just don't happen to have a problem with it."

"Don't roll your eyes at me. How can you not have a problem with it! The bathroom is filthy!" I exclaimed.

"Not…exactly…" he said slowly. "You see, the water on the floor will evaporate and be gone by the time we get home tonight. There are about four dots of toothpaste on the mirror that no one is going to notice, and I left out the toothpaste for you. Yes, it's squeezed in the middle, but I always do that." A small smirk on his face left me in no doubt that he did it just to irritate me.

"You are _such_ a male!" I exclaimed in exasperation. "If you live like this, I thank Merlin I never saw the boys' dormitories at Hogwarts! There were three more of you to add to this!"

"You probably would have had a heart attack," James agreed. "But if it means that much to you, I'll clean up the water and the mirror." He took out his wand and muttered a few cleaning spells. He left the bathroom, kissing my cheek as he went.

I looked down at the counter and saw that he had left the toothpaste tube just as it was. "James!" I called.

He reappeared from around the corner and grinned impishly at me. "I'm just leaving it out for you, love!" he said.

"Mmm-hmm," I said, picking it up. "I'm sure that making my life easier is foremost in your mind."

"It always is," he replied cheesily with a wink.

I sighed and began to squish the tube so it would be flat at the bottom instead of the middle. Unfortunately, I squished it with a little more force than needed. Before either of us knew what was happening, toothpaste squirted out of the tube and straight onto James' clean shirt.

I clapped a hand over my mouth, my eyes wide. James stared down in his shirt, a look of disbelief on his face. I tried really hard to suppress the giggle that I felt coming, but I wasn't very good at it. A noise halfway between a snort and a choke emerged from my throat.

James looked up at me. "You did that on purpose!" he said. He seemed quite shocked at what had just happened. "This was a clean shirt, Lily!"

"I- I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!" I gasped, feeling my eyes water with the suppressed laughter. "I…I…" I dissolved into giggles, and James shook his head.

"Unbelievable," he muttered, running a hand through his messy hair. "My wife is laughing at me."

I leaned against the counter for support, wiping away a tear as I laughed. "You should have seen the look on your face…" I choked out. "It was priceless!"

"It was, was it?" he demanded. "I see how things are." With that, he grabbed the toothpaste tube out of my hand and squirted it on my shirt.

"James!" I shrieked, stepping back several seconds too late. "It really was an accident! I really didn't mean to get you!"

"Oops," he shrugged. "Sorry, love. My hand must have slipped." A smirk tugged at the corners of his mouth, completely negating his statement.

"Your hand slipped?" I asked, quite unbelieving. "Right. Well, that's just lovely." I turned to the sink and turned on the faucet. I began to clean my shirt, and then I just _slipped_ and managed to get James full in the face with a handful of water. "Oh, darling, I'm so sorry! I have no idea how that happened! Bad hand, bad hand!"

Needless to say, James and I then proceeded to become engaged in an all-out war. It lasted for several minutes, and it involved toothpaste, water, shaving cream, and several spells. James hit me with a terrible tickling spell, which gave him and advantage. He wouldn't take it off until I declared him the all-time winner.

Unfortunately, I didn't realize until after our battle that we only succeeded in making the bathroom, as well as the bedroom and hallways, a bigger mess than it had been to begin with. And that's not mentioning the matter of our clothes being completely trashed. Yet it wasn't anything a few charms couldn't fix, and we were soon on our way to Auror training.

We arrived rather late, however, to Stealth and Tracking. Our professor obviously wasn't pleased and gave us the Evil Eye as we slipped into the lecture. We sat near the Longbottoms in the back, and Alice grinned at me in amusement. She slipped me a note when the professor's back was turned (which was actually encouraged, seeing as passing notes unnoticed was supposed to improve our stealth).

_Please don't tell me you're late because you and James were shagging in the shower again._

I felt myself turn bright red as I read the note. I shot her a nasty glare, then quickly scribbled a reply.

**That was _once_ two months ago, Alice! We got into a bit of a toothpaste war this morning and had to clean up and change clothes. **

_Riiiiiight. A toothpaste war. Whatever you say, dear. _

**No, really! I yelled at James because he made a mess in the bathroom this morning, and as I was fixing the toothpaste tube, I accidentally squirted him. It just escalated from there.**

Alice rolled her eyes.

_You do realize that you've changed dramatically from the girl I knew for seven years at Hogwarts, right? _

**What do you mean?**

_I mean that before you started dating James, you would never have even dreamed of being late to something like this. Yet you've been late several times since we started Auror training. He's rubbed off on you._

I grinned as I read her note. She was one hundred percent right. James had rubbed off on me. My reply was fairly simple.

**Yeah, he has. It's funny what love can do to you, isn't it?**

Alice just nodded her agreement.

xxxxx

That night James and I received an urgent summons from the Order of the Phoenix, and we arrived as soon as possible. Many of the Order members were there, but no one seemed to know what was going on. We waited a few more moments for Dumbledore to arrive, and when he did, he immediately began to fill us in.

"We've received word of an attack on a family," he said gravely. "I know that both of the parents, both Muggle-borns, have been killed. I don't know the status on their three children. I'm not going to sugarcoat the situation; it's very dangerous. Gregory Gable was the father, and he had been very active in the Ministry's fight against Voldemort. There are at least twenty-five Death Eaters there, perhaps more. I'm not sure if Voldemort is there or not."

There were twenty of us Order members present, and we were all sent to a large house in the country. It was reminiscent of the last time we had fought Voldemort, and I prayed that the outcome would not be the same.

Dumbledore had told us that there were at least twenty-five Death Eaters. I never actually counted, but I figured there had to be many more than that. They were everywhere, trashing the house and torturing the three young children. Sirius was the first of us to attack them, and then, as usual, all hell broke loose.

Every type of spell imaginable was flying every which way throughout the house. Drusa and I managed to get the children away from the Death Eaters and into a safe corner before joining the battle.

I had hoped that, with every battle, things would get a little easier. Not physically, of course, because fighting for your life is never an easy thing to do. I was hoping that _mentally_ I would withstand it a little better. Naturally, nothing like that happened. Not that I would ever admit it, but I was scared shitless at the knowledge that one wrong move and I was more than dead.

Knowing that it could happen to my friends or to my husband only intensified that feeling.

But one wasn't given much time to think about that in the heat of a battle. Adrenaline just sort of took over…especially when you see your husband trying to fend off two Death Eaters.

"_Expelliarmus_!" I shouted, hitting one Death Eater square in the back. His wand went flying out of his hand and across the room. James got the other one with a tickling jinx, and he smiled his thanks at me.

I turned around and ducked just in time to avoid a jet of bright green light sent in my direction. It hit a painting on the wall and blasted quite a large-sized hole into it. I immediately reciprocated the action, but my attacker was too fast. He dodged my spell with ease.

"You'll have to do better than that, Mudblood," came the cruel voice of a woman. So my attacker was a woman…the familiar sounding one…

"So will you," I replied, stepping aside to avoid another curse.

That seemed to infuriate her, and we immediately became engaged in a fierce battle.

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A/N: Yes, I know, bad place to stop as well as rather short. I really wanted to get this up for you guys. The next chapters will be longer as I already have them written. It's just a matter of finding time to type.

I would like to apologize again for the long wait. I had some severe personal problems during the past few weeks, and I felt I had to deal with those before doing anything else. For the most part, they have been cleared up, and I hope to be able to update sooner in the future.

On a lighter note, thanks so much for all the reviews! They mean bunches to me. I heart you all.

**Banana Princess: **lol, I'm glad you're excited for Tave. And yet….:sighs:

**Prue Potter: **thanks for the review…and I already answered that question:grins:

**Pixi-kitty: **why thank you.

**taniita: **ah, if only laziness could be my current excuse. :sighs: I just seem to be full of excuses, don't I? Ah, well, I'm trying to do better!

**Dreamstar22: **thank you so much. And yes, I am following the books. You're definitely on to something, darling. It's so sad, isn't it?

**everblue3: **thank you very much. Of course both parties are going to come through with their ends of the bargains…they are married after all, and I think withholding physical incentives is wrong. Very manipulative…yet somehow amusing. :shrugs:

**Rainyn Dawn: **yes, she will be.

**death during life: **I'm so glad you like it. I don't mind your rambling in the least.

**lilyfan06: **thanks

**bandedwhiskey34687: **lol, no worries. I understand completely. And I hope I didn't come off as a snappish jerk in my last response. I was just a bit perturbed about my life at that particular moment…and several moments following…

**Hakuna Matata16:** why hello there. Laziness…it seems to affect all of us. Ah, well, I do my best to nip it in the bud. And me? A talented writer:blushes: I just write down what's in my head, and I'm glad you enjoy it. Thanks so much.

**Gred and Forge Weasley: **thanks!

**Serenity84UK:** lol, sorry. The next chapters may have some cliffies, too. :grins evilly: Maybe you are biased, but I agree. Brit gals are pretty darn neato…I wish I was one…well, us Americans can be pretty cool when we want to be. :winks:

**LupinLover922: **I heart Remus, too. I feel so bad for him, what with what happened to his best friends. :sighs:

**Secretly Smiling: **have no worries about late reviews. I'm way more than late with my updates. And thank you very much.

**headgirl13: **lol, ok!

**MssrBlaze: **I know. It really sucks to write about the bad that happens when they're in their primes of life. I do with we could change things just a bit…but I'm going to follow the books. It's really quite a sad story when you think about it….

**anonymous: **thanks!

**Ragzefire: **thanks. And that's a bummer…glad you can get over it to read mine. :winks:

**elily: **thanks

**princess52577: **thanks


	38. Thrice Defied

Disclaimer: Harry Potter definitely isn't mine.

**Chapter 38: Thrice Defied**

"_Tarantallegra_!"

"_Crucio_!"

I quickly dove behind a piece of debris, narrowly escaping the curse thrown my way. It hit the debris and blasted it into pieces. I got up and returned the favor, but I also narrowly missed my target. Again I was forced to duck as a stream of red light came straight at my head. This time I threw two jinxes in rapid succession and was just able to hit my opponent. He fell to the floor, shrieking in laughter…I had hit him with the Tickling Jinx. I quickly bound him with magical ropes and turned to find someone else to duel.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw James dueling with a Death Eater, and had I the time, I would have been impressed with his skills. I didn't have the time, however, as I heard Drusa shout,

"Lily! Behind you!"

I threw up a Shield Charm just in time, and a red jet of light bounced off it. I sent a spell back at the Death Eater, but she dodged it easily. Soon we were engaged in a ferocious duel. Hexes, jinxes, and curses were flying around the room, and the Death Eater I was fighting got hit in the back with one. She crumpled to the floor, revealing Sirius grinning triumphantly.

"You looked like you could use some help," he yelled above the din. I grinned my thanks before looking around the room for other Death Eaters. I took hope when I saw that the Order members seemed to be winning; several Death Eaters were bound on the floor with invisible ropes. My hopes vanished in an instant, however, when I heard a high, cold voice I recognized only too well.

"My, my, what have we here?"

Instantly the dueling ceased, and the remaining Death Eaters moved gleefully to their master as the Order members grouped together. I felt James take my hand tightly as we all stood together, facing Voldemort for the third time in our lives…and it was still as scary as hell.

"Well, if it isn't the Potters and the Longbottoms," he sneered, eyeing the group. "Too bad I didn't kill you the last two times when I had the chance. That's a mistake I won't make again."

My heart sank as Voldemort unbound the rest of his followers. We were outnumbered by quite a few, and with Voldemort present, we were as good as dead.

"I wouldn't be so sure of that," Frank said boldly, and I turned my head sharply to stare at him in horror. What was he thinking? He had been in the Order longer than most of us…had he lost his mind?

"Oh, really?" Voldemort asked, seeming highly amused. "I can kill you all in a second, but that would be no fun. I prefer to go one at a time…as usual, Mudbloods first."

The Death Eaters laughed sadistically as everyone quickly made a protective circle around me. Then I saw what Frank undoubtedly had- a single scarlet phoenix feather was floating gently to the floor behind the Death Eaters. That feather belonged to Fawkes and could only mean one thing…_Dumbledore_!

"Don't even _try_ to touch my wife," James snarled, gripping my hand even tighter. He had seen the feather, too.

Voldemort laughed in that high, cold, cruel way he always did, but he was cut off when a door burst open and several Aurors poured through. Dumbledore came in last.

Instantly chaos reigned. I fought with a new ferocity, throwing every spell I'd ever learned at the Death Eaters. Their numbers were decreasing…we were winning…everything would be okay…

Then it seemed that someone had put everything in slow motion. I got my Death Eater tied up and turned to find another, when I saw a jet of purple light erupt from a Death Eater's want and hit Tave squarely in the abdomen. A look of intense pain crossed her face, and she crumpled to the floor. She laid facedown and motionless.

"TAVE!" I screamed, rushing over to her. I just barely dodged a dueling pair, not caring for my safety as I saw my best friend lying on the floor. I knelt beside her and rolled her over. Blood was trickling out of her mouth and she was unconscious. "No, Tave, no, please wake up-" I begged. I looked around, frantic for help, but no one else seemed to notice; they were all busy fighting for their lives. A spell came dangerously close to the unconscious Tave, and I knew I had to get her out of the way.

I carefully grabbed under her arms and began dragging her across the floor. Her head lolled to the side, and I felt tears sting my eyes as I did my best to steady it. This couldn't be happening. "No, Tave, come on, come on," I murmured. Somehow I made it all the way into a corner of the room. I hovered over her, deflecting any stray spells that came our way. I took hope when it looked like the battle was ending…Tave could get help.

It seemed like an eternity before the battle finally ended, but in reality it couldn't have been more than five minutes. Voldemort and his followers disapparated when it became quite apparent that they were losing.

"Drusa!" I called out. She was a Healer-in-Training; she would know what to do. "Drusa, get over here now!"

"Oh shit to the mother of Merlin," Drusa exclaimed under her breath as she hurried over to where Tave and I were. Remus was right on her heels.

"What did she get hit with?" Drusa demanded, feeling for a pulse. Had I not been so worried, I would have been impressed with how she was handling things. She showed no emotion; she was all business.

"I don't know," I said, my voice shaking terribly. "It was purple, but I didn't hear the incantation.

"Will she be okay?" Remus asked, his face pale.

"I don't know. This doesn't look good," Drusa murmured, more to herself than to anyone around her, "not good at all." Then, louder, "We need to get her to St. Mungo's right away."

Someone conjured a stretcher, and Drusa levitated Tave onto it and out of the room. I stared after her worriedly, trying desperately to hold back the tears that threatened to spill over at any moment.

James gently pulled me into his arms and kissed my forehead. "We'll go to St. Mungo's in a minute," he murmured in my ear, seeming to read my mind. "I know you're worried for her."

"Is everyone here okay?" Dumbledore cut in, surveying everybody. We all nodded in assent. "Good," he said wearily. "Be careful, all of you. I know you're all concerned for Tave, but we can't have all of us clog up St. Mungo's. It would seem very suspicious."

"But I have to go!" I exclaimed, almost in a panic. "I have to see her!"

"Me, too," Remus said firmly.

Dumbledore surveyed us for a moment with his kind blue eyes, and they lingered a moment on Remus' emotion-filled face. Dumbledore's eyes were tinged with sympathy and a heartbreaking sadness that I had never seen before from him. He had always been so strong, the fearless leader that we all looked up to. Now he seemed like a very tired old man. "Yes, I think it would be alright for you two and James to go."

"I'm going, too, and no one's telling me otherwise," Sirius declared loudly, folding his arms across his chest. "She's my cousin."

"Yes, that's fine," Dumbledore replied.

"Count me in," Alice said immediately. Frank shook his head at her, but she glared at him. "She's been my friend for years. It's always been us four; I'm not going to sit around while she's in St. Mungo's," she said forcefully.

"That's true," Dumbledore said, seeming slightly distracted. "That makes six, then. I think that should be fine."

James, Sirius, Remus, Alice, Frank, and I all apparated to St. Mungo's without a word to each other. The six of us strode into the lobby, and Drusa was waiting for us there. I couldn't quite pinpoint the look that was on her face, but it didn't seem to be a very good one.

"Come with me," she said, escorting us past the Welcome Witch. We went to the fourth floor and down a long corridor to a waiting area. "We have to wait here for the time being. We won't be allowed in for awhile," she said. I noticed that, even though outwardly she seemed calm and collected, inwardly she was just as worried as us, if not more so, as she had a better grasp on the seriousness of the situation.

I looked at her, ready to ask a question, but she seemed to have anticipated it. "We don't work on those we have an emotional attachment to," she said matter-of-factly. "To be quite honest, I don't think I could handle being in her room right now."

"I don't suppose there's anything for us to do but wait," James said awkwardly after a short pause. No one responded; we were far too worried to.

An hour passed before Drusa went to check on what was happening. Seeing as she was a Healer-in-Training, no one had a problem with her being around. She returned close to tears.

"How is she?" Remus asked in a strangled voice.

She shook her head sadly and bit her lip. "Not good. They don't know what incantation was used so there's not much they can do at this point."

Sirius pulled her to him and held her, murmuring something in her ear. A few moments passed, then a Healer came out to talk to us.

"You are all friends of Octavia Meliflua?" he asked, looking at us one by one. We nodded. "I'm afraid I have to be quite honest with you. Things are not looking good for her at all. The incantation used on her has caused massive internal bleeding; we've tried just about everything to stop it, but nothing has worked. We've been giving her blood replenishing pills for the time being, but those just aren't enough. The incantation was an extremely powerful one, and right now it doesn't look like she will make it through the night."

My stomach plummeted at the Healer's words, and Remus let out an odd sound, halfway between a choke and a sob. This couldn't be happening…it just couldn't be.

"Sir, may we please see her?" I asked, fighting the tears that were burning my eyes.

He hesitated a moment, but I think he was touched by how upset we all were and nodded. "For just a few minutes."

We filed into Tave's room, which was already full of Healers and Trainees.

"Oh, Tave," I murmured as I got a glimpse of her deathly pale face. She was still unconscious.

The Healers surrounding her bed moved aside to make room for us. I could feel my heart break as I saw Remus take her hand in his and stroke the engagement ring on her finger. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. They were supposed to be happily planning their wedding. They were supposed to get married and make lots of little Taves and Remuses that played Quidditch just like their mum. It wasn't supposed to be like this…

I couldn't take it anymore and fled to the waiting area as tears flowed in torrents down my cheeks. I pressed a shaking hand over my mouth, trying not to make any noise.

"Lily, baby, come here." James had followed me and gently pulled me towards him. He held me in his strong arms while I cried. Sirius, Drusa, Frank, and Alice joined us soon after, saying Remus was staying by Tave's bed. Drusa and Alice were also in tears.

Several more hours passed, I'm not quite sure how many. It was some time after four in the morning when Remus joined us in the waiting area, and the look on his face told me everything.

"She's gone," he said softly, not looking at any of us. "She woke up for a brief moment and said that she loved me, and then…" his voice broke and tears fell slowly down his face. He couldn't finish his sentence, but none of us neither expected nor wanted him to.

If my heart had already felt like it had been ripped in two, now it felt as if someone had torn it out of my chest, thrown it on the ground, and thoroughly stomped on it. Tave- my best friend since our first year at Hogwarts- was dead. I was never going to see her again. I was never going to talk to her again. The pain and grief in Remus' face only doubled my own. He loved her so much…and she was gone.

I pulled out of James' arms and walked into Remus'. I held him as tight as I could. It wasn't fair, really. Remus had so much grief in his life already; he was a werewolf, and the consequences of that were immense. He deserved to be happy, and he was happy with Tave. Tave was my best friend, but Remus loved her more than life itself. It just wasn't fair that she had to be taken away; he didn't deserve it. I felt so bad for him. A huge sob racked his body, and I felt myself give a gut-wrenching sob as well.

"Oh, Remus, I'm so sorry," I whispered through my tears, hugging him even tighter, if that was possible. "I am so, so sorry."

Sirius joined us, tears streaming down his face as well. The three of us held each other, and James, Drusa, and Alice joined us a moment later. We all stood there for a long time, holding each other and crying together. We all knew, when we joined the Order, that were putting our lives at stake. What we didn't know, however, was just how hard it was to pay the ultimate price.

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A/N: Terribly late, yes, and I'm very sorry about that. Disappointingly short, yes, but I'm not so sorry about that. This is how I had written it in its original form last summer. It was one of those chapters that I had planned right from the start, and I didn't really want to touch it. I like it how it is. The next chapter is also one I have already written. I don't know how long it will be, but whatever the length, I will get it up as soon as possible. From that point on, I don't really know how far apart my updates will be. School's out, yes, but that also means that I now have a job, a family, a boyfriend, and several other friends that all demand attention. I'm writing fervently in the little spare time that I have, so I beg you to forgive me and to not give up on this story. I'm going to forego the review responses so I can get this up tonight. I thank all of you who bear with me, through my unsatisfying excuses and chaotic life. To bring this note to a conclusion, I'll try to have the next chappie up as soon as possible. Of course, we all know what happens whenever I say that…:looks around guiltily:


	39. The Price We Paid

Disclaimer: I can only dream of owning Harry Potter, being a gazillionaire, and living in a mansion in England. That right belongs to Ms. J.K. Rowling, of whom I am deeply in awe. :bows low:

**Chapter 39: The Price We Paid**

The days that followed were some of the hardest I ever had to face in my entire life. It seemed that everything reminded me of my best friend. There was a Tave-shaped void in my life that hurt with excruciation pain. I missed everything about her: her smile, her laugh, her quirky sense of humor, and her frank way of stating the facts. Every time I thought about her, I ached to talk to her again and to see her again.

And yet, even though I was having a hard time, I knew the anguish Remus was feeling was a thousand times worse. You could just read it in his face, especially in his eyes. We tried to make it easier for him; we even tried hiding the Daily Prophet article on her death from him (she was the starting Keeper on the Chudley Cannons, after all). Yet our efforts were in vain. He saw the article anyway, and we could only watched as he slowly spiraled into a deeper and darker pit by the day.

Tave's funeral was the saddest event I had ever been to, including the funeral of my own father. So many people were affected by her death, Order members and her Cannons teammates among them. I broke down completely halfway through my eulogy recounting the good times we had had at Hogwarts, and it was a full five minutes before I regained control over myself and could finish. And, once I did finish, there was not a dry eye in the room. Of course, it was probably like that to begin with.

She was buried in the wizarding cemetery just up the road from James' and my house. The weather that day mirrored my mood; the sky was overcast and a cool wind was blowing. Summer was ending, and fall was coming on fast. I didn't really notice the wind, however, as I stood at her grave with the rest of my friends. We were a little preoccupied with our grief.

Drusa, Alice, and I huddled together, more for comfort than for anything else. To say that Tave's death had a huge impact on us would be the biggest understatement of the century. The four of us had always been just that: the four of us. None of us had ever dreamed that we would be torn apart so early. We had been friends since the age of eleven, and now we were only nineteen. Our quartet was down to three.

"Lily, love, we need to get home," James said softly after we had been there for quite some time.

I gave Alice and Drusa each one last hug before joining my husband. He clapped Sirius on the back, then pulled Remus into a hug.

"I'm sorry, mate," he said when he had stepped away. "I really am." He then took my hand and we began walking home.

One might wonder why James seemed rather indifferent towards the death of a close friend. The truth of the matter was that he wasn't indifferent at all. Inside, he was grieving just as much as the rest of us. He was never any good at showing extreme emotion, and I think in this case he felt he had to be strong for the rest of us. He was the leader of the Marauders, and the Marauders were now in the midst of a crisis. He was my husband, and he had to support me. I know for a fact that I would now have gotten through the next few weeks were it not for his quiet strength.

James unlocked the door to our house and waved his wand to turn on the lights. We hung up our coats in the front hall closet and I began ascending the stairs to our bedroom. I stopped at the picture I had hung on the wall when James and I had moved in. It was of our six best friends and us on the day we had graduated from Hogwarts. We all had our arms around each other and were smiling and laughing together. It was hard to believe that nearly a year and a half had already passed. Time flew by quickly. We had no idea what was in store for us back then; we really were forced to grow up too quickly. I ached to go back in time when we were young and carefree. We were so happy then…

"Come on, Lily," James murmured in my ear, resting his hands on my shoulders and steering me into our bedroom.

"I miss her, James," I said sadly as he began to pull my shirt over my head. "I want her back."

"I know. I do too," he replied, tugging my pajama top onto me.

"Why her?" I muttered, tears rolling down my face. "She was too young to die."

James finished dressing me, then stripped down to his boxers. He gently laid me down on the bed, then laid down next to me. He put an arm around my waist and pulled me close to him, kissing my head tenderly. "Do you think Tave would want you to be so upset right now?" he asked softly.

"No, she wouldn't," I replied, unable to contain the sob that rose in my chest. "But that doesn't ease the pain. I can't help but cry."

"There's nothing wrong with crying, babe. There's nothing wrong with being sad. I know she was a huge part of your life, and I know you'll miss her every day. I will too. But just remember that Tave would hate to see you not move on with your life. There's a time to grieve, there's a time to heal, and there's a time to move on."

Even though it was the middle of the day, the two of us slowly drifted off to sleep and slept all through the night. I though over James' words as we fell asleep, and I knew he was right. I would eventually have to move on. But moving on was a hell of a lot harder than I thought it would be…and that was saying something.

0.0.0.0.0.

September turned to October, which turned to November, and little by little I knew I was healing. Instead of the excruciating pain I had become accustomed to when I thought of my best friend, I only felt a dull ache.

Remus slowly came out of the dark pit he had spiraled down into. We began to see a shadow of his old smile and his old self. I didn't think he would ever fully recover from the impact of Tave's death, but he was making progress. Life returned to being as normal as possible in lieu of Tave's absence.

Before James and I knew it, November sixth was upon us…our first wedding anniversary. I could hardly believe that I had been married to that messy-haired troublemaker for a whole year, and what a difficult year it had been. Between fighting with Voldemort and each other, and the deaths of my father and Tave, I was slightly surprised that we had yet to kill each other. But then again, they say love conquers all. James' and my marriage was proof of that.

We spent the majority of our anniversary at a restaurant with our friends. I didn't mind it in the least, and looking back, I realize that it was the best way to celebrate, anyway. We all needed each other, as we were living in the darkest days the wizarding world had ever seen. We needed each other's companionship, especially after Tave's death. It was a rather bittersweet occasion, as we were constantly reminded of the absence of a certain brown-haired, blue-eyed Quidditch player.

"To James and Lily," Sirius said, raising his glass for a toast. "They always fought like they were an old married couple, and now they _are_ an old married couple. Who would have ever thought we'd be here, celebrating their first wedding anniversary with them?

"I did," Alice said smartly after we had all taken a sip of our various drinks. "Beneath that cold exterior, I knew Lily had a soft spot for James."

"I did not!" I exclaimed immediately, receiving chuckles from around the table. "Well, okay, I _developed_ one in seventh year, but I couldn't stand him before that!"

"Whatever," Drusa laughed. "We all knew you liked him deep down inside. Tave always swore you'd eventually give in, and she was right."

I gave a sad smile as I remembered the way she used to tease me mercilessly about James. "She was a lot more perceptive than I gave her credit for," I admitted. "She would get uncomfortably close to the truth."

There was silence for a moment before Sirius broke it. "Well, anyway, she was right and here we are. You two have been married for a whole year and aren't sick of each other yet. That's quite a feat."

I grinned mischievously at James. "Married for a year, yes…not sick of each other is up for debate. I believe it was only a few nights ago that I banished James to the couch…"

"Hey, how was I supposed to know that the spider in the bathroom was going to go flying right at you when I hexed it?" he weakly defended himself.

"I sent you in there to smash the stupid thing!" I exclaimed. "The next moment, I walk in and you've got it zooming around the bathroom! You weren't hexing it; you were playing with it and making it fly!"

"Ewww!" Alice and Drusa said at the same time.

"Bloody brilliant!" Sirius said, grinning at James. "What spell did you use on it?"

I rolled my eyes. "That's behavior I would expect from a first year at Hogwarts," I said to the girls. "I think before that he was making it tap dance around the sink."

"It wasn't tap dancing, it was salsa-ing," James corrected me. "If you're going to tell on me to your friends, you may as well get the story straight."

"You made a spider dance around the sink, and then made it fly?" Drusa asked, raising an eyebrow.

James nodded proudly. "But of course, right when I'm making it fly past the doorway is when Lily walks in. I had to sleep on the couch for that. Not fair, really…I didn't mean to do it."

"Oh whatever! Don't you try telling them that I just _happened_ to walk in when the spider was flying past the doorway. I was asking you what you were doing in there just before I got there. You are by no means innocent," I said matter-of-factly.

James just shrugged, but I saw the mischievous spark in his eye. I was right…he was by no means innocent.

0.0.0.0.0.

We got home rather late that night. James, as usual, left his coat on the floor in the hallway, and I, as usual, picked it up and put it in the closet.

"You know, you could save me the trouble of bending over and just hand me your coat," I said dryly as I hung our coats up.

He grinned at me. "Nah, I like watching you bend over," he answered cheekily.

"James Potter!" I exclaimed as I shut the closet door. "You're a randy git, did you know that?"

"Yeah, I did," he answered, pulling me close to him. "But I married the most beautiful witch in the whole world, so I have an excuse."

"Did you now? Why don't you tell me how beautiful she is," I said, leaning into his chest. Damn, I loved that cologne he wore.

"Well where do I start?" he pondered, picking me up and turning towards the stairs.

"James! Put me down!" I demanded. I squirmed to get out of his grasp, to no avail. "I think I know what's on this randy git's mind," I sighed in resignation.

"I could start with her hair. I've never met anyone with quite her shade of auburn. It's a really pretty reddish-brown. I remember back in our early days of Hogwarts when it was kind of orange, but I still liked it. Of course, I like it better now," he continued, completely ignoring my attempts to be released. "She's got these really cute freckles that are just on her nose, and she has really soft lips. I like to kiss them. And then there are her eyes…they're the most beautiful green eyes I've seen in my entire life…" his voice faded as he looked down at me. I held his gaze as he walked into our bedroom and set me down on our bed. He kissed me gently. "I love that witch more than anything else in the whole wide world."

I smiled at him. "She sounds like a wonderful woman, but she's nothing compared to the wizard that I married."

"Really now? I don't know about that. Describe him to me," he said.

"I'll begin with his smile. It's the most adorable thing, especially when he knows I'm mad at him. Then he gives me a half-smile, hoping that I won't come down too hard on him. I always know he's sorry for making me mad, because it's in those hazel eyes of his. They're always full of trouble, except for when he looks at me. Then they get this look in them…I can't really describe it, but it's like he never wants to look at anything else. But I think the thing I like most of all is his messy hair. It's _always_ messy, no matter what you do to it. When he's nervous he reaches up and makes it even messier. I used to hate it when he did that, but now I think it's the cutest thing ever. I can't believe I married such a wonderful man, and I can't even begin to say how much I love him."

"Sounds like a nice guy," James said.

"He's the best," I answered. I kissed him, then pushed him backwards onto the bed. I tumbled after him and began to unbutton his shirt.

"Damn, Lily," he said, assisting me in the removal of the aforementioned article of clothing and depositing it on the floor. A few seconds later my shirt joined his. "What's gotten into you tonight?"

"What can I say? I kinda like the guy I married," I answered. "I left out the whole part about what I like about him in the bedroom because I thought you could figure it out for yourself. So shut up and kiss me, or this ends here."

James didn't have to be told twice.

0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.

A/N: Remember, kids, they are married and have every right to be behaving so. Besides, a certain somebody has to come along soon, right:coughs: So here's the chappie, kinda angsty, but I decided that the whole James/Lily story is angsty. Doomed love, really. But anyway, drop me a line to let me know what you think! Thanks.

**x0x-Mystique-x0x:** thanks. Heh…my boyfriend doesn't care if I'm on the computer when he's not around, but when he is, he'd like me to actually pay attention to him. The nerve…lol, jk. He's cool.

**vickiicky: **Well, I would suppose Remus' girlfriend always dies because he isn't married in the books. And as for her name always being Tave…well, I came up with that name by myself. It's short for Octavia. So if you're seeing it elsewhere, they either copied it from me or they also came up with it out of the blue.

**FreeWinky: **thanks

**Secretly Smiling: **yes, unfortunately it was unavoidable. :sighs: And thanks. Oh, and I looked in your little author page thing, and I had to say that I like Law and Order: SVU too. Crime shows rock my socks off.

**Prongs76: **Wow, all 38 chapters in one sitting? I'm honored! Thanks so much! I'm glad you like it. I was quite sad about killing off Tave as well…she was the first OC I came up with and holds a little spot in my heart. I based her off of one of my best friends, too.

**GriffinDork09:** First off, I'd like to say that you have an awesome penname. Secondly, I've been writing my fic since last August, so it's been almost a whole year (:gasps: I can't believe that!). Thirdly, thank you so much for the lovely review. I'm glad you like my fic. And fourthly, I'm very scared of rabid bunnies so I will keep writing. Please don't sic them on me…:cowers in fright:

**IdUnNoXx:** yes, it is. And thanks.

**lilyfan06:** thanks

**Banana Yellow Flip-flops: **I'm sorry, I know I'm a mean, mean author for doing it, but I had to. :sniffs:

**PruePotter: **Hey, I pretty much think they're real people, too. I'm a dork, what can I say? And yes, new boyfriend. I like him very much. :winks:

**lurker2209: **Thank you so much. You're right, I'm not very old. I'm 16…17 in November (I'm like a little kid, counting the months until my birthday…lol). And no, it won't be many chapters at all before Lily gets pregnant. When I say not many, I mean not many. :coughs:

**soccerchic: **thanks

**LJ Fan: **Thanks so much! Yeah, I've been wondering whether I'll have to eat my words or not…but thinking about it, I can draw it out to 50 chapters. Yes, they have Harry when they're 20, but they die just over a year later. So really, there's about 2 years left in their lives. I can make some pretty interesting scenes with Pregnant!Lily and James…ooh, I almost feel bad for the poor guy. Well, anyway, I'm so glad you like the story.

**mello80: **why thank you.

**headgirl13: **well, I try to update fast, I really do. But like I said, sometimes life just has an unfortunate habit of getting in the way of things. :sighs: I'm doing my best.


	40. A Little Surprise

Disclaimer: Same old, same old. I don't own anything remotely related to Harry Potter and I get absolutely no money for writing this. I write it for fun. Harry Potter belongs to Ms. J.K. Rowling, and I would never in a million years dream of stealing her ingenious work.

**Chapter 40: A Little Surprise**

A few weeks later, I groaned and rolled over as the alarm clock went off. My hand lazily made its way out from under the covers and, after a few failed attempts, shut off the alarm. I felt James' arms wrap around my waist and pulled me close to him.

"Don't get up yet," he murmured into my neck. "It's too damn cold outside of this bed."

I agreed as heartily as I could at five-thirty in the morning and snuggled closer to him. "We'll have to get up eventually, love," I said in the midst of a yawn. "Auror training won't wait on us, you know."

James didn't reply, and my guess was that he had fallen right back asleep. I joined him shortly after. Cold winter mornings were meant for sleeping late, anyway.

I woke in what felt like seconds later and glanced up at the clock on the nightstand. I bolted upright in horror. It was seven o'clock, and we had to be at the Ministry by seven-thirty. I quickly shook James, then swung my feet over the edge of the bed in order to stand up. As soon as my feet hit the floor, however, a wave of nausea washed over me. _Oh no…_

I made a mad dash for the bathroom and arrived just in time. I lost the contents of my stomach to the toilet and was flushing it when James entered. I looked up at him pitifully form my seat on the floor next to the toilet.

"I guess you should tell them that I'm sick " I sighed, leaning against the wall and closing my eyes.

"Are you sure you don't want me to stay home with you?" he asked, furrowing his brow. He kneeled down next to me and felt my forehead with the back of his hand. "Well, at least you don't have a fever."

"I don't want to get you sick, " I replied. "You can't fall behind in your training, anyway. Just go and tell them that I'm not feeling well."

"If you sure…" he gave in. "I'm going to shower and eat, then."

I made a face. Even the mere thought of food made me feel ready to vomit again.

James got ready in record time and was ready to floo to the Ministry at seven twenty-five. He gave me a kiss goodbye (on the forehead) and left, leaving me alone in the house.

I went back to bed feeling miserable. The house was lonely with just me in it, and I realized that I had never really spent much time away from James since before out marriage. Come to think of it, we had never spent much time apart while we were dating. Great…I was sick _and_ lonely.

I felt hot tears in my eyes and impatiently rubbed them. I didn't need to be a baby about being sick; I was nineteen years old for Merlin's sake. But that didn't really stop me from feeling sorry for myself, so I sat in bed and moped about it.

As time went on in the day I began feeling better. I dabbled with the idea of going in to the Ministry, but by the time I had finally gotten around to showering and getting dressed, I figured it was too late. James would get home in a couple hours, anyway.

And that was how things went for about a week. Some days I would get to the Ministry, feeling completely fine, and then I would feel ill a few hours after arriving. Sometimes I would just get sick at night. It was odd, to say the least, so James and I decided that it would be best for me to stay home until I was sure I was better.

One day while I was laying on the couch at home feeling sorry for myself, I was pleasantly surprised when Alice Longbottom apparated right smack dab into the middle of my living room.

"Hello, sorry to come without an invitation," she said brightly, when she saw me lying there.

"You know you're always welcome," I answered, sitting up. "But, not to be rude, why _are_ you here and not at the Ministry?"

"James told Frank who told me that you're sick," she explained, plunking herself down next to me.

"Not to be rude again, but if you knew I was sick, why did you apparate over?" I was slightly confused as to my friend's behavior.

"Because I have something exciting to tell you, and also because I don't believe you're really sick," she stated.

"Er…right," I said, convinced Alice had been hit with a confounding charm or something similar.

"Lily, darling, first things first. I came right over as soon as I could, because yesterday I found out something that's going to change my life forever." She paused dramatically, and I dutifully jumped in.

"Well, what is it?"

"I'm pregnant."

I'm sure my jaw must have hit the floor at hearing her words seconds before I felt tears in my eyes. "Alice! Merlin, I can't believe it!" I exclaimed, pulling her into a hug. "You're pregnant?"

She nodded, an excited smile on her face. "Don't tell anyone yet, okay? Just you and Frank know, and I want it to stay that way for a while. I'm only six weeks along."

"Of course I won't tell anyone! Oh, Alice, I'm so excited for you!"

"There's a reason I'm telling you this, Lily," she said, settling back into the couch. "I'm not going to beat around the bush. I think you're pregnant, too."

I most certainly had _not_ been expecting a declaration such as this. "What! Me- pregnant? Alice, you're out of your mind. Maybe it's the hormones…"

"Just listen to me," Alice said impatiently. "You get sick when you wake up, don't you?"

"Well, I have been, but not all the time. Sometimes it sets in later in the day."

"That, my dear, is typical of morning sickness," she declared triumphantly. "If you had Wizard's Flu, you'd constantly be getting sick and you'd have a fever."

"But it could be a million different things-"

"When was the last time you and James shagged?"

"What? Alice, that's not something I generally discuss!"

"Just answer the damn question!" she exclaimed.

Perhaps it was the shock of hearing Alice swear, or maybe it was the fear of being on the receiving end of a severe hormonal reaction. In any case, I found myself quickly answering, "It must have been our anniversary night about three weeks ago. We've been busy, and I've been sick, so that must have been it."

"Mm-hm. That could have done it."

"But James and I always use a contracep…tive…charm…" I trailed off as realization suddenly hit me. "Oh my God," I breathed, my eyes wide. "We didn't that night. I must have forgotten to…oh my God…"

"So now what do you think?" she asked triumphantly.

"Come to think of it, I've missed my period," I continued, not listening to her. "I was sick, so I didn't even think about it…oh my God…" my hand flew to my abdomen. "What if I'm pregnant?"

"You need to go to St. Mungo's to find out for sure," Alice said. "I'd do it now, if I were you."

I instantly got up to grab my coat. "You're coming with me," I demanded, pulling her off the couch.

Not ore than ten minutes later I found myself sitting on an examination table in the maternity ward of St. Mungo's. Alice was sitting on a chair near the wall. A prim-looking Healer entered the room carrying a clipboard with several papers on it. She looked up at me and smiled warmly.

"You're Mrs. Potter?" she asked. When I nodded, she extended her hand. "I'm Healer-in-training Melinda Carson."

"Hi," I said, shaking her hand. She couldn't have been much older than Alice or me, and I wasn't so sure I wanted her to be performing any charms on me.

She seemed to read my mind, as her next words were, "No need to be nervous. I'm specializing in magical maternity, and the very first spell I was taught was the one I'm going to perform on you. I've done it thousands of times. But first things first: I need to find out a few things."

She then proceeded to ask me pretty much the same questions Alice had. She "hmm"ed and "huh"ed while taking notes on her clipboard, nodding slightly as she did so. When she had deemed my answers sufficient, she instructed me to lie back on the table.

"I'm going to perform a simple little spell on you," she explained, pulling her wand out of her robes. "It won't hurt a bit. If you're pregnant, your abdomen will glow for a moment. If you're not, nothing will happen. Ready, then?"

I nodded assent, and she muttered something under her breath while gently swishing her wand. A jet of orange light spouted from the end and hit me. Instantly my entire midsection lit up, then slowly the light faded.

The Healer-in-training smiled broadly. "Well let me be the first to extend my congratulations, Mrs. Potter. You are, indeed, pregnant." She made a note on her clipboard then said, "Your baby's due date is August thirteenth."

I sat up, a mixture of feelings churning inside me. So I was pregnant. I was going to have a baby. I was going to be a mum. I managed to smile at the Healer-in-training and thank her. She presented me with an abundant pile of literature with strict instructions to read it.

"This is your first pregnancy, so you need to know the limitations of magic-usage. For example, apparation is safe until the sixth month," she explained. "Make sure you read it!"

I agreed, then Alice and I were out the door.

"Lily!" she squealed excitedly, pulling me into a hug. "You're pregnant! I knew it! Oh, won't this be great? We'll be pregnant at the same time! I'm only three weeks ahead of you!"

"Yeah…" I said vaguely, a thousand thoughts running through my head. I was only nineteen; I wasn't old enough to be a mum. I had only been married for a year! What would my mum say? As soon as that thought crossed my mind, another one immediately took its place: _what will James say_!

"Lily? Are you there?" Alice waved her hand in front of my face. "Are you ok?"

"Wha- oh, yeah…" I said, snapping back. "I- I'm just a little overwhelmed…"

Alice nodded understandingly. "You have every right to be," she said.

"Alice, what will James say?" I felt myself begin to panic and struggled to control myself.

"What do you mean?" she asked, obviously confused.

"I mean, this was an accident. I'm not supposed to be pregnant. We're only nineteen, and we're both-" I looked around, as we were still in the St. Mungo's lobby. I dropped my voice. "-in the Order."

"Let's go back to your house to discuss this," Alice said wisely. Neither of us spoke again until we were safely in the confines of my kitchen.

I sat down at the counter and stared at a crumb left over from James' breakfast as Alice busied herself making tea for the two of us.

"I guess this is just rather unexpected," I sighed, idly tracing the countertop with my finger. "I wasn't planning on having children for another three or four years."

Alice made a small noise as she put the teakettle on. "Lily, this isn't so bad, you know. Most wizards and witches have children pretty much straight out of Hogwarts. You being pregnant now won't come as a surprise to anyone."

"Except to my mum and James," I replied dryly.

"Do you honestly think they won't be happy about it?" she folded her arms across her chest and leaned on the counter next to the stove.

"Well, my mum will go on about how I'm too young, but I think she'll be happy," I admitted. "But I really don't know how James will react. We're training to be Aurors, we're in the Order, Voldemort is still out there-"

"And James is going to be relieved to finally have a reason to get you out of the line of fire," Alice laughed. "You can't exactly train as an Auror if you're pregnant, and I know James will positively put his foot down when it comes to the Order."

I sighed. "I hadn't thought about that. I suppose you're right. But still…"

"But still what, Lily?"

"What if I'm not a good mum? I hardly feel like an adult, and a baby is a huge responsibility-"

"Oh, honestly," Alice said, rolling her eyes. "Now you're just reaching for reasons. It's too late to go back, you know. You're pregnant and there's nothing you can do about it. You know you're going to be a wonderful mum, so stop freaking out about it."

I opened my mouth to protest, but she cut me off.

"Lily, listen to me for a minute." She crossed the kitchen and sat down next to me. "You're going to have a child with the man you love more than anything in the world. I felt the exact same way when I found out I was pregnant. I was scared; I was convinced I wasn't ready for it. But then I talked to Frank's mum, and she made me realize something."

She paused, so I dutifully asked, "What did you realize, Alice?"

She smiled warmly. "This isn't just my baby. It's Frank's as well. I love him with all my heart, and we're going to have a baby. Not me…us."

I slowly nodded. "I see what you're saying. It takes two to make a baby."

She grinned. "Something like that, yeah."

"I still don't know how I'm going to tell James," I sighed, putting my head in my hands.

Alice shrugged. "You're going to have to figure that one out yourself, darling. But word to the wise, it'd be best to tell him tonight."

"I know. I'll do it tonight…somehow…"

"Good girl. Now how about some tea?"

xxxxx

Telling James that I was pregnant was a bit harder than it should have been. It was my fault, really, for making it that difficult, because I had stewed on it all day. By the time he got home, I had worked myself into quite a state.

He came home late that night looking completely exhausted. I really didn't want to bother him as he ate his supper in silence, and again as he stretched out on his stomach on the living room couch. But I knew I had to; it was his child just as much as it was mine. He'd find out eventually, anyway.

"James, I need to tell you something," I said tentatively from the doorway to the living room.

He grunted to let me know he was listening.

"I went to St. Mungo's today," I continued. "I found out why I've been sick."

He rolled over so he could look at me. "Oh yeah?" he asked, rubbing his eyes.

"Yeah, I did." I paused, not quite sure how to continue.

"So…are you going to tell me?" he prompted.

I took a deep breath. I figured I might as well just say it. "I'm pregnant."

James stared at me for a moment. "Pregnant?" he asked, as if he wasn't sure he had heard me correctly.

I nodded.

"As in, you're going to have a baby?"

I nodded again.

"As in, we're going to be parents?"

I nodded for a third time.

A small smile spread across his face as my news began to sink in. "Bloody hell," he breathed, a hand flying through his hair.

"That's good, right?" I asked timidly.

I took it as a "yes" when he launched himself over the couch and scooped me into his arms to kiss me. A few moments later he quickly let go.

"I'm not squishing anything important, am I?" he asked anxiously.

That made me laugh, which was a good feeling after being nervous all day. "No, you're not. The baby's hardly bigger than a speck, anyway. I'm only three weeks along."

James took me into his arms again. "I can hardly believe it. Shit to Merlin, this is insane."

"You're not going to talk like that once the baby's born," I said firmly, leaning against his chest.

He laughed slightly. "Alright, fine," he said. "I can still hardly believe this. You're sure, right?"

"Yeah, I am. You should see the pile of books and pamphlets the Healer gave me," I answered. "They're up in our bedroom."

"I'll look at those later," he answered, then a moment later, "You do realize that I'm not going to allow you to be in the Order anymore, right?"

I sighed. "I knew that was coming. How about we compromise and let me do behind the scenes stuff or something like that? I'll be fine with not fighting."

"That'll be up for negotiation," he said firmly. "And you're going to quit Auror training, too."

"I suppose I could live with that," I sighed. "I haven't been going for the past few weeks anyway because I can hardly keep anything down in the mornings. But what am I going to do all day? You're going to be gone, and I'm going to be stuck at home." I stuck out my lower lip slightly.

"Hey, don't blame me for Auror training. As soon as the Ministry finds out your pregnant, they won't let you train. Ministry policy," he shrugged. "You can blame me for not letting you be in the Order."

"That's up for negotiation," I said. "Oh well, I suppose I'll just be hanging around Alice a lot for the next nine months. She's pregnant too."

"Really?"

"Yeah, she is. She's the one who came over today and told me to go to St. Mungo's. Oh, but don't tell anyone she's pregnant. She doesn't want it getting out yet."

"Marauder's vow," he replied.

"Oh, and could you do me a favor?" I asked.

"Anything, love."

"Don't tell anyone that I'm pregnant, either."

"What! I can't tell anyone? Why not?" he asked. I couldn't help but smile. It was good to know he was excited about it, anyway.

"Because I'm still trying to get used to the idea," I answered. "I don't know, I'm just not ready for anyone else to know. Give me three weeks, okay?"

James sighed. "I suppose so. Do you know how bloody hard this is going to be?"

"Yes," I answered. "But do you promise me?"

"I promise," he said reluctantly. "But as soon as the three weeks are up, the whole world is going to know, okay?"

I grinned. "Okay."

James kissed me again, and I began to feel a bit better about the whole situation. He was excited about it, and that was definitely encouraging. Hey, I had nine months to get used to the idea of being a mum, anyway. Everything was going to be okay.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

A/N: Yes, it was a terribly long wait, so I made it a bit longer to make up for it. And on a side note, I've had this story going for just over a year! I can hardly believe it….and I'm over 500 reviews! You guys are the best. Thanks so much to everyone who's reviewed…it means a lot to me that you take the time out of your life to read and review. So, if you could spare a few moments, drop me another line! Thanks!

**princessdza:** thanks! Sure, add me to your C2 (I think you already did, anyway). And thanks for adding me to that. I'm glad you like the story, and I'm even gladder you took all that time to read it all. Ah, yes, grammar and sentence structure. That's the grammar-nazi coming out in me. I've never had any tolerance for poorly written things, so I do my best to make mine as perfect as possible. And it's definitely taken lots of planning to get all the events in right. For that I must thank Harry Potter Lexicon and their wonderful timeline. And as for Drusa, she's not going to die. However, I will wrap up with what happens to her, so you'll have to wait until the very end to find out. :grins evilly:

**PruePotter:** lol, no, Sirius does not come and interrupt them. :shivers: And as for Drusa, I don't think she's been in any of the books. It's a name I found while paging through a baby name book. I found the name "Drusilla" (which, btw, I would never name my kid), and I changed it to Drusa. Maybe other people were inspiried by my genius and used the name too. :winks: Or perhaps they found it all by themselves. Ah, well, in any case, I kinda like the name for my character.

**LJ Fan: **lol, hooray for long review responses. Pregnant women are my heroes, strictly because they put up with incredible discomfort for nine months, then the most intense pain imaginably, just to bring another little person into the world. Hooray for them. And yes, it's going to be quite a ride with Pregnant!Lily and Clueless!James (clueless about pregnant women, that is), and finally Baby!Harry. I'm too excited for words.

**x0x-Mystique-x0x:** lol, aren't we all? and thank you very much.

**milkywaypnay37: **I know, it's so upsetting. I really hated to kill off Tave. It made me quite sad.

**lurker2209:** thanks. And yes, July 31st is approximately 9 months back from November 6th. (minus, like, 2 weeks, but babies never come when they're supposed to)

**lilyfan06: **thanks!

**mello80: **yes, it's quite sad. I think Remus really has a sad life…all his friends either die or turn against him, plus he's a werewolf on top of that. And as for chapter-wise, I'm still looking at about 50 or so.

**Banana Yellow Flip-Flops: **yeah, I know what funerals like that are like. I've had some people close to me die, and it's definitely no fun. :sighs wistfully: And yes, there will be a rather permanent visitor. Hooray for procreation! Gah, please don't feed me to the munchkins:quivers in fear:

**Secretly Smiling: **lol, hooray for crime dramas. They're the best. Oh yeah, and thanks. Glad you like it.

**Calistar Heir: **heh, well I'm glad you took the time to review. Perhaps it was sixth year that Sirius told Snape that, but I needed it to be seventh year for my story. It could have even been in fifth year that it happened, because many students turn sixteen in their fifth year (i.e. Hermione). But for all intents and purposes of my story, it was seventh year. And as for the hormonal rendezvous before marriage…:shrugs: It was the seventies. I think that waiting until marriage is a lovely idea, and if you can do it, more power to you. And thank you for not boycotting my story or something like that because of it. No, you don't seem to be shoving morals down my throat. It's what you believe and I respect that.

**LupinLover922: **No, I've never read that story. For the time being I'm trying not to read too many other L/J's, because I don't want to copy anything. But I'm not surprised that it happened in another story, because I really see poor Remus as someone who's had a terrible past that we don't know about. It would just fit in with his life if he were head over heels in love with someone who then was killed. It's terrible, yes, and that makes me love him all the more.

**Thorch Phoenix: **wow, thanks for taking all that time to read! Glad you like it!

**blondesRhot: **ok hi. glad you liked it!

**EndlessMemories: **:grins and waves back: hey there! I'm so glad you like the story. Gah, I loved HBP! (just had to insert that there)

**Selene Romanov: **thanks. Yeah, I agree about doomed love. There's just something about it that draws us to it, and I think you hit it right on the head.

**Queen Moon Sparkle: **lol, hooray for sex. :looks around innocently: And thank you very much, I'm so glad you like the story. It gives me warm fuzzies whenever someone says they like it. Ah, yes, James is my dream man. And I hate Peter with a passion. He will eventually have dialogue when he has to convince James and Lily to switch Secret Keepers (die, Peter, die!), but it shall be kept to a minimum. And wow, thanks. When I find my niche, I can write for hours. Unfortunately, life does have an annoying tendancy to get in the way of my writing. Oh well, hey? And I'm awesome:blushes: Why thanks, I always thought so. (lol, jk)

**PixieDust319: **wow, thanks…and especially for being late for work on account of reading it!

**chunky-01: **thanks!

**pinkdigi: **wow, thanks. And heck yes! November 20th is the best day ever. Seventeen, here I come! And thanks for the reviews and the adds to your lists. It means a lot.


	41. Spreading the News

Disclaimer: Not mine. Never has been, never will be. I can only dream…

**Chapter 41:** **Spreading the News**

It was not an easy task to keep James quiet about my pregnancy for the allotted three weeks. He nearly let it slip several times, and the news was only saved by me "accidentally" stepping on his toe. I don't know why he just _had_ to tell everyone right away, but I figured it had to do with some sort of male-assertion thing. Maybe the whole idea that he could successfully reproduce or something, I don't know.

But anyway, I did manage to keep him quiet for three weeks. Right after the time was up, however, he told anyone who'd listen…the first, of course, being the Marauders. And James, being James, had to do it his way. In retrospect, I should have seen it coming, too. We had been married for a year, and I should have known he'd have his own way of doing it. But alas, I did not. Maybe it was the hormones…but I digress.

He invited Sirius, Remus, and Peter over to our house for dinner. I, naturally, trusted none of them in the kitchen, so I insisted on cooking for them. The ensuing conversation was one of the most memorable between the five of us.

"Absolutely not," I said when I saw the boys pulling out all the pots, pans, and cooking utensils I had in my possession. "I will not have you four destroying my kitchen."

"Aw, you're no fun, Lily," Sirius whined. "We're good cooks!"

I rolled my eyes. "And I'm Dumbledore's beard," I said as I took a pot out of Sirius' hand. "Sorry, boys, but I'll be the only chef tonight."

James leaned against the counter and eyed me. "I don't think I'm going to let you," he said, folding his arms. "You need to be careful, you know."

"Oh, _honestly_, James," I said as I took the pot out of his hands and went to fill it with water. "Cooking a meal is hardly what I'd call dangerous."

"But still," he insisted, prying my fingers from the pot I had just removed from Sirius' possession. He moved me over slightly so he could begin filling it with water from the sink. "What if you spilled boiling water on yourself?"

"Merlin, James!" I exclaimed. "I'm not an invalid-"

"Somebody's gotten a little overprotective," Remus butted in, looking slightly suspicious, and I promptly shut my mouth. I wasn't going to accidentally let slip that I was pregnant. Sure, the three weeks were up, but I was still a little nervous about the whole thing. I decided to let it go and not make a big deal out of it.

"Fine, you four can cook yourselves dinner, but you're also going to be doing the dishes," I said. James grinned at me and kissed me on the cheek.

"I knew you'd see it my way," he said mischievously, and I just gave him a wry smile.

The night continued, and those four boys certainly did make a mess out of my kitchen. But James made sure they cleaned the kitchen for me, and although they were rather shotty with their household cleaning charms, the effort was enough to make me happy.

After their work was done, Sirius, being Sirius, decided it was time for drinks. "Got any firewhisky?" he asked as we began seating ourselves in the living room.

"That's like asking if a dragon has scales," I commented dryly. "A Marauder without firewhisky is no Marauder."

"Spoken like a true Marauder's wife," James said fondly. "I'll go get some."

He returned within a few moments, and I gave him a quizzical look when I saw he had five glasses with him. I was even more puzzled when he filled one and handed it to me.

"James, love, you know I can't drink this," I said, handing it back to him. "I can't have alcohol."

Sirius, Remus, and Peter all stared at me.

"You can't have alcohol?" Remus asked, his eyes narrowing. I knew he was putting two and two together and making four.

"Why not?" Sirius asked, not quite as quick to catch on as Remus. Peter just looked at everyone dumbly.

I glared at James, completely sure he had done this on purpose. The twinkle in his eye only cemented my belief. "James Potter…" I growled.

"Don't look at me like that, they were going to find out anyway! The three weeks is up!" he exclaimed.

"Find out what?" Sirius was clearly lost in our conversation.

"But maybe I'm still not ready for anyone else to know!" I shot back, completely ignoring his question.

"For anyone else to know what?" Sirius asked again, looking from me to James and back again.

"It's been over a month," James replied. "You won't be ready to tell anyone until after the fact!"

"That's not true!" I defended myself, trying as hard as I could not to cry. It wasn't worth crying over; he was right. His allotted three weeks were up. Yet I still had the overwhelming urge to cry.

"I don't mean to be rude, but would somebody tell me what the bloody hell is going on?" Sirius cut in.

James and I stared at him. We had somewhat forgotten that there were three other people in the room. After a moment of silence, I took a deep breath to speak.

"You're going to stop using language like that," I said firmly, though not looking in anyone's eyes. "I won't have you saying things like that around the baby, so you'd best get out of the habit now. That goes for the rest of you, too."

There was dead silence, and I ventured a look into Remus' eyes. A small smile had crossed his lips, and I knew he had figured it out before I had even told him. However, it took Sirius a moment to process what I had said. A look of comprehension dawned on his face, then pure excitement.

"A baby?" he asked. "As in, your baby?"

I nodded, feeling a bit excited myself.

Sirius immediately jumped up from the couch and swept me into a huge hug. "A baby!" he exclaimed, swinging me around in a circle. "Oh, I suppose I shouldn't do that," he said, setting me down quickly. "Sorry."

I smiled, trying to suppress a laugh. "It's fine, it won't hurt me or the baby."

"I can't believe it," he continued as though hardly hearing me. You're going to be a dad, Prongs! This is bloody brilliant! Er, I mean, it's brilliant," he amended a bit sheepishly when he saw my disapproving look. "Sorry, Lily."

"You have about seven and a half months to fix it or so," I replied. "But let me tell you, I'm not going to tolerate it from _anyone_ around the baby."

"Yes, ma'am," everyone chorused.

"Just think, a dad!" Sirius then went on. That man had a one-track mind when he got stuck on something.

"I know," James answered, a hand flying to his hair.

"I bet it'll play Quidditch just as good as you," Remus put in. "And probably be just as much of a troublemaker."

James and Sirius laughed, and I think I was the only one who saw the brief look of pain on Remus' face. I immediately felt slightly guilty; I had forgotten what the news of our baby might do to him.

"Yeah, and it'll be just as brilliant as Lily," Sirius continued, oblivious to his friend's pain. "Well, maybe not…not if it takes after James."

"Hey!" James exclaimed indignantly. He gave Sirius a playful shove, which once returned was the beginning of a tussle on the floor.

I rolled my eyes, muttering something along the lines of "boys will be boys". I turned to go into the kitchen to get something non-alcoholic to drink. "Hey Remus, want to help me in the kitchen?"

He looked up at me, seeming to snap out of a distant reverie. "What-oh, yeah, sure."

We left the boys rolling around on the floor and Peter looking on, seeming somewhat confused. I waved my wand towards the cupboard and a cup came flying out towards me, which I caught easily. I wasn't exactly in the mood to do things the Muggle way, like I usually did.

"I'm sorry, Remus," I said, rooting around in the refrigerator for something to drink.

"What for?" he asked a bit too quickly.

"You know what for," I answered, settling on the grape juice that had been slightly hidden in the back. "James and Sirius aren't exactly sensitive to what effects their words may have on others."

"Lily, I'm fine," he said, and for the first time since we entered the kitchen I looked him straight in the eyes. He was lying, and we both knew it.

"It's okay to not be fine," I replied quietly. "I don't really know what else to say to you. But I'm sorry."

"Don't be," he shrugged, looking away. "It's a fact of life. I can't expect you and James to not have kids. It's a part of being married. It would be rather stupid of you to put your life on hold because you feel sorry for me."

I bit my lip, but this time I failed at holding back the tears. "I know, but I still feel badly. I feel like we're almost flaunting our happiness in front of you. It was rather insensitive of us-"

"Lily, I promise you that it's okay," he interrupted. "I want you two to be happy. Tave would be excited for you. Besides, maybe one day…"

He didn't finish his sentence, but I knew exactly what he was thinking. "She'd want you to move on, and part of that is finding someone else to share your life with," I said gently.

I saw a drop of water hit the floor at his feet, and I knew I was going to lose it.

"Sorry," he said roughly as I pressed a hand over my mouth to suppress the noise I was about to make.

"I'm just hormonal," I replied after a moment. I turned away and got down another glass the Muggle way after wiping my eyes. "Grape juice?"

Remus mustered a half-laugh. "Yeah." Then I swear I heard him murmur, "women and their hormones…"

-----

The excitement of my friends helped boost my own confidence about the whole mother thing. Between James and Sirius arguing with me over when the baby would fly on a broom for the first time and Drusa and Alice giving me ideas for decorating the guest room as a nursery, I didn't really have time to be very worried. That was, I wasn't worried until James brought up the fact that I had yet to tell my mother and his parents.

"Oh, Merlin," I said, feeling distinctly sick at the thought. "I forgot about that."

"It's not going to be that bad," James said comfortingly. "I'll go with you if you want me to."

I sighed as I looked at myself in the mirror. Although I was only about a month and a half along, my belly was noticeably larger. Well, maybe it was wishful thinking, but my pants really wouldn't button. "They'll figure it out when we go for Christmas anyway, I bet. I'm sure I'll have some sort of emotional breakdown. My mum's rather attuned to that sort of thing. She knew my aunt was pregnant before my aunt even knew."

"Well, do you want to wait until Christmas?" he asked, seeming to read my mind.

"Yes," I answered immediately. "We'll tell your parents when we go to their house then, too."

And so Christmas came, and James and I went to my mum's house in the morning. It really wasn't as bad as I had thought it would be when I saw that Petunia and Vernon were there, but they had their own surprise for me.

"Lily, James! It's lovely to see you," my mum said as we walked down the stairs. We had apparated into my old bedroom, which was the usual way to get to her house. I almost stopped dead in my tracks when I saw her; she had become very thin and pale. She seemed almost sickly.

"Mum? Are you-" I began to ask, but she waved a hand impatiently at me.

"Yes, I'm fine," she answered. "I just had a nasty cough for awhile, but I'm doing much better."

I wasn't convinced, but she turned around and escorted us into the living room, where Petunia and Vernon were sitting, looking all lovey-dovey. It made me want to vomit.

"Hello, Lily," Petunia smiled sweetly at me, and I wondered what exactly she was about ready to gloat about. She wasn't given an opportunity at that moment, as my mother was already handing out presents. I found out not too long later, though, when Petunia opened her gift.

"Oh, Mum, it's darling!" she squealed, holding up a tiny white romper.

"I thought white would be best, since you don't know whether it's a boy or girl yet," my mum said. My eyes became as big as saucers as her words sank in. My sister was pregnant. "Lily, I forgot to tell you! Your sister is going to have a baby, due near the beginning of July," my mum said, turning to me.

I immediately forced a smile. "Congratulations, that's wonderful," I said, trying to sound genuine. I could feel James' eyes boring into me as I then excused myself to the kitchen. He followed soon afterwards.

"Lily, I-" he began, but I interrupted.

"I'm not mad, James," I said, not looking him in the eye. "I'm not even disappointed. I'm just shocked, that's all."

The look he gave me was one of utter disbelief. "You know, lying is generally not a good thing to do," he replied. "I think that's one lesson you're going to want to teach _our_ child."

I rolled my eyes, slightly irritated at his persistence. "I'm serious, James. I'm not mad at her. Having children is a part of life…although I have to say, the thought of her and Vernon actually, well…erm…" I trailed off, not wanting to think about it.

James gave me a rather disgusted look. "Thank you very much for making me think about that," he said, giving a small shiver. Then he studied my face for a moment. "Are you sure you're alright?"

I bit my lip, determined not to cry. I really hated being pregnant in that aspect; I cried over all sorts of little things. "Fine, I'm slightly disappointed that she goes and rains on my parade. But I don't blame her, really. She doesn't know. I'm not going to tell her, either. It wouldn't be very nice of me to rain on _her_ parade."

He gave me his gorgeous smile and kissed my cheek. "That's very nice of you, but you have every right to tell them. You're really an angel, did you know that?"

I sighed, closing my eyes to keep the tears from falling. "Yeah, I do, but I like to have you tell me once in awhile."

At that moment my mum entered the kitchen. "Lily Ev-I mean Potter, come here right this instant."

I stared at her for a moment, again struck by her sickly appearance. "What did I do now?" I asked, more to humor her than anything else. I really didn't feel like making any huge scenes.

Her eyes narrowed as she studied me. "Turn around, Lily. Slowly, if you don't mind."

I had a sneaking suspicion what this was about, but I really didn't want to tell her. I knew she would tell Petunia, and then we would have a big problem on our hands. I quietly acquiesced to her demand, slowly turning on the spot.

"What made you storm out of the room when I told you that Petunia is expecting?" she asked shrewdly.

"I didn't storm out," I said, clenching my jaw. I was doing anything to prevent myself from crying. "I excused myself and came into the kitchen. I was surprised, is all. I just needed to let the news sink in."

Again my mother stared at me. "Why are you going to cry?"

"I'm not," I said, but my voice shook slightly, completely giving me away.

My mother crossed over to me and pulled at the waistline of my jeans. "Well, darling, either you're just getting fat and are jealous that your sister actually has a reason to, or you're pregnant too."

I closed my eyes, but this time tears slipped through. "I don't want to tell her," I whispered. "She'll be mad at me, and I just want to be happy."

I felt James arms snake around me from behind and I leaned into him. I absolutely refused to look at my mum for a few moments, and then I ventured a peek. I wasn't sure what I was expecting to see, but it wasn't the big smile that was there. I hadn't seen her truly smile in a very long time.

"I'm very happy for you," she said. "James, if you don't mind, I'd like to hug my daughter."

I stepped out of my husband's arm and into my mother's, and I was truly relieved. I had half-expected a tongue-lashing about being much too young. "You don't think I'm too young?" I asked tentatively, wanting it to be done and over with if it was going to come.

"You're a married woman," she shrugged after letting me go. "You've been married for over a year, it's your decision. Although I must admit, I'll be happy to have grandchildren running around the house. When is the baby due?"

"August," I answered, wiping my tears from my eyes. "Can you please not tell Petunia, though? She's going to be mad at me."

She smiled again. "Lily, darling, Petunia's been pregnant for a month longer than you have. She'll just have to deal with it. She's going to figure it out, anyway, so we may as well tell her today."

I gave her a look that clearly said she was mental, but James and I followed her back into the living room.

"Petunia and Vernon, I think Lily would like you to know that she also has some very happy news. I'm going to have another grandchild in August," she stated very matter-of-factly moments after we had entered the room. I had expected her to soften the blow slightly, and apparently Petunia thought it was a rather abrupt statement by the look on her face.

"Well, I, erm…" she spluttered, at a momentary loss for words. She seemed to be torn between two reactions, and I was praying for the better of the two. "Congratulations," she said finally, and I smiled weakly.

"Thanks," I replied, not able to believe we weren't going to have a row, especially with the hormones raging in _both_ our bodies.

"There now, that wasn't so difficult," my mum said, obviously pleased with herself. "Come now, let's open the rest of our presents."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A/N: ducks as readers throw sharp and heavy objects in her direction I know, I know it's been 4 months! I'm sooooo sorry I can't even express it. I fail at life, I know. Life has once again gotten in my way, and my writing had to go on the back burner for a while. I will do my very best to update sooner now that my life has gotten back on track. In case anyone cares, here's some updates in the life of Beth in no particular order…got a job, quit my job because of cheerleading, almost broke up with my boyfriend but then we made up, turned 17 (I can't believe I started writing this fic when I was 15!), started my junior year in high school, am currently dying because of Advanced Placement U.S. History, had a cheerleading competition and took second place, and that's all I can think of at the moment. It's been crazy.

I'm going to forego review responses in order to get this up tonight, but I'm going to address a few questions I've gotten.

As for 50 chapters, I'm starting to wonder if I can stretch it out that long. It may be, it may not be. Just know that 50 is the maximum it's going to be…oh, and why don't I take a poll…If you'd like it to be as many as 50, let me know. If you want it to end soon, let me know. That'd be awesome.

No, I'm not dead. :-P

And yes, I could see Sirius as a pirate. ;-)

And thank you soooooooo soooooooo soooooooo much to everyone who's read and reviewed and hung in there for me! It means incredibly much to me that people take time out of their lives to read the little ramblings that form in my head.

Prongs' Princess


	42. Snivellus Returns

Disclaimer: Once again, any of the characters that have appeared in any of the Harry Potter books do not belong to me. The ones who have not made an appearing in said books _do_ belong to me…but there are very few of them. I have taken the wonderful characters that the genius J.K. Rowling made up and just played with them a bit. They never have and never will belong to me. If they did, I'd be a jazillionaire, and I'd marry Daniel Radcliffe…sighs wistfully

**Chapter 42: Snivellus Returns**

It was a bit more glorious when we told James' parents that they were going to be grandparents. Mrs. Potter squealed in excitement and nearly burst into tears as she hugged me tightly, and James later told me he thought his hand was going to break from how hard his father shook it. But it was very welcome excitement, nonetheless, and greatly succeeded in building my own.

The weeks passed, and life became very interesting, to say the least. Alice and I spent very much time together, seeing as our husbands were in Auror training, Drusa was in Healer training, and we would otherwise have been very much alone. We often swapped stories of out-of-control hormones and morning sickness. It was good company.

"Merlin, I had the worst time of it last night," Alice said one afternoon in late January as I prepared us both tea. "I spent most of yesterday afternoon making an elaborate dinner for Frank, but shortly before he got home I got sick. I couldn't take the smell of the spices, and when he got home, he found me in the bathroom having a rather messy conversation with my good porcelain friend."

"You poor dear," I said sympathetically. "I hate when it comes on so suddenly like that. It's not fair, really."

And that's more or less how our conversations went. We bemoaned our ever-growing bellies and aching joints. We pitied our poor husbands who had to deal with us. But really, looking back, both of us enjoyed every second of our pregnancies. It was exciting when you really got down to it.

And so the months passed. James and I had avoided any extremely terrible arguments, like Alice said she and Frank had experienced once, but that changed one night in early May when James arrived home in a terribly foul mood. He slammed the front door, causing me to drop the plate I had been holding.

"Dear Merlin and Agrippa!" I exclaimed as he stormed into the kitchen. "What's wrong James? _Reparo_." The plate mended itself, and then I summoned it off the floor. It was becoming more difficult to maneuver around myself, not to mention my back wouldn't do so well if I bent over to pick anything off the floor.

"What's wrong? WHAT'S WRONG! I'll tell you what's bloody WRONG!" he snapped, dropping his coat onto the floor. "First I got paired with a bleeding first-year Auror student to teach him how to correctly throw wandless shield charms! Merlin be damned, I have no idea how in the bloody hell that git got into the program! He damn near killed me!"

"James, you know you're not going to talk like that once the baby is born," I said sternly. "You'd best stop it right now before I'm forced to hex you."

"Give it a rest, Lily! You've told me a million times! Can I tell you the rest of the story?"

"Only if you'll tone down your language." I folded my arms and gave him my do-not-even-try-to-mess-with-me-because-I'm-pregnant-and-have-a-wand look.

James threw his hands up in the air in exasperation. "_Fine_. So after I nearly get my blood…_head_ blown off, I go to the Order meeting. Dumbledore had a bit of a nasty surprise for us…a Death Eater has defected and joined the Order."

"Well isn't that good news?" I asked, not quite following him.

"Of _course_ not, Lily! This Death Eater also just happens to be _Snivellus_," he snarled menacingly.

That, of course, was quite unexpected. I once again dropped the plate on the floor, but this time I didn't bother to mend it right away.

"Severus Snape?" I asked, staring at my husband in disbelief. "Severus is in the Order?"

"Yes," came a terse reply.

For once I had nothing to say. I literally had no words to say to that until, "Well, I suppose he's coming over on Friday for dinner with the rest of the Order, then."

Immediately James exploded. "THERE IS NO BLEEDING WAY THAT THE SLIMY BASTARD IS ENTERING MY HOME!" he roared angrily.

I started at him and felt tears sting my eyes. "Well you don't need to shout at me about it," I said irritably, trying to wipe those blasted tears away. "Really, James, Severus is more than welcome in our home."

"FOR MERLIN'S SAKE! I WILL NOT-" he began, but I cut him off.

"OH YES YOU WILL!" We stood there for a moment, glaring angrily at each other. "You've always been mean to him without any good reason," I said, my voice shaking, but bringing my volume level down. "He's in the Order now. I will not tolerate you treating him with any disrespect."

"Need I remind you that he attacked you in seventh year?" James asked quietly, not breaking eye contact with me.

"That was over two years ago," I said menacingly, taking a step forward. "He's quite welcome here."

"But-"

"This discussion is _over_," I snapped, turning to finally mend the plate on the floor.

James was silent for a moment, then promptly turned on his heel and left the kitchen. I heard him ascending the stairs and the door to our bedroom slam. I felt a tear roll down my cheek, realizing what had just happened. It was the first time we had actually flat-out fought in a long time. I couldn't remember being that mad at him since I had gotten a detention from Professor McGonagall for passing notes with him in Transfiguration our seventh year. I couldn't remember us ever shouting at each other like that, either.

I wanted to go after him, but I knew he needed some time to cool off. I summoned the plate off the floor, trying desperately to hold back the tears that were threatening to spill down my cheeks. But, naturally, I failed dismally. I sat down at the table, laid my head on my arms, and cried my heart out. It wasn't just over the argument, although that was a big part of it. I was worried about my mother, I was worried about myself becoming a mother, and I tired of the war we were fighting. I was exhausted, and I cried myself to sleep right at the kitchen table.

I woke up about an hour later lying on my bed. I rolled over and saw James laying next to me, staring sadly at me. "I'm sorry," he murmured when he saw I was awake. "I really didn't mean to shout at you."

"I know," I murmured back. "I'm sorry, too. I shouldn't have shouted, either."

James sighed. "I don't like that Snivellus is in the Order. I don't trust him one bit."

"James, he and you were rivals in school, yes. But we're out of school. We've been out of school for two years. Don't you think that he may have changed since then? I know you have," I said gently.

He cocked an eyebrow. "I have not," he answered smartly. "Prongs will forever be Prongs."

I smiled. "Prongs may forever be Prongs, but he's married, he has a pregnant wife to provide for, and he's training to be an Auror. He has much more responsibility than he ever had. He's no longer a boy, James."

He looked at me thoughtfully. "You forgot to mention that he has grown even more good-looking, if that's even possible."

I laughed. "And he's very humble, too. James Potter, whatever am I going to do with you?"

"Oh, I don't know, Lily Potter. You could kiss me. I always like that."

So I did.

-----

Severus Snape did indeed come to our house with the Order that Friday night. It was lucky that James and I had warned Sirius, Remus, and Peter ahead of time, because otherwise it may have been rather nasty; it was still extremely tense and awkward. Severus looked a little out of place, and I honestly felt bad for him. I made an attempt to be welcoming, as he was in my home, but I'm not sure he trusted me.

He arrived with Dumbledore slightly later than the other Order members, but it didn't matter since everyone was up and about visiting anyway. Alice helped me take their coats and I offered them both drinks.

"Just a bit of Firewhiskey, if you don't mind," Dumbledore answered with a smile.

"Absolutely. Severus? Anything to drink?"

He started, looking completely surprised that I was actually talking to him. "No," he said quickly, regaining his composure.

"Are you sure?" I asked. "It's no trouble at all."

"Quite," he answered sharply.

I raised my eyebrow, disapproving of his tone, but let it slide. I turned to the kitchen and caught James' eye. He was standing with Remus, Sirius, and Peter, and all four of them were staring at Severus distrustfully. James glanced from me to Severus and back again, and I shook my head. Nothing was wrong. I didn't want them to get into a fight or anything.

James met me in the kitchen as I pulled the Firewhiskey out of the cabinet. "Was Snivellus bothering you?" he asked darkly.

"Of course not, James," I replied, now getting a glass to pour the Firewhiskey into. "Please be courteous to him. He is a guest in our home."

Even though I wasn't looking at him, I knew James rolled his eyes. "You'd think he could at least be courteous to _us_ for letting his slimy self into our home."

"Don't roll your eyes at me, and stop it. We've discussed this. You, Sirius, Remus, and Peter need to be civil, please."

"We are! He's been here for all of five seconds!"

"James, I'm tired, I'm pregnant, and I have a wand. Don't piss me off or I'll have to hex you in front of the company."

"Language, love."

I was angry for a second at his smart remark, but the twinkling in his eyes wouldn't let me be angry for any longer. "You are _so_ lucky we have company over or you would be _so_ dead…"

"I don't doubt it," he replied.

I just gave him a look as I left the kitchen to give Dumbledore his drink.

For the most part, the evening passed without incident, which I hardly believed. But I couldn't help but notice Severus kept staring at Alice and me throughout the night. Well, not me, really, but my ever-growing belly. It was unsettling, to say the least.

I first noticed it when Sirius had mentioned that Alice, Frank, James, and myself had escaped Voldemort three times, which was an Order of the Phoenix record (it was also an entire wizard-kind record, but I didn't feel the need to point that out). Severus' dark eyes instantly focused on Alice and me, but he seemed much more interested in me than in Alice. I had no idea why, and his gaze only intensified when Alice mentioned we were both due three weeks apart, her in July and me in August.

It got to the point where I pulled Dumbledore aside and asked him, "Are you sure you trust Severus? I mean, I don't mean to doubt you or him or anything, but he's acting a little strange."

Dumbledore regarded me over his half-moon spectacles. "Lily, I would trust Severus with my life. I cannot go into detail, but he has proven himself worthy. Of course, he must continue working for Lord Voldemort, but he will be reporting back to us."

"Won't Voldemort know Severus is not working for him? He's a very skilled Legilimens…"

"And Severus is an equally skilled, if not more so, Occlumens. There is no doubt in my mind that he will perform his duties admirably."

"He's been staring at Alice Longbottom and me all night," I sighed. "I find it unsettling and downright creepy."

An amused smile came across Dumbledore's face. "Yes, I suppose it would be. However, Severus Snape has proven himself trustworthy. Please trust my judgment, Lily."

"I suppose I must," I said resignedly. As soon as I turned away, James was at my side.

"Is something wrong?" he asked, his hazel eyes glaring at Severus, who had been staring intently at me.

"No, everything's fine," I lied quickly, not wanting to start anything. The night was uneventful, and I intended to keep it that way.

"You're lying," he stated matter-of-factly. "Don't lie to me, Lily."

"I'll tell you later," I said. "I don't want you to do anything rash."

"What happened?" he demanded angrily. "What did he do? I swear to Merlin, if he-"

"Nothing happened, James," I said exasperatedly. "I'll tell you what's bothering me later, okay? Not while everyone is still here."

And so, the minute our last guest left, James practically pounced on me to get the information.

"Merlin, James, it's really not that important," I sighed.

"You talked to Dumbledore about it," Sirius said. (He, Remus, and Drusa were still there…they were hardly guests in our home. Peter had left, saying he was feeling ill. )

"Severus just made me uneasy, that's all," I admitted finally to all the inquisitive eyes. "He didn't do _anything_, boys, he just kept staring at me and Alice all night, that's all."

"Why would he stare at you?" Drusa asked. "That's bizarre."

"He was more staring at our bellies. He seemed to be very interested that we were pregnant, especially since we've survived Voldemort three times and our due dates are close to each other. I don't understand it."

"He's always been a weird one," Sirius shrugged. "He'll probably be indulging himself in some sort of disgusting fantasy tonight, but I wouldn't be fussed. I don't think we'll be seeing him too often, anyway. He looked rather out of place here."

"Well I don't blame him," Drusa laughed. "Not with the Marauders here to give him grief. If I were him, I'd stay as far away from you as possible."

"I'm glad you're not him," Sirius replied, shivering at the thought. "That'd just be awkward for me. Besides, I want you to be as close to me as possible, not the other way around. And by as close to me as possible, I mean-"

"We all know what you mean, Sirius," I interrupted quickly. "By 'as close to me as possible', you mean less than two feet and more than six inches apart."

"Well, I was more thinking less than six-"

"You meant more than six inches." I said firmly while smiling sweetly at him. "Quite frankly, I don't want to think of you shagging anybody in my home."

"Hey!" Drusa exclaimed indignantly. "I resent that. We wouldn't."

"Psh, whatever," I said as I laughed. She joined me a moment later.

"Alright, alright, you're right," she conceded.

Meanwhile, Sirius was giving James a befuddled look. "Since when has your wife been so…not herself?" he asked in a stage whisper.

"It's the whole pregnant-thing, mate," James replied, also in a stage whisper. "It does strange things to women. You should see what she eats."

I rolled my eyes, letting them banter back and forth. James was right; pregnancy could be downright strange. But with two and a half months to go, we wished it would go on a bit longer. Neither of us was quite ready to be parents…at least, that's what we thought.

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A/N: Wow. Okay, so I lied. ducks as readers throw heavy objects in her direction I had said, 2 months ago, that'd this chapter would be up in a week. I am so, so sorry. I'm sure you're all sick of hearing my excuses by now, so I won't give any. I am truly sorry. I will try not to let it happen again. Thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed. They really make me happy…so keep doing it!


	43. I'm terribly sorry

My dearest readers:

I am terribly, terribly sorry, but after much consideration, I have decided to discontinue writing this fic. I know that I adamantly stated I wouldn't; however, that was over a year ago and things have changed. I won't leave you completely high and dry, however, because I have 2 more half-chapters that would have appeared at the very end. I wrote the very last chapter nearly 3 years ago, and I love it. I will post it for you, so you can see where this would have ended up.

My reasons for discontinuing are many, but here are the major ones:

1. I have no time whatsoever. My updates are few and very far between, and I feel that it is unfair to keep you all waiting for mediocre chapters. Between being a senior in high school and all my extra-curricular activities, I honestly have no time. It's unfortunate, but for the past year and a half I have over committed myself to the extreme. Something has to go, and since this really wasn't even going, I will let it all go.

2. Honestly, I have lost interest in this story. I started writing it when I was 15 years old; I am now 18. My writing style has changed and matured, and I just don't like the story anymore. I think the first several chapters are very poorly written, and I don't have the time to go and revamp them.

3. I have a much better Draco/Ginny fic in the works. I can work on it whenever I want, because it is not posted anywhere. If I do eventually post it, it will be after it is completely finished. That won't be until the fall sometime, when I'm off to college, have my own laptop, and have more time than I do now. So I'm stepping out of the world of fanfiction for the next 6 or so months.

So I will type up and post the very last chapter of this story. Again, I'm terribly sorry to have to discontinue, but I feel I must.

Best wishes to all,

Prongs' Princess


	44. Then Fate Stepped In

A/N: This is the last chapter for Then Fate Stepped In. I originally wrote it in August of 2004, when I was 15 years old. I revised it in April of 2005 at age 16. I looked over it the other day, and I absolutely love it. You won't have quite the background in your head that I did when writing this, but I think you'll still like it.

Disclaimer: Characters aren't mine. Get over it.

Without further ado, I give you…

**Chapter Whatever: Then Fate Stepped In**

We had been in hiding for only a week when it happened. It was October 31, 1981- Halloween. I was upstairs getting Harry ready for bed. James was downstairs, reading, for the umpteenth time, a copy of the Daily Prophet that Peter had brought for us a few days earlier.

"There we go, Harry," I said, kissing the top of his messy dark head as it appeared through his pajama top. He smiled at me, and I picked him up, ready to rock him to sleep. Just then I heard a knock coming from the front door downstairs. I was instantly alert; no one but Peter knew where we were, and he wouldn't visit us this late at night.

"James?" I exited Harry's room with him in my arms to call down the stairs. "James?"

"Dadadadada," Harry murmured sleepily against my chest.

"Yes, that's right, baby," I said vaguely. "Where's Daddy?"

James appeared at the bottom of the stairs looking extremely worried. I quickly descended the stairs to be by his side.

"What was that?" he asked tersely, yet he gently laid a hand on Harry's head.

"I was hoping you had knocked over a chair…oh, God…" my eyes widened in horror as reality hit me.

"Dammit!" James sprinted to the nearest window and cautiously peered out as another knock sounded. "It's him, Lily, he's here." Our eyes met and I felt mine filling with tears.

"But how…oh God, it's Peter! He was the one passing…" I suddenly felt extremely betrayed. Peter- our best friend, our Secret Keeper- had sold us to Voldemort.

James looked across the room to Harry and me. "Lily, take Harry and go! Run! I'll hold him off!" He spoke with an urgency in his voice that I'd never heard before.

"No, James, I-"

"Now! Go, Lily!" he yelled.

It was in that moment that I realized I would never see my husband again. He was the man that I loved with all my heart, and he was going to die. Grief filled me as I stood there, watching his face. I knew he loved me; he always had. And now he was going to die for our son and me. I suddenly felt remorse for how I had treated him in our Hogwarts days. I had never actually apologized to him for it. He had been a bit stupid, but then again, weren't we all? He had changed from a young, thirteen-year-old schoolboy with a crush into the man I saw standing before me, willing to die for his wife and son. There wasn't time to apologize to him, so I did the next best thing. I crossed the room and caught him up in the most passionate kiss we had ever shared. Tears were pouring down my face as we pulled apart.

"I love you _so_ much," I whispered. "I love you more than anything."

James cupped his hands around my face and looked me straight in the eye. "I know," he replied softly. "I love you just as much."

A sob rose in my throat as James kissed Harry's head, then my cheek.

"Now go, Lily!"

I ran, stumbling up the stairs, just as the front door burst open. I froze, unsure where to go. I couldn't disapparate, not with the Fidelius Charm on Harry and me. I looked around, then ducked into Harry's room. I shut the door and clutched him to my chest, and it was then that I realized something else. _I_ was going to die. I looked down at Harry and saw my own eyes staring back at me. Then I knew. He was my child, my baby…and James'. He was our son.

I heard the stair creed, and I felt hopeless. James had to be dead…

The phrase kept repeating in my head: James is dead…James is dead…and I felt my heart rip in two. But I couldn't give up. Voldemort was coming for Harry and me, and I had to do something…but what? I didn't have time to think, for at that moment, the nursery door burst open, and I was face to face with him for the fourth time in my life.

"Hand over the child and I needn't hurt you," he said in his high, cold voice.

"Never," I whispered, clutching Harry close and shielding him with my body.

"Stupid girl," he hissed venomously. "You needn't be killed; it's the child I want. Too bad your husband got in the way."

The taunt about James rang in my ears. The man standing in front of me was vile enough to hit me where he knew it hurt the worst. He was truly depraved. He advanced on me and I cowered in the corner, and Harry began to cry.

"Not Harry, please not Harry!" I begged. There was nothing else for me to do.

"Stand aside, you silly girl, stand aside now!" he demanded.

"Not Harry, please no, take me, kill me instead!" I tried, anything for my baby. I could feel myself beginning to panic.

Voldemort just laughed his high, cold, cruel laugh.

"Not Harry! Please, have mercy, have mercy!" I felt the tears falling in torrents down my cheeks. It was all hopeless…it was all hopeless…

"Stand aside!" he roared, advancing.

"NO!!!!!!!!" I screamed. And screamed. And screamed. He was my baby, my little boy who reminded me so much of James. He was my son…_our_ son…

I was screaming so loud that I didn't hear him say "Avada Kedavra", but he must have. The jet of green light hit my back, and that was it. The game was over. My time on earth was up. And yet, short as it was, I wouldn't trade my life for anyone else's.

It may seem odd, as my life was riddled with tragedy. My parents died, my in-laws were possibly murdered, and my best friend definitely was murdered. But really, all our lives were tragic in their own ways. You see, James' and my son vanquished the Dark Lord that night, but although he was gone, his followers still remained. Frank and Alice Longbottom were tortured to insanity; so poor Neville would never really know them. Sirius was sent to Azkaban for betraying James and me, and Peter escaped down the sewer as a rat. They say Drusa just lost it when she heard Sirius was in Azkaban, and she disappeared one day. She never returned. And as for Remus, the poor soul, no one really knows where he got off to, but he eventually made his way back. I wouldn't have blamed him if he had stayed away; he lost everything in his life worth living for. His fiancée and his three best friends were taken from him. But he really was the strongest of all of us.

And yet, as tragic as my life was, I wouldn't trade it for anything. Why? Because everything worth doing I did with James.

If you had told me, when I was fifteen, the outcome of my life, I would have laughed in your face. But it happened…with James Potter. I hated the very ground he walked on, but then Fate stepped in. I fell hopelessly in love with him. We were married at 18, parents and 20, and murdered at 21. It was Fate. We lived to die. And why do I say that? Because it's true.

As I mentioned before, Harry, our son, vanquished Lord Voldemort that night. Harry couldn't have done it without me, and I couldn't have done it without James. Funny thing, that, but that's Fate for you. James and I lived, came together, and died. Our love was doomed from the start. But in the immortal words of the great Muggle St. Augustine, "It is better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all."

And I believe that with all my heart.

End.


End file.

Harry Potter, Romance